Page 184 of Phantom Mine

Enzo grumbles moodily in response. He’s been like this for a couple of days and no one can figure out why.

The half dozen guards stationed around the room shift uneasily. Enzo likes to work his frustrations out with his fists, usually dragging a poor, unsuspecting lower guard to serve as his… well, some would say his opponents, I would call them his punching bags.

“Maybe it’s because yourfiancéleft me half a dozen category five shitstorms to deal with.”

Instead of taking offense, Matteo tips his head back against his chair. His lids turn heavy. A serene calm bleeds into his gaze as his lips stretch into an easy smile.

“That’s me,” he murmurs.

I nod confidently. “You, Phantom.”

Our lips come together in a long, languid kiss. Matteo’s hand finds my neck and he pulls me closer.

We break apart only when Enzo makes a disgusted noise. “You’re so obviously happy with your decision that I can’t even try to make you feel bad for it. Do me a favor and take the lovey dovey shit elsewhere.”

Matteo laughs, his eyes twinkling with love as he looks up at me. “I’m sorry,cugino, I can’t hide it.”

Enzo rolls his eyes.

He reaches for his phone when itdings, then quietly reads the message.

“No sighting of Adriana,” he says, putting his phone down. “Or Guido.”

Matteo squeezes my side comfortingly. He doesn’t need to—we’re going to find her, I know it. It’s just a matter of when. I haven’t told Thiago or our father that she survived the night ofher kidnapping. I don’t want to give them false hope, but until she’s found I’ll keep holding out hope that she’s still alive.

Guido, on the other hand, I’m more concerned about. He’s a loose end and not one I think will disappear quietly.

Matteo is less worried. He’s had men outside his apartment since the night we rescued Aurora, and Guido hasn’t been back.

“I think he’s left London,” Matteo assures me. “He would have been spotted by now if he was still here.”

“I–”

Matteo will never know what I was about to say because at that precise moment, the double doors of the VIP room burst open.

It’s three pm on a Saturday and broad daylight. The club doesn’t open for another six hours so this arrival is unexpected, to say the least.

A woman bursts through in a tornado of color. She’s wearing the kind of outfit that only someone with unparalleled confidence can pull off, and she does. Everything about the way she carries herself draws the eye to her.

She’s magnetic.

It’s because of that pull that I look at her face and immediately recognize her. It takes me long seconds to process her presence. Seeing her atFirenzedoesn’t make sense, but I can’t arrange my thoughts quickly enough to call out her name and ask her why she’s here.

Dagny storms in with a face like thunder, long legs wrapped in strappy heels moving with absolute determination as she crosses the room.

She doesn’t stop.

She strides right up to Enzo, draws her arm back and slaps him clean across the face.

The shock forces a loud gasp from my lips.

Guns are immediately drawn, including Matteo’s.

I’m jostled as he jumps to his feet, holding me at his hip with one hand while the other points his weapon at Dagny.

Instinct makes me react. With a cry, I shove his arm down, aiming the gun away from her. I can’t call her my friend just yet, but I have a feeling that’s what we’re going to be. And since she’s already been shot by one friend’s Underworld husband, I’m not about to make that count two.

It turns out, I don’t need to react.

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