Page 1 of The Lieutenant

CHAPTER 1

Kara

“Kara. Don’t you dare leave!” Havros’ voice boomed in the hallway. I could swear I felt the floor beneath my feet vibrating. “You don’t seem to remember that you belong to me.”

“Fuck you!” I yelled, yet didn’t waste a single second looking back to see if he was following me.

Of course he was.

He would never let me go. I was his. His possession. Hiskitten.

God! It was a term I’d come to loathe.

Even though I tingled all over from hearing his deep voice. Just like always. I’d tried so hard to escape, but the draw was too significant. I hadn’t been able to eat or sleep for weeks, thoughts of him consuming every moment.

I flew down the stairs, holding the metal rail with a death grip. I’d stolen the keys to his precious Ferrari. Why? Because I had no car, no method of escape without borrowing his sweet ride.

He roared like some animal from the top of the stairs. The sound reverberated in my ears, nearly tossing me into a panic attack. But I had to keep going. I had to get the hell away from him. If I didn’t manage to do so now, I’d never be able to.

Self-loathing festered inside as I continued bolting down the stairs, swinging around the turns, only once daring to look up the stairwell. He was there. I could feel his presence, the white-hot burn of electricity prickling my skin as it always did when he was around. I pounded my bare feet on the concrete stairs, my mind foggy as I tried to figure out where to go.

How could I get out of the country? I’d been stupid enough not to grab my passport and ID. I’d get nowhere. Someone had to help me.

“Ka-ra!” he bellowed. I’d never seen him this way. I’d never felt such obsession as I had the night before.

When he’d saved my life.

But I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t spend the rest of my life this way. I loved him. I hated him. I craved him.

How could this have happened? How could I have been so stupid to allow myself to fall so hard for a monster? He’d almost died. He’d almost been murdered because of who and what he was.

A notorious criminal.

A murderer.

I finally made it to the garage entrance, slamming both hands against the door and racing into the brightly lit space. Where had he parked? Oh, God. I hadn’t been paying attention, panic was still hovering over me in a dense, angry fog. Where? Where?

I spun in a circle, but knew I was running out of time. “Think. Think.” I took off running when I noticed the color red further down. That had to be his vehicle. It just had to be. With the keys in my hand, I pressed the key fob, my fingers trembling.

The slight blip with lights flashing drew my attention to the other side of the garage. I’d gone the wrong way.

A surge of energy swept through me, the rush of adrenaline from the chase pushing me forward.

Another sound.

A savage crash of the metal door as it was pitched against the wall.

Then footsteps.

I crouched down, taking several ragged breaths before peeking around the back of an SUV. There he was. All six foot three of him. Even in his moment of rage, he was still so handsome. The man reeked of power and sensuality.

The sudden quiet was almost as terrifying as his bouts of fury. I kept low, moving from vehicle to vehicle, listening for any change in direction.

When I heard nothing, not a footstep or an angry shout, I pressed my back against hard, cold metal. I was beginning to believe there was no way out of this.

“My sweet, preciousgatáki. Come to me.”

His demeanor had completely changed. He was calm, so much so I almost moved into the open.

---