CamilleSoft jazz music envelopes me as Alessio and I walk into the foyer at Scarfoni Inc.The fundraiser is being held in the grand hall but quite a few people have spilled out here, drinking from elegant long-stemmed glasses and talking in groups.Everyone is dressed in their finest as usual for this year's event. Last year was the first time Dad allowed me to attend. This year I'm here with my husband, who owns the company.It's interesting how times change, but some things remain the same. Last year, when I walked in with Richard, there were women casting glances at him.Women are looking at Alessio too, and because he has that obvious dangerous sexy edge, they look like they can't help themselves.He's dressed like he's going to the Emmys in his Boss suit and cropped cut hair. I'm in a strapless fitted gown, but I'm tired from the migraine that kept me up all night.It's still bothering me now, but I'm putting my best face forward. This is our first event as husband and wife and
CamilleRichard kisses me like he never has before, and everything feels wrong about it.Shock siphons the blood from my body, stealing my senses, and I'm like a ragdoll in his arms, unable to break out of his hold."Hey!" Alessio's voice booms over us like a roar of thunder and Richard pulls away, leaving me feeling worse than I did moments ago.Alessio saw us kissing. And so did Zakh and Malik and everyone else.Richard releases my arm when Alessio rushes forward. His hand is already balled into a fist, which connects with Richard's face the instant he reaches us.Richard strikes back, catching Alessio in the same place, then they start throwing punches like they did weeks ago at the house.It takes Zakh and Malik to pull them apart. Zakh takes Alessio and Malik Richard. But they're still growling and cursing like hell beasts.It's only when Alessio cuts me a glance and sees the tears streaming down my cheeks that he seems to realize something else happened before the kiss."Fucking
Camille"It's time you get another rude awakening about your beloved Richard."I snap my gaze back at him. "He's not my beloved. I told you what happened."He replies by pushing two fingers into my passage, pumping in and out of me slowly. I suppress a moan, but he teases it out of me."Always wet for me, though." His voice is a whisper that speaks to the secret parts of me that crave his touch. "Your beloved Richard would never have been able to keep his dick in his pants, but there's something else you should know about him."I don't like the sound of this. Alessio's fingers trail up to my back again and linger by my spine."What should I know?""It's about the vineyard."I narrow my eyes when he returns to my face and brushes his nose over mine."What about the vineyard?"He releases a slow, pensive breath, tickling my skin, then moves away.I continue watching him, our gazes tangled and unwavering. He undoes his belt buckle, shoves his pants and boxers down his hips, then steps ou
AlessioI rush down the stairs like a madman, shrugging into my jacket as I descend.Fucking hell.I need to kill something or at least shoot something. Anything to get Camille out of my head.Fuck Richard, and fuck everything.Fuck my heart.I knew better than this—to fall for a woman I shouldn't have.I should fucking hate her just for being Uther's daughter. And yet, even as I think that word—hate—I can't do it. Even now when the truth is laughing at me, telling me I couldn't break her love for Richard and I was always second best.My mind has been all over the fucking place since Camille Galitze came into my life. I just made everything worse when I turned her into Camille Scarfoni and officially made her mine.I was ready to kill Richard when he kissed her earlier because I thought of her as my wife. Then a different type of fury struck me when I got the rest of the story and saw how crushed Camille looked.I perfectly understood her reasons for being upset, but I didn't want her
AlessioI make my way over there. They look at me when I reach the door and I can tell straight away they were deep in conversation about something important."Hey, guys." I keep the annoyance I still feel out of my voice."What are you doing back here?" Zakh asks."Better to work.""Trust me, it's not," Malik says."What's happening?""The short story is our dealer is dead." Zakh leans back and steeples his fingers.I release a heavy sigh. "How?""Shot this evening just after I found the intel."My brows knit together. "That's suspicious as fuck." I walk in and take a seat beside Malik. "Who else knew you got the intel about him?""Just me," Malik replies."Then you're being watched." That's the only thing that makes sense."That's exactly what we're thinking too, so something else is definitely going on. And whoever is watching is tracking us from inside here, and our homes. I've been going through my computer looking for spyware, but I can't find anything."I look from Zakh to Mali
CamilleI stare at the rustic red brick wall before me, tapping the bricks with my fingertips to that song in my head.Run and catch, the meadow's calling you home...I tap one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.On the eighth count I blink, then I'm running through the meadow. A bird flies high in the sky, and the sun is bright and warm on my skin, tempting me to chase it. I run toward the sun but it disappears, and blackness swallows me whole.It's so dark, I dare not breathe. I'm too scared that I'll disappear. But I walk on the unseen path before me, terror ravaging my soul.Darkness fills my mind like a thick fog of smoke, suffocating me with theominous feeling of imminent doom.Patches of light flicker in the darkness, and I see it—the crest with the wolf and the moon engraved into it.I try to get closer, but shadow monsters rush out of the darkness, howling and gnashing their teeth like evil souls trapped in the pits of hell.Faceless faces push out of the darkness an
Camille"I don't think Alessio would like you in here touching his things," comes a voice I really don't want to hear.I turn around and see Gytha coming through the door. She stops a few paces away with her hands on her hips and a pout marring her model-like features."I'm sure he wouldn't mind." I pray she leaves me alone and goes away. I don't have the strength for her today. I never had it before."I've known him much longer than you have, so I know he doesn't like his things being touched by anyone other than him."She's such a fucking bitch. Why, why is she always around when I'm either at my lowest or I'm contemplating something important? Today I'm both."Gytha, I'm his wife. Just leave me the fuck alone."My tone and choice of words piss her off and she moves closer, like she's going to hit me.She stops in my personal space, and because she's much taller than me, I instantly feel more vulnerable."You think just because he gave you his name it means anything? It means shit,
Camille"Sometimes we need a good cry." Ehlga strokes my hair."Thank you for defending me. I don't think I could have done it even if I didn't feel so wretched.""That's okay. That was a long time coming. Gytha deserved it.""Some of what she said was true, though.""No, there was no truth to her words."I dab away the last of my tears with the heel of my hand and nod. "Yes, Ehlga. I'm sure you know what happened between Alessio and me."She sighs. "That doesn't mean Gytha was right.""I understand how he feels about how I reacted that night, but there's nothing I can do about my father or Richard." My voice comes out in a choked rasp."Has he told you anything more about the past?""Not much. He told me his mother was killed and that he lived here with her when he was younger, then Denmark, then Russia. That's essentially all I know about Alessio's past."She searches my eyes. "Then I think maybe the right time has come for me to tell you."My spirit lifts at this possibility. "Will