Until Her - Ami Van Page 0,30

her first real opportunity to get away from Isabella and Cristian, why not take it and give it a real shot? She’s endured life this far. The worst they can do now is murder her and that in itself might be freedom.

“Okay,” she repeats with new hope.

Hope. She hasn’t felt hope since that first time she’d lost…no…since she’d given her virginity up in an auction that she didn’t know about to pay a debt she had no part of taking.

Hope.

She knows it’s also a double-edged sword.

That hope grew just a little more throughout dinner. It’s no wonder the meal prep took hours and the portions in spades.

Kings are here. ALL of four of them. Five including Stella. Seven including Jasmine and baby Rian.

At first, it was more than intimidating. She relaxed only when Marcus showed up in freshly pressed linens. Once she saw how much at ease Marcus was in their presence, she’d relaxed just a little bit. Then the more she saw the interactions between the brothers and the children, the less she was on edge.

“They already told you what they wanted,” Marcus said to her when he pulled her aside earlier. “You can relax and enjoy dinner. One moment at a time. Remember?”

Marcus was right. Stella had told her point-blank what the Kings wanted from her. There’s no need to constantly be on guard with them. It’s just dinner.

But they are ALL such daunting men.

Even Rory King, the youngest brother and the one Stella claims is the most gentle, caring, and compassionate of the brothers. He’s tall, slimmer than the other brothers but still doubles her size easily. Though the Kings all have the same shade of grey eyes, Rory’s is full of…an unreachable loneliness. She can relate all too well to that feeling.

Then there’s Chase King. He’s not as mellow as Rory and shorter than the rest of the brothers but he’s just as wide and still taller than her by a good measure. In other words, he works out and the results show. His hair is a lighter shade of dark too. His eyes are…empty. Merciless yet not cruel. He uses his joking demeanor and humor to mask that emptiness well.

Derrick King. King of the Kings. Tall, dark, and wickedly handsome. She can’t quite figure out how he and Stella worked out. Someday, she hopes to learn about their back story because, for whatever reason, she knows it in her heart that there’s a great love story there. Even with his deep grey and soulless eyes, someone managed to reach inside of him and love him. She wasn’t sure if that love was returned when she’d watched them during dinner the first time she’d met everyone. But there’s no doubt in her mind now, watching them…seeing them blend with their son and their family. Derrick King is definitely in love with his wife.

The other King. Adam King. She’s quite aware of that particular King. He exudes power from his pores. He’s controlled and sly. Even more handsome than Derrick King. Where his twin has the soulless greys, Adam’s eyes are full of…everything. Everything that his brothers are. Merciless. Compassionate. Humorous. Dangerous.

It’s no wonder Isabella is so enamored by Adam King. Can she fault Isabella? No.

Adam sucks her into him like a vacuum. He commands her without a word and cages her without restraints. Even with the little bits of their interaction, she can feel it. She can feel it down to her soul. He captured her with that very first touch and he hasn’t let her go ever since. Whether he knows that or not, she isn’t going to question.

Still…she can always feel his presence. Throughout both that first dinner and this one. Without looking, she’s sure that his eyes are piercing into her very existence every time she interacted with Jasmine.

Jasmine King. What a wonderful and gorgeous soul. How is it possible for a crime family as big as the Kings to raise such an amazing young soul? Jasmine can light up a room when she walks into it. The little girl’s glow can brush away the dark clouds hovering over anyone with a gentle smile.

Baby Rian. She can tell, he’s the apple of everyone’s eyes. There’s no jealousy from Jasmine with the amount of doting Rian gets as well. There’s only love.

How is all of this possible within a mob family?

Why would she need to ask? She knows it’s possible. She’d witnessed it growing up.

Don Pietro Romano might have treated everyone else callously but