CHAPTER ONE: WINTER
Ifasoulis lost and no one is around to watch it leave the body, is it really gone?
I don't know the answer, but I do know I’m not the same. Three months and it’s like I’m an entirely different person.
The Winter of three months ago still felt, no matter how little the feeling.
The Winter of three months ago hadn't killed anyone.
The Winter of three months ago hadn't met the Costa family.
I should have expected this to happen, should have expected my integrity, my morals, everything that made me me, to fade. And I should have expected for no one to care, other than myself.
Because the Costa family is aware of the damage that has been done. They were the ones to sit at my bedside after I'd been kidnapped. They were the ones to make it clear that it didn't matter that I'd almost lost my life. They still hold the contract over my disconnected soul, and it says I have nine more months of this torture.
I'm scared of the person I'll be once the nine months are up.
Death is a much better option.
I should have let Javier Ramos kill me instead of picking up the gun to shoot him. The roles should have been reversed.
He should be caught in the middle of a gang war while I let the escape of decay rot my flesh and bone to the melody of bugs withering in the ground.
But alas, if there's a god, he has a wicked sense of humor.
"Winter," Enzo's voice is close by and I turn to find him standing a couple of feet away, his brows pulled together as he watches me.
I look away from him, running my gaze over Delirium, my current place of employment. It's full of people drinking and enjoying themselves, as if the manager and another man weren't gunned down in the backroom only a week ago. If I was a dumb girl, I'd think these people didn't know about the violence. But the truth is, they just don’t care. I've witnessed multiple shootings in this club and each time, the customers come back with their pockets heavier than ever.
They're just as twisted as the family who owns this place.
"Winter," Enzo says again and I can hear the irritation in his voice.
Tonight is my first night back at the club after being allowed a few days to recover from being kidnapped by the Ramos Cartel. Being back in the club, waitressing, gives me mixed feelings. A part of me is happy to be out of the mansion that has been my home for the last couple of months. It means I have freedom to do something other than lay in bed and think about all the awful shit that has already happened, and what's still to come.
But being back in the club is also a sharp reminder that I now have a target on my back. Giovanni Costa told me himself, and while he's a lot of things, including a monster, he's not a liar.
If he says the Ramos Cartel is after me, then it's the truth.
I swallow deeply before turning my attention back to Enzo, the bodyguard I'll never be rid of. It doesn't matter how far away I get from Giovanni and his brother, they have a guard dog watching me at all times, one who is more than happy to report every little thing back to them.
Enzo's lips are pulled into a thin line and his bulky arms are crossed over his chest as he watches me. His dark suit folds over his body, tightly stretched over his thick muscles. His dark hair is short, and his brown eyes are blank as he continues to watch me.
"What?" I ask after a moment, my voice flat.
A muscle twitches in his jaw before he steps closer. His body heat crowds mine, yet I still feel cool as I stare up at him. His eyes roam over my face and for a moment, I think I see emotion in them. The look is gone far too quickly for me to decide if it was real or a figment of my fading imagination.
"Do I need to take you home?" he asks after a moment, keeping his voice low enough that none of the patrons sitting at the bar can hear.
My shoulders tense up and I quickly shake my head, taking a deep swallow. "No," I tell him without pause. "I want to stay here."
He peers at me, the skepticism on his rugged face clear. "I've caught you standing around staring into space multiple times now," he says slowly, as if to make sure I’m paying attention to him. I almost think I hear concern in his words. "If Giovanni finds out you're doing nothing on billable hours, he won't be happy."
And there's the threat.
I've started to get to know little things about the Costa Family, nothing deeper than a scrape of the surface, but just enough to be aware when they're in my presence. Something important I've learned about Enzo, he still has morals.
But he knows how to bury them quicker than a dog with a bone.