Chapter One – The Cousins

Nicolas

It had been a rough day. Though it seemed fun on the surface, being on high alert in enemy territory took a toll on my mental state - and not just mine. Angelo and Leonardo were unbearably irritable, and I wasn't in the mood to deal with them. Despite my warning to keep our heads clear, Ange didn't listen and got a little too friendly with Fabiano's wine.

I had never liked field missions. I wasn't like my brothers, and I would rather do something meaningful than chase idiots with a gun in my hand or act like some macho guy from a Latin movie.

"Tonight is mine," Angelo declared in his gravelly voice, which made me look at him and raise an eyebrow.

The four of us had gathered in the ground-floor living room to discuss the day's events and how much we could trust Fabiano and his daughter, whom we let into our inner circle.

"Wouldn't it be better if we skipped tonight? She's..."

"I said she's mine!"

No one ever proclaimed him our leader. Usually, we listened to each other. I crossed my arms over my chest after someone rudely interrupted me.

"No one's going to take away the pleasure of being her first. If you want to be the first one to make her bleed or cry... well, you'll have to discuss that with Leo."

The icy blue eyes of our other companion pierced into me, and he made an unintelligible sound of annoyance. Apparently, Ange needed her company the most.

"We can't be careless. I don't trust her. For now, let's lock her up and..."

"I can grab some chains from the basement."

Leonardo offered his services, crossing his right ankle over his left knee. He swirled the drink in his hand before taking a sip.

I glanced at Rico. Normally, I could sense him in the room, but after the tension of the day, all my internal radar seemed offline.

"What do you think?"

He shrugged and leaned back in his armchair. His green eyes drifted toward the darkness beyond the window.

What did he see out there?

"We're not going out tonight. I'm checking my weapons, and when Angelo finishes with her, I'll have some fun myself."

I rolled my eyes in exasperation. Those two always needed an adventure.

"Fine, I'll welcome her to the family, and when I finish, I'll call you."

Ange got up from his armchair and went to the stairs.

I moved closer to Rocco and touched his shoulder to get his attention. He wasn't usually lost himself in thought, but tonight had stirred up some memories, and he withdrew into himself.

"Want to hit the gym? We can distract ourselves and relieve some stress."

His green eyes wandered past me.

"Or I could walk you to your room. You seem like you need rest."

A guttural cry came from the upper floor, and then something heavy hit the ground.

By the time I reached the stairs, driven by pure instinct, I saw the other two right behind me. We reached the upper landing at the same time and turned left, toward the first room, belonging to Viola Fabiano. We perhaps should have given her a room farther from the front entrance, but I was grateful it was so close.

Leonardo flung the door open and revealed the scene inside.

Angelo was furious. Bent over the girl in her wedding dress, he snarled in her face, demanding she open her eyes and look at him.

"What's up? Leo..."

While I waited for an answer, Leonardo and Rocco pulled Ange away from the girl.

Her eyes stayed half-open, but her head lolled in whatever direction her body tilted. She couldn't focus or appeared fully conscious.

"Did you hit her in the head?"

I started looking for an explanation for her condition. We took her in less than two hours ago, and she'd been fine. This would be a record for Angelo in breaking a woman. Usually, it took him a little longer. Leonardo was the expert and the record holder.

"I didn't touch her."

Given how I found them, I didn't believe him at all. I even shot him a doubtful look over my shoulder.

"I'm serious. When I walked in, I thought she was pretending to be asleep, but something was wrong with her."

Seriously, Montalbano?

Viola's body arched in a painful spasm, and her eyes rolled back to reveal only the whites.

A seizure occurs...

"She took something. We need to get her to the hospital! NOW!"

Leonardo

I hated it when things didn't go as planned. I glanced at my watch and then at the hospital bed. How long was she going to stay unconscious?

"Don't you carry smelling salts? I don't have all night," I said sarcastically to Nico, who sat beside her bed. I knew he wasn't to blame, but he served as my closest outlet. He wouldn't lose his temper like Angelo, but at least I'd get a reaction from him, unlike Rocco.

"She needs time, asshole. They just pumped her stomach, and she nearly died."

"We could've saved time and effort if we had just left her there. Now I have to get my instruments dirty just to get answers we don't even need," I replied condescendingly, with plenty of provocation.

The truth was, I was curious why she did it in the first place. Was it her decision or a scheme by her family, as Angelo claimed? He was the conspiracy theorist among us. He insisted that her father planned the whole thing and that she was just a pawn. Dying under our protection, after we swore to keep her safe, would breach our contract. If either side failed to uphold their obligations, the other could demand compensation.

We would prefer to wipe them out instead of allowing them to gain a larger market share or expand.

It didn't matter whether she was involved or decided on her own. The little troublemaker was dragging her family into a war, which was not in their best interest!

"I told you it wasn't a good idea to..." Nico began, but Angelo cut him off.

"What? Go to her? If I hadn't gone, she'd be dead!" I pointed at the blonde man and raised my eyebrows in agreement.

"She's obviously unstable. We need to approach her carefully and show empathy."

