He was here and didn’t wake me? Disappointed, I sag against the cabinet. But for the gentle hum of the refrigerator, the loft is quiet.I look at my watch. It’s six. Part of me wants to call him. Ask him why the hell he didn’t wake me and tell me he’d be leaving again. Then I remember he has no reason to do so. He’s made no commitments to me.My stomach growls and I realize I didn’t have dinner last night. I go in search of something to eat. In the pantry, I find the box of granola cereal he bought just for me and serve myself a bowl.Food in hand, I move to peer out one of the large windows at the city below. A window washer is out there, hard at work, hanging on a Bonsun’s chair.Ottis, reads the embroidered name on his gray uniform. I tap my spoon against the spot in front of him. He makes no sign of hearing it. The glass must be pretty thick, because as busy as the street seems, with bumper-to-bumper traffic, pedestrians, and packed shops, none of the sound reaches the tenth floor.
Fuck!” I snatch back my hands and cradle my injured digit to my chest. It throbs, the pain seeming to shoot all the way down to my toes.But I don’t nurse it for more than a few seconds. Time is of the essence.There’s another door beside the elevator, which I assume leads to the fire escape. But I can do no more than rattle the handle because it’s locked.Next, I attempt the one that leads to the roof deck. Surely there’s a fire escape from up there. But it, too, is locked now.I whirl, looking around wildly, searching for another way out. Then I run around trying every door I suspect is an exit. All locked.For a moment, I can’t catch my breath. Every muscle in my body is threatening to shut down, leaving me weak and trembling. If Nathan returns to find me like this, he’ll know that I know who he is.What will he do to me then? I guess that depends on why he has me here in the first place. If I have to guess, he knows his father came to see me that night.Suddenly, a little bout of
God. How could I have missed it? Now that he’s standing here in front of me, all darkness and ruthless power, his real name blaring in my head, I can clearly see it. What I’d mistaken for sadness and pain is nothing more than the dangerous aura thrown off by a man born from a merciless world. A member of the deadly Robertson family. “You were taking a nap?” He moves toward the couch, bending over me, his eyes boring into mine as he leans in for a kiss.He tastes different now that I know who he is. Or maybe he’s always tasted like this, but it’s only now that I’m realizing exactly what’s slithering across my tongue. Lethal ruthlessness. And to my utter shame, my body responds to it even more powerfully than it did before.I inhale his scent, moaning as he deepens the kiss, following him upward hypnotically when he breaks it.As if he’s just now noticing, he turns abruptly to the window washer. His eyes narrow, then he looks down at me.“Come,” he says, gripping my wrist and tugging
I had my father’s killer under my nose the entire time. How could I have made such a huge mistake as to assume it had been Morrison ? Why did I allow so much time to pass?I could have followed them to Europe. Could have ended it all within days.However, the moment I saw Natalia , I made up my mind to draw it out because I wanted her. So I avoided anything that could jeopardize my chance.I should just killhimand be done with it. Letherlive. No one would know.Only, that’s not true.Iwould know Morrison is innocent. I’ll have spilled his blood all because why? Because I want her? Because I’ve grown obsessed with her?Because I can’t stand the idea of never seeing her alive and happy and brilliant again?John knows too. If he were to ever speak about it to anyone, I’d be the one seen as the traitor who let a Robertson family member’s murderer go.Natalia turns her head slightly so that her profile comes into view. “Are you going to kill me?”“I haven’t decided what your punishment will
I flip it open and freeze, focused intensely on the drawing of a pair of eyes.Myeyes. Only, they’re not the way I’m accustomed to seeing them. They have the same shape, same dark spots on the irises. There’s a deep crease between them. But in the drawing, they’re slightly upturned and crinkled at the edges, and there’s a slight gleam to them, as if I’m smiling.Because I was.Several times, she called my name, grinning so widely when I looked at her that I couldn’t help but smile. She captured those moments.Does light penetrate shadows, or do the shadows drown out the light?I asked that question not long ago. The answer is both. She’s managed to light up my eyes while I’ve filled hers with darkness.Blowing out a breath full of exhaustion, I set the sketch aside. Tired, I shut my lids and must drift off instantly, because a bolt of lightning that rumbles even through the sound barriers I’ve erected around the loft wakes me. Instantly, I glance at the door.Though she has access to w
Or maybe I’ll just fuck you until we both die.” Her eyes fly open, and for a moment, there are no walls between us. The pain, betrayal, and lust are bared fully. “Then fuck me,” she finally says. “And maybe we’ll die together.” My mouth is on hers then. I slide my fingers from her cunt and we both work savagely at getting rid of my clothes. All the while, we kiss with a passion that only the dying know. The instant I’m naked, I’m inside her, thrusting, burying my dick all the way to the balls, pulling back out, and slamming home again. Natalia is wrapped around me, arms and legs holding me tightly against her as she lifts her hips up, meeting each of my thrusts. We fuck like we’re drowning and these are our last gasping breaths. Deep and desperate. She fits me like a fucking glove, her pussy tight around my dick, her body molding to mine perfectly. The way she tastes, smells, feels… It all fits me like no one else ever has, and for the briefest of moments, I almost wish I’d neve
