Zandra Franco POVMy thoughts immediately snap to Xander. I’m equal parts flustered and angry. Flustered because the mere memory of his rich scent or his rough voice sends heat pooling between my legs. I wish I could control the way my body feels when I think about him, but I can’t. It reacts on instinct, every fiber of my being seeking him out like a moth to a flame.And I hate it.I hate it because I shouldn’t be thinking about Xander this way. I still can’t get the image of his gorgeous body out of my head. Even beneath the concealment of his suit, I could tell he was well-built and muscular. Our run-in at the bathhouse only confirmed my worst fears. I was tormented by his intricate tattoos, and amazed by his chiseled pecs, strong arms, and washboard abs. I wanted to run my tongue over every inch of his skin—and that makes me want to hate him all the more.Even though I’m bone tired and not excited to spend my make-up birthday at some loud, sweaty, sticky club with overpriced drink
Xander Mancini POVThe Valentine Club isn’t my idea of a sparkling business venture, but it’s certainly the next step in my series of ever-growing plans. I don’t necessarily want to operate a club, but there’s no denying the revenue potential.I’m not even talking about the ridiculously marked-up liquor prices. I’m talking drugs. The clientele here is the perfect demographic to make a little extra on the side—it’s just a matter of making a deal with the club owner. He gets a cut of the profit, and in turn, he looks the other way—and he doesn’t have to report his earnings to the De Luna since it’d all be under the table.It’s a win-win situation. He’d be stupid not to take it.“Let’s make this quick,” Samuel grumbles behind me. It’s not like him to be so jittery. If I had to venture a guess, it’s probably because he’s afraid we’ll get caught by the Franco mafia. We are pushing our luck by being here, after all, but what’s the reward without a little risk? Leo leads the way. He’s in ch
Xander Mancini POVSamuel huffs but doesn’t argue. Roman looks like he has something snarky to say, but Leo complains—much to my surprise.“Celebrating every now and then won’t kill us, Xander.”I glare at him, more than a little aware of the fact that Sandra has now stepped onto the dance floor and slipped into the crowd. The tiny voice in the back of my head tells me to leave. We shouldn’t overstay our welcome. If Zandra’s here, that means the rest of her crew might not be far behind. It’d be a shame to wash all our hard work down the drain over something as stupid as a celebratory drink.“No,” I state. “Go home. We have too much to do tomorrow.”Roman sighs, shrugging his shoulders. “Fine, fine. Aren’t you coming with?”I swallow, my mouth and throat inexplicably dry. Yes, my brain screams. “I have one more thing to clear up with Luvenko,” my mouth says instead.“Do you need me to stay? Since he thinks I’m you.”I shake my head. “No. I’ve got it. Now, get out of here.”Samuel claps
Zandra Franco POV“I’m so pickled.” Cassandra laughs loudly as Vincent and I help her to the car. One of our drivers is already waiting by the curb, the SUV’s engine rumbling steadily.“Take her home,” I tell her bodyguards. “Make sure she’s got plenty of water and an aspirin at her bedside. I have a feeling she’s going to need it tomorrow morning.”Cassandra manages to give me a quizzical look. “Wait, you’re not coming with me?”“I have some… business to take care of.”“Business? What kind of business?”“Family business, Cass.”“I’m family.”“Yes, you are.”“You need a fucking vacation, Zandra. All work and no play makes Zandy a dull girl.”I roll my eyes. “I’ve only been at this for a week, babe.”Cassandra throws her arms around me, hugging me tight while resting her cheek against my shoulder. “You’re working too hard. What if you have a heart attack, too?” Her eyes start misting, the softest of sobs bubbling past her lips.Uh oh.In the blink of an eye, my twin starts to bawl her
Alessandra Franco POVHe’s a man possessed. I think I am, too. Something takes over my body. Something carnal and feral and downright animalistic. He lets go of my wrists and my hands fly to his hair. He bites down on my lip. His greedy hands grab my ass, hook under my thighs, nails scraping over my skin. I don’t recognize the sounds I’m making, every wanton moan a facet of myself I didn’t realize I possessed.The weight of his body blankets mine, the hard press of his cock between my legs sending my brain into a spiral. I need more, need everything. For a brief, shining moment, I forget who he is—who I am—and the fact that this is probably the worst idea of all time. It’s just so hard to care when it feels so good.“This is your last chance to tell me to stop, princess,” he growls against the crook of my neck. “Because if you don’t, I’m going to fuck you until you scream my name.”I grip his hair and tug backward, licking my lips in feverish anticipation. “Don’t make promises you can
Zandra Franco POVWe lie there together on the bed for a moment. I’m delightfully dizzy, my muscles burning like I’ve just had the best workout session of my life. Everything’s abuzz, the post-sex exhaustion sweeping over me in full force.I don’t fully snap back to reality until I feel Xander wrap his arms around me, holding me with far more tenderness than I ever would have expected from a man like him. When he presses sweet kisses against my forehead and into my hair, I realize…This is wrong. This is so, so wrong.Do I regret it? Of course not. Will I regret it? Hell yes.Because the fact of the matter is I just slept with a man who’s slighted the De Luna’s name. I slept with the very man I swore was my enemy. What the hell was I thinking?“Let go,” I murmur as I hastily push him away. I hop off the bed and scour the floor for my underwear. I find them hanging on the bedside lampshade.“What’s the rush?” Xander asks me.“You don’t have to waste the aftercare on me.”“Did it ever
By the time I leave the taxi depot, it’s nearly two in the morning. My brothers have already gone home, but I don’t mind putting in the extra work. Criminal enterprises don’t exactly run themselves.I walk out into the brisk night, flicking my lighter on and off. It’s a soothing action, the repetitive nature of my thumb rolling over the striking mechanism helping to clear my mind of any lingering thoughts. It’s been a hell of a day.Xander Mancini POVWhen I reach my car in the employee-designated parking lot, I stop short. On any other day, I wouldn’t think twice about sliding into my car and driving off. But something’s… off. Call it a gut reaction. A hunch. There’s a chill in the air, an icky feeling crawling down my spine.I look around. Save for a couple of taxi drivers working the graveyard shift out on their smoke break, I’m entirely alone.I decide to inspect my vehicle, walking around it to give it a thorough once-over. Everything looks as it should. No scratches, no dents. N
Zandra Franco POVIt’s a nice restaurant. Spacious and bright. Nothing at all like those old American gangster movies I grew up watching with Mom Luna Belle—Scarface and The Godfather are some of her favorites. Everything about our surroundings screams welcoming and warm… And I have a feeling this was all Xander’s design.I recognize a few of the faces seated around the table. Lower-ranking lieutenants from smaller factions, their positions afforded to them as a sort of reward for their continued loyalty to the Bernardino. Though their mere presence here today might suggest such loyalty is thin and per formative at best. Xander’s brothers are all here, too, which doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.Xander is the first to spot me. He stops mid-conversation and rises from his seat. “What do you think you’re doing here?”The rest of the men at the table stand, too, most of them appearing shocked. I’ve caught them in the act, negotiating with one of my family’s enemies. I’ve already tak