ALEXANDERYou could have felt the energy in the room drop to arctic levels from the moon’s milky orbit as we stood face-to-face with the billionaire mogul that had just a little too much hair spray in his slick, jet-black hair.So much so that he looked like a water seal waiting in line for choir practice instead of the sick perverted new money bastard he was.“If it isn't Stefan Mccoy, I admit I had to think about the name a bit. A little low on the social calendars aren't you?” I cooed, watching the chiseled lines of his face harden until I could have sworn he’d been carved from stone.“Oh spare the compliments Alexander, the only thing low on social calendars is that pretty little wife of yours,” Stefan McCoy jeered, his gold tooth flashing briefly as I felt the ball of my fists clench and shake with subdued rage beside me.What the fuck was he talking about? How had he known about Darlene? Fucking hell, of course, he did, what with the way the tabloids have been carrying the papar
DARLENEAlexander’s mother looked at me like I had just told her Michael Jackson was well and alive, running cross-country in the Yorkshire Olympics.“What do you mean what party? The party I'm hosting in honor of my sons tomorrow night!” Stephanie said, jutting her needle-sharp chin outward with an air of self-importance before Laura leaned over the table, her eyes flashing mischievously so that I felt my jealousy cave a little.“Mrs. McKenzie wants to host a ball at the manor, happening tonight. She wants us to be her angels Darlene,” Laura simplified, and I forced the knot that had gathered between my eyebrows to relax into something I felt was more accepting.“It would be the most exquisite dinner event to hit New York yet! Oh, I simply can't wait!” Stephanie purred, pumping her small clenched fists with excitement and beaming at me as I hastily worked a constipated smile onto my face.“That sounds ...er...lovely, Mrs. McKenzie, what does the mon signour think?” I sputtered, and i
ALEXANDERI watched my brother bite into the full meat of his pink lips anxiously, his form slouched into the driver’s seat as cold air slapped at us from the slanted vents of the air conditioning as he stalled the car in the forest path where we had a clear view of Duke Chabok’s driveway and twenty feet mansion.“Damn bastards must have planned to kick us out from the moment we fucking walked in! Fuck!” Fredrick cursed and I gritted my teeth, wincing painfully.They’d gotten me good when they’d brought up my woman. What was that? Since when did I lose control of my faculties so completely e?I had to be sure it didn't happen again, at least not when I didn't want it to.A deep sigh rose from the cherry pits of my stomach to escape out the lines of my parted lips as I raked a frustrated hand over my head.“We can't go back home without the shipment Fredrick,” I deadpanned, and my twin shook his head like I had just told him that there was a stair to the milky way right next door.I re
DARLENEMy ears rang in the silence that followed after Laura told me what she’d seen on the guest list, the foamy sponge of my brain skirting around the information so that I deliberated a moment before giving the dark-haired woman a puzzled look.“What do you mean you saw Kayla Storm on the guest list? Mrs. McKenzie just said it was by invitation only!” I croaked, trying to tamp down on the heat that was rising in my chest as I felt my breathing shorten to shocked gasps.We’d had a brief tussle in his office, his eyes darkening the second I shut the door so that he pulled me farther into the dimly lit expanse of his office.“What the hell Darlene? What was that? What's wrong with you?” Alexander whispered hotly, his eyes flashing with annoyance as he stared down at me, the hard barrel of his chest rising and falling with a quickness I hadn't seen before.Oh, I knew sure as hell he did not just try to pin this on me! I felt my teeth clench as I marched right up to him, stabbing the n
ALEXANDER MCKENZIEI felt the truck fishtail sporadically, away from the line of guards who had jumped away as I swerved the steering wheel into the forested path, only just missing the beam of my brother’s headlights up ahead.“Shit,” I cursed under my breath, my eyes darting off the road so I could slap the hades music off before I lifted my gaze back to the stretch of asphalt, swerving wildly to avoid the signpost that the car had been leaning toward.Green almond-shaped eyes met my cautious gaze in the rear view mirror as I watched the manor’s security team run into the brightly lit street, with some of the hump-chested men stomping their feet on the granite angrily and the other suit-clad protocols appearing to shout into their phones.We’d done it, stolen the shipment from right under their noses. Duke Chabok was not going to like this, Not Stephan McCoy either, No siree. I could tell the bastard had been gunning to outbid us if his plan to outs us hadn’t worked back at the Chab
DARLENE BERNARDO“I don't mean to sound like a broken alarm clock Darlene but uh, Mrs. McKenzie kinda said to take care of the interior decorations tonight,” Laura chimed, wringing her hands in front of her and biting her lips furtively.And that was how close I was to shooting a damn harpoon needle up my freaking ass!I squeezed my eyes shut, heaving a long-suffering sigh and greasing the throb in my temples again.Workers around the manor were always a hassle. The missus seemed to have a particular knack for picking just about some of the worst uptown snobs, she could find.Dammit, Darlene, what now?I eyed the eager-looking woman eagerly, the itch that had been scratching at my spine pressing even harder now as I leaned heavily against the door frame.Perhaps?“Laura?” I rasped, my chest heaving with shaky breaths as I watched the line of her midnight-black eyebrows scrunch up almost imperceptibly.”Yeah?” The woman breathed, holding her hands to her chest as though I were a doctor
ALEXANDERThe fire from the shipment truck had been slow and climbing at first after Fredrick had flicked the match on the gas trail he made as the lick of flames followed to where it would meet the open tank of the white van.“Get in goddammit, hurry!” I gritted when the maverick began to tussle his strawberry-blonde hair in the side mirror first, instead of trying to flee the scene, as any reasonable man with a good head on his shoulders would.”Just making sure my frizz is still intact,” My brother huffed as he got in and I rolled my eyes, resisting the strong urge to bop him over the back of his head.Damn rat sounded like I was the one ruining his style.“The hair implant treatments not paying off?” I quipped and saw the man’s shocked face whip to me from the corner of my eyes, biting my lip at the exaggerated look of shock on his face, before it fell away and he snickered wordlessly.The din of the explosion sounding out behind us had me snapping my eyes to the rearview mirror w
DARLENEMy eyes moved to the gun my husband was gripping tightly in one shaky hand, gulping reflexively with some measure of relief when I saw that his fingers were loose on the trigger.HE HAD A GUN? Think Darlene! THINK!“Alexander,” I whispered hoarsely, my tongue darting out to lick my lips before I trailed off, keeping my eyes trained on the hand that was fisting the gun.He was walking towards me now, with slow, deliberate steps. Saints, what was I going to do?I felt around the wall behind me as my heart beat a jagged rhythm in my chest as an icy, bottomless terror opened in my stomach.Why did I have to be backed against the stretch of wall with no hooks? Stupid, stupid Darlene!I was almost certain, that this was how I was going to die, backed up against my husband's office wall with nothing to my person but a demure slip dress that did nothing to match my hair, before I saw him place the gun carefully on the table.“Wait, you're- your’e not gonna shoot me?” I croaked as the