Sequel to the Within His Reach series.
~
She tries to leave the past behind.
He can't seem to escape it.
The two lovers move to Italy in the hopes of a safer life. But when the greater powers living within the orchards and vineyards make themselves...
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The spotlights above me turn on with a loud click, causing me to flinch where I stand. I lift my hand to cover the bright beam from hitting my eyes, letting them adjust to the newly lit room. I narrow my eyes to get a better new, inspecting the glass window in front of me. My stomach drops as the realization hits me. The large window in front of me shields the endless rows of buyers watching me, deciding whether I'm their new purchase or not.
"Braelyn Bellamy." The voice booms through the room, causing me to jump on the pedestal. I turn to look at the pale slinky man next to me. His neatly cut hair does nothing to his appearance. His thin rat face and worn-out suit show he's not too well off, explaining why he picked this job. My arm drops as I stand and listen to him speak. "Recently owned by late Nicholas Coveney, former Mafia boss, and drug lord. 20 years old. Mahogany hair, green eyes, and 5 foot 9. Submissive nature." He continues, my heart dropping all the way down to accompany my stomach. My vision blurs as the bidding starts, panic filling my veins to the brim. The faint voices don't register in my head as I try to understand what's happened.
As a hand grabs my hands and tugs me down the pedestal, my eyes focus on the horrid man in front of me. The slender face zooms in on me, those deep, cold blue eyes filling up with amusement as he stares at me. The thin pink lips pull into a disgusting smirk as the blonde man tugs me towards him.
"Hello... Kitten." He teases, pulling me into a hug. I fall forward, expecting to land with a thud on the ground. I brace myself, only to fall through the room of the auction, down a black hole. As our bodies zoom through the darkness, down towards the deep end, the man who haunts me holds me close. His breath fans against my neck as he tries to whisper, no words coming out of his filthy mouth. My whole body freezes as we crash through the center of the earth.
The blazing fires of the core come closer and closer as a painful warmth travels up through my toes. It grows up to my chest, making me hyperventilate. I gasp for air as the wet lips of Erik travel up my neck, my fingers clenching as I try to move my arms to push him away. I clench my eyes together as hard as possible, hoping I will get relieved of this torture sooner rather than later if I do.
I suddenly sit upright, my eyes snapping open. They stay glued to the cream wall in front of me, a small dream catcher that Nico bought me the first week here hanging from the nail on the wall. Sweat runs down my arms, causing a cold shiver to run through my body as the thick duvets fall off my shoulders. My eyes don't move, I barely dare to look around, scared I'll see the icy eyes staring at me in the corner of the room. All I can sense is the warmth radiating from the fireplace and the sound of the wood crackling.
My heart thumps in my chest, almost as if it's trying to punch its way out of my body. I close my mouth, trying to gather my breathing, swallowing painfully. My right arm slightly moves to the side, hoping to feel Nico's warm body next to me. Emptiness is what I find instead. The deep breath flows out of me harshly, deflating my stiff posture. Still not there.
