LOGINVICTORIAI heard a car pull in, and then Lorenzo opened the front door downstairs.A huge, luxurious villa tucked deep in the tangled woods, all modern-rustic decor and warm light... …or at least what I’d glimpsed on the way in.We’d gotten here not long ago, rushing in like maniacs, and Lorenzo had carried the girl upstairs in his arms, straight to the second-floor bedroom.By the time I heard that car, I was already there, wiping the sweat off her forehead, making sure she didn’t convulse, didn’t bite her tongue, didn’t crack her head on anything, or choke on her own fluids.I think the only reason the poor thing was still alive was the powerful blood of an Alpha like Lorenzo circulating through her system.Then I heard footsteps coming up the stairs and Lorenzo’s rough voice speaking low to someone.The door flew open and I sprang up beside the bed, clutching the damp cloth in my tense fingers.“Relax. Dr. Pietro’s here,” Lorenzo told me with a serious look, and I nodded, waiting f
VICTORIALorenzo lifted that tense gaze to mine for one second, then opened a cut on his hand and started feeding her his blood to keep her alive.My heart practically stopped.Me, in a car, with one of the King’s daughters drugged up on a medication that was supposedly being trafficked by my husband.“Damn it... sons of bitches. This has gone way too far!” he roared while I helped pry the girl’s mouth open.A lot of the blood spilled. She didn’t react, but at least she wasn’t convulsing anymore.“She’s going to die. We have to take her to a doctor...”“If we take her to any doctor in the capital, they’ll report it to the King instantly. You think they’ll let you explain anything? You think he’s going to believe this insanity?!”He shouted, furious because I’d disobeyed, because I’d brought this on myself.I pressed my lips together and lowered my head through tears... I couldn’t do anything else.I was the problem, and I was going to drag him down with me because of my stupidity.“Le
VICTORIAI looked around like a paranoid idiot, like I was starring in some damn sci-fi movie.My eyes burned, but I couldn’t start crying. I couldn’t break.Not when the car kept following the route on the screen until it finally stopped under an old bridge on the edge of the city.My heart was pounding when I saw the SUV’s headlights getting closer. I braced for anything. Another kidnapping by Luca or maybe... death.But the headlights slid across the bridge overhead, and the SUV never turned down. It just kept going, disappearing up the road.My head was a mess. I knew I was caught in something bigger, but I still couldn’t see the shape of it.Then my eyes snapped to the girl in the back seat. She started seizing in sharp spasms, and thick, foamy saliva bubbled at her lips.The way her skin had gone pale scared the hell out of me, and I lunged over the seats, scrambling to pull her up and keep her from choking.“Don’t die, little Omega. No, fuck... I did all this to save you!”I so
VICTORIAIt was the same bastard I’d been dying to find, just to ask him straight up what he and his little bitch were planning.Well... here was the answer.“Yeah. She’s in the car parked in the side alley. I can’t stay here any longer. Pay me what you promised. This job’s too damn dangerous.”I didn’t listen anymore. I crept back down the same hallway.I scanned the bar, between the tables, the counter, the stools, desperately looking for Nikolai, but I didn’t see him.I asked the bartender, and he told me Nikolai hadn’t come down from the bathroom.I couldn’t go upstairs to look for him or it’d be too late.I glanced toward that dark hallway and thought I saw someone coming down it.So I did one of my other stupid, impulsive things. I rushed out of the bar, ignoring the guard who called after me, offering me an umbrella.Outside, it was drizzling, but with how cozy it was in there, we hadn’t even noticed it.I ran down the sidewalk and found the side alley next to the building... a
VICTORIA“This is going to sound crazy, but... I didn’t push her, and that woman is the best swimmer I know. I... I can’t swim, so that’s why I didn’t rescue her...”My expression twisted into pure bitterness as I held his hard stare, like he was trying to see if I was really telling the truth.«Want me to change real quick and buy you a drink? Seriously, you’re a mess...» he said with a sigh, and my first instinct was to refuse.Lorenzo wasn’t going to like this, but he wasn’t here... like he never was when I actually needed him.I didn’t want to be rude to him or keep rejecting his good intentions after he’d always stuck his neck out for me.“Sounds great... as long as you’re not afraid you’ll end up on my list of lovers,” I said with a mocking huff, wiping the crybaby look off my face.“Do I have a shot at getting in?” he asked, grinning and teasing.“I’m already regretting saying yes,” I said, but his calm expression eased some of the tension in my chest.In the end, I went back u
VICTORIA“This is all Luca’s plot. A lie. I’m going to prove you’re wrong, but come with me, you damn psycho...” The words came out low, through clenched teeth.By now, we were making a full-on scene.She kept dragging my entire past with Luca out into the open, and there were all kinds of important people around.I was getting anxious, not knowing how to handle this explosion of rage.She didn’t seem like she was faking it. And who the hell sent Luca a message from my phone?!I tried to grab her by the arm, but it only made it worse.Marcella started shrieking that I was trying to silence her, that I was going to use the Grecos’ power to get revenge on them.The pool staff was already coming over to see what was going on, and the rumors were spreading.I tried to step away from her. It was obvious she was getting exactly what she wanted, and she wasn’t going to listen to reason.But the second my hand moved to let go of her arm, Marcella gripped me hard, like I was the one clinging t







