Don povI leaned back in my chair, swirling the whiskey in my glass as I listened to the man across from me finalize the details. The cigar smoke in my office hung thick, curling into the dim light above us.“We move the shipment next week,” he said, his tone confident but cautious. “Colombian grade, through the usual ports. Our distributors in Miami are ready, and we’ve secured a clean route.”I nodded, but didn’t speak yet. Business was more than just logistics, it was about control. Anticipation. Knowing when to push forward and when to pull back.“And the Feds?” I finally asked.“Taken care of.” He smirked, adjusting the gold cufflink on his sleeve. “A few key figures got their incentives.”Good. The last thing I needed was unnecessary heat. This deal would expand my reach, increase my influence. But the bigger the deal, the bigger the risk.I took a slow sip of whiskey, letting the burn settle in my throat before setting the glass down. “We move forward. My men will oversee the t
AsherThe air in the room was thick, weighed down by the chilling silence. I sat on the edge of the couch, my elbows resting on my knees, my head buried in my hands. My thoughts were still all over the place; I couldn’t think straight.I let out a slow breath, but it did nothing to ease the tightness in my chest. My fingers curled into my hair, gripping it as if I could pull myself out of the drowning thoughts in my head. I raked my fingers through the thick mess of hair on my head.I hadn’t slept much, not that sleep could ever be an escape. Closing my eyes only made the thoughts louder; I only heard her voice in my head. Ivy’s, crying, begging...I dragged a hand down my face, forcing myself to sit up, to shake off the crippling thoughts clinging to me. But they stayed. They always did.Ivy was out there. Somewhere. Alone. Terrified. Maybe worse.And Taylor, she was in charge. She had made that pretty clear. No amount of begging would be enough, nothing would be enough to touch her
Ivy’s POVThe room was dim, the air thick with a musty scent that clung to the damp walls. My wrists ached from the tight restraints, the rope digging into my skin, leaving behind raw, irritated flesh.My legs were stiff, my muscles screaming from hours, maybe days, of captivity. I had lost track of time in this miserable excuse for a prison.Then, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed down the hallway, steady and deliberate. My breath hitched. I knew who it was before she even stepped into the room.Taylor.She waltzed in, her expression smug, her eyes gleaming with amusement as she took in the sight of me, bound and helpless. She leaned against the doorframe, tilting her head.“Well, well,” she drawled. “You look like hell.”I said nothing.She clicked her tongue, disappointed by my silence. “Oh, come on, don’t tell me you’ve given up already.” She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Asher isn’t coming for you, sweetheart. He’s already mine.”Still, I refused to sp
Asher’s POVGunfire erupted the moment I stormed into the building with Luca and Marcus. The scent of gunpowder and blood filled the air, mixing with the sharp cries of men dropping to the floor.My heart pounded, but I barely registered the chaos. My mind had only one thought: Ivy.I scanned the dimly lit warehouse frantically, my pulse hammering in my ears. My grip tightened around my gun as I pushed forward, ducking behind a stack of crates.Then, through the haze of bullets and bodies, I saw her.Ivy.She stood near the back of the room, bound and struggling, her dark hair wild, her face pale. My breath caught in my throat. She was right there. So close. But she wasn’t alone. Taylor stood in front of her, a knife gleaming in her grip.Panic crashed through me. I turned to Luca and Marcus. “Be careful! Ivy’s right there!”Luca gave a sharp nod, his jaw clenched as he took cover and fired precisely at Taylor’s men. Marcus moved beside him, dropping two of them with clean shots. I ba
IvyI glanced at the text I had just received moments ago. It was a simple, sweet message that read: “Meet me at Amore Hotel. I have a surprise for you.” Just like the first time I read it, it made me blush hard. I turned off the ignition and got out of the car. The hotel stood grand and familiar, a place Max and I had visited many times before. I twirled around and shut my eyes, savoring the gentle caress of the chilly night breeze against my skin.My thoughts ran wild, imagining what kind of surprise awaited me behind that door. Max was never one for grand gestures, so this was a first. Giddy and full of excitement, I walked towards the receptionist. “Hi…”She looked up at me with a wide smile. “Hello, Miss Whitfield.”Of course, she recognized me. This was Max’s and my getaway spot. He didn’t like his studio apartment, so we usually spent our time together here.My smile widened. “A reservation was made?”“Yes, Mr. Max Martin,” she confirmed, glancing at her computer. “Your usual s
Asher’s POV“Contract marriage,” she whispered.I could see right through her forced bravado. It was cute to watch her. She couldn’t even hold my gaze, looking as nervous as hell.I smiled at her. “Of course.” Heaven knows how long I’ve waited for her and how painful it was to watch her waste herself loving someone who didn’t deserve her. I had my eyes on Ivy Whitfield for as long as I could remember. We were always stuck at the same society functions, dictated by the families we were born into. The first time I saw her, I was star-struck. We were just teenagers then. She had walked up to me, hands on her hips, and told me, “I wasn’t shit.” Apparently, I was already infamous among the ladies.“Deal...” I extended my hand to her. She hesitated.I wasn’t sure if she remembered, but ever since that day, I teased her relentlessly. I had always wanted her attention. I had always wanted her, and today she had played right into my hands easily. Of course, I tweaked a few things here and ther
