by Rose Harper
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
GIVE ME FREE BOOKS
COPYRIGHT
SYNOPSIS
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
THANK YOU
PLAYLIST
COMING SOON
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GIVE ME FREE BOOKS
COPYRIGHT
Copyright © 2018 by Rose Harper, All Rights Reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations within critical reviews and otherwise as permitted by copyright law.
NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination.
Any resemblance to real life is purely coincidental. All characters in this story are 18 or older.
Copyright © 2018, Rose Harper Publishing. All rights reserved.
www.authorroseharper.wixsite.com/books/
Edited by Mitzi Pummer Carroll
Mitzi Carroll: Editor
Proofread by Marisa Nichols
Marisa Nichols: Proofreader
Cover Art by Mae’s Wicked Grafix
Mae’s Wicked Grafix
SYNOPSIS
They wanted a leader?
Well now they have a Queen.
They will either bow before me, or I will kill them all.
There are three things you never do to someone as merciless as me.
1. Screw them over.
2. Lie.
3. Take what’s theirs.
She will get what’s coming to her,
And I’m going to relish the blood I spill.
Two down;
Two more to go.
And she went straight to the top of my list.
Everyone thought I was bad before?
They have no idea the six levels of Hell I’m about to unleash.
The pain.
Death.
Destruction.
Oh, but they will.
They will know all too soon.
Do you think I will succeed in my mission?
Travel within enemy territory and take back what’s mine?
Well, of course I will.
I refuse to lose at anything.
Because there’s one thing you never do to a bloodthirsty, sadistic Queen,
And that’s wronging her by taking her King.
Blood and Secrets:4
The Calvetti Crime Family
1
CARINA
Clenching my fists tightly, I show no fear or cower before him as he makes his way toward the shower. The cuts along my knuckles break open from the force, little droplets of crimson blending with the water as it slides down the drain.
I have no idea who this motherfucker thinks he is, but he has no idea who he’s dealing with.
“Liam,” I spit his name as if it’s a disgusting taste on my tongue. I already feel tiny prickles of adrenaline dance across the expanse of my naked flesh—the zap of its electrical current putting me even more on edge. “It will do you well to get the fuck out of this room before I make you leave. I’m not in the mood for your shit right now; nor anyone else’s for that matter.”
From the first moment I laid eyes on him and Jake, I knew neither of them was up to any good. And him coming in here—against the orders to stay out of Mateo’s domain—just solidifies my assumption of what a lousy piece of shit he is.
Whoever he and that Jake person are, they aren’t here to make sure no harm befalls Mateo. I can clearly tell by the way their eyes dance with maniacal glee every time they get word of Mateo being in a potential deathly situation. Even though they don’t think anyone sees it, I do. I see everything that goes on in this house because, quite frankly, it’s my goddamn house. My people to stand up for and protect. And if I have to defend them from two of whom are supposedly our own, I will.
I stand silently fuming as his eyes continue to trail up and down my body. I can nearly feel his beady little gaze roam over every inch of my flesh, lying in wait to see if his presence makes me feel something.
Licking his lips, he braces a hand on the marble tile next to the shower door, practically snubbing me, yet hating the fact that he craves me at the same time.
“Liam, get the fuck out of here!” My voice grows louder, more lethal.
Humming, he replies, “I don’t think I will, sweetheart. You see, you’re going to be a good little bitch and give me what I want, then you’re going to give my good buddy Jake something, too.”
“Oh, really?” I ask, moving for the first time as I turn to fully face him.
This little punk clearly doesn’t know who he’s messing with. The woman he’s bothering is already in a shitty mood and just waiting for the fight bell to ding before fucking someone’s shit up.
Whoever sent him in here must have big balls, but they’re not going to have any by the time I’m through with them.
I’m tired of being pushed, looked over, and essentially labeled by the men in the house as a fragile little female. That’s not who I am, and it’s not who I was raised to be—if you can call what I experienced when I was younger as being raised. If I left it up to my training from childhood, every person in this house would be dead twice over.
Anger steadily unfurls in my gut, and the sight of Liam with that smug expression on his face is just making it worse. Each second I’m stuck staring at him, the more I want the haze of murderous intent to overwhelm me. I want to let loose, showing every person in this house what I’m capable of.
Luca already knows, but the others have no idea. They don’t know the depraved things that flow through my thoughts. They don’t understand that it takes everything inside me not to succumb to the thought of torturing them, feeling the pleasure of holding their lives in my hands.
And Liam? Jake? They can't comprehend the amount of hell I can rain down on them. But they’re about to, because I’m sick of holding all this shit back. I’m so fucking tired of living a lie.
