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Yes, as foolish as it had been and as it sounded now, I’d allowed myself to fall hopelessly, foolishly, and irrevocably in love with a man I didn’t even know. What he hadn’t realized was that he’d already captured the little bird, keeping her in a gilded cage, the creature unable to fly because her wings had been clipped. But I’d grown stronger. I’d learned to fly again, ready to soar.
This was nothing but a tragedy in the making.
As tears rushed to my eyes, images of the beautiful night were clouded by the worst day of my life.
CHAPTER 18
Seconds before…
Francesco
I’d entered the enemy’s current lair and the moment I had, a significant spark of electricity had soared through me, the reason unknown but something I was determined to find out. There was an uncanny moment as I glanced around the venue, trying to find the girl I’d seen through the windows. I also didn’t see Dante or Roberto, but that meant nothing.
“Interesting crowd,” Cayman said as he flanked my side.
“All curious as well as concerned about what is going to happen with the balance of power.” I smirked and grabbed a glass of champagne, continuing to scan the crowd. Only seconds later, I realized I’d caught all four of the soldiers’ attention, one of them undoubtedly heading to find Dante or his father. “Time to play.” I glanced around the room again, noticing Mayor Santiago was studying me from afar. Was that a smirk on his face as if he was thrilled I’d walked in, or fear?
Perhaps a little of both.
“I have your back.” Cayman laughed. “But drinks will be involved.”
I moved further inside, amused at how many people scampered away like rats, some hiding in the shadows. I had thoughts of calling them out by name, many having recently attended an awards dinner where Maxwell had taken home a humanitarian award. What hypocrites.
Where was she?
As soon as I turned my head, I noticed the girl with the red hair standing maybe thirty feet away. While I stood taller than most, her presence was constantly blocked by guests moving from one side of the room to the other. Then a few of them must have realized who I was, fearful a bloody battle would ensue. They moved away by several feet, allowing me to catch a better sight of her.
I took two steps forward, cocking my head. Almost everything about the beautiful woman was enigmatic, drawing my attention like a moth to a flame. Interesting. I’d used those very words only once before, far too many years ago. When she finally glanced in my direction, she opened her eyes wide, studying me without blinking. Her long hair was the color of burnished copper flecked with sunshine. My balls tightened as I allowed my heated gaze to fall.
While she wasn’t wearing an electronic monitoring device, I couldn’t imagine Dante or the girl’s father would allow it to be seen at a party of this nature. Perhaps that would allow me to have a conversation with her.
She was voluptuous in every aspect, her long legs accentuated by the stilettos she was wearing, her rounded hips meant for a man’s hands to hold onto for fucking. No, they were meant for my hands only. I realized my palms were sweating, another reaction I hadn’t expected. She had a perfect aristocratic nose, her long neck accentuating her stunning face and eyes that tore into me with wildfire and desire.
“Christ,” I muttered, enjoying the stolen moment more than I should. At this point, she belonged to another man.
However, that wasn’t going to last.
She had no idea how valuable she’d become.
Jesus Christ. The draw to her was extremely powerful, so much so I had difficulty breathing. She seemed frozen in time, her entire body tensing. When I took another few steps toward her, I sensed she was struggling with my appearance. Anger tore through me when I noticed her split lip. For those few precious seconds as we studied each other, I had another moment where all time ceased to exist, every other noise but the hard pounding of my heart reduced to little more than a muffled series of sounds.
She was shaking her head and I could swear she realized I’d seen her lip. When she pressed her hand across both, I knew instinctively she was shaking. What the hell had the poor girl endured? Snarling, I was ready to get her the hell out of here when I felt a hand on my arm.
“Are you okay, boss?” Cayman asked.
“Yeah. It’s her.” The girl wasn’t important to Dante, only what she could bring to the table. Her flesh and bones would be used and tossed aside. It was a pity something so precious would be discarded like trash. That shouldn’t matter to me but I’d caught a glimpse of her vulnerability.
Or maybe her goodness.
Was there such a thing in our world? She was likely born into a life of servitude, groomed to become the perfect wife. That had stripped away her innocence years before.
When I captured her eyes again, she’d dropped her hand, inching closer as well. That’s when it hit me. I was stunned, the entire world around me no longer existing.
I’d heard of fate being a cruel bitch, but in this case it was almost comical as well as heart stopping.
When she mouthed my name, I found myself doing the same. Then I took and held my breath. The shock was almost blinding, but I sensed she was struggling tremendously as some sense of reality settled in. She had no clue who I was but seeing me here I could only imagine what she was thinking. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I’d need to get her the hell away from here quickly.
