It ripped a chasm open in my chest to think of this massive news driving us apart. I held onto my crumbling nerves until they slipped from my grasp."Have I done something wrong?" I blurted.Startled, Rhea froze. A long exhale deflated her body, and her shoulders fell. Her head angled enough to watch me from the corner of her eyes, still rimmed red."What?" she exclaimed. Her brows lifted higher with each second that I didn't answer. She dropped her arms from her shoulders to curl them protectively over her abdomen. "No. I'm just sorry that this happened. It's my fault. I got so swept up in the wedding planning I forgot to take my pills.""Rhea," I gaped at her.She turned, fully facing me. Tears spilled over her eyes, flowing down her cheeks as she rushed to speak again. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen.""You have nothing to apologize for, baby."She spoke too quickly to hear me. Instead of stopping, she barreled over my words. "I really am sorry, Aleks
RHEA'S POV One whirlwind after another. One blow after another. Each time dragging me deeper and deeper into the arms of despair. Falling, sinking until the darkness swarmed over my head and I saw no light, no inkling of how to pull myself back up from the depths.My night started in pitch-blackness and blood. It ended in tears as the dawn crested in golden light over the horizon. A despondent ache carved a hole in my chest with pointed claws, wicked and sharp. Each slash cut deeper until no heart remained within me.We arrived at the Makalov mansion as the brilliant globe of the sun peeked over the city-line. Streaks of crimson cut through the rich blue morning sky. It mimicked whatever madness I felt inside of me.There was blood in the water, and I'd find no rest among these sharks.Aleksander left me in the room of his childhood. A room where he fucked me on the bed before dinner with his family. Now where he intended for me to stay for God knows how long.During a heart-wrenchin
Curled up on the bed, an empty shell of myself, sleep found me. A fitful sleep, riddled with nightmares and dreams swelling with doubt. Even in slumber, tears stained my face, and every other breath came as a sob.It must have been close to noon when a soft rapping on the door startled me awake. Bolting upright, my eyes frantically scanned my unfamiliar surroundings. The knocking on the door continued throbbing through my aching head as I woke up to reality.The door cracked open before I could part my dry lips."Rhea?" Annika's low, crooning voice filtered into the bedroom. Garbed in a vibrant red dress, she swept into the room without an answer. Her hands fluttered to her immaculately made-up face when she found me disheveled in the center of the bed with puffy eyes. "O, moya khoroshen'kaya devochka."In the long months since meeting Annika, we'd grown close. When I'd suffered an injury after Aleksander's last assistant pushed me down a flight of marble stairs, Annika had come nearl
Once upon a time, the Makalov family prospered in Russia. My father, Ivano Makalov, and his younger brother Nikolai worked for the Bratva throughout their childhoods and teenage years. Their hard work paid off with each dirty task or gruesome job they completed.Stella knew of my father's and mother's failures in raising me and the squalid conditions we landed in after my father's fall from grace. It was horrifying enough that when Nikolai returned from a business venture in America; he whisked me away from my parents. Most of that time turned dark in my mind and I couldn't remember the severity of the situation.That's all my dancer needed to know. That my father peddled drugs in Russia and impregnated one of his clients. I couldn't stand the thought of telling her about my father, high on his own supply, skimming off the top, and stealing money from the Bratva. All those things put a target on Ivano Makalov's head.Nikolai successfully started up a business after ten years in Americ
Only the city lights fought back the darkness of midnight. The humming neon light over the noisy club reflected a sickly green in the oily layer of water on the streets. Nikolai and I left through a backdoor to avoid the clamoring crowd around the corner.I had the car ride across the city to ponder the churning thoughts in my head. One swelling, thought stirring notion whipped up and heaved into the next with as much force as a seething tsunami. Each wave slammed against the inside of my skull, threatening to spill out past the emotionless mask I tried to maintain."You're already a better father than yours was.' That cut deeper than I'd like to admit. Even to myself.Most of my adult life, I told myself that I didn't want to have children. The trauma of my upbringing in Russia left a bitterness in my soul. Never mind Annika and Nikolai taking me away from that shithole. I couldn't get over the idea that I'd be no better than Ivan Makalov.In moments with her, I'd noticed the sneakin
RHEA'S POV Aleksander stood before me, shoulders slack and mouth pressed into a thin line. The guilt rose to the surface of his eyes, darkening the rich brown pools. In his gaze, I saw the truth-his silent admission."Even now, you can't bring yourself to open your mouth and admit the truth with your own words?", I spoke in a low voice."You know the truth. I don't know what else you want me to say.""I want to hear it from you, Aleksander! I want you to be the one to tell me these things. Every fucked-up thing you've ever done. You should have been the one to tell me. Your lies have stolen my agency from me." I found myself shouting at the end."I'm sorry that I didn't tell you the truth, Rhea. But I knew you'd react poorly if you learned about the things I'd done. However, I fail to see how that takes your agency away. It's always been my goal to ensure your freedom."I snorted when i heard his words."Of course you fail to see it. Your self-righteous head is so far up your superio
