“I won’t let you,” the stranger assured him. “I can help you.”
“Okay.” Cassius smiled up at his new friend. “What’s your name?”
Going behind the swing, he started pushing the little boy. “You can call me… Luke.”…
…“I didn’t know it was him, Kat.” Cassius shook his head angrily. “I didn’t know my friend was fuckin Lucca the whole time….”
Katarina’s body and mind were numb, still in shock over what her brother had told her.
“…Not till he walked in our front door that day.”
Forty
The Day Katarina Was Chosen
“You promised me!” Katarina screamed at her brother, uncaring of the many women who stood in their living room. “You promised me I wouldn’t have to go back down there ever again!”
“I know,” Dominic told her painfully and regretfully. “But, please, it’s only for a little bit.”
Kat shook her head strongly, trying not to cry. “No.”
“They’re here,” Matthais yelled from the window, seeing the black Cadillacs pull up.
“He will choose you if he sees you, I know it.” Dominic’s voice started to break. “There will be nothing I can do. They’ll kill Angel if I don’t let them have you.”
Tears started to fall down her cheeks one after the other.
“Please, Kat, I can’t lose you.” He cried, taking her into his arms.
Taking a breath, she nodded into his chest.
“Hurry,” Dominic told her, opening the door. “Keep all the lights off, and as soon as they leave, I’ll come down to get you.”
With each step down those godforsaken steps, she cried more and more. It took her back to a time and place she’d felt weak. Like she was still living under Lucifer’s roof, still under his control. It was like the months since his death of becoming the strong and smart woman she was meant to be hadn’t even happened.
Kat ran to the only part of the basement that felt safe, sitting down on the pink fuzzy carpet Dominic had brought home to her when she was young. She placed her back on her old bed as she held her knees to her chest, silently waiting for her brother to come down here and free her once again.
“Meow.” Shadow rubbed his black fur against her, making loud purring sounds to get her to pet him. “Meow.”
She ran a hand along his back, distracting herself from the dark basement the more she petted him. She didn’t know how long she had been down there when the door at the top of the steps opened, bringing light into the basement.
Kat had heard her brother come down those steps many times over the last seventeen years, but the feet that came down them now weren’t Dominic’s. Her breath caught in her throat as her heart started to pound out of her chest, unable to find the strength in herself to hide under her bed.
When she saw the shadowy figure reach the bottom of the steps, all she could look at were those blue-green glowing orbs that somehow seemed to have their own light source behind them.
The figure stepped closer, giving her a better look.
Katarina hadn’t been in Lucifer’s presence for months, but the way she felt looking at him was no different than how she’d felt when she used to look at her father. The devil might’ve been dead, but a demon still walked this city, and even if she had hidden like she should’ve, she knew there was no hiding from whoever the hell he was.
She watched him stretch out a cold hand, knowing it was cold from the callous tone in his voice that turned her warm-bloodied veins into ice.
“Come with me, darlin’.”…
…Going back to the day Katarina was chosen, she realized now Lucca had known about everything. Before he had ever come down those steps.
This whole time…
She knew that Cassius had more than likely confided in him about what went on in their house.
“I’m so sorry, Kat,” Cassius told her again, still angrily shaking his head at himself.
She squeezed her brother as hard as she could in a hug, doing it even though she knew Cassius hated it. “There’s nothing to be sorry about.” Kat squeezed him even harder, smiling at the thought that Lucca had been doing what she had been trying to do with her brother over the years. “I’m actually grateful.”
And she truly fucking was.
* * *
They spent the whole day with her brothers, Drago only getting up to leave when it was well past the sun going down.
Putting on his coat, he looked at her and held out his hand for her to take. “You coming, Kat?”
She knew what those words meant; he had kept his promise. He had taken her back home, and if she wanted to stay, then he’d let her. It was her decision to make.
Kat looked at Dominic first. He gave her a nod that reminded her of what he had told her.
You get to be and do whatever you want, Katarina.
Her eyes then went around the house. The wicked memories she had in the home charred the walls from the hell it once was. The devil was gone, but the burnt walls remained.
It took Kat leaving this house to realize she would never become the woman she was supposed to be if she stayed in these two thousand five hundred and fifty-six square feet.
I have a fucking family to save.
Getting up, she took Drago’s warm hand, thanking God for the cold one that had shown her what she should be.
* * *
Falling in love was a scary thing that he had hoped he would never experience after watching Lucca fall for Chloe.
It seemed more painful to love someone so much than it looked pleasurable. Seeming to only lead to heartbreak.
It all didn’t make sense till her hand touched his. The only way to understand falling in love was when you had already fallen, and it was too late to ever get back up.
That dark black hole you thought was bleak looking in was actually a wonderland once you hit the bottom.
The hole he had fallen in was extra special, because Katarina was so special.
He had thought there were no such things as true heroes. His world of crime had kept him from thinking so, the only heroes were the anti-heroes who balanced out all the noble things with sins.
