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“I didn’t go away for my sake, Sophia.” There’s something tender in his voice, something that makes my romance writer’s heart do a slow flip. “Do you remember the last night we were together?”

As I watch, holding my breath, she blinks rapidly and her throat works. “Yes . . .”

“Remember when I came in from outside the hotel room after you got out of the shower? And you wanted to know why I left?” Her head bobs slowly. “I was taking care of the man your father sent to kill me—and probably you in the process.”

“Bullshit,” she spits.

“It’s true. Believe it or don’t, that doesn’t change what’s real. Your dad sent one of his men to end me over us being together. I read the orders after, they were very clear.” He pauses, like he is thinking about revealing the rest. Everyone looks at him expectantly until he finally continues. “The orders were to kill anyone getting in the way, including you two.” He glances between Sophia and Adrian. “I only knew I couldn’t take the chance of either of you getting caught in the cross fire.”

It’s official. I am going to drop dead of pure, undiluted pleasure from this story. It has everything. I can imagine the drama now, Sophia’s dad saying something like, “I would rather kill my own daughter than see her with Theo.”

She rolls her sapphire eyes, scoffing. She is surprisingly calm considering the news. I feel more shocked than she looks. “My hero. The hero who couldn’t bother to tell me he wasn’t really dead until he needed something from me.” Her hair becomes a dark halo when she tosses her head. “I mourned you, asshole.”

“Sure, you mourned me.” Something sharp and steely enters his voice, amping up the electric charge hanging in the air. “Was that before or after you married a Castillo?”

“You know damn well I had no choice in the matter,” she snaps. “My father didn’t really ask me. All he cared about was the amount of power he gained by combining the Castillo territory with ours.”

Tugging Adrian’s arm, I ask in a hushed voice, “Should he antagonize a woman holding a gun on him?”

“No, he shouldn’t,” Sophia replies even though I wasn’t talking to her. I guess I didn’t whisper all that quietly.

“I didn’t want to leave.” Theo raises his hands in surrender. Something about that simple gesture tugs at my heart and makes him seem much more human. “But I couldn’t risk your life.”

She’s melting. I can feel it. The gun lowers a little. “So what do you need now? It must be important for you to show your face again. You know my father would flay you alive if he knew you fooled him. He even sent an arrangement to your funeral.”

“What a sweetheart,” I whisper.

She gives me a sharp look. “I don’t remember addressing you, darling. The grown-ups are talking.”

I don’t even care that she’s insulting me. She could probably step on me right now and I’d thank her. Not only is she fantastic, but she’s given birth to a dozen new book ideas. The jilted girlfriend who also happens to be a sharpshooter. The grieving girl forced to marry another man while her heart is shattered over the man she loves . . . who is watching her life from afar to keep her safe. The completely kick-ass Mafia princess who tracks down her ex and makes his life hell even as she fights the way her heart yearns for him. At this rate, I’ll owe her a cut of the royalties for my next five books.

“You want to know the truth?” Theo asks.

Oh no. Adrian makes a choked noise while I wonder how long it will take me to kiss my butt goodbye. He’s not going to come straight out and tell her the truth . . . is he?

“I would prefer that,” Sophia replies.

“Fine.” He might as well add you asked for it. “We need to get into the masquerade ball your dad is throwing.”

One eyebrow arches, but that’s as much of a response as she reveals before asking, “Why?”

“Because we’re going to kill him.”

Well, there goes that. It was a nice life while it lasted. A shame I made it only twenty-one years, but then I guess I would be considered middle-aged if I were born a few hundred years earlier. Everything’s relative.

I would swear somebody sucked all the air out of the atmosphere while we wait for Sophia to react. She takes a painfully slow breath before asking, “What can I do to help?”

“Seriously?” I blurt out.

“Seriously,” she fires back. “I have my reasons.”

“We just need invitations to get us past security.” Theo is taking her reaction much better than I am, but then I guess that’s nothing to be surprised about. He knows her better than I do and understands that family can be complicated in a way I don’t.

“Done—on one condition.”

I shouldn’t groan, but I can’t help it. “See? I knew it couldn’t be that easy.” Adrian only gives his head a tiny shake while his gaze bounces back and forth between Theo and Sophia.

“What is that?” Theo asks.