Chapter 26 Don't Hurt Him

• L A N A
• “Ezio, please, don’t hurt him,” I say quickly, my voice shaking more than I want it to as I reach out and wrap my fingers around his arm, my grip instinctive and desperate because I know exactly what he is capable of when he feels challenged...
• The fabric of his suit is smooth beneath my palm, warm from his body, and the moment I touch him, he pauses mid-step, his entire frame going still as he slowly turns his head to look down at me. For a second, the intensity in him changes, not disappearing but softening at the edges, and I feel the change ripple through him as if my touch alone is enough to pull him back from whatever line he was about to cross.