The world disappeared inside smoke and violence.Aria barely remembered how they dragged her into the van.Only fragments remained.Rain slamming against asphalt.Gunshots tearing through the night.
Rafael screaming her name.And the horrifying moment his hand slipped from hers.
After that…everything became chaos.
Her wrists burned painfully behind her back as rough hands forced her deeper inside the vehicle. A black hood covered her face completely, suffocating her breathing while the van sped violently through wet streets.
Someone grabbed her hair harshly.
"Keep her still."
Aria immediately slammed her elbow backward into the man beside her.He cursed loudly.
Another hand struck her across the face hard enough to split her lip.
But instead of fear…Rage exploded inside her.
"Touch me again," she hissed coldly, "and Rafael will skin you alive."
Silence followed briefly inside the van.
Then one of the men laughed nervously.
"She still thinks Romano's saving her."
