Library

Home / The Don Shared His Territory with His Childhood Sweetheart / Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Don Shared His Territory with His Childhood Sweetheart: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

10 Kabanata

Chapter 1

"Horst, I think the alarm system at my safe house has been cut."Erin didn't open her door. She toyed with the black-and-gold blade she'd just received, her voice timid and sweet."The lookouts on the perimeter aren't answering either. I'm scared to go up alone."Horst slid his Beretta into its holster."I'll go up and check it out with you."As his hand closed on the door handle, he finally glanced at me in the rearview mirror."Stay in the car. The defense system's on. Ten minutes, tops."The climate control was on.Before he pushed the door open, he took off his black trench coat and tossed it onto my lap."Don't open the window. Even a little gunpowder smell sets off your cough."He was always like this.He remembered every one of my habits. Yet he could leave me alone in an armored car in hostile territory without a second thought and walk off to clear the way for another woman.Every time I fooled myself into thinking he was protecting me, Erin found a way to prove me wrong.The

Chapter 2

At two in the morning, a gunshot jolted me awake.When I burst into the vault, Erin was standing barefoot in a strappy nightgown, surrounded by bullets and brass parts strewn across the floor.In her hand was the antique revolver my father had left me.The ivory grip had split, and the barrel was badly warped."Diana, I'm sorry."Erin was a little pale, but she didn't put the gun down."I was just looking for a spare magazine. I didn't know the hammer on this old relic was stuck. The second I pulled it, the gun went off and blew apart."I snatched what was left of the gun out of her hand.My father had been shot by an assassin. Clutching this gun, he'd fought to stay alive all night, waiting for me.That same day, Horst had taken two bullets covering Erin's escape. I'd brought most of the medical team to him instead, and I hadn't been able to save my father.Ever since then, that gun had been off-limits to everyone."I warned you never to come through that door!"Only after I screamed

Chapter 3

Early the next morning, Horst's aide brought over a gun case.Inside was an antique Colt revolver, older even than my father's.The aide slid the case toward me."The Don blew up two rival strongholds in the East District overnight to get this."He also said Ms. Costa has thought about what she did. He hopes you'll see the bigger picture and not let a gun come between you."I didn't even look at it. I just closed the case.Horst was never stingy about making it up to me. He just never wanted to face how much he'd hurt me.That afternoon, I took several ledgers documenting the South District's smuggling operations to the council of elders.The meeting would decide whether my father's men lived or died. It was also the last deal I had to settle before I left.My convoy had just turned off the main road when Horst called on his private channel."You're out?""Yes. Heading to the council out in the western suburbs."The line went quiet for two seconds. I could faintly hear him loading a gu

Chapter 4

At seven that evening, Horst returned to the main house with a pale Erin.I'd just locked the last severance roster for my father's men in the safe when I heard him call my name from the hall."Come down and sign the release."On the ebony table sat the accident settlement the enforcers had drawn up and a transfer agreement for South District territory.It said that because the ledgers had been destroyed through my fault, three ports under my name would go to Erin to cover the Ferrara family's losses.If I signed, Erin wouldn't just escape the family's punishment. She'd also take over part of my territory, and no one could say a word against it."The accident happened because she broke the rules and looked down to search for her phone."I pushed the papers back untouched."The street cameras and the car's dashcam will both prove it."Erin burst into tears."Diana, it's all my fault, every bit of it."But the ranking trials for top-tier assassins are next month. If my record says I deli

Chapter 5

The day after I left, Erin earned her Assassins' League ranking.Horst pinned the silver badge of the highest rank on her himself.At the celebration, everyone raised their glasses, but she kept glancing at the entrance.The party broke up late that night, and I never walked through the door."Diana still isn't back?"Erin ran her fingers over the badge, unease growing in her eyes.Horst checked his phone, his face hard.In the tactical channel the three of us shared, the orders he'd sent last night had gone unanswered."Supplies to the old crew house have been restored.""Drop the hard-to-get act and come back to the estate yourself tomorrow."He tossed his phone on the table in irritation."She's just testing my limits on purpose, waiting for me to give in. How many days does she think she can last out there without my protection?"Erin forced a smile."You're right. Diana cares so much about her title as Donna. How could she ever really leave?"Erin's words fed Horst's need for cont

