With a swift, powerful motion, I drove the blade straight into his chest. I pushed deeper and felt the resistance of bone and muscle. His eyes widened in shock, and a gurgling scream escaped his lips. I showed no mercy, grinding my teeth as I wrenched the knife sideways, tearing through the flesh. Blood spurted, staining my clothes. I yanked the blade free, silencing his screams forever."Let’s get the hell out of here, Nicholas. We’ve got less than eight minutes before the feds show up," Luca snapped as I wiped the blood off my blade with a rag, the metallic scent lingering in the air.Before I could respond, a sudden rustling sound caught my attention. My instincts took over. “What was that?” I asked, tucking the blade into the back of my pants."What are you talking about, Nicholas? I don’t hear—" Luca started, irritation creeping into his voice, but then we heard a sharp clanking sound from one of the nearby shipping containers.“Could be nothing,” Lo muttered.I wasn't taking any
I forced myself to ease off the gas, my hands tightening on the wheel as the car's headlights flicked off. The car's speed dropped, but my heart still raced, my breath coming in short, angry bursts. We pulled off the main road and onto a dirt track, the trees closing in around us."Would you relax, for fuck's sake," Luca snapped. "I know you're angry, but we need to plan this. We go in hot-headed, and we risk Summer getting hurt. We need to be smart about this."The sound of her name blurred my vision with rage, burning like wildfire.I shot him a glare. "We do this now. I'm not waiting," I ground out.“The longer we wait, the harder it will be to find her and bring her back to the US if she’s already been sold.” I turned to face the backseat, my eyes narrowing at Lo. “Stay here if you want. I don’t give a shit. But I’m not waiting for any goddamn backup.” With that, I pushed my way out of the car and walked to the trunk.Luca and Lo tumbled out of the car and joined me in gathering o
"Summer!" My roar echoed through the basement as I spotted the blown-up wall. They'd taken her. The chair was empty and there was no sign of her.Luca appeared, his eyes wide. "Holy shit, Nicholas. Are they alive?"I didn't answer, already at my mother's side. I fell to my knees, cradling her in my arms."No, Mom. Please, no," I whispered, my tears mixing with her blood as I rocked her gently. My anger turned inward, a searing pain in my chest.I sat in my office, the drink in my hand forgotten as I stared at the wall. My mind was spinning from the shitshow of the day. The police were all over my house, but they were useless. Useless, just like I felt, sitting here while my family and my empire crumbled and my angel was taken from me.I barely registered Luca's voice when he entered."Nicholas, Doc is here."Jacobi entered the room quietly and solemnly, carrying his medical bag. "Nicholas, I'm so sorry. I..."I raised two fingers to silence him. "Check on Lorenzo," I said firmly.He w
With our guns raised, we cautiously approached the front door, then shifted our focus to the windows, peering through the cracks. My heart raced as I spotted a group of armed men in black, their masks obscuring their faces, prowling toward the entrance.“Nicholas, I can activate the charges in the ground,” Luca said, his eyes glued to the surveillance monitors, the glow illuminating his tense expression.“No, not yet. We can't risk any more of our men.” I turned sharply to Miguel. “How many are you in contact with?”“So far, seven,” he replied. “But I haven’t heard from at least four of them.”“Are any of them the snipers?”“Yes, boss,” he confirmed, and I nodded, a surge of relief washing over me. At least we had two of them positioned on the roof, but with the way those men were approaching, they wouldn’t have a clear shot.“Luca, tell them to take the shots when they can,” I ordered.“Got it,” he responded, fingers flying over the keyboard as he communicated with the snipers.I hel
As soon as I opened the basement door, her sweet voice pierced the heavy air like an arrow aimed straight at my heart. “Can I please use the bathroom?” she asked, her tone edged with a hint of desperation that made my stomach twist.I took slow, deliberate steps down the stairs. The dim light revealed her figure, hunched slightly in her chair. The sight made my chest tighten.Summer raised her head, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, a pleading smile ghosting across her beautiful face. "Nicholas, please," she begged.Lips I kissed many times.Lips that breathed life into my dark soul.She gave me the kiss of life. The first woman who revived my cold and lifeless heart, only to rip it out of my chest and leave it for the hell hounds to feast on.She played me well.And I fell for her bullshit.Her eyes were bloodshot from the crying she’d been doing since she left my office.I pulled the knife from my pocket and knelt before her. Her golden-brown eyes that were once bright like hon
He stepped away, placing a gentle kiss on my head. "Stay safe and keep a low profile. I’ll stay in touch."And with that, he left, the door clicking shut behind him.But then realization hit me.That meant I’d been found, and someone knew about me.And I was a freaking mafia princess.What the ever loving hell was I supposed to do now?“Summer, I need you to follow me. Nicholas is requesting your presence in his office.”I was in the music room of Nicholas’s house playing the violin when the door swung open. Miguel slipped inside and leaned in to speak with Lorenzo. A few minutes later, Miguel left the room, and Lorenzo turned to face me, his expression serious.A spark of hope flickered within me.This was the first time Nicholas had asked to see me directly since the shootout. Since my conversation with Damian, I'd been eager to share the news with Nicholas, but he hadn’t replied to my messages.I nodded, setting my instrument down and rising to follow Lorenzo down the hall. Once we