by Anna Hackett
“Signor Venti.”
“Signorina Santini.”
“I have that update you wanted.” She dropped the folder on the desk. “They broke ground on the hotel rebuild in Venice.”
Something moved across his face. “Grazie.”
Rayne was no longer Luca’s assistant. When he’d learned the full extent of her skills, she’d been promoted into a managerial position reporting to one of his executives. She’d made it her priority to fast track the work on the hotel.
“How’s Soren?” she asked quietly.
Luca’s smile dissolved. “I spoke with him an hour ago.” Luca shook his head. “He’s on the very edge, Rayne. He said the whispers in his head are constant, and he’s hoarding things in the villa and doesn’t even remember doing it.”
Her belly cramped. “Apeliotus must know he can’t win.”
“But what if he drags Soren down with him, just for the hell of it?” One of Luca’s hands clenched into a fist.
She skirted the desk, stopping right beside him. Reaching out, she ran her fingers through his hair. “We won’t let that happen. I spoke with my mother.”
Luca’s mouth tightened. Rayne knew he’d listened to a few of her calls with her mother. There had been a lot of yelling and heated words exchanged.
“Has she changed her stance?” he asked.
“No. She refuses to let the Aurae get involved.”
He closed his eyes.
“But…not all Aurae feel that way. I’ve been talking with many of them, and so has my sister. Many of them have agreed to help. They’re going to find a suitable woman to come and help Soren.”
Her man’s blue eyes opened and a muscle ticked in his jaw. “I want to help my brother, but the idea of an innocent woman offering herself to Soren like a sacrifice leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”
“We’ll send a warrior,” she insisted. “To fight for what is right.”
He thumped the desk. “Damn the Tempest Winds and their endless, hungry need to hurt people.”
“Hey.” Rayne cupped his cheeks. “Your eyes are frosting over, Warrior.”
He blew out a breath.
“I think you need a distraction,” she murmured.
His gaze sharpened on her and one of his hands slid down to grip her hip. “Oh? What did you have in mind, Signorina Santini?”
“I was thinking we should christen this shiny desk of yours.”
Desire flared in his eyes. Before she could say anything, he pushed out of his chair and had her bent over the desk in an instant. She bit her lip and felt him start to peel her skirt up.
“Are you my sacrifice?” he murmured.
She snorted. “Hardly, Venti. I expect you to love me very well and give me multiple orgasms while you’re at it.”
He shoved her skirt to her waist and slid her silky panties down her legs. She went damp between her legs.
“Dio, Rayne.” He leaned over her and nuzzled his face against her neck.
She felt the hard press of his cock against her now bare bottom. She pushed back against him.
“I love you, Rayne.”
Her breath hitched and she turned her head. “I love you too, Luca.”
“Stay with me.”
His murmur made her heart stop, then start a rapid beat. He had the “serious Luca” look she’d seen him wear in the office before an important negotiation or takeover. “Luca—”
“Let me love you, Rayne. Let me take that chance?”
A small smile curled her lips. “I’d like that.”
She felt his body relax. “I don’t think you’ll ever follow my orders.”
“Nope. Whenever you get high and mighty, or lose your temper, I’ll defy you.” She rubbed against him again.
His big palm stroked her buttocks, then his hand was sliding between her legs. As he caressed her, she cried out.
“I never get enough of you,” he said hotly. “I think I’ll always want you.”
Oh, she hoped so. “I want you too. All of you.” She spun around, sitting on the very edge of his desk. “I want the good, the bad, the calm, the anger.” She wrapped her arms and legs around him, her Warrior of the Wind. “And whatever happens, I’ll be there when you need me, Luca. Always.” She patted the desk and smiled. “Now, get to work.”
I hope you enjoyed Luca and Rayne’s story!
* * *
The Warriors of the Wind series concludes with the action and adventure of Soren’s story, Darkness, set on picturesque Lake Como. Read on for the story!
Darkness
Warriors of the Wind #5
* * *
Anna Hackett
Chapter One
She was the virgin sacrifice for a greedy wind god.
Skye Santini clasped her hands together and tried to wrestle her nerves into some sort of submission.
She was failing. Big time.
Swallowing hard, she stared up at the beautiful villa. A cool, brisk wind blew in from Lake Como and tossed her hair around her face. She scraped it back. She could do this. She wanted to do this. Besides, she wasn’t exactly a virgin and the male locked inside wasn’t exactly a god. He was a man. A billionaire who usually ran the finances for the successful company he and his brothers had built, Venti Enterprises.
Oh, and he was a Warrior of the Wind on the verge of destroying the entire world.
“This is insane. Skye, you can’t do this!”
She turned and watched her sister storm up to her. Rayne never held back from saying what was on her mind. She was also a trained Aurae warrior and the best big sister in the world.
“Rayne, I’ll be fine—”
“Fine?” Rayne gestured wildly, her red hair swinging around her jaw. “The man has succumbed to his vice. He has no memory of who he is, no idea of his power, and no clue about the danger lurking close by.”
