Violent Heart: A Dark Reverse Harem (A Death So Sweet Book 3)

by Candace Wondrak

  What were the odds?

  As he slowly made his way around his vehicle, coming towards me, he spoke into a radio on his chest. His other hand rested on the gun on his hip, but he didn’t pull it out, didn’t point it at me. How disappointing.

  Know what else was disappointing? The fact that I heard him say it was just a prank.

  Yes, the girl walking through city streets on this fine morning covered in blood was just a prank by some bored teenager. Like, come on. In what reality would an excuse like that work?

  Here, of course, because here all logic flew out of the window. The police were all crooked. They had their loyalties. This one, I was right in recognizing him, hopefully still had his loyalty to the Lucianos. It would just be my luck that he’d switched it up.

  I smiled at him as he approached. “We keep meeting under the strangest of circumstances.” My voice dripped sarcasm, and I was quite certain my grin was maniacal. Back to my crazy self. Lola Harding was back, baby, and she wasn’t going to stop until all her enemies were dead, Aiden and Bianca included.

  And, you know, if that meant going against the Lucianos and going off on my own… so be it. I refused to sit back and let Bianca try to use me, and I’d be damned if I let their attack on Viper and Mike and Roman’s girl go without retribution. And as for my brother? Well, I didn’t need to explain why he needed to die.

  “Uh, huh” was all he said for the longest while, and I kept grinning at him, waiting for more. “Look, you can’t just sit here. This park gets busy around eight, so—”

  “I’m afraid I don’t know where I am,” I admitted. “Got a little turned around last night. Could you bring me to the Luciano residence? I’d be forever grateful.” Look at me. Using manners and shit. My parents would be so proud of their angel.

  He set both hands on his sides as he stared at me, eyeing me up not like a piece of meat but more like someone he didn’t trust. “Sure. First, tell me if that blood is connected to the two murders that were reported an hour ago. Two college students, both male—”

  “Yes, yes, it was me, Officer,” I spoke with a toothy smile. Leaping to my feet, I added, “Now, are you going to cuff me and take me to jail, or are we going to the Lucianos?” I stared at him, and he stared right back. I could tell taking me anywhere was the last thing he wanted to do, but seeing as how he reported it was all a prank—go fucking figure—he kind of had to, unless he wanted more panic on the streets.

  It didn’t take him long to give in, “Fine. But you’re riding in the back.” He turned, starting to head to his cruiser, and I followed him, my bare feet on the grass until we hit the sidewalk. He opened the backdoor for me, glancing at me again. “Try not to get blood all over the seat.”

  I grinned. “No promises, big boy.” Saying nothing else, I ducked my head as I got in the car.

  The officer rolled his eyes at me, silently heading around the car to get in the driver’s seat, and within another moment, we were on the move.

  Watching the scenery go by, I glanced at the back of his head. He was a younger officer, kind of cute, but not really my type. I liked ‘em crazy, as crazy as I was, and those were some big shoes to fill. “I heard there was a shooting last night,” I started, trying to find some information on Viper and Mike.

  “There was,” he said. “Busy night.” At that, his eyes flicked to the rearview mirror. “Part of it thanks to you.”

  I shrugged his accusation off, mostly because he wasn’t wrong. “Were there any deaths—besides the two college kids, I mean. Vinny and Mike—” When I mentioned their names, the officer’s movements became stiffer, as if he didn’t want to talk about it. Noticing the difference in how he acted the moment I brought their names up, I felt my gut sink, my intestines churn into knots.

  Somehow, I had the feeling that wasn’t good.

  Leaning forward, I asked, “What happened? Are they… are they dead? Do you know who did it?” If I got a name—or names, I could make sure I put a knife in their hearts on my way to kill Bianca. Make sure justice was served and all that.

  “I can’t discuss police investigations with a civilian,” he muttered.

  No matter what I said or did after that didn’t matter. The officer refused to speak to me, and that didn’t bode well. I took it as a bad sign, and I bit the inside of my cheek, turning my gaze to the window once more.

