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Dangerous Game
Last Updated:
2025-02-02 02:08:23
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All Because I Kissed a Stranger The First Step
CATHERINEI stared at my fingers, especially at the one bare finger where my wedding band used to be. I had to take it off so as not to miss any details, and now my eyes kept drifting to the empty spot. I was no longer Catherine Thorne. I couldn't go back to being Catherine Duncan. All I could do was claim my new identity… although I still needed to muster more courage before making the call.Hunter had left a few hours ago, and all the gloomy aspects of our plan began to sink in. From now on, we were supposed to act indifferently or even show hostility toward each other. Hunter would soon announce Arianna as his fiancée, and she would move into the estate, taking my place.“This is just a game, and it's temporary,” I muttered, repeating Hunter's words. But the truth was, I couldn't say it without a shadow of a doubt.Let's face it. The plan was risky as hell, and it involved a lot of human factors. Hunter had told me about Arianna's condition, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for h
Last Updated : 2025-02-02All Because I Kissed a Stranger I Want Revenge
The place Lazar Fedorov had chosen for our meeting was called Vostorg Café. It was in Midtown Manhattan, but I doubted a lot of people knew about this place. No sign marked its entrance, and one needed a password to even step through the ornamented iron gates. The gates opened to the brightly illuminated, glazed passage. I entered it and immediately noticed more than several cameras set to watch the incoming guests. A faint smirk curved my lips. I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out Lazar actually owned this place…My heels clacked against the marble floor as I walked, the sound echoing through the passage and betraying my presence. Two bulky guards instantly shifted their attention to me, surveying my steps as if they half-expected me to stumble and fall somewhere in the middle. Well, truthfully, I would have lied had I said walking in those stilettos wasn't a struggle. Still, I kept my chin high and kept walking with all the confidence I could muster as if my life depended on it.
Last Updated : 2025-02-03All Because I Kissed a Stranger More Suspicions
HUNTERI kept staring at the divorce papers with Catherine's signature on them. Three days passed since she'd signed them, but I had yet to tell Guido Pelligrini about my decision. Of course, my lack of response was completely irrelevant to his daughter. She kept asking when she would move into my estate as if oblivious to the fact that a lot might have changed during the years she had been gone. She had been acting like a spoiled child, which was completely unlike her, and the little changes didn't stop there…She used to have a unique ability to control her emotions. She had always been polite and never spoken without thinking. Now I could see her impatience and irritation take the lead, baring the side of her I had never known and wasn't sure I would grow to like.The knock on my door sounded. I shoved the divorce papers into my desk drawer before calling out, “Enter.”A tall man with ash-brown hair walked into the room and closed the door behind him. He gave me a curt bow and corr
Last Updated : 2025-02-04All Because I Kissed a Stranger Proceed with the Plan
I stood on top of my veranda stairs, watching the line of Pelligrini's cars arrive and stop by the mansion's main entrance. Had it been four years ago, I would have been certain this shitshow had been Guido's idea. Now, I could easily assume it had been Arianna who wanted to let everyone know she was moving in.Standing behind me, Remo inched closer, grumbling, “Does she think she's a fucking queen or something?”Next to him, Ferro made a choking sound. “She certainly is nothing like our Mrs. Thorne.”Our Mrs. Thorne—that was what they all called Catherine. I hadn't even realized when they had sworn their loyalty to her. It had happened naturally at some point, and now none of them would have accepted another woman by my side. For now, however, I needed them to play along.“No hostility, boys,” I muttered, loud enough for them to hear me. “Remember that Arianna is most likely innocent in all this.”I heard their grunts in agreement. I knew they would do what they had to, even if none
Last Updated : 2025-02-04All Because I Kissed a Stranger Out of Sight, Out of Mind
CATHERINELazar had told me to give him a week. He'd said that my official introduction had to be prepared with caution and sent a proper message to other underworld families. I would have lied had I said it didn't scare the holy shit out of me.I didn't even speak Russian, for fuck's sake! And now, I would have to socialize with all the Bratva leaders, pretending I actually knew what I was doing. Certainly, Lazar had promised me he would always be by my side, but after everything I had experienced with Hunter, I had already known there might be times I would be left alone. Not that I didn't want to fight my own battles. Truthfully, it was the language barrier that freaked me out…I spoke Italian, Spanish, a little bit of French and Japanese. Had I known about my origins, I would have at least learned how to read freaking Cyrillic! Now I was spending hours learning some basic stuff, hoping it would be enough to save me from making a complete fool of myself.Lina and Ivan gladly helped
