King of Souls

by L A Cotton

  “Before we continue with the celebrations, I would just like to say to you, Arianne, we look forward to officially welcoming you to our family. I don’t know about Roberto, but I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than watching our children take their vows. Now please, the night is still young, and the drinks are still flowing. I hope to see you all up on the dance floor before we say goodnight.”

  Applause and cheers filled the room as the light dimmed. But I didn’t move.

  I couldn’t.

  Scott’s eyes drilled into the side of my face as Nora cussed under her breath.

  Thanksgiving.

  He’d said Thanksgiving.

  That was only weeks away.

  “You knew.” My gaze slid to Scott.

  He wore an arrogant smirk. “I told you tonight was going to be special.”

  I shoved my chair back with such force, it almost toppled over.

  “Arianne, sweetheart?” The color drained from Mom’s face.

  “I’m fine.” The band around my chest tightened, stealing the air from my lungs. “I just need to freshen up.”

  I marched out of there with my head held high, nodding and smiling at the wave of congratulations offered from faceless guests.

  I could barely breathe, let alone engage in conversation.

  Thanksgiving.

  “Arianne, wait up.” Nora caught up with me just as I stepped out into the hall, but I didn’t stop. “Wait, just wait.” She snagged my wrist and I conceded.

  “Thanksgiving,” I hissed.

  “They really know how to ruin a girl’s night, huh?”

  “I need you to do me a favor.”

  “Anything...”

  “I need you to go back in there and cover for me.”

  “Ari...” Her lips pursed.

  “I’m only going up to my room. I need some space.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Yeah, Luis will be with me.” I glanced over at him and he nodded.

  “Here,” she handed me my clutch purse, “you forgot this.”

  “Thank you.”

  Nora pulled me in for a hug. “I know this is another blow, but it’s just a game. They’re just trying to keep the upper hand.”

  Nodding stiffly, I took a deep breath and met her eyes. “You should go before anyone comes looking.”

  “Okay, and for what it’s worth, I’m so fucking sorry.” She hurried back inside leaving me with Luis.

  He came toward me, his brows drawn with concern. “They know,” he said.

  “So it would seem.” We walked over to the elevator and waited.

  “I’ll let the Marchetti know.”

  I nodded. The doors pinged open and we stepped inside.

  “It’s a kink in the road but it doesn’t change anything.”

  I released an exasperated breath. “I’m going to my room. I don’t want you to let anyone inside, okay?”

  “Arianne, maybe I—”

  “Please, Luis. I need this.”

  “Very well,” he said around a tight expression. “I’ll make sure you have your space.”

  Good.

  For the first time since all this happened, I felt out of control. Wild. I felt like a caged animal pushed to its limit.

  And I was terrified that if I found myself cornered, I would do something reckless.

  Something I couldn’t undo.

  MY SUITE IN THE HOTEL looked like a storm had blown through it.

  The second the door had closed behind me, I had unleashed all my anger and frustration. Clothes lay scattered around the floor; my dress was in a crinkled heap on the bed and the pillow was stained with mascara and tears.

  But I felt better.

  I felt calmer somehow.

  True to his word, Luis had kept any potential visitors at bay. Nora had texted me to say the party was in full swing, detracting from my absence. Everyone thought I was sick.

  But Scott and my family knew the truth. And they afforded me a moment to myself. I guess I should have been grateful, but it was the least they could do given the bombshell Mike had dropped tonight.

  Thanksgiving.

  They wanted me to marry the man who had raped me, stolen my innocence, and hurt me in inexcusable ways, in less than two months' time.

  Luis was right. The likely explanation for the sudden change in plans was that Mike Fascini knew that Nicco and his father had discovered the truth about Elena Ricci.

  I grabbed the glass off the nightstand and threw it across the room, the sound of my screams piercing the silence. It hit the wall, shattering into a thousand pieces.

  “Arianne?” A knock sounded on the door.

  “I’m fine, Luis. I just... I broke a glass.”

