Novels by Buddy

Killian's POV"If that fucking retired cop gives us another fake address, I’m going to burn his house down with him inside it."Lane kept his eyes on the wet asphalt as he pushed the black SUV through the thick fog of Verona. "Nestor checked the land records three times, boss. The guy has been living under the name Arthur. He was Dimitri’s chief intelligence officer.""Drive faster," I growled, checking the clip in my Sig Sauer before slapping it back into the handle with a sharp click.I wasn't waiting for answers anymore. I wasn't sending my hitmen to ask polite questions. Every hour Renese was out there in the cold, my blood felt like it was turning into pure fire.We pulled up to a small, rundown brick house hidden behind overgrown trees at the end of a dead-end street. The porch light was off, but I could see a dim yellow glow through the front curtains.&

Renese's POVThe news anchor on the TV screen looked like she was about to have a heart attack.*"Breaking news out of Verona Ridge,"* the woman breathed into her microphone, holding her ear piece as camera crews rushed past the gates of Augustus Manor. *"The wedding of the decade between Killian Augustus and Camilla Thaddeus has been abruptly cancelled. Reports indicate the Augustus heir left the altar thirty minutes ago, ordering a complete lockdown of the estate..."*I took a sip of my lukewarm coffee, leaning back against the sofa of my other safe house."Look at him," I whispered, a small, witty smirk playing on my lips as the screen flashed a quick photo of Killian's furious face leaving the room. "He looks like someone stole his favorite killer robot."A sleek black laptop sat open on the small kitchen table behind me, green lines of code scrolling silently across the scre

Killian's POVI slammed the doors of the study so hard the handles rattled in their frames.Don Augustus didn't even look up from his glass of scotch at first. He just sat in his tall leather chair, his old face looking pale and sick, but his dark eyes instantly flashing with irritation."Hmmm, Killian. What now?" my father rasped, resting his hands on his desk.I didn't answer. I marched straight to the polished desk, slapped the thick security diagnostic report right on top of his papers, and leaned down until I was staring him dead in the eyes. Lane and Nestor stood right behind me, keeping their hands resting lightly near their holsters."What did the Police Commissioner actually know before he died?" I demanded.My father froze. His grip tightened around his crystal glass, the ice clicking softly inside."Why are you bringing u

Killian's POV"If you tell me one more time that the cameras just went dark, I'm going to put a bullet through your shoulder."The technician’s hands shook so hard he dropped his stylus onto the glass desk of the security office.It was 10:00 AM. Outside, the rain had started to pour over Augustus Manor, but inside the control room, the air was suffocating. Lane, Nestor, and four terrified IT specialists stood behind me as I forced them to replay every single feed, access log, guard rotation, elevator record, and gate scan from the previous night."Replay it again," I growled, resting both hands on the edge of the console, leaning in close enough to see the pixels on the monitors."Boss, we've watched the blackout seven times," Lane said gently, stepping up to my shoulder. "The cameras went offline at exactly four in the morning. The backup power grid stopped

Killian's POVThe silence was the first warning that something was terribly wrong.I woke expecting to hear Renese moving around, her soft footsteps or her light laugh filling the air. My hand reached across the bed, searching for her warmth again.I bolted out of bed, pulling on my trousers in record time. Within seconds, I threw open the doors and roared for Lane and Nestor."I told you to lock it down!" I demanded, my voice shaking the doors of the corridor. "Seal every entrance! Stop every vehicle from leaving the gates! Question every single guard who stood duty!"Lane rushed up the staircase, holding his black tablet, sweating profusely. "Boss, wait! The security team already checked the camera logs—""I don't care what they checked!" I cut him off, grabbing him by the collar. "Order another search! Check every closet, every secret duct, every trunk!"I refused to believe it. Renese could not simply disappear from a fortress surrounded by armed hitmen and three sniper towers wit

Killian's POVThe morning sun broke through the bulletproof glass of my master bedroom, casting golden light across the rumpled silk sheets.I opened my eyes, my brain still foggy from the long, wild night. My hand automatically reached out to grab the soft waist of the woman who should have been sleeping right beside me.My palm hit cold, empty bedsheets.My eyes snapped open. I sat up so fast the silk duvet slid off my bare chest."Renese?" I called out, my voice rough from sleep.The master bedroom was completely silent. The bathroom door was wide open, the lights off, the marble shower dry. Her clothes from last night were gone. Her scent of sweet vanilla and subtle trouble was the only thing left lingering in the air.I glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand.8:00 AM.The wedding was scheduled for ten o'clock. In two hours, I was supposed to stand at an altar in front of half the cartel bosses in Europe and pretend to pledge my life to Camilla Thaddeus."Renese!" I shoute