The SUV glided through the city streets, its tinted windows cutting her off from the outside world. Ava leaned back against the leather seat, her gaze steady, calm. This wasn't new to her. The hum of the engine, the presence of men who carried weapons under their jackets, the silence that weighed heavier than words — she had grown up in it.
Across from her sat Steve, her uncle Romano's most trusted man. His shoulders filled the space like a wall, his sharp eyes sweeping the street through the window even as he seemed relaxed.
"You're quiet," Steve said, breaking the silence. His voice was low, even, the kind of tone that never needed to be raised. "But then again, you always were."
Ava smirked faintly. "And you're still shadowing me like I can't handle myself."
That earned a flicker of amusement in his eyes. "It's not about whether you can handle yourself. It's about making sure you don't have to."
She tilted her head, studying him. Steve wasn't a stranger to her — not in the way most would assume. He had always been there in the periphery. At family gatherings, at the edges of crowded rooms, outside the gates of her uncle's estate. She had known, even as a child, that he wasn't just another driver or guard. He was her uncle's blade in the dark.
"You've always been around," Ava said quietly. "Watching. Waiting."
Steve gave a small nod, his expression unreadable. "Your uncle doesn't take chances with the people he values." His gaze met hers, steady as stone. "Especially not you."
There was no shock in his words, no revelation. She knew the world her uncle ruled — the deals, the blood, the weight of loyalty. She had grown up with it pressing in on her from every direction.
Still, there was something different in Steve's presence now. This wasn't a shadowy protection anymore. He wasn't hiding. He was here, beside her, as if signaling that her place in this world was no longer something to be kept at the edges.
Her hand tightened against her thigh, not from fear but from understanding. If Steve was here like this, it meant her uncle wasn't just protecting her anymore — he was calling her in.
"Why now?" she asked, her tone sharp but calm. "Why make it this direct?"
Steve studied her for a long moment before answering. "Because your uncle believes it's time. Things have been happening and he just wants to make sure you are being safe like you promised."
The SUV slowed as the streets thinned into the quieter edge of the city. Ava's gaze remained steady, unflinching. She wasn't naïve, and she wasn't afraid. She had always known this moment would come.
And now, it had.