Who do you think our surprise visitor is? Any guesses?😏
MAVERICK I was dreaming.I had to be.There was no other way to explain it. No fucking way this was real. No fucking way that people could rise up from the dead.If Iris couldn’t see her, I would have gotten myself checked into a mental facility for seeing things. But she could. She could see. She just didn't know who she was.But I did. Layla Moss was dead. I’d woken up in the hospital, barely breathing, with people telling me she didn't make it. That she was gone. That they couldn’t even find her body.So how… how the fuck was she standing right here in my penthouse suite?“Layla?” I didn't even recognize my own voice. My legs were working on their own, moving forward, moving towards Layla. “What…how…”She tilted her head, sipping from the champagne flute, that damn smirk on her face. That was always a sign that she was about to mess with my head. She hadn‘t changed.Not one bit.“Just thought I’d surprise you, darling,” she said, winking at me. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”I t
MAVERICK “I can’t do this anymore.”The words felt like gravel in my throat, but I said them anyway. Because it wasn’t a matter of how I felt, it was a matter of necessity.This had to be done. For her. For me. For both of us.Layla stood frozen in the middle of my room, arms tightly wrapped around herself like she was trying to physically stop herself from falling apart.Her eyes searched mine. Wide. Wet. Disbelieving.“You… you don’t mean that.”“I do,” I said, softer now, but more firm. “We’re not good for each other, Layla. We haven’t been for a while.”We were an unhealthy pair. A toxic pair. And with everything that was going on in my life. My father. My brother. My grandfather…It was all too much. I couldn’t be here anymore. I couldn’t do this.Her head shook violently, and she let out a sharp laugh. “You’re just mad. We had a fight. Couples fight—”“This isn’t about just a fight,” I cut in, running my hand through my hair as I paced around my dorm room. “It’s the lies. The w
IRIS I didn’t know how long I’d been sitting at the bar. Twenty minutes? An hour? I’d drank enough wine to last me the rest of the week. Hell, maybe even two weeks.I was more than tipsy. I was drunk.Funny how I was only impulsively drinking so I could try to forget what had happened in the suite, but now, that was all I could think about.I groaned, pressing a hand to my forehead.Layla.She was beautiful in a way that made me feel plain. More elegant than someone like me could ever be. She had captured Maverick’s heart once upon a time. And why wouldn’t she?All I could think about was her hand on his chest, on his jaw. The way Maverick looked at her. As if she was his whole world. Well, I mean, she had been at some point.But what if she still was?I didn’t know her, had never heard of her, but I could feel it. Maverick had once loved this woman. It made me think about him saying he doesn’t date. Was it because of her?Why the hell was she here? How on earth did she have access
IRIS The expression on Maverick’s face softened, and I felt my walls building up. “Iris—”The elevator dinged.I stepped out the second the doors opened, not waiting for him to follow. But I could feel him on my heels.Why the hell was I even feeling like this? Maverick and I weren’t a couple. Not in private, anyway.Deep down, I’d known that getting into a sexual relationship with him would ruin things. Make me get attached. Make me feel too much.But instead, I listened to my body. Not my mind.“I didn’t name the company after her,” Maverick said quietly. “Not like the way you think.”I scoffed. He really did think I was stupid. My hand on the door leading to my room, I started to twist the knob, but the next words that came out of Maverick’s mouth stopped me.“She died,” he said. “And I needed something that felt like purpose. I needed…” he trailed off, letting out a sharp breath.I tilted my head, unsure what I was hearing as I turned to face him. “What do you mean she died?”The
IRIS The second I opened my eyes, I regretted it. My head was pounding seriously. The light filtering through the curtains only made things worse, making me feel like my brain was getting stabbed. Hard. My tongue felt heavy, and my stomach… Oh my God. I stumbled across the room, barely making it to the bathroom in time to throw up the remnants of last night’s horrible choices. Everything fucking burned. My chest. My throat. My pride. Pressing my forehead against the cold toilet seat, I tried to get myself together. Tried so hard not to cry. And I succeeded, for the most part. By the time I was done brushing my teeth and washing my face, I still felt like hell. But at least it was a bit more bearable. I was starving. Hadn’t eaten a single thing since last night. Not before I drank the wine, and not after. Though I would’ve if not for her. Layla. I stepped out of my room into the main suite, ready to order room service, when I froze. Right there, in the middle of the coffee
MAVERICK My father had crossed the fucking line.The moment I dropped Chelsea and Iris off at the hospital, I headed straight for work, the only thing on my mind being Quentin fucking Sinclair.There were a number of things I really wanted to do to him, and one of such things involved bashing his head into the wall. Hard.I punched the elevator button, reigning in my anger the entire ride up. Or at least trying to.I had no idea what he was planning to do, but I was going to find out. Today.The boardroom was full when I arrived at the top floor. Through the glass doors, I could see a bunch of people in suits, sitting around the table, my brother included. Quentin stood at the head, his hands linked together in front of him.I was never even informed about a fucking meeting.I didn't bother knocking.I shoved the doors open and walked right in.Everyone turned, including Sebastian and Quentin, but my father didn't miss a beat. It was as though he'd been expecting me."Well, gentlemen
