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My heart skips a beat, before it expands and contracts at the need to be loved. The image of finding someone twists, digging into my desire of being accepted for me. This could be some weird way of the universe giving me my second chance. Maybe I am finally being dealt a good hand, and he’s here to say he loves me. I look up into his eyes, hoping to see some type of kindness or adoration, but there’s none of that. His eyes look cold.
I feel the hard metal before my brain registers that he’s holding a gun to the side of my head. I’m a fool. Demetri can never know about this baby. We’re too volatile, and I’m not losing my baby to him.
I vow to protect my unborn child at all costs. This can be the one job I’m good at. I don’t care about my painting anymore. My skin itches to get away, to disappear so he can never find me again.
“Youwillpay for it, sweetheart.” His condescending voice fuels my hatred for this world. My vision goes red as, nerve by nerve, my anger grows into total rage.
How dare he boss me around? I am Katrina fucking Rossi. No one messes with me, because I’m crazy as hell. And as natural as riding a bike, I let my crazy loose. My fingers slip into my front pocket and snap open my Zippo. I bring the flame to my precious painting, and it easily catches on fire. I must’ve caught him so off-guard that it engulfs it within seconds before I toss it in his face, because his hand that was wrapped around me comes out to swat it away as he steps back from the hazard. It’s exactly the distraction I need to run out of the room.
His loud voice echoes behind me, but I don’t look back.
Lunafindsmethrowingclothes into a bag. “What’s going on?” she cautiously asks, crossing her arms as she leans against the doorframe of my room.
“I need to go hide somewhere. Lie low for a bit.”
“Rossis don’t hide. Tell me what’s wrong; I can fix it for you.”
I love Luna—always willing to help.
“You can’t fix this,” I assure her, but she gives me a look that says otherwise. “I’m having the Bratva leader’s baby.” Her jaw drops. “And he wants me dead.”
She straightens her posture and steps into the room. “Who all knows?”
“You and me.” I swallow past the lump in my throat.
“We’ll tell everyone you went to rehab.” She puts her hand up as I open my mouth to argue. “No one will ask questions. I can hide you and protect you until you have the baby.”
Tears spring into my eyes, and my fingers pick at each other. I have to do this. It crushes me that I haven’t managed to find my sister yet. “When Gia is found, can you tell her I’m sorry?” I may never get the chance now.
The reality of my situation hits me hard.
Luna wraps me in a hug. “You’re not to blame for Gia’s disappearance.”
I am, and I wish people would just stop lying to me.
Part 2: Present Day
Chapter 10: Demetri
Ihavesearchedtheentire city for Katrina. It’s like she disappeared into thin air, an impossible task. I can’t stop thinking about her. She deceived me in a way no one has been able to before. Somehow, she held my attention like no one else, before or since, and my mind and body refuse to forget her. It’s been months since I’ve seen her. Instead of my desire fading away each day, I crave her more.
My agitation grows by the hour. It’s as bad as it was the first year my wife was gone. All I could offer her was vengeance. This time, I don’t want that. I plan to rule over Katrina with the last breath I take.
One of her sisters has a wedding coming up. It’s my only hope of catching a glimpse of my girl. Crashing an Italian and Irish wedding sounds like the perfect plan. Both of them are on my hit list. The Irish stole diamonds from us, and the Italians are hiding someone very precious to me. I’ll be getting both of those things back in my possession.
I bring my daughter’s crinkled picture out from under my suit jacket and give it a kiss. I do this every time I knowingly enter something that could take me away from her.
Dressed in my best suit, I kick open the door to the wedding ceremony, wielding my semi-automatic gun. My men have enough grenades and gun power to blow up this entire block. We storm the flower-filled room until there’s no denying our grand entrance.
The guests are already on their feet. Unexpectedly, when I lock eyes with Fin, the Irish groom, he has a gun pressed against the heart of the bride. This party is already better than anticipated. My men fire first from behind me, knowing I want Fin dead in retaliation for his uncle stealing my diamonds.
I unleash my bullets, wishing to kill everyone for depriving me of what’s mine. Taking two crime families out will only help my bottom line.
I watch as the bride falls to her feet. Red seeps through her elegant white dress, and I focus my gun on Fin O’Conner. The Irish need to feel the pain they have caused me.
I catch a motion out the corner of my eye, and I look to see a standing, very gorgeous… and very pregnant… Katrina.
My mouth falls open. I was expecting to torture and kill people before I laid eyes on her again. My feet automatically move to the front of the room toward her, but her father steps in my way. With no remorse, I shoot him, my attention not even fully on him, as my eyes stay trained onher. I can hear a groan leave his throat, and I know my men have my back if he does something stupid.