Last Updated : 2025-02-05All Because I Kissed a Stranger What's Behind the Mask
HUNTERThis was a mistake, the last thing I wanted. The plan had been different. I'd wanted to take Arianna to Vincenzo's place where we could talk without witnesses. She'd surprised me by suggesting we should eat in one of the popular restaurants. I'd been reluctant but figured I should find a way to please her after I'd chased away her bodyguards. Somehow I'd fallen into my old habits and wanted to indulge her.I began to regret my decision as soon as we walked in front of the restaurant's entrance and heard people around us whispering. My irritation grew as we entered and instantly became the restaurant's main attraction. Arianna didn't seem to mind. She even smiled politely at some of the guests who stared at her in awe, as if she were a fucking saint blessing them with her presence.This was Guido's doing. I knew he would make sure everyone knew about my divorce and Arianna's return. What I failed to predict was that he would do it immediately and build a fucking legend around it
Last Updated : 2025-02-06All Because I Kissed a Stranger Fighting Jealousy
CATHERINE“I can barely stand looking at them,” Ace grumbled, shaking his head.Fifi snorted, snatching the wine bottle to refill our glasses. “Then you're in the minority. Most of the people here can't take their eyes off them.”Ace huffed, then hurriedly grabbed his glass and drank more than half of it. “She's not even that pretty.”“She is beautiful.” My lips formed a wry smile. “And whether we like it or not, they do look good together.”Ace rolled his eyes. “Bullshit. You and Hunter look perfect together. That brunette below us looks like one of those bitches who live their lives bullying others.”“You got that right,” Fifi muttered.“That's not how Hunter described her,” I argued. “He said she was kind and smart… That made him fall in love with her.” Mentioning his love for her suddenly brought a new wave of bitterness and jealousy. Had any of his feelings for her remained?I craned my neck, trying to get a better view of his face. He seemed relaxed—even happy. He smiled at Aria
Last Updated : 2025-02-07All Because I Kissed a Stranger The New Threat
Run. I needed to get out of there. I needed to do it now. Swallowing hard, I raised my eyes to the intimidating man, mumbled another thank you, and started walking in the opposite direction. I heard his cold chuckle behind my back, but I didn't dare look over my shoulder.My heart kept hammering as I recalled the picture Hunter had once shown me, the picture from his club's security footage. To think I might have just faced the man who had killed Connor…I sucked in a shaky breath and ran upstairs. Then I maneuvered between the tables at a hectic pace, half-expecting the snake-tattoo guy to follow me. Only when I slumped in my seat and assured myself he wasn't there did I sigh in relief.“What took you so long?” Fifi scanned me as she filled my glass with new wine. “You look pale… Is everything all right?”“No.” I shook my head, trying to draw a deep breath. “I've just seen one of the renegades—bumped into him. I heard him talking to a woman with an Italian accent…” I trailed off as m
Last Updated : 2025-02-07
Latest chapter
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Mr. and Mrs. Thorne
CATHERINEI had a dream. I was running through a dark tunnel. Shouts and rough grunts echoed behind me. I couldn't understand them. I only knew that if I stopped, I would die. So I kept running, even though my lungs burned and my muscles turned into stone. I was cold. I was hopeless. I was alone…‘You can stop now, Catherine,’ someone's voice coaxed. ‘You can go back.’The voice sounded familiar, although it was etheric and breathy. It didn't seem to come from one place. It vibrated around me. It pierced through me. I wasn't even sure if it came from the tunnel or I heard it in my mind.‘Catherine, stop.’ The sound was gentle, pleasant, and yet filled with strength and confidence.I slowed my pace, then dug my heels into the cold ground. “Mom?” I whispered, looking around as if the voice could somehow materialize.‘Go back,’ she said. ‘He's waiting for you.’Hot tears gathered in my eyes. “He?” I croaked.‘It's over, Catherine.’ A warm smile filled every note. ‘Go there. Celebrate your
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Waiting
A hand on my shoulder jerked me awake. Wincing in discomfort, I straightened up in my seat and blinked, adjusting my vision. The sympathetic smile on Lazar's face told me I must have looked like shit. His eyes drifted to the side of the bed where I held Catherine's hand.“No changes, I see,” he muttered.I looked at his sleeping great-niece and shook my head. Then I turned to him and cleared my throat. “The doctors say this might take a while before she wakes up.”The night she had gotten shot, I'd nearly lost my mind. Luckily, Lazar's doctors had taken care of her immediately. Ironically, the shot might have been the thing that saved her. The massive blood loss had lessened the Pink Opium's effect, and after the blood transfusion, the poisonous drug had left her body.Lazar fixed his eyes on me. “But… she will wake up.” I wasn't sure whether it was a statement or a question, but I still nodded. A sliver of relief relaxed his features, but then he clenched his fists. “I should have pr
