Fatal Fantasy (The Temptress of Death Duet #2)

1. Carter

ONE

CARTER

I’m stuck in a prison of my own design, with no escape, or ways to pass the time without breaking down and thinking about the two souls I loved, but ultimately lost.

I once said that New Jersey was the worst place on Earth, but I was dead wrong.

California fucking sucks.

Since the moment I stepped back on West Coast soil, I’ve been desperate to leave, to go back to the place where I left my heart, but that isn’t possible.

I was promised the moon, stars, and any galaxy of my choice, but once I came home, none of that turned out to be true.

My father sent me off on a mission that not only changed my life, but jeopardized it on a daily basis — and instead of taking over the Cassini throne, I’ve been shunned by the entire family.

What could’ve been a sliver of joy, in an otherwise abysmal situation, was cruelly taken away, just like every other thing I’ve cared about.

Without meaning to, I made a fucking mess of everything, literally leaving bodies and fires behind, but I didn’t have a choice because when my father came for me, I had to obey, or the consequences would’ve been dire.

I’ve replayed those moments from that night, over and over, wishing I had the courage to fight back, but ultimately, I let fear win, something I can say is truly a first for me.

There’s no rewind button to let me do it all over, or an oracle that gives me a glimpse into the future, and there sure as hell is no way to undo the pain I inflicted on the boys I left behind, but I’m the one who has to live with the fact that these are the direct consequences of my lies.

I’ve learned the hard way not to ask if they’re alive, or what happened to them after our chopper landed, but I spend every waking moment wondering if they’re okay.

A girl can only take so much heartache, and although over time I had no choice but to accept my fate, I’ve never been in a darker space than I was when I crossed the threshold back into a life that no longer wanted me.

That Night

My hair is a knotted mess as we approach the helicopter, the blades rapidly spinning as we make a grand escape.

I’m covered in blood, my bra and panties barely leave anything to the imagination, and I’m being forced to see my father, forced to go back home.

The tears don’t stop falling as I’m propped in a seat, fitted with a headset to protect my ears, and flown across the night sky.

Flashes of Tyson’s lifeless body, and Jasper’s face as he realized my betrayal, are burned into my mind, our journey ending in the most horrific of ways.

Everything is destroyed, from our home, down to our connections, and I’ve never felt more empty, even as I’m being transported back to the life I used to dream about.

The war is over, blood spilled all over the coast of Jersey just like I was supposed to do, but even the promise of taking the Cassini throne won’t be enough to heal the massive holes left in my heart and soul.

I didn’t want it to end this way.

If things happened as they were supposed to, I was slated to run off into the sunset with my boys, but unfortunately, the strings that control our lives don’t always pull in the direction we want.

“Prepare for landing, Miss Cassini,” the man beside me says, and if I weren’t stripped of my weapons before getting into this helicopter, I’d stab him in the fucking neck.

“Is my father on the plane?” I ask, hoping to at least garner a sense of what I’m walking into, especially in the rough state I’m in emotionally, and physically.

“Yes.” He stares blankly ahead, not even bothering to make eye contact, which can only mean that this isn’t going to be a warm welcome, considering the man is supposed to be on his deathbed, not flying across the country.

I’m going with the motions, allowing my body to be moved in the direction everyone else wants me to go, because I’m fucking dead on the inside.

In the blink of an eye, I lost everything tonight, the future I chose was cruelly stolen, and I’ve come to realize that I don’t care if I live, or survive to see another day.

At least death would be final, and I’d never have to endure another second without the two hearts that complete mine.

It’s a slim consolation, but if I’m lucky, my father will pull the fucking trigger the second I step on the plane, reuniting me with Tyson in a place nobody could ever touch us.

“Take this.” The man who’s been my escort hands me his jacket, a small glimmer of humanity in his eyes, and I slip the fabric over my shoulders, silently thanking him for the shred of dignity he’s given me.

After all, it’s been months since I’ve seen my father, and I don’t think a grand reveal of the names carved into my hips is the right move, now or ever.

“Duchess, you made it,” he says as I board the plane, and I can only imagine how I look in his eyes right now.

Dirty, disheveled, and defeated would be the words I’d use, but I was just in a fire fight, so hopefully he doesn’t hold it against me.

