POV: KATHERINA
“You knew this was coming, Katherina.” Rick tried to console me, but I couldn’t stop the tears.
I felt Rick’s hand on my thigh, and I quickly snapped my head toward him. His eyes are soft and caring.
“I know how you’re feeling, sweety” His voice was so tender. “I’m so sorry that this is happening to you.’
“Even you’re going, right?” my voice was a mere whisper.
He removed his hand from my thigh and gripped the steering wheel.
“Trust me, if I could do anything, anything to stop this, I’d gladly do it.” He grunted.
“I don’t blame you.”
“Well, you should. You should blame all of us!”
I leaned on the windowsill and wiped my tears away. A number of thoughts were running through my mind, but none of them were going to provide me with a solution. This time, there was no way out.
When the car stopped at the hotel, I got out quietly.
“Katherina,” came Rick’s voice.
I turned around to look at him.
“I lost my family too, because of Luca’s father. But not once have Leo and I blamed Luca. I know it’s too much to ask but…but please don’t push him away. He won’t be able to bear it.”
I said nothing but shut the door and went inside.
Sabastine stared blankly at my tear-stained face. I looked away from him and took the elevator to reach my room.
Once I locked the door, my knees gave out, and I slumped down on the floor, leaning my head to the door as I cried my heart out.
My parents are not rich, but they always provided Arabella and me with everything we needed.
There are many broken families with kids yearning for their parents’ love and affection. Even with their family under one roof, the parents live in a different world of money and status.
My family remained together, not just out of the matrimonial and blood bonds we shared with one another, but out of love and compassion. They never gave us anything less than we deserved.
Even though I was the only child for a very long time, after Arabella came into our lives, our family became whole. If it weren’t for my family, I don’t know what I would do.
If not for my parents, I wouldn’t even exist. Luca wasn’t there when I took my first step. My dad was. Luca wasn’t there to feed me every day. My mom was.
Luca wasn’t there to calm me down when I used to cry. My dad was. They would do anything just to see a smile on my face.
I’d be a fool to give up on them for someone who crashed into my life like a meteor.
I can’t turn back, and I can’t stop this either. I can’t wake up every day to look at a murderer who killed my family.
I got up from the floor and walked toward the balcony. Opening the doors, I stepped out into the cool night. I was on the tenth floor and looking down at the parking lot. I released a deep sigh.
Taking one of the stools, I placed it near the edge and climbed. I heard the doorbell ring. I ignored and turned to face forward.
The railing is made of stone, and the surface is one foot wide—wide enough to stand on top of it. My legs were trembling, and my stomach was churning badly as the sweat glided down my temple.
I slowly climbed up, ignoring the doorbell and furious knocks on the main door. Maybe they saw me through the CCTV footage.
I didn’t want to think of anything but the thoughts wouldn’t stop as they played in front of me like a movie. I cried pathetically, feeling like a failure, a coward as I moved toward the edge.
“Katherina!”
I looked over my shoulder to see a terrified Rickard and Edward.
“Edward, no! Don’t come any closer!” I snapped quickly when I saw Edward stepping forward.
I took a step back and turned around to face them.
“Katherina, what are you doing?” Rick’s eyes were brimming with tears.
I choked on my sobs, shaking my head.
“I don’t know, Rick. I just… don’t know.”
“Just be calm, please. We can work through this. Please don’t make this decision, Katherina,” Edward begged, panicking at the situation.
“I’m sorry, Edward,” I wiped away my tears, “I can’t do this to my parents. I love them very much, but I also love Luca.
“I can’t witness the day he takes their lives. I just can’t. I can’t make a choice between my family and him.”
“I know. I know, baby girl, and you don’t need to make a choice. Please just take my hand.” Rick came forward, stretching his arm toward me. I stared at his hand and looked at him.
“I’m sorry.”
I turned around and let my body fall.
My eyes were shut, but strong arms gripped my waist, and I let out a scream when I looked down, hanging in the air.
Another pair of hands gripped my arm, and I was pulled back as I kept thrashing in their arms.
