Page 111 of Fearless

One week later

Tuscany, Italy

Ah yes, this was the life he deserved. He should have come to Italy from the very beginning. The villa sat on a hill overlooking some of the lushest land one could imagine. His home was almost a century old, having once belonged to a premier wine-making family. It held history and tradition. He’d take those over a pretentious chalet in Vail or an ostentatious beach house in Florida. He didn’t know why he hadn’t realized that before. Perhaps he’d just been saving the best for last.

Either way, he could see himself staying here for years. Building a life. Sipping on vintage wine. Consuming some of the most delicious food in the world. Yes, this was definitely where Clark Keystone aka Colton Kingsley should live out his years.

The villa even came with servants. They had kept the place immaculate, and while he knew he’d been paying them for the upkeep, he’d never given much thought to who they were.

When he had arrived, he’d thought they were a bit too formal, but now he could definitely see the benefit of having such well-trained employees. Not having to hire a whole host of people to do his bidding was definitely a benefit.

Now he could just sit back, enjoy his new life, and not worry about anything. He was at last reaping the benefits of his hard work and sacrifices.

Nine days later

Hobbs, New Mexico

Colton let himself into the small apartment and dropped his luggage on the floor. He was glad he’d kept up the rent here, as this was where he would make his plans.

After weeks of torture, feeling out of sorts and lost, he now knew what would make him happy. It should have been so obvious, but since he’d never faced such a problem, it was only natural that time and careful consideration had been necessary.

WREN needed him. And he could admit that he needed them. His entire life had been devoted to them, and because of one minor mistake, he had been discarded like yesterday’s trash. As if he hadn’t accomplished anything in his life. Which was ridiculous. He had accomplished feats that a million men couldn’t have done.

He now had the perfect solution. Not only would he return to WREN, but he would also get back on the fast track to being on the council. It was so simple, he couldn’t believe he hadn’t already considered it.

All he needed to do was recapture both Serena and Sean Donavan.

Nabbing Serena had been one of his greatest accomplishments. Recapturing her would be even more impressive. And he would use Sean Donavan to force her to do whatever he told her to do.

Tuscany had proved to be a huge disappointment after all. He had felt supremely dissatisfied with every part of his life. Living out in the world was for the weak and simple-minded. He was neither. That was why WREN had chosen him in the first place. His brilliance and ingenuity were legendary. Once he fixed the small problem that the Donavans had created, everything would be back in line and his trajectory to the top imminent.

Finding the Donavans shouldn’t be a problem. They would feel safe enough to go back to that hokey little community in Wisconsin. Admittedly, it was well guarded, so he would need to take extreme caution when he snuck onto the property. It would be nice to have assistance, but this would have to be a solo endeavor. When WREN realized what he’d done all on his own, they’d be even more impressed.

It occurred to him that this might have been WREN’s plan from the beginning. Had they created this entire scenario to get him to prove his worth? Was this some sort of quest or challenge so he could prove himself worthy to be on the council?

Why else would the assassin sent to kill Sean Donavan end up saving his life instead? How else had OZ discovered Serena’s location at his compound without an outside source? Why else had he been given a second chance with WREN, when others had been killed on the spot for lesser offenses?

Colton laughed with delight. Of course! Now it all made sense. This was his challenge. A test to prove he was good enough to be in the higher echelon of WREN.

He was almost embarrassed that it had taken him so long to figure it out. But now that he had, he would get to work. He had an intricate, delicate mission to plan.

Feeling both excited and renewed, Colton opened his laptop. His first order of business was to cancel the contracts he had taken out on Donavan. Having Sean Donavan alive was now of utmost importance to him. That done, he set to work on the amazing quest his employers had set before him. He couldn’t wait to see their expressions of awe and respect when he delivered the Donavans—hog-tied, beaten, and desperate to do anything to keep each other healthy and alive. It was the perfect scenario.

People would be talking about his triumph for years to come. Maybe someone would write a book about him someday. How one man single-handedly took down a multifaceted organization and became the greatest leader in the history of the universe.

Okay, maybe that was a little farfetched, but who knew? Once he’d accomplished this task, nothing and no one could stop him from achieving his dreams. If anyone tried, he’d take them out. It was as simple as that.

After all, he was Colton Fricking Kingsley.

Chapter Forty-Six

Francine, Wisconsin

Immersed in a bubble bath up to her neck, Serena thought about all that had happened in the weeks since she and Sean had been in Francine. They were in a good place again. Their time here had been exactly what they’d both needed. Remembering why they had fallen in love in the first place, they had reconnected physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Their bodies, minds, and souls had healed, reminding them of what was most important.

And soon, they would be renewing their vows. When they’d announced their plans at the weekly family dinner, the entire place had erupted in cheers. As predicted, her sisters-in-law and aunts took charge of the event.

Though she and Sean had specific things they wanted to include, they were only too happy to turn over the planning to the experts. She knew her family would make it lovely and memorable.