Claimed by the Hellbound Rider

Aria

Elena POV

Dane had me out of Central Park and into a blacked-out SUV with a speed so fast my head was still spinning three hours later.

We’d driven for two hours before pulling up outside a small cabin in the mountains. The woods were lush and green against the bright blue sky. I stood on the back deck, a warm cup of tea in my hands, as I tried to process the fact that I’d just imploded my entire life.

All because I’d heard my fiancé say something to his father that could have just been him trying to save face. I know how Giovanni is. You don’t cross him.

My hands shook, and I gripped the mug harder to try to stop the trembling. Grateful for the lounge chair, I sank into it before my knees gave out.

Oh, God. What have I done?

The chatter of squirrels combined with the sounds of birds singing and penetrated the chaos in my mind. I tried to focus on that. On the way the claws of the squirrels scraped against the trees as they ran up them, the way the birds rustled around in the leaves on the ground, the hammering of a woodpecker against a dead tree somewhere further out.

You’d think it would be quieter away from the city, up in the mountains, where civilization felt like it was a distant memory. But it was just as loud. The sounds were simply…different.

Just like you’d think I’d feel safe, sitting here with a US Marshal just inside, far away from New York City. Instead, I just felt sad.

My fingers itched for my phone, to reach out to Luca and beg forgiveness, tell him I was sorry. That I was just scared and had a weak moment. But Dane had taken my phone and done something to it, then locked it away in a box that had walls lined with a metal mesh. I had no idea what it was, but Dane was sure it would keep Luca from tracking me by using my phone or any hidden tracking apps.

Which were probably on it, not that I’d ever noticed. But it sounded like something Luca would do.

I forced myself to remember what I had heard, the way Luca’s voice had gone cold and hard when he’d said he’d kill me. That he’d said it after casually threatening the Attorney General of the United States. I took a deep breath and held it, then exhaled slowly until the trembling finally stopped.

By the time I took another sip, the tea had gone cold.

It felt like a lot of me had gone cold.

Luca had been my world for so long. He’d settled my father’s debts, helped me get him placed in a top-of-the-line care facility. He’d covered the costs of the care, and then the funeral, never once wavering in his support. “You’re my family now, Elena. That means so is he.” I remembered the nights spent by my father’s bedside as the cancer took him from me, Luca bringing me coffee and food so I didn’t waste away like Dad was. The way he stood between me and the rest of the world while I grieved a man who was still alive. The way he took over all the funeral arrangements, moved me into his penthouse, focused on giving me a good life. The way he loved me.

And I was betraying him. I bit back a sob. I was betraying him in the worst possible way, and it had taken me less than twelve hours to make the decision. God, what did that make me?

Before I could stop them, the tears were falling. I sat on the deck, my hands around a cold mug, sobbing for the life I had lived and that I’d just ended.

I don’t know how long I sat there, crying my heart out. But by the time I stopped and looked up, the sun was setting. Bats had replaced birds, and the hooting of an owl had replaced the hammering of the woodpecker.

Then the sliding door separating the deck from the kitchen slid open, and Dane came through carrying two steaming mugs. He said nothing at first, just handed me the new mug to replace the one that had been cold for hours, and settled into the chair across from me.

Automatically, I brought the new mug to my lips and huffed an unexpected laugh. “Hot chocolate?” My voice was hoarse after all the tears, but he didn’t say anything about it.

Instead, he just grinned, his gaze running over the tear tracks on my face, then over the rest of me before it traveled back to meet mine. “My mom used to say it was the only way to end a crying jag. Because chocolate always makes everything better.”

Despite the way my heart was aching, I smiled.

He cleared his throat. “Are you doing okay? Other than…you know…the obvious?”

Dane made it seem like crying outside for hours was perfectly normal and nothing to be embarrassed about. Then again, it’s probably not the first time he’s seen this situation, either.

Even so, I took another small sip before I answered him, letting the cocoa settle on my tongue and savoring the sweetness before I swallowed. “I am, I guess. It’s just…I keep wondering if I’m doing the right thing? Maybe I misunderstood the situation.”

He shifted forward, the lawman coming out and the easy-going friend tucked away. “You absolutely did, Elena. Don’t doubt that. You know what family he belongs to. You know what they do. Maybe you’ve spent years looking away from parts of it, but none of that changes what he is.” He watched me closely as he spoke. “If you heard him say he would kill you, especially to his father, he meant it. If you heard them all threaten the AG, then they’ll go through with it.”

I nodded, trying to be grateful for the confirmation. But it was so hard to be, when I’d just walked away from the only man I’d ever loved. So instead, I changed the subject. “Okay. What’s next?”

He looked at me for another moment before nodding slightly, as if deciding I was ready for it. “We’ll stay here for another two days as you transition. Then, we’re going to get you set up in a safe place, and we’ll build your new life from there.”

“What if…what if they find me? They said they can get to the AG. That has to mean they have connections.”

His lips thinned, then he released a breath. “Yeah. You’re not wrong. Honestly, we’ve lost several witnesses already because they were found.”

He must have seen the panic on my face because he held up a hand. “But I’m handling your case a bit differently. Going a little off-book.”

“What does that mean?”

“I called in a favor with an old military buddy of mine. On paper, you’re going to be across the country, in one of our approved locations. In reality, I’m placing you with him. He’ll keep you safe.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because Kane owes me a favor.”

It was clear he wasn’t going to go any further. “What…what will my new name be?”

His face softened. “What do you want it to be?”

I thought it over for a moment. Then, with barely a whisper, I said, “Aria.”