AMANIThe grand entrance to La Mariée is heavily guarded just like I expected, and unfortunately, I do not have a solid plan on how I intend to get in.I survey my surroundings, taking in the new addition to security with a rapidly pounding heartbeat. The first night I came here, the only form of security was the doorman and two armed guards. Today, I can count at least fifteen armed guards all with similar dark scowls on their faces as they patrol the grounds.Shit! What to do? What to do?My planning skills only ended at how to escape The Hope Fortress. I left everything else to my guardian angels and they don’t seem to be of much help at the moment.I take a deep breath, about to try my luck when my phone rings. The sound alerts one of the guards and he turns, pinning me in place with fiery green eyes. My heart nearly stops beating.I retrieve my screaming phone from my pocket with shaky fingers and answer the call once I see Zuri’s name flashing across the screen.“Zuri…”“Girl, t
AMANIA gasp of shock slips past my lips and I slap a hand over my mouth to keep the sound inside. My world is tilting on its axis. The universe is falling apart and I’m trapped inside.An invisible, sharp, heated blade slices through my heart with a force that almost sends me to my knees. I’m shaking, my throat is closing up, my fingers are trembling. I can’t breathe. For a second, I have no idea how to react. My heart melted when Bhyron told me he couldn’t live without me just a few hours ago. Now he’s planning on throwing me back to the streets? He’s planning to hurt me?Sharon lets out a victorious chuckle. I’m sure she’s enjoying this.“How do you plan on taking your revenge? Her parents are dead now. She’s the only one left.”Summoning the last bit of courage I possess, I finally peer into the office. The sight that greets me sends a horrible blow through my chest.Bhyron is seated on his chair and Sharon is standing so close to him, she’s literally plastered against his should
AMANII fell in love with Bhyron when I barely knew what love meant. But that turned out to be the worst mistake of my entire life because all he’s ever done is hurt me. Six years ago, he shattered my heart to pieces. Today, he pounded those broken, bloody pieces with a sledge hammer, crushing me to dust. There’s no similarity between the ice cold monster who spoke about hurting me without remorse in that office like I meant nothing and the young man who assured me that he could die for me when I was just nineteen.The old Bhyron loved me. He adored me.The old Bhyron made sure a teacher who almost sexually assaulted me in high school got beaten up beyond recognition.The old Bhyron threatened to sue the police force and the school if the teacher was not arrested. The old Bhyron walked hours in the rain to check on me after his father took his car away and I unexpectedly fell sick at midnight.The old Bhyron was young, but he would’ve killed anyone who dared to even look at me wron
AMANI“I’m sorry, miss, but Mr. Ayutthaya is currently guarded by heavy security. Only immediate family members can see him.”Soaked to the bone, shivering and dripping water all over the reception of the New York General hospital, my frustration starts to get the best of me. I wrap my trembling arms around my middle, hoping to ward off most of the cold.My heart burns at the thought that I trekked all the way from La Mariée and now the nurse is saying I can’t see grandpa. My efforts cannot go to waste. “I’m an immediate family member.” I say hurriedly, my voice dripping with desperation. “My name is Amani Macaulay. I’m his grandson’s wife. We’re very close and…”The receptionist frowns; “did you say your name is Amani?”I nod quickly. “Yes, yes.”She lowers her head, her fingers flying over the keyboard. My stomach flips and twists with nerves. Suddenly, I can sense a horrible feeling unfurling in my chest. When the nurse looks up, her frown is deeper than before and I can tell she
AMANIHunched over on my hands and knees on the smoothly carpeted floor of a luxurious car while two men who are most likely twice my size burn me to crisps with their eyes is not how I planned to spend the remainder of this horrible day.Slowly, I rise to my feet and sink into one of the seats opposite them, trying to cover up the icy fear that’s currently eating up my intestines like acid with a frown.I’m scared to death, I can’t think straight, but I sure as hell won’t let these big bad wolves eat me while I’m on the floor.The men are…twins? They have identical pitch black hair and fierce, wicked green eyes. Oh, and it doesn’t end there. They have on the exact same outfit — black leather jackets over a black shirt, black jeans and black boots. The silver glint of the expensive Rolex on both their wrists somehow adds to the ice-cold tension in the room. They’re even sitting alike, with their left legs crossed over the right one. Oh, and they’re gorgeous as hell. Although they b
AMANI For a split second, I vehemently choose to believe that that vile statement is the Gunam Brothers’ hilarious attempt at a joke. But the wicked gleam in Antonio Gunam’s eyes and the glint of desire as their gaze rove over my chest and jean-covered thighs alert my hazy mind that there’s nothing remotely hilarious about my situation. “W-wait… you want me to work as a sex slave?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. “Are you hard of hearing?” Antonio snaps, his eyes sparking with annoyance. Terror swims in my veins and I look around, desperately searching for a means of escape. “You’re trapped with us, Mrs. Macaulay. There’s absolutely no way you’d be able to escape if we don’t set you free ourselves.” Anton says quietly. I fold my trembling fingers in my lap and blink. They can read minds, too? Anger swirls in my brain when I think of Aunt Ophelia. She’s the reason I’m in this situation. Why did her greedy ass borrow another nine hundred thousand dollars without te
WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SEXUALLY VIOLENT SCENES. PLEASE DO NOT CONTNUE IF YOU’RE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH SUCH SCENES…***AMANIMy head is ringing. My heart is thumping. My entire body is stiff and I can taste pain at the back of my throat, but none of those horrible feelings can be compared to the icy fingers of terror that grip my heart as Antonio slowly starts to caress my sex.My body goes completely stiff, hoping he’d be thrown off by my lack of response, but the exact opposite happens. Antonio keeps rubbing my sex, pressing his thumb against my clit and murmuring dirty words in my ear that make my skin crawl.“Relax, Mrs. Macaulay. Don’t pretend like you don’t like this. I’m sure your husband touches you this way every night after he’s done fucking the whores in his club. And I’m sure you enjoy it.”His words rip through my heart like a well-aimed arrow and my tears fall harder. I never imagined that Bhyron was still sleeping with other women. We never spoke about seeing other
AMANII’m not sure how long I’ve trekked in the freezing cold, but I’m exhausted, hungry and frustrated.I haven’t stopped crying and hiccuping since Antonio kicked me out of their car and I’m still struggling to come to terms with the fact that I was almost raped.Minutes pass by and my headache returns. Combined with body pain and blurry vision, all I want to do is give up, lie on the wet street and wait for help. But if I do that, I’d either freeze to death or get attacked again.So I keep pushing. I’m half naked and on the verge of exhaustion. I feel like I’d pass out and die in the next few minutes, but I keep pushing. I try to count the seconds and minutes in my hazy mind. By the time I come across a pay phone ten minutes later, I’m pretty sure my soul has left my body. I duck into the glass booth, glad to have a temporary reprieve from the rain. I can’t stay very long though. The area seems dangerous and there’s barely another human being out here.My mood gradually takes a n
AMANI God, everything hurts. The wild banshee in my brain is back, and it’s screaming at the top of its lungs. I feel like shit and I’m pretty sure I look like shit, too.My eyelids flutter open and I wince as the bright white light pierces my poor eyeballs.“It hurts.” I whisper softly. “The light’s too bright.” Then I hear his voice. It slips through the fog in my brain, calming me and soothing my aches like nothing else ever will.“She’s awake! Adjust the lights, Duke. Her eyes are hurting.”The lights are adjusted immediately and my heart beats frantically as my eyes rove the room in search of him.Bhyron Macaulay. My husband.Finally, his face fills my vision and I break into a loopy smile. “Bhyron…”“Hi, my pretty baby.” His voice, strong and husky and soft all at the same time wafts over me like a comforting blanket.Wait. His eyes are red. Was he crying?Even if it hurts like hell, I raise my hand and trail a finger across the wet tracks on his face.“Were you crying?”“Don
BHYRONEIGHT MONTHS LATER…“I’m sorry, sir, but your wife’s condition is extremely critical. She will not be able to push this baby. We’ll have to perform an emergency C-section if we want both of them alive and healthy.” Five hours ago, Amani’s water broke. We were having a mini family dinner with everyone in attendance when it happened. She was only eight months and two weeks along so it came as an unexpected surprise. I’d tried my absolute best to keep her healthy during the course of the pregnancy. I don’t understand where I went wrong. I’m pretty sure I read every pregnancy book on the earth’s surface. My wife is stubborn as hell but I always managed to keep her on a good diet and ensure she exercised daily. Right now, a part of me registers that I’m panicking. This is all my fault. Definitely my fault. I must’ve done something wrong. I didn’t take care of her properly. I missed a step. I overlooked something…“Mr. Macaulay, I’m still waiting for your response.” The doctor’s u
AMANII’m scared, shocked and shaken to the core, and I don’t think I’ll ever get over the cold expression in Mrs. Emily’s eyes when she spoke about her late sister. Grandpa Ayutthaya never mentioned that he had a daughter who died during childbirth. How strange.But the main reason for my fear is Bhyron.He hasn’t said a single word since we left Beauty and Roses. Not one word.I tried to talk to him, to cajole him into saying something…into telling me how he felt. But I got nothing. Nada. Zilch.He just urged me into the car, wrapped me in his arms, pressed his nose to my neck and remained that way until we arrived at the penthouse. Now he’s inside his office behind closed doors, and he’s been there for the past two hours.I’m gradually losing my mind.“Duke, I don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t wanna disturb him. I’m scared that he won’t speak to me. Help!!.”I’ve been on the phone with Duke for the past five minutes, explaining what happened.“Take him on a mini vacation, Ama
