Page 56 of Dangerous Seduction

I cringed at the sharpness in her words, but I didn’t release my grip on her arm. “It’s not like that, Sof,” I pleaded, my voice strained. “I never meant to hurt you.”

The bus driver cleared his throat, his impatient gaze flickering between us. “Either get on or get off, folks. We’re holding up the line here.”

Sofia moved to board the bus, but I tightened my grip, desperation clawing at my insides. “Wait, just... just let me tell you my plan,” I blurted out, the words tumbling from my lips before I could stop them.

She paused, her eyes narrowing with skepticism. “Your plan?”

I nodded as I formulated the idea that could potentially save my relationship with my sister – and my life. “Yeah, my plan for Natalia,” I said, emphasizing her real name.

Around us, the other passengers shifted in their seats, their gazes flickering towards us with curiosity and annoyance.

Sofia glanced at the captive audience we had inadvertently attracted. “Dante, maybe we should take this somewhere else,” she said, her cheeks flushing.

I nodded. Without another word, I tugged Sofie off the bus, ignoring the stares from the other passengers as we stumbled onto the sidewalk and walked into an empty alley.

“You got one minute to explain,” Sofia demanded, her arms crossed over her chest as she fixed me with a pointed stare. “And this time, try not to broadcast it to the entire city.”

I paused to gather my thoughts. “I’ve been playing Natalia since I found out who she was,” I began. “I have given her just enough information to keep her hooked, but nothing that could hurt the family.”

Sofia’s brow furrowed, her eyes searching mine for any hint of deception. “But why?” she pressed. “Why go through all this trouble? Why not just expose her?”

I stared at Sofia, her words hanging in the air between us. She was right, of course. Exposing Natalia was what I should do. However, my father wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet in her head. The thought made my stomach churn, and a cold sweat broke out on my brow.

“I… can’t,” I said.

“You’re playing with fire, Dante,” she warned, her voice tense. “And I don’t just mean with Natalia, I mean with Dad.” She paused, her lips set in a thin line before continuing. “And even if you somehow manage not to get yourself killed for this… this infatuation, what happens once she gets what she needs from you? Have you thought about that, huh?”

Part of me wanted to bark at her, tell her to mind her own fucking business, but the concerned glint in her dark eyes held me back. Sofia was right: I was gambling with Natalia’s life… and my own. My reckless emotions had landed me in dangerous territory, where the irony was undeniable – as a Reyes, I should have been the hunter, not the hunted. Yet, here I stood, willingly ensnared by a woman who might ultimately betray me.

I ran a frustrated hand through my hair and shot my sister a warning glare. “This... infatuation, as you call it, runs deeper than you know.” My voice was huskier than I intended. “I care about Natalia, and I have no intention of watching our father’s henchmen put a bullet through her head.”

Sofia gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as the full weight of what Natalia would face if our father learned she was a DEA agent hit her. What began as a strategic move had shifted dramatically – I was falling for the captivating DEA agent who had come into my life. I couldn’t let the woman I was falling in love with become another casualty of Ricardo Reyes’ ruthless pursuit of power.

Sofia moved closer, her usually vibrant eyes dull with fear and worry. She reached out and clasped my hands in hers – a silent plea for reason. “Then cut her loose, Dante,” she urged me earnestly. “Convince her to start a new life far away from our father before it’s too late.”

I ran a hand through my hair, frustration, and desperation warring within me. “I know, Sof, I know,” I said, my voice strained. “But it’s not that simple.”

Sofia shook her head. “It is that simple, Dante. You have to end this. Cut her loose before it’s too late. Tell her to stay away from us, from the cartel.”

The words hung in the air. Natalia was a threat, a liability, and in our world, liabilities were eliminated – swiftly and without mercy.

But I knew I couldn’t bring myself to do what she asked. Because deep down, beneath the layers of lies and deception, I’d fallen for Natalia. A part of me saw her as more than just a DEA agent, more than just another pawn in the twisted game we were playing.

“I can’t do that, Sof,” I said, my voice low and resolute. “I won’t.”

Sofia’s eyes widened, her mouth parting in a silent gasp of disbelief. “Dante, please,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “Don’t do this. Don’t throw everything away for her.”

I shook my head, my jaw clenched with determination. “You don’t understand, Sofia. Natalia... she’s different. She’s not like the others.”

A bitter laugh escaped Sofia’s lips, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “That’s what you think, Dante,” she said, her voice trembling. “But she’s playing you, just like she’s been playing me all along. Can’t you see that?”

I opened my mouth to protest, but Sofia held up a hand, cutting me off before I could speak.

“No, listen to me,” she said, her voice urgent. “This can only end one way, Dante. Either you cut her loose, or she ends up dead. And if you don’t do it, if you don’t make her leave, then Dad will find out.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, their implications clear and undeniable.

“There’s another way,” I said, the words tumbling from my lips before I could stop them.

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