[SALVATORE}"Look for survivors!" the goons echoed his orders, but Salvatore knew that with the sight at the entrance, they would meet something more gruesome inside.But still, he watched the soldiers go their way, salvaging corpses to get to the living soldiers.Adler, in front of him, was squatting over a disemboweled corpse, back rigid and face to the sky.Didn't the stink disturb him to be so close? The gashed heads, slit throats, and the pungent smell of open bodies held the picture of a medieval killing spree._'I believe there is a devil....his name is Ruslan.'_Salvatore felt a shiver run up his spine; Sara had known. She knew what she was talking about.Wherever he stepped, he felt he was waddling in blood; it was everywhere, on the walls, the drums that served as a roadblock, all thanks to Adler thinking his new enemy would seek the backdoor out of Campania.As always, he was accurate, except this time, it came at a price, And it proved something; Ruslan had said he was uns
AUTHOR'S POV"You know what he is, yet you bring him close to you," Father Martin exhaled more out of boredom than exasperation. It wasn't that he hadn't heard this before. He listened to it so much the repetition could be akin to a broken record.Whenever the topic arose, his response remained consistent, effortlessly escaping his lips: "He's the type of person for whom Jesus sacrificed, Deacon Armando.""Martin, that boy is bad news." Armando's voice held disdain, disdain so firm it was almost contempt, "I would not have said anything if he were still fifteen, but now...""But now?" Father Martin raised a brow."Now he's old enough to make those choices, old enough to protect his virtues and even die on them," Martin said nothing, scribbling reports on a paper, out of touch with reality and a head filled with thoughts. Armando was right in his way, Depending on how he looked at it.Considering he wasn't here that day twelve years ago when the boy snuck into the church, sitting in
Anguish came in many forms; the hurt brewing was a constant reminder that its recipient could do nothing about it.Seeing Salvatore gazing at the altar with a rigid and removable frame, Adler understood his pain. That He had let a Don, whom he swore to protect, chase after him to the aircraft, then, when he was caught, roared aloud in an open space until he had no strength left in him that he just knelt on the ground with his face against the sand was the tip of how he felt inside.When he didn't move after a long time, Adler dragged him back into the car and then drove him to the manor, where they gathered information about the murder in the church.When Adler saw the image of the man on the screen, he quickly summarized him as the reason Salvatore was so adamant about his faith. So when his consigliere yanked the crucifix off his neck, Adler knew there would be a change.According to the news report, the severed head was discovered at the foot of the altar, and the lone stiff body
"Adler, Adler, something he'd typically do, don't you think?"But I was still lost in my thoughts and unsure of a good reply for him. There were a lot of contradictions in his words. His brother had saved my life countless times; to me, that was more than enough proof somebody wanted me.And that train of thoughts soothed me so much that his hostile words didn't hurt me anymore.Eva waved at us, the biggest smile ever on her flushed face. I sent her a reassuring grin."Well, I'm sorry," I began when I saw she started striding towards us. "If I had known how much of a rift my presence caused, I would have stayed away."When he spoke, I discovered he was staring at Eva, too. "I don't care. I just thought I recognized you from somewhere, and surprisingly, I do."Eva arrived, a shy smile on her lips as she walked up to him. Watching him lean down and plant a kiss on her lips while she blushed had my stomach grumbling."You look astounding," he let his eyes lick over her, adoration in the
AUTHORS POV [ADLER.]It took him a whole day to finally leave Salvatore alone in the small condo he escaped into when he needed time apart from them. Which sincerely wasn't a lot of times.It didn't stop Rune from crashing there; if he was ever restricted, they heard the same warning, 'Don't get disgusted when you're left listening to the result of one of my special talents.'That always did the trick; Salvatore handed him the keys in seconds.Leaving the condo, he had driven straight to the beach house, and surprisingly, they weren't there. Asking the housekeepers, who had informed him, she overheard them discussing a yacht event.It didn't take him long to figure out they were on the coastline with his brother, and that news didn't go well with him. The agreement with Victor was to shelter her, not invite them out to his infamous parties.But then he realized keeping her indoors for so long was the vilest thing he could do; besides, she wasn't his prisoner, just one stubborn human
With strength on play, Adler swam back to the yacht, every stroke propelling them closer to the surface. The commotion on the yacht's deck grew louder, and he could hear Victor's voice barking orders.The feel of her skin against his was cold, and the shoes on his feet restricted his speed in reaching the yacht.Kyra came in handy, and finally, they were able to hoist her onto the deck, where Rune was waiting, his alarm evident on his stricken face as he took her from their hands and onto the surface of the yacht.Adler scaled the steps with a house until he was by her side, pushing Rune out of the way, giving him access to gape fully into her face."Lily." He held her hands, raising his head, and shouted, "Call the fucking 911!"Kyra dashed off, open-eyed in the wake of Lily's imminent danger.Damnit, he was losing his mind. What to do? What to fucking do? Rather than watch her pale, wet face, he placed his ears close to her nose, no breath. No fucking breath.Not another scare. Lily
…Everything he ever needed.The door was pushed open, interrupting the moment.She dropped her lash,hands back on her sides, already clutching the gown. Besides that, was that a shade of red he saw on her cheek?So he let his gaze trail the top of her head, the silence in her ward suddenly overwhelming. He couldn't still believe his eyes; he couldn't believe she was right before him. Not when he had been minutes short of losing her."Boss, did I enter....""You didn't. What's the matter?""Uhh, ti stanno aspettando, capo." _They're waiting on you, boss_Adler veered to the door, and the goon, whose discomfort was palpable in his slanted posture, straightened immediately."I'll be there in a minute," he responded, then added, "Anche bussare è una cosa, lo sai." _knocking is also a thing you know_"My apologies, boss." I guess he had to thank the girl for saving his miserable skin. The boss rarely gave second chances.Adler kissed her forehead, "Give me a sec to settle some scores; I'll
LILYS POV.He didn't return in a minute like he said he would, nor was he present the following hours. Instead of him, there were a couple of his soldiers at the door of my ward. Although their voices were low, their chatter made sleeping even harder, coupled with the thought of where Adler was.Three hours later, I was debating whether to muster the courage to walk up to the goons and inquire about his whereabouts, but being a chicken was a characteristic I had grown to accept, so slowly and quietly, I sprawled myself on the bed and stared in the darkness, missing the warmth he brought with him.I smiled, remembering Rune's nickname for him. It defined him right; for a year of my life, he was there. Each time I lost hope in staying alive, he was the first face I saw and arguably the first cologne I smelled, and each time he wrapped his arms around me, I saw my terrors fading.Although my mind kept drifting back to the thought that this same man had been the victim of my father's mis