Chapter 1

A Few Months Later

I shouldn't fucking be here like some Peeping Tom. I should have stayed far away from the mystery girl that has stolen every single thought since I saw her at the bar the night Kai and I officially opened up our business. I hacked the cameras of that shitty dive bar the moment I made it back to my penthouse. I'm grateful that one of my best friends, Ryan, was able to teach me the basics of hacking and for installing the facial recognition software that he developed and based on the one that is used by the FBI.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the woman I'm obsessing over is a Dominguez, as in Julian- fucking- Dominguez's kid sister.

I told myself this was a bad idea the moment I hacked the Dominguez system.

This family was one that you don't fuck with, one that I had managed to walk away from in high school. Julian was my best friend growing up. All throughout our childhood we were practically inseparable, but we never went to each other's homes. We kept that part of our lives as private as we could, for very different reasons. He was the son of the head of the fucking cartel and I was not about to question that. Both of us struggled to stay in one place so we ran the streets like wannabe thugs with other kids Julian had been close with, each with ties to the cartel, and then I left once I graduated high school. There was no attempt from either of us to stay in touch, he accepted my absence and cut me off from his world as much as I disappeared from his.

What a small fucking world.

Her silhouette comes back into view from where I stand behind the trees of her family's compound in Santa Monica. The Dominguez cyber security might be top tier, but I'm better. Not Ry level, but plenty gifted enough to gain access to their home security system so I can watch my newest obsession.

There has never been a woman that has captured my attention the way this little seductress has. I don't date, don't indulge in the flirtations of women, and I certainly don't do relationships. I learned long ago that I craved to inflict more pain than is normally acceptable. Now, however, I simply visit a newly opened, exclusive sex club, The Temple, whenever I need an escape in the form of a carnal release. In the past couple months though, everyone one of my thoughts has been of this dark-haired beauty. The shadow of her curves, even at this distance, causes my mouth to water.

It's been months now though, and it proves just how much their security systems are lacking since I've been able to watch my Princess in her tower so easily. I make a mental reminder to complete updates to their system, all of them but her room of course.

Now here I am, standing behind the large trunk of a tree, hidden from the eyes of the woman currently making her way to her bedroom's private patio door. Her house is full of large-floor-to-ceiling windows, and in all the time that I've been watching her, she's never once closed her bedroom curtains. There's not a single place where you can't see every detail of the dark furniture and decor inside, where I can't see her . Part of me wants to punish her so she learns to close those curtains, but another part is grateful for her lack of self-awareness that makes watching her all that easier.

My eyes roam her body the moment she steps outside, and I watch the way she places a cigarette between her lips delicately before lighting a match. I watch the way her wrist flicks while striking it, and it feels like I'm watching it in slow motion. The way her lips wrap around the butt, the slow serene inhale, the meditative pause while she holds her breath, then the slow, steady, purposeful exhale of the smoke, almost sultry in it's lazy release is like she's begging to have that serene look fucked right off her face until she faces the real release that she's craving. Her long legs are glowing in the reflection of the moonlight from the pool, the sight of her makes my cock twitch in my pants. I put my phone on silent and in my back pocket, to be sure I don't have any interruptions, while I continue to stare at this definition of perfection standing before me like Romeo watching his Juliet pine for him.

I haven't risked going further into their property, even though I could probably get away with it. Her brothers are rarely ever here and from my understanding, her father practically never visits. I've remained in control of this desire- at least in all the ways that matter, but I'm itching to ignore every rational part of my being by breaking into her home to watch her sleep. Her black hair sways with the slight breeze, her face framed by the strands that slowly dance back and forth, caressing her face the way I wish my hands could. Night after night; I watch how she looks off into the distance, like she's lost in her thoughts, and steadily releases her frustrations with every exhale fromthe cigarette. Each night I'm more entranced by her beauty as I watch her from the trees, wishing for her to discover the man hidden in the shadows who's waiting for her.

How would she react?

Every part of me wants more of her, I just don't understand why there's this need for more . Why does this angel have me twisted up inside ?

She takes one last drag in and exhales her final puff of smoke, allowing the wind to blow it upwards and away from where she leans against the railing. Her skimpy silk robe opens just enough to grant me a generous view of her smooth, perfect cleavage from the black lacy bra she is sporting underneath. All the blood flows straight to my cock at the tease of those perfect tits. I slide my hand across my groin, rubbing it against the black fabric of my suit pants, but that only causes my cock to thicken even more leaving me needy for her touch.

Placing the end of her cigarette in a little container, she backs away with one last glance from over her shoulder at the night sky. As soon as the glass doors shuts, I exhale a sigh of relief, making my way out from the shadows and back through the path I came from to my Rolls-Royce parked down the road of her home.

