All Chapters of The Black Rose: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

ELLIE I went completely still, eyes meeting deadly brown orbs that seemed to see through my every thought x I felt naked under his stare. I could feel my cheeks burning, could still taste strawberry juice on my lips where Silas had touched me. My heart was hammering so hard I was sure both men could hear it."No," I managed to say, my voice coming out smaller than I intended. "I was just... cooking."Lorenzo's eyes moved between Silas and me, taking in the scene. Silas still held the wooden spoon, his knuckles white where he gripped it. I was pressed back against the sink, probably looking guilty as hell.Silas shrugged, like the moment didn't just happen. "It smells incredible," Lorenzo said finally, stepping further into the kitchen. His voice was carefully neutral, but I could see something dark flickering in his eyes as he looked at his friend. I busied myself with plating the food, desperate for something to do with my hands. "It's just beef stew. Nothing fancy."But when I se

ELLIE*Nikolai: I have a special gift, just for you, little dove. Do you trust me?*I stared long and hard at the text, glaring at each letter as my phone barely stayed in my clammy grip. It took longer than five minutes before my fingers would stop trembling. *Me: What do you want from me?**Nikolai: Leave the Black Rose, don't get caught in the cross fire*Another buzz. *I can help you out of there* Nikolai added and I locked my phone, my breath hitching in my throat. The nerve of the bastard! He confessed to killing my brother and now he acts as though he has my best interests at heart. Does every criminal in Italy feel this self righteous? He can help me out of here? What makes him think I need his help? I should tell someone. But who would be willing to listen? Lorenzo and I...were kind of not on talking terms and Silas would probably call me a mole and bury a bullet in my skull the second he read these messages. My phone buzzed again. *Nikolai: I can protect you better

What the fuck was wrong with me? I mentally berated myself as I tried to steady my breathing, my heart still hammering against my ribs like it was trying to escape. I'd almost kissed him. Actually kissed Silas—the same man who'd made my life hell since I arrived, who treated me like I was nothing more than an inconvenience. And the worst part? I'd wanted it. Craved it, even.I was officially losing my mind.And now Lorenzo was here, looking between us with those knowing eyes, and all I could think about was how his lips had felt against mine just days ago. How gentle he'd been, how different from Silas's barely restrained intensity. God, what was happening to me? I was developing feelings for my captors like some twisted Stockholm syndrome victim."I forgot something," Lorenzo said, his voice smooth but there was something else there—a glint in his dark eyes that made my stomach flip. "Had to come back early."Silas let out a short laugh, the sound rough and strained. "That's weird.

NOIR Worry. That's what this feeling was—this gnawing, persistent ache in my chest as I watched her tremble in my arms. The irony wasn't lost on me. I was the one who couldn't stand women, who had sworn them off completely after everything I'd grown up experiencing. My mother's and her 'customers' taunts echoing through our manor while they watch me being ruined, they ruin, they gawk, they laugh, they taunt, that's all women ever did to me. The way she'd look at me afterward, like I was supposed to enjoy being a freak show just to bring her more money. I'd promised myself I'd never want anything to do with the opposite gender. Never let myself get tangled up in their chaos, their emotions, their ability to break and revel in the destruction that the man beneath their touch becomes. Until her. Until Ellie walked into our world with her defiant blue eyes and stubborn mouth that was softer towards me, turning everything I thought I knew about myself upside down. And now, as her bod

ELLIEMasked men stepped into the apartment—three of them, maybe four, it was hard to tell in my panic. Their faces were hidden behind grotesque clown masks, the kind that belonged in horror movies, not real life. The painted smiles were twisted and leering, their hollow eye sockets staring at me with an emptiness that made my skin crawl.My hands fumbled with the burner phone, muscle memory guiding my trembling fingers to the first and only contact on the phone which I assumed was Lorenzo's number. The phone was dialing, the soft electronic tones seeming impossibly loud in the sudden silence.Before I could even lift it to my ear, rough hands grabbed me from behind."No!" The scream tore from my throat as the phone clattered to the floor, the screen cracking against the marble. I thrashed wildly, my elbow connecting with something solid—ribs, maybe a stomach. The masked figure behind me grunted but didn't loosen his grip. If anything, his hold tightened, arms like steel bands aroun