AMANIThe room is spinning. Or is it my brain? I’ve lost track at this point.My gaze darts between Aunt Ophelia, grandma Alice and grandpa, silently waiting for them to tell me that Duke is just playing around. Unfortunately, they don’t.Aunt Ophelia looks nervous as hell, grandma Alice’s face is currently buried in Bhyron’s chest as she cries her eyes out and grandpa looks at me with a disappointed expression that causes my heart to flip with the crushing weight of guilt.And Bhyron… he’s currently holding on to grandma Alice like she’s his lifeline, patting her back and murmuring soothing words in her ears.I’m shocked, yes. But I’m also confused as hell.“Are you sure of what you’re saying?” I ask, turning my attention to Duke. He walks towards me and holds up his phone. My eyes drift to the video on the screen and in the next one minute, my shock triples. It’s a news flash. The hostess’ chubby face is sent in grim lines as she reports;“…bad news for New York City as their may
AMANII can’t sleep. I tried to, but images of Grandma Alice crying her eyes out against Bhyron’s chest literally chased me around a rocky path in dreamland, armed with a sharp knife.I shoot awake some moments later, breathing like I just engaged in a sumo wrestling contest. Sweat pours down my face in torrents despite the cold AC that blows my heated skin.Looking around the dark room, goosebumps rise on my arms and my heart tightens with fear at all the shadows hanging around. I hate darkness with a passion that rivals Hades. I cannot sleep without the lights on and practically glaring. Zuri hates me for it, which is why we can never share a room.The only reason the lights are off is because Zuri opted to sleep with me tonight after I practically clung on to her when everyone left. My chest tightens painfully as I recall the strange feeling of abandonment that weighted my shoulders when I realized the entire family was upset with me, Aunt Ophelia inclusive.Memories of that sla
AMANII’m shocked to my bones. I’m in awe. I’m blown away.I move closer to get a better look. The closer I go, the grander it becomes.I barely have the words to describe it — It’s beautiful. It’s gorgeous. It’s definitely expensive… and also seems familiar as hell.I search my memory on a quest to figure out where I’ve seen it before. It’s very unique, very unlike anyone of its kind out there. A second later, it finally dawns on me, leaving a strong bitter taste at the back of my throat. I remain rooted to the spot, blinking rapidly in shock as the pieces slowly fall into place. The current object of my obsession is a wedding dress. It sits alone on a raised platform in the middle of the room, sparkling and shimmering like a rare creature in all its glory. The platform is made of black onyx stone and probably costs far more than what my parents’ entire company is worth.And the dress itself… I lack the words to describe it. It sparkles from top to bottom, and a closer inspection
AMANIBefore I can get my thoughts together, Aunt Ophelia hurries forward and grabs my arm, her eyes wide with a haunted expression that sends chills down my spine; “Amani, dear, you have to leave. You cannot be seen in here.”Now I’m more confused than ever and even more determined to find out what the hell is going on. I’m convinced that Aunt Ophelia knows something. She’s definitely hiding something from me.She tries to pull me towards the exit but I stubbornly dig my feet into the ground, refusing to move. Noting my hesitation, Aunt Ophelia looks over her shoulder and lifts one questioning brow; “Sweetie, what are you doing? We have to leave.”The forced cheer in her voice and the tiny, fake smile plastered on her lips makes me even more resolute to go nowhere.I pull my arm from her grip and fold them, looking her straight in the eyes;“Okay, aunt. Spill. What are you hiding?”A flash of panic lightens her eyes before she’s able to hide it beneath a confused expression.“What
AMANI“You can forget about the dress. It’s not for you. You don’t have to wear it…”I never wanted to wear Bhyron’s dress. I never wanted a dress that was made specially for some strange woman whom he’s obsessed with. But those harsh words coupled with his cold expression hits me like a goddamn punch in the gut.He’s clearly saying I’m not worthy enough to wear the same dress as the woman of his dreams. Jealousy burns like a fever in my throat. I’ve never wanted to beat up an imaginary woman so badly in my entire life. I’m almost ashamed of myself. Almost.I stiffen against him, holding his gaze while trying not to burst into stupid tears. I wouldn’t even know why I’m crying in the first place. So what if Bhyron is in love with some unnamed dancing bride? I don’t like him. I shouldn’t be bothered.The logical thing to do would be to step away from him and lick my wounds while I still can, but the last time Amani was logical, George Washington was still president.Instead of counting
AMANI“…suck my dick, Amani. If you’re able to make me cum, I’ll let you wear the dress.” Shock, mixed with violent arousal explodes in my belly, leaving me weak and temporarily unable to think properly.My arms around Bhyron’s neck slips but he catches me at the last minute, cupping my lower back and pulling me against his chest in a half-embrace. I’m completely enveloped in his intoxicating heat and my heart is a large, melted puddle of goo. If not for his support, I’d have fallen flat on my face a long time ago.I should slap his face and stomp out of the room, but my brain is already conjuring images of his thick, swollen cock deep inside the walls of my throat. I gulp helplessly.It’s settled. I’m fucked.“What’s it going to be, little caramel?” He whispers huskily, trailing his fingers across my heated cheeks. “Will you suck my cock or do you want to live without my forgiveness? I can already feel your wetness on my thigh. If I touch you down there, my fingers will come back d
BHYRONI don’t know how much longer I can keep this up and I think it’s high time I told myself the truth.Hurting Amani’s feelings is not as satisfying as I thought it would be. Taking my revenge does not fill my heart with joy like I thought it would.The hurt and confusion in her eyes breaks me every single time. This was supposed to be easy, goddamnit! I was never supposed to feel anything for her. My job would’ve been goddamn easier if those bright, chocolate eyes didn’t appeal to my dark soul every single time.My goal was to take revenge for all the pain that Amani and her family caused me, but I barely stopped myself from pulling her into my arms just five seconds ago. All I wanted to do was clean her up, hold her and make sure she got a few hours of sleep before the wedding. And that was not the bloody plan!I slam the door behind me and lean against it, trying to calm my pounding heart.Anger, raw and venomous stirs in my veins. I’m angry at myself for hurting her and furiou
