******April exhaled, smacking her head against the table. She was beyond frustrated and with everything coming to a standstill, she felt more and more restless.The ongoing investigation related to the alleged Genovese syndicate weapon and drug bust looked like it was going to be dropped since there was no evidence to tie them to the case and the two main witnesses that had been apprehended had died while in custody. Their death came as a shock to April, because when she'd interrogated them the day before, they were perfectly fine, then it was pandemonium everywhere once their lifeless body was discovered. They had been Poisoned to death under their watch- an inside job, probably those under the Genovese cartel payroll. The people in charge of the men were under investigation, but April was sure nothing would come out of it, not with the level of corruption that was sweeping through the precinct. April had only two suspects in mind, and it was either Gabrielle or her grandfather.
BURN PAYN POV.I watched the young man saunter into his room, his dyed green bed hair contrasting the blue of his eyes. I noticed his eyes widen as he took in the disarray of his room. A grin tugged at my lips as the boy jerked back once the shock of someone breaking into his room registered.He took faltering steps back, his interesting eyes darting across the barely illuminated room, searching for the culprit. I waited, chuckling to myself, it was fun to see the way his fingers trembled. I could see the appeal that he had for Gabrielle to notice him, dominate him even. He was cute, and if there was anything that turned me on, it was the pleasure of having and Killing anyone who had been with Gabrielle.Genovese might be a stubborn old fool, but he knew deep down that I was the only one who could tame Gabrielle, I was also the one who could rule the Genovese empire after he was gone, he was just afraid I'd kill all his family members, which he wasn't wrong about, I'll kill a lot of
BLAKE MORENO POV."I already own your heart" Those doomed words of hers popped into my head each time I sat down to relax, making me agitated until I felt like screaming. What the fuck was this... Letting my captor get the better of me just because I couldn't keep my hands off her, was mortifying.I got out of my seat, pacing the depressing room that I had come back to after being defeated by Gabrielle in the boxing ring... Fine, maybe I let my guard down, and that was why she could overpower me, but next time, I would give it all I've got. I already knew the way she moved by heart, she was like a viper waiting to strike, so I had to prepare ahead. Damn it all to hell, I couldn't even spend one minute by myself without thinking about her, could I?I forced myself to think about April, maybe If I could steal a phone and call her, leave her a cryptic message that I knew only she would be able to understand, maybe I could get a chance then...Didn't April check around the company for my
*******April glanced around her vicinity, banging her car door closed before striding towards the dingy apartment occupying a vast space of uninhabited land. April knocked, listening carefully to pick up any movement inside the house. Two soft taps came from the other end."Prime rib" April stated, wincing at how ridiculous the secret code sounded. The door opened and she walked in, taking note of the space before going down the heavy-lidded staircase. She reached a door at the end, it was not the first time she had been in the apartment, so she was familiar with the room she had stepped into. April stared at the face scanner, then entered the password that she had been given. The heavy-lidded door swished open and she sauntered into Blair's secret lair. The girl's cropped hair made her look mannish, and she was dressed completely in black. April got a sideward glance of acknowledgment from her, then it was back to the computers that surrounded her..."I know you hate my choice of
GABRIELLE POV."Yes, do all it takes to make the transfer, you have a week, anything later and I'll take your head as compensation for the time wasted" I threatened and ended the call then dragged my hands through my hair as I paced the room.My phone pinged, and I glanced at the message, cursing as I read through it. Hendrix was dead- burnt to death. I raised my hand to hurl the phone at the wall but stopped myself in time. If I was this agitated, I was bound to make mistakes and that could not happen.Hendrix was not the only one who had been attacked, a couple more of my past lovers had turned up dead, all burnt, and they bore the mark of the fire-crazed freak, Burn Payne- the psychopath had a habit of taking souvenirs, so I knew it was him. I'd had him investigated after I saw him with Genovese... if grandfather was meeting him then he was nothing more than trouble, but it wasn't just because of that alone, he'd seemed familiar to me, there had been something foreboding about hi
Genovese roared, his finger itching as he paced around the dungeon where he'd had Vincenzo tied and beaten up until he couldn't move without groaning. He raised his hand to strike the man who had dared to betray him, then thought better of it. Genovese had thought the Valquez deaths had been an accident but the call had changed that. It was absurd that Vincenzo had been a mole right under his nose, reporting back to Gabrielle about every little move he made, because of such a breach, he'd had to order for all his men to be tested, cause he didn't know whom Gabrielle had bought with her influence, it was mind-boggling for him because she was just a little girl- but with the heart of the devil. Genovese also had to step up his security because having no replacement in his old age, and his empire threatened by his granddaughter gave his rivals the guts to try to take over his organization. When did everything start to go shit? Why was this crap happening just because of a child he'd ra