  The minutes passed, and it took us almost twenty minutes to make it to the other side of town, where the Luciano’s mansion was. He stopped not before the house, but on the street, saying nothing as he got out of the car and moved to let me out.

  I straightened myself once I stood, giving the officer another smile. “Thanks, doll,” I spoke, giving him a wink as I sauntered up the long pathway to the house. I didn’t look back; I figured the cop was happy to be rid of me… or that he was checking the backseat of his cruiser to see if I’d gotten any blood anywhere.

  I mean, hey, I was kind of covered in it. I couldn’t help it if I got some blood on his seat.

  The house was just as large and imposing as I remembered it being. A part of me expected to see Daddy Luciano standing in one of the windows, waiting for me somehow, but as I glanced up, I saw no movement in any of the overly large windowpanes. I saw nothing and no one, but that was probably because everyone was asleep or… or with Viper and Mike.

  Fuck. My heart sank as I reached the front door, my bloodied arm going for the doorbell. What if they were both dead because of me? I was not one to feel guilt—not unless you counted my guilt over not killing my brother sooner—but for Viper and Mike, I knew I’d feel it. They were good men. They didn’t deserve whatever harsh fate they got.

  My finger pushed the button, and I waited. As I waited, I tried to come up with what I’d say, what I’d do. For someone who didn’t give a shit about anything else in life, this was something I didn’t want to screw up. Yes, I’d gone on a bit of a bender, but I think, with what I went through, with who I saw and the truths I learned, I deserved a few hours to let loose.

  Hell, maybe they didn’t even know the attack on Viper and Mike’s apartment was so all attention would be off me. It was possible they didn’t put it together, too busy dealing with that and the attack on Roman and Carter’s girl.

  Shit. I was so dead if that girl died last night. There was literally no hope for me if that was the case. Nothing I could say or do would make the situation any better, and that sucked, because, like I’d mentioned before, I’d finally found where I belonged, after all this time.

  No one answered the door. No one came to the door. In fact, as I continued to stand there, waiting, I heard nothing. Seconds turned into minutes, and I tried the doorbell again, my nerves completely shot.

  Yet again, no one came.

  I took a step back, craning my neck as I looked up at the mansion. What if no one was home? Shit. I didn’t even think of that.

  Because I had nothing to lose, I tried the doorknob. They were not the type of people who would ever leave their house unlocked, but you never knew. After yesterday, I was starting to realize the things I thought were true couldn’t have been more wrong. Everything was topsy-turvy.

  And, strangely, oddly, utterly bizarrely, the front door was open.

  I pushed inside, quiet as a mouse after I closed the door. I didn’t call out for anyone; instead, I cocked my head and listened. The house was huge. I knew there was no way I would be able to hear everything going on inside the house, but it was too quiet. Way too quiet. Like, the you could hear a damned needle drop kind quiet.

  Inching through the house, I went room by room. No one in the kitchen. No one in the halls. Upstairs, I found no one in the piano room or the many lounges. My bedroom looked untouched, as did the rooms I knew belonged to Maddox and Sylvester.

  The deeper I went into the house, the more off it felt. Something here was wrong. It was a feeling that was very similar to how I’d felt prior to singing at the Gilded Rose. This… this wasn’t normal. Something was definitely goi
ng on, and I suddenly grew worried that it had been more than just a three-pronged attack.

  But then why would Bianca ask me to kill the Luciano heirs if her people had already done it? And, if they were dead, surely there would be a sign of a struggle or something. I hadn’t come across anything. Just an empty, silent house.

  I went up the stairs to the third floor, stopping the moment I was in the hall. It was a floor of the house I was not too accustomed to, because this was Daddy Luciano’s floor. It was where his office was, where his room was, where, I assumed, he kept all the important things. I didn’t halt because I felt like it was off-limits, though.

  No, I stopped because I heard a noise coming from down the hall.

  My heart started to beat a little faster, and I inched my way down, the blood on my body dry now. I was sure I looked quite the sight; whoever it was would get an eyeful of a murderous, primal goddess of death. Even my blonde hair had red in it. My face, my arms, my chest… yeah, I was very messy last night.

