ELENAEarly the next morning, I woke up to a splash of cold water that went straight up my nose, sending me into a coughing fit.I didn’t recall signing up for military training, so who had the audacity to wake me up this way—and with the coldest water possible?My mental rant came to a screeching halt when I saw Sarah’s panicked face hovering above me.I quickly sat up, slamming my head into hers, and we both groaned from the pain that exploded in my skull.“What the hell, Sarah?” I cried out, rubbing the sore spot as I stood up to grab some ice and prevent swelling.“We have men in black standing around our house—at the front door—and they won’t leave,” she explained, pain still etched on her face as we padded down the stairs into the kitchen.Once I had the ice pressed to my forehead, her words finally sank in.My hackles rose as I slowly picked up a pan—though it wouldn't do much good since I’d left my actual gift upstairs while rushing for ice.She gave me a look of disbelief bef
DELUCA“This was your brilliant plan?” Lucas asked for the umpteenth time since we were captured.I gave him a toothy grin. “Maybe it didn’t get past the front door part.”“You’re a shithead,” he cussed at me, grinning.“Show some respect, bitch,” I whispered.His wide, disbelieving eyes turned to me. “Bitch?” he whisper-yelled.I chuckled low in my throat just as the sound of a door opening filled the otherwise silent room.Four men walked in—and standing among them was a face I would never forget for as long as I lived.Mr. O’Connor. One of the four.I felt my blood run cold as I stared at him. The rage I’d felt when I first heard his name returned with even more force. I fought against it, holding myself back, forcing down the beast clawing at its cage.My eyes flashed red.I sat still, but calm was the last thing I felt.I wanted to destroy him. I wanted him to feel what my mother felt when he murdered her in cold blood.I would make all four of them feel what I felt—watching her
DELUCA"I never did anything to you, Mr. DeLuca," he said in a croaky voice, and I smirked."You might not recall, but I do. Remember DeLuca?" I asked.His eyes showed confusion, but only for a moment—before it clicked in his dull brain. Pure, adulterated fear filled his eyes."Y—""I am."My hand flew straight into his jaw, his whole body shaking as he groaned in pain.I picked up a small chainsaw handle and wrapped it around my palm before making a fist.His eyes widened as I sent it flying into his face again. I watched four teeth fly out, coated in blood and spit, as he screeched.This was too little—compared, compared, compared to...FLASHESAdrian watched, tears streaming down his face, as she fell to the ground—eyes wide, staring into nothing.Her eyes were filled with everlasting terror…PRESENTHer eyes flashed in my mind as I beat into him, again and again.His screams echoed—loud and low—until I couldn’t hear them anymore.And even then, I didn’t stop."Deluca."The name sl
ELENAI had Mr. Leo drive me and the two other bodyguards down to my father’s estate."Elena, what a surprise!" His face lit up with relief at seeing me safe and sound, and I felt comforted by the familiarity of it.For a while, it had felt like Sarah was the only person I had left. Seeing my father reminded me I wasn’t alone in this pursuit for justice and control."Father," I murmured, stepping into his arms as he pulled me close, burying his face into my neck.Nostalgia hit hard. I tightened my arms around him as my eyes stung with incoming tears. I held them back—better for him not to know the full weight of what my life had become.A whirlwind of emotions rushed through me, but I refused to let any tears fall."You brought friends?" His voice was skeptical, laced with curiosity.I chuckled softly as we pulled away from the embrace. I instantly felt the loss.Lorenzo used to hold me like that…I couldn’t let myself spiral into those thoughts. Not now.Clearing my throat to break t
DELUCA I walked into my office, the exhaustion from the past few days still clinging to me like a second skin. My shoulders ached, my head throbbed, and all I wanted was a moment of silence. As I reached to power on my system, Nichole walked in."Good morning, sir," she greeted, her tone crisp and professional.I nodded and offered her a tired smile."Can I get you your usual, boss?" she asked, leaning forward ever so slightly, a subtle arch in her posture that didn’t go unnoticed."Yes, thanks," I replied, already turning my attention back to the screen in front of me."DeLuca."The sharp sound of my name pulled my gaze up. Nichole was struggling to keep Camila from barging in."Nichole, it’s okay. I’ll take it from here," I said, my voice calm."Who’s the bitch now?" I heard Camila mutter under her breath as she shoved Nichole out of the way and slammed the door shut behind her."Oh, DeLuca," she purred, her heels clicking softly on the polished floor as she made her way around my
DELUCA "...Come now, Colton dear. You know you shouldn't be provoking your brother Deluca—he's far older than you," Mother’s voice filtered into my consciousness as I slowly opened my eyes. The bright lights in the kitchen of my old home made me blink, but my vision quickly adjusted.Tears stung my eyes as I struggled to stay calm, watching a treasured memory unfold before me like a movie playing in real time.This was what she had been reduced to—a memory."Adrian, be careful! Don’t go stealing all my cookies, you little thief!"For a quiet young boy, I adored my mother’s cooking. To me, it was the best in the world. It was as if the younger me instinctively knew our time together would be short, so he tried to savor every moment before it vanished.That was when the nightmare intruded on the memory.Blood. So much blood.Flashes of lifeless eyes stared into mine from my hiding spot.Laughter. The sound of those vile men echoed in my ears, forever etched into my mind.REALITY"...Wa