Ivy’s POVI stood before a delicate wooden arch decorated with white, lush blooms. My strapless lace white dress clung to my figure, stopping mid-thigh, paired with matching white platform heels. My hair was styled to perfection, and light makeup graced my face. Despite it all, I fidgeted with my hands, glancing nervously around.The officiating lady across from me offered a pitiful look.I forced a small smile. “He’s coming, he’s just running late…” I didn’t actually know that. In fact, there were so many things I didn’t know about my would-be husband. Yet here I was, dressed in white, waiting to be married to the one person who annoyed me the most in the world.You’d think the drive home would have cleared my head. Or the long sleep afterward, or even the early morning cry. But none of it helped—not the sumptuous breakfast I’d had earlier either. My brain screamed at me to stop, but my heart kept leading me on.“Wow! You look delicious, babe!” That deep, mesmerizing voice came from
Ivy’s POVI was already having a hard time holding Asher’s gaze before the kiss. Now it was even harder. I couldn’t glance in his direction. I could barely move around him. It was strange because I was never shy in his presence, but now I was.Thanks to him, the rest of the wedding ceremony went smoothly. I stood by the side, watching as he told the officiating minister an elaborate tale about how we met. I listened, intrigued to hear the story myself. His smooth talking had the minister laughing heartily. It was one of the first things I was learning about my new husband—though I didn’t think I’d ever get used to calling him that. I was actually married, in a small ceremony, and it felt surreal.I sat impossibly still, staring out of the car window as we drove. The drive was quiet, and I could hear my heart beating loudly in my chest.I bravely stole a few glances at him, studying the planes of his face under the soft glow of the sun. His firm hands gripping the steering wheel was so
Asher’s POVGunfire erupted the moment I stormed into the building with Luca and Marcus. The scent of gunpowder and blood filled the air, mixing with the sharp cries of men dropping to the floor.My heart pounded, but I barely registered the chaos. My mind had only one thought: Ivy.I scanned the dimly lit warehouse frantically, my pulse hammering in my ears. My grip tightened around my gun as I pushed forward, ducking behind a stack of crates.Then, through the haze of bullets and bodies, I saw her.Ivy.She stood near the back of the room, bound and struggling, her dark hair wild, her face pale. My breath caught in my throat. She was right there. So close. But she wasn’t alone. Taylor stood in front of her, a knife gleaming in her grip.Panic crashed through me. I turned to Luca and Marcus. “Be careful! Ivy’s right there!”Luca gave a sharp nod, his jaw clenched as he took cover and fired precisely at Taylor’s men. Marcus moved beside him, dropping two of them with clean shots. I ba
Ivy’s POVThe room was dim, the air thick with a musty scent that clung to the damp walls. My wrists ached from the tight restraints, the rope digging into my skin, leaving behind raw, irritated flesh.My legs were stiff, my muscles screaming from hours, maybe days, of captivity. I had lost track of time in this miserable excuse for a prison.Then, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed down the hallway, steady and deliberate. My breath hitched. I knew who it was before she even stepped into the room.Taylor.She waltzed in, her expression smug, her eyes gleaming with amusement as she took in the sight of me, bound and helpless. She leaned against the doorframe, tilting her head.“Well, well,” she drawled. “You look like hell.”I said nothing.She clicked her tongue, disappointed by my silence. “Oh, come on, don’t tell me you’ve given up already.” She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Asher isn’t coming for you, sweetheart. He’s already mine.”Still, I refused to sp
AsherThe air in the room was thick, weighed down by the chilling silence. I sat on the edge of the couch, my elbows resting on my knees, my head buried in my hands. My thoughts were still all over the place; I couldn’t think straight.I let out a slow breath, but it did nothing to ease the tightness in my chest. My fingers curled into my hair, gripping it as if I could pull myself out of the drowning thoughts in my head. I raked my fingers through the thick mess of hair on my head.I hadn’t slept much, not that sleep could ever be an escape. Closing my eyes only made the thoughts louder; I only heard her voice in my head. Ivy’s, crying, begging...I dragged a hand down my face, forcing myself to sit up, to shake off the crippling thoughts clinging to me. But they stayed. They always did.Ivy was out there. Somewhere. Alone. Terrified. Maybe worse.And Taylor, she was in charge. She had made that pretty clear. No amount of begging would be enough, nothing would be enough to touch her
