ADRIAN "Here you go ma'am." I smiled warmly, tried not to wince as I handed the customer her order of green god smoothie with some wellness boosts to go with it.Good stuff."You are such a sweet young man." The woman, who was probably in her late sixties, smiled back at me, giving my hand a light pat as she retrieved her order.Right? You can never find another sweet smoothie maker like me.Being sweet was part of the ingredients. The main ingredient even."Thanks for sipping with us! Have a berry smoothie day!" I smiled, waving at her as she exited the shop.Immediately the old woman was out of the shop, I turned around, crossing my arms as I glared at Grace who had been cleaning the same blender for the past forty minutes."Now, what?" I demanded, shooting Tobi a deadly glare when he wouldn't stop poking a hole in the poor orange. "For the love of God, you guys, please stop being weird.""Tell me you're a traitor without actually saying it." Tobi hissed, tossing the orange into th
ADRIAN It had never occurred to me that I would one day feel the sorrow of losing someone I barely knew this deeply.Leah, I believed that was her name, was really a nice woman. She was one of the kind hearted people I had ever seen.Sometimes I found myself wondering what made me love her donuts so much. Was it because of how great they tasted, or because the treats were made by someone as special as Madam Leah?I wished she was still here, alive, so I could appreciate her for everything. The reason I always looked forward to the end of my shifts at the Queen's was her delicious donuts. It was beyond doubt that I was going to miss such a beautiful soul."Your mom," I smiled, packing up some utensils and passed them to Gabe who retrieved them from my hands without a word. "She was a nice woman."Gabe shrugged, still wouldn't say anything as we box the rest of the stuff inside the shop.He was grieving, I knew. That's why I stayed behind, helping him in any way I could, so he wouldn't
ADRIAN The sound of my phone vibrating against my thigh jolted me awake. A heavy weight across my chest and waist made it difficult to turn over.I had no idea where I was, surrounded by an inky darkness. The only light came from the faint glow of my phone screen, still clutched in my pants pocket, but it was barely enough to illuminate my surroundings.I had little to no idea where I was, but when someone grumbled behind me and the weight on my body shifted, I suddenly realized my location."Oh no, the donut shop! I'm still at the donut shop... with Gabe!" I gasped, slapping a hand over my mouth to stifle my voice and avoid waking Gabe.I didn't really meant to sleep here. I only stayed back a little when he asked me to. All my plans were to wait for him to calm down, and then go home."Giovanni is going to kill me." I muttered, cold sweats rolled down my face as I gently shoved Gabe off me, standing up from the floor and pulled out my phone.My heart practically stopped beating whe
GIOVANNI Fury seethed through me like burning inferno as I stood face-to-face with him. My anger boiled over, a raging tempest that threatened to consume me whole. Every fiber of my being screamed for violence.I wanted to lunge at him, grasp his throat, and stop him from existing. I yearned to snap his neck severely, to rip him limb from limb, and to watch as he disintegrated into nothingness. The air around me seemed to vibrate with my never contained rage. My head screaming at me to destroy him. To punch him, smash his face until he became a fucking puddle.I clenched my fists, breathing heavily as I held myself back from doing all the things I had been planning to do to him when I finally get my hands on him.It was his fault for letting Dad get into my head and fucked with my mind.The look in my eyes must have scared the shit out of him. Adrian winched when our eyes met, his hands trembling against the bike handlebars."Gio... Giovanni." My name slipped out from his parted li
ADRIAN "I can explain, please." I pleaded, my life flashing right before my face in such a fast motion as Giovanni grabbed my hand, dragging me with him as he walked us to the sofa.I didn't know if I should be feeling this scared since he was my boyfriend, but Giovanni look pissed and I wasn't sure if he still see me as his boyfriend or as a mere traitor who deserved to die.I didn't even do anything wrong, really. I was only trying to be there for someone who was grieving the loss of a love one. It could be me, or even Giovanni too.My only mistake was sleeping off, losing track of time. I wished Giovanni would just fucking calm down and let me explain. It wasn't as if I was fucking Gabe or I was busy doing something hideous with him."You dare ask me to be your boyfriend, and after just a few weeks, you're already tired of me?" His voice seethed with indignation, trembling with restrained fury. Eyes blazing, he shoved me onto the sofa, and I scrambled to sit up, my heart racing f
ADRIAN I was still desperately trying to dull the throbbing pain in my butt, but it seemed like an impossible feat. Every twitch, every shift, every beat of my heart sent a fresh wave of agony coursing through my tender flesh. The sting of the belt, the bite of Giovanni's teeth – every sensation blended together in a uproar of hurt that refused to subside. I had never realized just how sensitive that area was until now, when every fiber seemed to be screaming in protest.Giovanni had released his grip on my battered butt barely five minutes ago, leaving me to nurse the lingering pain and discomfort. I was still trying to catch my breath and process what had just transpired when he vanished into the inner part of the hotel room. The sound of rustling bags and muffled footsteps echoed from behind me, and I wondered what he was up to. My curiosity was short-lived, as Giovanni reemerged with a small, sleek shopping bag clutched in his hand, its crinkly contents hinting at my curiosi
