Share

Feverish

Author: MadlainQ
last update Last Updated: 2025-01-12 03:20:15
CATHERINE

Had I crossed the line? Had I officially gone bad this time? I had let the wicked side of me take the lead and savored every second of the terror in Calvin's eyes. After Calvin and weeping Naomi had been dragged out of the club, I heard the crowd calling me the Red Queen, as if I were walking around the club, shouting, “Off with their heads!”

I would have lied had I said it didn't make me nervous and uncomfortable. I began to second-guess my decision. Maybe I should have just ignored them and waited for some godlike powers to grant them the fate they deserved…

No. Enough was enough. Calvin had not only been a cheating scum but also tried to harm me, sent Giulio to rape me… My hands fisted as I recalled those moments. A part of me wanted to tell Hunter I changed my mind and wanted someone to drag Calvin back and beat the crap out of him.

My nervousness lasted a few more minutes and ended as I finished my second drink. The tension finally disappeared and my party mood slowly cr
MadlainQ

Thank you for reading another chapter ❤️ I hope you'll keep reading because some answers will come and new characters are about to appear... Thank you for all your support 🥹 I'm especially grateful for every comment, review, and gem vote 🥰💎

| 11
Locked Chapter
Continue Reading on GoodNovel
Scan code to download App
Comments (1)
goodnovel comment avatar
Bella Jersey
How did the bad guys know this was the club they come to? Then how were they able to put explosives all over?
VIEW ALL COMMENTS

Related chapters

  • All Because I Kissed a Stranger   Messing With My Head

    Hunter released my hand and inched closer to Augustin. “Are you telling me there's a bomb in the club?”The manager winced. “Not quite… I mean, there might have been a bomb if the fucker armed it. One of the guards interrupted him, though.”I wasn't sure if I should feel relieved. The fact that someone entered the club with the explosives was terrifying enough.Hunter raked his fingers through his hair. “How did he enter the basement unnoticed?”“Well… you know we still have an issue with the owner of the neighboring building. Two weeks ago that fucker broke a hole in the wall on the basement level. We sealed it, but as we can see now, not well enough. Our wannabe bomber used that hole to get in,” Augustin explained, wincing.Hunter worked his jaw, processing his words. Then he asked, “Why didn't the alarms go off?”“We're still trying to figure that out,” Augustin muttered, rubbing the nape of his neck.Hunter muttered a curse. “Tell me you at least caught the bastard.”Augustin nodd

    Last Updated : 2025-01-13
  • All Because I Kissed a Stranger   The Message

    HUNTERFury hummed in my veins, awakening all the violent urges. I had made a mistake trusting that Augustin would handle all the issues concerning Nox Aurea. Surely, he had failed to notify me he hadn't been doing the job he had been fucking paid for, but I wasn't without guilt either. I should have seen the problem sooner and fired him.I had bought this place nearly six years ago. I had changed roughly everything about the old club and reopened it, turning it into a profitable business. Yet there had always been problems here and there, and some things—like the owner of the neighboring building—had been harder to fix than others.The alarms in the basement had been cut off. Why? Because Augustin—who would soon become the ex-manager—had ignored my order to replace the old system with the improved version. For that, I debated ripping him to shreds. That, unfortunately, had to wait…My eyes zeroed in on the fucker tied to a chair. He was dressed in a gray fitter's uniform with the nam

    Last Updated : 2025-01-14
  • All Because I Kissed a Stranger   Promise Me

    CATHERINEI barely remembered the flight from Chicago to New York. I vaguely recalled Hunter holding my hand and repeating that it was going to be OK. I didn't know if I believed him or not. A frantic mass of thoughts swirled inside my mind, their weight slowly crushing my insides.“Breathe, firecracker,” I had heard him say several times, but the suffocating feeling remained.I felt guilty because I wasn't there. I hadn't been there to see her opening her eyes. I might have said it out loud since Hunter suddenly wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a tight embrace.“Don't blame yourself. You couldn't be there all the time, and you'll see her soon,” he murmured, kissing the top of my head.I had remained in his embrace throughout most of the flight, as if I could have fallen apart if I hadn't. At one point, someone—probably Hunter—told me I should change my clothes and wipe off my makeup, so I did. I doubted I would have even thought about it otherwise.Once Hunter's private jet

    Last Updated : 2025-01-15
  • All Because I Kissed a Stranger   The Ticking Clock

    HUNTERI wondered if Catherine's mother had truly known my father or simply heard stories and all kinds of nasty rumors about him. I wouldn't have called him ruthless, but everyone had known he'd been a part of the Mafia world. I could understand Mrs. Lewis didn't want someone like Nicolas Thorne's son around her daughter. Too bad she didn't know that her daughter had already sunk into our world and she was becoming a part of it, too.Despite Mrs. Lewis's obvious lack of acceptance, I didn't want to leave the hospital. Catherine needed me around, even if her mother would never fully welcome my presence. Besides, we waited for the test results that would tell us more about Mrs. Lewis's condition…While Catherine and her mother talked, I found a conference room I could use and arranged my inner circle's emergency meeting. I had to know if the bugs we planted on Grasso were still working or if we had managed to get anything useful.We were running out of time. We needed answers, and we n

