I didn’t pay a damn bit of attention as Sanchez spoke in fluent Spanish. At this moment, all I cared about was finding Giada. I didn’t like the possibilities. She was smart enough to stay away from the soldiers surrounding the perimeter. What she didn’t know is that there were enough poisonous snakes on the island that she could be dead with a single step off the pathway. As my thoughts drifted to the possibility of interference, I couldn’t handle the chatter any longer.

  “Check the house again, Amalia.” I ended the call, angrier than before. “Where the fuck did you go, my beautiful fiancée?”

  “Yeah, I’ll tell Sevastian,” Sanchez huffed.

  “Giada left the house. Antonio and Marko did as well. I can see my presence is needed on a more consistent basis to maintain some sense of order around here.”

  “Don’t, Sevastian. You’re not going to want to hear this. Antonio had a damn good reason to leave his post. We had visitors. They were found by a soldier located in one of the lookout towers. The southeast corner.”

  “What. The. Fuck? That would eventually provide the easiest access to the estate. The assholes had researched the island.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I said.”

  “What did Antonio do with them?” I snarled.

  “He handled them as required,” Sanchez stated. “They said nothing.”

  Goddamn it.

  I flexed my fingers, taking several deep breaths as my blood chilled. That meant it was entirely possible something sinister had happened to Giada. While the house was a fortress, wired to the gills, there was always a chance of finding a way in, especially if she’d wandered off the estate. “Were they alone?”

  “That’s what I understand.”

  “How the fuck did they get on the island?”

  “I don’t know yet. I figured you’d want to handle that.”

  “Check every goddamn location, every fucking inch of this island. I want it swept clean. Then I want the barricades reinforced. Do you hear me?” The sound of my voice was harsh, a direct reflection of the increasing rage.

  As he pulled to a stop, the tires skidding, I slowly eased to the seat then threw open the door.

  “Yes, boss. They’ve already done it once. There are no signs of others.”

  “Fucking have them do it again! I need to know the exact point of entrance. Boat. Scuba gear. What? If they were able to breach this island, that means we have a serious situation!” As I continued to bark orders, all I could think about was getting to Giada.

  “Understood, boss.”

  “And this island needs to be searched for my beautiful bride. You will find her or there will be hell to pay.”

  “So you’ve said, boss.”

  After jumping out, I shoved my hands in my pockets, finally letting out an exhale. She’d already become a weakness, a break in my normal operating procedures. She’d managed to crawl even further under my skin than I’d originally thought. “I can’t lose her, Sanchez. I know you don’t understand. Fuck. Neither do I. She’s everything I want to hate.” All he knew about her was what I’d felt necessary to tell him. Even those most trusted weren’t allowed knowledge about my private life.

  “I think I do, Sevastian. Believe it or not, that’s how I felt about the girl in Colombia. Look where it got me. Let me see what I can find out from these fuckers. As far as the woman, you might try checking the beach. She’s not an animal to be kept in a cage. But I’m certain you already knew that.”

  “Caging her might be the only way to keep her alive.”

  His answer was a deep exhale before he yanked the gear into reverse, heading for the training facility. I’d positioned various outbuildings located all throughout the island. While some were used as training facilities, others were built as residences for my employees. The various locations also doubled as secondary lookout points far removed from the tall towers I’d had erected. Even with that, two unknown men had made it on my island. The visitors were either brazen or brilliant.

  Soon, their blood and flesh would feed the local sharks.

  Without saying anything, I walked away. Sanchez was right, as he often was, the only man capable of yanking me from the rafters. I took his advice, heading toward the beach. If she’d fled her cage in need of finding solace, she would have tried to remain out of sight. My sweet printsessa’s needs for exploration would cause problems, potentially getting her killed. Whatever guidance I could provide would be necessary even if it came at a significant cost.

  I made my way through the tropical foliage, easing my weapon into my hand before heading through the clearing and onto the beach. A sense of relief rushed through me upon seeing her, but the fury was just underneath the surface.

  Perhaps she’d begun to realize there was nowhere for her to go.

  She was standing in the wet sand, the thin waves lapping at her feet. The light breeze was blowing through the dress she’d selected, the softness of the material flowing around her long legs while the sand had already captured her feet.

  With her long, dark curls whisking back and forth across her shoulders, even from the distance I was standing, she was undoubtedly the most beautiful creature I’d ever laid eyes on. I walked closer, trying to keep my anger from turning me into the very monster she’d accused me of being so often. Her defiance was becoming a problem. She needed a dose of reality before she’d consider accepting her new life.

  As soon as I walked close, she sensed my arrival, her small hands clenching as she stiffened. I moved beside her, scanning the area before shoving the weapon into the back of my jeans.

  She remained quiet, although I could hear her scattered breaths.

  “What do you see, Giada?” When she didn’t answer me right away, I was ready to lose my patience. “I asked you a question. You will answer me now and always.”

  The visible shudder was affirmation I’d gotten through to her. It was a shame I’d had to raise my voice.

  “The ocean.”

  “Not good enough. Turn around in a full circle and tell me exactly what you see.”

