Chapter 8 - The Syndicate's Debt
"A mafia boss," Marin repeated, the words tasting foreign, absurd, and terrifying on her tongue. She let out a sharp, hysterical laugh that held no humor at all. "Of course. Why did I expect anything less? Normal men don't casually agree to pretend to be boyfriends at upscale hotel galas and then engage in firefights over my flower arrangements."
Dante didn't flinch. He didn't offer a platitude or try to soften the blow. He just watched her with an unflinching gaze. "You needed a boyfriend for six hours to keep fifty vultures from picking you apart. I needed a distraction to walk into a public venue without triggering a perimeter alert from my rivals. It was a transaction."
"A transaction?" Marin’s voice rose, anger finally cutting through the paralyzing shock. "You dragged me into a literal crossfire! Bennett and my mother are back there probably having collective coronaries!"
"Your mother will survive," Dante replied coldly. "And Bennett will have a fantastic story to tell his golf buddies about how his ex-fiancé's new boyfriend turned out to be a federal-level threat."
"This isn't a joke, Dante!" She turned toward him, her eyes blazing. "You lied to me."
"I never told you what I did for a living," he countered smoothly, leaning closer. The sheer physical presence of him filled the small space, trapping her between the car door and his broad shoulder. "You made assumptions. And you accepted my help."
"Because I was desperate!"
"And now you're alive," Dante said, his voice dropping to a low, intense rumble that sent a shiver straight down her spine. "If I hadn't been sitting in that corner booth tonight, my rivals' scouts would have used that hotel ballroom to send a message. You weren't just a prop for my cover, Marin. By sitting at my table, you became my target. Which means I am responsible for you."
Marin stared at him, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She wanted to scream, she wanted to open the car door and leap out into the rain, but deep down, beneath all the terror and betrayal, she knew he was right. From the moment she had complained about her pathetic life to Laurel, her ordinary world had shattered beyond repair.
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"Where are we going?" she asked quietly, her voice dropping to a defeated whisper.
"Somewhere safe," Dante said, his eyes softening just a fraction as he reached out, gently catching a lock of her wet hair and tucking it behind her ear. "My estate outside the city. Until I clear the board and make sure no one connected to that hit squad breathes another word."
