Leave Me Breathless: The Black Rose Collection

by Dakota Willink

  “You’re lying.”

  “Nope. Not at all. Oh, and then there are the pictures the doc took. The bruises on my neck…” I let my words linger and tsked at him. “That sure is going to be damning evidence.”

  There was that tell-tale angry tick in his jaw and I chanced a glance at his fists. They were opening and closing, a sure sign that he was about to attack.

  “I’m still going to call your bluff,” he reiterated. “And I’m still going to kill you.”

  He reached down for his ankle and I instantly knew he was going for the gun he most likely had secured there. I was expecting that. Just as he lifted the hem of his pants and removed it from the holster, I brought my leg around to kick him in the face. The heavy boots caused blood to spurt from his nose as he flew backward and sprawled to the ground. The gun skittered toward me and out of his reach. Moving quickly I kicked it away and watched as it disappeared under the sofa. I couldn’t have planned the guns landing place better if I’d tried.

  Ethan scrambled back up to his feet and spit blood on the ground. His eyes flashed.

  “You fucking bitch!”

  I don’t know who moved first—him or me. All I knew was that I wasn’t fast enough. A hard fist connected with my cheek and I went hurling to the floor. I scrambled to my knees just as Ethan gripped the top of my cropped hair. He yanked me roughly to my feet and smashed my head against the living room wall. Stars dotted my vision and it was if I were thrown back in time. I remembered this feeling of pain blooming in my skull all too well.

  Releasing my hair, he wrapped a hand around my neck. When it began to slip from the oil, he wrapped the other hand around like a manacle, squeezing until my vision began to darken. I thought I might pass out. Calling on my lessons with Derek, Hana, and Xi, I raised my right arm and twisted. Using all my strength, I tried to dislodge his wrists from my throat.

  But it didn’t work. What I was taught—all of my defense lessons—didn’t work.

  “No, Ethan. Please, don’t do this!” I rasped.

  “It useless to try to fight me, Gia. How many times do I have to tell you that?” he growled. In a fit of rage, he let go of my throat, grabbed me by the hair again and whipped me down to the ground. Along the way, my side smacked against the coffee table and I could swear I heard a crack. Whether it was my ribs or the table, I couldn’t be sure. My head, my cheek, my back—I hurt all over and it was hard to tell where the pain stopped and started. The room tilted, my vision becoming hazy. I couldn’t move, my body nothing but a lifeless heap on the floor.

  This is it. He’s finally going to kill me. I was stupid to come here.

  I lay there motionless, knowing he was near. I could hear his ragged breaths and shuffle of his feet as he stalked closer. In my mind, Derek’s words came into focus.

  You are not weak. You are not what he says you are.

  You are smart and intelligent.

  What happened is not your fault. You did not fail.

  You are strong. You are enough. You are in charge.

  He can’t hurt you anymore.

  I couldn’t let Ethan strike. I needed to fight. I was enough. This was my life and I was going to take it back.

  Ethan hovered over me for a moment before reaching down and gripping my jaw with one large hand.

  “I’m going to kill that boyfriend of yours next, Gia. If I can’t have you, neither can he,” he hissed. “But first, I’m going to take what’s mine one last time and you’re going to let me. My cock will be the last thing you ever feel on this earth. Because make no mistake—you are mine and I will hurt you as much as I want.”

  With my eyes still closed, I tried not to scream bloody murder as I heard the sound of his pant buckle coming undone. I may not have been able to stop myself from doing exactly that if it hadn’t been for the fact that I was fully clothed. Instead of panicking, I focused on trying to retrieve the kubotan tucked into the side of my waistband without him seeing it. I peered at him, cracking my eyes open just enough to see that he wasn’t paying one bit of attention to what I might be doing. He was too preoccupied with his lust and freeing his dick more than anything else.