ELENA I never imagined the day would come when the man I loved would be reduced to nothing more than a memory, his presence fading into the cold stone of his tomb. My knees ached from kneeling on the cold ground for so long, but the pain was nothing compared to the emptiness his sudden death had left in my heart. As I closed my eyes and ran my fingers lightly over his tomb, a part of me clung to the impossible hope that he would respond—that he would reach out, just as he always did, and gently pull me into his arms, lulling me to sleep like before. But the silence was deafening, and the cold stone beneath my touch only reminded me of the cruel reality—Lorenzo Russo—my husband, the powerful mafia don whose double life I barely understood—is gone. I felt someone gently pulling me by the shoulder. But, I remain rooted in my spot. “Elena, it’s time,” my father said, his voice firm yet laced with the quiet comfort only he could offer. It was time to lay my husband to rest. As the w
DELUCA The drive back to the estate was shorter than I had anticipated—or perhaps I had been too lost in my thoughts to notice the distance from the cemetery to Lake Michigan.Elena.I muttered her name under my breath, the sound barely audible over the hum of the engine. Seeing her reaction at the cemetery had been... unexpected. Surprising, even, compared to everything I had heard about her.I leaned back in my seat, closing my eyes for a moment as her image flashed before me—young, bold, fierce, and simply captivating. For years, I had seen her face on the front pages of Chicago’s magazines, always untouchable, always out of reach. I had known there was something about her that intrigued me. But seeing her up close? That was different.A sudden surge of anger made me tightened my grip on the armrest."That son of a bitch!" I growled, my voice sharper than I intended.Lucas, seated across from me, raised an eyebrow. He had been my childhood friend, my business partner—the only man
DELUCA "...Come now, Colton dear. You know you shouldn't be provoking your brother Deluca—he's far older than you," Mother’s voice filtered into my consciousness as I slowly opened my eyes. The bright lights in the kitchen of my old home made me blink, but my vision quickly adjusted.Tears stung my eyes as I struggled to stay calm, watching a treasured memory unfold before me like a movie playing in real time.This was what she had been reduced to—a memory."Adrian, be careful! Don’t go stealing all my cookies, you little thief!"For a quiet young boy, I adored my mother’s cooking. To me, it was the best in the world. It was as if the younger me instinctively knew our time together would be short, so he tried to savor every moment before it vanished.That was when the nightmare intruded on the memory.Blood. So much blood.Flashes of lifeless eyes stared into mine from my hiding spot.Laughter. The sound of those vile men echoed in my ears, forever etched into my mind.REALITY"...Wa
DELUCA I walked into my office, the exhaustion from the past few days still clinging to me like a second skin. My shoulders ached, my head throbbed, and all I wanted was a moment of silence. As I reached to power on my system, Nichole walked in."Good morning, sir," she greeted, her tone crisp and professional.I nodded and offered her a tired smile."Can I get you your usual, boss?" she asked, leaning forward ever so slightly, a subtle arch in her posture that didn’t go unnoticed."Yes, thanks," I replied, already turning my attention back to the screen in front of me."DeLuca."The sharp sound of my name pulled my gaze up. Nichole was struggling to keep Camila from barging in."Nichole, it’s okay. I’ll take it from here," I said, my voice calm."Who’s the bitch now?" I heard Camila mutter under her breath as she shoved Nichole out of the way and slammed the door shut behind her."Oh, DeLuca," she purred, her heels clicking softly on the polished floor as she made her way around my
ELENAI had Mr. Leo drive me and the two other bodyguards down to my father’s estate."Elena, what a surprise!" His face lit up with relief at seeing me safe and sound, and I felt comforted by the familiarity of it.For a while, it had felt like Sarah was the only person I had left. Seeing my father reminded me I wasn’t alone in this pursuit for justice and control."Father," I murmured, stepping into his arms as he pulled me close, burying his face into my neck.Nostalgia hit hard. I tightened my arms around him as my eyes stung with incoming tears. I held them back—better for him not to know the full weight of what my life had become.A whirlwind of emotions rushed through me, but I refused to let any tears fall."You brought friends?" His voice was skeptical, laced with curiosity.I chuckled softly as we pulled away from the embrace. I instantly felt the loss.Lorenzo used to hold me like that…I couldn’t let myself spiral into those thoughts. Not now.Clearing my throat to break t