“No, no, please!” I screamed and cried as Edward and Rickard pulled me off the railing, and all the three of us fell to the floor, panting heavily.
“Stop fighting, Katherina. You won’t win,” said Edward as they kept carrying me inside.
I sobbed silently as Rickard picked me up and held me to his body. He kept apologizing and consoling me as I cried in his arms.
Holding me steadily, he got up from the floor and went in, placing me on the couch.
Edward gave me a glass of water, and I took it. When I finally stopped crying, I wiped my tears and drank the water.
Edward took the glass and kneeled in front of me. He took my hands in his, staring at them intently.
“Didn’t you think about Luca for one moment? Or about us?” Edward’s voice was trembling.
“Didn’t you think of me and my family?” I asked coldly, and his eyes snapped at me. “Why should I think about you and Luca? Why should I forgive him and you all for everything you’ll do?”
Edward leaned closer and pressed my hands to his forehead. “You don’t need to forgive us.”
When I didn’t reply, he looked back at me with glassy eyes.
“Suicide is not the solution for any problem. Don’t ever think about it again, Kat. You’re not a coward.” His voice was soft with an underlying threat.
“Step into my shoes, Ed. You’ll know how hard it is” My voice was a mere whisper.
He got up on his feet.
“Trust me; we don’t need to be in your shoes to know how it feels.”
I averted my eyes from him and clutched my head, already feeling the pain and the loss of what tomorrow brings.
“Luca hates to do this to you, Katherina,” Rick said.
“You guys should’ve left by now,” I said instead. “Why are you here?”
“He knows your worry, and he doesn’t want you to end up as an orphan like him,” He continued.
“You guys should leave now.”
“We decided to take you along with us.” Rick’s words cut me to the core.
“Why?” I asked.
“We don’t know. I think you coming there might change…things,” was all Edward said.
“No, I can’t do this!” I said immediately.
“Katherina, Karen, and the sheriff are the main target for now, and you don’t know everything that has happened. Christopher hid a lot of things from you, and so did Luca.
“You and your family were pulled into this situation for a different reason, but you’ll be fighting a different battle. Come with us and learn the truth before things go down.
“I’m pretty sure things will be different to you once you know the truth,” Rickard explained.
“I don’t have a choice, now do I?” I stood up.
“Well, what are we waiting for?”
***
POV: LUCA
I should’ve known that she’d be the death of me the moment I laid her eyes on her in my club. A simple obsession turned into a fierce and unbreakable bond.
Before I could realize the effect she had on me, it was too late.
Amidst the chaos and cruelty I live in, she walked in like a storm, eradicating everything in its way and clearing space for a new life to start.
I gave up on my life the moment Accardi took me in and started to invest my whole existence in serving him. Taking a life is hard, especially when you still have a pure conscience.
I cried and had nightmares for a year when I first started to work for Accardi, but eventually, I started to feed my demons and killed my conscience, and soon I felt nothing but numbness.
It was better than the nightmares that haunted me, and it was better than moving on from my mother’s death.
I became a living corpse with flesh and bones and a fucking machine gun with ammo that never ran out. People feared me for who I was. Like a selfish bastard, I fed on their fears.
I got everything I asked for; women, drugs, luxury, amenities, money, and most importantly, power. I lived the life of a king, though I had no peace and happiness.
I waited for my death to open the door and drag me down, but it knocked several times and went away.
Once a criminal, always a criminal. I knew way before Katherina said it that I have no chance of redemption, and a man like me doesn’t deserve peace. But when I heard it from her, it hurt me.
Through this span of almost five months of having her in my life, I’ve started to plant the seeds of hope for a better life with her. It all came apart when she yelled at me that it was not possible.
I don’t know how or when I ended up hoping for that. I don’t know how, while making my way through her soul, she made it into mine and consumed me like no one has ever done.
She was supposed to be nothing but a prize that I would use whenever and however I wanted.
She was supposed to be a fucking coward and a damn weak, pathetic woman who succumbs too easily and blames her fate and accepts it finally.
Even though Katherina did accept the fact that there was no escape from me, she accepted it for a price. Willingly or unwillingly, I paid the price, and she brought me to my motherfucking knees for her.
