“A man who is building a dynasty is not a man who is easily toppled.”

“And what does it tell Marcus?” I asked.

“It tells him that touching you means declaring war on my entire family,” Damiano said.

“It means my allies will view any attack on you as an attack on our collective interests.”

“He will know it’s a lie,” I said.

“It doesn’t matter what he knows,” Damiano replied. “It matters what the world believes.”

He reached out, his hand hovering near my shoulder before dropping back to his side.

“If you agree, you will have my full protection.”

“My men will guard you twenty-four hours a day.”

“Marcus will not be able to get within a mile of you without my permission.”

I looked down at my buzzing phone.

Another text from Marcus flashed: *Tick-tock, Arya. The cops are asking questions about your missing laptop.*

My stomach twisted.

The laptop contained proprietary files from my old firm, files I had taken to prove Marcus’s financial fraud.

“He’s going to use my old job against me,” I whispered.

“He’s going to paint me as a thief.”