Page 142 of Hidden Memories

Ava still scans her screen. “Now the FBI’s going to dismantle what’s left of the ’Ndrangheta’s operations in the US and beyond. It’ll take time, but with Nic’s cooperation, they’re making fast progress.”

Do I simply carry on like normal? Can I?

“So what do I do now?” I wish I didn’t sound so lost.

Ava pauses, her fingers still on the keyboard. Her gaze meets mine and it’s full of empathy, full of the same complicated bittersweet feeling I have right now.

Santi told me her story. Ava was once a prisoner, held captive for nearly fifteen years.

“You need to move forward, Kat.” Her eyes glisten but she offers me a smile full of both heartache and happiness. “You’re free.”

She blinks quickly, chasing away her emotion, and Enzo pulls her into his chest and kisses her hair.

Free.My whole life, freedom was always just out ofreach, obscured by the expectations and decisions of others. First, my father, whose guidance came wrapped in a suffocating grip disguised as love. Every choice, every path, was his to dictate. Then Nic, whose control wasn’t disguised at all—his chains were visible, unrelenting, and designed to make me forget I ever had a choice to begin with.

I gaze at the love of my life; his fierce brown eyes are full of hope. My heart is full of it, too.

This is what freedom looks like. It’s the quiet strength to decide—on my terms—what comes next. To be my own damn self for the first time in my life.

Santi wraps his arms around me, pressing a firm, warm kiss to my forehead. “Are you okay?”

I let out a breath, the corner of my mouth lifting in a smile. “Yeah.” Iamokay. The truth of it settles in my chest. “Let’s get the boys and go for a ride.”

Freedom means nothing alone. It’s meant to be shared, to be held tight between people who make it matter. And I know exactly who that is. Santi, Theo, Owen—my family.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

PRESENT

Three weeksafter the final takedown of the ’Ndrangheta’s US cells, life has finally settled into something resembling normal. The air is lighter. The nights are quieter. And for the first time in forever, Kat and I have a damn moment to ourselves.

And I’m using every second of it.

Kat sits naked on my bathroom counter, legs spread nice and wide, her body rocking into mine, her nails raking deliciously down my arms. I guide her hips—slow, deep, I sink into her right tothe hilt.

Her pulse is a drum on my lips. I bite down, biting until I know she’ll be cursing me tomorrow morning when she sees the mark. But right now? She’s begging for more.

“Damn,” she groans, her head tipping back, exposing the delicate line of her throat.

I tighten my fingers on her ass, holding her exactly where I want her. I drive up into her, deeper, harder. I run my tongue over the bite mark. “You taste like Heaven, baby…”

“Heaven?” She rolls her hips, teasing. “You sure you’re in the right place, cowboy?”

I flip her onto her back, trapping her wrists with one hand, skimming the other down her thigh, forcing it higher around my waist. “If this is Hell, I’ll happily burn.”

Kat gasps when I sink back into her, her legs locking around me, her moans breathless and needy. I drive her higher, her pussy clenches around me, I’m seconds from losing it myself. I brace one arm beside her head, slipping my other hand between us, circling her clit until she’s trembling beneath me.

“Santi,” she begs, her legs tightening, dragging me back in.

And I give it to her—hard, deep, claiming her in a way that leaves no doubt.

My pace quickens, relentless as I chase my release. I growl her name when I spill into her, claiming every last inch.

We collapse in a mess of tangled limbs and damp sheets, our breathing ragged. Kat hums, stretching like a satisfied cat, her bare thigh sliding along my hip.

She flops the back of her hand over her forehead as if exhausted. “Not bad. Not bad at all.”

I chuckle, biting back the urge to flip herover and take her from behind. Instead, I let my fingers trace slow, lazy circles on her thigh. “Not bad? Woman, I just spent an hour worshiping you.”

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