LORENA I couldn’t believe I let Alessandro ravish me in the hallway. I was so mad at myself.After I went to grab a new pair of panties, I went in the direction of Matteo’s playroom. Being around him always grounded me. He was my reminder to get through this. It was all for him.Opening the door softly in case he was napping, I was surprised to find Alessandro’s aunt sitting on the couch, building a wooden train set with Matteo.They both had wide smiles on their faces, speaking Italian. Neither one of them heard me come in.“What are my two favorite men doing?” I asked, startling them both. Matteo stood up and ran to me, hugging my legs. I lowered down onto my knee and wrapped my arms around him.“We are building the biggest train tracks,” Alessandro’s aunt announced. “Want to help us?”“Sure, I’d love to.” I pressed a kiss on my son’s forehead. “What do you say, Matteo?”He eagerly pulled me along, and I sat in between the two of them. Matteo immediately handed me parts, putting
LORENA I was sure if I ran into him in the dark alley, I’d run the other way. He looked like a total badass. “Giovanni and Alessio.” The latter two were more clean cut than Enzo and Luca but still gorgeous specimens. I hated to admit it but these guys were devastatingly handsome. Of course, none of them compared to Alessandro , but they were pretty close. And every single one of them was dangerous. There was this air of ruthlessness about them. They smiled but it was all a facade. They’d kill you just as easily as smile. “And you know Alessandro ,” Zia added, chuckling.“Unfortunately,” I muttered.“You didn’t think so earlier,” my husband retorted with a smug grin, and instantly my cheeks burned with embarrassment. I fucking hated this guy. I really did.Yeah, keep telling yourself that.Although there was a smile on his full lips, I couldn’t decipher the look in his eyes. He stared at me with hunger or threat. Maybe those two were the same since either would shatter me.“Nice to
LORENA Thank God I didn’t have a girl. She might have been kidnapped and auctioned off to the highest bidder.From all the imaginable thoughts and worries, that was the one that mattered the most to me. How could my family do this, to their own flesh and blood? The worst part was that my mother has been running it all and had no qualms sending me to pay our family’s generational debt. Who even does that? It sounded like some bad movie.“We have to run,” I muttered and my heart clenched. Two nights back was all it took for them to find us. It would be hard to disappear again. But now that they knew about Matteo, we were running out of time. I wanted a happy life for him, not one on the run. I swallowed hard, knowing what I needed to do but just not having the strength to follow through.“Yes, we have to run. But it will be hard this time. We need new identities, everything. It will take time, and I’m not sure if we have that kind of time.”I hated my family. I knew my father was
LORENA “We’ll make it seem like a coincidence we ran into Ethan,” I added.“As long as your father is not with him,” Ella muttered under her breath.“I guess if they are both there, maybe we should kill them both,” I retorted dryly, changing my earlier opinion. We might as well go all the way to hell. “God, how did we become this?” I muttered.“We’ve been dealt some shitty cards.” Now, that was an understatement of the century. Our families with some fucked up agreement, offering their daughters up to criminals. “But hey, at least we found each other.”I smiled softly at her statement. Despite all the things that happened, I was glad it brought us together“And that’s priceless.” I meant it too. Ella and I have been through so much; to hell and back together. “Okay, let’s start with Ethan. I’ll put a will in place and have a contingency plan for Matteo in case shit goes awry. Let’s focus on getting some information from Ethan Anything that would hurt my father. And we’ll swipe a few
LORENA “Luca, take my seat,” Alessandro ordered him, barely keeping his anger at bay. What the hell was this man’s problem?Luca muttered something under his breath, but I didn’t catch it. Each grabbed their plates and swapped seats. I caught Ella’s pointed look, as if she was telling me I told you so. I shrugged my shoulders, half tempted to stick my tongue at her.“I’m not sitting on your lap either, Alessandro ,” I told him. And damn it if I didn’t feel my chest warm up and knew blush spread on my chest, neck and cheeks. I hated that my body temperature constantly skyrocketed around him. “So scoot over and bring me another chair.”“ahhh, you two sound like an old married couple.” It was Giovanni that spoke. I narrowed my eyes at him. His tan complexion spoke of his Italian heritage, similarly to Alessandro ’s. Giovanni appeared clean cut, but I could see hints of ink under his cufflinks. Probably a wolf dressed in fine clothing.“Would all of you just mind your own damn busin
ALESSANDRO I studied my wife throughout dinner. There was no doubt; she had spread her wings over the time we spent apart. From the moment I found her, she kept surprising me. The latest revelation about her was hard to reconcile with the woman I remembered. The woman I married. But I realized I loved this side of her too. It would seem there wasn’t a side of her I didn’t enjoy.Lorena was the Ghost. My Ghost, my runner. Massimo was finally able to penetrate through their firewall and retrieve the email correspondence. Massimo worked through some of her transaction history, and apparently, he still has to break through a few more firewalls, so we could track every single one of her transactions.She is the fucking Ghost! I was so shocked I couldn’t even enjoy the fact my intuition was right when I suspected the Ghost was a she.Right now, my first inclination was to deny her a lawyer without knowing what she needed it for.It made me uneasy not knowing, especially as layers of her
