Chapter 71: She Makes You Behave More Human

"Boss, we can handle...."

"I’m coming to you," Dimitri repeated. "Nobody follows my woman and gets away with it."

He ended the call, stood up.

"Meeting’s over," he said to the captains. "Matteo, I need four men at Phoenix Talent Agency. Armed. Now. Luca, pull security footage from every camera between my penthouse and Eve’s office. I want to know who’s following her and where they came from."

"On it, boss."

Dimitri grabbed his jacket, his mind already calculating.

Someone was watching Eve.

Someone wanted him to know they were watching Eve.

Which meant this wasn’t reconnaissance.

It was a message.

I can get to her whenever I want.

Rage burned cold in his chest.

Whoever was behind this....Antonio, Isabella, Enzo, or some fourth player he hadn’t identified yet, they were about to learn a very painful lesson.

Nobody threatened what belonged to the Devil.

Nobody.

***

POV: EVE

Eve stood at her office window, watching the street below where Marco had positioned himself by the entrance.

The black sedan had disappeared five minutes ago, probably realized they’d been made, but the damage was done.

Someone was watching her.

And they wanted her to know it.

Her phone rang. Dimitri.

"I’m fine," she said immediately.

"I know. I’m still coming to you."

"Dimitri, you don’t have to...."

"Yes, I do." His voice was steel. "Someone just sent me a message by following you. I’m going to send one back."

"What kind of message?"

"The kind written in blood."

A shiver ran through her....not fear, but something darker. The part of her that had watched him torture Dante and gotten wet. The part that craved his violence when it was in her defense.

"Be careful," she said.

"Always." A pause. "Eve, I need you to understand something. Everyone who wants to hurt me will target you. It’s going to get worse before it gets better."

"I know."

"And you’re still...."

"I’m still all in," she interrupted. "Stop asking me if I’m sure. I’m sure. I was sure last night when you were inside me. I’m sure this morning. I’ll be sure tomorrow and every day after." She turned from the window. "Now stop worrying about me and go handle whoever’s stupid enough to threaten me under your watch."

She heard his sharp exhale. "God, I love you."

"I love you too. Now go be terrifying. I have a meeting."

She hung up, set the phone down, and returned to her desk where her department heads were waiting.

"Everything okay, Ms. Thorne?" Melissa asked carefully.

"Everything’s fine." Eve smiled, cool and professional. "Now, where were we? Ah yes....the third quarter projections. Let’s continue."

She dove into work, pushing aside the worry, the fear, the constant awareness that someone was watching.

This was her life now.

Building an empire while loving a devil.

And she wouldn’t change it for anything.

***

POV: DIMITRI

The black sedan was registered to a shell company that traced back to....

Nothing.

Dead end. Professional job. Whoever set it up knew how to cover their tracks.

Which narrowed the suspects considerably.

Dimitri stood in his office, Marco beside him, reviewing security footage on multiple screens.

"There." Marco pointed. "The sedan. First appeared at 9:47 AM, three blocks from the penthouse. Followed Eve’s car all the way to Phoenix Talent. Then circled the block twice before leaving."

"Two occupants. Can you get faces?"

"Working on it." Marco tapped keys, zooming in. The angle was wrong, the windows tinted, but...

There.

One clear shot as the passenger turned to look at something.

Female. Dark hair. Sharp features.

"Isabella," Dimitri said quietly.

"Confirmed." Marco pulled up another angle. "And the driver is one of Enzo’s men. Saw him at Hotel Noir."

So. Enzo and Isabella working together.

Interesting and dangerous at the same time.

"Pull everything on their movements over the past week. I want to know every place they’ve been, every person they’ve met, every call they’ve made." Dimitri’s voice was ice. "And get me a location on both of them. Now."

"Boss...." Marco hesitated. "If you go after them, Antonio will use it as justification. He’ll say you started a war."

"I don’t care." Dimitri turned, his eyes burning. "They followed Eve. They threatened her by proxy. That means they’ve crossed a line there’s no coming back from."

"What are you going to do?"

"Remind them why people call me the Devil." He grabbed his jacket. "And Marco? Double Eve’s security. Eight men minimum. I want eyes on her every second of every day."

"Already done."

"Good." Dimitri headed for the door, then paused. "And Marco? Thank you. For protecting her. For treating her like she matters."

"She does matter, boss." Marco’s expression was serious. "She’s good for you. Makes you... human again."

Dimitri smiled "Don’t let that fool you. I’m about to do something very inhuman to whoever thought they could touch what’s mine."

***

POV: EVE

Eve’s phone buzzed during her lunch break.

A text from an unknown number.

Did you enjoy your morning fuck? The whole building heard you screaming his name.

Her blood went cold.

Another text.

He’ll get bored. He always does. And when he tosses you aside, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Isabella.

Had to be.

Eve’s hands clenched around the phone.

She could tell Dimitri. Should tell Dimitri.

But she was tired of running to him every time Isabella poked at her.

She typed back: If you’re so confident he’ll get bored, why are you still here? Why are you watching me? Sending me pathetic texts?

The response came immediately: Because I want to see the exact moment you realize you’re not special. That you’re just another woman warming his bed.

I’m not just another woman. I’m THE woman. The one he chose. The one he loves. The one who’s going to marry him and spend the rest of my life making sure he forgets you ever existed.

A long pause.

Then: We’ll see.

Eve blocked the number, set down her phone, and took a deep breath.

Isabella was getting desperate.

Good.

Desperate people made mistakes.

And when Isabella finally made hers, Eve would be ready.