Ruthless Heart

Even if he’s walking towards us with murder in his eyes.

Nero comes to a stop twenty paces away and casually puts his hands in his pockets as he stares them both down. “You have your hands on my property.”

One of the guys snorts. “So what?”

Nero takes another step, so the man can see his face. And whatever emotion is written there, it’s enough to make even these two meatheads reconsider.

“Fuck it,” one mutters. “She’s not worth the trouble.”

They move away from me, but Nero stops the guy who was grabbing me. “I said, you touched what doesn’t belong to me.”

He gulps. “I’m sorry, man.”

“I’m sure you will be.”

He moves so fast, nobody sees it coming. With a swift twist and a snap of his arm, the guy is on the ground, crying out in pain. Nero lifts on foot and brings it down so hard on the guy’s hand, I hear the bones break.

What the hell? I gape at the sudden, ruthless violence, but Nero looks entirely unconcerned. “Now, fuck off,” he growls at the guy, who is nursing his shattered hand.

He’s still sobbing when his friend drags him up and away, out of sight around the corner.

I have to admit, a part of me is relieved to see them go. Then Nero shifts his attention to me. The cold look in his eyes makes me shudder, and I know that I’m not any safer because of his arrival.

Out of the frying pan… and into the burning pit of hell.

I try to collect myself. “How did you find me?” I ask, straightening up.

I have to know. It seems impossible that he came upon this scene by chance.

“You think I don’t know that you’re a flight risk?” Nero asks.

“Do you blame me?” I shoot back, my anger rising in the face of his disdain. “You haven’t exactly given me the warmest welcome.”

“So obviously, you try and go get yourself killed. Or worse.” He beckons, looking impatient. I shake my head stubbornly. His eyes narrow as he grabs my arm and yanks me towards the limo. “You should be thanking me, princess. You’re just lucky that I put that tracking device in your necklace. Because if I hadn’t come along when I did…”

He’s right, but his words still burn.

“Lucky?”I repeat, my voice rising with emotion.“Lucky is the last thing I am. You’ve destroyed my life, Nero Barretti. I wish I’d never even met you!”

My voice echoes in the dark night. He opens his mouth to respond, but I don’t wait for him to answer. I jab a finger in his face, fury hot in my veins.

“I’ll never forgive you for this. For dragging me back to the city. For taking me hostage. For threatening Teddy. You’re a monster, and I hate you! I hate you!”

In an instant, Nero backs me up against the car, his face just inches from mine. His body pressed hot and hard against me.

I gasp, suddenly overwhelmed by his presence, taut muscle crushing me against the hard metal. “You hate me, Princess?” he asks in a low, dangerous voice.

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. Not with the scent of him slipping through my system. Not with desire pulsing hard between my thighs.

But Nero can see through me. he always did.

His lips curl in a slow smirk. “It doesn’t feel that way to me.”

He’s kissing me before I even realize what’s happening, his mouth slamming hard against mine as he grips my jaw tightly in his hands. It’s cruel, dominant kiss, almost like a punishment, but even as my mind reels, my body knows exactly what to do.

Surrender…

I mold my lips to his, moaning as his tongue plunges inside, claiming my mouth. Heat crackles through me, fire in my veins as my body comes screaming to life under his cruel, demanding touch. God, it’s just as hot as I remember, and I’m flooded with feelings that should be long dead.