Kat POV“It’s done,” I announced as I shut the door to Enzo’s hotel room behind me with a bang. Enzo and Eli jumped, looking up from a piece of paper they were inspecting on the desk. Eli looked a bit uncomfortable and picked up the paper, folding it and slipping it into his pocket before he made a rather smooth yet hasty retreat out of the room. “I’ve delivered the blasted envelope, now give me the next one and I will leave,” I said coldly, still furious at Castello for the whole Fabio fiasco. He sighed, running his hand through his hair as he watched me. His face seemed to be marred by the signs of a sleepless night, and I wondered if I looked as bad as he did. I had crept into the house in the early hours of the morning to change my clothes, and left as quickly as I could without being seen by anyone. From there, I snuck into the house of Milano's most terrifying enforcer to deliver the blasted envelope. The man was built like a tank, fueled by steroids and the blood of innocen
Kat POV“Sofia is too soft on you girls,” he roared as he pulled his belt from his pants, cracking it like a whip. “I’m going to teach you your place, once and for all. No one betrays me!” I felt the buckle of the belt hit my cheek, causing me to cry out as my vision blurred from the pain. He raised the belt again and I shielded my face with my hands, only to have the buckle slam into my forearm. “I am your master, you worthless bitch,” he screamed, pulling me away from the wall to kiss me hard, his lips bruising mine as he grabbed my breast painfully. His hands grabbed at my shirt, tearing it down the front as his eyes devoured my chest hungrily. Milano licked his lips pushing me back against the wall, my head slamming back against the bare bricks as he undid the button of his pants. He was going to rape me. That was almost certain, and then he was probably going to kill me for my betrayal. My scream was cut off by his fist as it connected with my cheek, and the tears pricked at
Enzo POVKat fell asleep within fifteen minutes after we left the city, her head pressed against the window of my car. She looked so peaceful that I didn’t have the heart to wake her up, even though she would probably wake up with a sore neck if I left her like that. “She probably didn’t sleep either,” Amarok grumbled, obviously feeling sorry for the woman. The moment I had seen her standing in the hallway, blood splattered across her pale face, I knew that something bad had happened. I initially wondered if it had something to do with the envelope I had given her - the threat inside meant for the consigliere of Milano. Milano wouldn’t have taken the threat on his advisor well, the older man being his number one support in the family of cut throats. I hadn’t suspected that Kat would take the fall for Guilia’s disappearance, nor that she would be expected to take the older woman’s place. But my thought returned to what Eli had told me about Milano preferring younger women, and I imm
Enzo POV“I hope you eat pasta a la disaster,” Kat laughed, placing some of the pasta I had made onto a chipped plate and passing it to me. My brow shot up as I surveyed the dish. “This is a disaster?” It looked appetising enough, even if it was served on a broken plate. The pasta was slightly clumped together, but the pieces of salami and sundried tomatoes seemed to salvage the appearance from being particularly bland. Kat shrugged, “Elijah seriously needs to update his cookware. Half the pasta is still glued to the bottom of the pot.” I could feel her eyes glued on me as she watched as I took a big mouthful of the food and forced a slight smile. It tasted as if I had licked a rock on the beachfront. Salty, dry and slightly gritty. “Mmm, delicious,” I tried to say with as much enthusiasm as I could muster. Her eyes lit up and she beamed with pride, as if she had somehow achieved something she was desperate for. I may be the big, bad Mafia man, but I couldn’t crush her spirit, so
Kat POVI had heard the stories of men who turned into beasts on nights where the full moon is high in the sky. Stupid stories filled with tales of curses and blood oaths with the devil, no doubt embellished by the old gypsy fortunetellers who told the tales from the darkness of the alleys in Rome. I had never once thought to believe any of them, filing them away securely as one of the many myths old ladies tell to keep the young girls wary of men. And yet, there before me, was one of those beasts that I had been warned against. A beast who looked like a man, but in seconds could change into a raging monster which could kill without a second glance. “Kat?” Enzo’s voice was uncertain, as if he expected me to be afraid of him. Is it weird that I wasn’t? I felt as if I had known that he had been different all along, and I knew for a fact that I was in no danger of him attacking me like he had just attacked the man who lay lifeless on the floor. “Are you ok?” I heard myself whisper,
Kat POVBirds chirped happily in the branches of the old Bergamot tree outside the bedroom window, warm sunlight streaming in through the windows and falling onto the bed. I was gently woken up as its warmth caressed my face. Enzo was long gone, his side of the bed cold as if he had left hours ago. “Enzo?” I called out, but there was no response and I decided to linger in bed for just a little bit longer. There was a sound of a car pulling up outside and I climbed out of bed, dragging the duvet with me as I made my way to the kitchen. Enzo burst through the door, carrying large paper bags which he dumped on the kitchen counter unceremoniously. “The villagers here are absolute criminals,” he grumbled as he pulled out a baguette from the bag. “I swear, they saw me as a tourist and forced me to pay double the price! It's a pity that I left my gun behind, or else I'd have done a different form of bargaining.” I leaned against the counter and bit back a smile as I teased him, “maybe t
