Heart of a Thief. Gail Barrett

her door, and he eased out the clutch and drove off.

      The irony of his actions struck him hard. He’d gone full circle in the past few hours, from being poised on the edge of triumph to reverting to a life of crime.

      Breaking the vow he’d kept for fifteen years.

      He blew out his breath. Fatigue from the long night rocked through him, and he rubbed the ache at the base of his skull. He hadn’t asked for this trouble. He’d been set up, sucked in—and now he couldn’t escape. He had to find that necklace, clear his name and protect Sofia from Antonio’s killer, whether she was involved in this plot or not.

      So while he hadn’t chosen this war, he couldn’t shirk it. He had to fight it with everything he had.

      He glanced at Sofia. Her eyes were closed, her breathing rough. Her hair was wrecked, her soft cheeks streaked with grime, her once-elegant gown destroyed. And before he could stop it, something shifted inside him, something long-buried flickered to life.

      Maybe it was the weariness, the ordeal of the past hours creeping in, blunting the bitterness he’d harbored for years. Making him remember the good parts—her gentleness, her passion, the sex.

      Too dangerous. He yanked his gaze back to the road. This woman had betrayed him. He didn’t dare trust her, no matter how innocent she looked right now. Plus he had police on his tail, a killer stalking his heels. He couldn’t let down his guard.

      Because if he wasn’t careful, he’d fall for Sofia again. And that would be the biggest danger of all.

      Chapter 5

      The dull pounding in Sofia’s skull and the savage burn torching her leg dragged her to awareness. She lifted her hand, pressed her trembling fingers to her forehead to still the wild ache slicing her brain and moaned. But she couldn’t block the images flashing through her mind—that pooling blood, the splattered flesh, Antonio’s bulging, terrified eyes. Nausea churned from her belly, swelled into her throat. What an exhausting, horrendous night.