  “Maybe I should—”

  “I said I’m fine,” I yelled.

  He didn’t reply.

  Pulling a pillow into my chest, I curled into a ball and laid down. I wanted to be stronger, to be down there putting on a brave face. But I was scared that if I did, and Scott said something to me, I would snap.

  In here, I was safe.

  They were safe from me.

  Because I felt different. Dark volatile energy coursed through me, making my skin vibrate and my body hum.

  I wanted to hurt him.

  I wanted to hurt his father.

  I wanted to make them both pay for what they’d taken from me. What they continued to take.

  The last thought I had was of Scott on his knees, begging me for forgiveness, begging me for his life, before everything went black.

  I WOKE STARTLED.

  Fear wrapped around me as I lay frozen on the bed. “Luis?” I called out.

  Where was I?

  It all came rushing back like a tidal wave.

  The party.

  Mike’s announcement.

  Me fleeing to my hotel room.

  I lay listening for any sound but there was nothing.

  Sitting up, I pushed the wild curls from my eyes. I was a mess. Dressed only in my underwear, my hair all over the place, and no doubt with makeup streaked down my face, I was thankful I couldn’t see my reflection in the darkness.

  Swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, I fumbled to find my cell phone. It was almost two-thirty. The party would be over by now, guests sleeping peacefully in their expensive suites. Nora would be with Dan, curled up in his arms. Dropping my cell back on the nightstand, I reached for the lamp switch but a noise in the corner of the room caught my attention. My eyes strained, my heart beating furiously in my chest.

  “What did I tell you, baby?” Scott’s voice had me paralyzed. He leaned forward, appearing from the black abyss like the Devil himself. “If you push, I will always push harder.”

  I flicked on the light, and my eyes widened at the sight of the gun in his hand.

  “What are you doing here, Scott? Where’s Luis?”

  “He’s around.”

  Bile rushed up my throat as I choked out, “You shouldn’t be here.”

  “Like Marchetti shouldn’t have been here earlier? Like he shouldn’t have been snooping around in Vermont?” He got up and stalked toward me, rubbing the pistol against his head like it was a comb. “I don’t know how many times I have to say this but you. Are. Mine.”

  I pulled my legs up, shuffling back onto the bed but Scott was quicker. His hand shot out, grabbing my ankle and yanking me toward him.

  “Don’t, please...” I couldn’t let this happen, not again. “My father will—”

  “You think your old man gets a say in any of this? I am untouchable. My father has enough lawyers and cops in his pocket to protect me. I could fuck you right here and cut you up into tiny little pieces and no one would do a thing about it.”

  Waves of nausea rolled through me.

  “You’re mine, Arianne.” He leaned down, running his hands up my bare thighs, the overpowering stench of liquor on his breath. “Look at you, all laid out like this. Anyone would think you were waiting for me.
Waiting for your fiancé to come and dirty you up.”

  My hand cracked against his cheek, and Scott staggered back. “Fucking bitch.” He grabbed me by the hair, pain shooting through my skull, and threw me down on the floor. I tried to crawl away from him, but it was futile.

  Scott rounded me like a predator stalking its prey. “You look good on your knees.” He waved the pistol in the air, pointing it at me. “I think we should have a little fun, don’t you?”

  “Fuck you,” I seethed.

  I wasn’t going to beg for mercy.

  Maybe if I made him mad enough, he would shoot me and end this sick game I wanted no part of.

  “Hmm,” he chuckled darkly. “Kitty grew claws.” He shot forward, pressing the gun to my forehead. “Move.”

  My body shook, silent tears streaming down my face. I didn’t want to die. But I didn’t want to be his toy, not again.

  He kept the gun trained on me as he sat back in the chair, fumbling with his belt. His zipper went next and then he pulled his erection free, stroking himself roughly.

  I dry heaved into my hand.

  “You get me so hard, Principessa. You have no idea of the things I want to do to you.”