Kat POVI sat on the threadbare sofa, painting my nails and trying to put an effort into being more feminine - partly for Enzo and partly because I had a new desire to find who I truly was outside of picking pockets and scaling walls. For once, I had the opportunity to stand out, and the bright red nail polish was just the statement I was looking to make. The door creaked as Enzo walked into the cottage carrying a pile of freshly cut firewood which he stacked next to the fireplace, the sweat making his torso gleam in the firelight.We had been at the cottage for a week, settling into a comfortable companionship which crackled with sexual tension that both of us seemed to dance around as if it would burn us. And it probably would. “Should I make dinner?” I asked, setting down the polish and blowing my wet nails as I stood up. He shook his head, “I'm going to take a shower quickly, then we can break out that cookbook I found in town and try something new.” “What? Don't trust my cook
Kat POVEnzo dropped the bag filled with weapons the moment we entered the cottage, grabbing me and lifting me into his arms with ease as his mouth claimed mine. His lips devoured me, as if he were starved and I were some sort of tasty morsel. I was barely aware as he carried me to the bedroom and lay me on the bed, supporting himself above me as his lips never left mine. My fingers tugged on his shirt as my passion fogged brain tried to figure out how to get closer to him. I could feel him smile against my lips before he pulled away and moved to lay beside me, supporting himself on one arm as he used his other hand to undo his shirt’s buttons. “You don’t know what you do to me,” he breathed, his shirt falling open to reveal his muscular chest. I bit my lower lip nervously, not truly knowing what to expect and yet desperate for whatever was to come. Enzo’s hands stripped my tshirt and jeans off, his eyes hungrily scanning over my body as I pulled his shirt off and my hands moved
Kat POVWhat Fabio had done to Guilia was beyond description, having abused her in absolutely every way possible. The look in her eyes as I had helped her shower, washing the months of filth off of her skin and out of her hair which had become a matted mess, it made me wish that I had stopped her from going with him so long ago. “He lied to me, Kat,” she whispered to me as she sat on my bed while I brushed the knots from her hair. “He said that we were soulmates, but he lied. He has a woman he is mated to, and she’s just as sadistic as he is - if not worse.”I frowned, having suspected that he may not have been her mate. I couldn’t possibly believe that anyone would be able to commit such vile acts against their own mate. “What actually happened?” I finally gathered enough courage to ask her. “You seemed well when I saw you last - but then maybe I wasn’t just paying attention to you with the whole ‘you’re a princess’ revelation.” Guilia turned slightly, taking my hands in her own a
Kat POVA gut wrenching scream filled my ears, and I wasn’t sure if the awful sound was coming from Cassie or Elle. Either way, I couldn’t focus as my body turned cold and I started to shiver as Fabio slumped against me and knocked me to the floor. “Kat!” I heard Enzo shout before Fabio’s weight was hauled off of me and I was scooped up into Enzo’s strong arms. My eyes met his and I could see the unshed tears which glistened in those deep pools of green, paired with that rugged scar across his eye making him look more like a battle weary warrior than the viking. “I’m ok,” I whispered, cupping his face with my right hand. My left hand? Well, it hurt like a bitch! I briefly glanced at it before I looked away, the blood draining from my face as the pain became more acute - almost as if the pain I had felt throughout my body had suddenly shifted to pure agony in my hand.“Fuck, you were shot?” Enzo’s voice dropped an octave as he noticed my bleeding hand. “Of course she was fucking
Kat POVI tasted the bile in my mouth as I watched Fabio’s weapon run up and down Cassie’s arm as he pressed his pelvis against her backside.“What’s wrong, princess?” Fabio chuckled, his hand reaching out to pull Cassie’s hair away from her neck, revealing her mating mark. “Are you jealous that your friend is getting all of my attention? Don’t worry, you will have your turn.”Fabio inspected her mark carefully with his eyes before he bent toward it and licked it, and Cassie reacted in a way any sane woman would. She spun around, her brain taking a backseat in the situation as her hand lashed out and slammed into his cheek in a loud slap.“You bitch,” he raged, pushing her away from him with force.Cassie tripped and fell, her head smashing into the corner of the decorative entrance table.“Cassie!” Elle called out as we watched Cassie collapse, blood oozing from her forehead as she lay on the ground.Elle darted to Cassie’s side and I was about to follow her when I felt Fabio’s hand
