My darker urges demand I strip her soul bare, the way mine had been. To kiss her so thoroughly that she’d understand how much it took for me to be that… vulnerable. It didn’t matter that she melted beneath my lips; I needed to mark her.
Take her as mine.
Maybe then I’d get over this obsession.
Violet was silent beside me as we walked back to the cottage where her mother waited. I wanted to be by her side when she woke, but it had taken me longer than expected to get Greta out of the centre.
I had to deal with two separate men watching her, and then she’d fought me every step of the way, the crazy bitch. She’d only calmed once I swore I was taking her to Violet, and even then, she watched me like she expected me to sell her out.
Which was ironic, since she didn’t know I’d already done that… just not to her.
Hendrix hadn’t exactly been thrilled when I called in another favour, promising him it was the last time. He’d told me to fuck off, so I’d called his wife instead.
Their holiday home was this quaint little cottage in the middle of nowhere surrounded by trees. It was the perfect place to keep Violet safe, especially considering there was a river and boat nearby if things went sideways.
The door was already open when we broke through the treeline, Violet running ahead the moment she saw it. Hendrix leaned against the wall, tracking me as I approached.
“I see you’re still in one piece,” he muttered, and I flipped him off without missing a beat, only to receive a chuckle in response. “Elena’s upstairs. I’d appreciate it if you all kept it down.”
I nodded, knowing Elena didn’t deal well with confrontation. Or so many men in a tight space. Her past was just as twisted as mine, and I figured that’s why she always had a soft spot for me no matter what shit I pulled with Hen over the years. Guess it takes one fucked-up mind to recognise another.
“Mum?” Violet called, ignoring the others gathered in the living room.
Greta stiffened before letting out what could only be described as a banshee’s shriek, sprinting forward to wrap her arms around her daughter. “My flower!”
There were tears—a lot of them—and I did what any emotionally stunted man would do. I stepped back and awkwardly drifted toward Roman.
“You sure about this?” he muttered, ever the cynic. “You’ve already pissed off the Germans.”
“You say it like I’ve offended the entire country of Germany,” I said under my breath. “Stop being so dramatic. It’ll be fine.”
Probably. It wasn’t exactly like this was a particularly thought-out plan.
“Where is it?” Greta screeched, her fingers pushing against Violet’s hair to expose her throat. “Where is it?”
Shit.My thumb brushed the necklace in my pocket, tracing the flower engraved in gold.
“Mum, I—” Violet’s words were cut off, Greta’s palm landing against her cheek with an audible slap that had the room freezing. Everyone except for me, who closed the distance until Violet turned, eyes wide, pleading without a word for me not to intervene.
I stopped, caught somewhere between rage and restraint. My fingers dug into the necklace in my pocket until the metal bit deep, grounding me in the pain.
I forced myself to pull it out, to show her proof that I’d kept it.
Proof that maybe I wasn’t as heartless as she thought.
And that’s when Greta launched herself at me like a wild animal.
“Jesus Christ!” I threw it at her, and she practically snarled in response. I shot a look at Roman, who looked about two seconds away from putting a bullet in her skull if she started going all‘ my precious.’
“You can’t have her!” she screeched at me. “She’s mine.”
“Mum, it’s okay,” Violet reassured her, pulling her back towards the hearth. “He was just looking after it for me.”
Greta blinked down at her daughter, frowning as she reached for Violet’s hair. Her fingers dragged through the strands, as if grounding herself with the movement. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay?—”
“You were supposed to keep it safe.Iwas supposed to keepyousafe.” Greta’s gaze flicked to me, then to Roman, to Max standing guard behind us, and finally to Hendrix by the door. “And now the terrible people have found us.”
