Page 11 of Queen of Misfortune (Shadows of Redemption)

"Stop being charming," she mutters.

Warmth fills my chest. “I’m growing on you.”

In reality, she called me a big oaf, but in dreams, anything can happen. In mine, she lies next to me. I feel the warmth of her body nestled against mine, and it fills me with a surge of healing and strength far more powerful than medicine. I pull her close, letting my hand slide over her curves. I don’t feel pain now. Just lightness. Contentment.

How many times have I had this dream? Nearly nightly since the moment I nabbed her from the airport.

“What do you need? What hurts?” she asks.

I take her hand and guide it to my dick. “This needs relief.” This is why I love dreams. Barriers such as the fact that she hates me don’t get in the way. Neither do clothes, as in an instant, we’re naked and her hand is stroking my cock. It feels so fucking good, but I want more. In dreams, injuries and pain don’t exist, so it’s nothing to roll her under me and slip into her tight, wet pussy. I move in and out, and it feels fucking amazing. I groan and arch, pumping into her until I release my load.

“Donovan?”

My eyes snap open to find Lucy standing over me, worry etched in her expression.

“You’re okay. You’re safe. It’s just a nightmare.”

Holy fuck. Did I just sleep fuck? My hand goes to my dick. My sweatpants are wet, a sure sign that I had a wet dream. Knowing Lucy won’t appreciate knowing that, I don’t share that bit of news.

“Lucy?”

“Yes.

“I'm surprised you’re still here.”

She straightens. “It was hard not to come with the way you were thrashing and groaning.”

I bite back the smile at the memory of my dream fucking her. “Thank you for being my nursemaid.”

“Yeah, well, it appears you still have more lives.”

"Wouldn't be the first time I’ve used one.” I cock my head to the side. “Why are you still here? Unless, of course, you do like?—”

“Maybe I like watching you squirm.”

"Or maybe you care.”

“Yeah… no. I like seeing you taken down a peg or two.”

I remember how she once called me insecure for picking on people smaller than me. “You like that your father shot me?” I ask.

Her breath hitches. Pain and fear for me flash in her expression, but it’s gone so fast I wouldn’t have seen it had I not been staring into her beautiful face. “You live another day so you can take him down.”

“Damn right.” All of a sudden, I wonder what Giovanni did to her to make her hate him so much. It had to be more than handing her over to Giuseppe. Elena has no love for her father, but Lucy has a deep-seated hate. Given the chance, I’m certainshe’d kill him herself. As much as I know Niko wants to be the one to end Giovanni’s life, I can’t deny I’d like to see Lucy put a bullet into Giovanni’s head. For the first time in my life working for Niko, I consider disobeying him so that Lucy can get her vengeance.

“Of course, you could beat me to it,” I say.

Her expression reminds me of the day I took her from the airport and told her I saw a fierce woman out to protect her sister. It was like I’d given her a gift by seeing more to her than just her value in Niko’s plan for vengeance. It was that expression that gave me hope she didn’t hate me as much as she tried to project. If I played my cards right, I’d wear her wall down and instead of wet dreams, I’d have this fierce, smart-mouthed, sexy woman for real.

4

LUCY

“You like that your father shot me?”

No, I don’t. In fact, it’s scary how much I hate that my father shot Donovan. Not that I’ll let him know that. “You live another day so you can take him down.”

“Damn right. Of course, you could beat me to it.”