“Mmm. Is it that or that you have Natalia Kane in your bed?”I stiffen, feeling my heart leap into my throat. She knows my name?“Who I have in my bed is none of your concern,” Nathan says.“It is when that whore killed your father! That’s right,” she adds, “I know it was her.”My heart isn’t just in my throat anymore. It seems to have stopped. Suddenly, my blood pressure drops and every pore in my body releases sweat.“John ” I hear Nathan murmur just as I pull away.There’s walking, the sound of heels clacking against the wood floors. “John was loyal to Gustavo and Leo . Of course he would be loyal to me as well.”“Then he’s useless to me,” he says.“You’ve known it was her for days and have done nothing about it!” she shouts.“It is at my discretion to decide what and when I will do something, Katy .”“The godfather only has power so long as the men respect him. How do you think they will react when they find out that instead of killing her, you’ve been fucking her?”My mind racin
My gaze flicks from her to the elevator and to the rooftop access door, wondering if I could somehow reach either of them. And if I did, are they unlocked? As if from out of thin air, Nathan produces a piece of rope. When he tries to take one of my wrists, I make to get up again, but I’m slammed into the damned chair again. It doesn’t matter how much I fight, he easily pulls my hands behind me and ties them. “You wanted her, there she is,” he says to her, and I notice with at least a bit of satisfaction that he’s panting. I guess I wasn’t that easy to subdue. Nathan ’s stepmother comes toward me, her hips swaying. She sips her wine as she studies me. “You killed my husband.” I don’t bother to respond to her comment. She doesn’t care what I have to say. If she did, she would have asked me if I did it. And if so, why. All she cares about is revenge. The who, what, and why of it doesn’t matter to her. Turning to Nathan , I realize he’s not once asked me either. They’re the same. Part
“You’re here!” I say, heading toward it but stop when it’s Katy who appears.“You!” she hisses. “I knew something was off. He didn’t kill you!”Before I can answer, she’s on me like a rabid cat. She claws at me, slapping every part of me she can make contact with.Startled, I raise my hands protectively over my face, afraid to hit her back and severely hurt her. As it is, Nathan already hates me for any part I might have played in the death of his father.The woman may be older and weaker, but her strikes are impactful. She shoves against me, slapping her palms against my shoulders and chest, driving me toward the rear of the deck. It all happens so fast that I don’t realize I’m so close to the glass rail until it hits my lower back.“You have to calm down!” I plead.“Why did he have to want you? You look nothing like me! But Leo always liked them younger. Tell me, did you like how he fucked you?”“What? You think I slept with your husb—” Another whack, this time right across the chin
But he saved my life. He risked himself to keep me alive. And fuck it all, I love him! I can’t just sit back and let him die.A chair is pushed and the sound of footsteps come my way. Before they reach the doors, I bolt out the entrance and am already across the street when I hear, “Natalia !”But I don’t stop. Don’t look back. My mission now is to save Nathan Natalia Irun like the Devil is at my heels, not bothering to glance back over my shoulder, because even that simple action could cost me precious seconds.For blocks, I maintain that speed, my lungs burning and the stitch on my side threatening to bring me down.When I’m far enough that I feel anyone following would have lost sight of me, I tuck myself into an alley and wait. After several minutes, I tug my cell phone out and dial Nathan , but it goes straight to voicemail.“Pick up, dammit!” I dial again, but like before, it goes to his mail.“Nathan . You have to leave your house. A man named Steven Kroos is coming. He’s bri
“The hell it is. Do you have any idea the worry you put me through? No calls or texts the last couple of—” His eyes bulge from his skull as he takes in the blood on my shirt. “You’re hurt.” “No, Dad. It’s not my blood. I’m not hurt.” He digs his fingertips into the corners of his eyes as if he’s trying to keep from crying. “I thought I would lose my mind when I found out exactly who you were with. His name isn’t Nathan Manguire . It’s Nathan Carlos .” I rear back in shock that he knows. “What?” “My gut was right, Em. He’s a fucking criminal. The worst kind.” “How do you know that?” From the study, the handsome man who visited the gallery to meet with Dad steps out. Steven Kroos . His icy-blue stare roves over me, and he smiles. “I’m glad to see you’re home safe. Especially after being in the Robertson den.” “Mr. Kroos is the one who tracked down information on Carlos . Nathan is their new godfather.” His eyes narrow on me. “But you already knew that, didn’t you?” Looking betwee
He tilts his head, his eyes raking over my face, searching. “What makes you think that?” “It was in the way he looked at me,” I say. “It’s the same wayyoulook at me. I know you said he loved your stepmother, but I swear it’s true.” “I saidsheloved him. I never said he loved her back.” He glances out the windshield, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. “Is that why you killed him? You didn’t appreciate his attentions?” “He came to the house when my father wasn’t there. I’m not even sure how he got in. But he followed me from room to room and begged me to give him a chance. I asked him to leave, told him that he was scaring me. He decided to grab me and try to kiss me. “I got out of his hold and ran to the desk drawer my father keeps his Glock in and threatened him. He still refused to leave. The moment he took a step toward me, I shot. It was meant to scare him, nothing more. I could never kill anyone. The bullet grazed his arm, but he was alive.” “You didn’t follow him out?
