Salvia
She doesn't know the game, but he'll make her play it. Tomorrow, she'll be pursued by the world's deadliest man. And she has no idea.
"I tried so hard to keep you safe," her mother told her. "I knew that one day, you would need to run from them." Salvia doesn't know why her mother was hiding. She knows nothing of her mother's past, and now, it seems she never will.
When her mother dies, only Dante can pull Salvia from her grief. He gives her his undemanding presence, helping her heal. But Dante is dealing with mysteries of his own. His body is changing in ways that should be impossible. His abilities appear to defy science.
As he matures, Dante is becoming lethal.
The stakes are raised when the wealthy de Montebellos take up residence nearby. An accidental encounter with Claude de Montebello and his son Lowick, convinces Salvia that the men want Dante's power. Salvia has no idea that Lowick's focus has shifted-to her.
He wants Salvia's love, her body, her soul; everything she's given Dante. And he won't relent; he knows that the girl is the real prize. The one who can tip the balance of power.
He knows that Salvia already belongs to him.
Lowick
When she'd injured herself, he could no longer stop himself from going to her. Her lovely smile had disappeared. Those striking eyes-disarming in their honesty, and yet incredibly astute-had told him he was not welcome. People feared him. As a rule, they did what he wanted. But Salvia, despite her soft innocence, had not bent to him. The way she'd looked at him, unafraid, her gentle brown eyes sparkling in defiance; she had unspooled something inside him. He needed to see her again.
Dante
His overbearing need to protect Salvia weighed on him all the time, except when she was with him. Even then, he was always scanning their surroundings for danger. It was something he'd started doing automatically, only realizing that he was doing it when he noticed that he was hearing and seeing things that he shouldn't have been able to see and hear.
Salvia
Lowick's eyes took in the open dresser drawers and the phone in her hand. His eyes shot back to her face. Terror swept through her as she watched his expression darken dangerously. The muscles in his chest and arms clenched. She understood now that she'd been risking her life trying to uncover the truth.