Don povI leaned back in my chair, swirling the whiskey in my glass as I listened to the man across from me finalize the details. The cigar smoke in my office hung thick, curling into the dim light above us.“We move the shipment next week,” he said, his tone confident but cautious. “Colombian grade, through the usual ports. Our distributors in Miami are ready, and we’ve secured a clean route.”I nodded, but didn’t speak yet. Business was more than just logistics, it was about control. Anticipation. Knowing when to push forward and when to pull back.“And the Feds?” I finally asked.“Taken care of.” He smirked, adjusting the gold cufflink on his sleeve. “A few key figures got their incentives.”Good. The last thing I needed was unnecessary heat. This deal would expand my reach, increase my influence. But the bigger the deal, the bigger the risk.I took a slow sip of whiskey, letting the burn settle in my throat before setting the glass down. “We move forward. My men will oversee the t
A few hours ago...Ivy’s POVI glanced around the large hotel room, and the peach dress I was to wear was laid out on the bed. It was a beautiful fabric with sparkles that shimmered in the dark.I caressed the soft material, and a small smile tugged at the corner of my lips. Asher had bought the dress for me.The night he bought it, he had given me flowers, whispered sweet words in my ear, and made love to me like it was our last night together. Oh, and he had made promises!I giggled to myself. Today was date night. He called it “new beginnings.” We had been through so much together, and he wanted us to start afresh, put all the ugly episodes behind us. I wanted that more than anything else.Max and Taylor were glued to my mind, and it didn’t help that they were nowhere to be found. I had been worried sick about them, but tonight, I was going to forget everything else, well, except Asher.The plan was simple: we were going on a double date, like a new couple. He would come from home,
Marcus POVI sat alone in the suite in my office. It had become my own bedroom, as I spent most of my time here. The silence was almost suffocating. It felt too quiet, almost as if the entire world had paused around me.My fingers drummed nervously against the edge of my bed. My mind kept returning to the nightclub, to the moment I saw Taylor.Her eyes had locked onto mine, cold, calculating, as if she knew everything about me in an instant. I always thought she was audacious to walk up to me, but I didn’t give it much thought.And the men she was hanging around with... they didn’t just look dangerous; they were dangerous men. Most of them were linked with the mafia.I leaned back in the chair, rubbing my hand over my face. The tension in my chest was unbearable. This wasn’t just about a woman with a silly crush on my brother. This was bigger. This was darker. And, most importantly, it involved my little brother, Asher.Normally, I’d take my time to strategize, to think things through
Janine’s POVI sat with my phone in my hand, my thumb repeatedly pressing the screen as I scrolled through my contacts, hoping someone, anyone, might know something about Taylor. Each dial tone felt like a ticking clock, growing louder and louder as the seconds dragged on.I could hear Asher pacing back and forth behind me, his voice pleading into the phone as he called Taylor again, but she wasn’t answering. He was sending voicemails to her line. At some point, he tried to call Ivy, but her line was switched off.“Come on, come on,” I muttered under my breath, willing someone to pick up. The frustration was thick in the air, hanging between Luca and me as we both dialed and redialed numbers. Luca was quiet, but I could tell by the way his jaw was clenched that he was just as anxious as I was.“Nothing,” I said, hanging up the phone again. “No one knows anything. She’s vanished off the radar.”Luca glanced at me, exhaling sharply. “This is useless. No one’s seen her, no one knows anyt
Asher’s POVMarcus’s mouth hung open. “You were drugged, Asher? How... why didn’t you tell me?”I shot him a glare.He exhaled. “I’m your older brother, Asher. All of this happened, and I needed to know.”“It’s my problem. I would have handled it!” I snapped.“Clearly, you couldn’t,” he replied.“Marcus! Asher!” Janine interjected, raising her hands. “Ivy has been kidnapped!” She spelled it out. “That’s the priority! You can have the argument about your sour relationship and whose fault it is later.”Marcus sighed, rubbing his temple. “Alright, we need a plan. Fast. You need to speak to Taylor.”I nodded in agreement. “But Taylor is smart. She has to believe I really want her, or she’ll see right through it. And we can’t involve the police. That process would take too long, and Ivy...” I couldn’t even finish the thought.We all stood there for a moment, the air thick with tension as we tried to think of a way out of this nightmare. Then my phone rang, cutting through the silence sharp
Asher’s POVThe streetlights blurred past as I sped down the road, my grip on the steering wheel so tight it ached, my knuckles turning white as my grip hardened.My mind was a raging storm, nothing made sense in this moment. My vision was blurry, my heart hammered in my chest, deafening my ears. Taylor’s annoying voice replayed in my mind over and over again.“Choose, Asher. Your love for Ivy or her life.”I stepped on the brakes so hard, narrowly missing the oncoming car in the other lane. The sirens blaring in the distance meant nothing to me, not in this moment.The way she had said it, like it was a joke, like she was just toying with me, made my stomach twist. I could still hear the amusement in her voice, that sickening, high-pitched tone that let me know she was enjoying this.This wasn’t just a threat; it was a game to her, a game she enjoyed playing. But to me, it was Ivy’s life.I swallowed hard, my throat dry. There was no winning with Taylor. If I told her no, she would k