stepped out for just a minute to take a private phone call, and then Lucas had wanted to know progress, which had turned into him berating him for fucking failing.Staring at Leon, he knew he was in for a world of pain. The man removed his jacket and started to roll up his sleeves. “I’m not going to fight you,” Johannes said.“That’s assuming you will get any hits in.”He didn’t want to fight her father. “It was all a mistake,” he said.That didn’t stop Leon from advancing toward him. Hitting Laura’s father wasn’t going to fix anything.“Mr. Horowitz, I suggest we go in and talk.”“Do you think I will have anything to talk to you about after what I just heard?” Leon charged at Johannes, but he didn’t put up his fists or block any of the hits.He took each blow.Leon wasn’t hitting lightly. He was angry, and Johannes understood the rage. TJohannes couldn’t believe Laura heard his father! Leon hadhe hits sent him to the ground.“Get the fuck up.”He expected Leon to hit him while he w
Johannes looked at Laura, and each time one of them called the kids bastards, she got angrier. That was good. His wife was a fighter.She wasn’t going to be taken out easily.He hoped Phillip had underestimated her.“Do you think it was hard? Lucas didn’t even know I existed. He already had his main son. The heir. His pride and joy. I was … nothing to him. He didn’t even see me when I stood in a room with him. It wasn’t hard to figure out I could learn everything I needed to by just being in the right place and right time. The men would come with their whores, and they would ask him to fix it. So he did. If she didn’t have an abortion, or was too far gone to, Lucas made sure the baby was taken, and I found out where. Sometimes the kids were put in foster homes, but like the case of little Stuart, he was hurt, left, and abandoned. It was a coincidence that day that you found him, you know, but I have a feeling that is what led to the Augustus Horowitz alliance.”Phillip glared at Johan
It all sounded so nice and neat, and peaceful.Lucas told him to sign the papers and that he’d have another wife lined up for him soon.Johannes refused. Laura was his wife.Besides, there was always a risk she could be pregnant. He wasn’t being an asshole, but he considered all the times he’d fucked her, and it wasn’t a lot, but it only took one time. He hadn’t used a condom.He hadn’t used anything. He’d felt her precious virgin pussy wrapped around his dick, and he had spilled his fertile spunk inside her.Johannes didn’t know how much time he had to wait, but he was hoping soon. Refusing to give his father the papers was causing some issues. He didn’t want a proper wife. He wanted Laura back.“Great detective work.” Johannes placed his fingers to his forehead and saluted him.“Don’t be a dick,” Cash said. “It doesn’t suit you.”“Oh, come on, it’s because I’m a dick I’m in my home, alone.” The same home he’d shared with Laura for a few weeks. They had divided their time between thi
She was lucky, though.They had all banded together to make this work. She’d overheard the kids talking one night that if they didn’t help her out or make this work, there was a chance they’d all be taken away. She wasn’t sure if that was accurate, but according to her father when she asked him, there was always a chance that if it didn’t look like things were working out, social workers, the police, and just about anyone else, could step in and take them away from her.Laura couldn’t allow that. She loved these kids. They were hers, and she was going to give them the best damn chance she could.With the kids in school, she often drove home and did a mad dash around the house, cleaning and putting everything neatly. She’d spend a short time studying as she’d taken up her classes again, and with her dad’s help, she’d arranged for all her work to be done from home. The lectures were already recorded, so it wasn’t so hard to watch them. If she didn’t get a chance during the day, when the
“You know they can print and sign some more. The process can begin again.”“And they’ll all meet a fire, Kyle. I’m not divorcing my wife.” “Why not?” Kyle tilted his head to the side.Johannes debated lying, or making up some bullshit, but that had gotten him into trouble with Laura, and he wasn’t going to make the same mistake again.“I love her, Kyle. I’m in love with her and have been for a very some time now, but I fucked up. I made mistakes, and Laura believes the worst of me, but I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I want to help raise you guys. I want to be a … father to you all, or a friend, or whatever you guys need.”Kyle nodded. “I knew it. I knew you weren’t a bad guy, that shit just got out of hand.”“Language. I will tell Leon that you need grounding if you continue.”He chuckled. “How about, you don’t tell Grandpa about my language, and I don’t tell him that you were thinking of sneaking into his daughter’s bedroom.”“That is a deal, but don’t forget, Laura is
Johannes already had a big ego, although she wasn’t really seeing it of late.They had been living with each other for a week. She’d expected him to be gone within three days. Johannes took over from the guard and Billy, driving the kids to the three different schools.He was always awake at five thirty, and they had been ready for breakfast on time. Each morning, he rounded up the kids, helping with buttons, hair, and collecting all their homework. After a braid disaster, he did stop helping the girls with their hair. Laura had to unknot their hair. Laura couldn’t even understand how he’d been able to make it so bad, but this was Johannes, and well, he clearly knew what he was not good at. The dishes were always done before they left for the school trip. Each morning, he fist-bumped the boys, telling them to have an amazing day. The girls kissed his cheek, and he told them the same, but added to kick all guys in the balls.Laura tried to talk to him about that, but he wouldn’t have a
