[Aldo]It’s been three days since Andre disappeared, and I’ve been working myself non-stop. Luca, I should correct myself, has had me working non-stop. Andre was my friend after all. And it is my friend who has made off with over three hundred K in goods and disappeared. We haven't heard anything from anywhere or anyone. We’ve got all our ears open and are even talking with other families. If anyone hears even a mouse fart, Luca is going to know.Which means my meeting today isn't a good one.I grind to a stop on the gravel driveway and get out of the car. I look back down at the entrance again. It was Rocko who let me in. Rocko, who had been on duty with Sophie all those years ago when she escaped and began dating Luca. Rocko, who wasn’t even working for Luca when she slipped past him. Luca was still keeping him as a guard because of her father's wishes. If he’s still playing guard after all these years, what the hell is gonna happen to me?The world feels like it's trying to bur
[Aldo]Luca sits back down. “Potentially. Leandro began asking around through his people after you dropped the van off. He was looking for any current contracts out on anyone. In the process he discovered the abandoned car that had been crashed when it tried to take you out. The men, rather than get it towed, set that on fire too. He had the plates traced with his connections and expected it to head back to Kumarin, he is a cautious man after all, but it went somewhere else upstate. It went to a fish packing facility that led to somewhere else. A rabbit den of trouble later, it eventually wound up linked to a laundromat business that belonged to someone that Kumarin knew of. Alexei’s first son.”All the while I’d been hearing this I was sinking lower in the chair. I was reeling from Andre’ death, and yet pissed off that he’d attempted to do what he’d done. Had he always been like this? Had Dawn always been right about him and I’d been blind? And why the fuck was the room so fuckung
[Dawn]Sophie is standing in front of me, trying to block the way back to the bedroom from the bathroom.“No,” I repeat. “I’m refusing, not because it isn't a nice gesture of yours.”“But you’re in danger,” Sophie implores. “Fucking Russian danger.”“I know,” I say, squeezing under her arm and putting my bag of toiletries on the bag I’ve packed to take to my mothers. “My mother is also in danger.”“She’s welcome as well!” Sophie throws up her hands.“You don’t understand though, Soph, it’s not the place. It’s not that you’re offering help; it’s that my mother is comfortable in her home. She doesn’t know that Andre died because of the Russians, she’s grieving because her son died in a car crash. If we come to your house, I have to explain everything else her son was up to since he left home.”I fought to keep the tears of frustration from breaking through. All I wanted to do was move in with Sophie and Luca too, to hide away and let the problem be sorted out. But Aldo had already bee
[Dawn]Sophie looks around the apartment and then does a double take on me. “Well, you’re definitely staying with us now—”“No,” I say, putting up my hands.“Yes!” Sophie tries pulling me off the bed to a standing position. “All this stress is horrible for a baby. “You’ll cause all these issues and you’ll—”“Need I remind you what you went through while pregnant?”“Please don’t,” Sophie says, pursing her lips. “You know that what I went through was horrible for my pregnancy. Which is why I don’t wish it upon anyone else.” She tries pulling me along again.“You can’t convince me otherwise, Soph.” I pull back, leaning back onto the bed.“Well, then I’ll have to—” Sophie is spluttering along, trying to understand my insanity. “You can’t! You just can’t do this.”“I have to Sophie,” I grab her hand now. “You of all people understand duty and honor and all that.” She grunts at me and frowns. “Low of you to use my father’s words against me.” She squints in fury at me.I snort and pet her ha
[Aldo]I come out of the bar and grill on the beachfront and head back north towards my car. Joe has been running that little grease joint for years, letting everyone from bikers, traffickers, fliers, drivers, heist guys, and bodyguards eat and drink there. It’s like a criminal who has open jobs and information. Of course Joe is confidential with all his customers and friends; he keeps a tight ship and an even tighter lid. He doesn’t trust many people.But he does trust me.Before I worked for Dante Rivera, I worked the grill and dishwasher at Joe’s. My dad put me up to it, something about knowing my roots or some other stuff like that….Mom and Aunt Elora were so proud when I decided to take dad up on his challenge to work at Joe's. Joe scared the shit out of me at fifteen. Five feet nine, arms like tree trunks, and wielding two twin spatulas. He also had a belly that probably weighed as much as me. If anyone thought Joe couldn’t move quickly, they'd be dead wrong. When I turned
[Aldo]Despite the boiling weather, the house is relatively cool. An old house like this should’ve been boiling. Dawn leads me down the hallway, her hand brushing mine just enough to make my skin prickle with anticipation. Each step feels charged, her movements unhurried but filled with intent. Her new room is quite cool. It’s also at the other end of the house, away from her mother.The door barely clicks shut behind us before she grabs my bulge, her touch so sudden and greedy it ignites a fire low in my belly. My hands travel up her tingling arms, her skin electric under my touch, the slight tremor beneath her flesh betraying her need. Gooseflesh rises against my fingers as I yank her shirt up, exposing her chest in one swift motion. Her breathing quickens, her breasts heaving as I pull one up and draw on her nipple, the warmth of her flesh intoxicating, sweet against my tongue. She gasps sharply, her back arching slightly toward me.Her hands are not idle. She wrenches my pan
