The double doors to my father's room burst open, and I jump to my feet to see who the hell has disturbed our peace, ready to bite their head off. I cautiously advance three steps, my heart pounding in my chest, only to retreat five steps in sheer terror as Alessandro, bursts into the room with his entourage of four loyal henchmen hot on his heels.He's got a fire in his eyes, a burning rage that could melt steel. And for once, I feel the weight of his gaze bearing down on me, like a vice tightening around my soul. He steps forward, his presence looming over me, his jaw clenching with a ticking time bomb of fury.Our eyes meet, and he ensnares my wrists with a swift, calculated move, firmly clasping them between our bodies. He doesn't utter a single word, nothing—zilch. He fixes his steely gaze upon me, and a shiver runs down my spine. In that instant, I feel the weight of every ill-fated choice I've ever made, each one leading us inevitably to this crossroad.As his vice-like gr

“I honestly don't know. But they're becoming very impatient, and they said that if you don’t hurry, they will start shooting again.” She turns to her side, using her body to open the door wider.Wiping the corners of my mouth, I straighten my back, clearing my throat as I take a glimpse at myself in the mirror.'You’ve got this.' I say to myself, finding the last ounce of courage I have within. “Let's go.” My voice quivers. We exit the restroom, and the chaos through the corridors is still alive and thriving. As we approach the nurse's station, which is surrounded by agents wearing masks of frustration. Every nerve in my body is screaming at me to turn away and run. “Miss Bishop?” A man asks me with the phone in his hand.I gulp as I nod my head. “Yes,” I croak out. Multiple sets of eyes are watching me, and I suddenly feel very self-cautious. He passes me the cordless phone, “they're requesting to speak with you.” He steps away when I take the phone from his grasp. “Don't say

Leaning against the wall, I place the palm of my hand against my forehead. We've looked everywhere for Scarlett, and she is nowhere to be found. Ryan has taken the liberty to interrogate the nurses himself, and unfortunately, he has come back empty-handed. My heart won't stop racing with every breath I take, and my stomach feels like it has grown teeth, and it’s eating me from the inside out as I fear each breath I take can possibly be my last.“Three bombs.”Those were the hacker's words.They are willing to kill hundreds of people for one life. Ryan and I returned to the nurse's station to regroup and devise a fresh strategy for tracking Scarlett down. She couldn't have gotten very far.As we approach our destination, taking note that the desk is surrounded by agents once again as we get closer, I also notice that Alessandro is sitting in the desk chair.I shake my head, "what the fuck is he up to?" I think to myself, as I exhale deeply through my nostrils. The man has a de

I'm about two feet away from Alessandro, and he's looking at me like he wants to devour me for dessert. My body shivers with the memory of his face plunged deep within my thighs, his velvety-like tongue licking the folds of my sex and his hot breath fanning my feverish skin. The tip of his tongue darts out of his mouth, sweeping over the bow on his top lip, deliberately caressing it with his eyes slowly looking me up from my toes to my head.Shit!My step falters, and I stumble into his embrace as he catches me, settling me on his lap with one arm wrapped around my torso in a vice-like grip. I hear him suck in a sharp, painful breath, and I look up at him with wide, apologetic eyes. His wound…“Ciao, Clary. It seems I have something you want yet again, old friend.” Alessandro answers the phone in a nonchalant tone, his fingertips drawing lazy figure eights on my hip.As I stand to give him some privacy and room to move about freely, he pulls me back down on his lap, meeting my ga

I look down at my shaking hands that match the tremor in my heart.Nothing can prepare you for a moment like this, even if you have been forewarned. You just don't think of the worst that is to come because deep down in your heart, you pray that the stars will continue to align themselves. "Farfalla,” His voice rips through the air as the double doors crash open. “Are you all right?” “I. The machine stopped.” I gulp, suppressing the sob that wants to break free from my burning throat. “Ryan’s gone down to check the generators. It's only this side of the building that's gone dark.” He reaches out, pulling me into his arms. “Your papa won't die straight away, amore mio. He will struggle to breathe, but he won't die.” Alessandro says in a firm tone, needing me to hear him through the blood pumping loudly in my ears.I nod my head, clinging to his chest, and I can hear him breathing in shallow tones. “You should sit down,” I whisper, “you've been shot, and you're walking around like