WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A BIT OF PHYSICAL ABUSE. **AMANII made a deal with Antonio Gunam and ordinarily, I shouldn’t be scared of him. But there’s something in his eyes. Something dark and ferocious. A wild, unhinged emotion that makes my strained arms tremble. I cringe away from his touch, my heart beating wildly when he presses closer. Of course the bastard doesn’t get the hint. His lips twist in a smirk and he runs a finger over my damp, sweaty chest. When those disgusting fingers almost touch my boobs, I pull backwards and a pained hiss escapes me as my skull slams against the drywall.He bends over, giving me a strong, involuntary whiff of his designer perfume. “You’ve gotten braver since the last time I saw you, little kitten. Have you forgotten how you writhed beneath me that night?” I bare my teeth at him, hiding the excruciating throbbing of my head with a snarl; “Why am I naked, Antonio? What’s going on? This isn’t what we agreed on.” He leans back with a wicked
BHYRON“Mr. Ahmad, you can be rest assured that this project will rake in millions just like La Marièe. I’ll personally direct every single proposal and you’re guaranteed maximum profit.”Ahmad, one of our Arabian investors, had indicated interest in funding my new club months ago. He has the billions to spend and I’ve got the brains and man power to make sure we open another club by the end of this month that will probably earn ten times more than La Marièe.Ahmad nods, seemingly satisfied and about to give me a response when the sound of the door violently crashing against the wall rents the air.I rise from my seat, my heart pumping madly the second I lay eyes on Duncan and his grim expression. Duncan would never, ever interrupt my international meetings, talk more of slamming my door. Something’s wrong.Amani. Why is that the first thought that crawls into my mind?“Sir, I’m afraid we have a problem.”Dread settles like boulders on my shoulders. “Where’s Amani?” I ask through cle
BHYRONI can count on my fingers the number of times I’ve been terrified. Five times. Five horrifying moments when I endured torture and darkness and hunger for weeks. But none of that compares to the feeling of utter, pure and undiluted horror that snakes through my bloodstream as I watch the video. My eyes are glued to the screen while the horror unfolds. My heart is barely beating as I take in the sight of Amani kneeling on the dirty floors, a group of masked men holding her down while another unknown man whips her mercilessly. The fucker blurred out his face. “No…” I whisper, my throat clogged, my lungs faltering. “No, no, no. God, no.”Memories of the horrific moments I spent in captivity, chained and whipped day and night assail my mind and I stagger backwards. I almost gave up during those horrific nights. Imagine what Amani must be feeling.Her cries are like little, venomous knives stabbed through my heart. I shut my eyes, already prepared to throw the phone across the roo
BHYRON“Sir, sir, I found something!”It’s been three hours since I personally set the Gunam Brother's seventh warehouse on fire. Unfortunately, the fire grew uncontrollable and gutted the warehouse beside it, burning it to ashes. That warehouse belonged to Bethel Washington, a renowned American drug and arms dealer. I’ve been trying to reason with his men for the past hour. Thankfully, the warehouse was empty and not much was lost. I only returned to my office thirty minutes ago and the police were already waiting for me, desperate to pin me for arson and send my ass to prison. My lips twitch at the thought. I don’t pay Axel millions of dollars, complete with paid vacation trips at luxurious islands to just sit around doing nothing. My alibi was ready even before I arrived at the warehouse and I just handed it to the police when I returned.The disappointment on their faces was almost laughable.Right now, I’m hunched over Axel’s computer, staring at the incomprehensible strings of
BHYRON“…your wife is pregnant.” The quiet world around me disappears and all that’s left is the loud, eerie buzzing in my ears. My eyes are glued to Duncan’s lips, my heart pounding an erratic rhythm as I wait for him to laugh it off, because I do not find this situation funny in the slightest.When seconds tick by and he still doesn’t attribute that statement to a failed attempt at mirth, white-hot mortification burns a hole straight through my chest.“Are you being serious?”Duncan nods, appearing braver. Or maybe he’s finally accepted that I might slash his head off of his neck very, very soon.“I’m really sorry that you have to find out this way, sir.”I take a threatening step in his direction but he stands his ground.“You’re sorry? You’re bloody sorry? This is insane!”I press two fingers against my eyes and draw several deep breaths. Amani is pregnant. My woman is carrying our child! My heart sinks with the recollection that the last two times we had sex was without protec
BHYRONThe woman on the floor lies completely still and unmoving. Her face is covered by a curtain of blonde hair and her long, graceful legs are twitching.Amani.A horrific roar tears from my throat and I attack blindly. One second, I’m standing by the door, fists clenched by my sides, and the next, I’m flying across the room, knife unsheathed. The gory sound of my blade slicing into something soft pierces the air as I tackle Antonio to the ground. Yes, I sliced off his useless manhood. And the wet sound it makes as it lands on the wooden floor does very little to soothe the beast inside of me. Pain filled moans bubble up his throat and I punch him there, forcing the bastard to stay silent.“What did you do to her, you neanderthal?! How dare you touch her!” I don’t give him the chance to fight or protest. I hit him blow after blow until his moans become off-key gurgles and his face is wet with blood; soft and disfigured beneath my fists. Even then, my anger is not soothed. Image
