Chapter 2 - The Price of Looking Down
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The November rain turned from a steady drizzle into an icy deluge, plastering Nora’s hair against her temples as she stared at the man dominating the narrow alleyway.
Roman stood motionless, an imposing silhouette framed by the flickering amber sodium lights of the commercial delivery bay.
His overcoat hung long and sharp over broad shoulders that seemed capable of bearing the weight of the entire metropolis.
Behind him, the shadow of two armed bodyguards loomed like gargoyles carved from polished graphite.
The man beneath the plastic tarp groaned once more, a wet, rattling sound that made Nora’s stomach twist violently.
"You know my name," Nora managed to say, her throat burning from the freezing air and sudden surge of adrenaline.
"I know everything that enters or exits this city, Miss Vance," Roman replied, his voice a low, gravelly baritone that vibrated right through her ribs.
He stepped closer, his heavy leather dress shoes crushing the puddle where his cigarette had drowned a moment before.
"The real question is why a sensible corporate communications coordinator was crawling through a greasy radiator casement on a Tuesday night."
Nora clutched her gold-buckled handbag against her chest like a useless shield against the descending shadows.
"My date was explaining the philosophical importance of artisanal carbohydrates, and I exercised my constitutional right to leave."
A faint, razor-thin smirk touched the corner of Roman’s hard, sculpted lips before vanishing back into granite.
"Your date works for an offshore shell company funded by Julian Rossi," Roman said, his dark eyes locking onto hers with terrifying precision.
"And right now, Rossi’s surveillance team is sitting in a black van parked thirty yards past the alley mouth with high-resolution telephoto lenses."
Nora felt the breath leave her lungs in a sharp, cold gasp.
"What did you just say?"
"I said you didn't just escape a mediocre dinner, little bird."
Roman closed the remaining distance between them with slow, measured deliberate steps that radiated absolute authority.
His presence was overwhelming, smelling faintly of expensive cedarwood, clean rain, and burnt gunpowder.
He reached out with a gloved hand and tilted her chin upward, forcing her gaze directly into the storm of his hazel eyes.
"You fell directly into an execution zone, and you were seen standing over Marco’s bleeding body."
"I didn't touch him!" Nora protested, her voice shaking despite her desperate attempt to maintain her composure.
"I just dropped out of a bathroom window!"
"The Rossi family does not care about your innocence, Nora."
His gloved thumb pressed firmly against the hollow beneath her jawline, feeling the erratic, terrified flutter of her pulse.
"They care about eliminating witnesses before the district attorney can issue subpoenas for tomorrow morning’s grand jury."
A sudden metallic crack echoed from the street corner as a muzzle flash lit up the rain-slicked brickwork above their heads.
Brick dust showered over Nora’s bare shoulders as Roman’s arm instantly wrapped around her waist, dragging her hard against his chest.
He turned his broad body into a human barrier, shielding her completely as his men returned fire with deafening, suppressed pops.
"Move," Roman commanded his men without shouting, his grip on Nora unyielding as he hauled her toward a matte-black armored vehicle idling at the far end of the service lane.
"Wait, my car is at the valet!" Nora cried out, stumbling on her bruised knee as the cold wind whipped her soaked skirt.
Roman hauled her into the leather interior of the vehicle as effortlessly as if she weighed nothing at all.
He climbed in directly after her, the heavy door slamming shut with the sound of a bank vault sealing.
The engine roared to life, tires screeching across the wet asphalt as the limousine lunged into the safety of the main avenue.
Nora pressed her back against the door panel, her eyes wide as she stared at the mafia kingpin sitting inches away.
"You cannot just kidnap me!" she gasped, trembling from head to toe.
Roman calmly adjusted his silk cuffs and looked at her through the dim interior lights.
"You are not kidnapped, Nora."
"Then what am I?"
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"You are alive," Roman answered smoothly, his gaze burning into hers.
"And until I eradicate the men hunting you, you belong entirely to me."