I realized how much of a spitfire she is and that I’d underestimated her even before making her mine.
Even though she won over her fate and weakened me, life had other plans for both of us, and none of us were prepared.
Despite being from different worlds, we started leaning on each other.
I saw the conflict in her eyes as she desperately tried to cling to what she believed was right, but she kept failing before giving in to me.
Neither of us can live without the other, and there’s nothing that can change the fact that she’s mine and I’m hers.
This mission is the most difficult and important one, and though I don’t want to hurt Katherina, there’s nothing I can do about it.
I know she will not forgive me, but I also know that I will burn the world if she leaves me.
I’ve never made love to a woman, but I made it to her. I never kissed a woman or sucked and ate her, driving her to the edge, but I did to Katherina.
We’re both fucked up.
I make her forget the reality we live in by burying my face between her thighs, leaving her breathless and aching for more as my name falls from her lips and her mind shuts down.
We both are held apart in our own worlds and are adamant about not letting go but also not letting go of each other.
She proved to me that no matter how powerful I am, the world is cruel, and we all are breakable. The moment she leaves, I’ll break, and she knows it too.
“Luca.”
I snapped out of the reverie and looked at Parker.
“I’ve been calling you for a while now,” he said.
Everyone on the plane was looking at me. Removing my seat belt, I sat relaxed.
“Yes?”
“You all right?” he asked.
I looked at him and my men on the plane. They all looked worried. I know no one was happy about this because everyone knew how special Katherina was to me.
Just as I would give my life for my boss, my men would give theirs for me.
“Boss, it’s not necessary for you to come if you don’t want to,” one of my men, Dave, said.
“Yeah. It’s weird to see you sad, boss,” another man, Frank, replied.
“I’m not sad, Frank,” I chuckled.
“I have a lady love too, boss. She’s always petrified when I come to a mission, but she also knows I can’t give up on you because if it wasn’t for you, I would have died in the hands of my brother,” Carlos chipped in.
Carlos went through hell with his brother, who was evil and tortured and raped him. I found him in a dumpster, hiding from his brother.
All my men have been rescued from one traumatizing incident or another in their lives.
I gave them freedom, shelter, money, women, food, everything they ever wanted. In return, they gave me their loyalty.
“Lorrain accepted the proposal?” asked Frank.
“Lady love, yeah?” Cruz smirked, nudging Carlos's side.
“Why didn’t you tell us? When did this happen?” I asked.
“Uh…I don’t know, boss. It just did.” He scratched his head awkwardly.
“You should have told me. I would have let you live your life, man,” I said, worried.
“What? No, boss. She’s as important to me as you are.”
“This is your last mission. I don’t wanna see you again after this. Take her somewhere far away and be happy,” I dismissed him.
“No, no, boss. I can’t―”
“My word is final, Carlos.” I sighed.
“Boss, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have got her,” he said lowly.
I didn’t know how to answer that. Everyone here knows he would have died if I hadn’t found him in that dumpster.
“Where’s Ed and Rick?” I asked Becky.
“They took another plane.”
“And why’s that?” Cruz asked skeptically.
“They wanted their time,” was all Becky said.
It was almost noon when the flight landed, and we stayed at Morte, preparing ourselves.
By now, the sheriff would’ve gotten word that I’m here, and it’s only a matter of time he comes with his force, and Karen finally reveals herself to us.
I stood on the balcony of the VIP section, looking down at the place where I first saw Katherina.
I’d come to finish Karen and the sheriff, but looking at Katherina, I changed my mind and took her from here.
Since Karen knew her, I played a game of hide and seek, reveling in my satisfaction when they realized I was not dead.
It was foolish to pull her son into this matter, and that punk-ass guy ended up proving it and got his legs broken.
Katherina doesn’t know that the connection I share with Karen goes a long way back, and it wasn’t just the sheriff involved in the Bangkok case.
I never really considered telling her since she hated me and wanted to escape.
Karen and the sheriff tried to use her as bait to capture me and almost won, but even at my weakest, I had the strongest men who never gave up and saved me before I could be captured.
