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“The wolves will come, and I’m not talking about the Albanians. We can’t allow our family to have a moment of weakness. Everyone will want blood.”
“Understood, Father.”
42
ALEX
Drifting between sleep and consciousness,I fought against the nightmares commanding control of my body. I tried so hard, telling myself it was time to wake up. But every time I rolled onto my side, my eyes struggled to open, and I fell deeper and deeper until I couldn’t climb out from the darkness.
A group of men circled me, dressed in black cloaks with hoods covering their faces. My heart pounded, beating so fast I couldn’t catch my breath. Someone moved behind me and shoved the black dress with gold trim off my shoulders, one strap at a time. The fabric fell to the floor around my ankles, baring my naked body.
All the men dropped to their knees, their heads lowered. None of them attempted a glance. The man behind me gathered the hair off my shoulder and moved it aside. His fingers brushed my hot skin, leaving a fire trail in his wake. He dipped his head down, his lips grazing my neck. I leaned against his chest, closing my eyes as the scent of sandalwood and the sea filled the air.
Luca.
He continued kissing my neck, eventually making his way to my earlobe. His breath ghosted my skin, sending a shiver down my spine. “Let them worship their queen.”
I turned my head and looked up at my handsome Devil. “Is that what you want?”
His hand traveled up my arm, searing every inch of my skin. I stared into his cold, blue irises that were so terrifying yet beautiful that I couldn’t pull away from him.
He cupped my chin with his strong hand. “I want whatever makes my queen happy. And the Knights, they want you. They’ve waited a long time for their queen. We must complete Legare before it’s too late.”
“But you said…” I licked my chapped lips. “I thought I had to marry you first.”
He shook his head. “I only need the promise of marriage.”
His hand snaked down my stomach, and I shivered from his touch. My nipples hardened. It was freezing in the Knights’ Temple, with the chill rolling through the stone walls. We were so far underground, I wasn’t sure how I’d gotten here, but I knew we were somewhere in Devil’s Creek.
My eyes swept over the room, lit by dozens of candles. The walls had symbols carved into them, and two throne-like chairs were set atop a dais at the room's front. There was an altar with a long black rug rolled in front of it. A gold symbol on the fabric looked like a shield, two knights’ helmets on each side, and swords crisscrossed beneath the shield. From this vantage point, it was hard to make out the details.
“You have to want this.” Luca held my chin and whispered, “What do you want, Drea? Will you join us? Will you become our queen?”
Before I could answer, my eyes snapped open. My eyelids were heavy and hurt like someone had glued them shut andpried them open. I rolled onto a soft surface, curled my arms around a pillow, and stretched my legs across a bed.
For a moment, I’d forgotten about everything.
My missing brother.
My forced captivity.
The attack at the Salvatore Estate.
The sound of the monitors.
Marcello’s heart stopped beating.
Tears coated my bottom lids, and as I hugged the pillow, my chest heaved from crying so hard.
“She’s awake,” a male voice boomed.
Someone appeared at my bedside.
“I’m here, baby,” Luca whispered.
I opened my eyes, forced to blink away the hazy image of my Devil. My head pounded so hard that I winced. After I blinked a few more times, Luca came into focus. He blew out a relieved breath.
Luca hovered over me, blood staining his suit jacket, his dark hair a mess from tugging at the ends. I hadn’t seen him look this bad in a long time. He was usually perfect and manicured, but nothing was out of place in his carefully constructed world.