Page 2 of Little Rabbit

He looks, and then arches a brow. “Mother was raped as a teenager, and as soon as Sienna was old enough, she started teaching her how to protect herself.” He nods. “Explains it. Alright, so maybe she doesn’t know who she is, but all this makes me think that once we tell her, she’s going to put up a hell of a fight.”

A fight I’m fully prepared for. “We also need to be careful of her best friend,” I add. Lazaro skims the page again and his eyebrows climb even higher. “Seems her best friend is a bounty hunter, one of the best in the state. Which could cause a problem.”

“Hmmm,” Lazaro hums. He reads the write up on her best friend aloud. “Aurora O’Brien, goes by Rori to most, age twenty six, same as Sienna, and an all around badass by all accounts. Comes from a long line of former military and a few cops, though those are mostly distant. The two of them met in college and have been inseparable ever since.” He chuckles. “And Rori apparently has no qualms about getting dirty to get her man.” He shows me the picture of said woman coming out of a swamp, covered in so much muck you can barely tell she’s human, gripping her perp by the cuffed arm with a smug smile on her face. “But you’re right, if she’s this determined, we’re going to have to be careful when we get Sienna, or she’s going to be on our asses. What do you want to do? Throw her off the scent?”

“I’ve already sent a message to Aurelio to figure out a way to do that,” I reply. “I’m leaving nothing to chance. We don’t need her and whoever the De Lucas are sending getting in our way. We can handle it all with no problems, but we don’t need to cause a stink while we’re there.”

Lazaro nods his agreement. “When we land, I’ll have the flight crew prepare for immediate departure so we don’t waste any time. Any ideas on what we’re going to do once we get her onboard? Besides hiding any objects that could be used as a weapon.”

It’s my turn to smirk. “I have some lovely restraints that I could test out if she refuses to behave herself.”

Lazaro snickers. “Kinky bastard. But something tells me restraints might not be enough. I’ll have the back bedroom secured in case we have to hold her there. Though, I suppose if you put on the charm, she’d be more apt to settle down.”

I would normally agree, but having looked at her picture plenty over the last couple of hours, my gut is telling me that Ms. Sienna Harris is going to be anything but easy. Charm isn’t going to work on her. Still, I’m a man of many talents; finding out her weaknesses and using them to get what I want will be a piece of cake.

I take the file back from Lazaro and glance at it again briefly before setting it aside. “When we land, we’ll locate her and do some surveillance,” I say briskly, getting back to the task at hand. “From there we’ll determine the best way to approach her. And if we have to make a quick exit, we’ve already made back up plans.”

Lazaro nods. “I’ve booked a hotel for two nights just in case. It’s close enough to the landing strip that we can get back to the plane quickly.”

“Good. Let’s hope that Ms. Harris is a reasonable woman.”

Lazaro snorts. “She’s a De Luca by birth, which means she’s going to be a pain in the ass, but hopefully her temperament takes after her sister instead of the rest of her fucked up family. I’m going to get some shut eye.” He reclines his seat back to an almost flat position and closes his eyes, the discussion finished.

I’ve always envied Lazaro and his ability to just turn everything off. My mind never stops. But he’s right that getting some sleep is the best option. I get to my feet and head to the back of the plane where the bedroom is. I close the door, not bothering to lock it since no one but Lazaro would dare disturb me, kick off my shoes, and then head for the adjoining shower. It’s small, and the water is luke-warm at best, but it’s enough to get clean. After toweling off, I climb into the freshly made bed.

Sleep, however, doesn’t come right away. Instead, I lay in the darkened room, staring at the ceiling as my mind swirls. My father and I have been having many closed door discussions without my brothers about what will happen when he decides to step down. While I’ve been training for this for my entire life, and know that I’ll excel at it, I’m not ready. Because this role has always been my father’s. He took his own father’s legacy and grew our empire into what it is now, through sheer grit, smarts, and determination. From his efforts, we have become one of the most respected, and feared, families in all of Europe.

