“Claudius… why do you still do this to me?” I whispered against the cool breeze that rustled through the willow trees. It lifted the ends of my hair, pushing the white blonde strands to the black velvet sleeves of my dress.
I looked ahead to the old bell tower on the top of the church and brought my hands up to my heart.
My heart was breaking again, and I really needed to move on.
* * *
Some things were best left alone. Forever.
She was one of them.
As she looked ahead to where I was, we could have been staring right at each other.
I hoped she hated me. It would be easier.
I’d put her in danger once before, and it nearly cost her, her life.
It was better this way.
She’d be safer.
Better to hate me and live than for her to love me and die.
I was a selfish man, but I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
Not with her.
Once was enough.
Chapter 1
Claudius
* * *
Seven Years ago…
“Greedy, foolish mobster. You’ll get yours,” Goliath taunted with a cynical sardonic laugh that actually made my skin crawl.
Not many things could get to me. Not many things could instill the fucking fear of God in me, but this guy…
He did it. He reached a place inside me that I never knew existed, and I hated that. Same as I hated the macramé of knots that had tangled through my nerves and the fibers of my soul.
“Where is my wife!” I screamed. “Where is Marissa?”
All he did was laugh. Of course, he would. The man was insane.
Insane and ruthless. Ruthless and heartless. I didn’t know how I’d gotten myself mixed up in this shit with him.
“The thing is, Claudius, I am going to tell you where she is. We’re going to play a game.”
“Don’t be a fucking prick. Give her back to me.” My heart squeezed at the thought of what he must have done to her.
And…I didn’t know how he’d gotten to her in the first place.
When shit went down yesterday and the deal fell through, I’d taken Marissa to the safe house. A place that only me and a few people knew about. A place that only me and The Four, my men, knew I was taking her to.
When I saw she was gone, I didn’t have time to think that I had a rat in my circle. The worst kind because I trusted those guys with my life and couldn’t’ think of what reason on earth they could have to double-cross me in the way they had.