When Katherina’s family was saved, they tried to get information from them, but there was nothing they could do to help, even if they wanted to.
Rick never disclosed anything to Katherina and had a close watch on everything, unlike me, who didn’t realize that accidents happen and Katherina had seen Christopher, and they knew where I was.
Even though they wanted to rescue Katherina and her family, they were disappointed when they got no information about me from her.
I was surprised that Katherina said nothing, though whatever she knew was nowhere near what they needed.
“Hey, man,” Rick patted on my back and stood beside me. “You didn’t like that I let a high school kid throw a party, but if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have seen her that day.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“It was meant to be,” I replied. “I would’ve seen her either way,” I said confidently, and Rick scoffed in response.
“Where’s Edward?”
“Down at the club. Katherina tried to commit suicide.”
I had my breath knocked out of my chest. “W-what?”
“She fucking jumped off the balcony, but I was quick and caught her. Edward and I pulled her up. She’s just tired and has given up,” he said.
The panic went down as soon as it rose, and even though I felt relieved, I felt guilty and fucking sad. I ran my hand through my hair in agitation.
“I…I made Sabastine watch over her,” he said reluctantly, and I nodded.
“I don’t know what I’m doing, Rick. This is so fucking bad. If she’s attempted suicide, she will do it again if I kill her family. I can’t do this.”
I paced around, feeling the blood rushing in my veins as the mere thought of her lifeless body, making me want to burn down this fucking town and the whole damn world without remorse.
“Then don’t do it,” Rick said, and I snapped my head to him. “Let’s take down the sheriff and the bitch for now. When things settle down, we can talk to our boss. I’m sure he’ll reconsider.”
“You and I know he will not, Rick. He hates that I have a weakness now, and I’m doing nothing to destroy it. He wants her family to die because he wants Katherina gone.
“He doesn’t want me to soften up, and he knows one way or the other I will move on from her and end up miserable again and never leave his side.
“You know how manipulative Accardi can be,” I said, and Rick nodded in understanding. “You left Car because you knew Accardi would do the same as he’s doing to me now.”
Rickard fell in love with a woman when he went to visit Russia on a mission.
He knew the world we live in and bringing a woman into this would cause tremendous danger to all of us, so he let her walk away from his life while she screamed, yelled, and cried for him.
He did the right thing then. He’d rather see her alive and hating him for eternity than see her dead.
“Yes, it’s better that way, Luca. I see her sometimes, and I keep tabs on her. She’s moved on, and even though it kills me, at least she’s alive.
“You let this go too far and lost all our business. Accardi’s teaching you a lesson, and as much as Katherina has no options, you don’t either.
“That is why I say let’s please keep her family out of this for now, and we’ll try to figure something out so you don’t lose her.”
I nodded in understanding, and he gave me a comforting pat before leaving me with my thoughts for a while.
I got the news as soon as the sheriff and Karen stepped into Bridgehills” Katherina’s family had moved out, probably back to Amalfi, but I didn’t care at the moment.
I decided to give them time to get ready for us. They settled in Katherina’s home, hoping for us to come after Katherina’s family, but we already knew their plan and were prepared.
Cruz was whistling in contentment, feeling better that this was going down, and soon Emmalyn would be in his arms.
Even though his decision to cause a ruckus and burn down a police station was madness, I don’t think I would’ve done any different if my woman was taken and beaten and tortured by cops.
He blames everything on Katherina and is pissed off at me for giving her the power over me.
At first, he thought she was nothing but a whore, but when he realized she was getting under my skin, he made the decision for me and went to rape and kill her.
I stripped him naked and whipped him before throwing him into a pool of chilly saltwater and left him in there for a few hours before taking him to the hospital when he almost died.
He was lucky that Katherina managed to beat him and escape his clutches.
If he had tortured and killed her, I would’ve broken him beyond his wildest imagination, and Emmalyn would’ve paid the price along with him.
Though I knew it was not Katherina’s fault, I was angry that she had run away.