GIOVANNI After going at it for a few minutes, I realized the sofa was no longer enough for us. With a surge of adrenaline, I grasped Adrian's neck, pulling him off the sofa. His legs instinctively wrapped around my waist, trembling violently from the relentless abuse from me.I hadn't intended to punish him that much, but witnessing Adrian cry was unexpectedly mesmerizing. His tears seemed to awaken a primal desire within me, and I felt myself becoming increasingly aroused. It was as if he was deliberately using his tears to seduce me, playing on my emotions to make me punish him further.He begged for it, and I gave it to him.Adrian clinging tightly onto me like he was holding on for dear life as I carried him inside. Carefully dropped him on the king-size bed.His ass was tightening around me, threatening to snap my cock in two. He was such a slut, begging to be fucked senseless after all the punishment.Such a greedy little slut!Adrian shoved back against me, but I pushed him f
GIOVANNI Adrian stubbornly refused to reveal the man's identity, but it seemed he had underestimated me. Locating individuals was second nature to me, a fundamental aspect of our line of work. I had an extensive network of resources and contacts at my disposal, and I knew it wouldn't take me long to uncover who the bastard was.Just a few hours and my boys already found out the name of the man he was desperately trying to protect.I should be pissed that Adrian was trying to protect another man who wasn't me, but I decided to let it go.Once I am done with the fucker, he will learn never to mess with me again.I wasn't the least bit surprised when Dominic revealed that the man in question was that damn firefighter from before.Suddenly, it all came flooding back - how he had persistently pursued Adrian, despite my explicit warnings to keep his distance. His audacity was staggering, and I couldn't help but wonder what drove him to continue pursuing someone who was clearly off-limits.
ADRIAN It had been over eight agonizing hours since I received that frantic call from my brother. The sound of his panicked voice still echoed in my mind, followed by the deafening silence that had left me shattered. I had been desperately trying to call him back, my fingers flying across the keypad as I dialed his number repeatedly, but my calls had been met with the impersonal automated voice of his voicemail. Each failed attempt had escalated my anxiety, my heart racing with every passing minute.I'm not insane. I'm not fucking insane. That was the mantra I'd been repeating since I left home, the words echoing in my mind like a desperate prayer. I'd chanted them to myself like a lifeline, clinging to sanity as the world around me spiraled out of control. But as the hours ticked by, the words began to lose their potency. The silence was suffocating, and the darkness closing in around me was starting to seep into my soul.For real, I think I'm losing my grip on reality now. Th
GIOVANNI Nikola's voice thundered through the empty hall, his phone pressed firmly against his ear. "Where the fuck are you?" He paced in circles, his heavy boots pounding against the concrete floor. His finger bit into his lip, a mixture of anxiety and frustration etched on his face. "These fucking calls keep going straight to voicemail. What the hell is going on with that stupid boy?" He barked, glaring at me. "Got anything yet?""No," I said, groaning. I pulled my phone away from my ear, and let out a frustrated sigh. "The boys can't get a lock on his location."Nikola's anger boiled over. "What about his phone? They should be able to track the damn thing!" He kicked a table, his foot stomping down on it as he unleashed his rage. I watched him, hesitant to intervene. If I stood up, I would be tempted to find something to punch too. But I knew I had to stay in control. Both Nikola and I couldn't afford to lose our cool at the same time."They can't track his phone," I grumbled,
ADRIAN It had been a week since my encounter with my father, and surprisingly, he hadn't done as much as sending me a message or calling my phone since then.I was partly happy, knowing I had finally put him in his place. But somehow, I couldn't shake off the uneasiness that was eating away at me deep inside. Something didn't feel right. My father wouldn't have given up on his threat that easily unless he was up to something. I wondered what he was planning.I should have informed Giovanni about how my father tracked me down to find me at Grace's apartment. I shouldn't have kept it a secret from him.I still had no idea how my father discovered my location that night, and it worried me. What if he had put a tail on me? What if... What if he had been watching me all along and I had been oblivious to my surroundings? What if, because of me, Giovanni ended up in danger?"I can't let that happen. I should call Giovanni." I breathed out and reached for my phone. My finger hovered over
