Alexander Vittorio POVI can’t explain how I’m feeling. I get to hold her again. I get to taste her.She’s alive.I kiss Anya with every ounce of insanity I felt the past four years. I give her my broken heart and shattered soul, and she makes them whole.I can’t stop myself from pushing for more. Now that I have her back, there’s no controlling my need to make us one.Anya lifts her hands to my chest and starts to push against me. “Wait,” she mumbles against my mouth. “Xander.” She pushes harder and manages to turn her face away from me. “Wait!”Out of breath and overwhelmed with emotions, I grip her tighter so she can’t pull free from my hold.I’m never letting her go again.Never.“Wait,” she gasps. Her eyes meet mine, and she keeps her hands braced on my chest in an attempt to stop me from kissing her again.It takes a couple of seconds before I see the nervous expression on her face.“I need a moment,” she says, trying to pull away from me. When I don’t free her, she gives me a p
Anya de Luna's POVMy God. Now it all makes sense. Rosemarie’s guards. The estate. All the freaking guards. I’m right in the freaking heart of the Bratva. Dear God, I can’t believe after being so careful, I let this happen!I run to Rosemarie’s house and burst into the living room, I go straight for Vincent. I grab him off the floor and swipe my handbag from the couch.“Mommy!” Vincent exclaims. “You made me drop my cars.”“Anya? Is everything okay?” Rosemarie asks just as Xander appears in the doorway.Feeling cornered, my eyes dart wildly between Xander, Rosemarie, Viktor, and Alexei.“Let me leave,” I beg. “I won’t tell anyone anything about the Bratva. I’ve kept quiet for four years. I have a child. Please, don’t hurt us.”“That’s enough!” Viktor snaps, and my gaze zooms in on him. He holds up a hand. “No one’s hurting anyone. Let’s all calm down.”The nightmarish two months of torture and starvation are all I can think of.“Mommy,” Vincent cries, rattled by the volatile situation
Alexander Vittorio POVThe situation with Anya is driving me insane all over again. Alexei gave me a talking-to on the way here and told me to ease up on Anya so I don’t scare her away, but that’s fucking hard to do. My heart aches because it feels like she’s forgotten the bond we had in the dark room. How do you forget something so strong? How do you just move on? Has she even thought about me for the past four years? Where the memory of her kept me up at night and drove me over the edge, she just went on with her life.Walking into the living room, Alexei’s watching TV with Vincent.There’s a sight I never thought I’d see.Anya pauses the movie, and taking a seat, she lifts Vincent onto her lap.“I was watching Donkey,” the little guy complains.“You can continue watching in a minute,” Anya says, her voice filled with love. “Mommy has something to tell you.”His big eyes lock on her face. “What?”She gestures for me to come closer, and I crouch by her legs.Jesus, she’s alive.“This
Anya de Luna's POVAfter I’ve taken the dishes to the kitchen and tidied up, I take a moment to clear my head.Getting to spend some time with us has calmed Xander down. It was very emotional watching him with Vincent, but at least that went well. Now I just have to figure out how to handle Xander so he doesn’t go all crazy on me again. That’s one thing about him that’s changed completely. When we were held captive, he was always the calm one, but now he’s borderline insane.I understand why, though. After suffering for months in that hellhole, he lost Marc Vincent and me. That would drive anyone over the edge. And now that he’s found me again, he’s like a man on a mission. It’s not that I don’t want to get romantically involved with him. It’s the Bratva and all the violence and danger that comes with the world he lives in that has me running for the hills.I have to think of Vincent. And I’m no longer a naïve eighteen-year-old. I have to think with my head and not my heart.But still
Xander Vittorio POVI watch as Vincent drifts off to sleep, and I stop reading. Staring at my son’s peaceful face, the love I feel for him fills every corner of my being.I’ll be the best father I can be, my son. I’ll give you all the love you need. I’ll give you the world.Anya comes to press a kiss on his forehead. “Sweet dreams, baby.”Getting up from the bed, I place the book on the bedside table and leave the room so I can talk to Alexei.I find him by the front door, where he’s checking all the locks.“We need to put up a security system,” he mutters.“I’ll take care of it tomorrow.” I stop next to him. “You can go home. I’m staying here.”Alexei lets out a sigh as he locks eyes with me. “Don’t push the girl. She needs time to adjust.”“I know. I just want to be close to them.”He nods, then warns, “If you’re not home in time for our walk, and I have to drag your ass out of this house, you’ll regret it.”I let out a chuckle. “Got it.”He places his hand on my shoulder and pulls
Anya de Luna POVRealizing there’s no getting through to Xander, I say, “You’re sleeping on the couch.”The corner of his mouth lifts in a hot smirk. “That I can do.”I shake my head at him. “And don’t get any ideas during the night.”“Like?” he teases me.“You know what I’m talking about,” I mutter.When I walk toward the hallway, I change direction and check that the front door is locked.“What are you doing?” He asks.“Getting ready for bed.”He shakes his head. “We’re not done talking.”At the rate we’re going, we’ll never be done talking.“I’m tired, Xander. It’s been a crazy day. Let’s continue the conversation tomorrow when we’ve had some rest.”Agitation flashes over his features. “You asked me to place myself in your shoes, and I’m trying. Can you do the same for me?”I suck in a deep breath of air, then give in and nod.“Thank you.” He walks back to the couch and sits down, his eyes following me. When I pass him, his hand shoots out to grab mine, and he pulls me back onto hi
Alexander Vittorio POVI don’t dare move a muscle while Anya sleeps. I hold the love of my life, feeling the happiest I’ve ever been.This is all I wanted.With Anya in my arms, I process the shock of finding her and Vincent, and I form a plan to win Anya’s heart again.My woman wants dates. She wants to be swept off her feet.She better fucking brace herself because I’m bringing out the big guns.I manage to dose off occasionally, and when the sun starts to rise, I carefully climb to my feet with Anya in my arms. Carrying her to the bedroom, I glance around her personal space before I place her down on the bed.After I covered her with a blanket, I picked up the framed photo of her and Vincent.They’re on the beach, and both have happy smiles. Anya is wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, and Vincent has a little Speedo on. My boy is covered in sand.I almost let out a chuckle.Taking the photo, I glance at Anya’s sleeping face before I walk out of the bedroom. I check in on Vincen
Anya de Luna POVI’m woken by Vincent, who’s bouncing on my bed. “Come on, Mommy. I want to see Daddy.”“Then go to him,” I mumble.“He’s not here,” Vincent complains. “Get up so we can go to him.”My eyes pop open. “What do you mean he’s not here?”My boy gives me a worried look. “He’s gone.”Climbing out of bed, I walk to the living room, but there’s no sign of Xander. I peek through the curtains, and seeing the car is gone as well, I let out a sigh.“Daddy had to go to work,” I tell Vincent. “And we have to get ready for the day so we can go to the bookstore.”Vincent’s face crumbles, and he starts to ugly-cry. “But I want my daddy!”I rush forward, and picking him up, I coo, “Aww, you’ll see your daddy again. Mommy will call him.”Crap, I don’t have his number.I’ll ask Rosemarie for Xander’s number.“There-there. Let’s get ready for the day. You can have something from the coffee shop for breakfast. Okay?”He sniffles as I carry him to his room, and while I’m dressing him, he say
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