Her patience snapped. “Move, Connor.” Connor sighed, his tone softening, though he didn’t budge. “This isn’t a good time. Trust me.” “I don’t care if it’s a good time or a bad time,” Susan shot back, her voice rising. “I need to talk to him. Now.” Before Connor could say another word, she sidestepped him and started up the stairs. He reached out, his hand brushing her arm, but she shook him off and kept going. “Susan!” Connor called after her, his voice sharp with frustration, but she didn’t stop. When she reached the top, the door to the lounge was slightly ajar, and she could hear the low hum of voices inside, mixed with occasional laughter. Susan hesitated for a moment, her stomach twisting in knots. Then she pushed the door open. Inside, the room was dimly lit, the golden glow of a chandelier casting shadows across the plush leather sofas and glass coffee tables. Leo sat in the center of it all, lounging back with an air of detached authority. On either side of him were two
“Safe?” she interrupted, her voice dripping with disbelief. “I don't know that you care. I don't know anything about you. Safe would’ve been telling me the truth. Safe would’ve been leaving me out of this entirely!” Her voice cracked, as she added softly, “You wouldn't have pushed me away if you wanted to keep me safe” They stood there in heavy silence, both breathing hard. Her last sentence hung like a cloud in their midst. How could she have let herself come to this? Somehow, she'd fallen for a man without a conscience. A man who didn't care what happened to her as far as he got what he wanted. A man who probably didn't even understand how to genuinely care about anyone else. Leo opened his mouth to respond, but Susan shook her head and turned away, unable to look at him any longer. She needed space—space to think, space to feel, space to figure out how she’d ended up here with him. “What did you tell them,” she heard Leo's voice ask. “Nothing,” she replied as she turned to fa
The familiar tightening at his groin infuriated him, for he had spent half of the previous night in a cold shower after seeing her again for the first time since their trip to Atlantic City, his hunger for her refusing to abate. It incensed him that he should still lust after her to that extent. It didn’t make sense after the way she had spoken and walked away from him either. He wanted to walk away and turn his back on her without a thought, something he had contrived to do with every other woman he had ever known. He didn’t want her to be different or exceptional in any way, but he'd tried to walk away already, and yet here he was. Susan gritted her teeth in the heavy silence. “After our conversation and the way we parted yesterday, I’m sure you can understand my surprise to see you here. Shouldn't you be busy working on something? Or have you forgotten already?” “You didn’t answer my calls this morning,” he replied, his tone even but tinged with frustration. Susan raised an ey
“Oh, poor you,” Susan said sarcastically. “Meanwhile, I’m the one getting cornered by detectives and having my life ripped apart. You don’t understand how I feel, Leo,” “Naturally not. I’m not as emotional as you are,” Leo responded, his voice softening, fascinated by the fluctuating feelings that shimmered across her highly expressive face as fast as clouds in a stormy sky. That he had recognised the depth of emotion that currently controlled her unnerved Susan. The heights and depths of feeling attacking her usual equilibrium and swinging her first one way and then to the opposite extreme were unfamiliar to her and horribly unwelcome. She collided with smoldering dark eyes and her tummy flipped, her heartbeat accelerating. That fast she wanted him with a ferocious longing that she had not known it possible for her to feel. The atmosphere crackled. Her entire skin surface prickled, her nipples tightening into straining prominence, liquid heat flowering between her slender thighs. E
The men glanced at one another, suspicion thick in the air. Leo let the silence hang, savoring their discomfort before standing slowly, the scrape of his chair against the floor loud in the quiet room. Of course he already knew who the mole was, but he also needed to pass a message to his men. “Now I know that I've tried my best to be fair with every one of you,” he said, pacing the room slowly, his shadow falling over each man as he passed. “But I guess some of you have taken it for granted…and for weakness perhaps. Tonight, we will solve this.” He turned sharply, slamming his hands down on the table, making everyone jump. “One of you has been feeding information to the cops. I don’t care why. I don’t care how. But I will find out who, and then I'm going to make him wish he never met me.” Connor, sitting to Leo’s right, spoke first. “Boss, we’re all loyal here. Whoever’s been talking to the cops… they’re not one of us.” Leo’s gaze flicked to Connor, and his lips curled into a gri
“Boss, please—” Vince’s voice cracked as Connor and Asher rose from their seats, grabbing him by the arms. “No! Boss, please! I can fix this!” he screamed, struggling as they dragged him toward the door. Leo followed, his steps slow and measured. When he returned alone fifteen minutes later, his shirt sleeves were rolled up, and his hands were clean. But there was a faint, almost imperceptible smear of red on his knuckles. He sat down at the head of the table, lighting another cigarette, exhaling smoke into the heavy silence. “Now,” he said, his tone brisk, “let’s make sure the cops never get close again.” His mind was racing ahead. He had dealt with the rat, but the damage was done. The cops were on his case, and he needed to find a way to tighten his grip before everything unraveled. __________ “Fancy place for a meet up,” Susan said as she took a seat in front of Leo at the restaurant he'd requested her to meet him at. She'd spent days obsessing about the cops that she though