Skye looked again at the building. Vines climbed up the side of the cream-colored villa. Large windows overlooked the manicured gardens that reached down to the lake. It was beautiful and she imagined, on most days, peaceful.
Today it was nothing of the sort.
The water of the lake churned, whipped into a frenzy by the wind, and storm clouds cluttered the sky. And she felt a darker force looming nearby, watching her, watching the house, like a large, crouching beast.
Yes, Apeliotus, the last remaining Tempest Wind was close. He was desperate not to lose his freedom.
The evil Tempest Winds had escaped from their prison on Isola del Vento a few months back. But the Warriors of the Wind, five brothers gifted with control of the wind, had fought back and hunted them down.
Only one Tempest Wind remained, but unfortunately, his Warrior had bowed under the immense and terrible pressure of the vice of greed the wind carried.
Skye had to do this. “Rayne, Soren won’t let his brothers in and you’ve sent in other Aurae warriors. He booted every single one of them out. It’s time to try something different.”
And Skye was as different as possible. She was no Aurae warrior—a woman with control of the seasonal breezes and trained to fight. She was nothing, just a woman who’d hidden away from the world for far too long. Who’d let her stronger, loving sister protect her.
Now she needed to do something worthy. She had to do her part to help. It was time to stop letting her past keep her from having a future.
“No.” Rayne lifted a stubborn chin.
“Rayne.” A deep male voice.
A handsome, imposing man climbed the last few steps and stood beside Rayne. It still amazed Skye that her sister had linked herself to this…angry, powerful man.
Luca Venti. Warrior of the North Wind.
Skye could feel the man’s power and his temper. Oh, he kept it leashed, but still…she wrung her hands. She was good at assessing a man’s capacity for rage.
“Remember,” he said, “you once told me we have to trust them to stand on their own?”
Rayne’s jaw tightened. “I didn’t mean for my
baby sister to be some sexual sacrifice to your brother!”
Luca touched the nape of her neck and Skye saw a flash of emotion in his blue eyes. The way he looked at Rayne, and the way her sister softened for him, it made Skye a little envious. A part of her was thrilled Rayne had fallen in love and another part of Skye desperately wished she could find someone who looked at her the way Luca looked at Rayne.
“I know,” Luca said. “I didn’t want this either. But we have to do everything we can to save Soren before Apeliotus gets to him.”
Right, which meant Skye, who had very limited experience with men, had to entice the Warrior of the East Wind. Her stomach roiled. Legend said that the female keepers of the seasonal breezes, the Aurae, could soothe the vices of the Warriors of the Wind. Pure Aurae blood ran in her veins.
Her gaze cut back to Rayne and Luca. The man certainly seemed calmer whenever he was around her sister. Skye looked back at the windows of the villa, her thoughts turning to the man who’d locked himself inside. Soren Venti had no memory of who he was, and was dangerously close to losing himself forever to the vice of greed. She wondered if he was looking down on the people trying so desperately to save him.
A few meters away, the rest of the Venti brothers—rugged Lorenzo, lean Dante, and handsome Antonio—waited with their partners. She could see the concern etched on their faces.
A long time ago, she’d prayed for someone to save her. She hadn’t needed a crowd of rescuers. Just one person able to see past her silent suffering to a girl too afraid to ask for help. Just one person willing to reach out.
In the end, it had been Rayne who’d saved her, and who’d forced their mother to see the monster she’d invited to live in their house.
Skye pulled in a long breath and pushed the old memories away.
She was tired of always being afraid. She wasn’t a traumatized young girl anymore. “I’m going in.”
Rayne’s hands clenched into fists. “Why are you doing this?”
Skye faced her sister. The one person she’d always counted on to look out for her. Neither of them had ever strayed from the roles. Rayne continued to protect her from the world, and Skye kept letting her.
“I have to do this, Rayne. It’s time I do more than hide and cower.”
“You don’t cower—”
“Rayne.” Skye grabbed her sister’s hand. Love was a fierce tangle in her throat. “You can’t protect me forever. I need to take some risks, live, do something for myself. It was never your fault. You have nothing to make up for.”
Her strong sister’s lips trembled but she firmed them quickly. “I love you.”
“I know.” Skye reached out and pulled Rayne into a hard hug. “I love you, too. Now, I’m going in.” Before she lost her courage.
Rayne stepped back, her reluctance obvious in the way she dragged her feet. But she stayed quiet as Skye turned to face the building.
“Good luck,” Luca said. “And grazie, for trying to help my brother.”
He thought she was going to fail. Skye saw it written in his eyes. But even though it was buried deep, she also saw a spark of hope.
She nodded and walked up the steps. She reached the large ornate wooden doors and pulled one open. She stepped inside.
The door slammed shut behind her.
Her heart hammering in her ears, she forced herself to move through the elegant, marble-lined entry. Her footsteps echoed down the long hall.
The inside of the villa was as beautiful as the outside. The floor was polished to a high sheen and antiques graced the shelves and walls. She passed large, richly furnished rooms, and stared into an ornate mirror, catching a glimpse of her pale hair and pale face.
