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A Tough Compromise
Last Updated:
2024-12-30 22:35:32
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All Because I Kissed a Stranger A Crack in the Heart
CATHERINEWhen I woke up, Hunter's side of the bed was empty. My hand instinctively swiped through the sheets only to find them cold. A hint of sadness clenched my chest. I knew he probably had something important to deal with, but I couldn't shake off the disappointment I felt. After everything that had happened… I just wanted him next to me.My sleepy eyes found the clock standing on the bedside table, and an instant wave of embarrassment flooded my cheeks. It was past noon. I couldn't recall the last time I'd risen from the bed this late. Probably because it had never happened.I entered the bathroom, and my gaze drifted to the shower cabin. Another layer of heat coated my cheeks as I remembered how daring I'd been. Chuckling softly, I washed my face in cold water, trying to minimize the blushing. Then I focused on my morning routine, hoping to resemble a properly looking woman as soon as possible.I'd just finished dressing up when the knock on the door sounded. I rushed to open i
Last Updated : 2024-12-31All Because I Kissed a Stranger The First Renegade
HUNTER “The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable…” I frowned at the screen and disconnected. Catherine's phone had been off for more than an hour. Ferro told me she was visiting her mother at the hospital, so I figured that perhaps her battery died, and she might have not even noticed it. Still, the fact I couldn't make sure she was all right placed me on the edge. A part of me was ready to leave the meeting, go to the hospital, and find out why she didn't answer her phone, but I couldn't. Not with everything that had happened in the last few hours. So for now, I had to pretend I was satisfied with Ferro's “She's fine. She's in her mother's room, and there are no threats around.” The moment Fabrizio Grasso had left my office, my instincts ordered me to run after him and end that son of a bitch, but I would have been a fool not to check that damn name first. Especially since we knew this guy was in the group that had tried to poison Catherine at the banquet. Enzo
Last Updated : 2025-01-01All Because I Kissed a Stranger New Questions
With no time to waste, Rowan and I gathered whatever we could carry out of the apartment and stormed to the hallway. Enzo guided us through the old corridors, once probably used by the construction workers. They were dusty and barely stable, but they did the trick. It took us a few minutes, but we finally managed to escape without being noticed by the police. We were lucky… but considering everything that had happened earlier, I would rather call this occurrence not an absolute disaster. “That was a close call,” Rowan panted as we rushed back to the car, dropping everything we carried into the trunk. “It was.” I jumped behind the wheel, starting the engine as soon as Rowan placed his ass on the passenger's seat. Rowan studied me. No doubt he saw my clenched jaw and fingers curled around the wheel in a death grip. “Why do you think he had all those pictures of Catherine?” I shook my head and stepped on the gas. “No idea. It looked like someone followed Catherine around for weeks.”
Last Updated : 2025-01-02All Because I Kissed a Stranger Between Truth and Lies
CATHERINESomething soft and warm coated my body. Then strong hands cupped my head, lifting it. My eyes didn't open right away. Perhaps I was too tired to open them. I didn't know how long I had cried before curling up on the sofa and falling asleep.Someone stroked my hair, the touch gentle and slow. Maybe I should have opened my eyes by now, but nothing about that touch seemed alarming, and I… I might have needed some comfort. The stroking continued. I inhaled a familiar scent, and a faint smile tugged at my lips. Then my eyes opened. I blinked a few times before the blur of the scantily illuminated room turned into recognizable shapes.Now I knew my head was resting on Hunter's lap while he stroked my hair. I shifted to lie on my back and looked up, meeting his gaze. “Hi,” I whispered.“Doctor Sinclair told me everything,” he said, a heavy rasp in his voice. “I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner.”I rose to sit and combed my hair with my fingers. “I'm not giving up, and neither is m
Last Updated : 2025-01-03All Because I Kissed a Stranger A Risky Game
HUNTERI watched Catherine's throat work on a swallow, her face turning pale. “I want to assure you that you'll be safe there. I won't let anything happen to you.”She drew a deep breath and smiled wryly. “I just… This man… Grasso gives me the creeps. I know he cannot hurt me because I'm your wife, but I still remember the way he looked at me… like he couldn't wait to break me apart.”My jaw clenched. I wished I could tell her this man would die soon, but I knew I would have to let this son of a bitch live longer than he deserved. Lying to her was the last thing I wanted, but I knew she wouldn't understand why I'd made this deal, why I signed it with blood, and why I'd agreed to mark her as the price.I forced my lips to stretch, forming a weak smile as I cupped her cheeks. “I will keep you safe,” I promised. “Grasso's days are numbered. If everything goes smoothly tonight, he might not live longer than a week.”Her eyes widened. “And what's happening tonight?”“Among the documents we
Last Updated : 2025-01-04All Because I Kissed a Stranger Wrong Move
“This isn't a rescue mission,” Rowan reminded me. “I don't even know how we would transport all those people somewhere safe without being noticed. And where would we take them? To Lanaro?”I breathed in slowly, hoping to clear my mind, but my thoughts were too hectic. Too many things could go wrong, and yet…“We should retreat,” Rowan convinced. “There's nothing we can do here. As fucked up as it is, those cunts inside are the only ones who can help those people now.”Cries and moans echoed through the warehouse. They were suffering, begging, some ready to end their lives just to stop the pain. My insides twisted. There were more than thirty people, and most of them could die. I doubted those fuckers would have cared.We could take the guards out. If I ordered my teams closer, we could kill them one by one, but it couldn't be done without any collateral damage. In this case, doubtless, there would be many casualties. More would die if we didn't cut out those drugs from their bodies in