AMANITHREE HOURS LATER…My wedding is set to hold in the next two hours and I’m an emotional wreck.I stare at my swollen eyes in the mirror, willing my mind to forget everything that happened in that room three hours ago.“Girl, we don’t have time for this. The makeup artist has been waiting for you for almost two hours. You haven’t even tried out your wedding dress. I’m not sure you’ve even taken a bath!” Zuri half-yells, pacing the room nervously.“At this pace, we’ll never be ready on time. Not that I want you to marry that sonofabitch, but grandpa will be upset…”I keep staring at the mirror, trying to figure out the hollow-eyed woman who stares back at me.Anger, bitterness and shame swirls in my guts when I remember the smugness in Bhyron’s eyes after he successfully fooled me. The bastard tricked me. Once again, he proved that I can never trust him.“…and you won't even tell me what happened! Where were you this morning? What happened to you?” Zuri babbles non stop, pacing r
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
AMANIBhyron lunges across the room in a heartbeat and seconds later, I’m enveloped in the fierce heat of his arms, drowning in the comforting deliciousness of his scent.The moment my head touches his chest, all my worries instantly disappear but at the same time, my heart breaks all over again.I’m holding a man who was once a victim of my parents’ greed. Bhyron suffered so much… and somehow, I believe it’s all my fault. He didn’t deserve what they did to him. He was just a child!He pulls me closer, holding me like he’d never let go… like he never, ever wants to let go. I can feel the love and warmth that he’s pouring into me, and I feel giddy with joy at the thought that this powerful, overbearing man is my husband.“I’m so sorry.” I bring myself to whimper. “I’m so, so sorry. Please forgive me. Please…”Beneath me, Bhyron stiffens. I can hear his heartbeat quicken as he pulls me away from his chest.For long moments, those dark, hooded eyes simply appraise me. His gaze is so raw
BHYRONToday is the shittiest day of my entire life. The absolute worst.I left Duke back at the warehouse to handle business and now, I’m tearing down the freeway like a madman on steroids, heading back to the hospital.I should never have left her behind. I thought she was safe. What’s the worst that could happen? According to Duke, the chief medical practitioner walked in and spilled the news to Amani while she was still trying to recover from the shocking news of her parents’ deception.My grip around the steering wheel is so hard, my knuckles turn white. She wasn’t ready, goddamnit! She wasn’t ready for all of this shit.Less than fifteen minutes later, I arrive at the hospital thanks to my less-than-laudable driving skills. I storm out of the car and make my way to the private ward.I have no idea how Amani will receive me after finding out that she’s carrying our baby.Is she angry? Will she push me away, ask me to leave? I will never leave her. Not again. Even if she holds
BHYRON“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Duke growls, lunging for Axel.One moment, Axel is on his knees, giving me a death glare and the next, he lies sprawled on the floor, writhing, groaning and nursing his broken, bleeding nose.Believe it or not, Duke gave the fucker a sucker punch. “Why would you do that?!” He whines like a little girl.I always suspected that Axel was gay. He flirted with me every time we met for business, but since he never mentioned it, I was bent on believing he was just playing around.Betrayal and frustration churn in my throat, demanding release. My fingers itch to put a bullet in his brain. But suddenly, I’ve decided that I’m done. I’m done getting my hands dirty. I’m done killing and torturing people. Never again. I no longer wish to be involved in the dirty business of the underworld. A free life with Amani and our baby is all I need.“You’ve worked for me for five years, Anton.” I begin, instead of lashing out like I really want to. “How did yo
BHYRONThe sharp sound of the car door slamming as Duke storms out jolts me back to reality.For a moment, I sit still, running facts and memories over and over again in my mind, contemplating Duke’s words. It dawns on me with startling clarity that he’s right. My siblings and I used to be best friends when we were little. But after getting kidnapped by Amani’s parents and going through the most traumatic experiences of my entire life, our relationship never, ever remained the same. I was damaged for life. That one unfortunate incident created a permanent rift in my relationship with my family and everyone else. I locked up and pushed people away. The only people I’ve let close in the past years are Duke and my grandfather.With a twinge of guilt, I realize that my siblings have actively tried to keep in touch. They never gave up on me. Brielle sends me flowers on my birthday every year. She calls me every single day but I never answer, so she resorts to leaving voice mails which I
BHYRONI can’t breathe.My shirt collar isn’t too tight, but I pull it away from my neck all the same. I can swear there’s a noose around my throat and what’s worse? It keeps tightening as the seconds tick by.An hour ago, I paced the empty hallway of the hospital, impatiently waiting for Zuri to emerge so I could go back to sitting by Amani’s side and holding her hand.When she walked towards the door, I’d honestly thought she was ready to leave. I never once suspected that the devious little minx planned to lock me out. My fingers twitch by my sides and I take long, deep breaths, trying and failing miserably to stop the redness that crawls into my vision.Memories of the pure horror on Amani’s face when Zuri started speaking are permanently burned into my mind. She wasn’t ready, goddamnit! My baby had just woken up. She needed time!I pace the length of the driveway, trying to relieve myself of the demon that came upon me when Zuri locked that door. What happened to me at that mome