Craig Gomez POV“Save it.” She whirled around to face me. “It shouldn’t come as a surprise. I know what you guys do. And you should leave. I’ve got a lot of work to do.”Shit, fuck, damn. “I’ll leave after you hear me out.”“I’ve heard enough,” she said stubbornly.“No, you haven’t.” I grabbed her arm and pulled her down to the end of the hall. The noise from the bar seemed distant here. “You want to know who blew up that car and why?”“I’m not sure I do. Like I said, you should—”“It was me,” I said, out of options. She clearly thought we were just a gang of mindless thugs, bent on maximum destruction. The truth was a lot more complicated. “The driver had the bomb, and he was outside. Heading here. If I hadn’t stopped him, this place would’ve had a lot more damage than a few broken windows. People would’ve gotten hurt—maybe killed.”“What?” Her mouth gaped open, and she seemed at a loss for words.“He wanted to bomb the bar?”Shock turned her face white, and I regretted that she had
Rocky Ace De Luna POV“Where’s the pretty lady, Daddy? Why won’t she come play dinosaurs with me again?”Matthew had been repeating those two questions more often by the day.I could tell Aryana had made an impression on him. In his young mind, she was an ideal playmate. Naturally, my boy had his reasons. He’d told me over and over how fun it was to play with Aryana. How she voiced the various dinosaurs. How she colored with him. How they’d read a book together before bedtime.My son hadn’t had much experience with a woman doing those kinds of things with him. The sixteen-year-old who sometimes babysat was on her phone a lot, Matthew had told me. After school, when he stayed with the neighbor, he mostly played with her grandchild while she prepared dinner. And he barely remembered his mother.So yeah, he’d enjoyed having Aryana here to play with him and read to him. And, well, he was his father’s son. I suspected he liked the way she looked, in an age-appropriate way.Couldn’t fault h
Aryana Santini POV Our bodies swayed apart before he smashed up against me again, pinning me to the wall once more. My legs spread further apart, and Craig eased his hand between us, his longer fingers hovering at my core. When he palmed my mound, I took one hand off it and used it to cover my mouth. The last thing I wanted to do was to wake the little boy sleeping in the other room.Shit.There was a little boy sleeping in the other room.Sure, his door was closed, but this was wrong. We were in Rocky’s apartment. I was here at Rocky’s invitation.So what the hell was I doing with Craig?Unlike me, Craig knew exactly what he was doing. Literally, his fingers glided over my heated slit, and I moaned in spite of myself. His thumb nudged my clit, he positioned a finger at my entrance.“You’re going to come.” He said it as a fact, and I believed him. I wanted to. I was close. But… the damn voice in my head wouldn’t let up. The one that said this wasn’t right, no matter how good it felt.
Craig Gomez POV“I don’t like having to do this,” Ace said. We were drawing closer to Conrad’s place and hadn’t spoken much up until now.The thing was, I knew what Ace meant. We knew Conrad Benet. He’d been on the family’s payroll since before we were even born. Getting information from him would be tough as hell. On the other hand, we’d get that information from a reliable source. If there was one person in this world who knew the Bernardino Family secrets, it would have to be Conrad Benet.But just because I didn’t like it didn’t mean it wasn’t necessary. “You said it yourself. Conrad will know why Bernardino put out a hit on Aryana. What else can we do? Ask his housekeeper? Or break into his fucking house and look for clues?”“Emilio Bernardino used to love Conrad Benet, man,” Rocky Ace reminded me of the relationship between those two. “The first money I ever made in the family? Conrad gave it to me. It was Emilio’s of course, but it was the first time anyone ever told me they we
Rocky Ace De Luna POV“Don’t speak ill of the dead, child.” An old granny at one of my short-lived stays with a foster family had said that. She’d been an ornery old bitch, but she had a point. The dead were somehow blameless. It was the living that caused all the problems. Few of them were decent, and even fewer gave a crap about anyone else.I’d thought that Emilio was one of the good ones. After we ran away from our final group home, we’d lived on the streets. Begged in the park. Robbed rich kids in their prep school uniforms. Emilio had taken us in. He had put a roof over our heads. The man filled our stomachs with food and gave us purpose. He’s saved us. He’d saved me. By teaching me about my heritage. And about the kind of man I wanted to be.But you know who else had a crappy childhood? Aryana. And he’d left her and her mother to fend for themselves.I couldn’t get past that part of it.During our time at Conrad’s house, it crossed my mind to ask him to show me that will. I jus
Aryana Monteverde Santini POVMy lip’s part, waves of fear washing over me. I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out. It didn’t matter, though. A guy came up behind me, his fingers covering my mouth. His accomplice was quick to grab me by the wrists. Yanking them back, he tied my hands over my lower back. In seconds, they were dragging me toward the street.I thrashed around, trying to get away, but it was useless. In that tight hold, my screams drowned out by that thug’s hand.“Don’t fight it, babe,” a low, raspy voice said. “We’re not going to hurt you.”Yeah, right.In the dark, I didn’t see the curb, so I stumbled at the sudden step down. Strong hands grabbed me just before I slammed into a black sedan. The trunk popped open, and I dug my heels in, trying to keep them from dragging me toward it.But the two men easily lifted me off the ground. They put me in the trunk on top of an old musty blanket. Beyond that, there was the faint smell of gasoline.I wiggled around, my
Aryana Monteverde Santini POV “DNA test,” Craig said. “Where does your father live? The man you thought was your father?”“I have no idea. He abandoned us. I haven’t heard from him since I was a kid.” “But you can give us his name and last known location,” Montero pointed out.Yeah… I could. But should I? He was an awful father, but that didn’t excuse sending three armed men after him. Then again, I didn’t owe him any loyalty. “Daniel Santini. Last I heard, he was living in Quezon City, Metro Manila.”“We’ll find him,” Craig said.“I want to talk to him.” My words surprised both the men and myself.“That’s not necessary.”“I’ve been pissed off at him for two decades for the way he abandoned us. Now, maybe I’m not even his kid. That would explain a few things.”“He was still married to your Mom,” Craig said. “He still abandoned her.”“All the more reason to talk to him.”“Well—”Rocky Ace cut off Craig’s response. “We’ll see. For now, let’s get inside.” He looked around. The first gl
Aryana M. Santini POV“She could’ve told me you weren’t my biological father, though. That might have made it a little easier.” Possibly. But it still would have been crushing. And possibly more than a four-year-old could face. But she’d had decades after that to tell me the truth.“She was probably just trying to protect you,” Montero said.Daniel took a step closer, but one look from Montero had him backing off. “So you took off and a woman and her young child all alone,” he snapped.“A woman who… whose child was from another man,” Daniel said quietly. Then he sighed. “Those guys scared me, okay? I’d never encountered anyone like them. I told myself that it wasn’t worth my life.”The tears flowed harder. Would Daniel have stayed, if my real father hadn’t threatened him? It would’ve made all the difference in the world to my mother. To have someone help with the childcare after those first few years. To have two incomes. To have some support.“I’m sorry, Aryana,” Daniel said.Montero
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