Last Updated : 2025-01-05All Because I Kissed a Stranger Fear
CATHERINEA knock on the door caused my body to jolt. I was up on my feet in a heartbeat and ran to open the door a second later. Sergio, the new maggiordomo, stood in the corridor, his face pale. “There was an occurrence I believed you should be informed about immediately,” he said, nervously correcting his tie.Icy shivers licked the nape of my neck. “Hunter,” I breathed out.He nodded tensely. “Unexpectedly, the place where Mr. Thorne went turned out to be a kind of a trap.”Air escaped my lungs in a rush. I stumbled back, my body shivering. “Is Hunter… Is he…”Sergio's dark brown eyes studied me for a moment, then his expression softened. He cautiously stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him. “I was informed that Mr. Thorne is alive, although I do not know any details.”I pressed a hand to my chest, fearing that my heart might try to burst out. “Do you know what happened?” I managed.Sergio scratched his short, dark gray beard as if needing a moment to decide what t
Last Updated : 2025-01-05All Because I Kissed a Stranger The New Stage of the Game
HUNTERFabio surveyed the stitches on the side of my stomach and a purple and blue area stretching across my ribs. Then he looked at me, grimacing. “I could give you something for the pain, you know?”I shook my head. “I can't take anything that will dull my senses.”His lips formed a thin line. “As your doctor, I advise you not to go. I know you're not going to listen to me, but I still need to say it.”I breathed out a laugh. “Your concern for my comfort is touching. I'm almost surprised you care at all.”He shot me a look. “I wouldn't call it a concern. I merely don't like my patients dying.”I rolled my eyes. “I'm not going to die. You've just patched me up. I'm fine.”“You have a hole in your fucking stomach, which is barely beginning to heal. You have a fractured rib and a rather large cut on your leg, which you failed to mention to your wife about. I'd say you're anything but FINE.” He frowned and folded his arms over his chest.I studied him, grinning. “You DO care about me.”
Last Updated : 2025-01-06
Latest chapter
All Because I Kissed a Stranger The Siege
“Where are the fucking darts?!” Remo shouted through the communicator. “I've literally stuffed those fuckers with bullets, and they're still attacking the gates!”“Get a grip. You're not the only one pissed off by those zombie cunts,” Rowan hissed as he released another empty clip.All my men had been trying to fend off the attack at our gates for over an hour now. So far, the defenses we had installed around the estate turned out to be unbreachable, but those drug-fueled soldiers were relentless in their attempts to bring our fences down.“Enzo said the darts are on the way,” I said, aiming my gun at one of the bloodshot-eyed fuckers charging at the western gate. “In the meantime, aim for the heads.”Most of my suit was coated with blood. I hadn't had the time to change, and those renegades didn't die easily. Blood formed a red mist around our borders, and countless bodies lined the ground. Their losses were far greater than ours, but they kept coming, kept attacking…“Guys, I'm runn
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Desperate
HUNTERTwenty-six hours passed since Catherine had been abducted, and we still couldn't locate where she was kept. Potentially, she could have been in one of over thirty estates owned by Aleks Lagunov. So far, we were trying to narrow that list down, but excluding each location took too much time…After more than a few hours of useless quarrels, Lazar and I had finally gathered all our allies under one roof—my roof. Certainly, this agreement hadn't eliminated the mutual hostility, which currently satiated the air in the meeting room so densely, breathing had become a struggle. Well, at least none of them had chosen to resort to violence… so far.We all sat at the large oval table with Lazar and me on the opposite sides. We exchanged meaningful looks, then Lazar cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. “My spies confirmed our previous suspicions… The Lagunov family's old estate was abandoned some time ago,” he said. “That means the renegades' main headquarters has to be elsewh
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Imprisoned
CATHERINEThe pulsing, sharp pain in the side of my head drew me toward awareness. The pounding seemed to increase each time I tried to open my eyes. My heart thundered, its rate matching the vicious pain in my head. I swallowed shallow breaths as if I were inches above the water and struggled to remain on the surface.Finally, my eyes jerked open, and I was blinded by the sudden brightness. I might have groaned, but I wasn't sure whether the sound left my throat or remained in my mind. My mouth was dry, and my tongue darted out, desperate to wet my lips.“Thirsty, Kitty Cat?”That voice sent chills down my spine. I blinked a few times, hoping my eyes would finally adapt to the light. I slowly turned my head to the source of the sound and saw Dante Cartelli's cold smile.I gasped, trying to move away from him. Only then did I realize I was lying on the bed with one hand cuffed and chained to the metal rod hanging above the headboard. The light filling the room was coming from the larg
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Security Protocol
