Alexander Vittorio POVComing to, I’m confused as fuck. My body feels like it’s been torn apart, and I struggle to pry my eyes open. For a blissful moment, I don’t remember what happened as I glance around the sterile room, seeing Maryo sitting on an armchair.My best friend glances at me, and instantly a smile spreads over his face. He rushes to the doorway, and leaning out into the hallway, he shouts, “Xander’s awake!”My parents and Tanya come barreling into the hospital room.Mama looks like she’s aged ten years, a shock of white streaks in her dark brown hair. Her face has new lines, and her eyes are dull with heartache.Tanya starts to cry and comes to grab my hand.Then my eyes land on my father’s stern face.Marc Vincent. Anya. The moment of bliss splinters, and every shard flays my soul to shreds.My brother’s head falls forward, and blood trickles from the gunshot wound to his temple.NONONONONO!My body fails me, and as I drop to my knees, three shots echo into the night. M
Anya Santini de Luna POVWhen I open my eyes, my body feels numb, and I don’t recognize anything around me. It looks like I’m in a hospital room. I hear sounds from machines next to the bed. My heartbeat speeds up, and I notice an IV in my left hand.Where am I? The memories of my captivity pour into my mind, and I remember being shot by Xander’s father.Oh, God! Xander! Did he survive?Suddenly an elderly man comes into the room. I don’t recognize the old man and stare at him, fear and panic filling my chest. When he notices I’m awake, his eyes widen. He rambles something in Filipino language, and it looks like he expects a reply.“I’m Italian,” I say, my voice hoarse as if I haven’t used it for a long while. “I don’t speak Filipino language.”“Ohhhh.” He comes closer, his eyes skimming over my face. “I found you in field not far from my house. I brought you to hospital.”Pure relief washes over me, and the tension that’s become a normal feeling for me falls away. Overwhelmed by the
Alexander Vittorio POVIt’s been a month since my world came to an end.This time I’m a prisoner in my bedroom because every time I lay eyes on my father, I lose my mind.I begged Maryo to go to the field. I at least wanted Anya to be buried so she wasn’t just lying out in the open.Christ. My heart. I grip the fabric over my chest, the pain too intense to breathe.Maryo didn’t find Anya in the field, which means someone already discovered her body. It’s not comforting at all. Strangers are handling the body of the only woman I’ll ever love. She didn’t even get a funeral.I can’t. I can’t deal with this. It’s too much.Standing in front of the window, I stare at nothing as my mind is tortured.I have no will to live.“Xander,” Maryo whispers behind me.“Hmm.”“Talk to me.”“About what?”He takes hold of my shoulder and turns me so I’ll look at him. “Anything…everything.”Everything. The beating, the whipping, the knife through my hand. The starvation and hunger pains. My body witherin
Xander Vittorio POVStanding in the field where Anya was killed, I look for any sign that she was there.It’s stupid. A year has passed. Of course, there won’t be anything.Still, I stare at the ground.I’ve been locked up in my bedroom until now, and this is the first chance I’ve gotten to come to the field.“Xander,” Maryo calls from where he’s leaning against the SUV. “We have to go, or we’ll miss our flight.”The past twelve months of living without Anya have been brutal hell. My father avoided me, but the few times we interacted always ended in violence.I’ll never forgive him. I’ll never forget.And one day, when he least expects it, I’ll kill him the way he killed Anya.“Xander,” Maryo calls again.We’ve been out here for over an hour. Maryo’s been patient with me.Honestly, only Maryo and Tanya have tried to understand what I’m going through.Once I got home, Mama fell into a deep depression. The loss of Marc Vincent almost killed her.She lost her son, and I lost my brother a
Xander Vittorio POVSitting on a private jet with my boss, I stare out of the window. I’ve completed my training at Palawan, and Viktor Koslov’s decided he wants me in New York with him. During my first year of training, I put up an act so people would fear me and stay the fuck away from me, but with time I became the person I was pretending to be.I don’t care about anything but Maryo, Armani, my mama, and Tanya. I have no conscience and will kill without thinking twice. After losing Anya and Marc Vincent, I never got my sanity back. With every passing year, it’s gotten worse, and now I’m nothing more than a monster who’ll kill and maim at command. My relationship with my father is volatile as fuck. Our lives hardly cross paths, which is a good thing.Viktor Koslov knows everything about my past, and he feels I’m a loose cannon he needs to keep an eye on.Honestly, I think Viktor is just as insane as me. I almost chuckle when I remember the incident earlier this year. Maryo, Armani,
Anya De Luna POVClimbing out of the car, I take Vincent’s hand and walk toward the park where moms come so their kids can play. I make a point of coming here once a week so Vincent can interact with other children. Just because I have social anxiety doesn’t mean he has to suffer.“Jonas,” Vincent calls out, already tugging at my hand so I’ll free him.“Fine,” I chuckle. “Go play with your friend.”I watch as he makes a beeline for Jonas, and they head to the jungle gym.Finding a seat in the morning sun, I pull a book from my handbag. For a while, I watch Vincent have fun before I open the book to continue reading. I like fantasy and sci-fi books because they’re pure fiction and transport me to a different world. Every now and then, I check on Vincent. The sound of laughter and the conversations from other mothers fill the air.“Anya?”My head snaps up, and seeing the customer from the store who I didn’t call, my stomach sinks.She smiles brightly as she pushes the stroller closer. “