Aleksander roared as he whirled around. A deranged fury filled his eyes that I'd never seen before. "Perhaps that's how I felt in the beginning. I won't deny that. It's the reason I wanted an exclusive contract to have you!""A live-in fuck-toy. That's all I've ever been.""No," he shot forward. Aleksander reached for my hands, yet I swayed enough to dodge his grasp. In response to my reaction, he groaned, a sound so full of despair I wanted to cave. To give in to my buried desire to slip into his arms and forgive his atrocities but my heart was still rejecting him."I fell in love with you, Rhea. I'd never had this feeling before. This yearning to hold and protect someone else. I would have done anything to keep you safe. Fuck, I'd kill God just to see you smile.""Really?" I balked at him, eyes growing larger. "Is that really the most appropriate thing to say right now? Not only have you killed people and lied to me about it this whole time, you open your stupid mouth and say someth
ALEKSANDER'S POVAlthough it should have been me at her side, they would protect Rhea at the safe house. It took a wise man, or at least a competent one, to realize she needed this space away from me. With the progression of our argument, I couldn't call myself a wise man. Not in the least.Sitting at the dining table in my family home, I weighed Rhea's wedding band in my palm. This diamond on her finger had been a brief taste of victory in my life. A sweetness that lingered on the back of the tongue and kept you wanting more and more and more...A glass of whiskey waited at the edge of the table in my peripheral. Each sip burned a fiery path down my throat, easing the ache that tore apart my tattered insides. Without her shining light at my side, I was only a flayed shell of a man.I couldn't regret the things I'd done to protect her, but I bore heavy guilt for how my actions affected her. I'd done her a disservice by keeping the truth from her. Because I'd underestimated Rhea's abil
EPILOGUE RHEA'S POV Three wonderful years came and went. Each one became a new chapter in my life that I'd never forget. I couldn't when I had otherworldly love pouring through me every day. More than I ever thought I'd experience in my life.Trudging through the grief of losing so much family ate a hole in my heart. Aleksander came along and slowly threaded the chasm together, healing me with each delicate touch and sensual kiss. An unlikely love formed from that illicit contract, and through turmoil and pain, we forged our story.Glowing, floating on top of the world, I swept into the kitchen. A delightful buzz from champagne left a rosy flush across my cheeks. I poured myself a glass of water, listening to precious laughter drifting from upstairs as I did."Rhea!" Annika's excited coo made me whirl around from the sink. I came face to face with her, waving her red nails, gesturing for a hug. I stepped into her arms. Annika shimmied against me. "How did the event go?""It was great
The technician broke the silence first. "Your chart says that you're estimated to be about eighteen weeks along. Is that correct?""Yes," Rhea swiftly answered. Her smile widened. "The size of a bell pepper this week.""That's right," the technician chortled. She glanced between the three Makalovs in the dimly lit room. One hand clicked a button on the ultrasound keyboard and the monitor flickered on. With the probe hovering over Rhea's navel, she asked, "Are you interested in knowing the gender?"Rhea's throat bobbed. Her fingers twitched in mine. Simultaneously, we locked gazes. It was an important question, and one we hadn't discussed nearly enough."I'm going to love them, regardless." Her bottom lip trembled as she studied my face. "As long as they're healthy.""Do you want it to be a surprise?" I whispered in my wife's ears alone. Leaning closer, I nuzzled into the side of her face. "Whatever you want, baby. Just say the word."Despite her nerves, Rhea giggled. She turned her he
ALEKSANDER'S POV A month passed, and we returned home.Keeping my promise to Rhea, I relinquished the reins over to Nikolai to close the loose ends with the Genovese crime family.My aunt and uncle understood and approved of my wish to keep my hands clean for my wife's sake. Nikolai didn't bat an eye when he proclaimed the Genovese would accept a deal and leave our family alone if we did the same.Antonio recovered from his injuries from the car accident. After two weeks in bed, he returned with renewed vigor. The incidents of that day wounded his honor, and he stated he needed to make up for it. As much as I argued, he needed to take time away. He continued showing up in uniform.Rhea had a checkup with her doctor. That was an appointment I wouldn't miss for the world. I held her hand through the follow-up tests, using her as my lifeline through the stress. I'm sure I was the same for her.The thumping sound of a heartbeat lifted a weight off my chest. Rhea cried from the sweet tast
