Aryana Joy Monteverde Santini POVDespite the hardship, I would have to open up the food business – Tambayan Rolling Barrel Bar & Restaurant at Ermita, Manila, Philippines.I couldn’t help but smile and look back on the days I started to work here when I officially left my life in Quezon City. Placing my hand on top of my head and thinking of my life and my future, I wanted a normal life as what I envisioned during my childhood days.I looked so much like my mother who married my father in a different fashion which I was so grateful for. I couldn’t imagine how hard it would be to look into her face and see the familiar features of me.“You’re silly,” I remember my mother joking with me, making her giggle. I handed her the whisk and helped her step up on her stool so that she could reach the counter. “Whisk together all of the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, okay?”I nodded and clumsily mixed everything together, having the time of my life as some of it splattered on the coun
Rocky Ace de Luna POVMichael Cortez and Simon Portes. Those two delinquents had made a mistake. A serious mistake. As I dragged them down the dark alley, I wondered if they’d gotten that message left.About two months ago, they mugged some old lady three blocks away. They’d been lucky I wasn’t anywhere near that spot. If I were, I would have beaten the shit out of them. Then this would never have happened tonight. Aryana would have locked the place up and gone home, without worrying about a couple of assholes trying to earn their stripes.Cortez and Portes had been desperate to get into the Gregorio family. They thought they deserved to be part of a crew because they thought they were so big and bad. Yeah, right. I’m pretty damn sure I proved otherwise to them tonight. Hell, Aryana had been on the path to proving otherwise. I never thought I’d see the pretty barmaid with a shotgun in her hands, but she looked like she knew how to use it.If nothing else, she’d scared those two asshole
Rocky Ace POV I grunted, nodding. None of us knew her well, but we had eyes. She’d be hard not to notice. “She actually pulled a shotgun on them.”“Seriously?” Craig grinned. “I’d have liked to see that.”Yeah, it’d been quite the sight. “I took care of them for her.”“Ouch.” Craig cringed. “That had to hurt. Them, I mean.”“It did,” I confirmed with a nod. “If I ever see them again anywhere near the Tambayan Rolling Barrel Bar & Restaurant again, they’re dead. You tell me if you see them, okay?”“Will do,” Craig nodded in agreement, Montero joining in a few seconds late. He all but fell into the corner booth we chose. With another groan, he leaned his elbows on the sticky table and palmed his face.“Damn…” he croaked. “That hangover’s killing me. Craig, you tell him the plan.”“Ace’s right,” Craig uttered in an annoyed voice, tossing a sideways glare at him. “I should have stopped you before you got drunk out of your fucking mind.”“Ah, shit…” Montero muttered, his eyes shut as his
Craig Gomez POV Shaking off glass shards, I nodded. My hands were bleeding, but I could grip the steering wheel. The side mirror was missing, but I pulled out into the street, tearing recklessly through the intersection. “You guys okay?” I called out, my ears still ringing.“Yeah,” Montero spat. He’d been closer to the blast than us, but he’d had more room to duck behind the protection of the back seat. “What about Rocky Ace?”My heart sank as I looked over at the passenger seat. My friend had been thrown forward, his face resting on top of the dashboard. Shards of glass were lying around his head. A larger chunk had been lodged into the side of his neck. Blood was spilled out, disappearing under the collar of his white shirt.“Ace!” I shoved his shoulder, panic filled me.His groan was barely audible, but at least it reassured me that he was alive.Montero leaned forward, cussing as shards of glass cut his hands. “Rocky Ace, can you hear me?”There was another groan.“Fuck!” Montero
Aryana Joy Santini's POVHe was the tallest of the three, at least 6’ 3” with brown hair and a short, well-trimmed beard… His upper body seemed to be suffocating in that tight, blue shirt. It was tight around the arms and across the chest. Perhaps Craig should have considered a bigger size when he bought that one, but it wasn’t like I was going to complain about the view. Nor about those dark green eyes that sometimes seemed to look right through you.My throat went dry as I stared up at him. He was so damn handsome and so damn close. I didn’t know him, but his concern about his friend touched me.But then my friend appeared. Pilar paused in the doorway, pulling off rubber gloves and leaning close to Craig to throw them away. “Your friend is going to be just fine,” she announced, bringing a broad smile to Craig’s face.“Thanks, Pilar.” He offered her a warm glance, his smile widening. “Can I go see him?”“You can, but I gave him a strong painkiller. He’s on the couch and likely to be
Montero Villar POVWhat a fucking crazy night.We drove back to the city slowly, Craig’s wreck of a car limping along. The first chance we got, we’d ditch it. Craig was surly about that. Ace was surly in general. I couldn’t remember the last time when we spent hours together and talked so little.Nobody was willing to speak. We all knew what a close call that had been.I wanted to blame shock for this weird silence, and yet, I couldn’t. We’d all come close to getting killed, more than once. In our line of work, we’d been shot at and stabbed, but this sort of gloom was a complete first. After a gunfight, we’d all mention this or that about our enemies and brush it off. Bullets and guns were part of the life. We got to suck this up, long before that goddamn van blew up right behind Craig’s car.XXXThe next morning, I woke up feeling better. The night was behind us. We’d survived. Rocky Ace was too thick-headed to be laid out by an injury like that. It was over.At least until the text
Aryana Santini POV If anyone told me this would happen, I would have laughed in their faces. I didn’t date my customers. Period. It was not only good business sense, but stating my rule firmly and clearly usually got the man in question to back down. Usually. But again, Ace, Craig, and Montero weren’t the ones who’d pressed the issue. Hell, they’d never even brought it up.And did those three even count as customers anymore? Rocky had beaten the crap out of two assholes who’d tried to rob me. I’d helped dress Craig’s wounds. And Montero… well, I hadn’t had much direct contact with him, but he’d been there on that crazy night out in Northern Horizon.I sat down on my loveseat and pulled my knees up to my chest. The small couch reminded me of how ridiculously large Rocky Ace had looked on the sofa at Zeny’s place.It had scared the hell out of me when I saw that shard of glass in his neck. Partly because I was a bit squeamish, but also because I didn’t want him to be hurt. He seemed un
Aryana Santini POVThe big man blinked as he raised an eyebrow.“And some ate plants. And a pterodactyl isn’t really a dinosaur at all.”Rocky Ace’s face broke into a crooked grin. “I should’ve known he’d like you.”“I think he did,” I said honestly. “He told me twice that my hair was pretty.”“That’s because it is.” Rocky reached out, but this time, he stilled his hand before it touched my hair. “You’re even shorter in your bare feet.”He was too close. Too close, and just too big, powerful, and masculine.“Yeah, um, that’s how it works.”He broke the intense eye contact. “Want something to drink?”I pulled myself together and gave him a small smile. “Isn’t that supposed to be my line?”“Not tonight. Have a seat, I’ll bring it out.”Settling back onto the sofa, I tried to figure out what was wrong with me. Eighty percent of my customers at the Tambayan Rolling Barrel were guys. Why did I keep reacting so strongly to him and his men?Rocky’s intense looks and his touch didn’t mean any
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