Page 58 of His Deadly Devotion

That thought makes me laugh. I’m already helpless. I can’t do shit with these chains around my wrists. I can’t even move my legs. I’ve been waiting for the feeling to return to my lower body, but I’ve been numb since I woke up.

What the hell are they giving me?

“No. Wait.” My voice sounds distorted, like it’s underwater.

“We should just kill her,” a female voice breaks through my drowsiness.

“Not until he gets here,” Mr. O’Malley replies.

“You’re giving them a chance to find her,” she says.

“They’re not going to find her. We’re in our country now.”

I blink my eyes. I try my hardest to fight off the drugs.

You’re underestimating him,I think to myself. If they get Connor here, we are walking out together. I don’t care what theydo to me. Nothing is going to break his love for me. Nothing will stop him from fighting for us.

My fingers feel for the straw ring. It’s still there. Comfort rolls through me. I can’t wait to see what he does to the assholes dumb enough to kidnap me. But then I realize those assholes are his parents.

He can’t kill his parents for me. I can’t let him do that.

27

My father’s note is nothing more than a crumpled piece of paper in my hand. I’ve read it over and over. More times than I can count. A few days ago, I wasn’t certain if I could do it. If I could be the one to send my father to hell. Now, there’s no doubt. There will be no hesitation when the time comes. I will smile when he takes his last breath.

I’ve tried not to think about what she’s going through, what they’re doing to her. I’m hoping they haven’t changed their tactics. That they’ll be waiting for me to show up before they do anything to her. My father will want me to see it. It’s his way of punishing me for betraying him, for turning on the family.

She will be okay. Aurora is the toughest person I know. There is no way in hell they’re going to break her.

I look down at the scrunched-up paper again and straighten it out. My father’s scrawl taunting me with every second that passes, every second that separates us.

You want to see her alive again? You know where to find us. Come alone.

He didn’t sign it, not that I needed him to. I’d recognize his writing anywhere.

It took me an entire night and day to get off that fucking island. I had to sail the yacht back to Sydney. From there, I managed to charter a private jet. We’re now only hours from Dublin. I have no doubt that the entire Valentino family tree is out looking for her. They won’t find her. There aren’t many people who know how to find my father’s house of horrors.

The Valentinos are a big organization, with a lot of reach. But in Ireland, the O’Malleys rule over everything. My father being at the top of that food chain. I used an alias to fly in. I know both of our families will be watching the flight logs, and I wasn’t chancing Aurora’s family getting messed up in this. She’d never forgive meor herselfif something happened to one of them because they were trying to save her.

Could I use more help? More manpower? Sure, but if my father thinks I’m going to roll over and play dead like a defeated puppy, then he’s underestimating me. He’s also underestimatingthe loyalty I’ve been building up in his organization. I might be turning up alone, but I’m far from a one-man army.

As soon as I got to Sydney, I called Patty, who took the next available flight to Dublin. My father trusts my best friend. He’ll let him in, and I’m hoping Patty’s got eyes on Aurora by now. I’m hoping he can give her some kind of comfort, ignite her willingness to hold on. To wait for me.

I don’t care how many I have to kill or maim or torture. I will get her out of that fucking house. I know what my father’s planning. It’s the same shit every damn time. He doesn’t have an original idea in his fucking head. He’s going to wait until I’m there, then he’s going to force me to watch him break her. He’s not going to be able to breakus, though. Aurora’s my wife, and I can’t fucking wait to see his face when I choose her over him.

I haven’t heard from Patty since I sent him to Dublin. I didn’t expect to. I know he’ll help in any way he can. I just hope it’s enough.

My hands clench, and I check the time again. Two hours. Fucking hell, two more hours before we touch down, before I’m closer to her. And all I can do is sit here and simmer in my rage.

I’ve pictured how I’m going to kill him, at least thirty different ways by now. I’ve even pictured my mother’s face when she watches me take the only thing in this world that she cares about. Power. She doesn’t love my father. She loves the power she gets from being his wife. That all goes away the minute the old fuck’s heart stops beating.

I swear if he’s touched her, if anyone has fucking touched Aurora, I’m going to tear their fingers from their hands before I shove them up their asses. I’m going to cut their hearts out of their chests and deliver them to her on a silver platter.

I can see the bloody mess in my mind as clear as a Kodak picture. My father’s end isn’t just his ending. It’s also mybeginning. I won’t be his heir once I take his place on the so-called throne. Something I’ve never wanted. I’ll be his successor.

I don’t see any other way out of this, though. He has to die. My father won’t stop until Aurora is dead and I’m either buried alongside her or on a leash behind him.

“We are an hour and a half out, sir.” The air hostess, who has been trying and failing to gain my attention for the last fifteen hours, bats her fake lashes at me.