  I swallowed back the bile welling in my throat as I slid the tiny knife from its hiding spot. Using my thumb and forefinger, I unscrewed the cap until I could pull it from its sheath. Keeping it hidden under my hip, I waited. When the zippering sound of his fly filled my ears, I knew I would only have seconds to act.

  “Why do you do these things, Gia? I just wanted to love you. I gave you everything but you had to fuck it all up,” he muttered, almost whining, before stepping between my legs and lowering himself down to me. When he reached for the elastic waistline of my yoga pants, I swung my arm up with all my might and felt the kubotan sink into flesh.

  “Fuck!” Ethan roared, but I didn’t stop. Pulling the knife out, I plunged it in a second time, then a third. He rolled off me, clutching his arm and blood-stained sleeve. “I can’t believe you fucking stabbed me! I told you not to fight me, damn it!”

  “I’m not fighting you, Ethan. This is self-defense!”

  Not wasting a moment, I quickly got to my feet but Ethan was almost as quick. Lunging for me, he tripped over the corner of the area rug. It was like watching a scene in slow motion. With arms flailing as he went down, his head smacked the corner of the coffee table and his body sprawled to the floor. He laid there unconscious and unmoving.

  Knowing I didn’t have a moment to waste, I ran as fast as I could to the bedroom to retrieve the bat. If I hesitated for even a second, I knew I’d never be able to do what needed to be done. If I ever wanted to truly be free, there was no other option. I had to kill him. If I didn’t, he would surely kill me.

  When I returned to the living room, I hoisted it over my head, preparing to throw all of my strength behind the swing. However, the expression on Ethan’s face made me pause. His body was perfectly still and his eyes…they were open and vacant as if he were already…

  “Ethan?” I hesitantly whispered.

  Standing over him, I watched the stain of blood grow larger and larger on the carpet. It was coming from an unseen wound on his head. Using the toe of my boot, I gave him a slight nudge.

  Nothing.

  Cautiously, I squatted down to press my fingers to his neck. There was no pulse or intake of breath. There was no rise and fall to his chest. He wasn’t screaming at me, calling me names or threatening me with things I knew he’d one day make good on. He was just still and so very quiet.

  Ethan was dead.

  For the first time since meeting him, I was surrounded by the sound of silence. Slowly, I stood. With the wooden bat in hand, I moved like a zombie toward my bedroom. Once there, I returned the bat to its proper place, then removed the material wrapped around my hands. Slipping the bulky rings from each finger, I balled them up in the material and shoved it in my sports bra. It was the best I could do until I could one day dispose of it all. Self-defense, even with the kubotan, was one thing. However, there could be no evidence of intent.

  After swapping out my boots for a pair of sneakers, I pulled on an oversized sweatshirt and went back to the living room. Sitting on the floor next to Ethan, tears began to stream down my face.

  I didn’t cry because he was dead, but from relief because it was finally over. My chest heaved with sobs that came deep from my core. I gave myself over to it, feeling all the hurt, betrayal, and anger. I mourned the fantasy of a man I thought I loved, finally saying goodbye to a part of my life that would never, ever be forgotten.

  Wiping my tears from my face, I pulled out my cell phone and dialed 9-1-1.

  “9-1-1. What’s your emergency?”

  “Hello. My name is Gianna Valentini. My husband…he’s dead.”

  30

  Queens, New York

  1 week later

  I exited Grand Central Terminal and headed outside to catch a cab. My skin prickled with goosebumps from the wind blowing of the East River as I waved my arm to signa
l the taxi.

  “Where to, Miss?” the cab driver asked.

  “The Mill on Roosevelt Avenue, Queens.”

  The driver pulled away from the curb and I looked out the window at the passing streets. It seemed like I moved to this city a lifetime ago even though it had been less than a year. Perhaps it was the stress of being on the run and looking over my shoulder every single day that made my time here seem endless. I couldn’t be sure. I only knew that after being away from New York for only a week, I had learned one thing. The city had become my home somewhere along the way.