Chapter 6

The smile froze on Erin's face."Horst, what's wrong with you?""I told you to get out. Now."Horst brushed past her, but she grabbed his shirt hem and held on."Has Diana been talking about me behind my back again?"She's always like this. The second you don't do what she wants, she turns the whole estate upside down. But this time she's the one who gave up her control. I just..."Horst stopped short and turned around."She's gone."Erin stared at him, stunned, for a few seconds."Gone? Where would she go?""New York.""That's impossible."The words burst out of her so sharply that her voice cracked."She promised me that as long as you were still the Don, she'd never play the old Don's last card in North America."Horst slowly turned to face her, his eyes sharp as blades."When did she ever promise you anything like that?"Erin's lips moved, but no sound came out.Horst looked down at her, the last trace of warmth leaving his eyes."Erin, what else have you been hiding from me these

Chapter 7

Once he reached New York, Horst spent three whole days using every connection he had to find me.That evening, a rare blizzard hit New York.I'd just come out of the Cordano family's underground vault, surrounded by bodyguards, when I saw him.He hadn't brought a single man with him.The once-untouchable Don of the South District stood with snow piled on his coat, clutching a blastproof case."Diana."He walked toward me through the snow, his voice hoarse.The bodyguards around me immediately aimed their guns at him.I raised a hand to signal them to stand down."What are you doing here? Do you have a death wish?"My voice was so calm that even I didn't recognize it.Once, if I couldn't reach him for half an hour, I'd be too anxious to sleep.Now he'd crossed half the world to stand in front of me, and all I felt was irritation.Horst held out the blastproof case."I found the best weapons specialists in Europe. They rebuilt every part they could salvage."I saw the footage of Erin hit

Chapter 8

Horst didn't leave New York.He bought the apartment with the best view in the high-rise across from my safe house.Every morning, a cup of coffee with a little sugar, at just the right temperature, waited by my armored car.The first day, I had my bodyguard pour it down the drain right in front of him.The second day, I sent it back without even unwrapping it.After that, he stopped sending things. He just followed my convoy from a distance.I still didn't so much as glance at him.That winter in New York was brutally cold. Tensions between the Cordano family and two other old Mafia families had reached a breaking point.At a crucial underground arms exhibition, the negotiations fell apart.The shooting started without warning.I took cover and calmly directed my father's men to lay down suppressing fire.Just as I was about to move, a bullet hit the heavy crystal chandelier overhead. It came crashing down toward me.I didn't even have time to get out of the way.A figure in black dov

Chapter 9

After Horst was taken back to the South District, badly wounded, I heard nothing from him for a whole month.When news of him finally came, it was through the Cordano family's North American intelligence network.He'd personally thrown Erin into the worst red-light district in the South District, where anyone with a grudge could take it out on her.He'd even had his intelligence people email me a high-definition video showing what had become of her.He also sent the highest command codes held by the Don of the South District.In the email, he pleaded, "Diana, I've made sure every debt to you has been paid. You don't have to forgive me, but please accept these. I'm begging you. Just look at me one last time."I looked at Erin screaming on the screen and felt nothing but disgust.I hit delete.Love that comes too late is worth less than dirt. Revenge that comes too late is worth even less.Three months later, I returned to the South District on New York's behalf for the final border nego

Chapter 10

The night before I flew out of the city, I saw Horst one last time in the underground armory.He was sitting in the best seat behind the bulletproof glass, where we'd first picked out weapons.The door to the weapons area stood open, and two spots had been cleared for guns beside the large weapons table.One held the Beretta he always carried. The other was empty.When Horst heard my footsteps, he sprang up from his seat.In just three months, half his hair had turned gray."You came."He fumbled for a chair and set it in front of me. It had been Erin's seat.I didn't sit. I just regarded him coolly."I got the gun. Thank your specialists for me.""I'm not the one who got it fixed."The old gunsmith went through black markets across half of Europe to find the parts. All I did was get it back into its owner's hands."He pushed open the gun case on the table.Inside lay a brand-new heavy sniper rifle without a biometric lock.He turned the muzzle toward himself and held the stock out to

I-scan ang code para mabasa sa App

DMCA.com Protection Status