Page 6 of Cruelest Vow

There were no trip alarms inside other than those secured to the windows. Still, I took careful steps as I headed down the hallway to her bedroom. The door was partially open, the hinges silent as I pushed it with my index finger. I’d planned everything carefully, ensuring nothing would hinder my ability to learn everything about her.

The sight of her only inches away forced my cock at full attention. The stream of moonlight trickling in through the partially open blinds highlighted her voluptuous body covered only by a thin sheet. I took a deep breath, the scent of her perfume igniting a fire from deep within. I closed my eyes briefly, hearing Franco’s words in the back of my mind.

It would be a shame to destroy a creature of such beauty.

I moved closer, sensing she was fast asleep given her even breathing. As I stood over her breathtaking form, I had a sense of power entirely different than I usually felt. While I could end her life with ease, the raw need that had been building for some time prevented me from destroying the woman who’d haunted my nightmares.

It was as if her blood raced through my veins, her heart beating in time with mine. As if I needed the air she breathed to continue living. And in those few previous moments, the need to make her mine developed, desire searing every nerve ending.

Images ebbed and flowed, the ache increasing.

Her face. Her smile.

Her pout.

Jesus Christ.

My chest rising and falling, I used a single finger to lower the sheet, exposing her naked form. I wasn’t the kind of man easily drawn to a creature of such beauty, but as I basked in her hourglass figure, her dark curls splayed out across her soft pillow, my hunger nearly exploded. Unable to resist, I trailed the tip of my finger down her spine, even more aroused when she murmured in her sleep.

Every sound she made, every rounded curve of her body dragged me into a swirling abyss, one that would eventually pull me into a quicksand of darkness completely. But I no longer cared. The pain I’d endured, the brutality that had left me a scarred man had been worth being driven to this moment.

Seeing her brought shimmers of light capable of breaking through the darkness.

As I brought my finger to my lips, sliding the tip inside, my body began to shake. I eased the knife from my pocket, flicking it open. The slender stream of moonlight shimmered against the hard steel as I traced the same line down her body with the tip. It would be so easy to take what I wanted at this exact moment, putting the fear of God into her.

When she moved, I pulled my hand away, holding my breath as she rolled over. She murmured in her sleep again, shifting the sheet even more, exposing her rounded breasts, nipples the color of pink rosebuds in the spring. My mouth watered, my cock fully engorged.

Her eyelids fluttered open, the long lashes skimming across her shimmering cheeks. A single moan slipped past her pursed lips. Then she muttered another word, one that had such a profound effect I was unable to move.

“D’Artagnan.”

Pent-up fury and frustration fractured a portion of my mind, stripping away at what was left of my humanity. No, this would be done my way. Mine. Mine! No one would take her from me.

Living under Franco’s brutal rule had taught me about the necessity for viciousness. It had also prepared me for war as well as leadership. Who was I to question why I’d been given a nod from the powerful man. Yet the savage bastard had underestimated me. Soon he would learn that while I wasn’t blood, what trickled through my veins was more vital. My brutal decision would be the breath of fresh air needed to condemn the other syndicates. Would there be a bloodbath? Without a doubt, but I was more than ready for the task.

Yes, the DeLuca Empire would belong to me, but I wouldn’t rule it alone.

One day my lovely Lucia would be by my side.

But first, she would pay a price for her treachery.

Then I’d make her mine.

Lucia Lazarro was already bound to me for life.

My captive.

My queen.

CHAPTER3

Fifteen years before

Lucia

Stars filled the sky, the half-moon providing just enough light to keep me from tripping. As I climbed through the window, I listened for any sounds that I’d been noticed. If my brother discovered me breaking the rules, he’d notify my father, savoring his small win as he watched me being punished.

After counting to ten, I dropped to the ground, trying to keep from making even a single sound. I was forbidden to be out at night, locked down to keep evil creatures away. The only monsters in my life were thriving inside my home.

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