The Butcher. My nickname isn’t really a nickname. It’s a calling. An identity that I was born with, and one that’s as much a part of me as my heart or my liver. I’m violent, remorseless, and I delight in causing pain.

I’ve never made any apologies for my nature. Never felt the need to … until I saw Bianca. When I glimpsed her, something inside me shifted. Before I even knew what I was doing, I’d kidnapped her and stolen her away.

Once I have her, I realize I have no idea what to do with a young, innocent girl. And for the first time in my life, I don’t want to cause pain. I don’t want to hurt her. All I want to do is the one thing I have no idea how to do—I want to love her.