Heartless Prince by Brook Wilder
Chapter 33
Lucas
Present Day
I released the railing and clenched my hands into fists instead. I hated and cared for the man at the same time. My greatest tormentor and my only benefactor. He gave me his world, and provided me with the opportunity to rain holy terror on everyone if I so chose.
I had an influx of cash, properties, and connections all over the world.
But I was alone.
The thought hit me more than I cared to admit it. I had a core group of capos that did follow me, those that wanted to continue the work regardless of who was the Don. They believed that I was going to make this Mafia the top dog now that D’Agostino’s reign had ended.
And then there were the doubters, dissenters like Adrian who refused to believe that Cosimo would ever hand his entire empire over to me.
Even after I grew his millions.
Even after I stole lucrative contracts away from other Dons and left my men richer than before.
Eve after I eliminated any potential competition along the way, and built an even larger empire than had been Cosimo’s vision.
They could never stop looking down at me. They were too used to doing just that.
Turning toward Leda, I saw she had been watching me with bated breath. “And that’s it.”
This would be all I was going to tell her tonight.
“I’ll admit,” she finally said. “I don’t know much about the Cavazzo Mafia. I mean, I didn’t even know who you were. And I thought I knew all the Dons out there.”
Thank fuck for that. “How involved were you in your father’s business?”
“Look.” She shook her head, and gave me a small smile. “As far as I was ever concerned, I was always going to be married off to one Don or another. My father did his best to keep me out of his business. I had an idea for how it would end. And after Nico put him in prison, I just thought…” Her voice trailed.
“I mean, I hoped that my life would be different,” she finally said.
Her words affected me far more than they should. I had taken that hope from her. I was the real villain in her story, not her father.
I wasn’t a hero by any means. I wasn’t the good guy, nor would I ever be. There was too much blood on my hands—enough that I could spend the rest of my life in penance and the guilt would never wash out.
The devil would greet me when my time on earth was over. I was sure about.
But if I hadn’t bought her that night, her fate could have been far worse.
I doubted that was any consolation to her.
But it was to me.
When Leda rose from the chair, I became still. I didn’t like to admit it, but I enjoyed my time with her, mainly because she had been on my mind since the night I had her.
Every night, she appeared in my dreams. She wouldn’t let me rest, wouldn’t get out of my blood.
Something deep down told me that it was because I didn’t want her to be gone. I wanted her to be with me. Emil’s words came to me. Might be best to put her back on the auction block.
I would never put Leda back up for auction. I wasn’t about to give her up.
Call me a selfish bastard, but I wanted more from her.
Leda didn’t turn to the balcony door. Instead she joined me at the railing, leaning against it with a slight smile on her face.
“Look, I’m not going to tell you that you are a good guy,” she said softly. “Because you aren’t.”
“No, I’m not.” I agreed.
“But for what it’s worth.” She placed her hand on my arm. “I’m thankful that you shared that with me.”
I turned and caged her between my body and the railing. My cock hard as a rock as it sensed her proximity. A familiar thought returned—to bury myself in her warmth and forget who I was. Forget what I had done to her and anyone else in my fucking life.
My nose was inches from hers, and her citrusy scent was like a drug. I inhaled her, hoping that it would calm the raging storm inside.
“I’m a monster, Leda. I always will be.”
It was my mantra when I was an enforcer, and I had stuck with it as a Don.
Shadows and darkness were what I lived in. Not her.
“So don’t think you can save me.”