  Her tension seemed to increase as she finally accepted her need for obedience, shifting around slowly. “Beautiful turquoise waters, which indicates a very tropical location. Flowers in exquisite colors. A pearlescent beach that glows in the sunlight.”

  “Keep going.”

  “Towers. One. Two of them. I’m guessing there are more,” she half whispered.

  “They are lookout towers, Giada. I’m assuming you realize why they’re needed.”

  “Security. To keep unwanted visitors off the island.” The tactics used weren’t that different from those of her father’s.

  “Yes, you are correct. I have state of the art fucking everything. Around that bend is a location where barriers are installed, coiled barbed wire designed to keep predators away. Every guard is equipped with night vision goggles and automatic rifles, and a communications system that is capable of withstanding severe storms. I even have satellite communications, which allows me to hack any computer system in the world. If you go further around that bend, you’ll find the airstrip and dock, both manned twenty-four hours a day, the heavy artillery they have at their disposal capable of starting a war.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” she asked, finally tilting her head so her lovely lavender eyes could stare into mine. They held more fear in them than I’d seen before. Perhaps I was breaking through her defense system.

  “Do I need to state the obvious to you?” I closed the distance, absorbed by the scent of perfume she’d chosen, a luxury I should have kept as a gift for good behavior. “In case you’re thinking about swimming, the nearest inhabited island is fifty miles away, the waters shark infested. And if you long to continue playing a game of cat and mouse, the beautiful tropical foliage you see around you is laden with poisonous snakes and spiders. The estate is a sanctuary, Giada. Do you understand me?” She didn’t answer, further irritating me. “I asked you a question and you will answer me.”

  She jumped when I raised my voice, her lower lip quivering.

  “Yes, I understand I’m a prisoner here. I just wanted to be outside. That’s all. I wasn’t trying to escape. God knows what you’d do to me.”

  “You and I both know that’s not true, printsessa. You were testing the boundaries, finding out for yourself if there’s any opportunity for you to get away from your horrible environment, praying your daddy would come save you. Let me assure you, that’s not going to happen.”

  “I’m not a fool, Sevastian. I’ve seen the men with guns walking the beaches and near your house. I know you’ve instructed then to detain me if not worse. I just wanted a few minutes of peace. And leave my father out of this. He doesn’t give a shit what happens to me.”

  There was discord in her voice for more than the current situation.

  “Peace?” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Have you ever had a moment of peace, Giada? I’m curious. On that day I met you so long ago, did you have a peaceful feeling deep in your soul? Were you enjoying a party with no friends your age in attendance? Did you not know your father was behind closed doors making a deal with my father? Two powerful monsters coming head-to-head after a massacre. Did you not see the dead bodies strewn on the ground or witness their vacant eyes?”

  “Stop it. Just stop it! Why are you doing this? Are you trying to hurt me?” She backed away, her hands fisted and her look of fear turning to horror.

  I shook my head and when I reached out to touch her, she flinched, backing away another step. I grabbed her arm, yanking her against me, drinking in her essence. “I’m trying to get through to you that there is no escaping this life we were born into. No peace. There is only the here and now, what enjoyment we can get in this fortress-like location.”

  “Our life is what we choose it to be. Let go of me.”

  “Do you really believe that, Giada? If you do, then you’re a fool and I don’t see you that way.” I lowered my head as I brushed my fingers down the side of her face. She closed her eyes, turning away but the electricity we shared buzzed just beneath the surface. She’d been protected far too much, which had given her a naïve perspective on life.

  “You’re such a horrible person, Sevastian. You lost your soul such a long time ago that there is no hope of regaining it back.”

  “Who said I feel that need?”

  She blinked several times, tears welling in her eyes as they’d done before. The only thing on my mind was teaching her a lesson, one she’d never forget. The usual anger that swept me into near madness was threatening to derail what was left of my humanity.

  There was no reason to lose control other than out of sheer frustration. No one backed me into a corner and lived.

  “Asshole.”

  “What other names are you going to feel compelled to call me?” I laughed, clamping my fingers on her chin.

  “Whatever is necessary.” She continued to try to recoil, even if her entire body shimmered from the same desire we’d experienced before.

  Disgusted with myself, I pulled my hand away, shutting down the desire that was wrecking my system. “We’re returning to the house where you will remain. I have business to attend to.”

  “Where is this place? A beautiful but dangerous location in the middle of nowhere.”

  “I’ve already told you that it’s not something you need to know.”

  “Why? Why can’t you tell me any truths, Sevastian? At least my father would provide some details whether you believe that or not. He also taught me to fend for myself. Snakes and spiders don’t bother me.”

  “How about hired assassins?”

  That gave her pause. “As you said, a part of our world.”

  “You are fooling yourself, princess. That’s easy to tell.” I’d listened to my father my entire life, his advice to stay away from the darkness of sex that seemed to consume our entire family. That’s all this was. She didn’t mean anything to me.

  Now who’s the one lying?