  “If you touch me, Nicco will kill you.”

  He stopped, his eyes darkening to two obsidian slits. “Marchetti is a dead man walking. In fact, I think I might serve up his head on a silver platter for you as a wedding gift. Would you like that?”

  “You’re nothing but a monster.”

  Scott slid off the chair, dropping to his knees. His erection brushed my stomach and I retched again, But then he grabbed my throat, cutting off my airway.

  He pressed the gun to my lips. “Suck it.”

  I smashed them together, determined not to let him break me.

  But he squeezed my windpipe harder forcing me to gasp for breath. Using my desperation to his advantage, he shoved the barrel of the pistol into my mouth. He was pleasuring himself. Moving the pistol in and out as he jerked himself off. All while silent hot tears streamed down my face.

  I didn’t understand what had happened to make him this way.

  He wasn’t only a monster.

  He was depraved.

  Grabbing my hand, he pushed it to his hard length, making me topple slightly, forcing the pistol further between my lips until I couldn’t breathe.

  “Fuck yeah,” he groaned, thrusting his hips wildly.

  He yanked the pistol free, grabbing my hair again and forcing my head down to his crotch. I sucked in big greedy lungfuls of air.

  “You’re going to put those pretty lips around me and suck.”

  I thrashed against him but then the click of the safety pierced the air and I froze.

  “Do it.”

  I was on all fours, his hand forcing my head in place. Frantically, I searched the floor for something, anything, I could use to hurt him.

  Then I felt it.

  The soft leather knife holster Luis had given me. It was empty, the knife must have scattered when I’d thrown it.

  “I’ll count to five, Arianne. Don’t make me get to zero, because you won’t like what happens.”

  Oh God.

  My eyes burned as I held myself in place, desperately trying to pat the floor for the knife without giving myself away.

  “Five... four... three...” I couldn’t find it, my fingers meeting nothing but soft carpet. “Two...” I stretched my hand further, praying to some higher power to help me.

  “On—”

  My fingertips met the smooth hilt of knife.

  “Time’s up.” He almost sounded disappointed.

  “Wait,” I said, lifting my head slowly. Scott narrowed his eyes. “Not like this, please...”

  His brow quirked up. If he glanced down to the left, he would see my hand, see me trying to reach for the knife.

  “Sit in the chair,” I said trying my best to hide the quiver to my voice.

  “Okay,” he said, “I’ll play. But you’d better fucking make it worth my while.”

  Scott lifted himself into the chair, keeping his legs wide, his hand wrapped proudly around his length.

  Everything about him made my skin crawl.

  But there was no other way.

  I scooched forward on my knees, sliding one hand up his thigh letting it drift precariously close to his erection. Scott groaned, sinking back in the chair. It was enough for me to grab the blade.

  His hand went to my hair, yanking me closer. “Now, Arianne. I won’t ask—”

  I slammed the knife into his thigh. Scott let out a grunt of pain. “You fucking bitch.” He shot forward to lunge for me, but I collapsed back out of his reach, grabbing the first thing I could find and swinging it at him.

  The lamp crashed against Scott’s head with a sickening thud. Scott groaned, falling back into the chair, blood trickling from the cut above his eye.

  Clambering to my feet, I grabbed my phone and a hotel robe, wrapping the soft fluffy material around my body, and I ran from the room.

  “Arianne?” Luis looked gutted as he appeared around the corner of the hall, flushed and breathless.

  “We need to go, now.”

  “What did you do?” He glanced to my room.

  “I... the knife...”

  “Is he dead?”

  I shook my head. Luis hesitated; his eyes fixed on the door. I knew what he was thinking. It was the same thing I was thinking. It would be so easy to go back in there and finish the job.

  “He has a gun,” I whispered, my body racked with fear.

  “Shit, okay. Come on, we should get you out of here. I’ll radio for some of our guys to deal with him.”

  Luis wrapped his arm around me and led me down the hall. We didn’t take the elevator, slipping into the stairwell instead.

