AngelinaSonora, Mexico "Fuck! This is not happening." Another waste of perfectly good ingredients. No matter how much training she had undergone, she just couldn't cook to save her life. She had been practicing for months. "Language, mi hija," a beautiful lady beside her clucked her tongue in a motherly fashion. Angelina grinned. "Sorry." She mumbled. "In Spanish, Angelina." The woman beside her kept reminding her every damn time she switched to English. Yeah. Right. "Lo siento, tia." (I'm sorry, aunt.) She nodded in approval. "Bueno." (Good.) "Hacer otro lote de tortillas, por pabor." Okay. -Make another batch of tortillas.- "Si." She had to make sure to repeat the words in her head several times to interpret them in English for her to understand. The breezy air surrounding her made her shiver. It was early morning and she was up, ready to assist Juanita, a woman who took her in at her lowest point. She and her husband, Tio, were the trusted caretaker of a vast hacienda. The
Palermo, Mexico CityTwenty-four Hours Earlier At twenty-seven, he was ready to die. Revenge was bittersweet yet he had accomplished what he had set out to do, his one goal when he found out he was among the living. For years, he had suffered in torment. The dreams. Their cries. His father's dead eyes blurred by tears and blood. He carried them all. Sanity was a privilege. Long had his been gone. The demons crave blood. Plaguing him. Whispering. Tempting. He had served his purpose. He had killed them all. No regrets. No remorse. He didn't know why they had to save him. Dying would have given him peace. "Urg!" His loud growl reverberated in the four corners of his room. He was alone. So alone. Months had passed since he almost died from saving a friend and it was getting harder and harder to recover. He wished the
Angelina This was the kind of peace she was looking for. The tranquil waters, sunlight creating sparkling jewels like diamonds made her inner turmoil vanished. But not her curiosity. People around the compound were busy the whole day. Juanita referred to it as organized chaos. Even Ramon was up at dawn supervising the ranch hands. Odd to see them in vigorous exercise and training. Like on a military drill. And gunshots resounded in the air. Her pulse throb with the sound. Exciting her. She had wanted to join the group but she didn't trust anyone to show this side of her personality. Better for them to get used to her sweet persona. Not the frenetic one urging her to fight or train or go on an adventure somewhere. She just felt so antsy lately. How to pass the time until it was safe for her to go back to the villa? Tia Juanita had wa
Rafael Montero Cartel Leader Demons. He was plagued by them. No matter how much tequila he consumed, he couldn't block the memory of her baby sister crying. Her pain. Her lifeless eyes staring back at him. -When will it end?- Monette. She would have been a teenager now. Fuck! Some big brother he was. He was good for nothing. He couldn't even save her. In the darkness of his bedroom, heavy drapes blocking the outside world, he gulped the remaining contents of the heavy liquor. Though he was feeling the buzz of the alcohol, his mind was on full alert. Too active. Too much. Too many painful memories swirling inside his head. He could do some paperwork to pass the time. But... Rafael squinted his eyes, trying to read the time. Puta
Angelina "Dios Mio! What happened, Angelina?" Tia's frantic voice made her feel guilty. But only a little bit. It was 2 AM and she had to disturb their sleep. That was her only regret. The man sprawled on the kitchen floor was unconscious. Her doing. And she was glad. He deserved it. "His fault, tia. He attacked me and threatened to lock me in a cell. I mean, I already told him you will speak to El Patron about me in the morning but he wouldn't listen. I did what I had to do...." Angelina stopped. Everyone was looking at her in shock. Another lady, a carbon copy of tia Juanita was smiling from ear to ear. Tio Ramon was struggling not to laugh. "What?" Tia clucked her tongue. "As if she needs more encouragement, hermana. Ramon, get some of our men so we can transfer Rafael to his quarters. And prepare a bath. He stinks of tequila." Her nose wrinkled.