Still, I square my shoulders, erasing the emotion from my face as I take the seat across from him, prepared to endure his wrath.

“Hi, Daddy,” I whisper, my throat hoarse from the smoke and screaming, but he doesn’t even flinch at the imperfect way I’ve shown up.

“I can’t say that I’m proud of you right now. Everything I’ve heard about you and those boys made my stomach turn. You were sent here on a mission, and you failed,” he says sternly, and I fight the urge to roll my eyes, knowing that arguing with him right now isn’t even worth a breath.

“What happened to three days?” I ask, wondering why this attack was moved up, and if he lied to me on purpose.

“Did you think we wouldn’t hear from the man you tortured? You wouldn’t have been here if I’d waited any longer, Carter. You tried to leave this family,” he explains, and I drop my head in my hands, wishing I’d killed that son of a bitch when I had the chance.

“So what now, Daddy? I don’t take the throne right away?” I ask, but he’s silent, avoiding eye contact, and when he sighs as the plane takes off – pulling out his phone and ignoring my question – it’s clear that we’re not having an open conversation.

Laying back against the seat, I feel the utter exhaustion from the night’s events creeping into my bones, settling right into my soul, and I’ve never been more desperate to fall into a place where I have no thoughts, feelings, or emotions.

The second my eyes close, the nothingness immediately consumes me, my body leaning into the place where I’m free from the pain being held over my head. I’ve never been more thankful for complete silence, and if I could, I’d stay here forever.

Instead of hiding in my subconscious, I’m ripped back into reality at the sound of my father’s voice, the peace bubble I submersed myself in cruelly popping.

“When we return, you are on lockdown. You will be reintroduced into the Cassini family in a different capacity, once the man I’ve arranged for you to marry is confident that you aren’t a threat to our legacy.

” He spells out how things are going to go, and I can’t even process his words, completely in shock at what I’m hearing.

I may have been born into this life, but I never agreed to being held prisoner.

“I don’t need a man to keep me in line, and I sure as hell am not marrying one,” I argue, folding my arms across my chest in protest, but am met with the rage I should’ve expected.

“Carter, you will do exactly as I say, with no complaints. You made a mess of this operation, and destroyed your chances of becoming the heiress you were born to be!” He shouts, his firm voice bouncing off the leather seats, but I don’t even flinch, refusing to show an ounce of emotion as he unleashes his wrath on me.

“If I can’t have the throne then let me go! I can create a life for myself elsewhere, cut ties with the Cassini name, and forget any of this ever happened,” I bargain, using one final sliver of hope to attempt to argue for my freedom.

“You are my child, Carter. There is nowhere for you to go. I suggest you forget about those boys, because if I even hear their names, you’ll regret it.”

“Can you at least tell me if they’re alive? For Christ’s sake, you made me leave one of them while he was bleeding out!”

We argue back and forth, my smart mouth and quick wit being thrown right back at me, as I’ve studied my father’s personality my entire life, choosing to morph it into my own, back when I thought becoming the mirror image of him was my destiny, the portal to a dream that’s since been decimated.

“The attack on those families is what we sent you here to do. Any casualties are your fault, as you strayed from the mission. You were not sent across the country to whore yourself out like some cheap slut, and to be frank, you’re lucky I’ve even considered having you home.

You disgust me, Carter,” he spits, the venom dripping off each syllable as he delivers the worst thing he’s ever said to me – as if I’m nothing but one of his men.

We’re not equals anymore, and I’m realizing just how short the leash is when you’re the daughter of a Don, even if he made you the center of his world, and eventual successor.

“Just fucking kill me, then. I did everything you asked, including moving here to expand your empire! After all of this, everything I endured, I’m not going to be your prisoner, Dad. I refuse.”

Before I can make a face, assert myself to be taken seriously, or even inhale a breath, he leans forward in the seat, the back of his hand connecting with my cheek.

The slapping of skin echoes around the otherwise silent plane, but I don’t dare show a sliver of emotion, biting the tip of my tongue to keep a single tear from escaping.

If he wants to keep me, he’ll have to fucking break me, and I turn to read his eyes, trying to gauge what he’s thinking. There’s a raging fire brewing behind my irises, and I can sense what he’s up to, an all knowing look coming from the bright baby blues identical to mine.