The soft hum of the car filled the silence between them. Outside, the sky was bleeding gold and violet as the sun dipped into the horizon. The drive back from the city should have been peaceful, but peace was the last thing either of them felt.

Isabella Romano sat rigidly in the passenger seat, her gaze fixed on the endless curve of the coastline. The waves crashed gently against the rocks, throwing up a fine mist that caught the fading light. It should’ve been beautiful. But her chest felt tight, her mind tangled in the storm Dante had created.

Dante’s hand rested on the steering wheel, fingers tapping lightly against...