Perfect, I’ll make your favorite pot roast. Just the way you liked it back then,” she says excitedly.“You don’t have to bother about that,” I tell her shyly.“Nonsense, leave me to worry about it,” she says, so I drop the topic.“How is my Bryant doing?”“He is fine. He is in school. As a matter of fact, he wanted to come with me, but I told him to focus on his academics,” I tell her.“That sounds good; maybe someday, our boy will bring him to meet us,” she says, and I give her a wry smile.“I’ll see what I can do with that,” I tell her. They wait a few minutes before leaving. Instantly, I Bryant .“Hey, Mom,” he says, and all my worries dissipate. This is the brightness in my life, my joy.“How are you, my pumpkin?” I ask with a smile.“Ugh, Mom! I’ve told you not to call me that anymore. I’m a grown-ass man now,” he says, and I chuckle.“I don’t care how old you are; you remain, my baby,” I tell him. I smile when I hear his loud groan.“There is no winning against you. Anyways, how
don’t care if I still look like a mess considering I’m just leaving bed. Well, the person at the house will have to deal with it. I quickly turn the locks. I open it to find two women standing on the porch. I give them a puzzled look, wondering what they are doing here.“Good morning, ma’am!” they greet with a bright smile. I frown at them in confusion before I force a smile.“Good morning. How may I help you?” I ask, trying to sound as polite as possible.The two women exchange looks before returning their attention to me.“I’m Tammy , ma’am. This is my colleague, Roxanne . We were Mr.Wilson housekeepers,” the first woman who introduced herself as Tammy says.“Oh,” I say, unable to form another word.“Yes, we worked for Mr. Wilson for fifteen years. God bless his soul,” Tammy says as her smile drops.“Yeah, God bless his soul,” I reply. I assumed that Goerge had let go of all his staff, especially with the information my uncle gave me yesterday about his bankruptcy. Apparently, he is
“Mr. Wilson pays us $30 per hour,” Mary says, and I choke on my saliva.“$30 per what!” I exclaim with wide eyes. The women stare at each other with puzzled looks. For someone who was bankrupt, that wasn’t what I expected besides what happened to Goerge . I remember that he doesn’t treat his staff well and pays them meagerly. What changed? What is it about these women?“Okay, how many hours a week did you agree with him?” I ask. They seem nervous to answer my question.“We spend eight a day, seven days a week,” Roxanne says.“Wow!” I exclaim. I have a headache calculating the amount these women received from Goerge If it isn’t that I hate Goerge ’s gut, I will gladly work as a housekeeper if this is how much they earn.“Is there a problem, ma’am?” Tammy asks with a puzzled expression.“No, there is no problem,” I quickly answer.“I was just amazed you work so many hours daily,” I say. I try to sound as calm as possible even though my heart is about to burst out of my chest when I try
This is it,” I mutter as I step out of the taxi and face the tall building. Nervousness fills me as I contemplate what awaits inside.It has been a week in Sausalito, and Natalia auntie and my uncle have gone out of their way to make me feel as comfortable as possible. In fact, today is the first time I’m venturing out since the funeral. All that’s left is to append some signatures, and I’ll be on the next flight.My thoughts are interrupted by a loud car honk, causing me to jump in fright, but I quickly steady myself.Taking a deep breath, before I start walking towards the entrance of the building.Everything about it exudes luxury. I can only imagine that the wealthy have lawyers here, judging by the immaculate attire of everyone around. Despite my plain dress, I ignore the curious looks some of the ladies shoot my way. I head to the nearest desk, where a lady seems uninterested until I stop in front of her.“Hi,” I tell her.“Hello. How may I help you?” She asks.“I’m Natalia Ford
“I don’t have anything planned. I just want to know what all this is about and leave,” I tell him. He stares at me with wide eyes. Probably thinking I’m cold, but I don’t care. Nobody understands the hell I went through in Goerge ’s hands or how he turned my life upside down.“You’re sure about that?” He asks, and I nod in response.“Yes, I am,” I reply, wondering why he is giving me an odd look.“There is indeed a lot you need to know about Mr. Ford financial state,” he says.“Yeah, that’s why I’m here.” I don’t mean to be cold, but this man has been almost non-existent in my life for years. It’s pointless trying to feign a connection that doesn’t exist between us just because I’m his supposed heiress. If he had another choice, he would have given it all to someone else. That’s how much certain I am that he hates me.The elevator stops, and Mr. Gary steps out. I Immediately follow him until we reach a hallway.“Please, come with me,” he says, and I do as he says. Everywhere screams m
“Sure, I’ll try my best,” he says.“Okay, let’s do this,” I tell him before returning my attention to the documents.I check the documents, and some of the information starts making sense to me. I see the detail the lawyer has stated. I flip through the three pages of documents before I find the space to append my signature.“Can I have a pen?” I ask.l “Of course,” Mr. Gary says as he hands over a ball pen to me.“Thank you,” I tell him as I sign in a straight line.“Is that all?” I ask as I raise my head.“Yes, that’s all,” Mr. Gary says with a broad smile as he stretches his hand to me.“Thank you,” I tell him as I return his handshake.“I’ll have that,” he says as he takes the document from me. He checks it for a briefly and nods before saying,“I’ll hand over the rest of the documents after six months.”“Thank you,” the words keep coming out of my lips rapidly.“You’re welcome,” he says with a broad smile.“If you don’t mind, I’d like to take you to get the death certificate,” h
