Chapter 27

• Zander stormed toward the alcohol shelf, his frustration boiling over. He grabbed a bottle and, without hesitation, downed its contents in one long gulp. The burn of the liquor matched the fire raging inside him. He was angry—angry at himself for almost giving in to his desires, for nearly ruining Aria’s life for a moment of weakness.
• Where was his loyalty? He knew she belonged to Dante, a dangerous man who would not hesitate to destroy anyone who crossed him. Yet the thought of Aria, vulnerable and caught in this tumultuous world, ached in his heart.
• He slammed the empty bottle back onto the shelf, the sound echoing in the silence of the room. In a fit of rage, he turned and punched the wall nearby. The impact was brutal; the drywall cracked under the force of his blow, and pain shot through his hand as blood began to seep from the knuckles.