Dante's Angel by Laurie Roma

wine glass and followed after Nikita. Her smile faltered and she blew out a
long breath. “Niki, what I’m running from…people have died trying to protect
me. It’s not fair for me to put anyone else at risk if—”
      A dangerous light gleamed in Nikita’s violet
eyes. “I fucking dare them to come after you. If they do, they won’t make it
out of Breakers alive. That’s a guarantee.”
    “That’s
sweet…and slightly scary.”
    But for the
first time in longer than she could remember, Zoe felt hope.

 
    Chapter Five
     
    Spring struggled
to retain its hold over Texas, but the current haze of heat gave a small preview
to a summer that was sure to be brutal. The humidity made the air thick, and a
sheen of sweat had coated Zoe’s skin on the ride into Houston.
    She parked her
BMW motorcycle next to Evie Beaumont’s SUV in the parking lot of the shopping
center. Kalista Redford had made an appointment at one of the most exclusive
bridal salons in Houston. The boutique offered a variety of dresses, from the
affordable to one-of-a-kind couture masterpieces. Personally, Zoe thought Kali
could wear just about anything and her fiancé, Hammer, would still look at her
like she were the most beautiful woman in the world.
    It was enough
to make a woman damn envious.
    Zoe took off
her helmet, securing it to the back of her bike. She loved the thrill and speed
of riding on the open road, and she’d taken advantage of the solitary time to
think and plan before pushing aside her own worries to focus on her friend’s
big day.
    She’d spent
the night at Nikita’s place, passing out on the couch after they’d finished
another bottle of wine. It had been a good night. Zoe had relaxed after their conversation
had turned to more benign subjects. She enjoyed Nikita’s company, and would
have loved to ask more questions about the mysterious woman, but she knew
better than to pry.
    Kali and Becca
Nuria—Nikita’s twin sister—got out of Evie’s car as Francesca and Madeline
Savante exited the other side. With the same black hair and stunning violet
eyes as her sister, Becca was a softer version of her twin, but the
similarities were still a little disconcerting. Unlike her tougher sister,
Becca was an assistant at Kali’s bakery. Recently, she’d started specializing
in custom cakes, which would also include Kali’s wedding cake the following
month.
    “I still don’t
get why you enjoy riding around on that thing,” Becca said as she joined Zoe.
    “It’s fun,”
Zoe replied with a grin. “You should try it.”
    “Hell, no. I
like doors around me whenever I’m traveling at high rates of speed.”
    Another
motorcycle pulled up in the parking spot next to them, and they looked over as
Samantha Kane turned off her ride. Sam was a physical therapist at Fight Hard,
and was actually the one who’d kicked Hammer’s ass back into shape after he’d
suffered a knee injury that had ended his professional fighting career. She’d
been a fighter pilot in the Air Force until she had been shot down on a
mission. After she’d made it home, she’d retired from the military and had use
her training to beat people back into shape.
    Sam took off
her helmet and shook out her light-brown hair. With eyes the same shade, her
features should have blended in with her light, golden skin, but the whole
package only made her look slightly exotic. Sam had a fierce frown on her face
as she secured her helmet on her bike.
    “This fucking
place better serve alcohol.”
    “Wow, you’re
in a cheerful mood,” Becca said with a laugh, linking her arm through Sam’s, as
if stopping the other woman from making a run for it. “Come on, let’s get out
of this heat.”
    Zoe fell into
step next to Kali behind the other women as they made their way to the bridal
salon. She looked over to find Kali looking at her with a serious expression
that immediately put her on guard. “What?”
    “Since you
weren’t in the car with us, you missed the