For the first time, it wasn’t the girl who needed saving; it was the girl who did the saving. This story had only one hero… and it wasn’t the name on this book.
Forty-One
The Truth Shall Always Set You Free
Walking through the casino, she walked hand in hand with Drago, feeling lighter and lighter the closer she got to their apartment door.
There was only one scar left that hadn’t started to heal, only one stone left unturned, and she only hoped that one day very soon he would be ready to see her.
Seconds away from getting onto the closing elevator that was full of people, Kat’s shoulder was hit by another who bumped into her so hard it caused her hand to fall out of Drago’s.
“Excuse you.” She snapped over her shoulder trying to get a look at the person she hadn’t paid attention to as he passed, but there were so many people it was impossible to tell who it had been.
Her head turning back to the front, she saw Drago’s back entering the elevator as it quickly slid to a close. It wasn’t until the door closed that fear kick in.
* * *
“What did you say?” Drago asked turning to see what she had said, but when he turned there was no Kat. With only an inch of space left for the elevator doors to close, he could see her black eye just on the other side before that inch of space disappeared.
“Kat!” Quickly, Drago went for the elevator buttons before it could go up, but it was so full he had to practically shove a person to the ground to get to it fast enough.
Pressing the button for the door to open again, it was too late as it began its journey up.
“KAT!”
Fear setting into his bones, he pressed the next floor button, so he could get off and take the stairs back down, but what had seemed to go so fast now seemed to go so slow…
&nb
sp; * * *
Slowly Kat’s feet stepped back, something wasn’t right and she felt like she was right where the killer wanted her to be.
What the—!
Her body was snatched back as she was pulled into a stairwell. It wasn’t till she was pushed against the wall did she finally face who Lucca had called One-Shot.
No, please, not you….
The shock had kept her from screaming at first but the hand that covered her mouth roughly was now keeping it that way.
Don’t do this… she pleaded with her eyes, looking into the blueish-black depths… Please Sal.
Kat tried to fight harder to get free but he had her pinned so perfectly that she could barely budge. Hearing the feet running down the steps, she thought she had been saved when Drago came into view. Oh thank Go-
“Black hoodie and sunglasses at three o’clock.” Sal quickly told him over his shoulder.
Drago had only caught her eyes for a second before he walked right out leaving her to die.
NO! He’s right here!!!! It’s Sal!!!!! She had wanted to scream at him but the hand kept her from doing so. Come back!!
Once that stairwell door was closed, Kat knew for sure this time was it. Always secretly knowing it would be her own flesh and blood that was going to be the death of her… she just didn’t think it would be at the hand of a brother, but she should have realized that he might not have considered her a sister when he had yet to even try to see her.
His hand finally peeling off her face, she prepared herself to scream….
“I’m sorry…,” Sal told her.
AH!-Huh? That scream didn’t come out as she felt his arms wrap around her and she was being hugged to him.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he continued hugging her. “But I couldn’t risk him hearing us in here.”
She stood their rigidly in his arms. “So… you’re not trying to kill me?”
“No.” He laughed.
“Thank God.” Instantly all the tension left her body as she lifted her arms up to wrap them around him. It was an indescribable feeling she got being finally able to meet the brother she had been robbed of. The brother she felt like she would have been most similar to.
“Kat, I want you to know that even though I haven’t let you see me yet, I promise you, I’ve been there.”
“You have?” she asked, holding him tighter and becoming teary eyed.
“I have,” her brother assured her. “I was just afraid of not only letting you know, but One-Shot.”
“It’s okay.” Kat was the one to have to assure him now letting him know she not only understood his reasoning for ignoring her but that it simply didn’t matter. They were finally together and that was all she could ask for.
The door flying open had them turning to see a furious Drago coming in; not saying a word, he pulled Kat into his arms.
The kisses he was showering her with, she didn’t feel the need to tell him that she thought his ass had left her to die.
“Well?” Sal asked waiting to hear what had happened.
Drago gave her one last kiss, before he regretfully shook his head…. “He’s gone.”
* * *
Lucca practically kicked open the door, not understanding how One-Shot kept besting him. He knew everyone and everything all except for something as important as the man that he felt was trying to take him down. That was what led him here; there was only one man that stood between him and this city becoming his, and right now he was staring at him.
“Oh good.” Dante didn’t even jump at his forced entrance into his office. “You were just who I wanted to talk to.”
Staring down his father, that he had pictured killing a million times, it was everything he could do to get him to keep from doing it. “Is that so?”
His ice-blue eyes stared back at him, knowing exactly what his son was doing to him in his head. “What makes you think you can hire Katarina without my permission? She’s not only a Luciano, but she’s not even a soldier for Christ’s sake.”
Lucca knew what he meant by soldier, it was his way of fucking saying she wasn’t a man. “You’ve seem to forgotten that she’s married now, making Katarina a Caruso.”