Alexander Vittorio POVAfter a shit night’s sleep in the foreign bed, I’m walking the perimeter of the estate to check for any vulnerable spots.Every time I come across a guard, I stop to introduce myself.I’m busy in the backyard when Luna, Viktor’s dog, comes trotting toward me.“Hey, girl,” I whisper. I pat her head before continuing to check the wall.“Are you taking over my job?” I hear Alexei call.Turning around, I wait for him to catch up with me, then he says, “I take a walk around the estate every morning.”“I’ll leave you be.”He shakes his head and nods for us to walk. “We can check the perimeter together.”Yesterday he said he wanted to spend some time together. Not knowing what to expect, my nerves twist in my stomach. The last thing I want to do is disappoint Alexei.We walk for a while, then he orders, “Tell me about yourself.”“Sir?” My gaze darts to him. “I’m sure you know everything about me.”“I know you’re the second son of Andre Vittorio, that you were good duri
Anya De Luna POVA shipment of books came in, and I’m busy unpacking them when a man comes into the store. I’ve seen him here before, and usually, he likes to check the thriller section.“Morning,” he greets before he starts to browse the shelves.“Morning. Let me know if I can help you find anything.”“Thanks.”My eyes flick to where Vincent is coloring in a picture of an elephant before I continue to unpack the books.Every now and then, I check what the man is up to before glancing at Vincent.“Do you have any books about baking?” the customer asks.“Yes.” I leave the counter and head to the aisle where he’s waiting. Grabbing a book off the shelf, I hold it out to him. “This one is pretty straightforward. You don’t need a degree to follow the recipes.”“Oh good.” He pages through it then gives me a smile. “I’ll go with this one.”“Great.” I take the book from him and head back to the counter.“Hey, little man,” I hear him talk to Vincent. My eyes flick to my baby before they settle
He slipped the ring on her finger, climbed onto the bed, and swept her into a kiss. By the time he was done, her head spun more than a little, and there was a strange clapping sound assaulting her ears. “Ignore them,” he whispered, cupped her jaw, and lowered his head for another kiss.Confused, she looked beyond him, toward the door. Val, Ginger, Ariana, Lee Anne, Anaisse, and Tommy gathered just beyond the threshold, clapping.“About time, Snowflake,” Ginger called.“Don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” Ryan called, never taking his eyes off her. His smile held wicked intent.The door whooshed closed.“I’m injured,” she warned as he moved in.“I’m careful.” He traced the front opening of her hospital gown, barely grazing her flesh.“I guess you are,” she managed, as his fingers parted the gown.“And creative.” As proof, he tapped the bed-adjust button and eased her into a more reclined position.She raised a brow at him. “A nurse could walk in here at any moment to check on me
The light hum of female voices registered first, followed by the smell of roses and lilies. Annabelle lay still for a moment, kept her eyes closed, and did a quick physical inventory. Toes? Check. Fingers? Check. Head still attached to the shoulders? Check.Best she could tell, all parts were present and accounted for. She felt stiff and groggy like she’d been asleep for a week, but nothing too alarming. A vague impression of Ryan holding her hand and telling her not to worry about anything danced through her mind, but she couldn’t say for sure whether that was memory or wishful thinking. She racked her brain for something more. Other images formed—a nurse with a short brunette bob offering her water. Anaisse smiling through tears while helping brush her teeth and hair—but no Ryan Ferrer.Deciding to chance a look around, she opened her eyes and blinked a few times to adjust to the sudden brightness. Sunlight streamed through an unfamiliar window, below which sat a metal cabinet holdi
Ryan hurried down the passageway toward the stage, hugging the wall and keeping his steps quick and light. He doubted anyone would hear him coming over the noise of the party, but he didn’t plan on leaving it to chance.The passageway widened at the back of the stage. A retractable metal security gate spanned the stage to prevent anyone from moving the festivities to the backstage area. The blackout curtain hung just beyond the security gate. He wrapped his hand around a slat and gave the gate a shake, testing it. Fully secure, with very little give. No one had slipped into or out of the backstage area through there. He worked his fingers between the slats, moved the curtain aside, and looked out. A sea of zombies, ghouls, princesses, and pirate wenches danced under flashing purple lights. Nothing unusual.His phone vibrated. He pulled it from his pocket and checked the screen. A text from Tommy read, At the back door. Wait for me. For a nanosecond, he considered waiting, because, pro