ALESSANDRO My teeth clenched, the sound of grinding breaking the silence. I watched my wife dance with Ethan Stone and my fingers itched for my gun. Anger burned beneath my skin, searing the flames to all-time highs. The irrational part of me thundered in my ears, edging me on.Go ahead and smash his head.Red crept into my vision, and it took all I had not to smash every single item in Enzo’s office. The dance floor was crowded and each time someone bumped into Lorena, she inched closer to Ethan. I hated that fucking guy’s guts. My wife looked happy, carefree and beautiful, startlingly beautiful, her hair long and dark even in the dark of the nightclub. The young girl of twenty-one was gone, and in her place was this woman who was sure of herself; she knew what she liked and what she wanted.Definitely not me. It didn’t matter though. She’d get only what I say or offer. And she’ll fucking like it.Too bad she left me three years ago. We could have been good together, spent the la
LORENA And God help me, I might be too because when Alessandro claimed me as his in the middle of the nightclub, every inch of my skin warmed and his burning gaze sent a warm timbre down my spine.I watched in shock, as he used Ethan’s face as a punching bag. I didn’t even know he was in the club.After the lawyer drafted the will, Zia witnessed it, and Alessandro’s attorney assured me it was valid as of that moment. Ella and I rushed to get ready. Yes, Alessandro dragged me back to the States, but now I took charge of what I could do. However little that might be. I had to do something, starting with obtaining a copy of my parents’ will.But this was not how I saw our night ending.I wet my lips, trying to calm my nerves. Alessandro wanted to know why I stole Ethan’s keys out of his pocket.“I need a copy of my grandparents’ will.”I couldn’t come up with any feasible explanation other than the truth. My husband's bloody knuckles reminded me how brutal he could be. Something deep
ALESSANDRO “Play the footage.” The fury was Arctic cold in my veins.3 years ago“Oh my God, Lorena. Are you-” Vomiting sounds came through, followed by throwing up. Confusion hit me. Was she sick? “Are you pregnant?”“I’m done, Ella.” Lorena’s voice shook. I was the worst bastard. There was my confirmation that Matteo was mine. No wonder she hated my guts. She should. I wouldn’t blame her if she killed me; I would let her, too. “I’m done being everyone’s pawn. I’m leaving tonight.”“But your Father-”“Will have me killed, one way or the other. He already controls my inheritance. And that’s not enough for him. He’s going to sell us. We have to run.”“Does Alessandro know about the pregnancy?”A bitter laugh came through the air. “I was going to tell him at dinner.”“You could call him.”“I never want to see him again. As far as I’m concerned, they can all kill each other. I’m leaving and never looking back.”“Are you sure?”“Absolutely.”“Your uncle and the Santos family will hunt u
ALESSANDRO “On our way to an annulment. You know the definition of annulment? Marriage never happened. So please, for the love of God, stop saying you are my husband.”She turned her back to leave when I grabbed her forearm, getting into her face. “You can’t go out looking like that!” I growled low.“You just said I looked stunning. What is your problem, Ales?” she hissed. “Just because you dragged me back to get what you wanted, it doesn’t mean my life stops. I have things to take care of. So please don’t make this more difficult.”“What things?” The moment I asked, I could see on her face she regretted her words.“Let go of me, Alessandro.” She tugged on her arm, trying to get the grip loosened. Her skin flushed and there was a hint of panic in her eyes.“Where?”“Where what?”“Where are you going?”“None of your business.”“One of my drivers will take you.”“No.”“Yes.”“No.”“Yes, end of discussion. Otherwise, you are going nowhere.” I have had enough of her rebellion. “I won
ALESSANDRO “ Her grandparents asked my family if they would take care of his granddaughter in the event anything happened to him and his wife.my Zio(uncle)agreed. Two days later they were both dead. She said she fought Calvino for guardianship of Lorena, but failed. Since then, she kept an eye on her whenever she could.”“Did they die before or after your uncle?”“Her folks died a few months before.”“Is there a connection?”“If there is one, my aunt didn’t bring it up.” Although, I had to admit it, there seemed to be a lot of connections between Lorena’s family and mine. Even without taking our marriage into account. “I think you are right,” Enzo agreed. “Lorena’s value to Calvino was big enough for him to kill and go after the Moravia family if your aunt tried to get Lorena under her protection. Just think, she was the promised damsel, worth millions from her mother’s side and combine that with her pedigree and beauty…”He didn’t have to finish. My wife suffered under her famil
ALESSANDRO Obviously, Lorena had men too. She had no issues taking it all the way. After all, she got knocked up. Jealousy burned through my veins that she’d care about another man so much to have his child. When we got married, she insisted on not having children. It would seem she just didn’t want them with me.Who was the father? I already had Massimo digging for a name. The girls’ passports and Matteo’s were all fake, high quality fake passports.Could we somehow overcome the fact that I tried to fuck a number of faceless, nameless women trying to get over her? Could I get over the fact she had another man’s baby?These were some large obstacles. Not to mention the trust issues we both had.“Did you get the name of the kid’s father yet?” Lorena’s question pulled me out of my thousand questions.“What makes you think I’m looking for the name?”He laughed. “I know you, Alessandro. You are digging for that shit like your life depends on it.”I took a deep breath. There was no sens
ALESSANDRO “How is it going with your wife?” Enzo questioned me. After getting his shipment back yesterday and our dinner, we all went our own ways. We had legitimate businesses to run, and not so legitimate ones. More importantly, I wanted to work on my marriage to Lorena as well as getting a security detail to keep her protected from Santos Snr and Santos jnr and her family.My eyes have been locked on the view outside my window where Lorena played with Matteo and Ella in the pool. She didn’t know I was back home. Her carefree laugh carried through the open window, and I watched her hold Matteo by his waist, teaching him to swim.My aunt, Matteo and Lorena spent yesterday afternoon at the beach. When they got back, they both decided it was time for Matteo to learn how to swim. Hence today, Lorena, Ella, and my Zia dedicated all their day to swimming lessons.“You are doing it,” her happy voice carried through the breeze, amidst the water splashing. “Good job, baby.”“Sì, Matteo.
