LOGINCAMILLATwo things struck me as soon as my eyes opened in the darkness.One… I had been kidnapped.Two… it had to be Leila.I was stuck in a room that smelled like the boot of a car filled with unwashed gym shoes and my head was pounding furiously.Whatever they had used to knock me out was still in full effect because my body felt like soft jelly.When the door opened, I recognized Leila immediately.I had met her once when Nathan and I visited Sarah’s but it was hard to forget what she looked like.“You are awake. I was scared for a minute that my boys had somehow killed you”I said nothing.I knew what she wanted.It was obvious this was not about me and I was just a cog in the machine of a much larger issue between her and Nathan.“Do you want me to get anything to eat… drink?”I did not respond.If she thought because I was tied up in this chair then she had the advantage, she was sorely mistaken.I could see the anger flash in her eyes at my silence but it was gone immediately.
NATHAN“I really do not want to do this” Ray muttered for the umpteenth time that morning and I ignored him as usual.Immediately Camilla had walked out with Denver, I began preparations to go to the vineyard.First I did call Christian and I told him my plan which he confirmed was a terrible idea.“What if it is a trap? What are you going to do then?”“It is not a trap if she has no idea I am coming” I answered.“But you don’t know that she has no idea. I do not trust this Ray person as far as he can be thrown. You need to be careful, Nathan. What does Camilla have to say about your little escapede”I was silent for a bit which told him all he had to know.“She has no idea about it, does she? You are going to run off to danger and she does not know?”“I am trying to save her, Christian. This is my fight and involving Camilla will only put her in harm’s way. I need to figure this out myself one way or another and this is the best course of action”“It is not the best course of action a
CAMILLAIt was decided that Denver and I would visit the town council together and have Dexter invited too for the meeting.When I came downstairs, Nathan was already seated by the dining area near the window with coffee in front of him that looked untouched.The morning light cut across his face and made him look far too composed for a man who had spent part of the previous evening threatening to kill someone.Denver sat opposite him, reading through something on his tablet with a permanent frown etched across his face like sleep had not improved his mood in any way.Hannah moved between tables with breakfast trays, carefully avoiding all three of us and still looking guilty no doubt for her part in the mess we were in now.Nathan looked up first when he saw me and smiled which immediately made me suspicious.“Morning, debutante.”I stopped at the table and narrowed my eyes.“Why are you smiling like that?”“Like what?”“Like someone hiding a body under the table and trying to stop m
NATHANAfter the meeting with Denver who had decided he was going to be staying after all and that he would have words with the town council on why the project and agreement with them was not going well. I decided to resume my questioning of Ray.I found Hannah immediately and she confirmed she had kept Ray in a room.“Where?” I asked.She seemed skeptical in telling me and was instead looking over my shoulder no doubt for Camilla who was the one person she believed could stop me from flying off the handle.“I really do not want to ask again”.“He is already battered enough and…”“I need just five more minutes with him. I want him to do something else for me”Hannah nodded and led me to the room she had stashed Ray in one of the smaller guest rooms near the end of the corridor.He was sitting at the edge of the bed and the second he saw me, he bolted upright so fast, his eyes wide with panic.“Jesus…”“Relax, Ray… he only just wants to talk, that is it”Ray did not look like he believ
CAMILLARay was tied up on a chair in Nathan’s room by the time I had propelled myself inside.Where the hell had he gotten a rope? I thought, mid panic.“Nathan”He held a hand up, silencing me.“Ray was just telling me how he met with Leila” He said.I turned to Ray who was already sporting a bruised lips.He looked terrified.“I do not know what you are talking about and this is not legal. I will have you reported to the cops and I will sue you to one inch of your miserable…”His words were cut off when Nathan’s fists slammed into his jaw, snapping his head to the side.The sound cracked through the room so loudly that I physically flinched.“Nathan!” I shouted.Ray groaned, blood spilling properly now from the side of his mouth.Nathan flexed his fingers once like he had merely swatted away a fly.Then he looked at me with cold eyes.“I asked him one simple question,” Nathan said evenly. “How the hell did he meet her and what else do they plan to do”“You cannot beat answers out o
CAMILLAI could not believe what I was hearing.“What did you do?” Nathan asked calmly only he was anything but calm judging by the way his palms were now in fists by his side.“I had no idea who you were when we were approached by a woman. She simply introduced herself as Leila and offered us some money and that she would reach out when it is time to do the job.”“Who else is in on this?” I asked.I placed a hand on Nathan’s arm and felt him flinch.“Dexter and Ray… just them and of course us. That is all I know of.” she turned to Nathan, her eyes pleading.“I am really sorry. I needed the money and it wasn’t until you both arrived that I decided to find out who you both were and realized. I told Ray I was out and did not want to involve myself in whatever she has planned. I even returned the money to him and asked him to inform the lady. I should have known he would still do this”Nathan exhaled slowly, leaning away from Hannah.I watched him run his fingers slowly through his hair a
The fucker had put a bounty on my head, Alexander thought as he stared incredulously at the paper in his hand.In Italy, the word bounty was always sought after especially when it involved someone like him. He had to admit that he never thought the Rodrigues could pull off something like this and bec
Something was hurting… a dull throbbing pain at the back of my head, Lucien thought as he groaned.“Is he awake?” A voice filtered through to himHis eyes opened and then closed, seconded by another groan. The light had hurt his eyes and where was he“Lucien, can you hear me?” Another voice, this one f
TWENTY FIVEAlexander Russo continued staring at the painting, even when his men came to inform him on the arrival of the girl he had asked them to bring to him… Mara Sinclair.He had thought it would surely be a hard mission judging by the way he had made a fool of himself by grabbing her in her offi
“He did what?” Lucien bellowed, rising to his feet like he had just been pricked.Mara had not wanted to say anything to him but he had managed to get it out of her coupled with the fact that she looked really miserable.“I just… it was really scary for me and now I know exactly how he feels about me







