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ve like someone b
t plead. Didn't even
ilent, still, clutching a small handbag against her chest like it was th
tances walked without complaint. Even the way she held herself was careful-deliberate-
in too delicate for the kin
t ask for
he barely believe
oom, Lorenzo
he watched her, his gaze slow, meas
elves eventually. Weaknes
an behind her said,
said n
ched, thick a
ively. Her shoulders curled i
ent irrit
Lorenzo asked, voi
guardian rushed
h
ty lie people used when t
rward slightly, i
s your
pa
" she w
t E
bare minimum. As though she didn't
k at
eath h
ently, she ra
fire there.
amatic fe
quieter. Some
ept
knowing resistance had
in Lorenzo's chest be
ion continued
as though she were nothing more than an objec
nds folded neatly-too neatly-like she believ
losing behind them with a heavy final
as q
renzo
e reli
mmediately. "I-
it
cut throug
t dare touch it fully. Her hands smoothed over her skirt once... twice... thre
nervous
you're here,
es
Auto
agreed
eated-but quie
e it
hesit
't sound
ned against the fa
e trembling despite her effort to steady
s landed
behind them w
nzo
flin
ot enough for anyon
e not
w tigh
t in front of her. Close enough for her to catc
k at
e
y bre
afe here,
ingered be
d, uncertainty th
es
e didn'
nfuse safety
ped instantly
ing her chin upward
ge
ro
ntio
e said quietly. "That doe
pa
no one e
eath f
across her face
as quickly, sha
and," she
ied her a mo
re sh
do," she
No attempt
t t
guard more than
, she brac
s. For cold indifferen
ted to be
't expect...
eremony. Told her where she would sle
he left h
tou
thr
assur
th
more than cruelty
someone like her, Elena realized something that terrifie
ed his a
if it
it bro
pressed in
ed into the darkness, so
nt, there
h
le
vo
d. Closer than
ow. No one tak
est ti
amiliar twist
her eyes beg
ic
. Met
on
s snapp
t supposed
toni
he
hifted nea
, threaded with something dang
k no one would try
heart
wasn't just a
t just a
inning of some
fragile safet
nzo De Luca's world
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