Davil had been watching her ever since Marcelo's death.
Betrayal was as good as death in his eyes.
Marcello's words haunted him. Something about being under threat, about someone coming for his family.
At the time, Davil had dismissed it as the ramblings of a desperate man.
But now, it all made sense, Marcelo hadn't betrayed him for financial gain. He'd been trying to protect someone.
What Davil hadn't expected was her.
The moment he laid eyes on her, it felt like the air had been stolen from his lungs.
She was breathtakingly gorgeous, a vision so pure it was almost painful to look at her.
She moved with a natural grace, her long, wavy hair bouncing as she flitted around her flower shop, arranging bouquets.
Light poured into the room, catching the hazel of her eyes and turning them to gold.
Her smile came easily, effortlessly, as though the weight of the world had never touched her.
Davil leaned back in his car, his jaw tight as he tried to shake the image of her. She was selling flowers, for God's sake.
Bloody flowers. And yet here he was, unable to tear his eyes away.
When he'd seen her at church earlier, her flustered reaction to his stare had been…adorable.
Those innocent eyes of hers had darted away quickly, cheeks flushed.
Innocent. That was the word. Her eyes were untouched by evil, unmarred by pain.
They'd never known hurt, never seen the kind of darkness that lived in men like him.
And yet, it plagued the deepest, blackest parts of him.
Because now, all he wanted was to see how those eyes would look when they cried.
When they burned with anger.
When they softened in pleasure.
Davil clenched his fists, forcing his focus back to the reason he was here: she was in danger. That was all this was.
He wasn't here because of her beauty, her light, or the way she hopped around the shop like some carefree bunny.
He was here because Marcello had died protecting her, and whoever was after her might strike again.
He was about to drive away, convincing himself that staying any longer was reckless, when his phone buzzed.
His airpods activated, and Romano's voice cut through."That's the guy. The one that's been following her."
Davil's blood ran cold. He looked up to see a man stepping into the flower shop, his hand slipping under his jacket.
No.
In a heartbeat, Davil was out of the car and crossing the street.
The bell above the shop door jingled as he entered, just in time to see the stranger pull out a gun.
Giulietta turned, her smile faltering as fear spread across her face. The man raised the weapon, and without thinking, Davil moved.
In an instant, he was between her and the barrel of the gun.
The shot rang out, a deafening explosion in the quiet shop.