“You cut yourself,” I say. “It wouldn’t have been believable otherwise.” “Why did you do it, Nathan ? Why did you spare my life?” He pulls over several blocks from my house. We sit there in silence for what seems like forever, the only sound the pitter-patter of scattered rain against the windshield. “Why did you save me?” I repeat the question that’s been burning in my mind. “Your mother wants me dead, but you saved me.” Without turning to me, he replies, “Iwanted you dead.” His response is another blow to my already battered heart. But he deserves the truth. “I didn’t kill your father, Nathan . It wasn’t me.” Now he does turn to me and I almost wish he hadn’t. The shadows I’ve wondered about from the start have emerged and they’re darker and more terrifying than I could have imagined. They’re blackened with Nathan ’s fury, hate, grief, and confusion. They tear at my chest, splaying it open. Raw pain fills me at the sight of those beautiful golden eyes looking so tortured, spa
My gaze flicks from her to the elevator and to the rooftop access door, wondering if I could somehow reach either of them. And if I did, are they unlocked? As if from out of thin air, Nathan produces a piece of rope. When he tries to take one of my wrists, I make to get up again, but I’m slammed into the damned chair again. It doesn’t matter how much I fight, he easily pulls my hands behind me and ties them. “You wanted her, there she is,” he says to her, and I notice with at least a bit of satisfaction that he’s panting. I guess I wasn’t that easy to subdue. Nathan ’s stepmother comes toward me, her hips swaying. She sips her wine as she studies me. “You killed my husband.” I don’t bother to respond to her comment. She doesn’t care what I have to say. If she did, she would have asked me if I did it. And if so, why. All she cares about is revenge. The who, what, and why of it doesn’t matter to her. Turning to Nathan , I realize he’s not once asked me either. They’re the same. Part
“Mmm. Is it that or that you have Natalia Kane in your bed?”I stiffen, feeling my heart leap into my throat. She knows my name?“Who I have in my bed is none of your concern,” Nathan says.“It is when that whore killed your father! That’s right,” she adds, “I know it was her.”My heart isn’t just in my throat anymore. It seems to have stopped. Suddenly, my blood pressure drops and every pore in my body releases sweat.“John ” I hear Nathan murmur just as I pull away.There’s walking, the sound of heels clacking against the wood floors. “John was loyal to Gustavo and Leo . Of course he would be loyal to me as well.”“Then he’s useless to me,” he says.“You’ve known it was her for days and have done nothing about it!” she shouts.“It is at my discretion to decide what and when I will do something, Katy .”“The godfather only has power so long as the men respect him. How do you think they will react when they find out that instead of killing her, you’ve been fucking her?”My mind racin
Or maybe I’ll just fuck you until we both die.” Her eyes fly open, and for a moment, there are no walls between us. The pain, betrayal, and lust are bared fully. “Then fuck me,” she finally says. “And maybe we’ll die together.” My mouth is on hers then. I slide my fingers from her cunt and we both work savagely at getting rid of my clothes. All the while, we kiss with a passion that only the dying know. The instant I’m naked, I’m inside her, thrusting, burying my dick all the way to the balls, pulling back out, and slamming home again. Natalia is wrapped around me, arms and legs holding me tightly against her as she lifts her hips up, meeting each of my thrusts. We fuck like we’re drowning and these are our last gasping breaths. Deep and desperate. She fits me like a fucking glove, her pussy tight around my dick, her body molding to mine perfectly. The way she tastes, smells, feels… It all fits me like no one else ever has, and for the briefest of moments, I almost wish I’d neve
I flip it open and freeze, focused intensely on the drawing of a pair of eyes.Myeyes. Only, they’re not the way I’m accustomed to seeing them. They have the same shape, same dark spots on the irises. There’s a deep crease between them. But in the drawing, they’re slightly upturned and crinkled at the edges, and there’s a slight gleam to them, as if I’m smiling.Because I was.Several times, she called my name, grinning so widely when I looked at her that I couldn’t help but smile. She captured those moments.Does light penetrate shadows, or do the shadows drown out the light?I asked that question not long ago. The answer is both. She’s managed to light up my eyes while I’ve filled hers with darkness.Blowing out a breath full of exhaustion, I set the sketch aside. Tired, I shut my lids and must drift off instantly, because a bolt of lightning that rumbles even through the sound barriers I’ve erected around the loft wakes me. Instantly, I glance at the door.Though she has access to w