Page 63 of All's Fair In Love & War

We all turned as Dallas Veneto strolled up to the table, casual in a tailored jacket and loafers that cost more than most people’s rent. He gave me a polite nod, offered Riley a smile,then turned to Sophia, his eyes slowly roaming over every inch of her.

“Sophia,” he said, her name dripping from his lips like something he’d been dying to taste again.

Her expression didn’t shift. “Dallas.”

“Didn’t expect to see you out in daylight,” he said, eyes drifting across the table before landing on her. “Then again, you always had a way of popping up where folks least expect.”

Sophia didn’t even look up from her drink. “Stop talking to me before I’m tempted to pick up where we left off in that hangar. I still got a few bullets with your name on them.”

She was talking about the day we thought Dallas had kidnapped Riley. We flew back to town, and the moment we stepped off the plane, all hell broke loose. Naeem and Dallas clashed, a fight broke out, bullets flew, and Naeem got hit several times. By the time the smoke cleared, Sophia had Dallas on the ground, gun to his head, ready to end him—until I threw my body over his, stopping her. I couldn’t let him die before my best friend was home where she belonged.

“Do you really?” Dallas asked, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes, like the threat didn’t faze him at all. “Because if I remember right, you hesitated.”

“Trust me, that won’t happen again, and Tatum won’t be able to save you this time.” She tilted her head, finally looking up at him.

Riley let out a short laugh. “Please do it next time. Just give me a heads-up so I can duck, or better yet, hand me the gun. I’ll do it myself.”

Dallas grinned, completely unbothered. “Y’all still mad over a little misunderstanding?”

Riley’s smile dropped, and she leaned forward, eyes locked on him. “You really think pretending to kidnap me just to get to my best friend counts as a misunderstanding?”

Sophia didn’t miss a beat. “He probably does. You know he’s dumber than he is useful.”

Dallas chuckled, unfazed. “That’s wild coming from someone who’s looking at me like I’m dessert, but I’ll let you have that. I lowkey miss the sound of your voice.”

Sophia’s eyes narrowed. “I’m looking at you like I’m trying to figure out which fork to use to stab you. Don’t get it twisted.”

“Wait!” I glanced at Sophia, my brows pulling tight. “Missed? Since when do you two talk?”

Riley leaned forward. “Yeah, what exactly did we miss?”

Sophia snapped upright in her seat. “Y’all didn’t miss shit. This muthafucka’s just trying to start some shit.” Then she turned to Dallas, her voice low and dangerously calm as she said, “Move the hell on.”

Dallas held up his hands, backing away with a grin so wide it stretched across the room. “Y’all got it. I was just being friendly,” he said before turning around and walking off, cool as ever.

Riley narrowed her eyes. “Friendly, my ass. I hate that nigga.”

I stayed silent, watching Sophia from the corner of my eye. Her fingers were clutching the stem of her glass, shoulders tense, her expression flat, and her energy had changed. Whatever passed between her and Dallas hadn’t been a harmless exchange, and whether she was ready to explain it or not, I wasn’t imagining it.

Chapter 16

Body Roll

Naeem

From the top floor of Bulgari Developments, I sat behind my desk with the proposal for the underground floodwall and sewage project open in front of me. I scanned every line to ensure I had covered everything. The contract was strong; clean on the surface, but dangerous underneath. If I locked it in, the city would hand me direct access to the tunnels, drainage lines, and the sewer infrastructure beneath the waterfront.

That kind of power was limitless.

Bulgari Developments was finally becoming what I envisioned, not just a side venture or vanity project, but a real foundation. Something I built, not inherited. It was mine. If something ever happened to me, my wife and future kids would inherit more than just bloodstained legacy. This was generational wealth.

A knock broke the silence, and I drew my eyes upward to see who was there. “Come in.”

Khalil strolled inside and shut the door behind him. “Sup, bro?” he greeted, upping his chin. “How was the meeting?”

“Good. The city’s biting. The coastline has them nervous, and I offered a permanent solution. Full revamp of the floodwall system.”

“And what do you get out of it?”

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