IRIS “She’s teething,” Megan said, dropping Amethyst onto the floor. “Explains why I haven’t had any sleep since Monday.”I grinned as I picked her up, taking her into my arms. “And she’s still the cutest thing ever,” I cooed. “Aren’t you, baby? I’m so proud of you.”Amethyst squealed, her tiny fists grabbing my hair as I peppered kisses along her chubby cheeks. Her eyes were grey and wide, her curls wild. I tightened my arms around her. Amethyst had no idea how much I needed this—her warmth, her laugh, the way her fingers curled around mine like I was her whole world.As much as I loved Megan for taking care of her, I couldn’t help feeling a little jealous of her. My daughter was growing attached to her in more ways than one. Megan had been there for her first words, her first steps…Made me wonder whether it really was a good idea to keep this from Maverick.“She’s really doing it,” Megan said softly. “She’s growing.”“Yeah, she is,” I replied, narrowing my eyes slightly. Megan had
IRIS Curling my hands into fists, I heaved a sigh, deciding to go find him in his bedroom. We weren’t kids, we were fully grown adults that could talk things out with each other instead of keeping malice and avoiding each other.Okay. Okay.Maybe I just wanted to apologize for being a total bitch to him. In all fairness, it was the alcohol.‘The fuck it wasn’t,’ my inner voice scoffed at me.“Shut up,” I muttered.I stood outside Maverick’s door for a full minute before raising my hand to knock on it. “Maverick?”No answer.I knocked three more times, pushing the door open when I still didn't get a response. The lights were turned off. I doubted that he had even been in here. Even the bathroom lights were turned off.So where the hell had he disappeared to?Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I shut his door behind me as I exited his room. I also checked a couple of other rooms upstairs, all to no avail. He wasn’t upstairs. He wasn’t in the living room. And I didn’t think he’d walked
IRIS Maverick’s voice was ice. It wasn’t teasing like before, it was just cold. The kind of cold that burned me more than fire ever could.My fingers were still hooked in the elastic of my panties, but I froze when I saw the look in Maverick’s eyes.He wasn’t looking at me with wonder, like he often did whenever I was naked in front of him.He was looking at me with… nothing. There was nothing but darkness in his eyes. Cruel, cold darkness.Had I pushed him too far this time?His fingers tightened around my wrist for a moment before he let go.He didn’t want me to move, so I didn’t.Maverick pressed the vibrating gun to my skin again. “I think I’ve let you have your way for too long, Angel,” his voice rumbled. “But not anymore.”I whimpered, arching my back when he pressed the gun to the front of my panties. “Arghh…Maverick…”“Shhhh.” He pulled it away from me. “I need you to be still for me,” he whispered. “Otherwise, I’d have to start over.”“Okay,” I whispered airily, though I was
IRIS The moment I whispered yes, everything shifted.“Strip,” Maverick ordered, stepping away from me. His voice was raspy and cold, lower than it had ever been before. Every fiber of my body knew that it was a command, and not just a statement. But something inside me still chose to be defiant.“What?” I’d heard him. I was just taunting him.Maverick took a deep breath, lowering himself onto the bench next to him. “Don’t make me repeat myself, Angel. The more you disobey me, the longer your punishment will be. Don’t test me.”Punishment being the fact that he wasn’t going to let me come. My body shivered at that thought, all the heat rushing towards my core.Keeping my eyes on Maverick’s now hooded, dark ones, I reached for the hem of my top, pulling it over my head slowly. If I was going to be tortured, then there was no harm in torturing him back.Maverick’s jaw clenched as he watched me unclasp my bra. His eyes followed my every move, only glancing at my face once in a while. I
IRIS Curling my hands into fists, I heaved a sigh, deciding to go find him in his bedroom. We weren’t kids, we were fully grown adults that could talk things out with each other instead of keeping malice and avoiding each other.Okay. Okay.Maybe I just wanted to apologize for being a total bitch to him. In all fairness, it was the alcohol.‘The fuck it wasn’t,’ my inner voice scoffed at me.“Shut up,” I muttered.I stood outside Maverick’s door for a full minute before raising my hand to knock on it. “Maverick?”No answer.I knocked three more times, pushing the door open when I still didn't get a response. The lights were turned off. I doubted that he had even been in here. Even the bathroom lights were turned off.So where the hell had he disappeared to?Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I shut his door behind me as I exited his room. I also checked a couple of other rooms upstairs, all to no avail. He wasn’t upstairs. He wasn’t in the living room. And I didn’t think he’d walked