  When the cab pulled up in front of The Mill, I paid the driver and stepped out onto the pavement. My hands felt clammy from anxious jitters and I wiped them on my jeans. I was nervous wreck over facing Derek. I hadn’t spoken to him since the night of Ethan’s death. When we spoke that night, police had been everywhere. There was no mistaking the questioning look in Derek’s eyes, wondering whether or not I had killed Ethan. Technically, I didn’t. However, I knew I would have if it came down to it. Did Derek know that too? When he saw me today, I worried over whether he’d still look at me the same.

  I took stock of the gym after I walked inside and my heart sank. Derek had reopened for business but there were still large areas roped off where the damage had yet to be repaired. He wasn’t exaggerating when he called me the night of the break-in. The place was literally a mess.

  I spotted Derek standing outside his office door speaking to a man wearing a hard hat. The man was pointing at the broken glass walls of the racket ball court and I assumed he was a contractor here to repair the damages. Derek turned his head slightly and spotted me walking in his direction. Instantly, his eyes widened in surprise and he smiled a cheek splitting grin. He quickly excused himself and closed the remaining distance between us in three long, powerful strides.

  “Hey,” I said quietly.

  “Gianna, I haven’t heard from you. I was so…” he trailed off, seeming at a loss for words before abruptly pulling me into the tightest embrace I’d ever felt. I could hardly breathe—but in the best possible way. He made me feel at home and I knew I’d made the right choice by returning. He stroked my head and whispered into my ear, “God, I was so worried about you. You haven’t answered my calls and I didn’t know how to find you. The last time I saw you, you were being escorted to the police station.”

  “I’m sorry for that,” I said sincerely and pulled back slightly to look at him. “It’s over Derek. I don’t have to worry about Ethan anymore.”

  “I know but… Christ, can you tell me what the hell happened?”

  “Your training happened. Your words. You saved me.”

  “Are you trying to say…”

  “If you think I killed him, I didn’t. I want to be clear about that before it becomes an elephant in the room. There was a fight though. Ethan went down and cracked his head on a table. The police were easily able to deduce self-defense and I’m clear of any wrongdoing,” I assured. “I’ll tell you all about it but…it’s not a good story and I don’t really want to get into it all here. Okay?”

  “Okay,” he agreed, nodding his acceptance. “So…where have you been since?”

  “I went back to Cincinnati. There were some things I needed to sort out. I met with a lawyer about some things and went through my old house. I was surprised to see Ethan had kept all of my stuff. I planned to rent a moving truck and bring some things back here—like the couch so I could replace the old one I’m currently using. But…” I hesitated, not sure how to articulate my feelings.

  “But what?” Derek prodded.

  “I didn’t want any of the things in the house—not the couch, not any of my old clothes or jewelry. The only thing I took was a small cedarwood box that had mementos of my mom. Taking anything else would have reminded me of that part of my life. I want to forget all of that, Derek. I want to start over, old couch and all. I have a new life here in the city and I want to focus on that. I never want to be dependent on a man again but with you… it’s already too late. Being away made me realize how much I need you in my life—no—how much I want you in my life. And I was hoping that maybe—just maybe—you might be on the same page as me. What do you say, boy scout? Want to give this a real chance?”

  Derek tilted my chin up with his index finger. His gaze was so intense, I blushed and looked down. He chuckled.

  “I love the way you lower those long lashes when you’re embarrassed by something.”

  I snapped my head up to look at him again.

  “I’m not embarrassed by anything!”

  That just made him laugh more.

  “I love that too—the way your tiny shoulders stiffen with indignation when you’re offended.”

  I pursed my lips in a frown.

  “You still haven’t answered my question,” I pointed out.

  “Sparky, I’m proud of you. We all have demons but it’s up to us when we choose to face them. You confronted yours and managed to stand strong in the end. You inspire me and I am honored that you are choosing me to share your life with.”

  My mouth titled up on one side.

