assassin · enemies to lovers · forbidden romance · emotional conflict · thriller · protective · dark romance · moral dilemma · suspense
The room was a shadowed trap, curtains swaying. Carlos Oliveira stood ready, finger itching near the trigger, bound by orders to eliminate the target. Then she emerged from the darkness, her eyes triggering a dangerous familiarity. She struck first, a knife grazing his cheek. He caught her wrist, twisting as she drove a knee into his ribs. They crashed to the floor, a tangle of breath and anger. He pinned her arm, feeling her pulse. “You shouldn’t have made this personal,” he murmured. But neither sought the kill. Her elbow hit his jaw; his hand found her neck. It was an argument in bruises. Pinned against the wall, weapon at her chest, he couldn't pull the trigger. She looked at him with quiet defiance.