Rafael Waking up with a fucking hangover was a terrible way to start his day. The warmth and rays of sunlight streaming from his open windows made him groan. The throbbing pain in his skull made him squint his dark brown eyes on the grandfather clock steadily ticking, mocking him. Rafael stifled a savage curse. Too early in the morning to be cursing his life. Besides, he had a lot on his plate. The first was to meet the disguised angel from last night. He didn't trust her. Like recognized like. She, the Angel was something more. Fuck! He had to stop calling her that. Her name was...Angelina. An apt name for such a delicate face but she was not from the heavens. He might have been drunk when he met her, his intuition though had deemed her as a threat. To what? To his sanity. Damn it! -Who was she really? How
Angelina Later in the afternoon, Angelina found herself in her favorite spot. A place where she could be herself. The dense forests, the calm waters, and the quaint little cottage, a haven she was determined to make her hideout. Inhaling deeply, thoughts in disarray, she tried to calm her jumbled nerves. Did she always have a thing for insanely handsome brooding men? She doubted she had truly grasped how deeply she was affected by him. A challenge. -Is that how she sees him?- Her mind refused to formulate a response. If she did, it will only confirm how she felt and she wasn't sure she was ready to risk it. The path she had made for herself was absolute. El Patron was never a part of it. As she promised earlier, she would be gone in a few weeks. No matter the distraction, she would not waver. From a distance, she watched the man haunting her
Rafael -What devil had tempted him to do this?- He was courting danger and he was not referring to the sparring session with her. His blood was boiling but not from the excitement of the fight. The adrenaline coursing through his veins was from something else. More from his baser needs. He thought the cold morning shower would help. He was so fucking wrong. His blood was simmering once more and he had to exercise utmost control not to yank her to him and kissed her senseless and wiped the smirk of confidence on her angelic face. -Arrogant little minx.- Rafael's dark eyes couldn't keep from hungrily assessing her svelte, supple curves lovingly covered by a spandex sports bra and tights. His mouth went dry and he cursed his stupidity. These types of female sports attire should be banned forever. Angelina's stretching exercise could be classed as one of th
RafaelTwo Weeks Later One last dinner party before the Mafia tzar and his family were set to go back to San Francisco. Women laughing, children ran around the banquet table while aunts and nannies they could finally trust followed their charges with fond smiles. The evening was perfect. He and Maman, his angel's mother finally had that conversation. He shuddered. Finally knowing who she was. A deadly woman that had settled down with the previous mafia king. It made sense when Dinara's father commiserated with El Patrón. Trusting his wife to do the talking. "Are you okay, baby?" Dinara asked in concern. Her mother left him stunned. "Si. God, maman is something else." His dark gaze followed his mother-in-law's refreshing form. "So, she told you about..." His fiancee leaned in to whisper. "God, yes!" He croaked. The details alone could give him nightmares. "And you thought you, Dominic, and Marcus are intense." She laughed. Shaking her head, she pecked his lean cheek and then w
Dinara Of all the days the professors had to call her in, it had to be today. Friday. Reigning in her impatience. She had left Radina with her father at the hospital. They were getting ready to be discharged. She huffed her irritation. She was supposed to be there, with her family. Why the lecturer had insisted she hand over her fifty pages of research in person when she could have sent it via email, the mafia princess had no idea. She was surprised to see Sinclair and Louise waiting for her as she stepped out of her car, raising her brow in a question, she waited for one of them to speak. "What? We miss you." It was Louise who answered first. "The lockdown was shitty. I was sent home to our estate. I just got back this morning." She hooked her arm on Dinara's elbow. Sinclair giggled, hugging her side. "Well, I was a good girl so I remained at the townhouse with my little prince but I was not allowed to get out without tails following me." Dinara rolled her eyes. She could rel
Rafael "Why did it happen, EJ? Liz?" His angel, he thought. "A blood clot has formed three inches above his nape. It may have happened when he was hit in the head. The thrombectomy was successful and the blood vessel has been repaired. This helps the blood flow normally again. All is good, Dinara." She sobbed in relief at Liz's words. "Hey, Arie. It's gonna be okay. Shhhh. We will be with you every step of the way." Her pain made him mad at himself. He was hurting her again, instead of taking care of her. He needed to wake up, let her know he was not going anywhere. Willing his toes to move, he concentrated. The digits twitched. A success! Now, his fingers. Yes! That's it. Rafael had to see her. It has been a long time since he saw her angelic face. His eyes quivered. Light pierced through his eyelids and together his lips move. "Angel..." He croaked. "Don't be sad." He managed to say. His voice raspy. Unused. "Oh, baby!" He was in her arms in a heartbeat. Her warmth and scent e