BLAKE MORENO POVI hated to admit it but I was feeling more happy, content, and delirious with a feeling I wasn't sure I could put a name on... it was like a high, a rush that made every inch of me feel alive... even the nightmares that haunted me every other night had stopped, making me feel freer than I'd ever been. There were days when the agitation returned, both in and out of Gabrielle's presence, especially when we had to play her games- a game that promised such mind-blowing pleasures. She was hard to resist and I lost to her on every occasion but it was not for the lack of trying... the worst part was that I was becoming happy to lose, I found peace when I gave up all the control to her, letting her take me to heights of pleasure I didn't think was possible.Gabrielle drove me out of my mind, edging me until I became a squirming begging mess, but I reveled in the feeling, knowing that she knew what to do to take me over the edge. I came so hard sometimes that I ended up blac
GABRIELLE POV.Tender hands trailed through my hair, their effect calming, and it was like I was a kid again, resting my head on my father's lap while he petted my hair and told me a bedtime story... it wasn't him that calmed me now, it was Blake Moreno, my Angelo.He'd taken the cuffs off but I couldn't will myself to move, to breathe... To do anything. The memory of that night wasn't supposed to affect me anymore, but I've been on the edge lately and Blake attacking me without warning made it feel like I went back in time, where I was beaten and held down, the face of my assailant unknown, but he had been cruel, too evil for me to forget in a hurry. It had been years, but it still hurt, the memory of that night made me feel as if I was drowning.Maybe if I knew the man and had him killed, I'd have felt better. I shut my eyes, the quiet room amplifying the sound of my breath mingling with those of Blake's. The situation was embarrassing, I wasn't one to allow myself to appear weak,
PRESENT. BLAKE MORENO POV. Gabrielle Genovese was standing at my door- and she was real... the fire in her gray eyes was all too familiar and my heart nosedived. The woman I would have given up everything for was standing right in front of me. With a gun aimed in my face. My head spun even tho I tried to come off unaffected- but my throbbing heart was still racing and my breathing had accelerated so it was a wasted effort. The memories that I had tried to bury slammed into my head with an intensity that made me aware of every part of her. Her scent assaulted my senses, and every inch of her skin that I'd explored called to me fiercely until It was overwhelming. Her hold on the gun didn't waver and it looked as if she was contemplating just letting loose a spray of bullets in my direction. But despite the threat she represented, all I wanted to do was relive every moment I had spent with her. I wanted to touch her, wrap her in my arms, and run away with her to the ends of the
GABRIELLE POV.Everyone gathered to hear me dole out the new terms to my rule, and anyone who opposed was shot dead immediately, their body burnt into ashes and tossed into the sea, not that most of them had anything to say while they stared at the head of Genovese at my feet. I wanted to shame him, even in death. He didn't deserve a proper burial. I was going to feed his head to the dogs he kept. The people in the room grumbled when I raised their returns to sixty percent but an arch of my eyebrow shut them up. They should be happy I didn't take them all out. Death was what they deserved, so they should be fucking grateful that I was letting them live. Simone stood beside me, his mouth clenched shut all through the process, but even his presence irritated me... Everyone that reminded me of Blake irritated me. The family dispersed and I appointed spies to keep an eye on them and report back to me about any misconduct, or any act of rebellion. If anyone broke any of the laws I'd lai
GABRIELLE POV.I stared at Micheal, then at the gun that he aimed at me, waiting patiently for him to pull the trigger but he didn't. I waited until my fingers trembled. "If you're going to shoot an enemy, you should never hesitate"."You killed my father" he screamed, his hold tightening around the gun, his aim getting steadier. Yes, Micheal. Get mad, and put an end to all of this pain and suffering. "Yes I did, and I'll probably kill you too, so you better pull that trigger now that you have the chance," I said, meaning every word as I stared at him. His hands wavered, and then he lowered the gun as tears escaped an eye. I groaned inside, clenching my fist as we both stood in silence, his eyes fixed on mine. "Why didn't you let that guard kill me? Why did you save me? I don't want to be indebted to you for anything. Why did you do it?" He asked, meeting my gaze fiercely and I lost it. "I didn't do it for you! I killed him because that is only what I am good at. These hands only