Kat POV“Luca has mindlinked me - they shouldn’t be too much longer,” Elle announced as she checked on the sourdough bread she was baking in the oven. Cassie sighed and picked up an orange from the bowl on the kitchen counter. “I still envy your ability to mindlink like that,” she said as she peeled the orange. “Although, knowing Vasilios, he would probably abuse that ability far too often.” She pulled a face as she popped a segment of the orange into her mouth and I bit back a giggle. “Oh, Luca abuses it too,” Elle replied with a wink. “But I guess he likes knowing that I am always there whenever he needs me.”I found myself smiling at the way she described their relationship. “You guys seem like the perfect power couple,” I gushed, leaning against the counter. “I can only hope that Enzo and I can build a relationship as strong and unshakable as yours.” Elle blushed prettily as Cassie smacked me lightly with the back of her hand. “And mine? I hope there is something in my relatio
Enzo POVWatching as that barn burned to the ground evoked dark emotions in me - emotions I had spent the last few years pushing down into the depths of my soul. Emotions of hatred, guilt and despair which ran so deep within me that I had stopped recognising them. But as the flames engulfed that barn of horrors, memories filled my mind and I found myself grappling with the overwhelming emotions once again. “Are you alright, child?” I felt a small hand touch my arm and I looked down at the bruised face of a woman, her split lip and blood-streaked hair a blatant testament to the strength the tiny woman had displayed at the hands of her captors. I nodded, unable to trust my own voice as I turned back to the flames.“You’re lying to me, young man,” she chastised, her hand gripping my arm tighter preventing me from walking away from her.“And what if I am?” I asked boldly.She chuckled lightly, drawing my gaze to her and I almost stumbled backward when my eyes met hers. It was as if she
Jurgen POVWe watched in numb horror as the helicopter set off, only for another two helicopters to join it - each massive machines which could easily carry twelve people. “They’re evacuating!” Enzo shouted, anger turning his voice into a harsh bark. “They would rather run away than face us and fight! Fucking cowards!” Vasilios kicked the barn door, the sound echoing in the silence of the night as he swore under his breath. Luca was equally frustrated by the turn of events, but instead of lashing out like the other two, he stood in silence, his hands in fists by his side as he watched the now empty sky. I sighed inwardly as I shifted back into my human form, the snow crunching beneath my feet and the cool breeze tickling my skin. “Well, what now?” I asked, stretching my neck. Luca shrugged, turning to face the barn and the atrocities that had been committed in its dark interior. “I guess we need to find out how many of their victims are still alive. We need evidence that this was
Enzo POV“Fuuuuuuuck,” Vasilios drawled incredulously.Jurgen sat beside me, slack jawed in shock while I wasn’t entirely sure that I had heard correctly. “Anka’s pregnant?” I asked, leaning forward and gripping the back of Vasilios’s chair. Luca nodded and I let out a low whistle. “I thought she would be too old to have kids now,” I admitted. “Besides, she drinks alcohol like it’s an olympic sport. There’s no way that baby’s brains aren’t already pickled, and they’re making it the heir?”Jurgen shook his head. “No. I don't believe it. They’re up to something, and this is just a way to discredit Princess Katerina’s claim to the throne.”I saw Vasilios’s brows knit together to form one furry caterpillar above his eyes. “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?” he asked, leaving us guessing for a few seconds before he spoke his mind. “Are you thinking that Anka isn’t actually pregnant, and that this baby is some other woman’s all together?”Luca scratched his chin thoughtf
Enzo POV“Have you got everything?” Kat asked me for the hundredth time, concern shining in her eyes. I grabbed her and wrapped my arms around her, kissing the top of her head as she leaned into my embrace. “I have everything I need in my backpack,” I reassured her. “And I am sure that I haven’t forgotten anything.” Her arms snaked around my neck and she pulled my head down for a lingering kiss, her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of my neck. “You have to make sure that you are safe. I need you to come back to me,” she whispered, not trusting her voice anymore. “Are you sure that I can’t come with you? You might need me.”I chuckled and squeezed her sexy arse, “as much as I don’t doubt your usefulness, I think it would be better if you stayed out of danger. I wouldn’t be able to concentrate if you came with us. I’d be too busy worrying about your safety. Besides, I think Jurgen and Vasilios would have my head on a spike if I even thought about letting you.” She sighed l
Kat POVThe figure slipped the hood from her face and the urge to punch the woman beneath the cloak almost overwhelmed me. “Yvonne!” Cassie exclaimed, and I watched as she started to take a step toward the small Asian woman before she stopped herself, crossing her arms across her chest instead. “What are you doing here?”Yvonne’s gaze shifted nervously around the group, her hands gripped tightly in front of her as she stood there in silence. “Yvonne,” Enzo’s voice dropped an octave as he stepped toward her. “Cassandra asked you a question. Why are you here? How did you find us? And what the fuck do you want?” Yvonne flinched slightly as he spat out the swear word, his hatred of her plain for everyone to see. “I…” she began before she let out a deep sigh. “This was a mistake. I’m sorry, I should rather go.” Yvonne tugged the hood back up, turning back to her table and picking up the tatty looking suitcase from where it had been placed on the chair. It was weird, but her whole deme