    Last Updated : 2025-01-16
  • All Because I Kissed a Stranger   Waiting for the News

    CATHERINEMom's words still rang in my head as I sat in the corridor, waiting for doctors to finish another series of her tests. I'd told her I would leave Hunter only if he hurt me. She had called me foolish and nearly kicked me out of her room.I knew she meant well, even if her methods were harsh. She was trying to protect me. She thought she needed to protect me from Hunter. I'd wanted to tell her I would always be safe with him, but as I'd started to speak, all my confidence had disappeared.I knew Hunter kept secrets from me. I'd known him long enough now to see the slight changes in his expression. It appeared each time he wasn't honest. I'd seen this change in Chicago after I'd asked about the meaning of the red-haired stranger's words.I was nearly certain he had lied to me then. Of course, I tried to tell myself that perhaps the stranger's words meant something insignificant, and he had said them to mess with my head, but a second later, my mind returned to his suggestion th

    Last Updated : 2025-01-17
  • All Because I Kissed a Stranger   Accepting the Inevitable

    The probability of Mom's operation succeeding was ten percent or less. Doctor Sinclair gave Mom a few hours to decide, but I already knew what her answer would be.Bitter laughter bubbled in my throat. How pathetic my bold declarations had been. I'd promised myself I would fight for her. I had been confident she would fight, too. But no victor would leave this battlefield. The choice she had was between likely dying within hours during the operation or simply waiting for the death to claim her…Unsurprisingly, my mom demanded Hunter stay out of her room. I couldn't blame her. If she were to accept him, it would require time… something we didn't have.As more time passed since she had woken up, her strength seemed to return. Superficially, she looked almost healthy. A gentle blush covered her cheeks, and her eyes shone as I remembered. She even moved and talked with more ease. But seeing every element of this façade only brought more pain…“I don't want to die on that table,” she final

    Last Updated : 2025-01-18
  • All Because I Kissed a Stranger   Talk to Her

    HUNTERTen days had passed since Mrs. Lewis had woken up. Catherine had spent nearly every minute of the day by her side. I couldn't blame her. Their time together had been cruelly limited. I had seen Catherine's smiling face—the mask she had created for her mom. And then I'd seen her crying in some quiet corner of the hospital. I knew this situation had been taking a toll on her, and I could do almost nothing to help her…The renegades had gone silent. After everything that had gone down in my LA club, they had yet to make a move. While my wife sat at the hospital, I spent long hours analyzing and rewriting all our strategies, hoping to prepare my people for every possible attack. We might have known more than before about the renegades and their true power, but our knowledge was still insufficient, and slowly our common sense was giving way to the overwhelming frustration and anger.“Fuck this!” Remo growled, shoving a pile of paper folders off the table.“Would you calm the fuck do

    Last Updated : 2025-01-21
  • All Because I Kissed a Stranger   Grief

    CATHERINEShe died holding my hand. She smiled faintly, her eyes closed, and she drifted into a deep sleep, one she had never woken up from. Some would say it was a “good death,” as if there could have been anything good about dying…“At least she didn't suffer,” I heard from one of the doctors. It was a small consolation, but not enough to take a single fracture of my grief.The preparations for the funeral were a blur. I shoved my emotions away until every decision I made became nearly automatic. Hunter was always by my side as I handled all the bureaucratic issues while Fifi and Ace helped me organize a small reception for those who had known my mom and wanted to pay their last respects.I knew most of them. They were Mom's old work colleagues and neighbors. None of them had been truly close with Mom, but they all respected her and loved her as a human being.They appeared in front of me, staring into my eyes as if awaiting my tears, but all they witnessed was my numbness, and all

    Last Updated : 2025-01-22

Latest chapter

  • 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

  • All Because I Kissed a Stranger   One Step Closer

    HUNTERI knew that showing up at this meeting was risky. Not to mention that my current allies had yet to find out about the changes they would be a part of. The mutual agreement would not come peacefully. They might have even more objections than the leaders at Lazar's table. But we had to start building this mutual front, and we had to do it now.I knew Catherine well enough to realize that something was off, and I knew I had to support her. It was crucial that none of the remaining Bratva leaders question her words. Fortunately, only Vera was overly curious about the drug and where it was produced. The new head of the Nikitin family helped shut her up. He seemed like a decent guy, and knowing the numbers of his family's soldiers, I wouldn't mind having him as my ally.The rest of the meeting had gone without incident. We all agreed we needed more information about Lagunov's army. A few shared the information they had on the renegades, but everyone was aware that this wasn't enough

Scan code to read on App
DMCA.com Protection Status