Detective Ryan FerrerRyan bit back a curse as he examined the broken lock. Kicked in? He pulled his gun and crept through the door, keeping it low. Since nobody shot him in the head the moment he cleared the threshold, he swept left with his gun, then right. No sign of anyone.He straightened, stuck his gun into the back of his jeans, and debated his choices. Val’s office and the dancers’ dressing room were down the hallway to the left. The hallway on his right led to the stage, and beyond that, another narrow hall led to the back door of the club.Instinct told him to go right since that direction ultimately led to an exit. He shot off a text to Tommy. The door’s busted. Get back here. Don’t bring Anaisse. He didn’t wait for a reply, just tucked the phone in his pocket and started down the hall, scanning in every direction as he went. A few steps along, he glanced down and froze. What the hell…? He crouched and picked up a small white feather.His heart thundered in his chest. Annab
Oh, no. No one would see them up there. “I can’t. I’m afraid of heights.” Also, she was in no condition to scramble up a straight-vertical ladder. Numb hands, shaky legs, and the unrelenting pain in her side made the climb risky.She released a shuddery breath when the pressure of the gun disappeared from the center of her back. Her shoulders dropped and she relaxed infinitesimally, just knowing the damn thing wasn’t poised to blow a hole through—The cold, unforgiving metal pressed against her temple, scattering her thoughts like seagulls. She heard the click of the safety release.“Climb or die.”“Okay, okay.” The words scraped along her tight, dry throat. Turned out her fear of bullets trumped her fear of heights. She clasped the nearest rung in a bloody grip. “I’ll climb.”Working her way up the ladder took even more effort than she’d anticipated. Escape scenarios cart-wheeled through her mind too quickly for her to get a solid hold on any one plan.Stay calm. Easier thought than
Fuck, fuck, fuck, Annabelle, where are you? Ryan cut a path through zombies, mummies, and vampires, scouring his search area for any sign of her. There was none. To compound his apprehension, his phone remained frustratingly silent. The secret hope he’d harbored that she’d sneaked away to a stall in the ladies’ room to put herself together and curse him to hell and back waned with each passing second.If anything happened to her, he’d…he didn’t know what he’d do. His hand shook as he shoved it through his hair, pulling hard at the roots until his scalp screamed. They had to find her. End of discussion. There was no way his last interaction with the love of his life could take place in a back room at a strip club, her staring at him with a heartbreaking expression on her face, saying, “I’m sorry.”Absolutely not. He’d find her. And when he did, he’d sit her down and they’d have an honest talk—no more games or tactics. He’d ask her, point-blank, what the hell part of their relationship
Now Tommy turned and looked at him. “She doesn’t have her phone.”“What?” True, Annabelle hadn’t been carrying hers either, but Anaisse was the responsible twin.“You saw what she’s wearing. You think she’s got a BlackBerry built into her shoe?”“I was hoping.”“Sorry to burst your bubble. I don’t suppose Annabelle told you what she did on her way in to the party?”The bad feeling came back. Stronger. “She said something about handling her pen pal.”“She scooped him. He threatened to reveal that she used to strip for a living. Annabelle decided to break the news herself, so she rolled out of the limo this evening and held herself a press conference, during which she mentioned she’d spent two years dancing at Phoenix.”He felt the color drain out of his face. “Holy shit. Exactly why am I not supposed to be worried yet?”Tommy shrugged but returned to inspecting the crowd. “She could be right. Now that he’s got no hammer to hold over her, he’ll lose interest.”“Maybe. Or could be he’ll
The insult stung. Did he really think he’d fooled her up until they’d danced? Like she only recognized him by the feel of his cock? “I knew it was you the minute I saw you. Letting you think otherwise was just”—she lifted her shoulder in a casual shrug—“an entertaining little game. But the game is over and, ultimately, doesn’t change what I want.”Apparently, she could sting him back, because his eyes narrowed. Then he ground his hips against hers until she bit her lip and moaned.“You’re sending mixed signals, Annabelle. You don’t know what you want.”Sadly, she did—she wanted far too much, more than he’d offered—but her stupid, traitorous hips lifted, seeking more from him.“Careful. The condom…” He reached down between them and pinched the base of his erection, holding the latex in place. But when he started to pull out, she panicked.“Don’t.” Her hands flew down to his hips, and her fingers dug in to hold him still. Don’t leave me empty. Not yet.“Annabelle…” He swore under his br
Annabelle rode out the last trembling aftershocks from the mind-numbing orgasm—the kind of full-body meltdown only Ryan could deliver. Shaky, sweaty, and tingling like she’d been struck by lightning, she barely registered when he lifted her and put her on his lap. She opened her eyes and immediately tumbled into his. Dammit. He pinned her with an expression she couldn’t fully read, but made her heart want to flip over in her chest and expose its soft underbelly. Which only proved she was, in fact, her own worst nightmare. No faceless stranger could lay claim to the title. She held that honor all on her own.Was that what you were looking for, Angel? He’d spoken quietly, but she heard the test in his voice as if daring her to push him even one more inch.Oh, she dared. Pushing him was about the only thing she dared do at this point because she knew full well her resolve would collapse like a house of cards if she came clean about their charade. And God only knew what confessions would