I’m a goddamn Reap. The boogeyman of everyone’s nightmares. I’m not this stay-at-home wife who dotes on the men coming and going. And if anyone expects that of me, they’re going to be sorely mistaken.
I’m going to start acting the way I’ve been trained to.
Emotionless.
Hard.
Unhinged.
Vicious.
It’s time to open up the door and throw away the key.
“You sure you want to go there with me?” I ask, compartmentalizing my emotions once and for all. Even if they don’t want to be tucked back from where they came, those motherfuckers are of no use to me, and they will get me nowhere.
“No more talking, you little bitch,” he growls, moving to jerk the door open. “I’m going to fuck that pussy of yours until you can
’t take it anymore. Then, my buddy is going to have his way with you before we slit your throat and leave you to rot.”
They are, are they? A sickeningly, disturbing smile spreads across my face as if it were a serene mask as I soak up the summer rays in the middle of June. The more obnoxious he is, the more fun this is going to be. He’s cocky, arrogant—everything a little greenhorn like him should be. But, he clearly doesn’t realize who’s further up the food chain here, and I’m going to enjoy every minute of showing him.
Balling my fist up, I look up through my wet eyelashes. He needs to die, Reap. Steal the breath from his body. Before he can do anything, I release a blood curdling scream as every bit of rage festering inside of me spills out. The sound of the shower glass shattering hits my ears as my fist flies through it, but it’s nothing as sweet as the sound of his surprised gasp and choked, pain-filled cry as my fist connects with his nose.
Ignoring the glass, I jump out of the shower and walk toward him. Everything is calm inside of me, which should be worrisome. Only, it isn’t. Not even close. Instead, it makes me feel freer than I have in a very long time. I’m finally able to be the person I want to be, and it’s only by accident that this fool is the one getting the brunt of my fury.
“You think you can come up here, fuck me, then knock my ass off?!” I yell, swinging my fist once more. It lands dead center on the side of his face, knocking his head to the right so hard I hear his neck pop in three different places. Blood spews from his mouth; a howl of pain tumbles from his busted lips.
“You thought I wouldn’t fight back?” I laugh, giving him a quick one-two, before bringing my knee up into his midsection.
Liam doubles over and grabs his stomach, fighting for each breath through his battered lungs. But that doesn’t stop me from my assault; it never will. There is only one way all of this will end … and that’s with him and Jake in a shallow grave picked out by yours truly.
Taking him by the hair, I rear my arm back. Swinging forward with purpose, my elbow lands against the side of his face. Taking advantage of his dazed state, I turn in a reverse circle, roundhousing him right in the middle of his stomach. His steps falter. Pain is a permanent mask stretching across his face. I lick my lips as I see my prey before me, not as cocky as he was moments before. He knows he’s in deep shit, and I can’t wait to divvy out the finishing blow.
“What the fuck is going on?” I hear Jake bellow as I throw another right hook, splitting a cut along the top of Liam’s eyebrow.
Stepping back, I watch as Liam fights to steady himself. Cracking my neck to the side, I inhale deeply as I run my bloodied hand down my side, smearing it against my skin. It gives my once pearly pigment a crimson flourish.
“If you both think you’re bad enough to end me, do it. I’m right here, goddammit. There’s nowhere for me to run and hide, and quite frankly, I wouldn’t do that anyway. So, let’s get this over with because I’m going to enjoy every second of killing you.”
The burst of adrenaline is slowly but surely leaving me. My strength isn’t what it was, but I can’t allow them to know that. The only thing I have left in me is bravado, but these two dipshits don’t know that. So, whatever is going to happen needs to be accomplished as swiftly as possible before I no longer have the strength to hold myself up. No need to show them a weakness if I can take them out before the fact.
Jake’s narrowed gaze flits from his struggling partner to me, daggers piercing from his gaze. If I could die from just one look, his would kill me. His jaw tics in anger; hands fist at his sides. He’s fighting his control to come after me, and his eyes drag lower, taking in my nakedness. His anger rolls off him in waves as he slowly brings his eyes back up to mine.
“We were going to take it easy on you. But now … we’re going to tear you apart, you fucking cunt.”
The words barely leave his mouth before he’s stampeding toward me, full of fury and menace. It’s easy to dodge him, being that he’s riddled with anger and that’s fueling his actions right now. Unlike him, my head is as clear as a midsummer sky with no clouds or storms rolling in the distance. I’m thinking plainly. Which means I can mete out punishment more gruesome than ever before.
Quickly turning toward him, I snap out a haymaker too fast for him to register before my tightened knuckles bust against his cheekbone. The force of my hit and his momentum cause him to go through the shower door, breaking it the rest of the way. Sounds of tinkering glass echo through the bathroom as shattered remnants of the door fall to the floor.
