Page 3 of Broken Crown

The way he threatened my old boss.

The hushed conversations with his brother that fell silent when I entered the room.

But I hadn’t wanted to know.

His darkness had called to something inside me, something that recognized the monster beneath the tailored suits and hungry eyes.

I checked my phone, trying to hold my hand steady long enough to read the screen.

Dead.

Just like I would be if he found me.

His cold words echoed.

Hate me all you want…as long as you obey me.

The contradiction tore at me. The man who built my dream career was now orchestrating my nightmare. The worst part, the part I hated most, was that some broken, twisted piece of me still ached for his touch even as I ran from it.

How quickly passion turned to fear.

A group of tourists stood ahead, cameras flashing.

I plunged into their midst, ignoring their startled cries.

A glance over my shoulder revealed one of the men in black shoving through the crowd behind me, his hand reaching inside his jacket.

I cut right, down a set of worn steps.

My foot caught. I tumbled forward, palms scraping the rough surface. Pain lanced through my wrist. I pushed up anyway, ignoring the blood trickling down my forearm.

Church bells echoed across the city, disorienting me further.

Which way?

Where could I go?

Sebastian’s reach bled into every inch of Rome.

His family had ruled these streets for generations.

I ducked into a small piazza, scanning frantically.

A café sprawled to my right, tables spilling onto the square.

I could lose myself there.

I barely took a step in that direction when I was pulled up short by a hand clamped over my mouth, muffling my scream at the sudden, unexpected attack.

An arm snaked around me, yanking me into the shadows of a recessed doorway.

“Non fare un suono,” the man hissed at my ear. Don’t make a sound.

I thrashed, nails clawing at the arm restraining me.

His grasp tightened, squeezing the air from my lungs.

“Relax,” he murmured in a wet, sickening purr. “If I wanted you dead, you’d already be dead.”