His Stolen Princess Read online

  His Stolen Princess

  MINK

  His Stolen Princess

  MINK © 2020

  All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this e-book only. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without prior written permission from MINK.

  This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Contents

  His Stolen Princess

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Epilogue

  Also by MINK

  About the Author

  His Stolen Princess

  MINK

  Apollonia

  I never wanted to come back here, never wanted to see any of these faces. Old friends and enemies—sometimes one-in-the-same. But I had to come. One last time. It’s hard enough as it is, but then I see him. The reason I’m here, the man who took my brother away from me. He may be the most powerful man in Italy, but right now, I don’t care. Right now, I want him to hurt the way I do.

  Cato

  She comes to a funeral with pain and beauty. Lashing out, she aims for me. I take her fury, her sorrow, and finally, her. I can’t let her walk out of my life, not when I’ve found her again. The last time I saw her, she was a child and I wasn’t much more than one. This time, though, this time, I won’t let our bond break. I’ll do everything I can to convince her that her life is here with me, not on the run from a past she can’t escape. But I soon discover I’m not the only one with my sights on her, and old enemies never truly die.

  1

  Apollonia

  The rain falls. It’s so fitting. I’d like to think the world mourns with me. That for a moment everything and everyone stops, and we understand the pain. I reach up and wipe a tear from my cheek.

  Why am I here? Have I really traveled thousands of miles to say goodbye? To a man who said goodbye to me long ago? A sob leaves me. I cover my mouth to silence it. I push down the hurt that I don’t fully understand, not wanting to draw attention to myself. Well, anymore than me showing up here already has.

  The church continues to fill up inside behind me as I sit on the cold stone stairs and I find myself unable to take the last few steps to say my final goodbye.

  Run, my mind screams. I’m good at it. I ran from here many years ago, vowing to never return. Now I’ve run right back. I’ve gone days without sleeping or eating to get here, hoping that if I got here sooner, maybe the outcome would change. But there was no saving him. He was already gone. I reach into my small purse and pull out a pack of cigarettes, then shake one loose.

  It’s not long before I notice a pair of shiny black shoes beside me. I don’t bother to look up.

  “Anyone ever tell you smoking is bad for your health?” the deep voice asks.

  “Did anyone ever tell you to mind your own business?” My words surprise me. I guess grief can make you bitter.

  The man with the deep voice ignores me and proceeds to sit down next to me. I still don’t look at him, but I can tell he’s a large man.

  “You need a light?”

  I laugh. I guess I do. I hadn't thought that far ahead when I’d grabbed the cigarettes off my roommate's nightstand. I don’t even smoke, but times like these make you do all sorts of things you wouldn’t normally do.

  “Please.”

  He takes the cigarette from my hand. I finally look over at him. My eyes go to his mouth as he puts the cigarette to his lips and lights it. He takes a long draw, savoring it before handing it back to me. He blows the smoke out. He almost makes it look sexy.

  “Thanks.” I take it with trembling fingers. I stare into the darkest eyes I’ve ever seen. They would be almost scary, but when he gives me a sad smile it drives the fear away.

  I drop my gaze and lift the cigarette to my mouth. I take my first drag and immediately start coughing. So much for not drawing any attention to myself.

  “It’s all yours.” I hand him back the cigarette and stand, then run my hands down my wrinkled dress. I should have ironed it or something, but I couldn’t find the will to care. I bet someone ironed Carter’s suit before they put it on him. I close my eyes. The sadness threatens to overwhelm me. I take a deep breath to try to get myself together.

  My mind flashes back to being a small girl. I’m putting on Carter’s tie for him. He looks uninterested even though it’s the day of his graduation. He keeps joking that he’s not going to walk. But I continue to fasten his tie. I’m twelve years old and so proud of him. The memory almost brings me to my knees. I push it back, knowing I need to get through this. Memories only hold me back.

  There were so many other choices he could’ve made, but he hadn’t. So now here we are. I really am alone in this world. I haven't seen my brother in years, but I always knew he was out there. That he was only a call away.

  “Selfish,” I mutter as I walk up the stairs. Yet, that thought doesn’t make the pain any less. People lingering in the aisle part for me, stepping back. I keep moving forward, each step heavier than the one before.

  I drop my head when I see the white coffin at the end. Tears fall, but I smile. Of course he has a white coffin. I would have demanded black. Something not too flashy, but that wasn’t Carter.

  I lift my chin and keep walking, trying to hold my head high. Hushed whispers surround me. I have no idea who these people are. I never understood the life my brother chose to live. He’d seen our father do it, and now they’ve both met the same fate. The only difference was our dad took our mom with him. I wouldn't let Carter take me with him. I’d made it out of that lifestyle. It hadn’t been easy, but I’d done it.