There was no sound. No tick of a clock, no humming appliances, just eerie silence. And despite the fact it was early afternoon, the gathering clouds outside made it dark inside. She swallowed. She hated the dark. Bad things lurked in the shadows.
Skye continued walking. She wandered through the massive house until she stepped inside a conservatory. The glass walls and roof were fogged by the humid air rising off the heated swimming pool. Greenery was everywhere. Plants hung from the ceiling and others rose up from pots on the floor. It looked like an indoor jungle and despite her fear, she smiled. It was gorgeous. Skye had always loved gardening and nurturing something to life. She had a healthy little herb garden that she adored.
She reached out to touch the bright green leaf of some tropical plant. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of movement.
Her heart leaped into her throat and she spun. A breeze rippled through the plants and twirled around her. The ends of her blonde hair danced. She stayed still, but the fingers of one hand curled into her palm. The urge to use her own power flowed through her, but she knew it was useless. She hadn’t been able to use her breeze since…well, since she was young.
Another flash of movement. She spun again, her pulse hammering through her veins.
As the warm, humid breeze ruffled her hair and made her skirt ripple, she stiffened her spine. She wasn’t going to stand here and let the Warrior intimidate her.
She took a step forward. “You can come out now.”
There was a brush of someone passing through the foliage. Then a man stepped out.
Skye’s breath caught in her throat. He was ridiculously good-looking. Tall, lean, muscled. Dark hair curled around a face that was razor sharp—firm jaw, knife-edged cheekbones and a hawkish nose. She felt a lick of appreciation deep in her belly that shocked her.
“They sent a coniglio this time.”
He had a deep, melodious voice to go with the looks, and she knew enough Italian that his words stung. “I’m not a rabbit.”
“Little rabbits like to run.”
Her lips firmed. “I haven’t run.”
He tilted his head. “Not yet.”
She swallowed and looked past the handsomeness. Power radiated off him in a ragged blast. Lines cut into his cheeks and his eyes were a turbulent gray that made her think of storm clouds.
He was a man who’d slipped over the edge and was barely clinging to the cliff. He was out of control, his power threatening to consume him—and if he joined his Tempest Wind, they would be capable of wreaking destruction on the entire planet.
To distract herself, she looked away and spied a brilliant red flower. She fingered the edge of it. It was beautiful, bold. Like the man. “You don’t scare me.” She wouldn’t let him.
Suddenly he was in front of her. His gaze burning into her. She fought not to take a backward step.
“You’re a liar, little rabbit.”
He stared at the woman.
The small crowd gathered outside had been sending in tall, toned women. They’d come promising to help him. They’d wanted to help him remember and save the world. And they’d all watched him with wariness, like he was a bomb about to go off.
This little wisp of a thing stared up at him with big, sad blue eyes, her pulse fluttering in her throat.
She was…different.
Whispers poured through his mind, tearing into him, as they had for weeks on end. Take. Take everything you want. Take it all.
His fingers flexed. He wanted to be back in his office, on his computer, trading stocks, checking his bank balance. He needed the addictive thrill of making money, collecting wealth and riches, every minute of every day.
“Are you here to save the world like the others?” he asked. “To do your duty?”
The woman chewed on her lip. “No.”
That single word made him pause. “No?”
She shrugged. “I’m not here for the world or for you. I’m here for me.”
He liked her crisp British accent. She didn’t smell of greed but here she was telling him she was acting out of selfishness. It intrigued him. He let his gaze slide over her slim build. She had the most delicate wrists he’d ever seen and long, elegant fingers. Her long hair was the pale gold of the finest champagne and her clothes were shapeless a
nd simple.
“What’s your name?” For some reason, he needed to know.
“Skye.”
It suited her.
“And yours is Soren.” She watched him carefully. “Soren Vulturnus Venti.”
He frowned. Soren. It sounded right, but he didn’t want to know any more. All he wanted was to focus on what he desired and collecting everything he could. “And who are you, Skye?”
She shrugged. “I’m no one special. Just a woman. Timid, shy.” Her big eyes flashed. “I’m broken and I’m tired of it.”
Her words were quiet but they speared in under his skin. Her honesty was refreshing. He blinked, unable to take his gaze off this intriguing woman. He circled her, pulling in the scent of her. She smelled like the promise of a spring storm. “Why are you here, little rabbit?”
“I want to be strong. I want to do something that matters.”
“Helping me matters?”
She nodded.
He leaned in, his lips brushing the delicate shell of her ear. “Greed beats deep in my veins. I take everything I want.”
She shivered but she didn’t back away. “Are you going to toss me out like the others?”
For reasons he didn’t understand, he wanted this woman close by. She didn’t back down and she didn’t push against him like the others who’d blazed in here ready to do battle. She fascinated him, and right now, any distraction was welcome.
“You stay.”
Chapter Two
He was going to let her stay.
Skye felt a brief moment of elation, but when she saw him grimace and press his hands to his temples, it evaporated.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
He shook his head. “The voices won’t stop. Only one thing makes them bearable.”
His body disintegrated and the East Wind filled the room. Skye felt the air stream out of the conservatory. She ran after him.
