Frozen Valentine

time away will help me figure out the next phase of my life.

Chapter One


Theo
“You need to get out of here,” Leo declares as he stands in front of me with his arms crossed over his chest. As head of the family, he’s a man you don’t mess with unless you want a bullet to the forehead or even a knife slicing your throat.
I’ve been his second in command and right-hand man from the day he took over from my uncle. I enjoy what I do but not right this minute. A week ago, I’d gone to pick up my cousin, Leo’s sister Mia, from a club she’d been at with her friends. Her security detail had been with her but the club being popular was jam packed.
When I’d gotten to the club, I witnessed Mia being shoved into the back of a van. I called Leo on my way as I followed the van to its destination. I refused to wait for anyone to join me. I went in alone and found my cousin already tied to a chair with her face beaten. Someone had taken a blade to her face slicing into her skin.
After I got her untied, I helped her out of the building, but not before taking out several of the men who took her. I recognized them as members of the Gheata family. They’d been trying to force themselves on us and were pissed when Leo refused them the chance. We don’t want anything to do with anything they’re into.
The De Lucas might deal in drugs, but we don’t deal to kids. If we find out one of our dealers is doing this, they end up dead.
The Gheata family; however, they don’t care who wants the drugs they deal out and most of them end up in the hands of kids.
Now the Gheata family are pissed and ready for a war all because I killed several of their men including the head honcho’s little brother, Petru.
“Where am I supposed to be going?” I demand through clenched teeth, placing my hands on my hips.
“Go to one of the safe houses.” Leo shrugs. “Right now, Theo, we need you hiding. I’m not about to let these assholes take you out. I’m going to try and get in touch with my cousins from the Satan’s Keepers. Get them to take Mia in. I don’t want anything to happen to her and she needs to be far away from us while we handle the Gheata family.”
I nod in understanding though I don’t like it.
If I go to one of the safe houses, I’ll take the time to come up with a way to take out the rest of the fuckers and extinguish the rest of the Gheatas. You don’t mess with the De Lucas.
“I don’t like it but I guess I have no choice. Which safe house?” I ask.
“I suggest the cabin,” Christian says, coming into the room with a harsh expression. “It’s already stocked with food and the caretaker keeps it clean.”
Nodding, I run a hand through my hair. The cabin would be a good place to go. Being secluded from everywhere else and clearing my head enough to find the Gheatas will help.
“I’ll go there then,” I state.
“Good, you might want to do so before the snow gets heavy. Weather is reporting a snowstorm coming and heading in that direction,” Christian mutters.
Shit.
“Alright, let me get on the road,” I grumble and turn on my heels and head out of the room. I don’t like the idea of leaving the family. I’ve always been around to have Leo’s back and this will leave him without his right-hand.
Heading to my room, I grab my go-pack and my keys. Time to get out of here.
Christian
“Everything set in place?” My boss, Leo De Luca asks soon as my friend leaves the room.
Nodding, I grin. “Yep, Blake is there already. She got in last night,” I mutter. I should feel like shit for doing this but honestly, I don’t.
If all goes well Theo will be able to help my sister escape the clutches of our parents. And maybe even make my friend find he’s more than some machine meant for killing.
Blake, my little sister, has a heart pure as gold and deserves the world. A world without our parents dictating and trying to marry her off to douches. This last one especially, if he gets his hands on Blake, she’ll be dead within the year. He’s a violent man and a part of the Gheata family. Not direct but he’s related to Andreas. Ethan is also the lawyer for the family.
“Good, I hope this works. He needs to have something to focus on besides the shit filling his head,” Leo grumbles.
I couldn’t agree more. Since Mia had been hurt, he’s feeling the guilt for not getting to her quicker, but her security detail shouldn’t have let the Gheatas get her out of the club. Now my beautiful Mia is scarred and feeling as if she will never be the same beauty she’s always been. What she doesn’t realize is she’ll always be beautiful to me.
Mia is the princess of the family and everyone dotes on her. Even the men who work for Leo De Luca dote on her. She’s a sweetheart and, if I’m honest with myself, the one woman I want for myself but I’ll never be able to claim her as mine. For one, she’s too young for me. I’m thirty-two which makes me ten years older than her.
My parents had me and waited years before having Blake. It’s why I’m protective of her. I pretty much brought her up in this world while our parents only wanted to be our dictators.
I lied to them and said I’d join the military instead I’d been hired by Leo De Luca to work for him. Now I’m his third in command.
“I know my sister, she won’t be able to resist him once she sees the torment in