"Is this really what you want?" Dario asked carefully knowing fully well what this plan meant to his friend.

"Are you backing out?" Kade's tone rigid.

"No," Dario answered truthfully.

"Then let it be," Kade said.

"Does your sister know you're doing this?"

Kade stopped in his tracks. He never did but only at the mention of his only sister. "It's better if she doesn't," he believed.

"She deserves the truth, Kade," Dario insisted.

Kade ignored the heavy sensation on his heart and went to his office with Dario following him. "What's the update on Vadik Waldorf?" He rounded his table and took a seat.

"He's MIA," Dario answered. "I didn't expect any different from him. He probably suspected that his brother going missing wasn't normal."

"Doesn't matter," Kade said. "He'll most likely try to save his brother. Leave the signal on for Alexander's phone and lead his brother here."

"He wouldn't fall for that," Dario said.

"Probably not, but he'll come close enough to my territory out of curiosity," Kade explained. "We'll kill him then."

Dario faced the man he followed for over ten years now, but to this day, the only time he ever saw poisonous hatred fill Kade's eyes was when he spoke of the Waldorf family. "Is there anything else you need?" Dario asked.

"No, that's all," Kade answered as he read through the organized documents on his table.

Dario left to ensure his boss's orders were complete...

The door closed and finally Kade was left alone. He dropped the papers in his hand and leaned back in his chair, he turned away from the table and faced the massive window behind him. It was pitch black outside and the entire forest was merely shadows of black playing off the beaming moonlight. The entire property was guarded twenty-four-seven with no entry point or weakness to the fortress. He ensured that his territory was safe for his sister because he'd never let anyone hurt his family ever again.

The one who trained Kade and taught him the ways of the mafia in Italy told him that revenge would never settle the thirst in him. He needed to fuel the rage to ensure that no one took advantage of him ever again.

Kade sat in his office, which was a lot more luxurious than the alleyways and prisons he spent most his time. His fists throbbed as he remembered the sensation of beating someone up until they died. Kade became strong because he knew that the weak didn't survive on this godforsaken planet. Yet, when he came face to face with his enemy, something shifted inside him. He couldn't throw a punch and the thirst inside him hollowed out like it was never there before. The promise that consumed his days and nights ever since he learned the truth didn't blaze his path.

Kade wasn't here when his family was killed on that fateful night fifteen years ago. All he remembered was getting a phone call from a police officer about the calamity. He dropped his studies and got on the next flight back from Italy. He met Mia who was in the hospital, her entire body badly beaten to the point that her legs were fractured, arms broken and her skin sliced up all over her body. As he stared blankly at his sister who spent days in the ICU, he raked over and over again why something like this would happen to them? The Guerriero's were a respectable family who had a mere real estate business.

After a few weeks, his sister's injuries slowly healed and the horrible swelling lessened enough that she could open her mouth to speak. Kade sat next to her bed hearing her cries as she told him what happened to their family. Lucas Waldorf came to their house demanding Kade's father for the land he bought and to give his daughter to him for marriage. Their father refused and told Lucas to leave, but he left only to return that night and kill Kade's parents. Emilio who was adopted into their family as a son had died protecting Mia. And then she got the worst of it when she refused to go with Lucas. He let his men beat her up and left her barely alive to call the police and save herself. Kade held his sister as she cried herself to sleep. He didn't shed a tear though, because all the good died in him that night.

Rage consumed him like a ravenous demon from that night on. He sat looking out the window but when he saw his own reflection in the glass, it was unrecognizable. He realized that he was that same young boy who couldn't fight back. He was naive but he made sure to get that beaten out of him long ago, yet it seemed like it didn't work. His family died for nothing because he failed to kill Alexander Waldorf the moment he caught him. He should have slaughtered Lucas Waldorf's son like he killed Kade's family. He should have taken revenge and let his wolf drink Alexander's blood. Why? Why did he hesitate in front of his enemy?

A knock on the door interrupted Kade's thoughts. Everyone that worked for Kade knew better than to disturb him when he was in his office.

The door slowly opened. "Kade," the voice was soft, feminine.

Kade turned the chair and saw his sister, she come through the door with a tray in her hands. He rushed to help her. "You shouldn't carry that on your own," he warned. "Where is the damn staff in the house-"

"I told them to let me do it," Mia answered.

Kade grabbed the tray from her and set it on the table in front of the seating area. He came back to her side and helped her, but she brushed him off and with a slight limp to her left leg as she sat on the couch. He stayed beside her as she straightened her dress over the leg that had the metal brace supporting it. She grew up to be a beautiful woman, her wavy hair as dark as night which was just like their mother's and it fell to her waist. Her pale green eyes sparkled under the light of the chandelier, but there was a darkness shrouded in them that took away her youth far too soon.

