The silence was a reminder that I was very much alone. Another wave of sadness settled in, another vision tearing apart my mind.
And every single image was of the man who electrified me.
CHAPTER 10
Navarro
I’d learned a long time ago that I wasn’t normal. While the term wasn’t easily defined, there was a sense of humanity and respect involved. I had little for anyone. Humanity was something reserved for those pretending to be happy while suffering in silence.
They were the ones who longed to be ripped from their polite and pristine yet dull world where little mattered but the clicking of time as it passed them by. They lived for a tragedy or a moment of utter chaos, even violence if it meant for a mere few seconds where they’d feel alive again.
I’d been labeled brilliant, a child with a high IQ that constantly needed feeding to fend off the necessity of creating more stimuli to keep the demons away.
Demons.
As if I was possessed.
Maybe I was, but at least I’d managed to control my urges even as the need for violence had grown exponentially over the years. What I did realize early on was the hunger furrowing inside of me had a constant need for satisfaction.
Whether by blood, violence, or sex, the beast needed regular feedings. Had I managed to control the sudden, overwhelming urges as I’d gotten older? Yes, but that didn’t mean the raging desires didn’t exist. Or that doing so hadn’t taken a toll.
Which is likely why Fallon had been able to push every button and I’d broken a rule I’d placed on myself years before. I’d intimately touched someone who could pose danger to me and my organization.
Sighing, I rubbed my hand across my jaw, taking a few seconds to flick my index finger back and forth across my lips. Kissing her at the club had awakened something dark and devious with me that had required satisfaction. When she’d fought me yet again, I’d lost all sense of control.
That wasn’t like me in the least.
She’d sparked too many memories from my past. My brother had been used in a dangerous game of betrayal. My father and mother had been murdered. My world had been crushed. I’d been left broken, a kid shattered from deaths and violence that I’d never been forced to partake in, shielded from the reality of a world I’d finally begged to be a part of.
In turn, I’d not only become extremely good at what I did.
I’d also become a monster.
At least she was safely tucked away being protected by several of Eduardo’s men. I’d been forced to place my trust in them. If theyfucked this up or allowed Fallon to be hurt in any way, Eduardo’s gilded masterpieces would be covered in red.
“We’re almost there, boss,” Silvio stated as he glanced into the rearview mirror. We were headed into a rural section outside the city to a position a few hundred yards away from the warehouse. While there were several of Eduardo’s soldiers positioned for enhanced security, the infrared cameras the Mexican Cartel leader had installed indicated a breach in their outer perimeter.
“Keep close contact with the soldier inside,” I told him as I glanced out the window at the passing light. My thoughts drifted to Fallon and the story she’d told. It was still difficult for me to believe an artist would place herself in the kind of danger she was in. It was entirely possible she wasn’t working alone, merely setting a trap. But who was her intended victim?
If it was me, she’d quickly changed her attitude. Part of her devious plan?
There was something extremely haunting about her eyes. While she was keeping details from me, the pain and fear were real.
No, something was definitely off. There was also the issue of our close connection. We’d both felt the shooting electricity and not simply because of extreme attraction.
She’d certainly seemed surprised at my determined answers against her allegations. In fact, I’d seen doubt in her eyes, as if the woman believed I’d had nothing to do with her sister’s kidnapping. If she was acting alone, the woman had nerves of steel and perhaps a death wish.
Her ingenuity sparked far too much interest.
And desire.
However, I’d learned a long time ago that women could be far more cunning than men. I’d seen it in action through the years, including with Jago’s wife, a woman who could align herself with any dangerous man. I’d experienced it once in my life as a young soldier, the beguiling woman stripping away my defenses while we’d engaged in a passionate love affair.
The act had nearly gotten me killed, my loyalty challenged, and I’d been left with both emotional and physical scars. From that day, I’d sworn I’d never allow myself to enjoy anything more than the physical pleasure. Something I’d upheld until today.
Why was it that Fallon sparked something deep inside, the sadistic cravings more intense than usual?
Something told me Fallon was more than she appeared. On one hand, if she was a painter, an artist by trade, she certainly had no business being a part of my world under any circumstances. But her fighting abilities suggested she was either self-taught in methods of protection or had been trained for a purpose.