BHYRONThe past few days have just been a rollercoaster of revelations. It’s crazy how so many secrets can be swept under the rug for years. It’s even more appalling how lives can be ruptured by these secrets within seconds.I asked my mother for an urgent meeting and of course, she tried to come up with excuses. But I told her in a not-so-kind tone that we had something important to discuss. Then I hung up. I’m not sure if she’d actually want to see me, but something tells me that I need to speak to her. Today.I want to send Amani home but she’s feeling a bit nauseous so I’ve decided to keep her by my side. I need to keep a close eye on her.Right now, we’re walking through my mother’s clothing company, Beauty and Roses, Amani’s smaller hands firmly clasped in mine.“Oh, Mr. Macaulay. Your mother already informed me of your coming. She’s waiting for you in the office.” I nod at Carla, the receptionist. “Sure. Thanks.”Seconds later, I’m knocking on the heavy oak door. The door swi
AMANI“I want to see grandpa today.” I mutter excitedly as I fly down the stairs.I woke up an hour ago to an empty bed. Bhyron was gone, but there was a note on the bedside table that made my heart flutter.“Little Caramel,I prepared a scented bath for you. Soak in it so you can relax. Afterwards, come downstairs for breakfast. Your husband is waiting.”I literally swooned all the way to the bathroom.If anyone had told me that Bhyron and I would be together today, I would’ve probably laughed on their faces. But here I am, skipping across the penthouse, my heart giddy at the thought of seeing him again after I’d all but slept inside his skin last night.I love him so much. “Bhyron!” I squeal when I arrive at the dining room.My husband looks up and his whole face lights up when he sees me. God, this man is gorgeous. Too gorgeous.He’s clean shaven this morning and dressed in a blue sweater that does magical things for his eyes. I can spot black slacks beneath. Does this mean he’s n
AMANI“Duncan, get the car ready. We’re going back to the Hope Fortress in the next five minutes.” Bhyron’s voice swims like a fog above me, pressing into my tired brain as the sound of sirens fade into the distance. He swings me into his arms and I cling onto his neck for dear life, burrowing into his chest, breathing him in.God, he smells so good. I would give anything to slide under his skin right about now. “Baby, are you okay?” He whispers as he lifts me through the revolving glass door. “How are you feeling?”“Tired.” I mumble pitifully. My emotions are all over the place. Tears currently sting my eyes but I chalk it up to pregnancy hormones.I’m just glad it’s all over. I’m glad that King Murder is finally going to jail. I hope he gets a death sentence for all his atrocities. His death would never bring back the hundreds of children he kidnapped, sold and killed, but its a start in the right direction. A monster like him does not deserve any more chances at life.When we fi
AMANIBhyron hasn’t said a single word since Sharon announced herself. Beneath my palm, his shoulders are stiff as a rock. His gaze, cold and blank, is firmly fixed on Sharon. The bitch doesn’t even have the decency to look ashamed of herself. She pats her belly with a smug expression, holding his gaze head on.“Sharon.” He seethes. “Start explaining. Now.”She shrugs unapologetically and lifts her chin. “My explanation is simple, Byron. I don’t owe you one. I tried to get us married the first time and you abandoned me at the altar. I tried again but you kept choosing her over me!” She snaps, jabbing a finger in my direction. “You and I went through so much together after she disappeared. I was by your side while you tried to build your business. But the moment Amani returned, you tossed me to the gutters like I meant nothing!”She flicks a glance at her perfectly manicured fingernails and lets out a cold chuckle..“Did you expect me to spend the rest of my life waiting for you? I m
AMANIOkay, what in the actual fuck is going on here?!I turn around and panic grips my throat like a vice as I watch Zuri stumble backwards, her eyes wide and hazy with shock.“Zuri!” Without thinking, I pull away from Bhyron and lunge towards her, grabbing her before she falls to the concrete floor.“Zuri. Baby, can you hear me?” Fear slithers down my back when she doesn’t respond. Her eyes are wide open and she’s looking straight at me, but she seems distant, almost like she’s fallen into a trance.“Bhyron, she’s not responding!”A shadow falls over me and I look up to find Duke staring down at us — at Zuri — his eyes flashing with a deadly mixture of fear, worry and rage.“Give her to me.”It’s a command. Not a request.I don’t bother arguing. I hand Zuri over to him, my heart squeezing as I watch the big man delicately maneuver my best friend into the safety of his arms. He strokes a lock of her curly blue hair out of her eyes, lowers his face to hers and whispers softly; “Zu
BHYRONThere’s something very suspicious about this entire situation. After the disaster of our wedding, I went on a fucking rampage. I burned and destroyed every single last one of King Murder’s properties that came within my reach while he went into hiding. Thinking about it now, my blood heats with the fierce hint of violence.I have to give to him, he was wise enough to hide. Because only the devil would’ve been able to look at his body once I was done with him, if I’d gotten my hands on the bastard then. I hold Amani’s soft, smaller hand in mine, still amazed by her show of strength. Yes, I would rather she stayed back at the office and out of harm’s way, but there was something about the defiant spark on her eyes when she told me she’d like to confront King Murder that stirred my stony heart.I make sure to keep her behind me, shielded by my body as we make our way down the hall. I flick a glance at our joined hands and my heart beats a painful, comforting rhythm.She didn’t p