"Did you eat yet?" she asked.

"I'm not hungry," Kade said.

She chuckled. "Us, Guerriero's are always hungry," she jested. "What's troubling you?"

"Nothing," he lied.

Mia looked up at him with her big green eyes that had long, thick lashes. "You want to try lying to me again," she baited.

"It's work, Mia," he said rigidly with a tone that warned her not to ask about it, and she knew to never ask about his work, it was forbidden.

Mia sighed heavily. "I wish you'd stop," she voiced. "I can see how much this job hurts you."

Kade already knew his sister didn't approve of his association with the mafia. But that was the hard truth they both had to face. He needed power to protect them. This was the only way he could ensure no one fucked with him or his sister.

"It can't be helped," he replied firmly.

Mia didn't say anything and she served pasta onto a plate giving it to him. "Eat every last bit," she said.

Kade grabbed the fork and ate his sister's freshly made pasta with herb and tomato sauce with pecorino romano shredded on top.

"Where's Dario?" Mia asked as she took a bite too. "He probably hasn't eaten with you running him on a million errands."

"He's got work," Kade answered.

"I'll save him some for later," Mia said.

He didn't realize how hungry he was until he finished off everything on the plate. "Thank you," he said, it really tasted exactly like how their mother made it but with a bit more cheese.

"You're welcome," she smiled happily as she stood up and reached for the tray.

"Leave it, bambina," Kade said. "I'll have the maids take it. You head off to bed, it's late."

Mia complied. "Kade, does your mood have something to do with the man you have prisoned in the cellar?" she asked timidly.

Kade stiffened and his mind immediately thought that Dario must have told her. But Dario was told not to do that under any circumstances, so it wasn't him.

"I saw you return with a captive," Mia explained like she knew his thoughts from his stern face. "Are you doing something dangerous?"

Kade always kept his sister in the dark because he never wished anything other than an ordinary life. She finished school, had friends and fancied a bunch of hobbies. However, Kade's life was the exact opposite. He never knew what it was like to live a carefree life after he swore to avenge his family.

"It's for our family, Mia," he told her as he moved his face away, not being able to bear the pain in her kind eyes.

"They're already dead," she said with a soft tone. "I rather not lose you too." She left after that closing the door gently. Kade wished she would've have thrown a tantrum and slammed it or something. Her genteel yet disapproving manner always bothered him more than anger.

Kade understood his sister's concern. But what was he supposed to do with the guilt that hung like a chain on his body binding him to the past. He failed to protect his parents and brother as the eldest in the household. If he had known about the deal with Lucas Waldorf, he would have handled that asshole himself. Yet, fate was cruel and kept Kade in Italy busy with school and his apprenticeship. Kade returned to New York for the first time in years only to see his family buried and forgotten.

The howl of the wind caught his attention, he opened the door to the balcony and stepped out into the night. The crescent moon gleaming in the dark blanket over his massive domain. This land was his father's and he died protecting it from Lucas Waldorf. Kade wasn't going to let the last remaining Waldorf's steal that from him. He'd end them.

Returning inside, he grabbed the blade off his table and went to the cellar to kill Alexander Waldorf.

The guards greeted him at the door and opened it letting Kade inside. A staircase was exposed in the dark cellar, he climbed down the cold steps and the massive space was exposed. More guards were waiting at the bottom door, they greeted him respectfully as stepped aside opening the door for him. Kade stayed behind the one-way glass, his eyes on Alexander Waldorf as he walked the path towards the next door to enter. It was open before he got there and he dismissed all the guards inside leaving him alone with the son of his enemy.

A vehement sense of desire filled Kade and he gripped the blade in his hand as he approached the man who sat in the chair tied up and chained to the concrete floor. Like he trained for years, his scent was masked letting no one know of his arrival and steps were soundless. He trained to be a killer and was successful like no other. Earning the title of Don in Italy was not an easy feat. He killed hundreds to be where he was now. But, killing Alexander wasn't going to be quick or easy. Kade desired blood and chaos. His own wolf emerged lusting after the spiced and dark scent of their captive. Kade knew they both needed this man's blood to sate them.

Kade lifted the blade.

"Why are you back?" Waldorf's voice broke the silence.

He stopped dead in his tracks as he stared at this man bolted to a chair. How was this possible? Kade's scent and movement were all masked. How could this Waldorf sense him?