WinonaThe blood on his hands turned the water red as he washed them. The white porcelain sink blurred with the pink and red ribbons of someone else’s life.“HJ,” I whispered.He jumped, the muscles in his back rippling as he tensed. His dark head of hair was dripping wet, and as it shot up, droplets of water sprayed everywhere. Those black eyes solidified into a stone-cold stare when he looked at me in the mirror. “Why are you back here?”“I had to pee. It’s not like I don’t come back—”“Get out!” He delivered the command as swiftly as a sword slicing its enemy down.I stood my ground. We still weren’t friends. We were barely acquaintances at this point. He’d ignored me too many times for that and had acted as though I didn’t exist for the past couple of weeks. And in those weeks, I’d almost slept with another man, one I knew could keep me content.Yet I wanted only HJ.“Winona, you need to leave.” His voice rumbled out low in warning.I should have left like he asked me to. If he di
WinonaMonths went by, and Daddy got worse.I wrote HJ every week, not sure if he was reading my letters and not really caring at all. The outlet was there, and I needed it.HJ,We celebrated my seventeenth birthday at Dad’s bedside. He sang softly to me before I sang him a lullaby and tucked him in that night.He winces in pain a lot more these days, and I’m not sure how to get better care for him.I’ll find a way, WinonaPS Cleopatra supposedly was not beautiful but smart enough to marry some of her political allies. PPS I’m also reading Edgar Allan Poe. He seems to know darkness and pain better than anyone else. I need a friend like that.A daughter’s love made me do what I had to do. I tracked down a suited man’s son in school.Jared let me into his home. He let me into his bed, too.Weeks of my father in pain went by, and I begged Jared’s father for money. The man’s slimy gaze trailed my body over and over again. I started to learn the looks, the sly brushes of his hand, and the
HJMen aren’t built like women. Or at least, not like Winona.We could never read emotions as well, navigate a room as well, or know someone else’s next move like her. She didn’t play chess. She dominated it. It was like sittingacross from your opponent and realizing they had all queens lined up instead of pawns.The fight wasn’t fair.We all knew that. Sebastian most of all. He knew he was surrounded by family that was supposed to protect him but that would protect her instead. She’d outmaneuvered him and the family with a love she didn’t even express.Dante trained her, and Carlos talked with her when he wouldn’t open his mouth to anyone. And I slept next to her like a cub trusting a lioness.We respected Sebastian as the king of the family.But we loved Winona.In the family, men aren’t supposed to get close to any woman unless we claim them as our untouchable. None of us had claimed her; none of us had claimed anyone. We’d all been without that love, sailing through life complete
WinonaMaybe I should have been concerned about the red stains on my hands as Dante filed in with their cleanup crew. I’d seen a few of them before, but they were nameless associates of our family, ones I’d probably never see again unless they proved theirworth.Had I proved my worth tonight or lost it all? And what was there to prove to a family that wasn’t mine? If Georgie was right, if he wasn’t lying, I belonged on the other side of the tracks.My heart didn’t rush when HJ mumbled that Sebastian would be furious. We stood at the elevator doors, HJ with his hat on and my hood back up for no good reason. The cleanup crew would be calling the police later tonight to have them wipe the cameras.In this city, we were protected.As the elevator door pinged, HJ walked in and then turned to me, black fire licking through his eyes. “Get in the elevator, Winona.”He’d almost told me he loved me in that car, and I’d been ready to drive off into the sunset with him. Now, could I love him kno
Winona “You’re kidding me, right?”“What do you mean?” I tightened my ponytail. Earlier today, I’d gotten so bored, I’d disguised myself well enough that I could go to a little shop around the corner. HJ hadn’t exactly said I could leave his place, but he had said he was finally taking me out tonight.That called for celebration. The closest store was eccentric, and I was all about it. They had knockoff clothes and secondhand items, but it was someplace to go where I knew I wouldn’t be seen.“We’re not going anywhere with you dressed like that.” He pointed at me accusingly, as if my outfit was completely ridiculous.I had to admit, it was different. The latex fit every nook and cranny of my body like a glove. I was actually surprised it wasn’t custom made for me. To say I was proud of the rare find was an understatement. “This is perfectly legit for whatever we have to do tonight. I’m wearing combat boots and a dark outfit. It’s the best way to hide in the shadows.”“You’re wearing a