  I stop when I get to him, his body so still, his face so pale. I reach out and place my hand on his suit. “Even dead you look handsome, but you knew you would. Didn’t you?” I can’t remember a time when girls weren’t falling all over him. “I hate you,” I whisper. A tear falls and hits his motionless cheek. “But I’ll always love you. Tell Mommy I miss her.” I place my hand on his, needing to touch him one last time as I say my final goodbye. But his skin is cold and hard. I put my hand to my mouth to muffle the sob.

  I step back quickly and run into someone. They grab me to keep me from falling. “Sorry.” I turn to see the man from outside standing there. I steady myself, and he drops his hands and gives me space. Everyone in the church is sitting now except the three men standing a few feet behind the dark-eyed man from the steps.

  “Apollonia.” He’s not asking if it’s my name. He knows it.

  I give a weak smile and try to step around him. There’s nothing to say to anyone here. These people might have been my brother's friends, but they mean nothing to me. They may be who he called his family, but they aren’t mine. They are a part of this world and contributed to his death. I have nothing to say to any of them. They should be in the casket with him. “Your brother—”

  “Is dead.”

  “Come. Let's speak in private.” He reaches for my elbow. I hold my hands up,
stepping back again, bumping against the casket.

  “Don’t touch me,” I say loud enough to draw attention, but no one looks our way. Only the three shadows behind the man.

  He drops his hand. “I’m Cato.”

  I lunge forward before I know I’m doing it. I slap him hard across his impeccable face, my palm stinging as though it’s on fire. He pushes me back. I close my eyes and expect to be hit.

  “Don’t!” he shouts.

  My eyes fly open to see his back is to me and he’s talking to the men. “Stand down.” They don’t look like they want to listen to him, but they do as they’re told. Of course they do.

  “I’m sorry,” he starts again.

  I don’t want his apology. That’s the last thing I want from him.

  I throw myself at him with all my might. I pound my fists into his chest. I don’t even know what I scream, but I know I do. My throat burns from it. My knees give out, and my hands throb in pain. I close my eyes and let go.

  I am truly alone in this world.

  2

  Cato

  She sleeps as my helicopter takes off and flies us over the golden fields of semolina and into the rolling hills of Tuscany. Days of travel have taken their toll on her. A quick rummage through her small bag reveals nothing more than a passport, a few euro and the pack of cigarettes with only one smoke missing.

  I take her passport and the cigarettes, then slip them into my pocket as we fly over the hills and farms. The scenery is beautiful. But I keep looking at the girl sleeping with her head in my lap.

  I knew Carter had a sister. After all, I knew the story of his family well. The violence that took the lives of his parents. But I didn’t know Apollonia had run. Carter was the only member of the Simonetti family I needed. He was the one with the ability to kill without remorse, to protect me at all costs, and to stay by my side when shit hit the fan.

  I run my fingers through her dark hair. So soft. Softer than anything I’ve ever felt. She’s like a cat. A lioness, one who tried to use her claws on me at the funeral. She may have left her family ties behind, but she’s still a Simonetti. Their greatness runs in her veins. Their lust for vengeance punctuated with each blow she landed on me.

  “Where have you been, little lioness?” I ask her, though nothing can be heard over the helicopter engine.

  “Can we drop her?” Santino asks, his eyes narrowed on the beauty asleep in my lap.

  My temper flares—a rarity for me—but I keep it in check. “Do not threaten what is mine.”

  He drops his gaze. “Apologies.”

  “This girl is mine now.” I speak into the mic that connects to all my men as well as the helicopter pilot. “Her life is in my hands. None of you may touch her. Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” they all answer quickly.

  I’m a man of discipline, one who has no problem enforcing rules through coercion or violence. But I’ve broken my own code by taking Carter’s sister. I should’ve let her fall, left her on the stone floor of the church. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. I’d caught her in my arms, clutching her close as I strode out into the bright morning.

  I’ve never felt drawn to another soul. Never in my life have I granted mercy for no reason. I always have a plan, a design, something to gain. But not with her. Not with this woman who slumbers like an angel but fights like a demon.

  My lips curl into a smile, one that I can’t seem to dispel. Has she bewitched me? Is she a ghost sent by Carter to torment me for his death? There is no need. I already carry a heavy load of regret on my shoulders for his passing.

  I look down at her again, at the soft curve of her cheek, the way her lips are partly open as she breathes deeply.

  No, she’s not a ghost. She’s a real flesh and blood woman, a lioness I want to hear roar.

  “She’s awake.” Flavia shakes her gray head at me as she walks into my office. She’s the only one who can get away with coming in without knocking. “And she’s yelling the house down over there. Why would you take in a wild animal?” She tsks, her hands sliding into the pockets of her black maid’s dress. “She’s feral.”