Susan almost shot out of her chair in anger, her heart pounding. The only thing that kept her rooted was the dozen eyes in the restaurant that would turn on her if she caused a scene. Still, every fiber of her being wanted to scream at him, to reach across the table and slap that smug grin off his face. Was he insane? Did he seriously think she would let him gamble with her life like this, especially now that the cops were probably watching her every move? “You must be crazy if you think I'm going to let you threaten me into doing anything I don't want to do, Leo.” she hissed, her voice low but venomous, “Is this why you asked me to come here? This—this reckless plan is your solution?” Her hands trembled as she grabbed her bag off the table and rose, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. “Stay the hell away from me, Leo,” she said, voice cracking with fury, and without giving him a chance to respond, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the restaurant. ______________
Her brows furrowed as she processed his words. “Wallpaper?” It sounded like a smart plan, but Susan still had questions. She stared at Leo in stunned silence, her arms crossed defensively. “You’re telling me you’re going to use Vince, the same guy who just betrayed you, to trick the cops?” Leo’s smirk returned, though his tone was all business. “Exactly. Vince may be a lot of things—greedy, reckless—but he’s not stupid. He knows if he screws this up, it’s over for him. He’s desperate to prove he’s still useful.” “And you trust him?” she asked, her voice dripping with skepticism. “I trust that he’s more afraid of me than he is of the cops,” Leo said coolly. “That’s all I need from him. He’ll tell them you’re making a delivery of counterfeit bills. They’ll follow you, hoping for a big bust, but when they search your car…” “They’ll find wallpaper?” Susan interrupted, her brows lifting in disbelief. Leo chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Exactly. Rolls of wallpaper. Compl
Leo’s lips twitched, but he didn’t dare smile. Instead, he leaned closer, his free hand brushing a stray strand of hair from her damp forehead. “You’re doing great, Susan. You’ve got this.”The hours dragged on. The contractions came faster and harder, and each one seemed to drain Susan’s strength. Leo stayed with her the entire time, holding her hand, whispering reassurances, even snapping at a nurse when she wasn’t quick enough with the ice chips.Finally, the doctor returned, checking Susan again. “You’re fully dilated. It’s time to push.”Susan’s heart raced. She looked up at Leo, fear flickering in her eyes.“You can do this,” he said firmly, his hands cradling her face for a moment. “I’m right here.”The room transformed into a flurry of activity. Nurses positioned themselves, the doctor gave instructions, and Susan braced herself.“Okay, Susan, with the next contraction, I need you to push,” the doctor instructed.The pain was overwhelming, but Susan gritted her teeth and pushe
An hour later, Leo’s men drove Vince, unconscious, to an abandoned warehouse on the edge of town. They positioned him in a chair surrounded by stacks of counterfeit bills, the bag of drugs on the table, and the pistol in his lap.Leo observed every detail, ensuring there was enough evidence to connect Vince to the stolen money and illegal activities. He even had Connor take pictures of the setup to send to an anonymous tip line.“Make sure it looks like he was working alone,” Leo instructed. “The last thing we need is this tying back to us.”Asher nodded and set about wiping down any trace of their presence.Once everything was in place, they made the call to the police, disguising their voices as concerned neighbors reporting suspicious activity.Hours later, Leo sat alone in his study, a glass of whiskey in hand as the news played on the television. The headline read: “Local Man Arrested in Connection to Counterfeit Money Operation.” Vince’s mugshot appeared on the screen, his face
There was a brief pause on the other end before Asher replied, “Understood. We’ll keep him... comfortable until you arrive.”Leo ended the call without another word, slipping the phone back into his pocket. He downed the last of his whiskey, the burn of it barely registering as his mind focused on what needed to be done. Vince had made a fatal mistake, and Leo was about to remind him—and everyone else—why crossing him was a mistake no one survived. He'd let Vince go the first time, and now he was going to finish the job. He flicked the cigarette over the balcony railing, watching the ember fall until it vanished into the night. He turned toward the door, ready to head inside, when he froze at the sight of Susan standing there. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her eyes were filled with anger and something else—disappointment.“How long have you been standing there?” he asked, his voice flat, though his jaw tightened.“Long enough,” Susan snapped, stepping onto the balcony. Th
