KillianMorning sunlight split the room into long shadows. Several of my men were in the room, all of them leaning against walls or sitting with their legs splayed in the scattered armchairs in my office. Mikey twirled a pen over his fingers, which Francesco snatched out of his hands with an irritated growl. “I think it’s pointless,” Francesco said, tossing the pen onto my desk. “Giuseppe is an infant, Boss.”I shrugged, turning my coffee mug in a circle. “He may be young but he’s not stupid,” I replied firmly. “We’re going to teach him a very valuable lesson. He’s not untouchable. He’s under the impression he inherited his father’s legacy, when in reality, every other family is gunning for the opportunity to end the de Lucas now that he’s in power. I want to be the one to wipe them off the map.” I wanted to play with Giuseppe first and see how far I could push the man. Every man had a breaking point. I would take my time finding his. “We’ll raid his compound. That’s final.”I eyed F
SeraAnother day of confinement.I spent the first hour of my day trying to pick the lock in the sitting room, to no avail. I ran out of bobby pins eventually and resorted to using a makeup brush to try to pry the locks on the windows open, snapping the brush in two. Even though I knew every attempt would fail, it helped me pass the time.Olivia brought in breakfast and I did my best to be friendly, which only made her suspicious. She left, and I picked at eggs and toast like a bird at frosty soil.I did everything in my power to remain sharp, but I was slowly losing my mind as the days passed and blurred together.The morning sunlight turned overcast, and rain began to trickle down the windows. I lay down on the carpet and watched the shadows play over the ceiling, doing my best to focus on escape and not think of Killian. What I would have done for a worthy distraction. I needed a TV in here. Then again, that could spell disaster. If I had a TV I’d slip into a void of nothingness, s
Sera“You misunderstood her,” Tommaso told Delaney without a single shred of kindness. “Sera’s been locked up like you have. She wouldn’t have known if anyone came here. Your father isn’t here and hasn’t been here.”Delaney pressed on, her eyes wide. “But she said—”“No,” I cut in quickly. “Tommaso is right. I’ve been locked up for so long. I think I’m just hearing things.”Delaney sucked her lower lip and looked from me to Tommaso.“If your father comes here, you’ll be brought to see him. We’ll get all of this hashed out.” Tommaso pressed what looked like a call button.A second passed before an unfamiliar man stepped into the room.“You go eat, Delaney,” Tommaso commanded, his voice dropping into that icy, manipulative tone that always reminded me of what he really was and who he worked for.The man stepped inside and took Delaney by the arm, escorting her out of the room. He left the door open like I was meant to follow but Tommaso held out a hand, pointing to the door.“Shut it,”
KillianThe de Luca’s warehouses were numerous. I could see the port from where we stood along the tree line. Men milled about, walking between the metal buildings, their bodies shadowed by heavy equipment and trucks loaded with goods.Luxury goods. Stolen cars ready to be exported overseas. Drugs. Cash. Guns. Everything Gabriele had built to maintain his standing.I would take it all. Tonight.“How many men does he have on guard?” I asked Mikey, who primed his pistol.“Forty,” he whispered. “He’s scared, I think. Beefed up his guards on patrol.”I glanced at the dozen or so soldiers behind me, all of them waiting for my command. We had the place surrounded. The two roads that connected the lot to the highway were blocked off. There would be no escape.“I want the warehouses burned down before we leave. All of the cars need to be loaded, and everything inside needs to be packed up and ready to go.”Mikey nodded and turned to relay my orders to the men waiting behind us.I watched the
SeraHow dare they?My hot shower did nothing to ease the rage chewing me up on the inside. Killian and Tommaso were playing games. Everyone in this seedy, depraved, sinful world knew nothing of kindness or mercy. They only dealt in pain and blood. And lies.I couldn’t organize my anger into a coherent line of thought as I shrugged into my nightgown and robe. I’d known I was part of some cruel game, but seeing Delaney’s grief and confusion cut me to the core.I wished I could tell Killian exactly how I felt about it when given the chance, but he still intimidated the hell out of me. I slid into bed, the silky sheets whispering against my bare legs, and nuzzled my face into the pillow. Closing my eyes, I imagined all the things I would say to Killian if he didn’t hold my life in the palm of his hand.I hate you.I want you.Stay away from me.Take me.“Get it together, girl,” I breathed, rolling onto my back and blinking up at the ceiling. Fire burned inside me, angry and tempted. How
SeraKillian picked me up and I wrapped my legs around him, the nightgown gathering around my waist and leaving my ass and legs bare to the slight chill in the room. But Killian was hot, damn near fevered, as he laid me on the bed and pulled the straps of the nightgown off my shoulders. His eyes didn’t leave mine until I lay completely naked. Then his gaze traveled down the length of my body, coming to stop at the apex of my thighs.I fought for breath as he put one knee on the bed and towered over me, his hand gripping my thigh and pulling my legs apart.I should have told him I was a virgin, but the words didn’t form on my tongue. I just watched him looking at me as he teased my clit.Every shred of fear and despair evaporated, replaced by that ache I hadn’t been able to satisfy on my own.He silently stroked a finger between my folds, then pressed it inside me. He moved slowly, tenderly, and I sucked in a breath and squeezed my eyes shut at the touch and the rigid fullness that str
Killian“Killian.” Sera breathed my name into the darkness. Her voice oozed with pleasure and contentment. I’d never heard her speak my name like that.I hovered over her, my breath ragged in my lungs, my cock still inside her. She made no effort to move. Instead, she lay there dreamily, a small smile curling the corners of her perfect lips. When her eyes fluttered open, they shone like gems in the darkness.Her gaze cut me.I pushed off the bed, leaving her empty and grasping at the blankets to replace my warmth.“Killian?” This time, my name held a note of confusion. Unease.That was more like it.She propped herself up on her elbows and watched as I zipped up my fly and moved to the door. “Where are you going?”“I have business to attend to,” I said flatly, pausing before I opened the door.“Oh. Are you coming back after?”I should have at least told her goodnight or said something—anything—but I simply walked out the door and locked it behind me, trapping her inside once again.Al
SeraThree days passed, and if Killian slipping out of my room after taking my virginity hadn’t been enough, he’d kept me locked in here since that night. Three days with no word from anyone about what was going on in the outside world. Three days of sitting on my hands wondering if I’d done something wrong. After he’d claimed me, he’d looked at me like he hated me. No.Like he hated himself.Then he’d left me here to lose my mind.Asshole.Olivia had been my only source of human contact since then, and her chipper demeanor did nothing to improve my mood. If anything, it made it worse. She was always that way, no matter what happened or to whom. Even Tommaso getting a bullet through the chest hadn’t changed her disposition.I watched her yank the sheets from my bed as I lurked near the window.“No blood the last few days,” she sang to herself, which made my cheeks go a fiery red. “Off your period, then?”I wasn’t sure it was possible to turn redder than I already was. The blood she’d