The high-pitched tone kept ringing in my ears. My breath was labored, and my legs threatened to give up from under me. I failed her. I let them take her away. I should have done things differently. I should have assumed the worst and headed to that fucking lab faster. I shouldn't have hesitated. I should have just lunged at them and blown their fucking heads off.I forced another deep breath into my lungs, but my tightened ribcage refused to cooperate. I could barely focus on my surroundings. My mind kept replaying the moment the redhead had carried my unconscious firecracker into the van and then driven away…“They're all dead.” Rowan's voice dragged me out of my bewilderment. He walked over to me with a tight grimace twisting his lips. “A few we didn't kill committed suicide as soon as they figured out they lost. Others were killed by the drug.”“Fucking perfect.” I dragged my fingers through my hair. “Catherine is gone, and there's no one who could tell us where those fuckers took
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Emergency
HUNTERCatherine. Hearing she might be in danger knocked the air out of my lungs. I barked out several commands, grabbed my combat clothes and guns, and a moment later, I was inside the van, heading to the location Catherine had sent in her text.It wasn't far from Scarsdale, but we still needed time to get there. What if we came too late? No. We would make it. I couldn't let myself think otherwise.I shoved those thoughts away. I needed to focus. We rode in the column—five vans with my best men inside them. Ferro was driving the one I was in. I could see his firm grip on the wheel and rage burning in his eyes. I had rarely seen him this infuriated, but this was about Catherine, and I knew that he—just like the others in my team—would annihilate everyone who tried to hurt her.I called Lazar. His first team had just arrived and began to check the area, quickly confirming our suspicions: the renegades had surrounded the entire complex.My blood turned into molten lava. “Who else knew a
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Betrayed
My heart hammered against my chest. I looked around, but there was only him and me standing in that courtyard. I whirled around, trying to run, but then he grabbed my arm, violently pulling me to a halt.“Don't resist. It will hurt if you do.” His dark laugh sounded. He turned me toward him and pressed the gun to my temple. My breath hitched as I saw his finger slowly curling on the trigger. “He wanted you to live, but I could get away with killing you on the spot,” he purred.I believed him. He wanted me to give him a reason. Shit. I couldn't even risk calling out to Logan without provoking him. Not to mention that I would have been dead before Logan heard me…“I'll… behave,” I choked out.He huffed out a laugh. “Good girl.” He shifted his gun, pressing the barrel against my back as he pushed me toward a narrow passage. “Move,” he snarled.I was partially relieved he led me away from the lab, but that didn't exactly solve my problem. I started walking, cautiously glancing around. It
All Because I Kissed a Stranger So Close
CATHERINEI dropped the phone on the table and slumped down on the bed. My hands were shaking, and I could barely stop my hectic swirl of thoughts. The people I had laughed with a few days ago were slaughtered in their own house along with thirty members of the staff working for them.The renegades' attacks had become more frequent and more brutal than ever, and our new allies had grown impatient. My great-uncle told me to ignore them. He said he would handle them himself, but how could I let him when I caused it all?Vera or Nikolay had been coming to Lazar's office at least twice a day, asking for the Pink Opium. They kept pushing, demanding that Lazar tell them where our lab was. He wouldn't tell them anything, but I knew that their frequent visits had already been drawing too much attention. I would have lied had I said their reckless behavior hadn't made me anxious. I knew it was only a matter of time before the news about the complete Pink Opium formula reached the renegades' ea
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Building the Front
Exhaustion coated my feet like lead, turning each step into a struggle, but I couldn't allow myself to rest, not after what we had just found out. I rolled back my shoulders and walked into the salon where the rest of my Italian allies waited for the news.They occupied two leather sofas and two armchairs. Only Guido stood by the window, clearly avoiding my gaze as I entered. “Glad you're all here,” I said as my eyes swept through the room. Then I walked toward the seats, stopping in a place where I could see them all. “I bet you all want to know about the results of Arianna Pelligrini's interrogation.”I heard a quiet huff, and I didn't need to look to know it was Guido. He was the only one who already knew what Arianna had told us—he'd heard it all. Even now, a few hours after the interrogation had ended, I could feel the mix of rage and shame radiating from him.“Hope you learned something useful from your—as I believe—former fiancée.” Luca Barbieri gave me a meaningful look.I res
All Because I Kissed a Stranger First Answers
I walked over to Ferro, who leaned against the wall next to Arianna's cell. I jerked my chin at the door. “Did she behave?”A wicked smirk appeared. “She kept banging at the door and screaming for about an hour. Then she finally gave up and remained quiet ever since.”“I see.” I nodded before gesturing for him to open the door.He pulled out the key card but then halted and gave me a wry smile. “Boss… you don't have to do this. Remo and I can take care of the interrogation.”I almost laughed. “Your concern is unnecessary.” I clasped my hand on his shoulder. “Do you honestly believe I would feel sorry for someone who tried to kill me for my money?”“I see your point.” His lips formed a thin line. Then he nodded and opened the cell.The door creaked, revealing a dark cell. I pushed the door further, letting the dim light illuminate the small space. Then I noticed Arianna sitting on the floor with her legs curled up to her chest and hands wrapped around her knees. She was barefoot and dr
