Chapter 6 - The Hidden Enemy
By morning, the rain had cleared, leaving behind a stark, blue sky that contrasted sickeningly with the devastation at the estate.
The east wing of the manor was scorched black from fire, several stone balconies had collapsed, and teams of silent men in dark suits were sweeping the grounds, collecting shell casings and repairing the shattered perimeter fences.
Because the main mansion was compromised, Vincent had moved us to his private island villa—a secluded, heavily fortified estate located three miles off the coast, accessible only by helicopter or private yacht.
I sat on the sunlit veranda overlooking the ocean, watching Maisie and Rosie draw with sidewalk chalk on the stone terrace under the watchful eyes of four plainclothes guards.
A shadow fell over the table. I looked up to see Frank, the scarred enforcer, standing there with a bandage wrapped around his neck.
"Miss Navarro," Frank said respectfully, nodding his head. "The Boss wants to see you in the study."
"Is he injured?" I asked instantly, standing up from my chair.
"He took a piece of shrapnel to the forearm, but he refuses to let the doctor stitch it until he speaks with you," Frank grunted, a tiny glimmer of amusement in his tough eyes. "He's stubborn when he wants to be."
I hurried down the wide oak hallway toward the villa's private office. I pushed the door open without knocking.
Vincent was sitting behind a glass desk, his shirt off, attempting to wrap a white medical bandage around his left forearm with his teeth and right hand. Blood was seeping through the gauze.
"You are an absolute idiot," I said loudly, marching into the room and snatching the bandage out of his hands.
Vincent blinked in surprise as I pulled a chair up right beside him, picked up the bottle of antiseptic from the desk, and poured it directly over his wound.
He hissed through his teeth, his grip on the mahogany armrest tightening until the wood creaked, but he didn't pull away.
"You shouldn't be working on administrative files with an open wound, Vincent," I scolded gently, using sterile cotton to clean the cut before applying a fresh pressure dressing with practiced efficiency. "You have dozens of people working for you. Why do you insist on doing everything yourself?"
"Because if I don't do it myself, people die, Elise," he said quietly, his gray eyes watching my fingers as I carefully wrapped the white tape around his muscular arm. "The attack last night wasn't just a random raid by the Falcone family. They had our internal security passcodes."
I froze, my hand lingering on his bandage. "A mole?"
"Someone inside my inner circle sold the entry protocols," Vincent said, his voice dropping into a deadly whisper. "Dante, Frank, Mrs. Gable... anyone could be involved."
"Not Frank," I said immediately. "He stood between the girls and the stairs last night. I saw him."
Vincent reached out with his uninjured hand, his cool fingers gently gripping my wrist, bringing my movements to a halt.
"I don't care about the money, Elise. I don't care about the shipping lines or the territories," he said, staring deep into my eyes with an intensity that made my heart leap into my throat. "But whoever gave them those codes put you and my daughters in that fire. And for that, I am going to tear their world apart piece by piece."
"Vincent..." I whispered, feeling the raw, protective fire burning within him. "Just stay alive. Don't let your anger drive you into a trap."
He pulled my wrist slightly, bringing me closer until I was leaning over his chair, our faces barely inches apart. I could feel the heat radiating off his body, smell the sharp scent of copper and sea salt clinging to his skin.
"For six months, I was living in a grave, Elise," he murmured, his thumb tracing the curve of my bottom lip. "You woke me up. You gave my daughters their smiles back. If anything ever happened to you..."
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He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't need to. He leaned up and pressed his lips against mine.
The kiss was fierce, possessive, and filled with a desperate, pent-up passion that swept away every rational thought in my head. I let out a soft sigh, wrapping my arms around his neck, burying my fingers in his thick dark hair as he pulled me down onto his lap, holding me against his beating heart as if I were the only anchor keeping him tethered to the earth.
