Page 20 of His Stolen Princess

Cato

His warm blood spills over my hand as I finish him.

Apollonia looks at me with a mix of amazement and fear, though it’s hard to see much in the dark.

“The fuck?” Santino runs up behind me, then I hear the pounding of several pairs of feet. My soldiers. When I’d found Carter upset that Apollonia hadn’t returned with the kitten, something inside me went cold. My instincts told me something was wrong, and they were dead on.

I stand and kick the bastard in the side. “An assassin.” I yank his shirt up and wipe my hands, leaving his filth where it belongs.

Santino drops onto his haunches and pats the man’s pockets. “Not a fucking thing.” He stands and whirls on my men. “Where the fuck were you? Who was on watch? And why is there a killer on Davinci grounds?” he barks. His vengeance will be just as swift as mine. And I have far bigger issues than discipline right now.

“Little lioness.” I go to Apollonia and pull her close.

The kitten meows between us, so I let up a little, but I don’t free Apollonia from my embrace.

“You’re shaking.” I rub her back.

“It’s cold. I got lost. And then I heard something.” Her voice trembles.

I’m drawn back to that ghastly day when her parents were murdered right in front of her as she hid beneath the bed, forced to watch yet remain silent as her mother’s blood stained the floor beside her.

With a fluid move, I lift her and the kitten into my arms, then turn and stalk past my men. Santino’s already drawn blood, and I trust he’ll get to the bottom of this lapse.

“I got so lost,” she says again. “The rows look the same. The hills look the same, and I couldn’t … I couldn’t find …” Her voice trails off.

“You’re in shock.” With sure strides, I carry her up the hill and out of the vineyard.

We pass through a grove of olive trees before entering through the stone gate along the south side of the house.

“I found the kitten, but I couldn’t find the way back.” Her eyes water as she looks up at me. “I’m lost, just like I’ve always been.”

“You aren’t lost, Apollonia. I have you.” I carry her into the kitchen, then straight up the stairs to her room.

By the time I reach her bed, tears are rolling down her cheeks.

“I lost my parents, then I lost Carter, but in between all that, I lost myself. I wanted to be someone else, to be free of my family’s legacy. But I can’t. I was lost when I ran from this place. Just like I’m lost right now.”

I yank the blanket from her bed and wrap it around her. The kitten jumps away and starts kneading a pillow and purring.

Dropping to my knees, I take Apollonia’s hand. “I swear you are not lost, little lioness. You are here with me, Cato Davinci. And you are strong. So much stronger than I ever thought possible. The day I pulled you from beneath that bed, I thought I’d found a beautiful, broken girl. One who would never recover from that night.”

She gasps. “You remember?”

“Every second of it,” I confess, finally freeing the truth. “I saved you that night. Not for you to become lost, but for you to find yourself. And you have.” I kiss her hand. “You are every bit of your mother’s kindness and every bit of your father’s ruthlessness. Fearsome and tender. Rash and calculated. You have proven it over and over from the moment I saw you at that funeral.”

I reach up and wipe her tears away. “You are not lost.”

She puts a shaking hand to my face, and I lean into her touch. “You saved me again.”

“I will always save you.” I cover her hand with mine.

“That man.” She swallows hard. “What was he doing out there?”

I don’t want to tell her too much, not when she’s still reeling from what just happened. But I owe her the truth. Carter would demand it. I shouldn’t give her any less.

“You know this life is dangerous.”

She nods, another tear falling that I catch.

---