AMANIThe air is no longer thick with sexual heat. It’s burning with jealousy. I didn’t think it was serious at first, but the annoyance in Bhyron’s eyes is so potent, I can feel it deep in my soul.“Bhyron, Jay is a wonderful, handsome man, but he’s also your chief-of-security. I would never…”I must’ve said something wrong because his arms around my waist tightens and something flashes in his eyes, something dangerous.“So you think he’s wonderful. And handsome.”Oh, shit.I’m definitely enjoying this. I didn’t expect it, but the mere thought that I can make Bhyron jealous fills me with a heady sense of power. “He is.” I state shortly.I can feel the anger literally roll off of him in waves. He shuts his eyes and shockingly buries his face in my neck, holding me close.“You drive me crazy, little caramel.” He mutters. “You drive me so fucking crazy.”It takes all my self control to stop myself from kicking my feet in the air with glee.“Um… sorry?”He leans back, his eyes shining w
AMANII wake up from a fitful sleep three hours later, feeling groggy and tired as hell. One glance at the messy bed reveals that I’d tossed and turned all night. I kept having nightmares, none that I remember right away.Goosebumps rise on my skin as I survey the room, noting Bhyron’s absence. All the lights are off but he plugged in the nightlights for me before leaving. He still remembers that I’m scared of the dark.The thought fills my heart with warmth seconds before I shake some common sense into my rapidly thumping heart.We don’t want to fall in love with Bhyron Macaulay any further than we already have, now do we?All the horrible memories from the previous day come flooding back the moment I open my eyes. The attack. Grandma’s death. Grandpa’s condition.My heart twists painfully when I remember how I cried and begged Bhyron to take me along with him to the hospital. He bluntly refused, stating very clearly;“Please stay where I’m sure you’d be safe, Amani. I’m already worr
AMANIBy the time I’m done with my speech, Duncan’s mouth is half open and I know that poor man would rather swim in a lake with sharks than be here.“Ma’am, please try to understand. The boss ordered that I shouldn’t call him unless it’s an emergency. He’s incredibly busy at the moment. I understand that you’re upset, but…”My anger erupts into fully blown rage. I’m no longer just angry at my situation. I’m angry at my idiotic, hardheaded husband. I’m bloody furious.“This is an emergency, Duncan.” I say through clenched teeth. “Call him. Your time is ticking.”Duncan looks indecisive as hell but thankfully, he doesn’t have to make any decisions on his own because a second later, his phone rings. The look of relief on his face indicates that the call is from Bhyron.He answers immediately and puts the call on speakerphone.“Boss.”“Duncan, I’d like to speak with my wife.” Bhyron’s deep, clipped voice fills the room.Duncan stretches the sleek phone to me without saying a word. I’m st
AMANIThey say anger and determination gives a person unbelievable strength and I’m starting to believe it. The vanity table in Bhyron’s suite probably weighs two hundred pounds but I managed to push it to the door under five minutes.I’m sweating like a stuffed Christmas turkey when I’m done but atleast Duncan won’t be able to break the door down while I’m carrying out my plan.When I’m satisfied that the room is impenetrable, I make my way to the closet and choose the shirts that look the most expensive in Bhyron’s wardrobe.“Five thousand dollars?!” I exclaim, gaping at the price tag on one of the designer white shirts. “It better be made from heavenly silk.” I add it to the pile.Bhyron’s wardrobe is probably the most organized I’ve ever seen. His shirts are sorted in colours and even his suits are colour themed.Next, I select a handful of suits and expensive underwear. I pack up everything and dump them in the middle of the room, then I add a couple of blankets.After making sur