Hi! I'm excited to share my new M/M romance novel with you. Please take a look! ❤️Title: Steaming the RoseGenre: MM Mafia romance Forced Proximity Childhood sweetheart BLURB "I can't do this anymore!" Easton cried, trying to break free from the man who had him pinned to the bed by his throat. ''It's been six years, Ilya! Six fucking years of abuse. When am I going to be free from you?""Does it look like you have any choice?" Ilay smirked coldly. He produced his knife, wanting to carve his name into Easton's heart, so that every time Easton looked in the mirror, he'd know who he belonged to."You either obey my every command, or watch as I ruin every last bit of the reputation you've toiled tirelessly to build. Don't push me too hard, East, or I'll unleash a storm that will render you breathless and begging for mercy and it won't be cute."As a pop star, Easton Reese had everything he had always hoped for: money, luxurious lifestyle, fame, and fans all across the globe wh
ADRIAN It had been over three weeks since my mother was laid to rest, and I was surprised to find that life was slowly healing. The ache in my heart still lingered, but glimpses of happiness began to peek through the cracks. It wouldn't have been possible to get through it all alone without Giovanni in my life.Giovanni had taken it upon himself to be my happiness guardian, and he excelled at it. He went out of his way to do the most thoughtful, random things that would catch me off guard and leave me beaming. Like surprising me with my favorite smoothie in the morning, or leaving sweet notes around the penthouse for me to find. It was as if he had a sixth sense for knowing exactly what I needed to brighten my day.As I thought about all the little things he did for me, my heart swelled with gratitude. I wished I knew how to repay him for everything he'd done, for being my rock, my safe haven. But Giovanni never asked for anything in return; he just smiled and told me that seeing m
GIOVANNI Adrian was awfully quiet as I drove off the property. Although it was already getting dark and the moon was rising, Adrian gazed out the window, his eyes fixed on the passing trees and bushes. He didn't pay me any attention, his silence a heavy presence in the car.Although he had just lost his mother and was likely preoccupied with grief, I was selfishly consumed by thoughts of our relationship. I couldn't help but wonder if I had damaged our relationship by giving in to his request earlier.Should I have refused? Should I have simply said no and taken him home instead? My head was reeling with conflicting thoughts and doubts running through my mind. I was unaware that Adrian had been staring at me, his gaze fixed on my clenched fist gripping the steering wheel, until he spoke up. "Relax your grip on that thing, or you're going to break it.""Oh," I let out a nervous laugh as I relaxed my grip on the steering wheel, stealing a quick glance at him. When our eyes met, I has
ADRIAN I felt an unrelenting emptiness inside, a hollowness that echoed through every fiber of my being. I was shattered, broken into a million pieces, and I had lost all sense of what it meant to be happy. The memory of joy felt like a distant, fading whisper, a fleeting glimpse of a feeling I would never know again.In that moment, I was consumed by the crushing weight of my own fragility. I was a puzzle with missing pieces, a canvas torn apart, a soul fragmented beyond recognition. It felt as if nothing in this world had the power to heal me, to mend the fractures that ran so deep. Every glimmer of hope seemed extinguished, leaving only an endless, desolate landscape of agony.The pain of being in my mother's presence yet unable to feel her was like a dagger piercing deep into my heart. My eyes burned with unshed tears, and warm droplets continued to stream down my face like a dam burst. I gripped my mother's gravestone so tightly that a sharp pain shot through both my palms. B
ADRIAN "Boyfriend?" The word dripped from my father's lips, his disgust rolling off him in waves as he stared at Giovanni in utter disbelief. The punch seemed to be the last thing on his mind; he was incensed by Giovanni's revelation. "Are you dating him?"Giovanni remained silent, his expression stunned as he met my father's hard gaze. Clearly, he had been expecting a different reaction from my father, but the question had caught him off guard.What was he expecting?For my father to pull out his gun from his coat inner pocket and shoot him? "Is it true?" my father asked no one in particular, his voice trembling slightly. For the first time in twenty-three years, I saw a flicker of fear in his eyes as he wrestled himself free from Giovanni's grasp and stepped in front of me.Giovanni made to step closer, but I shook my head, stopping him. I could handle this. "Son?" my father barked, his anger evident as he startled me. He seized my shoulders, his grip like a vice, and shoved me b
ADRIAN I should feel something: anger, pain, hurt, but I couldn't feel anything. I was like a shell in my own skin, unable to feel any emotion. I sat quietly in the passenger seat of Giovanni's car, staring into space as I gripped my phone in my hand.Today is my mother's funeral, and I still can't believe she's dead. Aston had called me last night, begging me not to show up to the funeral service. But how could I not? She was my mother, wasn't she?I should be mad, I should be angry that she didn't apologize for pushing me away before she died. I should be furious that she deprived me of the chance to hold her hand and be in the same space as her one last time before passing away. I should be livid that they all locked me out of their lives, when we should have grieved together as a family.Even after everything they did to me, after everything they took from me, my brother still expected me to stand aside and watch from a distance as my mother takes her final farewell from this wor