14| The kiss of death

Victor Bernardi was known as many things in the town of New Port, ruthless, relentless, and torturous. The devil himself, but what he was never known for was being in love. That's what he was at this exact moment as Grace Brennan stepped into the room. She had entered like a gush of wind on a hot summer's day, the kind of wind that cooled and calmed at the same time. Watching her along with everyone else in the room Victor found himself nervous for the first time in a long time. See being King required a certain level of assertiveness and detachment. You can't let your enemies sense any weakness but standing here watching Grace, any assertiveness he had disappeared along with the oxygen levels that she had stolen. She was breathtaking, she was a weakness, his weakness. If only she had known, she wouldn't have felt so helpless in a room full of mafia men. If only she had known, then she wouldn't feel self-conscious in a room full of beautiful women in the arms of said mafia men. If only she had known the value Victor had placed on her then she could be in love with him too. Wishful thinking on his part perhaps. Victor knew he was not worthy of love, he was dark and ruthless, he had oceans of blood on his hands, he was not good and he would never be worthy of her love. If he weren't so selfish he would let her go, let her be with someone more like her, someone good, someone capable of love, someone worthy of all she was. But he was selfish and that much he could admit. He was not an honorable man, he was not decent or trustworthy. No, he was a monster in its purest form, he was what nightmares were made of and because he was selfish because his desire overtook everything else, she would be his. One way or another.

He watched her the whole night as she stood next to Owen, he watched her as she spoke to Debbie, he followed close behind as she walked outside thinking quietly to herself and he watched as Elliot approached her. Victor moved closer staying hidden in the shadow of the night as he listened in on the conversation.

"Don't you look lovely" Elliot smiled

"Thank you" She replied coldly.

"Look at you waitress, living it up with the king and all thanks to me" He gloated, if Elliot had one weakness it would be that ego of his.

"Thanks to you?" Grace snapped anger clear in her hazel-brown eyes.

"I took you from that run-down little diner and made you a queen. You should be thanking me" Elliot scoffed offended at her tone

"You ruined my life!" She spat "you had no idea that Victor wouldn't kill me after your little dinner, it's your fault I'm here, it's your fault I'm indebted to him." She roared pushing against his chest causing him to stumble back on his heel. The anger was evident in her voice and now in his too.

"How dare you speak to me like that" Elliot seethed "do you know who I am?" He snapped, his hand resting on the holster around his waist

"What are going to do about it, Elliot?" Grace laughed dryly. "Are you going to kill me?" She raised one of her brows "Go on Elliot kill me" She said opening her arms "Let's see how your king reacts to that" She snapped

Victor could see Elliot's posture change with the threat, in the month that he had known Grace he had only seen a glimpse of who she was behind her fear and insecurity. Right here telling Elliot off she had been fearless, she had been assertive, she was lethal, she was a queen.

"Elliot" Victor said making himself known. Elliot and Grace both turned surprised looking at Victor. The relentless look in Grace's eyes quickly returned to fear.

"Yes sir?" Elliot asked hoping the king didn't see him threaten Grace, after all, his casino still hadn't been approved and he needed to stay within Victor's good books.

"Vincent is looking for you." Victor said walking up to the pair "I am not an errand boy, go see what he wants."

"Yes sir," Elliot said quickly, scrambling to get into the house without another thought.

"Walk with me," Victor said to Grace offering her his arm when Elliot was out of earshot.

Grace swallowed nervously at the request, pushing her fears aside and hoping just like Elliot that Victor hadn't heard that conversation, she linked her arm in Victor's, her small hand on his bicep as they began their stroll under the moonlight. As the silence stretched on Grace's heartbeat became louder thumping against her chest.

"You and Elliot seemed to be in a heated conversation," Victor noted as they walked

"It was nothing" Grace looked down at her feet.

"Elliot Mann should be the last person to get under your skin, but I understand that he can be annoying" he looked down at her "If you want me to shoot him I will"

"I'd prefer to shoot him myself" Grace grumbled absent-mindedly as Victor let out a short laugh, Grace looked up at him noticing the dimples in his cheeks as he smiled. It had been the first time she had seen the man smile, the first time she had seen him look, dare she say, happy. The sight was one to behold, she stopped in her tracks, looking up at him in awe, something about this moment, the way the moonlight shone, the hundreds of fairy lights that twinkled in the garden, the happiness that was displayed in beautiful emerald eyes for an instant, the way everything was right now was nothing short of perfect.

"Perhaps if you learned to shoot properly, it wouldn't do me any good to have one of my bosses shot dead" Victor turned to look at her, and he couldn't help but notice the questioning look behind her brown eyes "Is there something on your mind?"

"I..." Grace started unsure of how to phrase her question

"Speak freely," He said running his finger down the length of her arm causing goosebumps to rise on her skin with his touch.

Grace swallowed the anxiety that crept into her blood "I know that I am indebted to you but what is it that you actually want from me?"

Victor's green eyes studied the girl as she shifted nervously under his gaze. He thought the answer was obvious.

"I just want you"

"Me?" She asked skeptically

"Yes you," he said his hand cupping her cheek as their bodies touched "I want your loyalty"

"Loyalty like trust is earned" Grace looked down

"Then allow me to earn yours," He said softly, bringing his lips to hers, Grace felt her breathing seize as their lips touched softly. Grace was a simple girl and just like many before her she had only ever imagined what her first kiss would be like but she never imagined having her first kiss with a mafia King under the stairs. She never imagined that her first kiss would consume the inner parts of her soul leaving her with a wanting for more, as Victor's lips danced with hers to the beating of her heart, she never imagined that a kiss alone could be this euphoric. She leaned into the kiss and the passion that poured into it was effortless, snaking her arms around his neck in a struggle to be closer to him, she pushed her body against his as his arms closed the distance wrapping themselves around her waist. Victor had kissed many women, but, this was something entirely different. He never knew that something as simple as a kiss would be able to set his entire world on fire.

Time had slowed and the earth had disappeared and all there was were Victor and Grace and as if an unspoken law had passed between them, they both knew that Victor and Grace were all that there ever would be.

When reality sank back in after the kiss was over, Victor and Grace stood with their foreheads touching, their eyes still closed as they struggled for air. The impact of the kiss was not lost on either of them, their bodies still pressed together and arms tied around each other as the reality of what just passed sank into each of them. For Grace, that kiss was the end, the death of all her common sense, and for Victor, it was the beginning, the start of something to fight for, something to live for. It was her, and she was worth everything. He breathed in her rose scent never wanting to leave her. He wanted to be consumed by all of her, forever.