BHYRON“Detective, are you sure of what you’re saying?”Detective Lazarus shoots me a glance;“Sir, you’ve seen the video yourself. The CCTV has given a very clear image of the person who let King Murder and his men into the venue. This cannot be a mistake.”I press my fingers against my eyes, my temples already pounding with a nauseating headache.“But how the hell is this even possible?! I left her in the garden to see King Murder outside. When did she let him in? There must be a mistake somewhere —”The shrill sound of my ringtone suddenly cuts through the air and I retrieve the phone from my pocket with a low curse. Spying the strange number, I answer the call immediately.“Hello, is this Mr. Bhyron Macaulay?”It’s a man. And a voice I don’t recognize. With everything that’s currently going on, I need to be extra cautious.“Who is this?” “If I’m speaking to Mr. Macaulay then my name is Officer James from the NYPD. I’m calling to inform you that your apartment building is on fire
WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS UNEDITED SO READERS MIGHT ENCOUNTER SLIGHT GRAMMATICAL ERRORS. ALL ERRORS WILL BE CORRECTED WHEN EDITORS RESUME DUTY ON MONDAY.***BHYRONIt’s a miracle that I’m able to arrive at the Hope Fortess completely unhurt. Adrenaline shoots through my veins like a violent missile and I haphazardly park my car in the grounds and jump out, leaving my door open and the engine still running.I look up, my eyes flying straight to the window of my suite. Although there’s a sliver of tension in the air, there’s no visible fire or smoke, meaning everything is under control. But the sight of residents milling outside in their robes and the looks of worry on their faces ignites the flame of worry in my chest.I survey the grounds in search of Amani but she’s nowhere to be seen. I hurry through the reception with the speed of light. All that runs through my mind is how to get my wife to safety. Nothing just happen to her. She must be safe. She must be unhurt.“Sir!” The recep
WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS UNEDITED SO READERS MIGHT ENCOUNTER SLIGHT GRAMMATICAL ERRORS. ALL ERRORS WILL BE CORRECTED WHEN EDITORS RESUME DUTY ON MONDAY.***BHYRONI’m really starting to think this woman doesn’t understand the things she does to me.One moment, she’s upset and locking herself away from me and the next, she’s crying in my arms and begging me not to leave her.Amani Bhyron Macaulay, you drive me insane. ***AMANII expected him to lash out in anger and push me away. Instead, Bhyron wraps his arms around my waist and holds me so tightly, I’m unable to breathe.And I’m not complaining.His soft, woodspice scent gradually chases my fear away. Three minutes later, I can breathe properly and I’m finally back to my senses.My heartbeat accelerates painfully as I become completely aware of my surroundings. I’m standing so close to Bhyron, my breasts are plastered against his chest. Panicked, I try to pull away from him but he holds on tighter, leans forward and whispers in a
WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS UNEDITED SO READERS MIGHT ENCOUNTER SLIGHT GRAMMATICAL ERRORS. ALL ERRORS WILL BE CORRECTED WHEN EDITORS RESUME DUTY ON MONDAY.***AMANII’m still staring at the portrait in absolute shock, trying to wrap my head around the madness that’s going on right now. I’m so focused that I don’t notice that Bhyron had taken off the buttons of my shirt.A gasp of utter surprise slips past my lips when I feel his tongue lave against my left nipple. My eyes snap downwards but it’s already too late. Bhyron has my left nipple trapped between his thumb and forefinger and he’s currently sucking on my right nipple like a savage, starving man.I open my mouth to scream at him, I try to push him away, but my traitorous body betrays me once again.I end up throwing my head back on a strangled moan as he moves from the left left nipple to the right. He takes the sensitive peaks between his teeth and my sex clenches in response.I take my lips between my teeth, struggling to keep
AMANIMy eyes are firmly shut as I thrash around on the bed in search of my anchor, in search of my source of strength. But he’s not here. He’s gone. I know he is. When he was here, the piercing pain in my heart had reduced to a dull throb. The dirty, contaminated feeling that tainted my soul stayed far away, too scared of his darkness to come close. The heavy feeling in my limbs had disappeared, too. When he was here, he protected me. He shielded me from Antonio’s grubby hands. But now that he’s gone, I’m being bombarded with everything at once. The excruciating discomfort is back. My demons have returned to attack me and he’s not here to fight them off.I can hear voices in the distance and even though I’m clutched in the throes of a horrible nightmare, I still call out for him. I need him. I listen carefully, hoping I hear his voice, hoping he comes back for me.When the pain becomes unbearable, I curl into myself and hot tears slip past my tightly shut eyelids. My soul takes a