LORENA Both his hands pushed under my ass and he lifted my hips, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of my ass as he fucked me with his tongue. It was as if he needed me on his tongue, something reverent in the way he was devouring me.“Oh. My. God.” I moaned, digging my hands into his thick, dark hair, his name slipping from my lips as his tongue swirled over my clit before sucking. “Alessandro ,” I breathed. “More. Oh, God. Please.”His deep noises as he devoured me drove me crazy with lust. I peeled my eyes open and met his smoldering gaze, burning me with his own heat. He watched me as he lapped me steadily, fingering me faster and harder, until I was wanton putty under his touch.In and out. In and out. Loud moans echoed through the silence of the night, as I rocked my hips against his face shamelessly. His one hand reached up and pinched my swollen clit, then immediately brushed his tongue over it.“Fuck.” Pleasure rippled through me, my core shaking as my husband conti
LORENA He had on jeans and an unbuttoned white shirt. He must have pulled them on when he went searching for me. Or maybe he had some business to take care of. It didn’t matter.Pushing his shirt off of his shoulders, I let it fall soundlessly onto the floor and his magnificent chest on full display. I pressed a kiss to his lips and closed my eyes, savoring the taste of him, committing it to memory. His heart jackhammered under my touch, matching my own pulse.Nobody before him ever compared. And there would be nobody after him - ever. I trailed my lips over his tanned olive skin, down his neck. My hands reached for his belt, my fingers fumbling with it and his jean buttons, eager to get rid of his clothes. Soon his pants followed the pile of clothes discarded on the floor. I continued the trail down his chiseled abs.He might have been forty, much older than me, but nobody could deny Alessandro had a body of a god. I nudged him backwards. With each step he took, I took a step f
LORENA Giving Ella a side glance, I nodded. We’d be ready to run tomorrow night, after we killed my mother and father. She lifted herself onto her feet, and I followed her suit. Zia was too old to try and sit down at the edge of the pool.“Goodnight, Zia,” she muttered and leaned over to place a kiss onto her wrinkled cheek. It was her goodbye. She left both of us behind as she went into the house.“We both have jet lag,” I answered her earlier question. “We couldn’t sleep.” My lies were bitter. “Matteo had a good time at the beach.”It was my attempt to change the course of our discussion.“He is a good boy,” I murmured, smiling. Talking about him always made him smile.At least Zia loved him. Even not knowing Matteo was Moravia , both Alessandro and Zia were good to him. Once they got their confirmation, I knew without a doubt Matteo would be loved and protected. Zia loved him already.“Zia, can you promise me something?”“What’s that, daughter?”My throat was squeezing, making i
LORENA I headed downstairs, to the pool area where I told Ella to meet me. The moment I stepped outside, the cool September air hit my flushed face. For a moment, I halted my step, closed my eyes, and listened to the stillness of the night while the air cooled my hot skin. If only I could freeze time and leave us in this cocoon. It might not be a realistic cocoon, but it was better than the reality.I opened my eyes and noted Ella already seated by the pool, waiting for me, her small frame sitting on the edge of the pool with her feet dangling off of it.“Hey,” I greeted her and sat down next to her, mirroring her position.Throwing me a side glance, she gave me a small smile. “You look like you tumbled through bedsheets with a certain husband of yours.” Her shoulder nudged me lightly, her tone teasing.I rolled my eyes. “Didn’t you tell me to take advantage of the fact that I was under the same roof as him?”A soft chuckle escaped her. “I sure did, although I didn’t think you’d ta