She could’ve gone to the hotel staff, and they would’ve immediately contacted me, but she fucking ran, and that pissed me off and made me punish her.
I burned my pet cobra after seeing her cry and wail so much.
Getting out of the car, my eyes landed on the familiar house I stepped into a few months ago to take Katherina.
It looked the same as that day, and I thought how wonderful it would’ve been if Katherina had simply walked out to me with a smile on her face while her parents accepted me.
It wouldn’t happen even in my dreams. Sighing, I walked toward the beautiful house, and Cruz rang the doorbell repeatedly with excitement.
We heard the lock click, and the door opened slowly.
“Cripple?” Cruz said as soon as the person came into view.
My face turned blank, and emotions became impassive as I looked down at Katherina’s boyfriend.
He’s still in a damn wheelchair, but pretty soon, he’ll start to walk with all the treatment he’s receiving from that healer.
He’s as selfish as his mother and blames Katherina for what happened to him. If it weren’t for his mother, the bastard wouldn’t have gone to Rome in his wheelchair.
“What are you doing in this house? Did you decide to wear your girlfriend’s clothes and pretend she’s there with you?” Cruz snorted.
He remained quiet, and Cruz moved past him and walked inside the sober house.
Pictures of Katherina and her family decorated the walls, and I remembered the exact place where I confronted her family and forcefully took her away from them.
It felt kind of pleasing that Katherina grew up in this house, and it contained a lot of memories of her.
“Decided to finally come out of the shadows, sheriff?” I asked, already feeling the man behind me.
I took a picture of Katherina and ran my thumb over it. She looked about eleven years old. She had a huge smile pasted over her face, and her hair was already at mid-waist.
“I was never in the shadows, Luca. It was you who hid from us for two years,” the sheriff replied.
I put the photo on the table and turned around to face him and Karen, who stood calmly beside him.
“At least I’m not the only one,” I said, looking at the bitch who’d caused all this. If it weren’t for her, the Bangkok incident wouldn’t have even taken place.
“We haven’t met before, but I’m pretty sure you know me very well.”
She stared at me without humor, but I saw in her eyes the satisfaction of finally receiving the reward for all her hard work and being able to hunt down the monster and look him in the eye.
“Ah, the cripple’s mother.” Cruz rolled his eyes, and then I saw the anger in her eyes.
“This is the reason why you acted so brave, eh?” Rick chuckled, looking at Christopher.
“Mama’s boy,” Cruz mocked him in a girly voice.
“You may leave, son,” she said.
No sooner did the words leave her when Cruz pulled out his gun and aimed at Chris. Before he could pull the trigger, Bill aimed his gun at Cruz.
“Put it down,” Bill said firmly, but Cruz’s hold on the gun only tightened. “Put it down!”
Cruz opened his hand, letting the gun hit the ground.
“You can’t catch us. You fucking can’t,” Cruz hissed.
Chris left the house quietly, the door closing behind.
“I don’t even want to anymore,” said Bill calmly.
Bill ran his finger across the scar I gave him on his face as he looked deep into my eyes.
“Quit talking and finish what you came for, Bill. I’m afraid you’ll miss, again,” said Edward.
“This can end if you want it to,” Bill went on. “Just tell us where Accardi is.”
I smiled at him. Cops don’t mean what they say most of the time. I knew he’d kill me either way, so trying to manipulate me was a waste of time.
“Just kill me and get over with it, Bill,” I said calmly, and the woman beside him stepped forward in frustration.
“Tell us where he is or else―”
“Or else, what?” Cruz mocked her. “Kill us? Phew! Thank you for enlightening us. I’m very pleased with your naive threat.”
My men chuckled at her, and she felt embarrassed and angry.
“Shoot him,” she hissed. “We’ve managed to capture him, and we’ll find his boss too when all of them go down, and he’s got nothing left to lose. Just shoot him, and let’s get this over with.”
She has so much crooked cruelty in her heart, and it’s pathetic that most people are just like her.
Even though we are no saints, at least we don’t hide and put up a facade and use people for our selfish desires. We attack directly, take stuff for ourselves and eradicate anyone that gets in our way.
