RAVENNA ~~~~~~~♤♤♤♤♤“Where have you been and why now? We’ve been looking for you for ages, Ronan,” I said, eyeing the man in question as he stopped in front of the main gate of the estate without directions from me. That could only mean one thing. He had been monitoring me. “If I just came to you with the truth, I figured you wouldn’t just believe me. It was better for you to learn the truth in your way and at your own time.” That took me back some hours ago. My heart still screamed at me, like it had shattered into millions of irreparable pieces, but I was emotionally drained. I couldn’t keep crying over spilled milk. “You’re like your father, you know. Loyal to a fault, and when you two love, you love hard. That’s why it feels like the pain is unbearable. The same pain your father must have felt when he got betrayed by those close to him.” “I don’t want to hear it. Don’t act like you know me. You don’t. You all act like my parents were so dear to yo
RAVENNA~~~~~~~♤♤♤♤♤“Do you know anything about an organization called Daylight? I heard Fiore mention it to Valentino.” Ronan dropped a cup of green juice in front of me. I raised a brow at the gesture. He shrugged at me. “I believe you need to eat healthily.” I took a sip out of it. “It doesn’t exactly taste bad. I expected to be... yuck.” “That’s when you add too much of one vegetable. It can overpower the others. You don’t get to be forty and still look like this without proper healthcare and hygiene.” “Right. Another cocky man I’m surrounded by. Just what I needed. You still haven’t answered my first question.” He rolled up the sleeve on his left arm, showing a sun-shaped scar on the inside of his wrist. It looked like someone had burnt his skin with something of that shape, and it had healed up into this. “Is that supposed to mean something?” I asked when he turned to the sink, continuing with his task. “Yes. It’s the mark used to
RAVENNA~~~~~~~♤♤♤♡♤“What happened to you? You look like you got run over by a truck,” I said bluntly, eyeing Callum with pity. He looked like it hurt him to even lay on his back. “I feel like it, too.” “We sent for a doctor. Seriously, why didn’t you go to a doctor first?” “Because I had some men chasing my ass. I’d have gone to Paul, but I heard about the tragic incident. I didn’t have anywhere else to go.” “What happened to your friend? How did you get this bruised up?” “I don’t know where he is. He said something about traveling around the world some months back. I haven’t seen him since then.” “What about your place? Who’s looking over it?” “I have workers.” “Right. You don’t look like the typical cowboy. Just thought I’d put that out there.” “Not a time for jokes. How did you find Ronan?” “Ronan found me. Nobody knows where he’s been all this while. What crime did you commit?” “It’s some guys from a motorcycle club. So
RAVENNA~~~~~~~♤♤♤♤♤“This feels like something from a bullshit cliche movie,” I said, throwing my head back against the headrest. “Well, it’s your reality now.” I turned my head to the side so I could look at Ronan, who was driving. “You’re not helping. I feel like I should talk to a woman about this.” “You don’t have any experienced woman in your life right now. Ilda and Sofia aren’t around.” My eyebrows pinched together in surprise. “Who keeps telling you these things? Aside from the people we told, no one even knows about Sofia.” “When Sofia escaped Paul’s prison, she went straight to Bellamy’s house. He was the one that took her to where Leonardo found her. I know these things because I pay attention. I’ve called a couple of people to come do a security sweep at your place.” “Great. Let’s go home.” ************“Is there something going on that I should know about? Who are those people?” Alaina asked, walking into the kitchen a few h
RAVENNA~~~~~~~♤♤♤♤♤“Great. You already ordered coffee,” a tall, leggy blonde who wore a lot of pink, said, taking the seat opposite me. “Tell me you’re fucking with me. You’re not the leader of that freaky organization,” I said with a smile. “I know. I get that a lot. It’s the pink, isn’t it?” She asked, crossing her legs. The guard she brought with her sat a few tables away from us. “Yeah.” “How did you get my number?” “The motorcycle club you hired to kill Callum collected triple the amount you paid just to give us your number. Set us back a couple million.” “Nothing that will hurt your bottom line, considering the billions of dollars your family stole from us,” she said, scrutinizing her nails. “Down to business, it is. My family didn’t take your gold.” “And I’m supposed to take your word for it? Honey, I like you because we’re both females in a male-dominated field, but that doesn’t mean I trust you. Hell, I don’t even trust my gua
VALENTINO ~~~~~~~~♧♧♧♧♧♧“Are you on... “ The nurse trailed off when my bedroom door opened and in walked Carlo and Ravenna. “Go on,” Ravenna said when the nurse continued staring at her. “Right.” The woman adjusted her glasses before turning to face me. “Are you on any sleep medication to help with your insomnia?” “I was on medication, but I stopped. My system got used to it, and it became immune.” “You didn’t try any other medication?” “I figured the same thing would happen, so I didn’t bother.” “And the eating part? Carlo said you didn’t eat well enough. Why’s that?” “Work. I’ve been busy lately.” “It’s unhealthy to skip meals. Your body needs the food to keep going. It wasn’t getting enough, and that’s why you fainted this morning. I’ll prescribe some sleep medications for you so your body gets maximum rest. The sleep medications are for short-term use. You also need vitamins and food. If you can’t cook, get a chef to do that fo
RAVENNA ~~~~~~~ ♤♤♤♤♤ “Before you see her, you need to agree you’re not gonna hurt her,” I said, blocking Valentino’s path to the basement.It had taken hours before the storm had blown over, and during those hours, Valentino had been a raging mess. Even now, he looked murderous. “That fucker’s got my family. Forgive me if I’m not willing to be sensible right now. If she doesn’t cooperate, she’ll force my hand.” “Calm down. I'm also worried about them, but you don't see me losing my shit.” He had gotten a text from one guard that accompanied Jasmine and Sofia that someone had attacked them on their way back from the movies, and Sofia and Jasmine had been kidnapped. With the anger boiling in his eyes, I feared for Alaina and what he might do to her. “You said you didn’t put your hands on women.” “Not when that woman is the only key to finding two of the people I care the most about. Both Sofia and Jasmine might have come at the wrong time,
RAVENNA~~~~~~~~♤♤♤♤♤♤“Hi, Bradshaw. You didn’t think we forgot about you, did you?” I asked, taking a seat in front of him. He opened his mouth to speak, but words didn’t come out. “What was that? I didn’t catch that.” He spoke again, this time, his mouth widening more than the last time. I turned to Cruz. “Is it just me or Bradshaw is saying something we can’t hear?” “It’s not just you, boss. Why isn’t he speaking up?” “I’d go closer to him, but I’m not risking him biting my ear off. Is something wrong with his throat?” “I think we should call a doctor to check his throat. That’s the only way to know for sure.” “Call a doctor. Whether or not Bradshaw likes it, he’s going to open his mouth and speak.” He wasn’t faking it. That was for sure. It left me wondering what could have happened to him when he was all alone in this building. Half an hour later, the doctor Cruz called strolled in. “Who needs the check-up?” “Bradshaw.