Chapter 2
Desire
When you’re constantly called the “Prince,” it’s only a matter of time before you want a kingdom of your own.
I step out of the car, scanning the city lights. Somewhere in the distance, sirens wail—a pleasant reminder of the mercy I showed tonight. Blue lights slice through the darkness, and I push away the lingering thoughts of my new amusing toy.
Inside the upscale restaurant, the night is quiet. The spacious dining room is nearly empty, save for one guest. Even though I’ve only dined here once before, my brain is mapping out every possible exit route in case of unforeseen circumstances. It’s not paranoia. It’s a killer’s reflex.
The man in the business suit sits at the farthest table, already having set aside his cutlery.
His late dinner is finished—on his plate, the remnants of a rare steak growing cold.
The air conditioning is blasting at full power, but Robert Jefferson doesn’t seem to feel it.
He looks tense, even though I executed the contract flawlessly. Strange.
Alistair Thornton is deader than dead. The body of the pharmaceutical empire’s owner—who also happened to be a mad bastard—has been found in that forest cabin. And his victim, the blonde heiress from a wealthy family, is on her way to a rehabilitation clinic, thanks to my anonymous call.
A cold smirk touches my lips. Oh yes, the poor thing will definitely need rehabilitation. Only, it won’t just be for what Thornton did to her—it’ll be for what I did too. However, the shrinks won’t help. Some things can’t be cured. Like me.
“Shall we discuss the next target, Robert?” I ask, withholding the obligatory “sir.” I can afford it.
“Have a seat, Sterling,” he says, as a waiter clears the dirty dishes and leaves us alone.
I frown slightly. Using my last name. He used to address me by my name or nickname.
Not that I care what this snob thinks. We’re bound by nothing but a contract for three hits.
This work isn’t just about maintaining my reputation as Prince, the elite killer.
It’s, more importantly, about expanding my father’s criminal empire.
I chose this path because getting my hands dirtied with blood is far more entertaining than wasting away in leather chairs while giving orders like my older brothers do.
Besides, this is how I build my own kingdom.
I settle into the chair across from him, leaning back. Two targets left. I’ll take them out, get the industrial contracts my family needs as payment, and then Jefferson can go to hell.
“You weren’t exactly subtle,” he hisses.
“The police and the press have nothing on me,” I state, shaking my head. “I wasn’t made.”
My toy won’t give me up. I’m absolutely certain.
Even if her testimony meant anything and we didn’t have half the cops on our payroll, she’ll keep her mouth shut.
She’s learned her lesson all too well about who her worst nightmare really is, and she knows I’ll be back. Which means crossing me is deadly.
“The witness—”
“Didn’t see a thing,” I lie. “She was locked in the basement the whole time. I put the bullet in Thornton’s forehead.”
He narrows his eyes on me. By all the rules, I should have eliminated the witnesses, but I chose hunting people because I enjoy the process.
And I fucking loved what I found in Thornton’s basement.
Those terrified pale-blue eyes. That cascade of golden curls.
The jaw clenched into a rigid, stubborn line.
She sat before me in that white dress, looking like a broken Disney princess, a pool of her captor’s blood spreading at her feet.
I’m well acquainted with vice—I’ve sampled too many pleasures to be surprised by much anymore.
But with her … with her, all I needed to do to come was face-fuck her while watching the will shatter in her eyes.
I know exactly which family she belongs to.
Acquiring such an expensive toy is its own kind of pleasure, but it’s not just about that. It’s about the way she knelt before me.
“My second target?” I’m done wasting time.
He slides a thick folder across the table, and I open the file. The next ten minutes of silence is only broken by the rustle of pages. With each new photograph, the cold irritation inside me simmers hotter.
“Is this a joke?” I slowly lift my gaze to him.
“Do I look like I’m joking, Sterling?”
“Africa?” I grit my teeth. “I’ll be stuck in that shithole for six fucking months!”
“This route is critical for our supply lines”—Jefferson holds my gaze—“which means it’s critical for your family as well. We have a clear agreement with your father. You’re ours for three contracts.”
I clench my jaw. Well, it all makes sense, but I can’t shake the feeling that Jefferson chose a target on another continent specifically to get me out of the way—to eliminate any further noise in the country.
Under the terms of our deal, I can’t refuse.
That would let the family down and derail my plans.
I drop my gaze back to the target’s profile, thinking it over.
Is it really that bad? I’m no amateur. If I cut preparation time to the bone and play aggressive, I can close this contract in three months.
My kingdom within Stonehaven University will still be there when I get back.
It’ll wait for me. We’ll still have that “princess initiation”—as planned.
Stupid, pompous name, I admit. Steve came up with that cheap gimmick purely for his own amusement, to toy with naive college girls.
Fine. Let him play with his extras. I don’t care.
By that time, my personal broken toy will have left the psychiatric clinic and come back for her sophomore year.
We’ll meet again on my turf.
I snap the folder shut and rise. “Consider the target eliminated.”
“Don’t rush, Desire,” Jefferson says, his tone almost softening.
He can shove his advice.
“I never rush, Robert,” I toss over my shoulder, and walk out of the restaurant.
I’ll do what needs to be done, but as for my new toy—I was dead serious. She truly has nothing to fear from anyone but me, and I know exactly what I’m going to do with her.
Her face flashes before my eyes—the soft features streaked with tears, the swan-like neck crushed beneath the chain, that hunted, feral gaze she cast into the darkness of the forest beyond the cabin window.
What monsters did she imagine lurking out there, that she chose to trust me instead?
Me—a born mafioso and a killer, the one who chained her to a radiator.
I plan to make those nightmares real for her. I’ll fill her life with shadows so she’ll come looking for my protection on her own. I’ll save her from the rest of the world so I can remain her one and only nightmare.