His Stolen Princess - MINK Page 0,21
she hid beneath the bed, forced to watch yet remain silent as her mother’s blood stained the floor beside her.
With a fluid move, I lift her and the kitten into my arms, then turn and stalk past my men. Santino’s already drawn blood, and I trust he’ll get to the bottom of this lapse.
“I got so lost,” she says again. “The rows look the same. The hills look the same, and I couldn’t … I couldn’t find …” Her voice trails off.
“You’re in shock.” With sure strides, I carry her up the hill and out of the vineyard.
We pass through a grove of olive trees before entering through the stone gate along the south side of the house.
“I found the kitten, but I couldn’t find the way back.” Her eyes water as she looks up at me. “I’m lost, just like I’ve always been.”
“You aren’t lost, Apollonia. I have you.” I carry her into the kitchen, then straight up the stairs to her room.
By the time I reach her bed, tears are rolling down her cheeks.
“I lost my parents, then I lost Carter, but in between all that, I lost myself. I wanted to be someone else, to be free of my family’s legacy. But I can’t. I was lost when I ran from this place. Just like I’m lost right now.”
I yank the blanket from her bed and wrap it around her. The kitten jumps away and starts kneading a pillow and purring.
Dropping to my knees, I take Apollonia’s hand. “I swear you are not lost, little lioness. You are here with me, Cato Davinci. And you are strong. So much stronger than I ever thought possible. The day I pulled you from beneath that bed, I thought I’d found a beautiful, broken girl. One who would never recover from that night.”
She gasps. “You remember?”
“Every second of it,” I confess, finally freeing the truth. “I saved you that night. Not for you to become lost, but for you to find yourself. And you have.” I kiss her hand. “You are every bit of your mother’s kindness and every bit of your father’s ruthlessness. Fearsome and tender. Rash and calculated. You have proven it over and over from the moment I saw you at that funeral.”
I reach up and wipe her tears away. “You are not lost.”
She puts a shaking hand to my face, and I lean into her touch. “You saved me again.”
“I will always save you.” I cover her hand with mine.
“That man.” She swallows hard. “What was he doing out there?”
I don’t want to tell her too much, not when she’s still reeling from what just happened. But I owe her the truth. Carter would demand it. I shouldn’t give her any less.
“You know this life is dangerous.”
She nods, another tear falling that I catch.
“Carter knew it, too.” I rise and sit beside her, then bring her in close, making sure she’s warming beneath the blanket. “But his death wasn’t some sort of everyday violence. He was targeted.”
“What? Why?” She moves closer, seeking my warmth.
I lean back and strip off my shirt, then unwrap the blanket and press my body to hers. Body heat is the fastest way to warm her. Once the blanket is back around us, she melts into me.
“Tell me what happened. Please, Cato. I thought I didn’t want to know the details. But maybe I need to hear them.”
“You do.” Though it pains me to tell her, I recount his murder, the cowardly bullet in the back and the new player to blame.
She listens silently to every word. And when she looks up at me, her tears are gone. “What’s his name?” The violence in her tone sets my soul ablaze.
“Santino is close to ferreting it out. And when I know who and where he is, consider him dead.”
Her jaw clenches. “Why did he come after Carter?”
I stroke her cheek. Fuck she’s beautiful when she’s lethally angry.
“I suspect that when we discover his identity, the reason will fall into place. But there are old vendettas, and the Simonetti name carries a lot of dark history with it. If Carter was targeted--”
“Then I could be next.” She stiffens. “Or little Carter.” Her gaze turns to flint. “I will kill anyone who tries to hurt that little boy.”
There’s my lioness, stunning in her love and strong in her vengeance. “I know you would, lioness. But you won’t have to. I’m upping the security. No one will hurt either of you. I won’t allow it.” I