  The noise was coming from Daddy Luciano’s office, and I hugged the wall as I got closer. I stopped just aside the door, finding it was wide open—another strange thing. The few times I was brought up here, the door had always been shut. Richard Luciano liked his privacy.

  Don’t quote me on this, but it sounded like the opening and closing of drawers, the rustling of papers. It sounded as if someone was going through the office, and that someone wouldn’t be Big Daddy. Daddy Luciano would know where everything was; he wouldn’t need to search, and if he did search, he wouldn’t sound so frantic about it.

  I moved my face closer to the doorframe, peeking around it, and the person I saw going through the desk was not someone I knew. Shit. Where were the Lucianos? And what the fuck was I going to do with this guy? I couldn’t just let him go through Daddy Luciano’s desk. What if he found something that would be damning to the Lucianos? What if he brought something to Bianca and it fucked my guys over?

  No. No, whoever that guy was, he had to die.

  Just as I was wondering where the hell to find a weapon in this house—for surely the guy would be done searching by the time I went down to the kitchen and came back up with a knife—he happened to glance up and see me.

  Double shit.

  The man’s expression hardened, and I booked it, running down the hall and to the stairwell, as fast as my dress would allow. The fucking thing did restrict some movement, even after being torn during last night’s events.

  The man was quick. Lightning-fast. Before I made it down the stairs, he was on top of me, tackling me. Together we rolled down, our bodies in a heap as we both fought to be the superior one. He had muscle on him, but he didn’t go for the gun I’d seen on his side, which I thought was odd.

  We rolled to a stop, me beneath him on the landing between floors, and since he wasn’t going for his gun, I decided to go for it myself. Didn’t particularly like guns, but hey, beggars couldn’t be choosers and all that.

  Right when I pulled the gun out, he grabbed my wrist and slammed it back so hard I lost hold of the gun. The blasted thing fell out of my hand, and I let out a grunt as I whipped my head up and slammed my forehead against his. The stars that blurred my vision shortly afterward were worth it… however the strong hand that curled around my neck as a result, not so much.

  The gun out of reach, with one of his hands around my neck and the other holding my arm down, I was fucked. Any struggling would be pointless now, so I gazed up into the eyes of my attacker and memorized his face. A stranger was going to kill me. Who would’ve guessed?

  He squeezed my neck hard, his teeth bared. I got flashes of silver every now and then in his mouth, but my attention was mostly on his eyes. Light grey things, practically silver. They were a beautiful pair of eyes set in a grizzled, chiseled face that could kill. His hair was a pitch-black color, save for a lone white streak near his left temple. The sides were cut short, the rest of it slicked back. He wore all black, and his put-togetherness had gotten disheveled during the scuffle and roll down the stairs.

  If I had to guess an age, I’d put him near Viper and Mike’s age; about thirty or so. A handsome guy, I had to admit, even if he was going to kill me.

  A pity. I had so much more I had left to do. Bianca, Aiden, whoever had hurt Viper and Mike. The list went on and on, and I knew my unfinished business would haunt me in hell.

  Our eyes locked, and suddenly the hand squeezing my neck loosened a bit. It loosened, but he did not let go. “Wait,” he spoke, and I got more brief flashes of silver. “You’re her, aren’t you? The girl Sylvester’s been going on about?”

  I managed a nod, even with his hand on my neck. The dude had a strong grip, I had to hand it to him. Kind of reminded me of Maddox, except he wasn’t Maddox, so my lady bits weren’t as excited to be choked.

  “Well, fuck me.” The man grinned, and it was then I realized why I kept seeing silver anytime he moved his lips. His teeth.

  No, scratch that. His canines. His fangs—they were longer than they should be, and they were made of silver.

  “The name’s Fang,” he added, unhurried in getting off me. He stood, grabbed his gun, and made no moves to help me up or apologize for trying to strangle me.

  “Fitting,” I said. “I’m Lola.” I watched him straighten himself out. He was tall. Like, well over six feet. Taller than Maddox or Sylvester. Quite the impressive and intimidating fellow, especially with those teeth.

