The air felt heavier.
Like the split second before a car crash—where time slows, your stomach lurches, and you know, deep in your bones, that there's no way to stop what's coming.
I was behind Riccardo, who stood rigid, glaring at Salvatore. His hand hovered near his holster, fingers twitching slightly—ready, but restrained.
And then… there was him.
Salvo.
He stood there like he owned the damn street. That same lazy smirk tugging at his lips, the one that made it clear he was in control. Always.
This was the first encounter between Riccardo and Salvo, according to the novel. But the truth was… they knew each other.
Too well.
For Riccardo, Salvo was the one he had to take down. The man who always slipped through the cracks of justice. Untouchable. Unstoppable.
For Salvo, Riccardo was more than just a cop who wouldn't back down.
He was a Costa.
A man from the family that had destroyed everything Salvo once had. A thorn in his side. An annoyance he didn't just want to get rid of—no, he wanted to destroy him. Piece by piece.
And this? This was personal.
"Ah… officer." His voice was smooth, rich like velvet—but laced with something rotten underneath. Something dangerous.
Riccardo didn't move. Didn't blink. But I could feel the tension rolling off him in waves.
"I'm so sorry about the… inconvenience." Salvo gestured lazily toward the crumpled mess that was Riccardo's car. "My men…" He clicked his tongue, shaking his head like a disappointed parent. "They can be a bit… reckless sometimes."
Liar.
I knew he was lying. And Riccardo knew it too. But there was nothing either of us could do about it.
"Accident?" Riccardo's tone was cold and clipped, his eyes narrowing like a predator sizing up another predator.
"Of course." Salvo's smile widened—but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'd never intentionally damage an officer's vehicle. That would be…"
And then… his gaze flickered to me. Just for a second. But it was enough.
Lingering. A beat too long.
"…impolite."
My stomach dropped.
Oh, shit.
And the way he was looking at me—not just looking, watching. Like a cat that had just cornered a mouse. My throat went dry, and I struggled to keep my expression neutral.
I knew what he was thinking. According to the novel, this was the moment.
[This is when Salvo notices the man behind Riccardo. The way Riccardo shields Alfio… amuses him. Makes him curious.]
And now, I felt it.
The way his gaze hooked onto me. Smirk deepening. Amused. Curious. Dangerous. He wasn't just looking at me now—He was assessing. Calculating.
And Riccardo… he may have been standing slightly in front of me, subtle, protective.
But Salvo had already seen me.
Everything was happening exactly like in the novel.
My heart pounded in terror. My pulse thundered in my ears.
"I'll have my men cover the damages, of course." Salvo's gaze slid back to Riccardo, but I felt it. His attention was still on me. Lingering like an unspoken threat.
"A small price to pay for… misunderstandings."
Riccardo didn't respond right away. His jaw was clenched so tight I could see the muscle twitch, his eyes dark with barely restrained fury. Too smart to take the bait. Too careful to give Salvo an opening.
"That won't be necessary." Riccardo's voice was ice-cold. Final. "I'll take care of it."
Salvo's smirk grew. "Suit yourself, officer." His tone was casual. Too casual. But the threat underneath was impossible to miss.
He was enjoying this.
And I was standing smack in the middle of it.
"And you…" Salvo's gaze flicked back to me, his expression softening—but not in a way that made me feel safe. It was the kind of softness that came right before something snapped.
"You're not hurt, are you?"
My mouth went dry.
"I'm… fine." I forced the words out, barely managing to keep my voice steady.
"Good."
His smile widened. But his eyes… God, his eyes. Dark. Possessive. Amused. I felt like I was being claimed with a glance.
"I'd hate for anything to happen to you."
My heart slamm.ed against my ribs.
Riccardo's body tensed beside me, his fury barely contained.
"We're leaving." Riccardo's tone was final. No room for argument.
He reached for my arm, his grip firm but not harsh, and pulled me toward the car.
But I felt it.
That gaze.
