Page 14 of Deadly Intentions

“Why not? I’m here to fix your problem.”

“Because he’s a cop. I don’t think lying to him is the best way to start a relationship.” I dropped onto the bed and sighed. “It was doomed before tonight anyway. He doesn’t know who I am. No one here does.”

Donny moved in front of me, the towel tucked tightly around his hips. “Is that the only reason?”

My eyes tracked his nearly naked body as I scanned the expanse of his defined chest and landed on his eyes. It wasn’t the only reason, but if I told him why I couldn’t be with someone else, he would never leave.

“Did you stop loving me, Catarina? Is that it?”

His words struck my heart hard, causing me to inhale sharply. “Loving you is exactly why I ran. The life you live—the life my family lives—isn’t what I want.”

“You’re an Anastasi. It’s not something you can run from, Cuore Mio.” Donny grabbed his boxers and pants, tugging them over his hips.

My head fell with his words. He was right, and no matter how hard I tried to separate myself from who I was, I couldn’t. The blood-stained hardwoods were proof of that. Not only that, but the very man I had tried to eradicate from my system was the first person I called. What did that say about me? I looked up to find his eyes boring into me.

“I didn’t mean for this to happen.” The tears began to fall again.

“I know. But even the purest of intentions can become deadly. Wait here. I’m going to make a few calls and try to clean up the mess.”

My eyes trailed his naked back as he left the room. It was then I noticed the time. How I wasn’t dead on my feet was a miracle. It was almost three in the morning, and I had no desire to sleep. It was a good thing I didn’t have to work until tomorrow night—I wasn’t sure I would’ve made it if I’d had a morning shift. I tugged my hair into a ponytail and headed into the living room. Donny was on his phone with his back to me. Like a moth to a flame, I moved behind him and pressed my palm to the muscles flexing as he talked.

He turned, his eyes searching me for something. I glanced away, confused at my reaction to the man I had run from, which was a mistake. They landed on the reminder of why Donny was here. My breath hitched and my vision blurred. Strong hands wrapped around me and lifted me from the floor.

“I told you wait.” Donny moved down the hall and laid me on the bed. “Some guys will be here in a few hours to dispose of his body. Until then, we’ll stay in here.”

Donny pulled back the covers and shifted me beneath them. He wordlessly moved around to the opposite side and slipped in beside me—but not before stripping his pants off. My eyes zeroed in on the fitted boxers he wore, sending a jolt of need through me. Guilt ransacked me, knowing that not even six hours earlier I was with another man.

“Stop thinking, Cat. I’m here and I’m not leaving.”

He wrapped his arm around me and tugged me against his chest. Like I was meant for him, my body fit perfectly in the curve of his form. His fingers brushed against my hip, trailing a blaze of fire in their wake. I closed my eyes, giving in to the feeling of being safe wrapped in him. Tomorrow reality would crash down on me as my calm blissful life imploded. I still had to face the fact a man had tried to kill me, and that it wasn’t likely to be the last attempt.

It wasn’t long before my eyes grew heavy, and I gave into the sensation of Donny’s warmth. Sleep claimed me, sucking me into the dark expanse of the faceless man that laid on my kitchen floor. Every time I wanted to scream out, Donny’s voice filled my visions. Constantly calling me back, anchoring me to the present.

nine

DONNY

I slipped outof the bed once I was certain her nightmares had stopped. She’d run from one darkness, only to land in another. Only this time, I wasn’t sure what evil was hunting her. She had no idea the danger was gone in Vegas. Vincenzo and Matias Silva had found Ivanov in Chile and delved out a decent amount of revenge on him. He was the reason her life had been in upheaval. Hell, it’d been the reason the entire family had been in turmoil. But she ran, leaving no trace or way to find her.

Untilnow.

I couldn’t say I hadn’t tried to find her. Massimo had given me his blessing to leave Vegas—he knew how I felt about her. He’d always known. We were best friends, and nothing got past him. When he assigned me to protect her, I knew my battle to stay away from her would be lost. The moment my lips touched hers all those months ago, I knew she would be mine.

A few of the guys came without asking questions. I informed them not to breathe a word to Massimo about why they’d come. It was my job to tell him I’d found her—and I would as soon as I knew what the hell, she’d gotten herself into. Most of the morning was spent searching the internet for this man she’d called Javier Costa. When I couldn’t get what I needed, I reached out to Alec. He was our go-to guy for digging up information on someone. And like the goons who’d disposed of the piece of shit’s body, he would keep my location a secret.

My eyes shifted to the sound of feet padding across the floor, to find Catarina standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Her eyes were glued to the hardwood floor.

“It’s cleaned up. There is no trace of the monster Javier sent here.” I held her gaze.

“Ok.” She moved to the table and sat down. “When will you be leaving?”

I scoffed. “Leaving?”

“Yes. I am trying to make a life here, Donny. A life that isn’t that of an Anastasi.”

My body moved of its own accord, and I knelt before her. “I told you last night. I’m not leaving you. If that means I stay here in this Podunk town, then so be it. A man tried to kill you, Cat. I won’t leave you unprotected.”

She held her tongue, mulling over my words. “I have to work tonight.”

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