The Price of Protection and the Dancer Who Refused to Bend
I used that split second of distraction to slip through the side connecting door into Dante’s private study.
The air in the study was cold.
I crept along the wall, my hand brushing the cold leather of the sofa.
Suddenly, a strong hand clamped over my mouth.
An arm wrapped around my waist, lifting me off my feet.
“Do not make a sound,” a voice whispered in my ear.
It was Dante.
The scent of sandalwood and leather washed over me, bringing a sudden rush of relief.
I nodded quickly against his palm.
He slowly let his hand slip from my face, but he kept me close to his chest.
In his right hand, he held a sleek black handgun.
“There are at least six of them,” Dante murmured, his mouth hovering near my ear. “They bypassed the perimeter lobby.”
“I know how,” I whispered back, my voice trembling. “I translated the cypher.”
He went entirely still.
“The shift schedules, the keycodes, the blind spots,” I said. “Someone inside your organization sold them to Moretti.”
I could feel the tension lock in his muscles.