All Because I Kissed a Stranger To Death
My finger turned heavier, curling on the trigger as I imagined his brain splattered all over this fucking corridor. But I wasn't the only one feeling bloodthirst. Dante wanted to kill me just as badly; I saw it in his rage-burning eyes. He tried to mask it with cold amusement, but I could nearly taste the fury radiating from him.“Is she inside?” he purred, jerking his chin at the ajar-open door to the storage. “Such a stubborn little thing, isn't she? She's dying because of that stubbornness.”Every fiber within me filled with lethal calm. “You did this to her? You gave her the Pink Opium?”The fucker smiled, triggering a new urge. No. He wouldn't die from a single bullet. He deserved to be skinned alive and torn to fucking little pieces.He lifted his gun, aiming at my head. “She will die within an hour. The latest booster works that way. Although, I have to admit she used it well. Did she tell you she killed five of ours until the initial effect wore off?” Cold laughter slipped free
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Anything For Her
HUNTER“Explain to me again, why do we trust this guy?” Rowan grunted as we marched through the tunnel.“We don't trust him,” I corrected. “We're taking a necessary risk.”Rowan glanced at Remo and Ferro as if hoping they would back him up. Luckily for them, they kept their mouth shut. Rowan, however, chose otherwise. “This looks like a trap. Why would this guy, who's apparently Lagunov's general, help us get into their fortress through some backdoor? It doesn't make sense!”I gave him a wry smile but didn't slow my pace. “I don't get it either. Then again, he had a chance to kill me twice. He didn't even try. Maybe he actually wants to switch sides.”Rowan gave me a look. “He killed Arianna without remorse.”“Perhaps he can't work around every order Lagunov gives him,” I reasoned. “Or maybe he simply hated Arianna.”“That I can imagine,” Remo commented dryly.Rowan lined up with me. “Basically, you dragged us into those tunnels because he wrote something about the documents signed by
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Survive
Twenty-four hours had passed without Dante showing up in my prison cell, but that hadn't made me relax even for a second. I had been on constant alert, listening to every sound coming from the corridor. My muscles tensed every time I heard someone approaching my door, but I knew that I finally had to get some sleep…I'd used Maxim's trick to block the handle, but even then I allowed myself to rest for merely three hours. Drifting into a deep sleep wasn't an option, although I realized my body would soon run on fumes.My anxieties threatened to devour me, but each time I was close to panic, Maxim's words appeared in my mind. “They're coming, Catherine,” I mumbled to myself. “Just hold on a little longer.”A few more hours had passed, and I was slowly losing the fight to keep my eyes open. I was on the verge of falling into unawareness when the sound of heavy footsteps made me jerk up to my feet. Barefoot, I rushed to unblock the door. A second later, the door slammed open, and three me
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Breaking the Leash
My whole body began to rattle, and a high-pitched tone rang in my ears. It was a struggle not to fall apart as I silently prayed Hunter was alive. But if they had attacked the estate in Scarsdale, how many people had they killed? What about Gianna, Ferro, Enzo, Remo, or Rowan?“Thank you, Maxim.” Aleks Lagunov's icy laugh tore me out of my frantic thoughts. “That's great news,” he crooned as his eyes shifted to me. “Not so great news for you, I'm afraid. You see, Catherine, I can assure you that no one will come for you. Tomorrow, we will attack the Fedorov's estate and crush Lazar's little army. We know more than a little about your plans…” He pointed at one of the Italians sitting by the table. “Mr. Messino was kind enough to share more than a few details.”My hands fisted into tight balls. “Fucking traitor,” I strained through my teeth.Messino glared at me, but Lagunov laughed. “Such feistiness… Just like Katerina.” Then he locked his eyes on me, a grim smile stretching his lips.
All Because I Kissed a Stranger The Predators and the Prey
CATHERINEI couldn't sleep. Drifting into unawareness in this place was more terrifying than Dante's presence in my room. I was exhausted, but my adrenaline levels were high enough to keep me constantly awake.Nearly every sound coming from the corridor made me flinch. The heavy steps brought chills down my spine, and the deep, cold laughter caused my stomach to roil. Dante hadn't visited me again so far, but I knew he would come and demand my answer. As if he had given me a choice…Three times a day someone walked into my room, bringing me food—mostly a slice of bread and water, sometimes an apple. Those servants never looked at me or spoke except for barking out a few commands. They had uncuffed my hand twice. Only for a minute, and only so I could take care of my physiological needs. Then I was cuffed again.I began to think I might lose my mind should I stay in this room and in this bed another day. My whole body began to ache, and I spent hours trying to shift the chain to make m
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