  Everything about her called to me, that very darkness my father was talking about crashing through the surface. I was awash with her aroma, a scent that would never leave me alone. I wanted to fuck her, use her. I needed the rush of power that fucking her had given me before. And I needed that damn peace she was talking about.

  Peace of mind.

  Peace of heart.

  Peace.

  If she needed truths, there were two ways to provide them.

  Sex and violence.

  I would fuck her like the animal she’d turned me into, but first, I’d give her that very dose of reality.

  Handling enemies was a part of my world as well as hers, even though she’d yet to accept it. However, that was a necessity if she wanted to survive. I grabbed her wrists, pulling her toward the trees.

  “I don’t want to go back to the house. Please.”

  “I’m not taking you to the house, my sweet printsessa. If you want truths, that’s exactly what you’re going to get. Come with me.”

  I was finished with playing nice, the adrenaline rush keeping me on edge. She tugged and pulled in her effort to get away from me, but that wasn’t going to happen. She’d tried my patience for the last time. Her refusal to accept wasn’t nearly as ridiculous as the fact she acted as if this lifestyle hadn’t been brought on her by birth. No matter her insistence her father had shared a damn thing with her, I knew better. The women of this lifestyle were usually kept in the dark, including my own sister.

  Tatiana had been protected, kept in a cage of her own, which had made the incident eight years before that much more tragic. I often wondered if she’d ever be able to find true happiness. All because of one man’s greed.

  The thought of losing Giada had ripped at a part of me I didn’t know existed, but she had to learn in order to be safe.

  Even from the bastard I’d become.

  I reached the estate within two minutes. Then I walked her around the house, heading to another one of the available Jeeps, shoving her into the passenger seat.

  “Where are you taking me?”

  I ignored her question, moving around the vehicle and jumping inside. As soon as I revved the engine, she acted as if she would dare try to escape me. I snapped my hand around her leg, digging my fingers in. “Stay right where you are. You won’t like the punishment you receive if you don’t.” I turned my head, the same electricity we’d shared coursing through both of us.

  She slumped into her seat, her luscious lower lip pouting. She could play the femme fatale all she wanted, but her intelligence had drilled information in the deepest portions of her mind.

  I wasted no additional time, driving off the estate grounds quickly.

  The drive took almost ten minutes given the rough terrain. Giada remained quiet throughout the ride, her hands folded in her lap as she stared into the windshield. When I made the turn toward the area where the assassins had been found, the first sound she made was one of concern. I smelled fear on her, but I also gathered a whiff of her continued lust, the fragrance permeating my nostrils.

  As I passed the lookout stand, she glanced at the tall tower, taking several deep breaths. I pulled the Jeep as close to the beach as possible, throwing the gear into park. When I cut the engine, she remained exactly where she was, clutching the dashboard with enough strength her fingers were white.

  “What is this place?” she managed when I flung open her door.

  “This is the most southern portion of the island. Unfortunately, I was just told my security had been breached.”

  “What?” She seemed surprised.

  After climbing out, I glanced at the man in the tower before moving to the other side of the vehicle, pulling her out. While I usually enjoyed punishing anyone who thwarted me, this afternoon was entirely different. I was enraged but my other needs were taking precedence. Peace. The single moment of peace I’d felt had been buried inside her sweet pussy. I also had the innate need to protect her, and I would with my life.

  I grasped her hand, leading her through the thick foliage. As soon as I breached the clearing, I took a deep breath, not surprised the intruders had used this area as an entrance, even though the terrain made the location treacherous for boats.

  My grip still firm, I closed my eyes briefly, calming my anger. “You defied my direct orders.”

  “You’re already told me that. And I told you, I just wanted some air, a taste of freedom.”

  “Freedom. You lived in a glass house, Giada, more protected than you believe you were. That’s exactly the way it should be. Women are precious and should be protected.”

  She threw me a look as if she didn’t believe me.

  “However, as with every glass house, it can be broken, the contents destroyed.”

  “As I told you, I can protect myself,” she insisted, then sighed. “I’m not naïve in the least. The glass house wasn’t as protected as you think. It was shattered more than once, crushing my belief that I could have a normal life.”

  “Like your birthday party.” I could tell her mind was spinning, reliving period of her past that had shaped her future. Just like mine.

  “Exactly like my birthday party. I’d just wanted a regular party like any other teenager, but that was the day I realized nothing would ever be normal in my family, not even for a day. Maybe you’re right about protection. The men who died that day were supposed to protect my family.” There was bitterness in her voice as well as a sense of knowing. “I’m not a fool, Sevastian. I just don’t like our world very much.”

  “You may not like it, printsessa, but you will learn to accept the dangers.”

  “Even if I don’t want to.”

  I studied her intently then pulled her back against my chest, holding both arms, pointing toward the ocean. “Do you see the rocks over there?”

  “Yes.”

  “Men climbed over those rocks breaching the tight security. All the fucking money I’ve spent ensuring this damn island is protected and assassins crawled up the beach, heading for the estate. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”

  “Of course I do.”

  “No, I’m not certain you realize just how much danger you were in. Do you understand what could have happened if they’d found you on the beach? Do you?” I was shaking from the thought of losing her.