WinonaHe’d left a note for me that morning.Notes weren’t my thing.Not anymore.I’d only ever gotten two. One from HJ telling me he’d never write me again—which was ironic now that I held another one of his notes in my hand—and the other . . .The other one was from the only other person I’d ever loved. It was a bad one, a deadly one. One that made me want to lie down and die with him.My mood soured. The man better wake me up next time he was going to leave me for hours on end.Plus, the note wasn’t even good. There weren’t any hearts or balloons or our names scribbled next to each other.I’LL BE BACK in a couple hours. The cabinet next to the bookshelf has food.HJPS Do you think Cleopatra was ever kidnapped?PPS Books written by Poe are on that shelf if you want to read.BY FOOD, he meant granola bars and apple juice. My stomach growled in protest when I’d eaten three and still felt starved.When I heard footsteps in the hallway, I sat up in the bed. I chucked one of the bars at
HJI left her to get breakfast, to get my bearings, and to get intel on the fact that I was sleeping with the heiress to the Russian mob.Carlos had already pulled intel from Georgie’s phone, and he called both Sebastian and I aboutit that morning. “Well, there’s a lot more information than I wanted in here.”Sebastian grumbled into the phone, surely tired from lack of sleep. “Is there information on where the fuck Winona’s at?”“We’ve got everyone out looking,” I said, lying through my teeth. I hadn’t looked at all last night.“Dimitri took her. It’s obvious from the communications,” Carlos announced. “I’ve got— I think we need to meet to discuss this.”Carlos was always worried about tapped phones. We were intelligent enough to have people within the FBI bury our conversations. We switched out phones too. Still, you could never be too careful, and I was sure Carlos had the information I needed, information that would start a war I wasn’t sure I was ready to participate in.I foun
WinonaI came to, and the first thing that hit me was a migraine from the chloroform hangover.I didn’t move. Waking up as a captive and waking up next to an angry, violent lover were very much the same.I relaxed my body and kept my breathing slow. I listened for any sound—voices, TVs, footsteps, traffic outside; any clue that could tell me where I was.I lay across a cushioned surface that felt much like a leather couch, and some cloth was draped over my body. I felt the tulle of my dress still wrapped around me, but the knife that should have dug into my ribs was gone.My kidnapper had wrapped me in a blanket and laid me on a couch? Left me dressed? It seemed they’d be playing nice once they knew I was awake.With just the sound of cars in the distance, I knew we must still be in the city, but whoever was with me, they weren’t giving much away. No one talked or walked around, and I couldn’t smell anything except . . . a hint of metal mixed with aftershave, like he’d washed away the
HJThe warm candlelight flickered on the face of every man watching Winona too closely as we walked back in. I wanted to leash her and drag her from the gala. Yet no wild animal like her was meant to be tamed. I only got that privilege when I was making her moan my name.She glanced at my watch. “It’s probably time for you and me to go our separate ways.”“As long as they intersect at some point later on,” I mumbled as I nodded and started to back away from her.Her dark cat-eye makeup had smudged around her misty gray eyes, and her hair wasn’t bone straight anymore. The wave that broke through her ponytail was a sign of the heat that had passed between us before. That look of dishevelment only worked in her favor. As the music swayed the guests, her presence mesmerized them. For the next hour, I watched her bounce around while hungry eyes tracked her movements.I should have been satisfied. We’d settled on the fact that her place wasn’t with Sebastian. He’d agreed to let her go, a
WinonaMen, by nature, had to be stupid. I was sure of it.Sebastian had given me numerous lectures about not leaving his side, as if I were a sheep, only accustomed to being herded.I played the role well enough and nodded at his requests. Then I promptly faked having to pee.He didn’t even question me.Women should have been leading the world, not men.It took one coy look Georgie’s way and a lift of an eyebrow for him to excuse himself. He knew better than to draw a crowd. He wanted time alone; he wanted an explanation.He wanted me.I strode out onto the balcony. The wind chilled me, and the night air washed over me like a calm before a storm. The stars from this far out of the city shone brighter, louder, and more vividly.The cool cement railing was just thick enough to allow me to lean on it and really peer up into the night, get lost in the darkness of it all. This was the place I felt most at home, surrounded by nothing but myself in a fine outfit, bathed in ink-black shadows
HJShe wore the dress.It was like the devil himself wanted a damn show and had wrapped her up, helped her get ready, and served her to all of us that night. He was laughing in hell right now. I could almosthear his cackle.She strutted in on Sebastian’s arm. Regal, fuckable, mesmerizing. That dress was a waterfall over her legs, but every curve of them was visible. The beads shimmered under the crystal chandelier light, and her dark stiletto heels elongated her stride down the carpet.I tensed as she looked up at Sebastian and smiled adoringly. It may have been a show, it may not have been.Either way, it didn’t matter.The back of her bound up by that black-as-ink ribbon and the way her ass flared out from her waist, I heard some of the men visibly moan.Fucking breathtakingly beautiful.Feathers and beads and black strings had been wrapped around the most dangerous woman here. The mob and the government were watching. Everyone wanted her for different reasons, but we’d all take