Chapter 6 - THE STORM INSIDEThe silence that followed was deafening.
Elise stared at the man standing before her. He was a monster to the world—a cold-blooded Don who had murdered his own blood. Yet he had done it out of a dark, absolute sense of justice for a father he had never met.
"Mateo..." she choked out, her knees giving way.
Mateo caught her before she hit the floor, lifting her into his arms and pulling her tight against his chest.
Elise didn't push him away. She buried her face into his neck, sobbing uncontrollably as four years of grief, trauma, and terror finally overflowed. Mateo held her gently, rocking her in the dim light of the safehouse, whispering promises of protection into her hair.
When her sobs finally quieted, Elise looked up into his eyes.
The distance between them vanished.
Mateo leaned down, catching her lips in a kiss that was raw, desperate, and consumed by years of hidden desire. It wasn't the staged kiss from the gala—it was deep, fierce, and breathless.
May you like
Elise wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down, surrendering to the overwhelming fire raging between them.
Mateo carried her into the adjacent bedroom, laying her gently onto the crisp white sheets. Outside, the rain continued to beat against the brownstone, but inside the locked room, two souls bound by blood and secrets became one.