Dinara Her turn came to be by his side while he lay prone in the hospital bed. She had often thought of his larger-than-life persona. Invisible. Unbreakable. To see him thus, monitors of every kind connected to him, her stomach churned. Rafael lost a lot of blood, he needed a transfusion, and he was sent to the operating room as soon as they landed. He came out of surgery, pale, unconscious, and heavily drugged by pain meds and antibiotics. No. She couldn't lose him. He had pledged his life to her. To Radina. Clean once more, her baby girl in her arms, they watched over him. Waiting. Praying. Days went by and nothing changed. "Why isn't he waking up?" She asked Lizzie and EJ. "The surgery went well. Thankfully none of his major organs were hit. The damage was minimal but he lost a lot of blood." Doc Liz talked to her soothingly. "His body will heal naturally with the help of medicine. Have faith, sis." "He may now be suffering an infection. We will increase his antibiotics." E
Lemonte This motherfucking lord was greedy. He was losing his patience. If only he had the luxury to bargain. But he didn't.They were at a posh restaurant he could hardly afford. He was low on finances. His bank accounts were frozen.And he was still scheming on how to extract money from El Patrón or the tzar. With his bargaining chip, Rafael Montero would surely pay."I need money," he murmured while he sipped his wine.The earl smirked, and he cut into his steak. "Money is hard to come by these days, Monsieur Fauvre."Fighting the urge to correct the man, his eyes narrowed. "Want do you want in exchange?" He had an idea however he was also running low on suppliers. The group of young lords he had dealings with the previous year had laid low."A gentle breed this time. I'm sure you have one in your stables?" The Leader of the House was as cruel as they come. He likes them young. Helpless. That's why they're friends."The last one you rode died." Lemonte reminded."Ah. She was too w
Dinara The room was too bright. She groaned. Her body felt so weak, her tongue so dry like the Sahara. She tried to move but she didn't have the strength. Opening her blue-violet gaze, she surveyed the enclosed area she was in. To her left, she recognized Liz's profile, the rise, and fall of her chest lessened Dinara's distress. But doc was still unconscious. What had happened? The last thing she remembered was her head felt heavy and she couldn't breathe. Reaching up to touch her temple, her fingers tangled with an oxygen mask. She removed it carelessly. Knew she could breathe on her own. Where was everyone? Rafael. Radina. Oh, God. Were they taken again? The beeping sound of the heart monitor became louder as fear enveloped her. She could hear voices outside the room. She tried to get up. Her limbs were too weak and she dropped to the cold floor. "Dinara," Rafael caught her, hauled her in his arms. "Thank God, you're awake." He murmured. "Water," she muttered in a small voi
Rafael"Mommy will be home, soon, little one," he spoke softly. His little cherub was up at her usual time. Tucked in his arm, feeding on a formula, she was gazing at him with her unique dark coffee and blue-violet eyes innocently.Rafael's lips lifted slightly but she would have none of it. She gurgled and grinned and made a cooing sound.His smile bloomed into a real one. "You know how to lighten my heart, mi niña," he traced her brow tenderly, reverently. "I miss your mother." He admitted. "I love you both to the moon and back." Telling her more of his dreams and aspirations for her. For their family. She listened attentively.His deep familiar voice slowly lulled Radina to sleep. Her eyes fluttered close and her tiny rosebud lips released the bottle's rubber nipple.Rafael expelled a heavy sigh. He just came from the hunt. From the Irish mob to the Ukrainians, the Germans, and finally Bosnians. Knew some would follow, and some would plan to bring the tzar down.Dominic was brutal
DominicThe satisfaction he felt while sparring with El Patrón was soothing his hostility towards the man.Well, hostility was a strong word. Irritation, maybe.At least his sister will be married to a man he knew. Considered a friend, too. He could tolerate the man. So long as they don't make out in front of him.Remembering how Dinara gave birth to his adorable niece alone, he growled and kick his friend's torso.El Patrón hissed in pain, stepping back to catch his breath."If you kill him, your sister will break your neck!" Lucifer yelled, laughing while he was taking on bets from the lords.The tzar grunted from the blow to his stomach. He ducked to deliver an uppercut.Rafael snarled, shaking his head to dispel the pain in his jaw. He feigned a left then punch Dominic again in his gut. He made a mental note to strengthen his core. Maybe an hour more at the gym.Fuck! Patrón has fists made of bricks.Good. It means he could take it.Then the real fight began. Their friends were ch
Beau Vasiliy"You shouldn't have been so hard on your sister." She said as soon as he came back from checking on Sebastian.This was her husband's nightly routine that never failed to amaze her.Dominic snorted. He shrugged out of his shirt and boxers, leaving his hard body naked for her to explore.Propping up on one elbow, she studied him. Nothing has changed since their first night together. Her nipples hardened at the memory.Mature Content 18+"See something you like, detka?" He murmured, already his dark gray eyes scrutinizing her form with interest.She had purposely gone to bed naked. Only the silk sheet covering her."Wait. We are still talking about Dinara and Rafael." She reasoned."Do we?" He smirked at her expression at his swelling cock.Beau nodded, however, she didn't stop Dominic from slowly removing her only covering."This is our new hotel, I want to fuck you in it every night that we are here to make some memories. I may even fuck you on the balcony." He muttered l