Mr. Gary phone starts ringing momentarily, distracting me for a moment.“Hello,” he says.“Oh, I’ll be right there,” I hear Mr. Gary say.Natalia aunt returns minutes later with a brown envelope.“Here you go,” she says as she hands the envelope to him.“Thank you. I’ll work on this,” he says.“If you don’t mind, I need to leave. My next appointment is waiting for me,” he says.“Of course, we don’t mind. Thank you for stopping by,” my aunt says.“You’re welcome, ma’am. If you have any more questions or need anything, please don’t hesitate to call me,” he says.“Sure, I will.” I give him a bright smile as he removes his wallet and brings out a black card.“Please, have this,” he says, and I collect the card. I curiously turn it before giving him a smile.“I’ll see you around,” Mr. Gary announces before leaving.“So, you will be staying,” my aunt says, and I release a sigh.“I’m not sure, Aunt. My life isn’t here anymore. What will I be doing? I wanted to finish this and go back to my l
Oh,” Natalia auntie says before she goes silent.“You’re right. He is doing pretty well with himself, just like you’re doing,” she says.“Sure, aunt,” I tell her.“That reminds me, now that you’re staying back, what do you intend to do?”“I have no idea. I need a job. I’ll have to put my job hunt in New York on hold,” I realize my slip too late.“You are job hunting?” Auntie Mary says with wide eyes. I sigh because there is no use keeping this from her anymore.“Yes, I am. I’ve been out of a job for a while. I’m trying to get by, but the bills and Goerge schooling won’t take care of themselves,” I explain.“I’m so sorry about this. Why didn’t you tell me this earlier? What happened to your previous job? You were an excellent interior decorator. One of the best I know, so why are you out of a job?” She asks with a frown. Her compliment makes me smile. She is one of the few people I know who won’t hesitate to sing praises of me even when I don’t deserve it.“We didn’t really have the ch
“You’re here!” I say, heading toward it but stop when it’s Katy who appears.“You!” she hisses. “I knew something was off. He didn’t kill you!”Before I can answer, she’s on me like a rabid cat. She claws at me, slapping every part of me she can make contact with.Startled, I raise my hands protectively over my face, afraid to hit her back and severely hurt her. As it is, Nathan already hates me for any part I might have played in the death of his father.The woman may be older and weaker, but her strikes are impactful. She shoves against me, slapping her palms against my shoulders and chest, driving me toward the rear of the deck. It all happens so fast that I don’t realize I’m so close to the glass rail until it hits my lower back.“You have to calm down!” I plead.“Why did he have to want you? You look nothing like me! But Leo always liked them younger. Tell me, did you like how he fucked you?”“What? You think I slept with your husb—” Another whack, this time right across the chin
But he saved my life. He risked himself to keep me alive. And fuck it all, I love him! I can’t just sit back and let him die.A chair is pushed and the sound of footsteps come my way. Before they reach the doors, I bolt out the entrance and am already across the street when I hear, “Natalia !”But I don’t stop. Don’t look back. My mission now is to save Nathan Natalia Irun like the Devil is at my heels, not bothering to glance back over my shoulder, because even that simple action could cost me precious seconds.For blocks, I maintain that speed, my lungs burning and the stitch on my side threatening to bring me down.When I’m far enough that I feel anyone following would have lost sight of me, I tuck myself into an alley and wait. After several minutes, I tug my cell phone out and dial Nathan , but it goes straight to voicemail.“Pick up, dammit!” I dial again, but like before, it goes to his mail.“Nathan . You have to leave your house. A man named Steven Kroos is coming. He’s bri
“The hell it is. Do you have any idea the worry you put me through? No calls or texts the last couple of—” His eyes bulge from his skull as he takes in the blood on my shirt. “You’re hurt.” “No, Dad. It’s not my blood. I’m not hurt.” He digs his fingertips into the corners of his eyes as if he’s trying to keep from crying. “I thought I would lose my mind when I found out exactly who you were with. His name isn’t Nathan Manguire . It’s Nathan Carlos .” I rear back in shock that he knows. “What?” “My gut was right, Em. He’s a fucking criminal. The worst kind.” “How do you know that?” From the study, the handsome man who visited the gallery to meet with Dad steps out. Steven Kroos . His icy-blue stare roves over me, and he smiles. “I’m glad to see you’re home safe. Especially after being in the Robertson den.” “Mr. Kroos is the one who tracked down information on Carlos . Nathan is their new godfather.” His eyes narrow on me. “But you already knew that, didn’t you?” Looking betwee
He tilts his head, his eyes raking over my face, searching. “What makes you think that?” “It was in the way he looked at me,” I say. “It’s the same wayyoulook at me. I know you said he loved your stepmother, but I swear it’s true.” “I saidsheloved him. I never said he loved her back.” He glances out the windshield, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. “Is that why you killed him? You didn’t appreciate his attentions?” “He came to the house when my father wasn’t there. I’m not even sure how he got in. But he followed me from room to room and begged me to give him a chance. I asked him to leave, told him that he was scaring me. He decided to grab me and try to kiss me. “I got out of his hold and ran to the desk drawer my father keeps his Glock in and threatened him. He still refused to leave. The moment he took a step toward me, I shot. It was meant to scare him, nothing more. I could never kill anyone. The bullet grazed his arm, but he was alive.” “You didn’t follow him out?
