“Zane Maverick?” I ask and curse myself for my voice traveling out so fucking feebly.
I’m Italian royalty. I’m meant to be untouchable, unattainable, and undefeatable. My name is meant to drive fear, like I am driven by fear. I am its broken puppet, but we work together. It orchestrates everything I do, even the way my heart beats. Except, hearing the name of the man I still continue to strive to forget, I know I fear a name far more than my own – Zane Maverick. It plays with my mind, toys with my emotions, confuses the rationality between my head and heart – all without me being in the same fucking room as him.
I shake my head, telling myself to get a grip, but it’s made harder as my father gives me a photograph of him. Immediately, I recognize the strong jaw and handsome face with the dark hair and deep blue eyes that used to watch me as I woke up. He’s barely changed in eighteen months since he broke my heart and never looked back. “What has he done?”
“His crimes,” my father begins, taking the photo away from me. “He broke your heart so fiercely even you didn’t come to me at first.” He looks at me, his eyes hooded with disappointment at my lack of trust from years gone by. “That’s a sign of a dishonorable man if he can make my own family hold secrets. Especially my only daughter.” My father begins to smile at me. “Don’t look so worried, I’m not forcing you to do just your own vengeance, Bambina. He’s been digging into our family, and I don’t like a threat. They’re a nuisance to me. If anyone can get them as good as gone, it’s you.” My father’s eyes begin to twinkle before me, coming alive. “Plus, you have leverage.”
“So, I’m the bait in this case?” I ask, trying to keep my tone from becoming savage with incredulity and heightened concern.
“Exactly.” My father doesn’t mince his words. “If he still loves you, even remotely close to how he used to then, Princess, I see no problem with this being your easiest kill yet.”
I know this won’t be my easiest kill yet. It’s laughable, and I can’t even express how hard this kill will be for me. This could be my destroyer. It could be the one thing that sets me back and forces me to give up on everything I know and love.
I am still as fiercely in love with Zane Maverick as I was the very first day we collided. I don’t see death changing that. I fear he is a loss I will never recover from. I’m proof that his leaving is something I never truly survived. In fact, he’s the reason I have no real issue killing a man, leaving my mark, and walking away. He tore my heart out and with it my trust in men.
All the men who have died at my hands have made promises they couldn’t keep. They sweeten you up, stroke your ego, and tap into your deepest desires before they take off their mask – nothing ever amounts to the heaven they vowed you’d have if you loved them right. The lies they told my father were merely other reasons they couldn’t be fucking trusted.
“I’ll get started on a game plan,” I remark and take the entire file. I’ll report back in the morning with my ideas, but right now, I need to take a few minutes to think about this. “I’m going to go for a shower.” I go over to my father and kiss his cheek. “Notte, Papà.” I wish him goodnight and take my leave. He doesn’t stop me, he allows me to leave without so much as a fight to my sudden muted behavior. For once, I’m grateful for the lack of attention.
On my way up to my room, I don’t stop to say goodnight. I see Enzo by the front door, but we only exchange looks before I rush up the stairs and propel myself to my room to hide away and evaluate how the hell I’m meant to choose between breaking my heart or breaking my family.
The decision should be simple – family is all I have. Family should always trump, but I’m one of those stupid ones that Giovanni hates – I still have a heart that rules me occasionally.
I slump onto my bed and pull the photo of Zane out again. I look at it, allow my fingers to run over his happy face, and I feel the tears well. I foolishly find myself wondering if he ever thinks of me in those lonely hours of the night and misses me. I hiccup upon a laugh at my own stupidity and shake my head. I believe I’m the only one who truly loved in our relationship; otherwise, he would never have been able to just walk away from me like he did.
There’s a soft knock on my door, the beats familiar to that of Enzo. I don’t say anything, just sit and wait for him to let himself in. He shuts the door with a soft pop and approaches me.
“Are you able to deal with this, Amelia?” Enzo asks me; his voice is calm and caring. Not what I really need, if I’m honest. “Because if you can’t do it, we can sort this.”