GABRIELLE POV TWO WEEKS EARLIER.Footsteps approached my room and I braced myself for whoever was going to step in through the door. The door flung open and two people stumbled in as they were shoved viciously. They dropped to their knees right in front of me and I jumped back, my gaze darting to those of the culprit. Burn stepped in behind them with a sick smile on his lips, the two guns he held pointed at the back of their head. "I brought some audience for our little show".I stared at Keenan who couldn't meet my gaze then at Micheal whose little body shook in tremors as he looked up at me to deliver him. But he was wrong, I didn't save people, I only destroyed them, just as I had done to Blake.I met Burns's amused expression. "There will be no show," I told, my voice so quiet, it sounded eerie even in my ears.Burn quirked an eyebrow. "Is that a no, Pet, because I get trigger happy every time someone says no to me and I really don't want to have to blast Keenan's head off or th
BLAKE POV.The raw pain in her voice carried through the room, the agony of it rending through my heart like sharp-edged darts as I listened to it, then the call ended and April glanced in my direction. My grip on the chair handle I sat on tightened as I struggled to keep my emotions in check. "It's done. She thinks you're dead now. Do we proceed with our plans. Do you want her behind bars... We can have her arrested with the evidence we have on her"."I don't know" I got out, my voice hoarse as my eyes lingered on the phone, willing it to ring again just so I could hear her voice. I was crazy. Crazy and bloody stupid, but I couldn't stop myself from longing for her, especially after listening to her. What if, no, it wasn't speculation at this point, she'd shot me not to kill me but to save my life? If she'd really meant to kill me, I would be dead. But then I remembered her voice, the way her gaze had brightened as she conversed with Burn on how she'd lost interest in me, how it w
GABRIELLE POV.Stepping into the house I swore I would burn to the ground once I took over made me feel like a failure but I was not going to be so easily defeated, especially now that I might have nothing left. The pain of the unknown was terrible and my head hurt- the misery making my vision blurry, as I thought back to the bridge. What if I had miscalculated the angle of the shot as I aimed for Blake... maybe I'd hit one of his organs and he'd bled to death, and if that didn't happen, maybe April hadn't been able to save him, maybe she hadn't even been able to find his body.My heart constricted, the realization that Blake might really be gone from my life hitting me hard until it felt like I would collapse. I don't. Instead, I forged on, forcing my legs to move even tho all I wanted to do was crash against the floor and just cry for all the injustice I'd been dealt with. But those scenarios were all what-ifs. I had to believe that he was still alive.Blake was tough, and I hadn'
"No!" April gasped as she rushed into the murky river and searched blindly for the body of Blake. Was this what Gabrielle had meant when she said she could have him back? Why had she shot him... Just why, especially after keeping him alive for so long? "Blake! Blake, where the hell are you? Blake!" April screamed, crying as she searched blindly, the water tossing her from every corner until her eye caught a movement just ahead of her. April squinted, blinking the murky water from her vision and she saw him floating, red blood circling his midsection. Was he alive? Please let him be alive. April pushed at the water, gasping in frustration when it seemed as if she was moving in slow motion. Kicking through the murk, she finally reached him, and heaving a sigh of relief she wrapped her arms around him, and dragged him ashore, her chest heaving once they were in the safety of the dry land.Catching her breath, April let go of him and quickly pressed her finger to his wrist, then his nec
GABRIELLE POV.Blake coughed, grunting beneath me and I released a whoosh of air I hadn't realized I'd been holding. Simone pulled me up and helped Blake to his feet and we ran down the corridors. I kicked the door open to the garage to meet some of the soldiers waiting there for us."Let's go. And once we're within a safe distance, hit the self-destruct buttons, got it" I yelled over the roar of the car as I turned the key on the ignition... The other cars followed suit as the rebels rushed the entrance firing rounds at us but the bullets just bounced off our bulletproof van as we sped off Into the night, the house turning into balls of flames behind us as my soldiers carried out my instructions. I smiled as I watched the house burn, sure that no one had been able to get out alive. I turned to face Blake who was already staring at me, a smile on his lips. I reached with one hand for his shirt and yanked him to me as I rediscovered his taste once more, kissing him like the air I need
GABRIELLE POV"Who the fuck did he call" I growled into the phone, my heart rate increasing by the seconds and threatening to come out my chest. The soldier muttered his reply but it all sounded like a freaking broken record that had me flinging my phone at the wall in anger.I should have fucking known Keenan would do something like this. It was like I could never get through to him about the dangers of making impulsive decisions. Did he call grandfather, if he did then he was just going to expose himself to danger, something that I had been trying to avoid from the get-go. If only he'd just listen! Ugh. I switched on the voice transmitter in my room. "Prepare to leave. I want everything ready in half an hour" I ordered, then switched it off. Taking a deep calming breath to ease my frayed nerves, I opened the closet, then hit the button for the secret chamber. It swished open, and I stared at my collection of weapons, all armed and ready for use. I trailed my finger over my revolve