DELUCA"I never did anything to you, Mr. DeLuca," he said in a croaky voice, and I smirked."You might not recall, but I do. Remember DeLuca?" I asked.His eyes showed confusion, but only for a moment—before it clicked in his dull brain. Pure, adulterated fear filled his eyes."Y—""I am."My hand flew straight into his jaw, his whole body shaking as he groaned in pain.I picked up a small chainsaw handle and wrapped it around my palm before making a fist.His eyes widened as I sent it flying into his face again. I watched four teeth fly out, coated in blood and spit, as he screeched.This was too little—compared, compared, compared to...FLASHESAdrian watched, tears streaming down his face, as she fell to the ground—eyes wide, staring into nothing.Her eyes were filled with everlasting terror…PRESENTHer eyes flashed in my mind as I beat into him, again and again.His screams echoed—loud and low—until I couldn’t hear them anymore.And even then, I didn’t stop."Deluca."The name sl
DELUCA“This was your brilliant plan?” Lucas asked for the umpteenth time since we were captured.I gave him a toothy grin. “Maybe it didn’t get past the front door part.”“You’re a shithead,” he cussed at me, grinning.“Show some respect, bitch,” I whispered.His wide, disbelieving eyes turned to me. “Bitch?” he whisper-yelled.I chuckled low in my throat just as the sound of a door opening filled the otherwise silent room.Four men walked in—and standing among them was a face I would never forget for as long as I lived.Mr. O’Connor. One of the four.I felt my blood run cold as I stared at him. The rage I’d felt when I first heard his name returned with even more force. I fought against it, holding myself back, forcing down the beast clawing at its cage.My eyes flashed red.I sat still, but calm was the last thing I felt.I wanted to destroy him. I wanted him to feel what my mother felt when he murdered her in cold blood.I would make all four of them feel what I felt—watching her
ELENAEarly the next morning, I woke up to a splash of cold water that went straight up my nose, sending me into a coughing fit.I didn’t recall signing up for military training, so who had the audacity to wake me up this way—and with the coldest water possible?My mental rant came to a screeching halt when I saw Sarah’s panicked face hovering above me.I quickly sat up, slamming my head into hers, and we both groaned from the pain that exploded in my skull.“What the hell, Sarah?” I cried out, rubbing the sore spot as I stood up to grab some ice and prevent swelling.“We have men in black standing around our house—at the front door—and they won’t leave,” she explained, pain still etched on her face as we padded down the stairs into the kitchen.Once I had the ice pressed to my forehead, her words finally sank in.My hackles rose as I slowly picked up a pan—though it wouldn't do much good since I’d left my actual gift upstairs while rushing for ice.She gave me a look of disbelief bef
DELUCAI quickly but steadily drove down to the casino where he said he was. Soon, I was parking the car and entering the building.My head nodded in response to the greetings from the people inside as I made my way to the dark hallway that led to my office.I glanced at the left hallway that led to Lorenzo's office before shaking off the urge to stop by.Right now, I had to get to Lucas—whatever he had for me had to be worth the mystery.As soon as I reached the office door, I pushed it open and stepped inside.The chair swiveled around, revealing a smirking Lucas gazing at me.“What do you have for me?” I asked slowly, stalking toward him.“The location of Kane—and it's in a very good place, I tell you.” His voice was full of confidence and a sort of sick excitement. I knew whatever came next, I was going to love the sound of it.“What?” I asked again—for the fifth time—and he laughed at my impatience.“Mr. O’Connor. One of the Four.”My whole body went numb at the statement as it e
DELUCA Wait,” I said, my fingers closing around her arm—firm enough to stop her, but not enough to hurt. Not yet.She froze. I felt the subtle shift in her body, the quickened pulse beneath her skin. She was trying to stay composed, but I knew her too well.“Let go, DeLuca,” she said, voice steady, but the steel in it cut deep. “I’m not in the mood.”I loosened my grip but didn’t release her. Not yet. I leaned in, my tone low and deliberate, brushing the line between warning and provocation.“Hiring six bodyguards?” I murmured. “Planning a war… or just afraid of your own shadow?”Her eyes locked onto mine without flinching. “Neither,” she snapped. “Just protecting myself from scavengers like you.”A smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth. Damn. She never failed to catch me off guard.“You know,” I said, finally letting go and straightening the lapels of my suit, “if you’d agreed to work with me, you wouldn’t need so much protection.”“I don’t need your protection,” she said, stepping
ELENA I felt… different after visiting Lorenzo’s grave. Not the kind of heavy sadness that used to grip me since his death—the kind that threatened to swallow me whole. No. This time, something had shifted. I felt stronger, steadier—like a new version of myself was beginning to emerge. A woman forged in pain, but no longer consumed by it.“Hello, dear,” I said to the lady at the front desk as I walked into the bodyguard agency.She greeted me with a bright, welcoming smile, and I returned it with a nod.“Welcome to Titan Shield Security,” she said, standing to her feet.“Please, have a seat, ma’am,” she added, gesturing to the chair across from her desk.Their reception was impressive—warm, professional. I silently hoped their service would match the first impression.“How can we be of help, ma’am?” she asked with that same glowing smile, as I found myself distracted by the wall lined with framed photos of stern-looking men in tailored suits and tactical gear—bodyguards, each one wit