Chapter 41

-Grayson’s POV-

I waited until there was enough distance between us before stepping out of the shadows and approaching the vendor to convince myself that I was not going insane and actually walking through the street of Italy.

The vendor she had just left smiled at me, the same smile he’d given Ava–a smile I wanted to rip right off his face. M cut through him, and his grin vanished instantly. Good.

He cleared his throat uneasily, “What can I do for you, Signor?”

“The woman that was here a few minutes ago, what did she want?” My voice was sharp, unyielding.

His grin returned, and he fished out some tacky necklace that looked like a toddler had glued it together with sil.tri Out of all the things she could’ve picked, this is what caught her eye?

“How much is it? I sighed, feeling irritation creep in.

“Just 20 euros.”

I handed him the money without another word, taking the ugly necklace and turning on my heel.

“Signor!” the vendor called after me. “This is too much-”

I didn’t stop. My strides quickened as I tried to keep her in my line of sight. Ava was smart in her own way, but sometime questioned her decisions. She hadn’t even tried to cover her tracks or make me chase her. My first instinct had been to g her and drag her back to the hotel where she’d be safe, but something stopped me.

I remembered the look in her eyes when I found her, wide and full of wonder as she stared at the streets around her. It w like watching a child discover the world for the first time. It hit me then–she didn’t want to be chased. She wanted to explore, to taste freedom, even if just for a moment.

So I let her.

hair, oblivious to the stares she was drawing. The way she lingered in front of the gelato stand, her eyes sparkling before she remembered sl didn’t have any money. A mental note to buy her some later crossed my mind, but I

everything was fine–until he showed

my car, parked outside the restaurant where he had taken her thinking of the different ways I could detach his limps. My hands gripped the steering wheel tight enough to make the leather groan under the pressure. I ground my teeth in irrtation, deciding that I had given her

restaurant. The warm lighting and soft hurn of

kicking in. My eyes landed on a half–eaten pizza at an empty table, and my chest: tightened.

a waitress with cold precision. “A woman and a man were just here. She

took in iny expression, her throat working ke she was trying to swallow something too big for her, “She… uh… the man, Luca,

Chapter 41

cold.

swear, he just comes in here from

in my body screaming to act, to find her. I ground my teeth, pulling out my ph and dialing Carter. He picked up on the

if-

my voice hard. “Ava’s been taken. I

silent for a beat, Carter’s tone shifting. “On

could have set her on fire. “Next time, try t of more use. Incompetence is punishable

see the terror behind her wide eyes as I stormed out,

Perez,” Carter’s voice came through the line. “He’s a professional. Hired for jobs like this. His charm and good look are the bait. He lures women with targets on their backs, and by the time they realize what’s happening, it’s too late.

the reason she had a target on her

to stay undercover for a long time. Took me second longer than

wolf growled inside me, and I had to stop myself from crushing the phone altogether.

out, sensing my

said through clenched teeth, ending

the door shut and gunning the engine. The tires screeched as I peeled out of

when I found Luca?

show him exactly what it

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