Keeping one hand on his cheek, our lips a hair's breadth apart, I hooked my other arm around his neck. Chest to chest except for his hand on my breast, I breathed my promise into him. "I love you, Aleksander. Forever."A relieved shudder rushed through his body from head to toe. The stuttered sigh past his lips tickled my mouth. I repeated my vow to him, again and again, accompanied by each primal thrust of his hips. "I love you. I love you. I love you."Lush warmth blossomed in the center of my being. It rose from a taut coil in the depths of my core. All at once the carnal pleasure of Aleksander making love to me exploded through my body, rushing in waves from between my thighs to each of my limbs.Quaking against him with searing pleasure wracking my body, Aleksander couldn't hold back. My pulsing cunt forced him into the throes of his climax, following the heels of mine. He painted me from within, claiming me in the salacious way that I enjoyed.He caught my cries on his tongue, s
He seized me in his hands, tenderly stroking them over my fevered flesh. I didn't notice when the gloves came off, but I savored the sensation of his skin on mine. Aleksander explored every dip and curve of my body as if discovering me for the first time.His scruff tickled my throat as his lips tasted me from my chin to my collarbone. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and Aleksander grabbed my hips. In one swift motion, he lifted me off the floor. My legs curled around his waist.The stiffness of his growing erection slipped against the wet center of me. A groan escaped from his mouth into mine. We shared a brief moan at the sweet moment of friction.Aleksander's lips clashed with mine in a passionate frenzy. He moved forward, marching us under the hot spray of the shower. We didn't stop until my back met the tile, crushed between the shower wall and Aleksander's perfectly sculpted frame.I grasped the back of his hair in one hand, tugging slightly as Aleksander's teeth nipped at my
RHEA'S POV Every ounce of my consciousness slipped from my grasp the moment Aleksander freed me. While all the world moved around me, my thoughts stayed still within the pit of darkness consuming my mind. My awareness stayed on my pulsing veins, coursing with cold blood and the rough pounding of my heart throbbing through my limbs.Each breath cleaved through my lungs, strained and burning. Only the heat of Aleksander's hand on my arms kept me on my feet. He was my anchor to reality during a turbulent car ride, and as he swept me through the blinding lights of a semi crowded lobby.A hotel, I thought, somewhere downtown. My eyes couldn't focus on anything, from the onlooking strangers in the shadows to the overly bright glow of opulent lighting. Aleksander and Nikolai's hushed voices brushed against something inside my head. I knew they were with me, but I moved on autopilot.My body floated on a cloud. Up an elevator. Several turns down hallways that felt like a damn never-ending ma
Men screamed. Blood and brains splattered the walls and floors as they went down.A figure popped out around a corner. I fired one shot at his head, and he descended to the ground like an axed tree falling in a forest.Another came behind him. Too close to shoot from afar. My left arm shot out and blocked his. I used the momentum to force his aim up. My opponent shot and missed, bullets lodging in the ceiling. With my left hand, I pointed the gun at his stomach and fired two rounds.The last shot went into the side of his skull as he stumbled to his knees. Then he dropped like a stone on the filthy concrete.An arm emerged at the end of the corridor I passed through. I pulled the trigger, yet nothing left the chamber.Regardless of my unloaded pistol, I grabbed the arm in front of me. One twist of the wrist forced his weapon from his hand. The gun clattered away on the floor.The man grunted. When I jammed the butt of my gun into his face, breaking his nose, he screamed. As he fell, I
ALEKSANDER'S POV Nikolai burst from the front doors of the Makalov mansion. I followed hot on his heels, rushing toward the line of awaiting cars parked around the massive fountain at the end of the driveway.The very last thing Nikolai and I expected was to receive a call from an anonymous contact who worked for the Genovese. Someone in their organization vehemently opposed a potential war. Enough to give away Luca's location.Rhea was the one thing in this world I wanted more desperately than my body needed air. Luca Genovese stole her from me. Now betrayed by his own, I would take his life.The fiery glow of dusk settled itself over the horizon. A brisk wind whipped up the edges of my coat. My fingers twitched, itching for a cigarette to relieve my bristling nerves.Leaving Annika safe at the mansion, I joined my uncle in the backseat of the first car. Personal guards accompanied us. All well-trained and armed with the same pistol I carried.Savage anger writhed like a serpentine
"I'll handle it." The snarky response pulled me from my thoughts. Then the door at my back pushed open with a grating creak of metal on metal. I slammed back into reality, where I sat handcuffed to a chair in some semi-abandoned building.Every breath I took burned my chest. My body tensed with the fear running in my blood. As Luca's shadow rose ominously over the opposite wall, I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move a muscle as each sinister thump of his shoes carried him closer.Luca appeared in front of me with an eerie aura. His disturbing grin slashed wider upon finding me alert.I tried maintaining my gaze at first. He lasciviously ogled every inch of me with a malicious sneer, twisting his features. The threatening glint in his eyes forced my gaze down to his expensive leather loafers crunching on bits of broken glass beneath us."You're finally awake," Luca announced, cocking his head to the side. "The accident was unfortunate, but I didn't think your driver knew any defensive ma