Page 68 of Ruined By Capture

"I—" she starts. "Yes. I think we need to."

Merda. I knew putting the idea in her head would lead here. The thought of contacting anyone in the Lombardi family makes my skin crawl but she's right about one thing—we're running out of options.

"If we try hacking that USB again we're risking our lives for the third time," I say bluntly. "And the next time someone might not walk away."

"I know." Her voice is quiet but steady. "That's why we need another approach."

I push away from the counter and pace the kitchen. "Your brother could be completely loyal to your father. He could be setting a trap."

"Or he could help us," she counters. "Leonardo and I... we were close once."

I stop and face her. "It's a massive risk."

"Everything about this is a risk, Alessio." She steps closer, determination hardening her features. "But doing nothing guarantees Raymond and my father will continue to destroy lives. And the Ferettis too."

She's right and we both know it. Sometimes the only way forward is through the fire.

"If we do this," I say carefully, "we do it my way. With every precaution."

I hold her gaze for a long moment, watching the determination in her eyes. This woman has already risked everything—her family, her safety, her future—to expose the truth. Now she's willing to risk even more.

"Okay," she says finally. "Your way. With every precaution."

I nod, my mind already calculating angles, contingencies, extraction plans.

"We need to be smart about this," she says.

"Come here," I say, my voice dropping lower.

She hesitates for just a second before stepping toward me. When she's close enough I reach out, wrapping my hand around the back of her neck and pulling her to me. Her breath catches as I claim her mouth with mine, kissing her deeply.

When I finally break the kiss I keep my hand on her neck, my thumb stroking the delicate skin beneath her jaw. Her pulse hammers against my fingertips.

"Your ass may rule my dick," I murmur against her lips, "but your mind rules my entire fucking being."

A smile spreads across her face, still pressed against mine. I feel it more than see it—the way her cheeks lift, her lips curve.

"Thank you," I say quietly, the words rough in my throat.

She knows what I'm thanking her for without me having to say it. For saving my life at that gas station. For pulling the trigger when most people would have frozen. For being strong enough to carry the weight of what she did.

Her eyes meet mine, understanding passing between us without words. Neither of us says it out loud. We don't need to.

Some debts can't be repaid with words.

I pull back from Melania, my hand still resting on the side of her neck.

"I need to inform Damiano about this," I say, my thumb stroking the delicate line of her jaw. "If we're going to reach out to Leonardo, he needs to know."

She nods, understanding the chain of command. "Of course."

I release her and step back, pulling my phone from a pocket. Damiano answers on the second ring.

"We have a development," I say without preamble, switching to Italian.

"Tell me."

I explain Melania's theory about Antonio's safe and the possibility of finding evidence there rather than continuing to fight Raymond's impossible security systems.

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