JoyReadChapter 41
-Grayson'’s POV-
| waited until there was enough distance between us before stepping out of the shadows and approaching the
vendor to convince myself that | was not going insane and actually walking through the street of Italy.
The vendor she had just left smiled at me, the ssmile he'd given Ava-a smile | wanted to rip right off his
face. M cut through him, and his grin vanished instantly. Good.
He cleared his throat uneasily, “What can | do for you, Signor?”
“The woman that was here a few minutes ago, what did she want?” My voice was sharp, unyielding.
His grin returned, and he fished out stacky necklace that looked like a toddler had glued it together with
sil.tri Out of all the things she could've picked, this is what caught her eye?
“How much is it? I sighed, feeling irritation creep in.
“Just 20 euros.”
I handed him the money without another word, taking the ugly necklace and turning on my heel.
“Signor!” the vendor called after me. “This is too much-"
| didn’t stop. My strides quickened as | tried to keep her in my line of sight. Ava was smart in her own way, but
sometquestioned her decisions. She hadn’t even tried to cover her tracks or makechase her. My first
instinct had been to g her and drag her back to the hotel where she'd be safe, but something stopped me.
| remembered the look in her eyes when | found her, wide and full of wonder as she stared at the streets around
her. It w like watching a child discover the world for the first time. It hitthen-she didn’t want to be chased.
She wanted to explore, to taste freedom, even if just for a moment.
So | let her.
| kept a careful distance, watching her every move. The way she smiled when the wind swept through her hair,
oblivious to the stares she was drawing. The way she lingered in front of the gelato stand, her eyes sparkling
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtbefore she remembered sl didn’t have any money. A mental note to buy her slater crossed my mind, but |
quickly shoved it aside.
And everything was fine-until he showed up.
Now, | was sitting in my car, parked outside the restaurant where he had taken her thinking of the different ways
| could detach his limps. My hands gripped the steering wheel tight enough to make the leather groan under the
pressure. | ground my teeth in irrtation, deciding that | had given her enough tto explore.
| pushed the door open, stepping into the cozy little restaurant. The warm lighting and soft hurn of chatter did
nothing to calm the storm brewing inside me.
| scanned the area immediately, instincts kicking in. My eyes landed on a half-eaten pizza at an empty table,
and my chest: tightened. Something was wrong.
| approached a waitress with cold precision. “A woman and a man were just here. She stands out-too beautiful
not to notice. Where did they go?”
Her face paled as she took in iny expression, her throat working ke she was trying to swallow something too big
for her, “She... uh... the man, Luca, is a regular here. He requested to use the back door because his date wasn't
feeling well. She couldn't stand on her feet, so he took her home.”
Chapter 41
My blood ran cold. “Where does he live?”
“I-I don’t know. | swear, he just comes in here from tto time. | don’t know anything else.”
| forced myself to breathe, every muscle in my body screaming to act, to find her. | ground my teeth, pulling out
my ph and dialing Carter. He picked up on the first ring, his voice filled with sarcasm, “I might actually think
you're in love with
if
I cut him off, my voice hard. “Ava’s been taken. | need information. Luca. That's the first name.”
The line went silent for a beat, Carter's tone shifting. “On it.”
I hung up, turning back to the waitress who seemed frozen in place. My glare could have set her on fire. “Next
time, try t of more use. Incompetence is punishable by death in my world.
Her face blanched even further, and | could almost see the terror behind her wide eyes as I stormed out,
slammin the d behind me. My phone buzzed almost immediately.
“Luca Perez,” Carter's voice cthrough the line. “He's a professional. Hired for jobs like this. His charm and
good look are the bait. He lures women with targets on their backs, and by the tthey realize what's
happening, it’s too late. Som he sells off whole, others... in parts. I'm sending you all the details,”
My hand tightened around the phone until | thought it might crack. | knew | was the reason she had a target on
her back. This mess was on me. And that knowledge only added fuel to the fire burning inside me.
Carter's voice cut through my thoughts. “This guy’s good. He's managed to stay undercover for a long time. Took
My wolf growled inside me, and | had to stop myself from crushing the phone altogether. Ricardo. A nthat
sent waves of anger surging through my veins.
“Grayson, Carter called out, sensing my shift.
“I'll find her,” | said through clenched teeth, ending the call.
| quickly scanned through the information Carter had sent me. Luca’s known hideouts, his associates, everything
I needed jumped into the car, slamming the door shut and gunning the engine. The tires screeched as | peeled
out of the parking lot my mind locked on one thing: getting Ava back.
And when | found Luca?
I'd show him exactly what it means to touch what was mine.
| sped along the winding streets of Italy, the car’s engine roaring beneath me, but the only sound I could truly
hear was the pounding of my own heartbeat in my ears. Ricardo Sylvester. His nalone sent a wave of rage
coursing through my veins, my wolf snarling within me, restless and violent. Memories of the past flashed in my
mind-his smag face, the sound of that silver bullet tearing through my chest, the taste of my own blood as I lay
dying.
He had been the reason | lost one chance of life which madeangrier and now Ava. She was mine, and
Ricardo had made the fatal mistake of touching what belonged to me.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
Ricardo had always been one to capitalize on moments of weakness, and | hadn't been focused. The second |
landed in Italy. | knew Ricardo had been alerted. His eyes were always on me, ju as mine had been on him. He
must have have heard about Ava tracked her, marked and then have her kidnapped and | had unknowingly let it
happen. The realization made my wolf howl with fury, its savage hunger for vengeance boiling beneath the
surface. | couldn't afford mistakes. Not now.
The sky had darkened by the t| neared the location Carter scut me. A rundown warehouse on the outskirts of
the city, hidden well enough to avoid suspicion but close enough to the center for a quick getaway. My instincts
toldthat Ava was here. Luca was smart enough to hav gotten away so far so he would take her to the closest
location where he could hide
09:02 Fri, Dec 13 TG-
Chapter 41
her fast enough.
92%1
| parked the car a few blocks away and killed the engine, sitting silence for a moment, letting my senses
sharpen. Every noise, every scent aroundfelt magnified. The sharp tang of gasoline, the distant chatter of a
nearby street vendor, and there it was-faint, but unmistakable-Ava’s scent. Sweet, soft, like wildflowers after a
storm. She was close. | could feel it.
| stepped out of the car, careful to shut the door quietly. My pule quickened, but | kept my movements measured.
Swift. Precise. The warehouse loomed ahead, its broken windows and rusted metal exterior making it look
abandoned, but | knew better. The faint flicker of light coming from one of the windows toldthey were inside,
waiting. | moved carefully, slipping between the shadows, sticking to the sides of buildings, making sure my
presence remained undetected.
As | approached the warehouse’s rear entrance, | took a deep breath, my senses sharpening. | could smell them-
Luca and Ava weeren’t the only ones here. Two, maybe three. No more than that. I crouched low, peeking around
the corner. They were positioned near the main door, weapons strapped to their sides, but their stances were
lazy, casual. They weren't expectingto get this far so quickly. Amateurs.
| circled around, keeping my distance, heading for the back. The scent of gasoline grew stronger, mixed with the
faint scent of cigars but then all calculation and
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