I looked back at him—that smirk, those eyes that whispered:
"I have to get that one. I have to steal his precious one."
I'd read this part before and thought, he's dangerous. But now? Now, experiencing it firsthand…
That word was a joke.
A pathetic understatement.
Dangerous was a man with a gun.
This? This was something else.
No.
He was beyond that.
Beyond reason. Beyond fear.
Beyond human.
He was something that didn't just kill—you could reason with a killer. You could beg.
But with him?
There would be no mercy.
A monster in human skin. A DEVIL draped in silk and sin.
The novel—those words had been a lie. A pretty little warning wrapped in fiction.
It didn't capture the way his gaze curled around my throat like a noose. Didn't prepare me for the void in his eyes—like he'd already decided I was his, whether I wanted to be or not.
No, the novel had failed me.
The novel had warned me he was dangerous. It hadn't warned me that his gaze would rewrite my entire existence.
***
One minute, I was staring into the abyss of Salvo's eyes. The next? I was on my couch, malfunctioning like a broken Roomba.
My heart wasn't braining, and my brain sure as hell wasn't thumping.
I stared at the ceiling like a corpse, wondering if I was still breathing or if Salvo had already stolen my soul. Even when Riccardo dropped me off, I felt like a damn robot. You know, the ones whose eyes pop out and roll across the floor after malfunctioning?
Yeah, that was me.
Dead inside.
I felt like I was trapped between fire and ice.
If I walked into the fire… I'd be ashes.
If I stepped into the ice… I'd be a frozen statue.
FUCK.
Fire = Riccardo. The hero who was supposed to protect me but would probably throw me straight into the flames with his 'justice over love' bullshit.
Ice = Salvo. The devil who might crush me with his bare hands… and then swirl me around in his damn wine glass like I was some fine vintage.
And me?
I was the dumbass caught between a wildfire and an avalanche, praying neither buried me alive.
I groaned, burying my face into a pillow.
"I tried to avoid that bastard male lead — the so-called hero of this novel!" I mumbled into the fabric. "But noooo, fate had to keep slamming me into his path like some kind of glitchy GPS rerouting me to hell!"
And now?
NOW?!
I met the villain.
The man who was supposed to be Riccardo's worst nightmare. The guy who didn't just kill — no, he ruined lives—smiled while doing it and made sure you thanked him afterward.
And that guy?
He noticed me.
My stomach twisted just thinking about it.
According to the novel, Salvo was supposed to dig into my background and use it against me. He'd offer to clear my parents' debts if I agreed to be his little plaything.
And when I refused?
He didn't just let it go.
Nope.
Salvo dragged Alfio through hell and back. Kidnapping, beating, threatening — he did everything to break him until he gave in. But even then, Alfio was loyal to Riccardo.
So loyal… that he died for him.
Damn it!
My stomach did another somersault just thinking about it.
"No… no… I can't let that happen," I whispered, sitting up as if that would somehow fix my fate. "Should I… should I just pack my bags and leave?"
My eyes flicked toward my empty suitcase and equally empty wardrobe with two clothes hanging lazily. Like that was going to magically teleport me out of this nightmare.
But then…
I remembered.
Fucking fate.
Even if I left, the damn plot would just drag me back.
Probably with some dramatic twist where I'd 'accidentally' run into Riccardo at the airport, and Salvo would be waiting at the gate with a smirk like, 'Going somewhere, little one?'
Shit.
"Why am I the only one with brain cells in this novel?!" I groaned louder, kicking my legs like a toddler having a tantrum. "I'm literally trying to save myself, and fate's out here shipping me with the hero!"
And the villain.
"Do I look like I want to be in any damn love triangle?!"
Silence.
Even my condo didn't have the decency to answer. I rolled onto my side, hugging the pillow tighter, eyes narrowing at the ceiling.
"If Salvo shows up at my door…" I muttered darkly. "I'm jumping out the damn window."
But deep down?
I wasn't sure if I'd jump… Or if I'd let the devil catch me.
And THAT was the scariest part of all.