And I wasn't the only man who'd been made a fool of.
Blood and deception.
That was all I could think about. Sadly, it was too close to home. Sierra
Lies.
Secrets.
Death.
I couldn't get over the sight of the two dead men and their vacant eyes. I would be haunted for some time. I'd seen enough dead bodies to last a lifetime. And my fear continued to escalate. We'd come close to being killed in our sleep.
I shivered at the thought. Even the way Lorenzo had looked at me when he'd handed me off to Dante was something I wouldn't forget. Lorenzo's entire demeanor had changed again, as if he was about to start an all-out war. And as if he knew I was still hiding something from him.
Even thought I'd been all of the place with my emotions the night before, my decision to leave him was the right one. However, that didn't mean I couldn't help him in every way possible.
I hadn't intended on keeping secrets from Lorenzo. Again. I was certain he'd call them lies. How could I lie to the man who rocked my world? I shuddered from the thought, still able to hear Lorenzo's words of adoration, could still feel the way he held me so tightly, as if terrified I'd get away from him.
What we'd shared the night before had been entirely different and so beautiful, allowing me to bask in the glory of... love. I bit back a bitter laugh, wondering if the man even understood the concept. He was harsh and cold the majority of the time, refusing to give in to any concept of emotions.
Then the assassination attempt, which proved there was no place where we could be safe.
The second I'd been forced to ride with Dante, I'd felt such a sense of loss, as if I would never see Lorenzo again. I couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that he was going to die and that I had everything to do with the possibility.
"You know I adore you, every inch of your beautiful body. You are so intelligent and rebellious," he whispered as he stroked my hair.
"Does that mean you still want to break me?" I asked, shivering from his touch.
"In my way, doll. One day you will realize that we were always meant to be. On that glorious day, you'll fully surrender."
"Pleasure and pain."
"Yes..."
I caught the last sight of his truck and sighed, already missing him.
I'd woken in the middle of the night still in his arms, my skin clammy from the memory. Even the tight hold he had, the heat of his body still leaving me tingling hadn't been able to squelch the haunting feeling. It had been the last thing Lucas had told me only minutes before exiting his vehicle on that dark night. Five minutes later, he'd been murdered without divulging any additional information. I rubbed my eyes, uncertain of my decision not to tell Lorenzo what I remembered.
If I was right, the man who'd made certain it appeared I was dead had done so for a specific reason, Dante's idea a good one. This person wanted me to tell the story. Well, that couldn't happen without evidence of some kind. My ruthless reporter instincts had taken over, preventing me from accepting my place in Lorenzo's world.
Then there was the promise I'd made to myself. The simple statement reverberated in my mind. It was as if Lucas knew he wasn't going to live.
"If anything should happen to me, talk to my father."
His father. The senator.
I'd thought Lucas' concerns meant his father was included in the corruption. Lucas had alluded to the fact that when I learned of the people involved, my story would blow the finely tuned city system out of the water. What if I'd been wrong all along? What if it had been his father providing the information, coercing his son to talk to me? What if Lucas had never wanted to be involved but it was his father's attempt at pulling him out of the lifestyle?
The worst question running through my mind.
What if Lorenzo was more of a monster than Axel?
My head ached from the ugly possibilities. One thing was for certain. I had to get to Senator Spalding and demand he tell me the truth.
That meant getting away from Dante.
"You know he's going to be all right," Dante said quietly.
"Where is he going?" I threw out.
"I can't tell you that, Sierra. It's for your protection."
My protection. I remained quiet, trying not to think about he might be facing.
"He cares about you," Dante added.
"I'm not certain he can care about anyone."
"He had to learn that the hard way."
I shifted my gaze in his direction, studying the muscular man with the various tattoos and scars. "And why is that?"
"Loss. He can't handle loss."
"Who did he lose?"