The Mafia Boss Demanded She Lose Weight — Her Savage Reply Made Him Obsessed

The confrontation at the Drake had set the clock ticking. Julian Moretti knew he was exposed. At two a.m., under the cover of a dense fog rolling off Lake Michigan, a convoy of three dark vehicles pulled into the terminal at Pier 42.

Dakota sat inside Gabriel’s armored command SUV parked two hundred yards away inside an empty warehouse, watching live thermal camera feeds on her laptop screen.

"He’s moving the physical servers," Dakota said into her headset, her fingers flying across the keyboard. "He’s trying to wipe the hardware before your men take the perimeter."

Beside her, Marco checked his tactical rifle. "Boss is already inside the main office."

"Tell him to stop," Dakota said suddenly, her eyes widening as she read a line of fresh code appearing on her monitor. "It's a trap! Julian didn't come to steal the servers—he set a thermite charge to destroy the whole office and take out Gabriel!"

Marco cursed, throwing open the SUV door. "Stay here!"

"Wait!" Dakota grabbed her heavy coat, threw open her door, and ran out into the freezing fog after him. Her thick legs pounded against the wet asphalt, her lungs burning, but she didn't slow down.

She reached the main office building just as Marco’s men breached the side entrance. The air inside smelled of burning copper and chemical accelerants.

In the central lobby, Gabriel had Julian pinned against a steel pillar, his hand choked around his cousin’s throat. Julian was laughing through bloody teeth.

"It's over, Gabriel!" Julian choked out. "The timer is set! Five minutes, and this whole pier goes up in smoke! You and your fat little accountant die together!"

Gabriel pulled his pistol, placing the barrel directly against Julian’s forehead. "Where is the trigger?"

"It's digital!" Dakota yelled, stumbling through the doorway, her hair damp with rain, her chest heaving as she caught her breath.

Gabriel turned his head, his eyes widening in shock. "Dakota! Get out of here!"

"Shut up!" Dakota snapped, dropping to her knees beside the main server junction box on the wall. She pulled a heavy screwdriver from her coat pocket, jammed it into the panel, and ripped the casing off. "Julian’s an idiot! He used an analog relay loop connected to the main circuit breaker!"

"Dakota, there are three minutes left!" Gabriel yelled, tossing Julian to his men and stepping toward her. "Move!"

"If I leave, the signal clears and the pier explodes!" Dakota shouted back, her fingers rapidly untangling a thick web of red and blue wires. Her thick fingers moved with incredible precision, tracing the voltage paths. "Gabriel, give me your knife!"

Gabriel pulled a custom titanium blade from his belt and handed it to her without hesitation. He didn't run. He knelt directly behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his chest to steady her frame.

"I’m right here," Gabriel whispered in her ear, his heartbeat steady and strong against her back. "Cut it."

Dakota didn't hesitate. She jammed the blade through the blue control wire, slicing it clean through three seconds before the digital timer reached zero.

The red emergency lights flickered, hummed, and died.

Silence fell over the warehouse.

Dakota slumped back against Gabriel’s chest, her breathing heavy, the adrenaline draining from her body. Gabriel’s arms tightened around her, holding her close, his face buried in the crook of her neck.

"You crazy, brilliant woman," Gabriel murmured, his voice shaking with a rare, terrifying emotion. "You saved my life."