[Aldo]I hover above her, muscles trembling as I keep fucking her. The rhythmic slap of skin on skin fills the room, a forbidden melody that grows louder despite our efforts. “I know you like this too,” I growl, my thrusts growing sharper, faster, the tension coiling tighter in my core. My breath catches as the pleasure builds, threatening to consume me.The sex since Dawn got pregnant has been insane. Each encounter more intense, more passionate, as if her body knows no limits now. These last few days have been a fever dream, every moment deeper than the last.We shift, and I’m on my side now, driving up into her, my hand working her clit with expert precision. The angle pushes her over the edge, her hips bucking wildly as her pussy grips me tighter. My cock throbs, the telltale signs of my own release sending waves of heat through me. She’s spasming, her body pressing against mine as we chase the peak together.It’s so damn hot. The sweat slicks our bodies as her hands grip her ti
[Dawn]It’s been a week since Aldo spotted the car outside the house. He ran out like a madman, pulling on his pants as he went. But ultimately, the car screeched off and we didn’t get to find anything about them other than that they'd been there.Aldo was furious. But also slightly relieved that he wasn’t completely wrong in his paranoia. We’d finally seen someone.So he slept every night here at my mother’s, using the excuse that there was a water leak at his place. My mother didn’t mind, she said it was nice having a man’s presence in the home again. It's been years since anyone other than Andre and occasional visits from Aldo's parents has lived with her.Aldo took it upon himself to do as much handwork as he could around the home too. Mending squeaky doors and hinges, plastering up holes and righting crooked shelves.Her heart was overwhelmed by the generosity, and even with the loss that had preceded it, she fell into the habit of spending more of her days in silence.After a we
Xavier I drop shrimp into sizzling garlic butter, the pan spitting and hissing. The chaos mirrors the storm inside me—anger at Melanie’s selfishness, carefully hidden for Hazel’s sake. I sip my riesling, keeping my calm façade intact.When dinner’s ready, I call Hazel and plate the food. Her familiar footsteps on the stairs are comforting, but when I see her, I freeze. For a moment, it’s Melanie—the same bright red hair, slim shoulders, and lean frame. Hazel has grown so much, and for a fleeting second, I almost imagine my wife is back.I serve the pasta and pour another glass of wine, offering Hazel a smile. She’s so much like Melanie it’s startling. The resemblance is uncanny—her body slim and delicate, yet striking—but her face is softer, her icy blue eyes wide and innocent, free of Melanie’s hardened edge.Hazel devours the meal like she hasn’t eaten in days, and worry twists in my chest. How could Melanie abandon her own child?“What did your mom say before she left?” I ask, alr
Blurb:What happens when the one person you shouldn't want becomes the only one you crave?Hazel Holland’s life is a mess, and the last thing she wants is to crawl back to her stepfather for help. But Xavier Rochat isn’t just her rock—he’s all broad shoulders, commanding presence, and forbidden temptation. Living under his roof again stirs feelings she knows she shouldn’t have, but she can’t stop thinking about those strong hands and the way his voice makes her knees weak.Xavier has always seen Hazel as the girl he helped raise—but she’s not a little girl anymore. She’s stunning, tempting, and entirely off-limits. Resisting her is a battle he’s losing, especially when she makes it clear she doesn’t want to play by the rules.Their connection is wrong, dangerous, and too hot to resist. But how long can they keep their hands off each other before everything explodes?My forbidden stepdaddy is a raw, forbidden romance full of tension, temptation, and heat that will leave you begging f
EpilogueSadie – One Year LaterI gazed down at my baby, my son, in absolute wonder. My heart swelled in my chest with so much love, I thought it would burst. I was exhausted, and my whole body hurt, but I didn’t care. All that mattered was my little boy, that he was healthy and whole.“Are you feeling up to visitors?” the nurse attending to me asked in a soft voice, careful as to not disturb my sleeping baby.I smiled at her and nodded. “I am.”“I’ll let them in, then,” she replied with a grin.Turning, she made her way out of the room, closing the door behind her. I turned my gaze back down to my little boy and couldn’t help the smile that curled my lips.He was so beautiful. Tiny and pink and perfect.I couldn’t wait for his daddy and sister to meet him.At that moment, the door to my room opened back up, and the nurse returned with Cyrus and Megan in tow. Cyrus had been with me during the labor, but had gone out to wait with Megan while the baby was cleaned up so he could bring h
