Kat had heard her brother come down those steps many times over the last seventeen years, but the feet that came down them now weren’t Dominic’s. Her breath caught in her throat as her heart started to pound out of her chest, unable to find the strength in herself to hide under her bed.
When she saw the shadowy figure reach the bottom of the steps, all she could look at were those blue-green glowing orbs that somehow seemed to have their own light source behind them.
The figure stepped closer, giving her a better look.
Katarina hadn’t been in Lucifer’s presence for months, but the way she felt looking at him was no different than how she’d felt when she used to look at her father. The devil might’ve been dead, but a demon still walked this city, and even if she had hidden like she should’ve, she knew there was no hiding from whoever the hell he was.
She watched him stretch out a cold hand, knowing it was cold from the callous tone in his voice that turned her warm-bloodied veins into ice.
“Come with me, darlin’.”…
…Going back to the day Katarina was chosen, she realized now Lucca had known about everything. Before he had ever come down those steps.
This whole time…
She knew that Cassius had more than likely confided in him about what went on in their house.
“I’m so sorry, Kat,” Cassius told her again, still angrily shaking his head at himself.
She squeezed her brother as hard as she could in a hug, doing it even though she knew Cassius hated it. “There’s nothing to be sorry about.” Kat squeezed him even harder, smiling at the thought that Lucca had been doing what she had been trying to do with her brother over the years. “I’m actually grateful.”
And she truly fucking was.
* * *
They spent the whole day with her brothers, Drago only getting up to leave when it was well past the sun going down.
Putting on his coat, he looked at her and held out his hand for her to take. “You coming, Kat?”
She knew what those words meant; he had kept his promise. He had taken her back home, and if she wanted to stay, then he’d let her. It was her decision to make.
Kat looked at Dominic first. He gave her a nod that reminded her of what he had told her.
You get to be and do whatever you want, Katarina.
Her eyes then went around the house. The wicked memories she had in the home charred the walls from the hell it once was. The devil was gone, but the burnt walls remained.
It took Kat leaving this house to realize she would never become the woman she was supposed to be if she stayed in these two thousand five hundred and fifty-six square feet.
I have a fucking family to save.
Getting up, she took Drago’s warm hand, thanking God for the cold one that had shown her what she should be.
* * *
Falling in love was a scary thing that he had hoped he would never experience after watching Lucca fall for Chloe.
It seemed more painful to love someone so much than it looked pleasurable. Seeming to only lead to heartbreak.
It all didn’t make sense till her hand touched his. The only way to understand falling in love was when you had already fallen, and it was too late to ever get back up.
That dark black hole you thought was bleak looking in was actually a wonderland once you hit the bottom.
The hole he had fallen in was extra special, because Katarina was so special.
He had thought there were no such things as true heroes. His world of crime had kept him from thinking so, the only heroes were the anti-heroes who balanced out all the noble things with sins.
For the first time, it wasn’t the girl who needed saving; it was the girl who did the saving. This story had only one hero… and it wasn’t the name on this book.
Forty-One
The Truth Shall Always Set You Free
Walking through the casino, she walked hand in hand with Drago, feeling lighter and lighter the closer she got to their apartment door.
There was only one scar left that hadn’t started to heal, only one stone left unturned, and she only hoped that one day very soon he would be ready to see her.
Seconds away from getting onto the closing elevator that was full of people, Kat’s shoulder was hit by another who bumped into her so hard it caused her hand to fall out of Drago’s.
“Excuse you.” She snapped over her shoulder trying to get a look at the person she hadn’t paid attention to as he passed, but there were so many people it was impossible to tell who it had been.
Her head turning back to the front, she saw Drago’s back entering the elevator as it quickly slid to a close. It wasn’t until the door closed that fear kick in.