The only difference between us and her is the cruelty we do is mostly physical, leading to deaths, while her cruelty deprives people of everything they deserve until they are nothing but a shell.
The whole town revolved around the former mayor and her will, and these pathetic people blindly followed and listened to these fools.
That’s how politics works.
Bill hesitated because even though he wanted me dead, he wanted to capture me alive and needed to know where Accardi was.
“Shoot him!” Karen ordered, and he pointed the gun at me.
I relaxed and thought about Katherina. I’ve never feared death, and even now, standing at a gunpoint, I didn’t seem to be afraid of my death.
I was afraid I couldn’t spend more time with her when I expected a lifetime with her
“Go ahead, you heard, your highness,” I said.
Everything went silent, and all of us were waiting for Bill to pull the trigger, so my men had the signal to attack.
None of us were aware of the unthinkable about to take place when the door burst open, and I looked in surprise at the person I least expected to be here.
I looked at them, and Rick and Edward wouldn’t meet my eyes.
I was angry but also happy that she was here because, since the moment I left her, I wanted nothing but to kidnap her again and get away from all of this forever.
“Leave right now,” Bill spoke with authority, but Katherina’s eyes fell upon me, and she walked toward me. “Katherina, leave!”
“Finally, someone’s on our side,” Cruz remarked. “Maybe we should kidnap you too, Bill.”
I took her in my arms and immediately relaxed.
“I missed you,” I said, staring at her bloodshot eyes.
Suddenly I felt the terror that if it hadn’t been for Rick and Edward, she wouldn’t be alive.
“I’m sorry I hurt you and your family so much. I’m really sorry, Katherina. You can decide your fate once all of this is over. Just know I’m sorry.”
She smiled at me and turned around to face Karen and the sheriff.
“I told you, this is wrong. This decision of yours is going to cost you everything in your life,” Bill said, looking disappointed.
“I don’t care anymore, sheriff. All I know is that if you shoot him, you shoot me too,” she said firmly.
My hands tightened around her waist.
“I’m so tired of all this. Let it just end, or this time I walk away with him.”
“You’re such a foolish girl,” Karen said cruelly. “You’re weak and pathetic to fall for a man like him, over my son.”
Katherina turned nervous.
“You were nothing but a distraction and another burden to deal with!” Karen snapped. “But I do need to thank you because if it wasn’t for you, we would not have known he was still alive.
“All of this is bigger than you think. It all started two years ago when I got a murder case that led me to Italy.
“It seemed like an ordinary murder case at first, but as I dug deeper, I realized it was a distraction from a bigger picture.
“Sheriff Newman and I started to work on this closely, and we were able to narrow down the most important gang in the underworld Mafia organization that might end all of the other gangs.
“When Luca came into the picture, I knew he had to go down with Accardi De Gasperi. He’s worshipped and looked up to by all the gangsters around the globe.
“We’ve been trying to bring them down, and when they headed off to Bangkok, we immediately created an operation.
“When the operation was successful, I was supposed to be in the spotlight, but none of the news spoke about me. I was paid well and sent back, and I remained behind the scenes.
“After all the hard work I put in, Bill got the medal.”
Katherina looked astonished by everything Karen said. I knew this all along but kept it from her.
The worst kind of betrayal comes from the people we love, and Katherina loved Christopher, and his parents played an important role in her life too.
“Bill didn’t believe you when you and Christopher went to him, and he immediately called me. I wanted to believe you, and I did when you were taken again after you came to my office.
“Christopher was always curious about my cases, and when he saw Luca’s picture in the police station, he recognized it from one of my files.
“I told my son about the operation that took me to Italy two years ago, and he understood what was happening. I never expected that he would hunt him down in the town all by himself.
“He was a fool just like you. He paid the price and was thrown on my doorstep with broken legs. Bill believed then, but by the time we could do anything, you both were gone,” she said.
“How were the mayor and Megan involved in this?” Katherina asked in a soft tone.
“The mayor was in debt to Luca, and he was bankrupt when it was time to pay,” Karen explained. “When the mayor learned that we are working on his case, he agreed to join forces with us.
