The SUV sped away from the curb, merging into the sparse nighttime traffic of the city.

I sank back into the leather seat, my whole body trembling as the adrenaline began to fade.

We had survived the initial strike.

Dante turned to me, his face pale under the passing streetlights.

He reached out and took my hand again.

His fingers were warm, and for the first time, I felt a tremor in his grip.

“If you hadn’t decrypted that file,” he said softly, “we would be dead.”

“I just wanted to make sure we got out,” I said, my voice barely a whisper.

“You saved my life, Sophia,” he said, his eyes searching mine with an intensity that made my chest tighten.

We sat in the quiet of the speeding car, the danger temporarily behind us.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his secure phone.

He dialed a number quickly.

“Is the safehouse secure?” he asked the person on the other end.

He listened for a long moment, his jaw tightening.

“Keep double guards on the perimeter,” Dante ordered. “No one goes in or out.”