Landing with a grunt, I stalk toward him. My mind is in a haze of death and destruction, and the only thing that will appease this ache inside of me is when both of these assholes are dead and gone, never to bother another soul again.
The now cold water pelts down on my naked back as I weave my fingers through Jake’s greasy hair, jerking him up to me. He comes easily enough, but that’s not what has me punting forward, slamming into the shower wall. Tiling cracks as my head makes purchase against the smooth mosaic. Stars dance in my vision as I right myself, only to be crushed into the wall hard, more forcefully than my body is ready for.
“There’s two of us and only one of you, sweet cheeks,” Liam taunts, only just the barest amount of pain riddling his deep, gravelly voice now that he’s composed himself. “You may get some hits in, but I can assure you that you won’t win.”
My knees tremble; my chest explodes in pain as he shoves me harder into the wall. His forcefulness causes pieces of the tile to break away, tumbling down to the floor as his rancid breath wisps across the back of my neck. Pulling my arm away, I rear back with my elbow, pelting him against the side of his face. My elbow throbs from the connection, and a deep-rooted snarl tumbles free from his lips.
I push against the wall with everything in me, but nothing. His weight is more than I can handle. I’m weak from blood loss and damn near frozen from the cold water pelting my flesh. I know I need to get out of this shower, find a better place to make them pay for this, but I can’t. Jake is at my feet, and Liam is at my back. He’s using every bit of his weight to keep me in place while his comrade slowly makes his way to his feet.
“Get off me!” I bark, twisting and turning, fighting his grip.
Leaning toward me, the breath in my lungs whooshes out as he allows all his heaviness to settle against my back. “No, I’d rather get off in you. Jake, come on, we have to end this before her dipshit brother comes up!”
Lumbering to his feet, a dazed Jake glares down at me as I continue to struggle against Liam’s hold. My pride is that of a lioness, but my strength is that of a mouse. From everything that’s happened recently, my body isn’t playing catch-up as quickly as I would like. Instead, my stamina leaves much to be desired and could very well be the difference between life and death.
Wrestling me out of the shower, Liam grunts and groans every time my feet connect with a certain area of his body that would drive most men to their knees. Instead, he strongholds me into the main area of the bath with Jake stalking after us.
My skin pebbles with goose bumps as the cool air drifts across my exposed flesh, causing little shockwaves to assault my body. However, Liam must believe my reaction is because of my close proximity to him. His dark chuckle resonates throughout the space, further sending me into the spiraling abyss that is my madness.
How can he think I would want to be anywhere near him? I have Mateo; I belong to Mateo. Why would I want someone like him? It makes no sense and additionally leads me to believe that Liam may be even more messed up than I am if he honestly thinks I would ever want someone like him.
Why digress to a putrid waste of space when I have everything my disturbed heart could ever want?
My eyes scan the room, trying to find anything I can use as a tool to fight them off. They drift over the walls, seeing nothing more than decor used to please the eye. You would think someone as coveted as Mateo would have a house that could provide some protection in every room, but it doesn’t. I
nstead, it’s nothing more than a box filled to the brim of rooms that rival those in Better Home magazines.
My eyes continue skimming over everything … until they stop on the shards of glass resting in the basin of the sink. The jagged pieces reflect the light, casting bright orbs of light in every direction on the ceiling. I see pieces just big enough to do some real damage with. But unless I can get out of his hold and get to them, I’m dead meat.
Carrying me into the bedroom, I continue to struggle within his grasp. My soul cries out at being taken away from my weapon of choice because the farther I’m being carried away, the more real this becomes.
A reality, that maybe even the great Reap won’t be able to save herself against two trained killers at the same time.
My eyes make purchase on the bed, seeing the sheets still bunched up from my and Mateo’s early sexcapade after the wedding. All rationality falls into the pit of my stomach as I spy Jake walking around the bed, pulling back the sheets as if this is an everyday, normal thing. His eyes are on mine, laughing. His posture more relaxed.
I can’t allow this to happen. I fear anyone who comes within a mile radius of me if it does. I’ve tried my entire life to overcome the things that bastard did to me when I was younger. I trained hard, killed even harder, and I beat myself to a pulp until the memories were buried down so deep there’s nothing that could get them to break me.
But this? Tears build in my eyes as so much rage engulfs me I’m physically shaking from it. This will break me, turn me into someone else entirely.
If they are successful … no one will be able to get through to me. I’ll be broken. Lost forever.
2
GAVINO
Swerving around stationary cars and beat-up, old Chevrolet trucks, I continue to weave my way through the impeding traffic. I need to get as far away from Mateo as possible, even though every instinct inside is screaming to go back and risk my life to bring him home.