  “Lola, what a silly name,” he spoke, his voice almost sounding like an animal. Low and gravelly. He was completely unimpressed by the fact that I was covered in blood, and I wasn’t sure whether I liked this guy or hated him.

  “You know Sylvester?” I asked, getting to my feet slowly. My head hurt a bit from the headbutt, but it would go away soon. I had other things to focus on, much more important things, like who the hell this guy was, why he was here, and why he was going through Daddy Luciano’s office.

  Tsk-tsk-tsk.

  “Oh, yeah, we go way back,” Fang spoke as he slid the gun back into its holster. “I try not to stick my head into Luciano business often, but I’m there when they need me, and right now, they need me.” He eyed me up, more curious than anything. “They didn’t say anything about you being here, though.”

  “I just got here.” I hugged the railing on the stairwell that circled the landing, suddenly feeling so very tired. That’s what no sleep did to you, coupled with a wild night full of shit. “I didn’t… I didn’t know when I’d be back, and I don’t have their number to call them.” Hell, I didn’t even have a phone. I had nothing but me. Not even the clothes I wore were mine, technically. They were bought with Luciano money.

  “Well, as you can see, they’re not here.” Fang cocked his head, studying me harder. I could tell by his expression he didn’t know what to make of me, and he certainly didn’t trust me. The feeling was mutual, so I couldn’t blame him. Sylvester had never mentioned a Fang to me.

  I waited a beat before saying, “Where are they, then?”

  “I’m not sure if I should tell you,” he drawled out, glowering as his stare hardened. “Last the Lucianos knew, you were at the Gilded Rose, when Carter abandoned you for his girlfriend. How do I know that you’re still loyal to the family? If I heard right, you did kill Mario.”

  Ugh. That was so old news by now.

  “You’re right,” I admitted, “I did kill Mario, but that was before… all this. If you’re trying to figure out whether I’m like Tony, I’m not.” Nothing I said would make him believe me, I knew, and that irked me to no end. I didn’t have time for these games. Why couldn’t Fang see that?

  Hmm. Maybe I had to play a different hand, the hand of a lover.

  I took a step toward Fang, holding my own against his glowering. “I’m sure if Sylvester knew that I was here, he’d want you to take me to him.” It was now my turn to question, “What were you doing in that office, anyway? How do I know you haven’t betrayed them?”

  Fang let out
an irritated groan. “You’re right. Get cleaned up. If you think I’m bringing you to them while you’re covered in God knows whose blood, you’re crazy.”

  He didn’t know me nearly well enough, then, because I was one hell of a crazy bitch. All I did was smile in return and say, “You didn’t tell me what you were doing in Richard’s office.” Felt weird to call him that; in my head it was usually Daddy Luciano, but for some reason I couldn’t force myself to call him that in front of Fang.

  “No,” he admitted, “I didn’t, and that’s because it’s none of your business.” He took a few steps toward me, measured in towering over me, using his height to his advantage. If I was anyone else but me, I would certainly be intimidated by his stance and the power and strength radiating off him.

  But, alas, I was me, so I met his glare with one of my own, along with a smile.

  “Listen, you might be a favorite among the young Lucianos, but I know what you are, and I’m not impressed. You aren’t an equal to them or me. Remember that,” he growled out, pausing before adding, “as you wash that blood off you.”

  I wanted above all else to know what he was looking for, why the Lucianos themselves weren’t here, but I knew as I stared up at him he wouldn’t give me the answers. I’d have to wait, hope that I could indeed trust this stranger and let him bring me to them, wherever they currently were.

  There was a lot I could’ve said to Fang, many snide and quite angry retorts I could’ve replied with, but I held them all in, knowing it would get me nowhere. Egging on Maddox was a specialty, but this guy… I didn’t want to push his buttons too hard, lest he change his mind and not take me to them. Sometimes you had to suck it up to get the ball rolling, and honestly…

  Honestly, I needed to see them, to be in the same room as them, to hear their voices and try to block out my brother’s. Not saying I needed comfort like some scared little girl, but it would be nice to be able to shut the world out for a bit.