Nico stood and angled himself in front of the door, his features hardening. “What I know is the man doesn’t exist. I couldn’t find a goddamn thing on him, and that means he’s not someone you should be hanging around.”

“Stop!” I spat at him, shoving my finger in his chest. “You stop right there before you go any farther. Michael was the one who picked me up off the ground and brought me back to life after you left. So don’t you dare tell me to stay away from him. If you didn’t want him in my life, you never should have left.” I squeezed past him, opening the door and thundering down the hall.

I went straight to my room and slammed the door. Nico could find his own damn way out, and he’d have one hell of a fight on his hands if he tried to follow me up here. I’d gone from blissed out to furious in two minutes flat.

He wanted answers, and he got them. What he wouldn’t get was control over my life.

I wanted to be with Nico, but I wasn’t willing to compromise certain things in the process. I didn’t know where that left us, but the choice was up to him. I’d told him where I stood. He would have to decide if he would concede to my terms or if he was going to risk losing me for good.

What the hell just happened?

I stood alone in the quiet of Sofia’s studio, her taste still on my tongue, wondering how the small progress we’d made had devolved so quickly. She had been pliant in my arms, finally confessing her sins to me when the mention of Michael made her more defensive than an injured animal.

For two days before I confronted her, I’d given her space while I came to grips with the fact that Sofia had changed as much as I had. I could have sought her out and demanded answers, but I decided to let things simmer. It also gave me time to look into her mystery classmate.

It had purely been morbid curiosity. I’d wanted to know who it was she’d befriended in my absence. When my searches for him turned up fake names and documents, it just created more questions. I hadn’t had any proof that Michael was the connection between Sofia and the Russians, but there was no doubt after her reaction to the mention of his name.

The innocent black and red ladybug had morphed into a beautiful black widow.

Sofia had a darker side, and it was sexy as hell.

For all those years, I’d made sure not to go anywhere near her like a rehabilitated addict avoiding his drug of choice. I thought I was doing what was best. Her father protected her, so my presence wasn’t necessary. Enzo kept her safe to an extent, but he didn’t know her like I did. In my absence, she’d gotten herself into trouble without anyone knowing. They weren’t able to see beneath the façade. After only a week back in her life, I’d ripped her secrets wide open.