BHYRON“Mr. Macaulay, your wife is suffering from severe dehydration and heartburn. That’s why she passed out. However, we have it all under control. She’s been stabilized and should be discharged tomorrow.”I sit before Dr. Samantha, Chief Medical Practitioner at one of the top private hospitals in New York, my heart beating a restless rhythm against my ribcage. The past two hours have been hell. I thought seeing Amani injured and bleeding in that horrible room was a nightmare, but I nearly lost my damn mind when I was forced to stand back and watch them strap her almost lifeless body to the stretcher.“And our baby?” I ask, tapping my feet anxiously.If anything happens to our child…The doctor flips through a couple of documents on her desk. “It’s still too early to tell. Once we conduct all the relevant tests, you’ll be the first to know.” Ten minutes later, I’m walking down the hall, intent on seeing my wife after being told I wouldn’t be able to see her for the next five hour
AMANDAI pull my hoodie over my ears to cushion the harsh effects of New York’s cold night wind, still struggling to believe my stroke of luck.My plan was to come here, get my inheritance, go straight to the hospital and pay off my sister’s medical bills. Being “the child who was never wanted,” I was fully ready to find out that I was left out of the will.I also prepared myself just in case I was included in the will but only given a miserly sum. After everything I’ve been through, I vowed never to return to my biological family, talk more of begging them for money. But just a moment ago, I was prepared to go down on my knees and beg for money for Imelda’s treatment. Now, barely an hour later, I’m going back five million dollars richer. It feels like a dream.At first sight, Mr. Bhyron Macaulay is intimidating as hell. He had long hair in all the pictures that Caspian, my lawyer, showed to me, but his short cropped hair gives him the appearance of a seven star general in the army
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
AMANII try to sit on my own, worried that my weight is a burden to Bhyron, but a low growl rumbles in his chest and he clamps his arms around my waist, keeping me locked against him. I look up and our eyes meet. I nearly melt from the heat in his gaze. He frowns at me, telling me exactly what he thinks about my attempt to escape. So I stay put. I wiggle against his chest, wrap my arms around his hard, solid belly and stay snuggled around my husband.“The guns in Grandpa’s house. The fierce-looking guards. The underground tunnel. Oh, and the tinted cars that kept taking you guys to God knows where at night.”His lips curl in a mysterious smile and he leans forward, running the tip of his nose across the shell of my ear.“How did you know about that? Were you watching me, little caramel?”I shiver in his embrace and lower my head, my cheeks reddening with awareness. “A little bit. You’re very interesting to watch.”To my surprise, Bhyron throws back his head and laughs. My head snaps
BHYRONLeft to me, I would never bother to relive those horrible memories. They’re with me day and night, haunting my nightmares and my waking moments.But it’s not left to me anymore. The moment Amani became involved, it was no longer in my hands. I need to say it out loud. I have to get it off my chest. Maybe, just maybe, doing this will silence the demons that haunt me till this day. So here goes;“When I was eight years old, I was kidnapped. It started out like a normal day, I’d gone to school as usual but on my way back, the unexpected happened.We were ambushed by three trucks filled with men all dressed in red. They killed my driver and two bodyguards. My bodyguards.” I pause for a moment, shivering as the worst of the memories come tumbling in.Amani presses closer against my back, silently lending her support. Believe it or not, that gives me the strength to go on.“The goons didn’t just shoot my guards, they tied them to a wooden stake and roasted all three of them alive wh
BHYRONAn hour and thirty minutes later, we’re all seated in Bhyron’s spacious, luxuriously decorated office. There are five of us — me, Zuri, Amanda, Bhyron and Duke.Amanda and Zuri were already waiting when we arrived. Zuri holds my hand, silently lending her support while Bhyron stands behind his desk, opposite us. There’s a strange look in his eyes, an interesting mixture of pain, sorrow and fear that tempts me to run across the room and hold him.Dread clings to the stiff atmosphere like the smell of petrichor on a dusty rainy day. Whatever Duke, Bhyron and Amanda are about to tell us will be horrible. I can already feel it. “Let’s go straight to the point and get it over with, shall we?” Duke begins. “But before we start, we’d like to show you a video, Amani.”My heartbeat accelerates painfully. Duke turns his laptop, giving me access to the video that’s already playing on the screen. My eyes are glued to the screen, scared that I’ll miss something if I even dare to blink.A