"Oh, you must be here to kill me," he said calmly. "Go on then." He hung his neck to the side revealing his corded throat and that pulsing jugular that Kade hungered for a taste.

"Why don't you fight back?" Kade asked giving his position away. But it didn't matter anymore.

Waldorf didn't answer for a moment. "Perhaps, I'm tired of fighting," he admitted.

Kade circled around the chair and stood in front of his prisoner. "I don't want to put you out of your misery," he detested.

The Waldorf lifted his head and his deep blue eyes gleamed under the light. "If you don't want to slit my throat or let me go free, then what do you want?" he questioned.

Kade stared into the man's cavernous eyes, losing himself to the way the depth of blue reminded him of the lake outside his house back in Italy. He stood here, a blade in his hand ready to be used to kill this man, yet his whole body disobeyed the command. He held his breath so he wouldn't smell that intoxicating spiced aroma of this man that lulled Kade and his wolf into a hypnotic state. His entire body stood to alert and he felt enraged by how his desire betrayed him.

Kade brought the blade to Waldorf's pale throat, pressing the tip into the skin letting a drop of blood pool at the edge. His own wolf howled at him to stop which pissed Kade off even more. "Stop talking, Waldorf," he said with a low controlled tone.

"It's Alec," he corrected despite the blade digging into his neck.

Kade leaned down, his hand resting on the back of the chair. Waldorf tilted his head back, their lips inches apart. "I've waited years for this day," he grumbled.

"What's stopping you?" Waldorf asked brazenly.

Kade gritted his teeth. "I'm wondering the same damn thing," he said as he leaned on the table behind him. He sheathed the blade into the holster on his back.

"Can you at least tell me my crime?" the prisoner asked.

"Your last name," Kade answered with a cold disposition.

"That's all," he had the nerve to say.

Kade grabbed the blade and threw it right at Waldorf, it pierced his shoulder and he cried out in pain. Waldorf dropped his head back and cursed a few words in Russian before he faced Kade.

"Wow, that sure woke me up," Waldorf jested.

Kade went over and pulled the blade out making the man cry out in pain again, but his cry quickly turned to laughter. He stared at the silver blade that was covered with his enemy's blood but there was no satisfaction.

"Is this how you want me to die?" Waldorf said. "I'll bleed out for a few hours but I'll regenerate. Poor plan."

"You sure talk a lot for a man whose life is hanging by a thread," Kade said as he wiped the blood off his blade with a cloth.

"I've lived every single day like that," Waldorf said. "This is nothing new." He lazed against the seat and tried his hardest to keep his eyes open. "Lucas-"

"Don't say his fucking name," Kade snapped.

"I know there are many reasons to hate him. But you have to tell me what he did to you," Waldorf retorted. "Damn it, just tell me!"

Kade glared at him with disgust in his eyes. "Lucas Waldorf killed my family," he seethed. And there it was, right there, in the Waldorf's piercing blue eyes, guilt and sadness. Kade fucking hated that, he didn't need his enemy's sympathy.

"I'm sorry," the man said. "My father had a record of destroying everyone."

"I don't want your pity," Kade snapped.

"It's not pity," Waldorf replied, "it's understanding."

Kade turned away as the last remaining shred of his soul was being ripped apart remembering the faces of his dead parents and brother.

"Lucas killed people I cherished too," Waldorf spoke with a tender tone that called out to the pain in Kade's heart.

But Kade shut that down and forced himself to think clearly on this matter. He wouldn't succumb to his humanity when dealing with this situation. He walked out of the room not looking behind him for even a moment even though his wolf watched Waldorf for every second they were near him.

"Sir," a guard appeared.

"He's got an injury on his shoulder," Kade told him. "Patch him up."

The guard held a confused expression. "Er- of course," he said as he called two other guards with him to follow Kade's command.

Kade wasn't backing out of his plan. He just wanted that Waldorf mutt to be in peak condition for when he was slaughtered. Climbing up the stairs and out of the underground compound, he walked through the long chambers of his house. The guards that were stationed around every entrance and path bowed their head at his arrival, he walked past them into the main area of the house where he heard familiar voices.

Kade spotted Dario's younger brother coming down the stairs. Nikolai Marchetti stood clad in all black, his attention fixated on the holster strapped to his bulky shoulders as he belted a glock under his arm and had at least three blades fastened across his waist. His pitch-black hair gelled back, never tousled or messy when he was about to go on a mission assigned by his brother. The tattoos on him contrasted against his sun-kissed skin that was from the Italian blood in him.

