“Time of Death, 2:31 A.M.” When a Dead Mafia Boss’s Finger Moved Under the Sheet—And a Rookie Nurse Made a Life-or-Death Choice.v

Instinct took over before my brain could process the danger. I lunged forward, tackling Adrian off the bed just as a hail of high-caliber sniper rounds chewed through the pillows and mattress we had occupied a fraction of a second earlier. Feathers and shredded foam erupted into the air like a snowstorm.

“Get down!” I screamed, shielding his body with mine against the floorboards.

Adrian didn't panic. Even as blood threatened to reopen from his fresh stitches, his mind was operating with terrifying clarity. He grabbed a heavy emergency intercom phone from the bedside stand and smashed the button.

“Mateo! Perimeter breach! Northwest sniper, upper parking structure!” Adrian barked into the comms.

Outside the suite door, heavy boots pounded against the floor as Mateo and his enforcers rushed the hallway, returning suppressive fire toward the shattered window.

Adrian looked up at me, his face inches from mine. The adrenaline rush made his chest rise and fall rapidly. Instead of fear, a dark, dangerous smile played across his lips.

“Well,” Adrian murmured, his hand gently resting on my shoulder to steady himself. “It seems my enemies didn't get the memo that I’m back.”

“This isn't a joke, Mr. Vale!” I panted, my hands trembling as I checked him for new wounds. “We are on the third floor of a hospital, and someone is trying to assassinate us with a high-powered rifle!”

“They’re not trying to assassinate us, Harper,” Adrian corrected quietly, his eyes hardening as he helped me to my feet. “They’re trying to assassinate you.”

My breath hitched. “Me? Why would anyone want to kill me?”

“Because you saw what happened in that trauma room. Because you defied Kessler and proved I was alive. And most importantly... because you’re standing too close to me.” Adrian stood up, wincing slightly as he adjusted his robe. He walked over to the shattered window, casually peering out into the bright desert morning while sniper rounds chipped the stone sill beside him. “In my world, alignment is everything. The moment you saved my life, you became a target to the men who want my throne.”

Mateo burst into the room, his tactical vest smoking slightly from a graze, his assault rifle raised. “Boss! We cleared the parking structure, but the shooter got away on a motorcycle. The hospital is crawling with local units. We need to move. Now.”

Adrian nodded slowly, turning his gaze back to me. The playful amusement was gone, replaced by an absolute, unyielding vow of protection.

“Pack whatever you need from your apartment, Harper,” Adrian said, his voice brooking no argument. “You’re coming with me.”

“I can’t just disappear into the mafia underworld, Mr. Vale!” I protested, backing toward the door. “I have a life! I have an apartment, a cat, a family...”

“Your apartment was watched twenty minutes ago, according to my scouts,” Adrian interrupted smoothly. “And as for your family—you haven't spoken to your estranged brother in three years, and your parents passed away when you were nineteen. You are entirely alone in this city, Harper. Just like I am.”

The words hit me like a physical blow because they were entirely true. My isolation, which had always felt like a shield, suddenly felt like a trap.

“If you stay here,” Adrian continued, stepping closer until I could feel the heat radiating from his broad frame, “the men who shot through that window will finish what they started. If you come with me, I swear on my mother’s grave that no one will ever lay a hand on you again.”

Mateo stood by the door, watching us silently, waiting for his boss’s command.

I looked at the shattered window, then down at my bloody white uniform. The life I had known—the safe, predictable nursing career I had spent four years studying for—was already dead and buried.

“Fine,” I whispered, my voice trembling with a mixture of fear and adrenaline. “I’ll go with you. But on one condition.”

Adrian raised an eyebrow. “Name it.”

“You stop calling me Harper like I’m a subordinate. If we’re partners in this mess, it’s Dr. Hart or just Harper when we’re off the clock.”