BHYRONI hear Amani’s screams from down the hall and it tears through my soul like a fiery blade. I run blindly and don’t stop until I’m storming into the master bedroom. The sight that greets me shatters my nonexistent heart to pieces.Amani is writhing and shaking in bed. The once perfectly laid sheets pool around her legs and arms, evidence of her distraught.Without uttering a word and driven by an urgency that makes my blood boil, I take off my shoes and climb into the bed with her, pulling her trembling body flush against my chest. Her eyes are firmly shut but the second I touch her, tears still manage to leak through.The sight of her wet cheeks unravels an animalistic intensity inside of me, but I have to tame it and take care of my baby. Amani is my only priority. She’s more important than even my darkness. “Bhyron…” she whimpers, clinging onto me like a baby monkey. “It hurts. It hurts so much. I can’t take it anymore. Please, make it stop.”I hug her fiercely and kiss her
WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS DELICATE TOPICS LIKE SEXUAL ASSAULT AND SELF HARM. PLEASE REFRAIN IF YOU’RE TRIGGERED BY SUCH TOPICS.***AMANII’m hallucinating. I’m sure of it. I’ve been hallucinating for the past hour.One moment I was lying on the grimy floors of the phone booth, thinking I’d never get to see Zuri again and the next, an Angel appeared right in front of me.I looked up at him dazed and confused, blinded by the sheer beauty of his bright, golden air and pure white shirt. Even now, I can still remember the unique colour of his eyes — silver and narrowed, while his head shook with pity as he looked down on me.“Are you Angel?” I ask, my voice weak and barely audible.“Yes, I am. What would you like me to do for you?”A real Angel?! What a treat. Or maybe I was hallucinating.“Take me home, please.” I begged, wrapping my arms tightly around my middle. “I’m so cold. I think I’m freezing.”“Your wish is my command, princess.”Without uttering another word, the Angel swept
BHYRONIt’s been an hour. One full hour and my woman is still nowhere to be found. The mere thought of her cold and probably lying hurt somewhere sends pinpricks of pain through my heart. I haven’t been able to sit still. The penthouse is currently teeming with police officers and private investigators, but none of them have been able to say anything reasonable concerning Amani’s whereabouts. I’m giving them five more minutes to come up with something other than “we’re still searching.” If not, I’ll go out there and search for her myself. The fingers in my pockets are tightly clenched and it takes every ounce of self control I possess to stop myself from ripping the hair off my scalp. I feel like a bloody ticking bomb. One tiny mistake from anyone here and I’ll explode.“Sir, for the past thirty minutes, our men have tried their best to trace the call your wife made to Miss Zuri, but information reaching us is that the rain damaged some of the land lines and the signal is in shamble
BHYRONI arrive at the Hope Fortress for the second time to meet police cars parked on the grounds. My mood is too foul to speak to the cops right now and thankfully, they’re just leaving. I take the private elevator to my penthouse and try to appear as calm as possible while a bloody war is literally brewing in my veins. The second I step inside the brightly lit interior, I grab the first guard that I see, which, as luck would have it, happens to be Duncan.My vision is red and bloody with venomous rage as I slam him back first against the nearest wall, wrap both my hands around his throat and squeeze until his face is as red as a clown’s nose and he can barely speak. “Where is she?” I growl through clenched teeth. “I left my wife in your care for two hours, just two fucking hours, and she’s gone?! You have five minutes to provide her hale and hearty, otherwise, I’ll have you and your useless men slaughtered. That’s a fucking promise!” The atmosphere is thick and choking with tens
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
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
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
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