CyrusThe silence stretched between us for several long moments, and with each second that passed, I grew more and more nervous that she was going to say no.Her expression flickered between so many emotions so quickly, I couldn’t fully decipher what she was thinking.At length, she slowly said, “Are…are you asking me to marry you because you genuinely love me and want to…or are you just afraid of losing me after everything that happened with Ralph?”“Oh, baby, no,” I assured her with a firm shake of my head. “I love you with my entire being, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want us to raise Megan together and be a family. I swear to you, this has nothing to do with Ralph.”I held her gaze, praying she believed me. I was ready to do whatever I had to in order to convince her I was being entirely serious.To my complete relief, though, her lips curled into a smile, and she blurted, “Yes! Yes, Cyrus, I’ll marry you!”I surged to my feet, pulling her from her chair. Wr
Sadie It was hard to break that bond between a child and parent, and no matter what Ralph did, I think there would always be a part of Megan that wanted that connection with him.“I hope so,” Cyrus told her. “He’s going to try. That’s what’s important.”Megan regarded him a long moment before saying, “I’m glad he’s going to try.”Cyrus smiled softly. “Me, too. I promise you, Megan, I’m going to take care of you and protect you no matter what. Okay?”The corners of her lips curled up at that. “Okay. I love you, Uncle Cyrus.”“I love you, too, Megan,” he replied. Then, he looked up at me. I couldn’t help but smile back at him. My heart swelled, and I fell even more in love with him at that moment. I wanted to explain my feelings to him in more depth, but we needed to talk away from Megan. I didn’t want to confuse her even more as Cyrus and I tried to figure out the stuff between us.“All right, is there anything else you want to talk about?” Cyrus asked, turning back to Megan.She blin
SadieA week after Ralph’s arrest, things finally felt as though they were getting back to normal. Ralph was charged with breaking the restraining order. True to his word, Cyrus didn’t press any other charges. Ralph would spend a little time in jail before his trial, and then, it was up to the courts to decide his fate.I didn’t worry about him, though. I focused on Megan and helping her overcome the latest trauma she’d been through. I hated that she’d gone through so much at such a young age. It wasn’t fair. She deserved so much better. I wanted to make it my mission in life to make up for all that she’d suffered. I wanted all this mess with Ralph to fade into distant memories for her. I wanted her to be happy. More than anything else in the world, I wanted her to just be a normal, six-year-old girl.We were out on the terrace one day, coloring, when she looked up at me and asked, “Sadie? Is my daddy gone forever?”I frowned at her and replied, “What do you mean, sweetie?”She hesita
Ralph stared at me. I could tell he wanted to argue.I waited for him to say something, anything, that I could use to shut down any chance he had left of getting close to Megan.To my surprise, though, he reluctantly nodded. “All right…all right. I’ll…I’ll do what you say. So long as you promise you won’t stand in Megan’s way if she wants to see me someday.”I regarded him a long moment before releasing a long sigh. “I promise. I won’t stand in her way. And I promise that I will take excellent care of her.”Ralph dropped his head, looking defeated.“I know you will,” he whispered.At that moment, I heard Sadie rushing back to us.“The cops are on their way,” she gasped when she reached me. She looked between me and Ralph and then gave me a relieved smile. “I’m glad to see everyone is still in one piece.”“Barely,” I grumbled.She wrapped her arm around mine and hugged it.“Thank you,” she whispered.I smiled down at her, but I then caught movement out of the corner of my eye. Turning
CyrusI was at the very end of my control. My temper was about to snap. I kept reminding myself of Sadie’s words. Of my promise to her, but it was getting damn difficult to hold myself back. Ralph would just not give up. He kept pushing and pushing, bringing up Kate’s name and claiming Megan as his.It was infuriating. He kept saying he was a changed man, but he wasn’t taking responsibility for what he’d done. He wasn’t owning the fact that Kate wouldn’t have driven off the road that day if he hadn’t chased after her. I didn’t care that it was an accident. I didn’t care that he thought he loved her.In the end, it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter because Kate was still gone. And she was gone because of him.“You know what, Cyrus?” Ralph growled. “You think you’re so high and mighty. You think you’re so much better than I am, but the truth is, you failed Kate just as much as I did.”My whole body went cold. “What the hell are you saying?”Ralph had the gall to glare at me. “If you thou
I couldn’t comprehend that. It made no sense.“How could you claim to love her and yet hurt her as much as you did?” I asked in a soft, cold voice. “How could you love her, but you put your hands on her? Hit her and scare her? Manipulate her, so she remained submissive and broken?”“I was messed up,” he answered in a pathetic tone. “I know I was. I know what I did to Kate was wrong. If I could go back and redo everything, I would. I’d love her the way she deserved to be loved. I wouldn’t lay a hand on her, and I’d do everything I could to make her happy. There is nothing I want more than the chance to undo all that I did, but I can’t. It’s too late for me to make things right with Kate, but it’s not too late for me to make things right with Megan!”I stared down at him, debating whether or not I believed him. To be honest, he did seem to be truly remorseful. I didn’t think anyone could truly fake this kind of emotion.Still, just b