“While Christopher had his surgeries, the mayor and I formed two different teams to take down Accardi and Luca. He was greedy and wanted to benefit by taking some of Luca’s illegal businesses.
“We were fine with that. He sent his own daughter to deal with it, and when the doctors threw up their hands, I was furious with Christopher, but he came to Italy with the sheriff to help us.
Everything was going great, and when we realized that we could take him down easily if we had you, that’s what we did. Luca went crazy, and before he could come for you, you ruined everything for us.
“You went back to him willingly, and we were doomed again. We stopped putting our hopes on you, and whether you died at his hands or simply killed yourself, it didn’t matter anymore.
“A memorial and a condolence speech about you would’ve distracted the town and your parents too. They’d settle down faster than you would imagine.”
Katherina was rendered speechless, and she looked up to me with glassy eyes.
Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, I whispered, “You look beautiful, tesoro.”
I didn’t care at this moment. All I cared about was her.
“Why didn’t you tell me this?” she asked me.
“I didn’t want to hurt you more,” I replied.
“You came to kill my parents. Wouldn’t that hurt me?” she asked.
“I changed my mind and decided to finish her and the sheriff.”
Even though I saw the relief in her eyes, she looked no less tense than before.
She looked back at Karen. “This is too much. I can’t believe that you were behind this right from the beginning, Karen.”
“As I said, you were never a part of the plan. You were just a distraction to him,” Karen said.
“You’ve got a chance, Katherina, you can get out of this house, forget all this happened to you, and live with Chris. I always wanted you to be my daughter-in-law, not Megan.”
“After what you just told me?” Katherina snapped, “I don’t think so. Even though I thought Megan came to Italy for a different reason, I felt guilty when she died.
“But now I see that you were the cause of her death and her father’s! You killed them for your own selfishness and pulled Chris into this mess.
“I can’t believe he even agreed to do this when I thought he came to save me. All the while, you’ve been using these people and manipulating them.”
“Yes! I used all of you for my reputation. Unlike him, I didn’t commit crimes. Unlike him, I didn’t torture and kill people. I did what anyone would have done in my place.
“I wanted to be the best lawyer in the world. I wanted people to talk about me, worship me. Is that wrong?’
“I wish you’d go to hell, Karen,” Katherina hissed.
“At least I’ll live in a paradise in this world,” she said.
Katherina ignored her. “Let’s go, Luca.”
“Oh, you really think you’ll leave this place?” Karen laughed.
“The cops have us surrounded and captured the teams Luca brought here. You didn’t know I came here with another.”
Katherina smiled at the woman and looked Rick and Edward’s way.
No sooner did the words leave her lips than the firing started outside. Windows started to shatter, and all of us inside started taking cover to avoid the raging bullets.
The door burst open, and Victor and Sabastine walked in with my men.
Bill started to fire at them, and I quickly pulled Katherina into my arms and made my way out through the back door as the cops started to file in, and so did my men.
They engaged in a fierce gunfight while all my concentration was on keeping Katherina away from the bullets. I took my gun out and shot every cop that came on my way without any remorse.
When we were outside, I put my pocket knife in one of the keyholes of a random car and opened the door. I hot-wired the ignition before turning to Katherina.
“Listen to me very carefully, darling.” I placed my phone in her palm.
“Call Romero and tell him what is happening here and head to the airport. Romero will get you on a flight, and he will drop you where your parents are, understand?”
“No. I don’t want to leave you” she shook her head furiously.
“Katherina―”
“Luca, please come with me,” she begged.
I’m a fucking slave to her tears, and my heart clenched as she begged me.
“You have no idea how badly I wanna do that, but I can’t. My men need me. I can’t leave them,” I said.
“Luca, plea―”
“Katherina, no.” I pushed her into the driver’s seat in spite of her desperation.
“Luca, promise me. Promise me you’ll come back to me.” She held my hand.
I don’t know whether I will make it out alive, and all these times I’ve lied to hurt her, but it wouldn’t hurt to lie now to provide her a little comfort.
“I promise.”