"Nikolai," Kade's voice stopped the man in his tracks.

Nikolai's icy silver eyes lifted. "Dario said you were in your office," his tone deep and stern like his brother.

Kade didn't answer. "Where are you headed this late?" he asked in return.

"Dario has the team on patrol in the city," Nikolai answered as he arrived at the bottom beside Kade. "I thought you knew."

Kade raked his hair back. "He probably mentioned it," he sighed going onto the step ahead of him.

Nikolai smirked with his pearly white teeth. "Don't tell me that you started ignoring him too," he jested. "I've got a bad habit of that."

Kade couldn't help but smile back. "If Dario finds out, he'll have your ass for that."

Nikolai rolled his eyes. "I can't believe my brother is my boss," he sighed. "I need a career change."

"You'd get bored," Kade remarked.

Nikolai's silver eyes brightened with a wicked glint. "You're right. Nothing's better than hunting a bunch of sinners," he mocked.

Kade always thought Dario and Nikolai were polar opposites, but when they committed themselves to a task, their determination and accuracy was not only identical but also commendable. These two brothers were with Kade from the beginning of his venture. They knew each other's strengths and weakness, but they also knew Kade's past and his motives better than anyone.

Nikolai's phone buzzed and his smile dropped as he geared to go on his mission. "I'll see you in the morning," he told Kade.

Kade watched as Nikolai pulled on his leather jacket that fell right at his waist before he walked out the front door.

Kade didn't bother returning to his office. He went to the third floor of the house that was his space alone. The hallways were shades of crimson and black. He ignored the paintings on the walls that were memories of their time in this house as kids. He could feel the eyes of his parents following him as they watched what he became now. He was nothing of their dreams and wishes, he was instead a perfect image of their nightmares. He was a killer, a criminal on this planet and he did things that many feared to imagine, especially his parents who were good, honest people that never hurt a soul in their lifetime. Perhaps, that was what made them easy targets.

However, Kade wasn't an easy target. He was never on the field as a prey for monsters. Opening the door to his bedroom, the massive space was cold and dark. The walls painted a forest green and the furniture was as black as ink. The massive ceiling-high windows showed the night sky outside, his eyes tracked over to the bed. He walked past it, heading into the bathroom. He stripped out of his suit and showered trying his hardest to not think about the demon locking up in the cellar.

After the shower, he stepped out and pulled on a robe. He padded into his bedroom and grabbed a book off the shelf before he took a seat in front of the fireplace. He opened it where he left off yesterday, but every time he started a sentence, his mind drifted towards that infuriating man. Kade raked his damp hair and closed his eyes before leaning his head back. Alexander Waldorf's voice drifted into his head and he remembered the words they exchanged earlier.

"You sure talk a lot for a man whose life is hanging by a thread."

"I've lived every single day like that. This is nothing new."

Waldorf's eyes ached with a mysterious vulnerability like he knew exactly what Kade had been through. Both of them being the eldest in the family, carried a burden on their shoulders for years. When Kade had carved his blade into Waldorf's neck, the bud of blood was a deep red that oozed onto the silver. He wondered why he had done that rather than just sliced his head off?

Kade's wolf howled within him.

He ignored his wolf who had lost his goddamn mind just like himself. Both of them were drunk off the blue in Waldorf's eyes and the scent that blanketed them. It was deep and intense, like fiery wood that crackled with spice and a dangerous authority. However, underneath Waldorf's dark pheromones, there was a softness almost sweet scent that beckoned every desire inside Kade. Tied up in chains was his enemy, it was clear to him and for his objective to stay focused under any circumstances. Yet... as he remembered the chains holding Waldorf's body down, he almost desired to set him free and...

"Fuck," he cursed and slammed the book shut throwing it on the oak table in front of him.

He stripped off his robe and got in bed. He laid flat on his back, his arm under his head as he stared up at the ceiling wishing that sleep would possess him quickly and he'd succumb to the darkness, otherwise he'd go crazy with these infuriating thoughts. Ignoring the ache in his body from whatever the hell bothered him to the point of losing control, he shut his eyes.

Kade did fall asleep quickly, but his mind wasn't calm or even resting. All his thoughts raced back to one point and it killed him over and over again. His body burning with a desire, it felt as if he was set on fire.

Nightmares haunted Kade since the day he lost his family. However, in this cold night, his nightmares were scarce. He dreamt for the first time, it was a soft but dangerous feeling that consumed him in this battle to give up his control. An angel beckoned to prison him into a cage of his wicked needs, that could be sated... if only... he surrendered.