AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The island itself was an ornate citadel surrounded by lush jungles and blue waters that stretched to the horizon. A light breeze blew, sending a chill down my spine as I surveyed the scene before me.
I heard the faint sound of laughter from the palace ahead. My heart raced as I contemplated what I was about to do, and I took a few deep breaths to steady myself.
As I made my way toward the palace, I saw two guards standing in front of the gates, their faces grim and their weapons at the ready. One of them stepped forward and asked me a few questions in a gruff voice. I responded as best I could, trying to keep my voice steady as I mentioned the name of my employer. The guard nodded, seeming satisfied, and gestured for me to enter the villa.
My hands were shaking as I stepped through the gates, and I took a moment to compose myself. Ahead of me lay a long, winding path, and I could feel the thrill and fear of the unknown as I began my journey toward Massimo's court.
Kaya and Rook were by my side, my very own backup. Rook was on my arm looking every bit the billionaire misanthrope ready to drop a lot of money. Don't get me wrong, he was pretty and all, but he was no Drake.
Nerves gnawed at my gut, but Kaya, bless her heart, was having none of it. She pulled me aside, her eyes softening for a moment as she squeezed my arm.
"Daphne," she said, her voice a comforting anchor amid the storm of my nerves. "Remember who you are. You're a badass who's faced worse than this."
I had to laugh at that. Kaya had a way of making everything sound like it was just another day at the office. And I guess, in a way, it was.
I nodded, taking a deep breath and pulling myself together. Kaya was right. I couldn't let my nerves get the best of me. I had a job to do.
As we made our way toward the palace gates, my eyes scanned the area, taking note of the guards and potential threats. I could feel Rook's presence beside me, his hand resting on my back in a reassuring gesture.
We approached the guards, and I kept my eyes forward and my expression neutral as they checked our identification. When they finally granted us access, I breathed a sigh of relief.
The villa was a maze, and it took a moment for us to get our bearings. But as we made our way through the winding halls, the sound of music grew louder and the scent of sweat and alcohol filled the air.
We entered a crowded room, filled with people dancing and laughing, their bodies pressed tightly together. I spotted Massimo in the center, surrounded by a throng of admirers. He was even more dangerous and repulsive than I remembered.
I felt a thrill of fear and excitement ripple through me as I approached him. He turned toward me, his eyes sliding over me in a way that made my skin prickle.
I thought it was being near Massimo at first, but no. This was different. The hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention, and my body heated. My gaze flickered around, and for the briefest moment, I saw the reason for that feeling.
Drake. He was over by the northwest gardens. I didn't see the other men with him, which meant they were about to inflict chaos on this merry band of billionaires. I forced myself to keep my attention on Massimo. The last thing I wanted was him seeing Drake.
"I'm surprised you came," he said, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. “I am very glad to know that you are a reasonable woman after all.”
"I'm here to talk business," I said coolly, a note of defiance in my voice. I tried to think of all the ways that I should play this. Should I be conciliatory? Should I beg? Tell him I'd do whatever he wanted if he just left my family out of it? But in the end, despite the fear coursing through my veins, I knew I wasn't begging him for anything. I would, in fact, rather die.
That can probably be arranged.
Massimo raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. He clamped his hand on my arm, tugging me toward the exit. "Let me show you around, darling," he cooed, and he held up a hand to halt Rook, who tried to follow.
As I was led away, I couldn't help but glance back, once again locking eyes with Drake one last time. There was a warning in his gaze, but it was too late. I was in Massimo's clutches now. All I had to do was find a moment to plant the microscopic tracker on him, then run like hell. The team would pick him up. But I needed to be away from his guards first.
And as the crowd swallowed us up, I had to remind myself of Kaya's words. I was a badass. I could handle this. I would handle this. After all, who said heartbreak couldn't be a great motivator?
Drake
I was going to put a bullet between his eyes.
Rage built up inside me as I watched Massimo, his arm clamped tightly around Daphne's waist, dragging her away. My vision blurred with rage and my hands trembled with fury. I prided myself on keeping my cool no matter the situation, but this time all rational thought flew out of my head and wrath sucked me under its undertow. Before long I was sticking to the shadows, headed for the main hall, trying to intercept them.
I watched him pull Daphne into what looked like a private room at the end of the hall, then called in my coordinates. “Hold. I repeat hold. Kaya and Rook and Daphne are on location. I repeat, Kaya, Brooke, and Daphne are on location.”
Like it or not, we were going to have to get the whole team out before we detonated. The whole team, including Igno.
I easily took out one guard at the end of the hall, wrapping my arm around his neck, bracing it with my other one, applying pressure along his trachea, and pulling him backward into the shadows before anyone else could see him.
When he stopped moving, I shoved him onto the balcony then headed back to the room where I saw Igno take Daphne. Then palming my gun, I strode in after them.
But Igno was already waiting for me with a gun to Daphne’s temple. "Drake, you can't stop me from getting the information I need." Massimo's gravelly voice echoed through the room. He smirked, his gaze on me nothing short of challenging.
