♕—Delilah I groaned and rolled over as a pounding headache filled my skull, my eyelids felt too heavy to open. But with a monumental effort, I forced them apart, cringing at the sudden influx of light. My mouth felt like sandpaper and I had to swallow hard to make the rock clogging my throat go away. I awoke, my eyes immediately recognizing the ceiling above me. dread settled in my stomach as memories flooded back and I came to my senses - it was the same ceiling I had spent countless days beneath. Sitting upright and surveying my surroundings, I realized I was in my own bedroom.How? How did I get here? Jack... I was with Jack and—Lorenzo, oh my god! The door creaked open and Rita walked in, "Rita?! Oh my GOD, Rita, what happened?! How am I HERE?! Where's Mama? Where's Anthony?! I was with Jack and--and he--!" Rita cautiously approached me and took a seat on the bed, her grip tightening around my hand as she gave me a nervous smile, "I'm here to make sure you're ready for King

♞—Lorenzo I walked to Niko, wiping the blood that trickled down the side of my face. Niko seemed tensed, raging mad and it only made me more fucking restless. He hung up the phone and then glared at me once more. "What?" I asked. "Nothing... he was just making sure I hadn't changed my fucking decision!" As I took in his words, I couldn't help but feel a wave of relief pass through me. Knowing that she was in the arms of her lover, I knew she was safe and couldn't be happier. At the same time, there was a yearning deep in my heart, fucking wishing why I couldn't be the one to make her feel the way he did.Niko walked to the home bar and poured himself a drink, "Where the fuck is she?" he asked. "She is with someone who will keep her safe." I'd go to the ends of the earth and back for Delilah, to make sure that she is happy and safe. I'd tear down any walls and destroy any bridges blocking the way to giving her all she deserves. I'd give her the world, never take it away, and be b

♕—Delilah I felt like a lamb facing death at the hands of the butcher...I closed my eyes and reminded myself of what Lorenzo thought of me. I can do this... The white dress was clinging tightly to me as if it was a second skin. Alexander seemed to have a penchant for soft, silky, and transparent dresses that made me feel so suffocated. I felt like it was just another way he liked to torment his wives. I tugged at the neckline and muttered to myself that I was doing this for my mama, but I couldn't help but scoff as I thought it. I'd tell myself this same thing when Lorenzo's touch made me forget my own breath. I'd pretend that I was just doing this to get back to my mama, my little brother, and Jack, but deep down I knew that wasn't the case.I was doing it because it felt right. The feel of his naked skin against mine felt right. The feel of his rough hands on my body felt right. The feel of his tongue against my tongue felt so utterly right. The feel of his voice in my ears fel

♞—Lorenzo I loaded up the last dead body over the pile of them, watching their filthy blood dripping down the ground. I grabbed the kerosene and doused the bodies in it. Saturday... We were supposed to hand her over to her father today but she left before that. She left with him... I had half a mind to go to Niko and found out her location, she still had a tracking chip in her arm but decided against it. I let her go...And letting her go meant I will have to forget that she ever existed... I pulled out a matchbox from my pocket and watched the men's uniform. The sigil of Onteros burning up. Those were Octavius's men that we had captured, we were supposed to return them today when he comes but Niko had other plans. He wanted Onteros and he will not rest until he takes it. I struck the match, watching the flame for a few minutes before I flicked it on the ground. The fire followed the trail of kerosene reaching the pile of dead bodies. In a moment, it was a blaze, an inferno tha

♕—Delilah My head hurt... Unceremoniously, I felt a sharp throbbing sensation in my head, forcing me to groan in agony, muffled as I was laying face-down with my head nestled in the comforting embrace of the pillows.As I opened my eyes, everything was a hazy blur. I squinted, struggling to make sense of what I saw. Through the fog, I could make out the shape of someone lying next to me in the bed. The pain in my head felt like it was pounding through me, making it hard to concentrate.My vision was hazy and my tears were streaming, making it hard to focus. I tried to move, but an overwhelming pain and burning sensation surged through me, sending me into a panicked state. I stayed still, scared of what my husband might do if I made a noise.Gingerly I placed my feet on the ground, my body involuntarily tensing with pain as my thighs painfully rubbed together. I was naked, stripped of all my clothing. I nervously glanced down at my body and was met with a sea of bruises, with some dri