  “What happened?” he asked as we hurried down the stairs.

  “I woke up and he was there, in my room. I asked where you were and—”

  “I heard something in the stairwell, so I went to check it out.” His jaw clenched. “He got the jump on me and knocked me out.”

  “He had a gun and tried to...” I swallowed a fresh wave of tears. “I found the knife you gave me and stabbed him. I couldn’t let him do that to me again. I just couldn’t.”

  “You did the right thing.” Luis glanced down at me. “But you know what this means?”

  “I can’t go back.” I trembled.

  “No, you can’t.” He pulled his cell from his pocket and typed out a text. It pinged two seconds later, and he read the message. “Okay, come on. Keep your head down and don’t stop for anyone, okay?”

  Luis opened the door and checked the coast was clear before beckoning for me to join him. We weren’t in the main foyer; it was a side entrance used for guests only. Luis fished a keycard out of his pocket and pressed it against the keypad. The door clicked open and we exited onto the street. A car pulled up alongside us and someone climbed out.

  “Enzo?” I blinked sure my eyes were deceiving me.

  “We need to go, now.” He and Luis shared a concerned look.

  “Go, Enzo will keep you safe.”

  “Wait.” Panic rose in my voice. “You’re not coming with us?”

  “I need to go back and make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid. Consider it damage control.”

  “But he has a gun...”

  “Vitelli can handle himself.” Enzo wrapped an arm around my shoulder and guided me toward the car. The gesture was so unlike him, I didn’t resist.

  “I’ll see you soon, okay?” Luis offered me a warm smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

  Everything had changed tonight.

  And it was all my fault.

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t do it,” I called over my shoulder.

  He frowned. “It’s okay, we always knew it might come to this.”

  I had no idea what he meant, but Enzo didn’t give me chance to ask. He pushed me into the car and slammed the door, going around to the driver’s side.<
br />
  Enzo climbed in. “You okay?” he asked coolly.

  “Not really.” I leaned my head against the cool glass, trying to make sense of the last few hours. “But I will be.”

  What other choice did I have?

  Chapter 19

  Nicco

  My eyes snapped open, the blare of my cell phone like a siren in the night. “What the hell?” I mumbled, trying to locate it. “Yeah?”

  “Nicco?” Enzo sounded distant.

  I shot upright. “What happened?”

  “It’s Ari, she’s... fuck, man. It’s messed up.”

  “Is she okay?” A bolt of fear shot through me, my hands trembling as I gripped the phone tighter.

  “She’s okay. I brought her out to the cabin.”

  “Okay, I’m on my way.”

  “Be careful.” He inhaled a ragged breath. “Fascini knew you were at the hotel, so there’s every chance he’s watching your movements. If you’re being tailed, you can’t lead them here.”

  He was right.

  The cabin was off the grid. A family hideaway few people knew about.

  “I’ll take precautions.” My words shook. “Can I talk to her?”

  “She’s sleeping.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you soon.” I inhaled a ragged breath. “And E?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you.”

  AFTER WAKING MY UNCLE and explaining the situation to him, I packed a bag, grabbed my keys and fired up my bike. The ride to the cabin should have only been an hour, but if Enzo was right and I was being watched then I needed to take a different route.

  It was the middle of the night, the roads deserted. But it worked in my favor. I’d barely made it out of Boston, when I realized I was being tailed.

  The black SUV kept its distance, but when I pulled off the interstate and took the state highway, and it followed, gut instinct told me it was more than just coincidence. I didn’t gun the engine. I kept a steady pace, trying to figure out how best to let things play out.

  If I tried to shake them and failed, I could be leading them straight to Arianne, which wasn’t an option. But if I tried to take them on, I could end up hurt ... or worse. I had no fucking idea if they were here on Mike Fascini’s orders or his son’s. Not that it mattered. Either way, I was the enemy in their eyes. Just as they were the enemy in mine.