  “So is that a yes?”

  His knuckles grazed the side of my cheek ever so softly.

  “It’s definitely a yes.”

  Our breaths mingled together as his arms circled my lower back and pulled me to him. He was so strong in the way he held me as he brought his lips down to meet mine. I surrendered to the kiss, knowing that I didn’t have to lose a piece of myself in order to find love. Independence and love could coexist as long as I allowed it.

  About Dakota Willink

  Dakota Willink is an Amazon Top 100 Bestselling Author. She loves writing about damaged heroes who fall in love with sassy and independent females. Her books are character driven, emotional, and sexy, yet written with a flare that keeps them real. With six published titles and a magazine publication under her belt, Dakota's imagination is constantly spinning new ideas.

  Dakota often says she survived her first publishing with coffee and wine. She's an unabashed Star Wars fanatic and still dreams of one day getting her letter from Hogwarts. She enjoys spending time with her super-supportive husband and two witty teenagers, her two Labrador Retrievers, and her spoiled rotten cat. During the summer months, she can often be found soaking up the sun on the Great Lakes with her family.

  To find out the latest, visit http://www.dakotawillink.com or text DAKOTA to 77948.

  FORBIDDEN LOVE

  A Novel by Elizabeth Knox

  FORBIDDEN LOVE

  by Elizabeth Knox

  Caprice DiGiovanni has made the decision to run from her father, who runs the Italian Mafia. He's arranged for her to marry a Russian arms dealer. Only, she's not going to. She's running to the only place where she feels that she can be safe - Ireland, straight into the territory of the Mackenzies.

  TRIGGER WARNING

  This book is intended for mature audiences only. If darker books are not for you, please do not move forward. After re-adjusting my trigger warning system, I will not be giving any spoilers. Please understand that this is not your run of the mill romance and tough subjects will be spoken about in this storyline.

  TIME PERIOD NOTE

  Forbidden Love takes place before the end of the Skulls Renegade MC.

  FAMILY TREE

  The Mackenzie Family:

  Desmond, 57 (m.) Sofia, 59

  Liam, 31 (from Desmond’s previous marriage)

  Sloane, 22

  Greer, 22

  The DiGiovanni Family:

  Gabriele, 63 (m.) Carmella, 61

  Giovanni “Gio”, 33

  Lorenzo “Lore”, 30

  Luigi “Lu”, 29

  Domenico “Dom”, 28

  Matteo, 26

  Caprice, 26

  Francesca, 26

  Alessio, 22

  Alessandra, 17

  Antonio, 14

  PLAYLIST

  Nothing Breaks Like a Heart — Mark Ronson & Miley Cyrus


  Good Years — ZAYN

  Better to Lie — Benny Blanco, Jessie & Swae Lee

  Drowning — KREAM & Clara Mae

  Sweettalk my Heart — Tove Lo

  If The World Was Ending — JP Saxe ft. Julia Michaels

  Not 20 Anymore — Bebe Rexha

  Scary Nights — G Easy

  Slow Dance — AJ Mitchell ft. Ava Max

  Yours — Ella Henderson

  Too Good To Be True — Danny Avila ft. The Vamps

  Dedicated to the forbidden loves

  Take the risk.

  Let the outsiders stare and love the person you stand beside as hard as you can. We only get one life and there’s no point in living with regrets.

  Just love them and smile doing it.

  Prologue

  My heart is so tired.

  ~ Markus Zuzak

  Caprice

  My father has done a lot of things to me, things that I can’t ever quite understand. There’s not a doubt in my mind that he doesn’t give a damn about me. I’m only one thing for him – a tool. The only value I have is in the fact that I’m a woman. There is nothing else for me besides whoever it is that he tries to pawn me off too. My father had no problem tossing me in the direction of his business associates before. I was their small treat after he closed a deal, or maybe I was part of the deal. Some days I think about it and then I realize I don’t think I’ll ever know.