Page 19 of Hearts Of Darkness

The next thing I know, bright sunshine is streaming in through the closed windows, and the bed is cold and empty again. I lift my aching head from the pillow and gaze in total despair at the locked door. I gave myself completely to him last night, and my situation has only worsened.

Before yesterday, he only held my body captive.

Now, he has a grip on something else as well.

8

DANTE

Iwatch her sleeping until the burnt umber hues of dawn begin to temper the darkness. Light steals into my room, and she barely stirs. I want to wake her and lose myself in her again, but there’s something about the way she sleeps that stops me. She curls up like a child, tucking her knees to her chest, with her arms and her dark hair fanning out across the white pillowcase. It portrays an innocence. A trust. Two qualities that I don’t deserve from her right now. Not after what I’ve already taken tonight.

I indulged and feasted until I was sore and sated, and still, I couldn’t get enough of her. I took and took and pushed her to her limits. I let the darkness inside me devour us both as I craved the oblivion she brought me. I gave her pleasure in return, many hours of it, but at what cost?

Fuck.

There goes my conscience again, flickering and false starting like an engine in the dead of winter.Shedoes this to me, and I don’t have the damndest clue as to why.

Sometime around five a.m., I rise from the bed and make my way downstairs. Walking past the rows of shelves in the library, I run my fingers along the edge of one, feeling for a button. A low mechanical hum sounds, and I step back to allow the concealed door to swing open.

Once inside my private sanctum, I pay no heed to the lines of discolored military medals on the wall, nor do I glance at the faded black and white photograph of a little girl. She was the perfect seed that planted the roots of so much hate in my life. I’m still biding my time as far as she’s concerned.

I’ll not forgive.

I’ll never forget.

Consumed by a sudden fit of rage, I rip the medals down and head for the closet next door to deposit my unwanted memories in a drawer.

Stripping off, I step into the shower and lift my head to the boiling water. Only then do I allow myself a moment to indulge in the past. That girl is the reason there are no pictures on my walls, no personal possessions of any kind on display in my house… No trace of the man I really am. My enemies found a weakness in me once. I’ll never give them the satisfaction again. These days, my true identity is as subtly concealed as this bunker, and that’s the way it was staying until an angel walked past me on a dirty, desolate street.

I’m playing with fire as far as she’s concerned. I know I can’t keep her. Her presence in my life will only cause problems. I made a pact with my brother fifteen years ago: No one getsclose to us.Ever.Besides, I’ve fucked her now so this whole situation should be done. The way I see it, I have two choices: kill her, or send her back to America. One problem. Neither of them are having any real sway over me right now.

I reach for a towel to dry myself, roughly slaking the water droplets from my skin. There must be another way, but I’m running out of time. Joseph’s dossier on her must be nearly done. He’s going to make the connections with the DEA agent, and then he’ll give me shit about it. If Emilio finds out, it’ll be worse.

My cell beeps. It’s Joseph.

Emilio on Line 1.

Speak of the fucking devil.

This should be interesting… I may have obliterated the Garcia Cartel, but I still haven’t given him an explanation for Miami yet.

The reason why my DEA target is still alive and breathing.

I tap out a reply as I step into the living area of my bunker. Dressing quickly, I can’t resist one final trip upstairs before heading to my office.

Eve is still asleep. The white bedsheet has slipped to her waist, exposing her breasts. I’m tempted to drop to my knees and wrap my lips around one of those pink buds, biting and teasing until it puckers and lengthens between my teeth. Instead, I rearrange the sheet across her shoulders and exit the room, resolving not to lay another finger on her until I have a plan.

I tell myself it’s for her own good, but I know I’m lying. If I get any closer, I’ll lose perspective. If I press my mouth to that body again, I run the risk of bringing us both down in a hail of bullets.

Joseph scowlsat me as I enter the office.What’s crawled up his ass and died?His moods are nowhere near as capricious as mine, but when he blows up, he’s a formidable adversary.

He’s standing by the phone system on my desk. It’s flashing a single, solitary red light.

“My brother, I presume?” I say, cocking one eyebrow at him.

He doesn’t react so I take my place in the chair by the desk and go to switch the holding call to speakerphone. He slaps his hand down on mine at the last second.

“We need to talk.”

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