IRIS “She’s teething,” Megan said, dropping Amethyst onto the floor. “Explains why I haven’t had any sleep since Monday.”I grinned as I picked her up, taking her into my arms. “And she’s still the cutest thing ever,” I cooed. “Aren’t you, baby? I’m so proud of you.”Amethyst squealed, her tiny fists grabbing my hair as I peppered kisses along her chubby cheeks. Her eyes were grey and wide, her curls wild. I tightened my arms around her. Amethyst had no idea how much I needed this—her warmth, her laugh, the way her fingers curled around mine like I was her whole world.As much as I loved Megan for taking care of her, I couldn’t help feeling a little jealous of her. My daughter was growing attached to her in more ways than one. Megan had been there for her first words, her first steps…Made me wonder whether it really was a good idea to keep this from Maverick.“She’s really doing it,” Megan said softly. “She’s growing.”“Yeah, she is,” I replied, narrowing my eyes slightly. Megan had
MAVERICK My father had crossed the fucking line.The moment I dropped Chelsea and Iris off at the hospital, I headed straight for work, the only thing on my mind being Quentin fucking Sinclair.There were a number of things I really wanted to do to him, and one of such things involved bashing his head into the wall. Hard.I punched the elevator button, reigning in my anger the entire ride up. Or at least trying to.I had no idea what he was planning to do, but I was going to find out. Today.The boardroom was full when I arrived at the top floor. Through the glass doors, I could see a bunch of people in suits, sitting around the table, my brother included. Quentin stood at the head, his hands linked together in front of him.I was never even informed about a fucking meeting.I didn't bother knocking.I shoved the doors open and walked right in.Everyone turned, including Sebastian and Quentin, but my father didn't miss a beat. It was as though he'd been expecting me."Well, gentlemen
IRIS The second I opened my eyes, I regretted it. My head was pounding seriously. The light filtering through the curtains only made things worse, making me feel like my brain was getting stabbed. Hard. My tongue felt heavy, and my stomach… Oh my God. I stumbled across the room, barely making it to the bathroom in time to throw up the remnants of last night’s horrible choices. Everything fucking burned. My chest. My throat. My pride. Pressing my forehead against the cold toilet seat, I tried to get myself together. Tried so hard not to cry. And I succeeded, for the most part. By the time I was done brushing my teeth and washing my face, I still felt like hell. But at least it was a bit more bearable. I was starving. Hadn’t eaten a single thing since last night. Not before I drank the wine, and not after. Though I would’ve if not for her. Layla. I stepped out of my room into the main suite, ready to order room service, when I froze. Right there, in the middle of the coffee
IRIS The expression on Maverick’s face softened, and I felt my walls building up. “Iris—”The elevator dinged.I stepped out the second the doors opened, not waiting for him to follow. But I could feel him on my heels.Why the hell was I even feeling like this? Maverick and I weren’t a couple. Not in private, anyway.Deep down, I’d known that getting into a sexual relationship with him would ruin things. Make me get attached. Make me feel too much.But instead, I listened to my body. Not my mind.“I didn’t name the company after her,” Maverick said quietly. “Not like the way you think.”I scoffed. He really did think I was stupid. My hand on the door leading to my room, I started to twist the knob, but the next words that came out of Maverick’s mouth stopped me.“She died,” he said. “And I needed something that felt like purpose. I needed…” he trailed off, letting out a sharp breath.I tilted my head, unsure what I was hearing as I turned to face him. “What do you mean she died?”The
IRIS I didn’t know how long I’d been sitting at the bar. Twenty minutes? An hour? I’d drank enough wine to last me the rest of the week. Hell, maybe even two weeks.I was more than tipsy. I was drunk.Funny how I was only impulsively drinking so I could try to forget what had happened in the suite, but now, that was all I could think about.I groaned, pressing a hand to my forehead.Layla.She was beautiful in a way that made me feel plain. More elegant than someone like me could ever be. She had captured Maverick’s heart once upon a time. And why wouldn’t she?All I could think about was her hand on his chest, on his jaw. The way Maverick looked at her. As if she was his whole world. Well, I mean, she had been at some point.But what if she still was?I didn’t know her, had never heard of her, but I could feel it. Maverick had once loved this woman. It made me think about him saying he doesn’t date. Was it because of her?Why the hell was she here? How on earth did she have access
MAVERICK “I can’t do this anymore.”The words felt like gravel in my throat, but I said them anyway. Because it wasn’t a matter of how I felt, it was a matter of necessity.This had to be done. For her. For me. For both of us.Layla stood frozen in the middle of my room, arms tightly wrapped around herself like she was trying to physically stop herself from falling apart.Her eyes searched mine. Wide. Wet. Disbelieving.“You… you don’t mean that.”“I do,” I said, softer now, but more firm. “We’re not good for each other, Layla. We haven’t been for a while.”We were an unhealthy pair. A toxic pair. And with everything that was going on in my life. My father. My brother. My grandfather…It was all too much. I couldn’t be here anymore. I couldn’t do this.Her head shook violently, and she let out a sharp laugh. “You’re just mad. We had a fight. Couples fight—”“This isn’t about just a fight,” I cut in, running my hand through my hair as I paced around my dorm room. “It’s the lies. The w