"Do you want us to bake her cookies or braid each other's hair?" I retorted irritably. "She needs to get used to it. This is her reality now, and I won't change my routine just because her Highness has a headache."

Nicolas shook his head in frustration, stood up, and quickly left the room, leaving the three of us alone with her.

Rocco followed him with his eyes and then waited a moment to ensure he wasn't coming back. When Nico didn't return, Rocco's green eyes drifted back to the window, where he leaned against the frame with his arms crossed.

"Do you want to talk to the doctors and get her discharged once she wakes up?" Angelo paced the room, ready to wear a hole in the floor if he had the strength.

"You look more agitated than I do. Perhaps you should do it."

"If I leave this room, I'll probably kill someone." It amused me, but I knew he was serious. I could see it on his face.

"Bitch ruined the sex, huh?" I chuckled briefly and pushed off the wall to take the chair that Nicolas had vacated. I still wore the suit from the wedding. Her dress was gone, replaced by a hospital gown. "I can't deny she's attractive."

I tilted my head to one side and checked if the statement was true from every perspective.

"I can't wait to see all those familiar emotions on that face."

"I just want to see two." I didn't let instincts dictate my actions. I had never been prone to that; instead, I was known for my patience and methodical approach.

We became quiet.

He paced while I leaned back, studying her translucent porcelain skin, which she probably inherited from her mother. Don Giovanni had the typical Italian complexion, a pleasant sun-kissed tan like a man who spent days in an endless vineyard.

Viola, however, had the air of English aristocracy, as if she had stepped out of a musty old British castle. I could picture her in an elaborate gown, carrying a parasol to avoid sunstroke while she strolled through her gardens.

I had always secretly wanted to experience that elegance firsthand. I wanted to discover what her body could endure and how long it would take before she begged me to stop.

Her eyelids fluttered as I lost myself in thought. Before I could register what was happening, I felt a smile spread across my lips.

"Good morning, bellissima."

Her melted caramel eyes met mine. She clenched the bedsheet with her small fists, pulling it up to her face and hiding half of it.

"Your actions will have unpleasant consequences."

I stood up, feeling a slight tingling in my feet. I would tell the doctors we were leaving. I trusted Angelo to stay with her for a bit. Rocco was here, and I knew he could manage the situation if the blond man lost his temper.

I couldn't wait to be alone with her.

Angelo

Only three of us remained in the hospital room. Leo would somehow take care of everything.

Keeping my instincts in check took every ounce of effort. All I wanted was to grab her by the hair and drag her to the car so I could deal with her at home.

"Why... why am I in a hospital?"

"Would you rather be in a grave?" I snapped back at her, moving closer.

She straightened in bed but kept the sheet halfway over her face, which only made me angrier. I hadn't shown her my ugly side yet, and she was already trembling.

I tightened my jaw and clenched my hands into fists.

Rocco put a hand on my shoulder. For a moment, I shifted my gaze from her to his green eyes. People say that color is supposed to be calming. I had no idea how it affected others, but it sure as hell didn't work on me.

"In a grave? You gonna kill me?" Playing dumb didn't suit her. She looked intelligent, but her smarts didn't matter. I hadn't agreed to take her as a companion. Hell, I might've liked her better if she were mute.

"You sound really disappointed, especially after your suicide attempt."

"Attempt?"

I stepped toward her. Rocco tightened his grip on my shoulder as she shrank deeper under the covers. A flash of lightning lit up the outside world.

"Obviously, it wasn't successful."

"I didn't try anything like that!" she protested. Her voice became suddenly louder and more defiant than during her earlier, timid attempts to speak.

"And how do you explain the massive overdose in your system?" She shuddered. This really started to irritate me.

I shoved Rocco's hand off my shoulder and quickly crossed to her bed. My massive palm closed around her throat, forcing her back against the pillow.

Her small hands gripped my wrist tightly. As she struggled to breathe, her nails dug into my flesh.

"Let me enlighten you, princess. You signed that contract. Its clauses don't include dragging your junkie ass to hospitals to bring you back to life. You belong to us. Every part of your body belongs to us..." Viola clawed at my hand until blood flowed, but I didn't release her. I tightened my grip even more.

Her pale face was turning red from a lack of oxygen.

Rocco circled me and shoved me in the chest, forcing me to step back. He bared his teeth, showing he wouldn't tolerate my behavior. I didn't want to anger him. We slept under the same roof, and he could sneak into my room to 'teach me a lesson'.

She struggled to catch her breath as she coughed, while I straightened my jacket and took another step back.

"I hope I've made myself perfectly clear. There will not be a next time."

I decided to find Leonardo and help him with those doctors. He was taking forever.

"If you pull another stunt like that, I'll send your corpse to Don Fabiano the day we eliminate his pathetic family from Naples."

I flung the door open and slammed it shut. Outside, I stood for a few seconds, trying to calm the adrenaline rushing through my body.

"Thank you..." Her muffled voice came from the other side of the door.

She wasted her time with Rocco. I knew he wasn't doing it for himself either. He had killed people for far less.

A crooked smile tugged my lips.

Can the beast win the beauty's heart by acting as a hero?

And which of the four beasts would ultimately destroy her?