Some of those discussions have been about me marrying and producing the next heir. Most men in my position are married with two or three children already, so the pressure is mounting. Not to mention, there are families chomping at the bit to show off their daughters to my father and I, hoping to gain an alliance and all its benefits. My father will never force me, but I know what is expected, and I’ll do my duty when I have no other choice. I was prepared when Gia was offered and we decided to accept, but I’m honestly a bit relieved.

It’s not that Gia isn’t a lovely woman, or that we wouldn’t have been happy, but she’s too soft, too innocent for me. It wouldn’t be a problem in the long run, but seeing her with Nico, he’s much more the type of man she needs. So it’s back to the drawing board for me.

My thoughts stray to Sienna Harris. From what I’ve read, she’s the exact opposite of her sister in everything but looks. While she hasn’t been in the mafia life, the age old debate of nature versus nurture rears its head. Just because she hasn’t been around it doesn’t mean that she’s not as terrible as her father and brothers. A lot can lurk behind a mask. After all, I should know.

The file photo of her sitting at the coffee shop fills my mind again. She had her hair pulled back into a simple braid, a few loose strands moving around her face from what I can only assume was the wind. Her wide smile as she spoke to her friend is a mirror of Gia’s, but it’s the hazel of her eyes that pulled at me. In the photo, they’re wide and bright, free of any shadows. But everyone has secrets. I just need to figure out hers.

I should probably feel bad that I’m about to pull the rug out from under her feet and bring her into a world that her mother tried to save her from. Will she scream and cry? Fight and demand to be let go? Or will she accept her fate and work with us to keep herself and Gia safe from the clutches of anyone else that might want to use them for their own selfish gain? Time will tell.

I’ll be ready no matter what. No one I’ve wanted to catch has escaped me yet, and Sienna Harris will not be the first.

2

SIENNA

He’s been following me since yesterday, and while I should be panicking, I’m intrigued. Which is fucked up in the head, but then again, my parents have always said I’m a wild one who does the exact opposite of what she should. I should report him, or at least tell my best friend, but instead, I carry on as if nothing is different. If he finally approaches me, I’ll make a judgment call, but until then, I won’t borrow trouble.

I only know it’s a man because I caught a glimpse of him in the car that drove by and parked up the street. The windows are tinted, but it was rolled down when they parked, and I saw his reflection in the side mirror. Dark, handsome, and wearing sunglasses so I couldn’t make out his eyes.

Who is he? And what does he want from me?

I take a sip of my latte and tell myself there’s no point in worrying about it while I wait for Rori. We have a weekly coffee date, and I definitely need it this week. It’s been a stressful one, and there’s nothing better than sunshine and venting to your bestie.

I love California. I love the sun, the beaches, and the freedom to set my own schedule. I’m still far more rigid than people would think, but here I allow myself the luxury of stopping and enjoying doing things on my own schedule. My parents are currently back in London where the company headquarters is based, and I know they’re counting down the days until they can retire and I take over full time. I’m ready; I’ve been learning the business since I was old enough to understand what a computer was. I share my father’s artistic vision, but at the same time, I’m not in a rush. This is my father’s baby, and I want to make sure I’m ready to do it justice. We have some very high profile clients around the world, which means my life will get a hell of a lot busier once the reins are handed over.

It’s probably the reason my parents only wanted one child. Well, adopted one child. My parents have never hidden the fact I’m adopted; it never made them love me any less, or me them. I’ve had a damn good life. I wasn’t spoiled, despite my parents having money; instead, they taught me the value of hard work, and learning to take care of myself.

Sometimes I wonder about my birth family, but they never searched me out, so I took that as a sign that I was better off. As a teenager, I had a few moments of longing for a biological connection, but the feeling would disappear the moment my parents saw me and smiled. Family is who you make it.

Just like Rori is the sister I never had. Without her, I probably wouldn’t have survived college, or the graphic design course I took at my father’s insistence. She’s never been one to back down from a challenge, and even back then she attacked everything that came at her with absolutely everything. A vicious exam coming up? She studied like there was no tomorrow, and always passed with straight A’s. Boy problems? She’d dump them and never give them another thought. Her parents didn’t come to her graduation? Not one tear shed, and instead she strode across the stage with all the confidence in the world, grinning as everyone in our class cheered, and my parents joined in. She didn’t let anything get her down, and she’s still on top.

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