Chapter 11 - THE NIGHT DANTE LOST CONTROL
The fire started at 2:13 a.m.
I woke to the smell of smoke.
Orion was barking.
Loud.
Desperate.
I sat up.
The hallway was filled with haze.
My heart stopped.
“Dante!”
No answer.
I grabbed my phone.
Called emergency services.
Then crawled toward the bedroom door.
Orion stayed beside me.
His enormous body pressed against my leg.
We moved toward the emergency stairwell.
Smoke thickened.
I began coughing.
Then a hand grabbed my arm.
Dante.
His face was streaked with soot.
“Olivia!”
He pulled me toward the stairs.
Orion followed.
We reached the street moments before firefighters arrived.
I collapsed onto the sidewalk.
Dante knelt beside me.
“Are you hurt?”
I shook my head.
He looked at Orion.
The dog was coughing but alert.
Dante wrapped his arms around us both.
And for the first time, I felt him tremble.
Later, investigators determined the fire had been deliberately set.
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Vincenzo had crossed another line.
And Dante finally understood how far his uncle would go.
