Novels by Bryan King

“Looks like they roughed you up a little,” Aldo said while his expression changed. “It's good to see you too, Marino,” Liam let out as he stepped inside.Liya immediately turned and rushed to him. She was filled with worry as she took in his appearance. His clothes were twisted and his shirt was missing some buttons. His face had a bruise on it and this made Liya both concerned and angry. “Liam. Are you okay? What happened to you?” her voice was filled with anxiety.“I'm fine. It's nothing I can't handle,” he said, brushing off her worry. His eyes fell on Aldo as he asked him. “I thought you had things under control.”“I did until you found yourself in trouble again. I thought you'd listen to your sister and stay away from him but it looks like I thought wrong,” Aldo said while putting his hands in his pockets.“I don't remember taking orders from you, Marino,” Liam challenged.“And I don't remember being paid to get you out of trouble every time Glensdale,” Aldo voiced out with a ra

The house was very quiet after Aldo left to make his call. Liya couldn't stop pacing the room as she felt so restless and uneasy about the situation. She didn't exactly feel good that she just had to wait while Liam was out there, in danger with the one person she tried to stay clear of. How could he be so stupid to get involved with him again? Didn't he learn from the last time? He had to grow up because she wasn't always going to be there to get him out of his mess.Aldo had asked her to trust him— at least that he could bring her brother back. And if there was anyone she had little faith in, it was him. She finally took a seat on her bed when she got tired from her movements. Many thoughts were running through her mind. She wondered why Damian was after Aldo so badly. Why was he on their necks? There was definitely more to it than the surface game they were playing but she didn't know how deep it was. There was no way to find out.She thought back to how broken Aldo had looked whe

Liya was up early the next morning even though she barely slept after her conversation with Aldo. She still couldn't believe he had told her something so personal and though it wasn't much, it was an improvement in their relationship— she would take whatever she could. It wasn't every time he let his guard down.And then the electricity in the room had changed when he grabbed her hand. Even now she could still feel his light touch on her wrist but she did what she knew best— she left before she could make a fool of herself. She didn't want them to blur lines seeing as what they had was only an arrangement, a marriage in name and paper only. Besides he had told her she wasn't there to stay so she didn't want to get attached. That didn't stop them from having a cordial relationship while they lived together.She was standing by the window, going over her thoughts when her phone rang. When she saw the number on the screen, her heart stopped and she wished he wasn't in trouble. She didn't

Aldo stood in his study, his gaze lost in the fireplace while the rain beat heavily against the windows and roof. The whiskey in his hand was barely touched as he recalled what he had said to Liya and he felt like kicking himself in the leg. He remembered the hurt on her face and concluded that he was such a jerk. He didn't mean to blurt out what he had said to her but she was tearing down walls that had been erected for a long time with so much ease that she barely noticed and he didn't want that or did he?His thoughts however shifted to what he had been trying to ignore, the reason why he seemed so lost. Despite locking up the past, some ghosts still slipped through the cracks, and the night was one of those nights.The door to his study opened and he knew only one person could enter his study unannounced. Liya. He didn't turn around, ashamed to face her after what he said in the Library.“I knew I'd find you here,” Liya’s voice was soft when she spoke. He'd expected her not to bot

Seated in the back seat of the car and Liya by his side, Aldo couldn't help but notice how her body turned away from him. As she gazed out the window, the streetlights brightened her features giving her a charming glow. They hadn't said a word to each other the entire ride from the gala and he could only wonder what was going through her mind. He couldn't help but feel a bit of pride at the way she handled herself with Tomas even though she was out of her setting.He also recalled her question— just two words that left him overthinking— should I?She was only supposed to be a tool in this game but she was gradually becoming something more. His train of thought was cut as the car stopped in front of the mansion. He got out and went to open the door for Liya but she was already out of the car.“At least let me get the door for you,” he said, moving to stand before her.“That's okay, I can do that,” she said, smiling softly.“Of course you can. But what kind of man would I be if I let m

Aldo straightened his suit and cufflinks while standing in front of the mirror. The black tux was correctly designed to fit his broad frame. Exiting his room, he went to his home bar to have a drink while he waited for Liya. Women usually took their precious time while getting ready and he was sure she wasn't any different. He had also just dumped the news of the gala on her just the other night, not giving her enough time to prepare her mind. Thinking of the other night, his mind went back to the conversation they had about the locked room and he could only pray she didn't go snooping around and digging into areas of his life he had long buried.The clicking of heels coming down the stairs called his attention as he turned to see Liya descending the stairs. Her presence commanded his attention and awakened something in him that he didn't want to acknowledge. She was stunning in her dark red dress that filled out in the right places, not too much but enough cleavage and the smooth ski