“You cut yourself,” I say. “It wouldn’t have been believable otherwise.” “Why did you do it, Nathan ? Why did you spare my life?” He pulls over several blocks from my house. We sit there in silence for what seems like forever, the only sound the pitter-patter of scattered rain against the windshield. “Why did you save me?” I repeat the question that’s been burning in my mind. “Your mother wants me dead, but you saved me.” Without turning to me, he replies, “Iwanted you dead.” His response is another blow to my already battered heart. But he deserves the truth. “I didn’t kill your father, Nathan . It wasn’t me.” Now he does turn to me and I almost wish he hadn’t. The shadows I’ve wondered about from the start have emerged and they’re darker and more terrifying than I could have imagined. They’re blackened with Nathan ’s fury, hate, grief, and confusion. They tear at my chest, splaying it open. Raw pain fills me at the sight of those beautiful golden eyes looking so tortured, spa
My gaze flicks from her to the elevator and to the rooftop access door, wondering if I could somehow reach either of them. And if I did, are they unlocked? As if from out of thin air, Nathan produces a piece of rope. When he tries to take one of my wrists, I make to get up again, but I’m slammed into the damned chair again. It doesn’t matter how much I fight, he easily pulls my hands behind me and ties them. “You wanted her, there she is,” he says to her, and I notice with at least a bit of satisfaction that he’s panting. I guess I wasn’t that easy to subdue. Nathan ’s stepmother comes toward me, her hips swaying. She sips her wine as she studies me. “You killed my husband.” I don’t bother to respond to her comment. She doesn’t care what I have to say. If she did, she would have asked me if I did it. And if so, why. All she cares about is revenge. The who, what, and why of it doesn’t matter to her. Turning to Nathan , I realize he’s not once asked me either. They’re the same. Part
“Mmm. Is it that or that you have Natalia Kane in your bed?”I stiffen, feeling my heart leap into my throat. She knows my name?“Who I have in my bed is none of your concern,” Nathan says.“It is when that whore killed your father! That’s right,” she adds, “I know it was her.”My heart isn’t just in my throat anymore. It seems to have stopped. Suddenly, my blood pressure drops and every pore in my body releases sweat.“John ” I hear Nathan murmur just as I pull away.There’s walking, the sound of heels clacking against the wood floors. “John was loyal to Gustavo and Leo . Of course he would be loyal to me as well.”“Then he’s useless to me,” he says.“You’ve known it was her for days and have done nothing about it!” she shouts.“It is at my discretion to decide what and when I will do something, Katy .”“The godfather only has power so long as the men respect him. How do you think they will react when they find out that instead of killing her, you’ve been fucking her?”My mind racin
Or maybe I’ll just fuck you until we both die.” Her eyes fly open, and for a moment, there are no walls between us. The pain, betrayal, and lust are bared fully. “Then fuck me,” she finally says. “And maybe we’ll die together.” My mouth is on hers then. I slide my fingers from her cunt and we both work savagely at getting rid of my clothes. All the while, we kiss with a passion that only the dying know. The instant I’m naked, I’m inside her, thrusting, burying my dick all the way to the balls, pulling back out, and slamming home again. Natalia is wrapped around me, arms and legs holding me tightly against her as she lifts her hips up, meeting each of my thrusts. We fuck like we’re drowning and these are our last gasping breaths. Deep and desperate. She fits me like a fucking glove, her pussy tight around my dick, her body molding to mine perfectly. The way she tastes, smells, feels… It all fits me like no one else ever has, and for the briefest of moments, I almost wish I’d neve
I flip it open and freeze, focused intensely on the drawing of a pair of eyes.Myeyes. Only, they’re not the way I’m accustomed to seeing them. They have the same shape, same dark spots on the irises. There’s a deep crease between them. But in the drawing, they’re slightly upturned and crinkled at the edges, and there’s a slight gleam to them, as if I’m smiling.Because I was.Several times, she called my name, grinning so widely when I looked at her that I couldn’t help but smile. She captured those moments.Does light penetrate shadows, or do the shadows drown out the light?I asked that question not long ago. The answer is both. She’s managed to light up my eyes while I’ve filled hers with darkness.Blowing out a breath full of exhaustion, I set the sketch aside. Tired, I shut my lids and must drift off instantly, because a bolt of lightning that rumbles even through the sound barriers I’ve erected around the loft wakes me. Instantly, I glance at the door.Though she has access to w