Dante swung back the last bit of his whiskey before he slammed down the glass causing it to break. “I don’t give a fuck if the girl is fucking Drago. She’s still the daughter of Lucifer, and that job belongs to one of my men if you can’t handle it any longer!”
There it is. The truth shall always set you free.
“That job belongs to Katarina and her alone.” His tone might have not have matched his father’s but his intense blue-green eyes did. “And if you continue speaking that way about the wife of one of our most loyal De Santis men, I will have no choice but to let our men think you’re One-Shot.”
Dante rose to his feet. “That’s why you’re here isn’t it? You’ve come to see if he’s me.”
Silence from his firstborn gave him his answer.
“Just because you want it to be me, doesn’t make him me, my son.”
“No,” Lucca agreed with an almost sigh. “But I could always hope.”
“I should fucking kill you.” Dante spat sitting back down in his chair, the monster he had made becoming more evident with every passing day.
“Be careful, Father, I can always make my men believe One-Shot is you.” Leaving, Lucca could never resist parting without a promise. “Your times almost up, old man.”
As he closed the door, his father’s voice could still be heard on the other side.
“God help us all.”
* * *
“Lake’s been watching this show a lot lately, and it’s starting to scare me,” Vincent told them with a bit of worry in his voice.
“Is it Deadly Women? Because Elle’s been watching that too,” Nero agreed, looking a bit frightful his sweet girlfriend would watch that.
Lucca looked at him, usually not involving himself with them in talking about Chloe, but it seemed like a lightbulb had gone off when he heard the name. “Chloe has too.”
“It’s creepy as hell.” Vincent shook a little. “When did they start watching that?”
“I don’t know…,” Nero admitted.
Drago and Angel looked at each other, both of them knowing the source.
Vincent looked at Angel. “Is Adalyn watching it?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
Drago rolled his eyes at the horrible lie.
“How about Katarina?” Lucca asked with a smile, seeming to now know why his scarred beauty had become interested in a show like that.
Deciding not to answer, Drago looked down at the men. “You pussies aren’t scared your girls are going to kill you in your sleep, are you?”
“Hell yes, I am,” Vincent answered, like he had asked a dumbass question. “And the way your wife took a fucking bat to your house, you should too!”
“I’m not scared.” Drago sat back in his chair. “I got rid of the bat and hid my gun from her.”
“Smart man.” The pretty boy nodded his head. “Kat’s hot as hell, but her ass is fucking crazier than Lake’s.”
Angel reached out and punched him in the arm.
“What the fuck!” Vincent growled. “You’re dating my sister, dumbass. You can’t hit me when you think the same thing!”
“No.” Drago hit his other arm harder than the tatted one had. “But I can.”
The pretty boy growled even louder, standing up from his chair. “What the fuck!”
“Sit your ass back down,” Lucca demanded. “You’re not going to fight Drago.”
“You’re right.” Vincent sat back down knowing what he said was true. “I wouldn’t want to hurt my face now that I’m the good-looking one again.”
Maria, who had been trying to ignore them, practically choked. “Hah! Yeah, right.”
“It’s true. Kat said I was pretty, and I haven’t seen her swooning over Lucca like the rest of the girls have.”
The only
thing that stopped Drago from wringing his neck was his underboss’s hand on his chest.
Lucca’s eyes glowered at the soldier he hated most. “You don’t get to kill him. I’ve already called him.”
“Why do you keep forgetting that she also called you a dumbass?” Maria taunted the pretty boy, wanting Lucca to do it already.
“She did call you a dumbass,” Amo agreed, finally speaking.
“All I heard was pretty,” Vincent corrected them before he glowered his own eyes at the tall blonde. “Why are you in here anyway—”
“She has more fucking right to be in here than you,” Lucca’s voice cut him off. It appeared like he was about to kill him when the door finally opened, saving the pretty boy’s life just in time.
“Sorry I’m late,” Sal came in. “Me and Kat were having a debate about the Pythagorean theorem.”
“Nerds.” Vincent practically gagged the word up before a huge slap hit the back of his head. Turning to see it was Sal who hit him, his pretty mouth snapped shut.
It took everything Drago had not to laugh, it was obvious Vincent feared Sal the most, having good reason to do so. There was nothing like having the control of being able to hack into any phone or computer to find out everything about a person and their deepest darkest secrets to keep a man, even as annoying as Vincent, afraid. Making him one hell of a powerful man just by sitting behind a keyboard. That was fucking true power.
“Now that were all here,”—Lucca flipped his lighter open to take a much-needed hit off a cigarette—“look around to the people in this room.”
Eyeing around the room, he saw everyone’s face turned serious, the boardroom they were in quickly turning into a war room with just a few words.
“These are the only faces you can trust,” their underboss continued commanding each and every one. “Anyone outside, we cannot trust isn’t One-Shot. No matter who it is.”
Drago: Made Men, #6 Page 16