I need to walk away from the insanity that comes with watching her. If she had been anyone else, I would have inserted myself into her life a long time ago. But, Cat- Catalina - she is from a family that rules L.A. A family full of violence, one that I turned my back on the moment I got a chance, but even knowing that I should walk away, makes me crave her more. Since the moment I saw her at the bar she's haunted my dreams, my thoughts, testing my resolve and my control without so much as speaking a word to me or having seen me.

She rarely ever leaves her home alone. Each time it's either with one of her brothers or a guard that her brothers must have chosen for her, one who looks at her like he's ready to throw her on the bed and have his way with her every time. I clench my fists, getting angry at the memory of her a few weeks ago, doing yoga while his eyes feasted on her. I was on the verge of coming out of my hiding spot just to kill the motherfucker.

When I reach my car, I open the door a little harder than normal. Anger pumps my blood, as ifI had every right to be pissed off. I practically slam the door once I'm inside, pulling out of my parking spot quickly, and start to head back the ten minutes it takes to arrive at my penthouse.

The streets are always busy with people, no matter what time it is. Crowds gather and walk through Ocean Park, enjoying their time without a care in the world. As I drive by, I can see people passing through on their bikes, couples holding hands out in the open. Part of me wishes that was me with my sweet Catalina. We'll get there. The bright lights of the city zoom pass me as I speed down the streets. The lights remind me of shooting stars in the distance as I continue my way home.

When I reach the parking garage, I make my way inside and up the ramp. The sounds of cars driving by echoes in the darkly lit building, the flashes of their lights brightening and dimming as they zoom past. I back into my designated spot, unbuckle my seatbelt, lock the doors and make my way inside the building to the elevator. I try focusing my mind on Catalina and her beauty - it's the only way to not let the sound of the speeding cars drag me back into a memory, into the war that battles inside my head.

Walking out of the elevator, I see Kai leaning against the door of my penthouse. There are only two on this floor, the one to the right is mine while the one to the left is Kai's. His foot leans against the wall, his arms crossed in the black suit we normally wear for work, and a smirk on his face with a look of mischief in his eyes. The bastard had moved next door to me, and although I act annoyed, I'm grateful to have the man that I consider my brother as my neighbor. He doesn't say a word as I reach for my door handle, or when I open the door leaving it wide open for him to follow behind me.

Kai shrugs off his jacket as he makes his way to the kitchen, tossing it over the back of the chair at the island. I do the same with my own while he opens the fridge and takes out two bottles of beer, placing one in front of where I stand.

"Still stalking the chick from the bar?" He questions bringing the bottle to his mouth, raising an eyebrow in amusement as he takes a swig of his beer.

"I am not stalking her," I bark, grabbing my own beer before the droplets around it fall to the smooth surface of the granite countertop. Taking another swig of his beer, he lowers his drink, allowing the light clink of the glass meeting the counter to fill the silence.

"What would you call watching her every night and following her every movement from a distance then?" He crosses his arms leaning back on the fridge, similar to the way he stood by my door when I first arrived.

"Very fucking invested," I mumble hoping that I said it low enough that he couldn't hear. The mischievous smile that appears on his face tells me he heard my remark, and not only that, but he also has a plan. His ideas have a tendency of getting us in a whirl wind of trouble, especially when we were in the special forces, but I always had his back just as much as he always had mine.

"What?" I say evenly, pulling my own bottle back to my lips, letting the cold liquid soothe my throat as I take a couple chugs.

"Don't you have history with her brother? Can't you just get him to hire us to be the new security?"

His suggestion is something I've already questioned myself. Our history would make it perfect to see her in person, to touch her the way I want too, even if it will get me killed by her family. Her brothers are about as overprotective as the secret services are with the President according to my…research. I can only imagine them planning my death the moment I showed interest in their sister if we do end up working with them. I don't tell Kai the truth about her family. All he knows is that there's history. I couldn't tell him she's part of the Cartel, even if she's not really involved.

I drag the palm of my hand down my face with a sigh. The only person that can convince Julian to hire me is Ry. Ry was one of the kids we hung out with as kids. His family worked for the Dominguez family so they essentially grew up together. Ry had always been gifted with technology and had helped us get in and out of trouble more times than I can count. He's the one that stayed closest with Julian, and he's the one that still helps him with anything to do with tech. If anyone can convince Julian, it would be him.

I tighten my fists, holding myself back from calling Ry and asking him for the favor of sending Julian and his business my way. I shake my head, refusing to let myself fall for the attraction that I may have for his sister. She doesn't need someone like me darkening her soul. She's an innocent, locked away from the evils of the world, of this life. I'm sure Julian and his brothers are protecting her as best they can. There's no way they would let her be harmed.

Grabbing the bottle, I chug the rest of my beer in a few swallows, the slow effects of the alcohol numbing the part of me that wants to grab onto the innocence of Catalina and drag her down the fiery pits of hell with me.