Lucky.
''Yes, you repeated this shit many times. My answer is still no.''
Luke cursed in frustration. ''Damian, your parents were part of Huston’s elite. Your father went against a crime lord, and as a punishment, they did what they did and sold you boys to John. John and Ken had no clue who he was dealing with.'' He exhaled a heavy breath. ''Your mom couldn't survive this, but she still left guidance in her will in case you were found. Juanita will be your guardian, and you have millions in your account. You can have a peaceful life, kid.''
At his words, hollow laughter escaped my mouth. My hands squeezed my stomach hard and I could barely breathe. Luke frowned, not understanding my reaction. Finally, I stopped myself and gazed straight into his eyes.
''Luke, I can never live normally, knowing they are out there doing the same shit to other kids as they did to us. They will pay. Either help me, or I'll find someone else who will.''
He shook his head, leaned back on the bench and asked with a hopeless voice, ''What do you need?''
Plan was simple.
Change my name.
Change the city.
Become part of Manhattan’s elite.
Create an empire.
Become a lawyer.
And finally, avenge my brother.
Sapphire
My body felt sore in places I hadn't known it could as I took a shower the next day and thought about the bizarre night we spent together. He guessed my every wish, every desire, and opened up a world of pleasure from a different side. What girl could want more, right?
However, as hot as his lovemaking was, I hadn't felt the connection, which usually followed his touch. Almost like he’d distanced himself from me, and every part of my body hated it. I didn't want his skills; I craved the passion he showed me. Once the sex was done, he rolled on his side, giving me his back, and just like that, everything was over.
My body took some time to doze, but finally, exhaustion allowed the land of dreams to claim me. When I awoke, Damian was nowhere in sight, and only the TV playing let me know he hadn't left.
Done with the shower, I dried myself off and put on jeans and a comfortable sweater.
Damian stood in the kitchen, fully clothed as he placed several items in his duffel bag.
“What’s going on?”
Without raising his eyes to me, he continued what he was doing. “We are leaving. Eat breakfast.”
“What? Why? Where?” All of a sudden, we needed to be gone? Was this his normal procedure after each kill? He couldn't stay in one place; was that it?
“Home. New York. Eat.”
“I’m not hungry,” I whispered, not understanding what was going on. Shrugging, he grabbed the keys from the countertop and pointed at the door.
“Let’s go then.”
Too stunned to say anything else, I followed him and waited as he closed up the house and opened the car door for me.
Once he navigated to the road to New York—turns out, we were several miles from the city—my curiosity got the better of me. “What changed your mind?” He didn’t answer. His finger searched for the right music as each of the radio stations was rejected. “Damian,” I snapped, and he finally looked at me with vacant eyes, which killed me.
“You did.” Just like that, the conversation ended and the rest of the trip was spent in silence.
Damian
What I planned to do once we got back to the apartment went against my every instinct, but if freedom made her happy, she’d get it.
Sapphire came first.
My eyes scanned the room carefully as I sipped champagne, making sure I smiled at all the important people. John Blake invited almost every elite to convince everyone he was still deeply in love with his wife.
I’d carefully studied the file on his daughter, Sapphire Blake. She studied at Columbia University, majoring in creative writing, lived in the dorms with her best friend, Sophie, and most importantly was single. Her love for books and romantic movies made her an easy target for me. Granted, I’d never used my charms to seduce anyone as innocent as she was, but sometimes, desperate times required desperate measures. I had never willingly slept with any of the women. The idea of sex repulsed me, and in those times, when women had valuable information for me or could bring me to their fathers, I just trained my body to come when required.
A romantic soul like Sapphire would find nothing more mysterious or interesting than a stranger in the night. For an hour, she sat and shifted uncomfortably. After finishing her second drink, she sighed and went out on the terrace, giving me the perfect opening. John and his wife, Nora, were too occupied with the guests to notice her disappearance or that some man followed her into their secret hideaway in the garden.
I barely restrained myself from laughing aloud. I knew the ins and outs of this house, and even the code to John’s safe. I could have easily turned him in to the FBI, but prison would have been too easy for him. He needed to suffer like Dominic did, and then he needed to die. Period.