I don’t bother hiding my surprise. “Why?”
Leo’s quiet for a moment, like he’s trying to figure out how to put it into words. “Because keeping you locked in the house feels wrong now,” he finally says. “And because, well, I…I want you with me.”
The admission is quiet, and it does something to my heart. “Okay,” I say, standing up. “Yes. When do we leave?”
“Twenty minutes,” Leo replies, his cheeks still a bit pink at what he said. “Nothing too flashy—we’re going to Queens, not Manhattan.”
It’s the first time I’ve left the estate since Leo took me from my wedding nearly two months ago. And now I’m being allowed to leave, even if it’s just to sit in a car.
I dress carefully, aware this could be a test. Dark jeans, a simple shirt, my hair pulled back in a ponytail. Nothing that screams “kidnapped heiress.” When I come downstairs, Leo’s waiting with three of his men—Marcus, Antonio, and Luca, all of whom I’ve seen around the estate but never really talked to.
“Ready?” Leo’s eyes scan my outfit with approval.
“As I’ll ever be,” I reply.
We walk out to the garage together, Leo’s hand at the small of my back, a gesture that’s become so natural I barely notice it anymore. His men flank us and I can see they’re all armed.
The car is a black SUV with tinted windows, bulletproof. Leo opens the back door for me, a gesture that’s oddly gentlemanly considering our circumstances.
I’m just about to climb in when Dante’s voice rings out across the garage.
“Wait! Don’t?—”
Everything happens too fast.
Leo’s hand is suddenly on my arm, pulling me back hard enough that I stumble. His body is moving, covering mine, and he tackles me to the concrete floor of the garage as the world explodes.
The car erupts in a ball of fire, the blast wave washing over us with scorching heat that makes my exposed skin feel like it’s burning. My ears are ringing, and I can’t hear anything except a high-pitched whine. Leo’s weight is crushing me, protecting me from the worst of the blast.
Debris rains down around us—bits of metal and glass and god knows what else. Something hot lands on my hand and I try to scream but no sound comes out. Or maybe I can’t hear it over the ringing in my ears.
Then Leo’s pulling me up, his hands checking me over frantically. His mouth is moving but I can’t hear what he’ssaying. He looks panicked though, his brown eyes wide with fear. My ears are still ringing, everything sounds muffled and distant.
“Emma!” Leo’s voice finally penetrates the ringing. “Emma, are you hurt? Look at me!”
I focus on his face, trying to process what just happened. His face is smudged with soot and there’s a cut on his forehead that’s bleeding, but his eyes are clear and focused on me with an intensity that’s almost frightening.
“I’m—I’m okay,” I manage to say, though my voice sounds weird and distant to my own ears. “I think I’m okay.”
Leo's hands are still checking me over, running down my arms and legs, looking for injuries. One of his men is talking rapidly into a radio, calling for…something. Medical? Security? I can’t quite make it out.
“Inside,” Leo says, his voice hard and commanding even though I can barely hear it. “Now. Emma, can you walk?”
I nod, even though my legs feel shaky, and Leo pulls me to my feet. His arm wraps around my waist, supporting me, and we move toward the house. Behind us, I can hear shouting and see Leo’s men swarming the scene, but everything feels surreal and distant.
The house is chaos. People running, shouting, phones ringing. Leo doesn’t stop moving. He guides me through the hallway and into his office, shutting the door behind us. The relative quiet makes my ears ring even louder.
“Sit,” Leo orders, pushing me gently into a chair. “Don’t move.”
He crosses to his desk and picks up the phone, barking orders I can only partially hear. Something about lockdown. About checking all the vehicles and finding whoever the fuck did this.
I realize I’m shaking. My whole body is trembling like I’m cold even though I can still feel the heat from the explosion on my skin. The burn on my hand is starting to really hurt now, the adrenaline wearing off enough for pain to register.
Leo’s suddenly in front of me again, kneeling down so we’re eye level. His hands cup my face, gentle despite the hardness in his eyes.
“You’re safe,” he says, his voice firm and certain. “You’re safe, Emma. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I nod, not trusting my voice, and Leo pulls me against his chest. I can feel more than hear his heart pounding and his hands are slightly unsteady as they stroke my back. He was scared. Leo Santoro, who faces down rival mob bosses and violent conflicts without blinking, was scared.