  “Come now, Flavia.” I stride past her. “You knew you couldn’t be the only woman of the house forever.”

  “I knew no such thing.” She doesn’t follow, and after I’ve made it down the stairs and into the residence wing of my home, I hear her vacuum come to life.

  For the past two hours I’ve sat at my desk and tried to work. For the past two hours, all I’ve done is attempt to architect this meeting between Appolonia and me. She will be disoriented, surprised, maybe even angry again. I don’t know, but what I do know is that I will take the reins and inform her that … And that’s the part where I can’t seem to find my way forward. What is my plan? I don’t have one. I always have a plan. But not with her.

  The only thing I know for certain is that she is not leaving these grounds until I discover the truth about her brother’s death. She may well be in danger just as he was. I owe it to Carter to protect his sister. That’s exactly what I’ll do. And not because the girl has bewitched me. Not at all.

  I take a deep breath as I catch a screeching yell of “If you don’t let me out of here, I will tear this place down with my bare hands!”

  Why do my lips kick up into a smile? I don’t know. I have to stow it, because this lioness clearly needs a strong hand. I flex my fingers knowing that with me, that’s exactly what she’ll get. Strength, discipline, and above all, a firm grasp of the situation.

  I knock briefly, then open her door. When I walk in, I don’t see her--not in her bed with the fluffy pink blanket or at the window that looks out on the finest vineyard in Tuscany.

  “Appol—” I duck as a vase flies across the room and shatters into pieces next to my head.

  “Let me out of here or so help me!” Her hand appears from behind the bed, and she lobs one of her black heels at me.

  I smack it from the air and stride around the bed.

  “You think you can kidnap me? I’ll burn this place down!” She’s on all fours, a ferocious look on her face as I reach for her. She bites my arm, her teeth only separated from flesh by the thin dress shirt I’m wearing.

  With a yank, I wrench her off the floor. She kicks and scratches, then loosens her bite to scream.

  “Appolonia!” I try to say it sternly, but she only fights more. “Calm down.”

  “Fuck you!” She wriggles and writhes, all fight and anger.

  Every male instinct inside me wakes as if from a long sleep, and before I’ve thought it through, I pin her to the bed and settle on top of her warm, soft body.

  “Get off me!” She tries to buck me, but all that does is allow me to settle between her legs. She’s still wearing her black dress from the day before, the skirt ample enough to allow me to feel the heat at the apex of her thighs.

  Fuck.

  She goes for my eyes with her tiny, sharp nails. I grip her wrists and slam them onto the mattress.

  “I said calm down.” I try to keep my tone even despite the blood racing through me, the thickening surge in my cock, and the filthy thoughts that try to hold sway over my analytical mind.

  “Get. Off.” She snaps her teeth.

  “I can’t, because you’ll attack me again.” I squeeze her wrists. “I only came in here to speak with you. Not this.” I lift my hips away from her for emphasis, planking above her. “If you promise to let me speak with you, I’ll get off and stand at the door. Deal?” I look down into her eyes, the warm brown hue like the sun on a newly plowed vineyard. Her plump lips are a temptation, and the rest of her could bring me to my knees. But I must stay strong. For Carter and for her.

  She narrows her eyes, and I feel her move before she can complete her attack.

  I slam on top of her again, blocking her from kneeing me, and settling back into the sweet spot between her thighs.

  Her frustrated cry sets a fire in my blood, and when I lean closer to her mouth, I see her gaze go to my lips.


  “Since you’ve decided to be a bad girl, I’ll have to talk to you like this.” I force my hips to remain still even though the urge to thrust against her heat tries to overwhelm me.

  “If you don’t let me go, I’ll—”

  “Lioness, if you don’t stop talking and listen, I’ll gag you.” I cut through her words. “And I’ll tie you to this bed. Is that what you want?”

  Her bravado falters. “You wouldn’t dare,” she hisses.

  “I wouldn’t?” I smile. “You know who I am, lioness. Cato Davinci, the head of the largest crime family in Italy. I have connections all over the world. Davincis rule in the United States and several South American countries. I am power. I am the law here. And I am the only thing keeping you alive right now. So if you’d like to continue fighting me, do go on.” I lick my lips and glance down at her chest where the dress gapes slightly, giving me a view of the tops of her pale breasts. “But if you want to speak to me respectfully, we can have a discussion. What do you choose?”

  I almost hope she wants to fight. Pinning her down, feeling her, getting a taste of what sort of woman she is—I can deal with her brattiness as long as I get what I want in the end.

  The only problem is, I’m beginning to suspect I want more than just keeping Carter’s sister safe. No. I want Apollonia, every bit of the lioness I’ve captured in this bed.

  3