Asher hesitated for a split second, then gave a curt nod. “Understood.”Without another word, Asher turned and left the room, closing the door behind him. Leo sat in silence for a moment, his thoughts swirling. Susan’s rejection, Abruzzi’s attack, Vince’s betrayal—it was all fuel for the fire already raging inside him. He glanced at the gun in his hand, then set it down carefully on the table.His empire was under attack, and Leo Spencer wasn’t the kind of man to let that go unanswered. The game had just changed, and he was going to make sure everyone involved understood one thing: no one crossed him and got away with it.____________The muffled thud of footsteps echoed in the dimly lit parking lot as Asher and Connor moved quickly, their eyes scanning the deserted space. Vince was leaning casually against his car, a cigarette dangling from his lips, utterly oblivious to the trap closing in around him.“Stay sharp,” Asher whispered to Connor, his hand resting lightly on the gun holst
The routine was the same every morning—he’d come in, announce he was leaving, and then disappear for the day. It irritated her to no end, and today, the irritation boiled over.“Got it. Please leave,” she said bluntly, pulling the duvet up to her chin as if to shield herself from his indifference.Leo frowned, his calm demeanor cracking slightly. “Excuse me? I’m only trying to be helpful.”Susan let out a humorless laugh. “Helpful? This is helping? Leaving me here every day while you run off to your club to play crime boss? Doing things that could put you in danger… How exactly is that supposed to help?”Leo’s eyes narrowed. “I’m surprised you care so much about my safety,” he retorted, his tone sharp.“I don’t,” she shot back, throwing the duvet off her legs. She swung her feet to the floor, determined to storm past him, but her body betrayed her. Moving was harder than she’d anticipated, and she struggled to push herself up.Before she could protest, Leo was at her side, his hands f
“So... when do you think we should tell Susan about us?” Samuel asked as he casually buttoned up his shirt.Caroline froze mid-motion, his question hitting her like a ton of bricks. She turned to stare at him, her expression a mix of shock and incredulity, as if he’d just suggested something completely absurd. “Why would we tell her anything?” she asked, her tone sharper than she intended.Samuel frowned, clearly caught off guard. “Why wouldn’t we?” he countered, his voice tinged with confusion.Caroline turned away, unable to meet his eyes. She felt her pulse quicken as she muttered, “Because there’s nothing to tell.”For a moment, Samuel stood there, stunned into silence. But as her words sank in, the weight of what she was saying hit him hard. He recognized this feeling—an ending he hadn’t been prepared for. And if it was going to happen, she’d have to face him when she did it.He crossed the room in a few swift steps and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders, gently but insiste
He didn’t know how to process the ache twisting in his chest. He wanted to hold her, to wipe away her tears, but his own frustration and hurt held him back. Instead, he stepped away, his expression unreadable.After a long, heavy pause, he said, “Will you at least consider moving in? Just until the baby comes. You shouldn’t be alone during this last month. After the birth, you can find your own place when you’re ready.”She hesitated, the thought of being alone during labor and the final stretch of her pregnancy weighing heavily on her. She didn't want to be alone. Finally, she nodded. “Okay. Until the baby comes.”“Good,” he said curtly. “I’ll have my driver take you home. You should start to pack your things tomorrow.”Without another word, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving Susan standing there, her arms wrapped protectively around herself, tears streaming silently down her cheeks._______________Samuel felt warmth and soft against him. He shifted his weight toward the
Susan stepped closer to the crib, running her fingers over the smooth wood. “This must have taken so much time. I didn’t even know you were doing this.”“I wanted it to be a surprise,” he said, moving to stand beside her. He rested a hand lightly on her lower back, his touch grounding her as she took it all in.Susan turned to him, her heart full. “Leo, this is the most thoughtful, amazing gift anyone has ever given me.”His lips curved into a small smile, his eyes softening as he looked at her. “I just wanted you to know that I’m all in, Suzy. For this whole parenting thing. I want to give it a try… And do it right.”She didn’t know what to say, so she simply stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly. “Thank you,” she whispered into his chest.Leo held her close, resting his chin lightly on her head. That close to his lean, powerful body, Susan could smell the distinctive scent of his skin, an intoxicating mixture of citrus overlaying husky male, and as she
“You didn’t have to get me anything,” he said softly, though there was a flicker of curiosity in his expression. “You're already giving me enough,” Susan shrugged lightly, sitting back down in her armchair. “I wanted to. Just open it.”Leo pulled at the ribbon, unwrapping the paper with surprising care, as if he wanted to savor the moment. When he lifted the lid of the box, his expression froze for a second before softening.Inside was a sleek wristwatch—silver with a black leather strap. The minimalist design was elegant but not ostentatious, exactly his style. Beside it, nestled in a small compartment, were cufflinks engraved with his initials: L.S..For a moment, Leo said nothing, his eyes fixed on the gift. Susan began to fidget, suddenly unsure of herself. “I wasn’t sure if you’d like it,” she said quickly, her voice tinged with nervousness. “I just thought… well, you always wear cufflinks when you're dressed all ‘bossy’ you know, and I noticed you liked them so—”“I love it,” L