Here's another sneak peek at the upcoming conclusion to the Fallen Raven Duet. As always, please note this excerpt has not been edited at all. And it may or may not make the cut after editing is complete.
Fallen Raven, Book 2
Chapter X - Unedited
Aurora
A part of me wanted to run out the door and die already. But I promised Rex I would do as he asked. Everything he had done since we left New York had been to keep me safe. I repeated that last part a few more times in my head because right now, a bigger part of me wanted to punch his smug face.
He knew I hated the cold weather. I hated being alone in this apartment. I hated being away from Enzo. A whole month had gone by since I last saw him. My body hurt from missing him so much. Twenty-four seven, I thought of nothing else but him in a hospital bed dying slowly. I imagined that was what a coma was like. His body was done, but his soul wanted to latch on to life a bit longer for me—for us.
Every time Rex came to check up on me, I would ask him for the same favor. I wanted to see Enzo. I wanted him to hear my voice and know I wasn’t ready to give up on us. That he shouldn’t give up either. But no, Rex thought he knew best. As he put it, if I ever left the apartment, I’d be dead within the hour.
If he cared so much, why had he not come back? It’d been weeks.
On really bad days, like today, I really, really thought about walking out the door and trying my luck on my own—without Rex telling me what to eat, what to wear, and basically what to think. He had to be exaggerating. Angelo was good at killing. He was the boss of the king’s clean up crew for a reason. But I was in a whole different country. I was safe.
I walked to the door and turned the knob. When the door fell opened, I peeked into the corridor. My gaze followed the floral pattern in greens and pinks all the way to the window. Rex had spared no expense putting me up. The building was old but fancy with a very European feel to it.
A door creaked opened, and my heart leapt up into my throat. I swallowed to keep from screaming, then slammed the door shut. After I flipped both locks, I pressed my forehead to the panel, shaking uncontrollably. The chances that whoever was out there was one of Angelo’s men was maybe one in a hundred. I had never been the scaredy type, but Rex had really fucked with my head. No to mention, almost being burned alive had also left some serious mental damage.
I still had a sore throat from the smog. Rex had said that would wear off in time. The nightmares, the feeling of being paralyzed, that would stay with me forever.
I glanced at the clock over the mantel. It was past midnight. Another day, and Enzo didn’t show. Though lately, I waited for Rex with the same anticipation. I hated that my life hinged around him now, but I couldn’t help it. I needed him.
With my heart still pounding in my throat, I trudged to the bedroom and climbed into bed. I hadn’t bothered to change out of my pajamas all day, so that saved me a few minutes. Not that I cared to save time. That was all I had these days. I gathered the covers around me and pulled them up to my neck. The heavy blankets gave me a sense of security.
“Go to sleep, Angel.” Enzo’s voice brushed my ear.
“Please don’t die.” I turned my face to the side, letting the soft pillow case caress my cheek. When I opened my eyes, I met Enzo’s calming gaze. I smiled at him, taking in the brown and green specks of his irises, the wrinkles around his eyes when he beamed at me, and his straight nose. “Why do you have to be so beautiful?”
“Go to sleep.” He repeated.
I shook my head, and that sparked a gleam in his eyes. Slowly, he reached beneath the sheets and took my hand. I released a shaky breath because I knew what he’d do next.
“Go to sleep.” He held the pads of my fingers to his lips.
“No.”
When he sucked my index finger into the warm wet of his mouth, I made a sound something like a moan that I didn’t recognize as my own. My heartbeat picked up the pace as he swirled his tongue around the pads of my fingers, his gaze never leaving mine. In the next beat, he roughly removed my hand and plunged it between my legs.
“hmmm.” I leaned into him. His scent was intoxicating. His warmth and the strength of his body were the only thing keeping me from floating away into nothing. “More.”
He used my hand to draw small circles around my clit, then a wider one up and down my pussy lips. I nodded several times even though he hadn’t asked me anything. He hadn’t asked if he could invade my body. He simply took. It was the same every night. Enzo doing whatever he wanted to my body.
Not once did it occurred to me to say no. I was too greedy to let this dark pleasure go. I wanted him so much. When his mouth found mine, I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed my body harder into the mattress, letting him work his crazy hot magic on my pussy.
“Don’t stop.” I ran my hands up his bulging bicep and then down his chest.
“Never.” He deepened the kiss and moved down to my neck.
My pajama top was missing the first button, a memento from our first night in this apartment. He easily pulled the fabric out of the way and covered my aching nipple, playing with it with rough strokes of his tongue. I practically melted next to him. Heat engulfed our bodies and burned so hot, I had to kick the comforter off me. Not feeling cold for a few minutes was pure heaven.
Enzo was my heaven.
“Come for me.” He switched to my other breast while he increased the tempo.
Hot. Every pore of me burned with desire, and my need to find release. Or an escape, really. He cupped me with his hand, kneading me, pressing his palm right over my clit. And that was my undoing. My hips bucked up to meet his eager and calculated movements. I saw stars behind my eyelids as the fire at my core unraveled and spread down to my legs, my chest, and then back to my needy pussy.
“Enzo, I love you.” I shifted my body to face him. “Don’t die.”
“Go to sleep, Angel.” He beamed at me as he tucked my head in the nook of his neck and shoulder. His breath in my hair comforted me and gave me a weird sense of hope. Enzo couldn’t die. He was the dark prince. He was bigger than all this. He was bigger than life. He was mine. “I’ll be home soon.”
His words lulled me into a state of unconsciousness. I was awake but somehow dreaming. I dreamt of Enzo and what our life could be if we could just hang on a little longer. Rex was there too. As soon as his face came into view, the air around us got cold. Then colder and colder, until I couldn’t feel or see Enzo anymore.
“Ahh.” I sat up in the bed with a yelp, then squinted at the bright light coming in through the large window in the room. “Please.” I shifted my body and pulled back the covers. “No.” I ran my hands over the white sheets. “One more day. And nothing.” I swallowed to keep my composure but my frustration won over. I buried my face in the pillow and screamed. And screamed. And screamed until my throat and chest ached so bad no sound came out anymore.
The sun was up again. Technically, this was a new day. But for me it wasn’t. It was just an extension of the last thirty days. Wincing, I let my feet drop to the side of the mattress. With mechanical movements, I stood and walked to the bathroom to pee and brush my teeth. I stared at my disheveled reflection. For a few seconds while I adjusted my hair-tie to make my bun straight, I considered putting on clean clothes, but then shrugged off the idea—same as yesterday. What did it matter?
“Round and round we go.” I said to the girl in the mirror. “You look pathetic.” I made to walk away, then turned back. “No, you know what? You are pathetic. You know what’s going on here and you won’t admit it. Say it.” I stared at her. “Say it.” I shook my head. “Coward.”
On my way to the kitchen to get the coffee started, the front door jostled. Or rather, someone was messing with the lock. I ran back to my bedroom and grabbed the gun Rex gave me when he dropped me off. I fumbled with it for a second, then managed to grip it right, then point it toward the door.
I stood there like an idiot, heart thrashing in my ears, gun in my hand, and waited for the intruder. ****End of Excerpt****
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