Chapter 1

Three years ago, I fell in love with Julian Cross at first sight.

I dragged him out of the debt grave he'd dug for himself, bought his life back from the men ready to bury him, and handed him control of one of my family's casinos.

Tonight, I watch him leave me to die in an ambush without looking back once.

We're in Sicily on what's supposed to be a simple business run on behalf of my family's casino, The Vescari, when a group of masked men breaks into the warehouse.

Twelve men. Suppressed MP5s.

They come straight for me, the Vescari heiress.

Someone must've sold my location.

This trip is last-minute, so I don't have many men with me.

Luckily, I have a helicopter waiting on the rooftop in case of emergencies.

Smoke canisters hit the floor, and the warehouse turns white in seconds.

Men shout. Crates crash over. Gunfire coughs through the smoke.

Someone slams into me, and I go down hard.

Through the billowing smoke, I see Julian pushing through the chaos, holding my stepsister, Chloe, tight against his chest as they run for the roof.

As he passes, Julian steps on my hand. He doesn't even realize.

Seconds later, I hear the helicopter lift off from the roof.

I force myself up, duck behind a stack of crates, and dial Julian through my earpiece.

"You're taking my helicopter and leaving me here alone?"

Julian snaps back, "Christ, Moira. It's chaos down there."

"I could've died. Was I supposed to stand around and wait for you?"

"You've got a whole fleet, don't you? Call another helicopter to come pick you up."

"Besides, you're the one who insisted on coming with me. Who's that on?"

"And don't think that just because you're my girlfriend, I'm supposed to put your life ahead of mine. I'm a free man."

I laugh in anger.

A broke-ass bastard who was drowning in debt until I paid off every cent.

A man I gave my heart to and handed a casino to run.

And now he's using my helicopter to run, leaving me here to die alone?

Bang!

Something exploded.

The blast lifts me off my knees, and before I hit the ground, something heavier hits me first.

A man.

He wraps himself around me, takes the concrete for both of us, and shields my head with his forearm as shrapnel rains down.

His voice is calm, close to my ear.

"Easy, I've got you."

I shove up on my elbow.

My palm lands flat on his chest, all muscle, no give, and I look up.

Dark hair. Hard jaw. Grey eyes catching the firelight.

There's blood at his temple and he isn't even breathing hard.

I ask, "Who are you?"

"Name's Luca." A faint smile. "Luca Vancy."

"That bastard doesn't know how good he has it."

"Why don't you kick him to the curb and take me on instead?"

"I know how to protect you, cheer you up, and I'm better-looking, too."

A steel beam lets go above us.

He covers me again without flinching. Takes it on the shoulder this time.

I hear the hiss between his teeth, and still, the first thing he does when the dust clears is check my face.

"It's not safe here. Let's find somewhere else to talk."

He scoops me up and moves toward the fire exit.

Two flights up, we hit the roof.

Behind us the stairwell door bursts and three shooters pour out.

Luca doesn't slow.

He eyes the gap to the next building, fifteen feet of empty air over an alley, adjusts his grip on my waist, and jumps.

We land clean.

The shooters stop at the ledge. None of them follow.

He sets me down behind the HVAC unit, keeps his body between me and the drop, and finally lets himself breathe.

His left shoulder is already dark under the torn shirt.

I look up at him. The blood. The calm. The eyes that haven't left mine once.

"Why pull me out? You don't even know me."

He's quiet for a second.

Then he says, "I've been watching from nearby for days. You've had a tail on your car since the airport."

"I figured if nothing else, I could protect you from the dark."

"Then the ambush happened, and that bastard Julian ran."

"I took my chance and decided to finally show myself to you."

I frown. "You've been following me?"

"No," he says hoarsely. "I've wanted to know you since that auction in South Philly three years ago."

"I wanted to introduce myself. But back then, all you could see was him."

Three years ago.

The auction.

The night I bought Julian Cross.