Her lips quirk.Raya “was in my class at Pratt. Her least popular pieces are my favorite. But art speaks differently to everyone. That’s why they say it’s subjective. Like beauty.”Thinking beauty might be subjective with certain things, but not her—she is most definitely, factually, beautiful—I say, “You’re an artist too, then.”She shrugs. “Subjective. Some would say all I do is draw lines. Others see rainstorms.”“Some see beautiful trees,” I add. “And a beautiful woman.”Cheeks flushed again, she parts her lips. But before she can speak, someone calls from across the room.“Em!”We both turn to the man coming our way, his strides long and determined. When he reaches us, he’s staring at me, not her, his gaze hard and judgmental.Beside me, the girl flashes every shade of red, her eyes going from me to the man I recognize instantly as Harry Kane .“Dad, this is…” She narrows her eyes as if she’s trying to remember. “Actually, we didn’t introduce ourselves.”Dad? Did she just call him
A way in. And if I discover Harry did kill my father, she’ll not only become my prey.She’ll be my sweetest revenge.Natalia Don’t look back. Don’t look back.I stop with my foot on the first step of the stairs that lead to the offices, my hand on the iron rail, and peer over my shoulder.How could I not when I sense his gaze on me so intensely, he might as well be touching me?Nathan .He’s standing where I left him. And I was right. He’s still staring my way.His eyes seem to glow against his tan skin as he sends a wolfish grin my way, and my heart almost comes to a complete stop.There’s something a little scary about the way he watches me. Almost as if he knows me. Like he can see inside me and pluck every thought from my mind before I can even think it. Like he can intuit my desires before I feel them.Could he grant them too?A delicious shiver runs through me at the thought. Yes, definitely scary. And exciting.I smile back and nod before ascending to the second floor.There
“Raw, huh?” I asked. Then he turned to me and I forgot how to breathe. It was his eyes. I’ve never seen eyes like his before. The color of the sun shining through a jar of honey, with hues of rich caramel melting into bright gold and tiny specks of brown. But beneath all that glow was something else. Something that smoldered darkly deep under the surface, like pebbles you can almost make out at the bottom of a clear stream. So painfully beautiful, you want to reach in and hold one; however, you can’t be sure if what you’re really seeing is a stone or something dangerous lurking in the water, waiting for that unwitting victim. When he focused that honey gaze on mine, I felt it slice through me like a razor-thin blade and embed itself in my mind. I’ll never forget those eyes. The way they raked down to my feet and up to linger on my lips. It was all a blur of motion, where I could only register what he was doing, my own body completely forgotten. He licked his lips before he smiled.
“I’m not sleeping with him, for Christ’s sake.” I roll my eyes. “I just met him.”“Keep it that way. Trust me, Em. Don’t make the same mistakes I made. Don’t end up like me.”“Is it so bad where you are?” I ask him. “You’re still young, good-looking. Not all women are like her.”I don’t have to say who I’m talking about. He knows.Something sad crosses his expression, but he smiles nonetheless. “I’m aware of that. The problem is, we can’t tell the good from the bad. Especially when you’re blinded by love. Giving someone your heart is giving them the power to destroy it. No one should have that much power over you. Ever.”I let that sink in. He gave my mother the power to destroy his heart. When she left, he believed she’d done just that. Of course, she hadn’t. She merely injured him. If he’d been as fully obliterated as he thinks, he wouldn’t have managed to pull through. To take care of me and love me.But nothing I say will ever change his mind. I need to prove to him with actions t
“I know. But I’d rather have my own things. Goodnight, Dad.” I kiss his cheek and go upstairs to my room.Shutting the door gently behind me, I let out a long, exhausted breath. The white damask comforter on my wrought iron bed looks very inviting. But first, there’s something I’ve been itching to do.Kicking off my shoes, I go to my desk nestled under a bay window and open my laptop. I pull up my browser and search Nathan Manguire , New Jersey. When I hit Enter, one hundred thirty-five people come up.I go over them one by one, hating that I don’t have anything else to go on. What if he doesn’t even live in New Jersey? Why the hell am I doing this like a stalker? It’s not like I would do anything with the information I found. Or would I? Maybe I would. I could call him. Then I’d have to admit I was looking him up like a psycho.When I get to the last one and none of them are him, I retype his name as Nathan Manguire . It’s possible I misunderstood. Again, nothing.A great, big yawn l
As if he senses my need for more privacy, the pub owner moves farther down the bar and begins to fiddle with something.“The strange thing is,” John says, still typing away, “I’m not sure this is the first time it’s been done. Maybe Kane doesn’t want anyone to know he has a kid.”“If that were the case, he would’ve erased her completely.” I take a drink as I consider the possibilities. Shaking my head, I say, “No, he doesn’t want her erased. If he did, she wouldn’t have been at the gallery.”“It might not have been him who did it at all,” John suggests.“Keep digging,” I tell him. “This time, don’t stop until you hit rock.”“Yes, sir.”After I hang up, I search my phone for the photograph John sent me, the one where Natalia is just a child. Not that I need the picture to recall the brilliance of those electric-blue eyes I thought had been photoshopped when I first saw them.While she was a cute kid, now, she’s an unforgettable woman.I swallow thickly as the image in front of me disa
I forced my tense lips to tug upward in a smile I didn’t feel. Not when my plans of seducing Natalia , pumping her for information while I pumped into her, had just come to an abrupt halt.Could I chase her around Europe? Yes. But it would be a hard thing to explain, me suddenly showing up wherever the hell she is. Then again, it might charm her enough to give into me faster. I’d have her in the palm of my hand, pliable and willing to share whatever I ask of her.If I find Harry innocent, she’ll be my consolation prize. Something to enjoy as I seek the real murderer. And if I judge Harry. to be guilty of murder, my revenge will be much easier to enact.I’ll make her suffer. Break her. And demand his life to set her free.She would hate him for what happened to her once she learned the reason. And he’d die knowing that she suffered because of him.In the end, I decide patience will be my friend. It’s the most important element of a clean hit. When you rush into something, things get me
“He called me not long ago,” I tell Andre . “Said he wanted me to talk to you about getting the families together. That there was a threat to everyone. He said to stay away from women we don’t know.”My cousin’s lips pull back in distaste as he adjusts himself. “Yeah, I’m not interested in anything the Lewis have to say. They’re the fuckin’ enemy.”I stare at him long and hard. “Perhaps youshouldbe. If what he said is true, we could all be in danger.”“Of what?”It grates my nerves that I can’t answer his question because I also didn’t listen to Thomson . Not really. If I had done as I promised, we’d have more information on whoever this Ferryman is.“Is that all you came to tell me? That Thomson was taken out?” I ask with annoyance.“No. I wanted to give you these.” From inside his gray coat, he tugs out two photographs. “Lou’s Carrick . He’s Randy ’s pimp.”I glance at them. “Who’s Randy ?”“The whore you saw on theLucky Lady. She’s been spyin’ on him for me. He’s selling more than
“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