The Price Of Us
Bruises.
That’s all Louis has ever known.
At twenty-seven, you’d think he’d have escaped the violent grip of his abusive father—but breaking free from the man who raised you, no matter how monstrous, is never simple. Life has never gone easy on Louis, and now, he carries a secret that’ll finally get him killed by his father: his sexuality.
He hides it, suffocates it, tries to erase it—but it never leaves him.
All he needs is a savior. Someone to pull him from the dark hole he’s sinking in. But hope has never been more than a cruel fantasy—and he’s long since stopped believing in rescue.
Then comes Elias Montgomery.
The most feared and ruthless Don in the Midwest.
Silent. Disciplined. Calculating. And utterly alone.
No one dares cross Elias. He keeps his enemies close, and the traitors? Six feet under.
Love has never been part of the equation, not after what happened the last time.
So, what happens when, against all odds, Elias crosses paths with Louis?
Will he bury the tension—and the dangerous spark between them—for the sake of his image and empire.
Or will he risk it all for a boy who’s known nothing but pain?
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Chapter: Chapter 5LOUISA nurse came to take the man away, probably to clean and properly stitch him up. I stood aside, suddenly feeling out of place—like I’d intruded on something sacred, even if I was the one who had been here first.His wound seemed deep, a slow trickle of red still seeping through the makeshift towel I’d pressed against his side. But from the moment our eyes met, I knew this wasn’t his first scar. The way he carried himself—despite the pain—was proof of a man who had survived far worse.But I couldn't get him out of my head.Not the weight of his gaze.Not the moment our skin made contact and a jolt raced through my chest like lightning in a thunderstorm.A man like that did not belong in my world. And yet… he'd looked at me like I wasn't invisible. Like I was seen. A feeling I’d longed for as long as I can remember.I finished my shift in a daze, the hum of fluorescent lights and the soft background noise of hospital chaos barely perceptible as I punched out and slipped my ID badg
Last Updated: 2025-04-15
Chapter: Chapter 4ELIASMy twin sister, Elaine, was as annoying as ever during my short visit to her place. She never missed a chance to needle me about “settling down,” even while I bounced her youngest on my knee and pretended not to hear. The woman had a mouth like a whip and the subtlety of a jackhammer.Annoying.Her children were equally chaotic. I left with more hair pulled from my head than I cared to count. They’re the only ones who could bring me to my knees—literally and figuratively speaking. I loved them, of course, but my tolerance had its limits.So, I left earlier than usual.I had work to do anyway—my bimonthly check-in at Allure, one of my more legitimate fronts, though anyone in Chicago with half a brain knew better than to think that was all it was. Cathan had also just closed a deal with an arms supplier we’d been circling for months. Not many people could convince a man like Jakob Huber to sign anything, let alone trust again after what happened in Prague. But Cathan? He could tal
Last Updated: 2025-04-15
Chapter: Chapter 3LOUISA splitting headache greeted me when I opened my eyes. The weak morning light streamed through the curtains at the other end of the room, causing me to shield my face—though the sharp aches coursing through my body made even that small motion feel unbearable.A pained whimper slipped past my lips.I didn’t even want to see what I looked like. A few feet away, the knife I’d brandished at my father lay on the floor, speckled with dried blood. A clear sign that he’d enjoyed himself last night. The familiar sting along my ribs confirmed the fresh cuts he’d left, some already scabbed over.New scars for the collection. Yay, I thought bitterly.I exhaled slowly, eyes fixed on the ceiling. A single tear slid down my temple. Then another. And another. Until they flowed freely, silently.I was tired. So damn tired. And the worst part? No one would believe me. Who would believe that a twenty-seven-year-old man couldn’t defend himself against his own father? To the world, I was weak. Pathe
Last Updated: 2025-04-15
Chapter: Chapter 2ELIAS“Sir, you have to understand—the stocks are plummeting. We need to do something about it, and fast.” I tuned out the voice of the financial manager. I hadn’t even wanted him in this board meeting, but somehow the rat managed to weasel his way in. I wasn’t in the mood for any of this. In reality, all of this—the real estate holdings, the casinos—was just a façade. A convenient mask for my true kingdom.The mafia empire my family had built over the last sixty years. There were more pressing matters to attend to in that world. And though this company was the perfect front for our darker dealings, I was growing increasingly sick of pretending to care about its surface-level issues. Rising from my chair, I turned to my second-in-command, Cathan, and gave him a single look—one he immediately understood. He addressed the board without missing a beat. “Mr. Montgomery will ensure these matters are resolved. For now, he has urgent business elsewhere.”“So, the fact that stocks are cr
Last Updated: 2025-04-15
Chapter: Chapter 1LOUISSince Mama left Father and me when I was ten years old, all I’ve ever known is suffering and pain. Father had always been cruel to me, even before my sorry excuse for a mother left—but her absence carved a chasm so deep in his already blackened heart that the only way he knew how to fill it was with fists.Each. And. Every. Day.And this morning was no exception.“You sorry excuse of a man,” he roared, driving his heavy boots into my stomach again and again. The pain burned through me, but I didn’t dare cry out. Just like I hadn’t for the past seventeen years.“Twenty-seven years and you still can’t even stand up to me,” he spat, delivering a final kick to my shin. “Such a disgrace.” Then he turned and stomped up the stairs, likely to drown himself in whiskey or whatever poison numbed the void inside him.I stayed on the cold, cracked kitchen floor, blinking back tears of frustration. I was pathetic. Helpless. A man who couldn’t even defend himself in his home. I’d tried over t
Last Updated: 2025-04-15
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