Page 35 of Heir of Darkness

She had nowhere to go, no money, nothing to her name. That was why her father kept her isolated and under his wingher entire life, so she wouldn’t know how to live without him or without a man.

She looked up into the sky, letting her tears and sobs escape as she looked at the moon. Most nights, it gave her comfort. Tonight, it did nothing for her.

She looked over at the large pile of rocks that sat off to the side at the edge of the forest. One of them would be able to do enough damage to her, maybe even end everything.

Could she really go through with it though? The brutal strength and force it would take to end her life that way was horrifying to consider, but really what were the alternatives?

Maybe there was a body of water somewhere close by.

“I think congratulations are in order.”

Luna turned her head in shock. Valerio’s large figure stalked out of the darkness slowly, allowing the little light from the moon to finally immerse him into visibility.

“I don’t need them,” Luna said. She wiped her fingers under her eyes, collecting the tears and makeup trailing down her cheeks.

“Who knew that white was your color?” he asked, his voice full of sarcasm. He kept walking until he stood directly in front of Luna, forcing her to look up at him. She hated how handsome he looked; his face menacing, the black T-shirt tight around his arms.

More than anything, she hated how familiar he felt and how relieved she was to see him. How quickly he could calm the chaos in her mind and silence her demons.

“What are you doing here?” she asked. “I’m not your problem anymore.”

Valerio gave her a small smile before letting it slip off his face. “You weren’t ever a problem, but you just had to run off and get another husband.”

“Don’t call him that.”

“Why? Looks like a decent enough guy if you ignore his age and the fact he’ll be taking Viagra to get it up on your wedding night. Bet he’ll make a great husband.”

“Shut up,” she spit out. “You can leave.”

“No, I can’t,” he muttered. She hated the way he was looking down at her, knowing he had all the power in the world at that moment. “I came to collect.”

“Collect what?” Luna asked, looking down at the ground. She couldn’t stand the intensity that shined through the blue in his eyes.

Valerio kneeled in front of her. “My wife.”

His hand found its way under her chin, lifting her head so she had no choice but to look at him. The butterflies returned in her stomach at his touch. She hated the effect he had on her, despised it.

“You know what I hate? I hate that even though I shouldn’t be here, even though I let you go, even though you’re not my problem, I still couldn’t help but run over. I hate that I haven’t been able to rid my mind of you for seven years and that I would do anything you asked,” he said. His voice was hardly more than a whisper, but every word sounded like it was being amplified in her ears. “I want to make you a deal.”

“What is it?” she dared to ask.

“You ruined The Chase for me, so I want a redo. This time, if you win, I will get you out of the country, away from any marriage prospects,” he told her, trailing his thumb under her eye to wipe a tear away.

“And if I lose?” she asked in a whisper.

“Then you are mine for the rest of our lives.”

A sharp chill ran down her spine. Another game where the chances were stacked against her, but he promised her things only he could grant her. She had no chances otherwise. The stiff reminder

that she had nothing left to lose, but potentially everything to gain, was enough motivation to agree to the insanity he was proposing.

“Okay.”

Valerio’s grin was sinister. He grabbed her hands, helping her off the floor. He turned them around to the forest, pressing her back against his chest with his hands on her hips and his lips grazing her ear.

“I’ll give you a fifteen-second head start,” he said. “Run like your life depends on it.”

He gave her hips a squeeze before he moved back. She waited for him to say the words that would send her sprinting into the forest.

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