I released her hand. I was about to close the door, but she pulled me by my shirt and placed her lips on mine.
“I kissed her back roughly, memorizing her taste, her scent, her flesh, her softness as if this was the last time I would be with her.
“Well, well, isn’t this lovely.”
I left her lips abruptly and turned toward Karen, who was holding a gun with both hands and aiming right at me. I took a step toward her.
“Don’t,” she warned.
Her eyes looked behind me to Katherina sitting in the car.
“You’re such a disgrace to your family,” she said to her.
I saw Cruz, who’d just looked outside. He started to make his way toward us carefully.
“My men will kill your family right in front of your eyes if you pull that trigger on me, Karen,” I said calmly.
“At least, I’ll be rewarded with name and fame,” Karen said.
“Karen, you don’t have to do this.” Katherina got out of the car.
“Katherina, get in,” I hissed in anger, but she didn’t listen.
Cruz is much closer now with his gun raised to Karen.
Katherina panicked and looked at Cruz, pointing his gun at Karen, which alerted her.
Cruz pulled the trigger, but Karen ducked her head and ran sideways, letting the bullet hit the car window.
The next few seconds were a blur, and before Cruz could pull the trigger again, Karen did. Katherina stepped forward, and before I could pull her back, it was too late.
“No!” I screamed as I rushed toward my woman.
The bullet hit Katherina, the impact jolting her body, and a strangled cry left her lips. I fell on my knees and caught her before she could hit the ground.
“God, baby, why did you do that” her white shirt started to smudge with her blood. My hand went to her chest where the bullet had hit.
She started to bleed copiously, and I cried in pain, holding her to me.
“L-Luca,” she called out.
“You shouldn’t have done that, baby.” I pressed on her wound to stop the flow, and she cried out.
“You’re going to be fine. I’m taking you to the hospital.”
I started lifting her up, but her feeble tug on my shirt stopped me.
“Lis…ten to me,” she cupped my cheek with her bleeding hand.
“Cruz! Cruz, call Rickard now,” I screamed at Cruz, who was beating the shit out of Karen.
He immediately ran when he heard me.
“Luca…,” she hissed in anger.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, baby” My tears were unstoppable, and watching her go paler with every second clenched my heart.
“You’re going to be fine. Rick is coming, okay?” I brushed her hair.
“Listen to―”
“I told you to go. Why did you come out of the car?”
“Listen to me, Luca” she placed her finger on my lip, quieting me. “Listen to me, honey.”
I shook my head, not wanting this to be her final words. I can’t take it if she dies, not after everything she went through because of me. I’ve never felt this fear and pain for anyone but my mother.
“Don’t do this to me, baby. I’m so sorry.” I choked on my sob and placed my forehead on hers.
“Remember the time you said you couldn’t thank God enough for me?” she asked softly, and I nodded, looking into her eyes. “Now I can’t thank God enough for you. You’re an asshole, Luca.”
I shook my head, tears gliding down my chin.
“But…but I fell for you. I love you, Luca. I love you so much.” She smiled with tears burning her eyes as she struggled to breathe.
I placed a kiss on her cheek. If I knew love, I wouldn’t have mistaken it for affection and care I saw in her eyes most of the time since she came back to me.
I was going to reply to her, but she relaxed in my arms and her eyes closed.
“Hey, babe.” I touched her cheek, but she didn’t respond. I quickly checked for her pulse, and her hand fell limp on the side
“No! NO! You can’t do this to me! Open your eyes! Look at me, Katherina!” I screamed and shook her furiously, but she remained motionless.
“Rickard! RICKARD!” I screamed as he ran toward us and took Katherina from me.
“I feel no pulse. I feel no heartbeat!” I panicked.
Rick checked her pulse again and pulled her shirt down to see the bullet hole t near her heart.
“Which bullet was she shot with? Get the gun,” Rickard said.
Cruz already had the gun in his hand and took out the magazine, letting the bullets tumble down.
“No…no.”
It’s a hollow point bullet.
“I’m sorry, Luca,” said Rickard.
“She can’t die. She can’t die. God! KATHERINA!” I screamed in agony.