I stood in the room I shared with Hollis, pacing the floor. Confusion streamed through my veins. It's been almost two hours since we got back from his family home, and I'd expected him inside the room with me. We needed to talk, to clear out the chaos choking at the edges. To arrive at an agreement, to define where we're headed at least. But he halted at the living room and remained there ever since, with Maxine. I could hear their muffled voices from inside our room. Initially, I thought he just wanted to offer me the privacy of taking a shower and freshening up. Because that had been our routine since I moved into the room with him. So I took a quick shower, changed into a lighter, simple outfit, and sat waiting for him. After what seemed like an eternity, I gave up and started heading down to the sitting room. There was something about Hollis Genovese; he is kind, patient, tolerant, and accommodating to me, at least. And oh, he easily dominates any room he is in. Those were jus
It wasn't until after lunch which I had alone by the way did Hollis finally stepped into the bedroom we share. And, he brought cupcakes. "A goodwill snack." He said offering me a bag containing three monster cupcakes. "Thank you," I said, excitement tingling on my nerves as I grabbed the paper bag from him. He stood firm at the entrance, staring at me. "A wedding won't change a thing." He said, his voice laced with bouts of reassurance that somehow made me feel relaxed. "We'll go separate ways once I'm certain you'll be safe." He added. I sighed, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulder. "Your father seems to be the only person that doesn't want me around you." "Yes." "And why is that?" I asked. "You know why, Ugo." "So, we're not having a real wedding, just some make-believe stuff with false certificates, right?" "We're having a real wedding, in a real church, with real certificates." My mouth fell open. Could this be any more horrifying? "Surely
Hollis never came back all through the night nor in the morning. Maxine was surprisingly around and came up to check up on me during breakfast. We ended up having a fierce session at the Dojo. A session that broadened into Kickboxing. I was super pissed, and it showed in my moves, amusing Maxine as he already figured out the reason for my sore mood. "Where does he go all the time? Why can't he tell me and why can't he take me along?" I grumbled. "You want to go?" That was Maxine. I nodded meekly, too curious to say no. "I'll show you, after the wedding." He said, sparking up a glint of hope in me. "Seriously, you'll take me there?" "No, I'll only show you. It's a club, one of his businesses that he's handling personally because it's new." He explained. "Meanwhile, how are you preparing for your wedding?" He giggled. I shot him a glare that made him tumble over with laughter. "That's literally the only way to convince ol' Genovese. If not, he would never believe it. I just
"When I met my husband, I didn't want to marry him. I detested the very sight of him." Nana plunged into an old tale of her love life when I rejoined them at the pay point. "I wanted a Knight in shiny armor, a real love story like Cinderella and co." My eyes sparked with interest. "He was hot-headed, and love wasn't one of his fine strengths. But me on the other hand, I was a hopeless romantic. We were two opposites. Guess what I did?" "What?" I asked "I humbled him. When it dawned on me that we were stuck with each other for the rest of our lives, I had to take matters into my own hands." She shifted closer to me and whispered. "I seduced him and brought him to his knees. In just a few days, he was a finished man." Nana giggled like a child and I couldn't help but marvel at how a woman like her could have a man like Don Genovese wrapped around her finger. Once we were done at the Mall, we headed to a custom bridal ballroom owned by a top designer who was so pleased to have us a
I couldn't put a name to what I was feeling. A picture of my mother lying over my almost lifeless body years ago kept replaying in my head as I watched Ugo and her mother. "My family is safe too, right?" Ugo asked, looking at me. "A hundred percent," I replied immediately. "I will slit your throat while you sleep if any harm comes to them." She told me her voice was shaking, but it delivered the threat regardless, and I liked that. "Any wife of mine will be protected and will want for nothing," I said, looking over at Ada Chike, "and so will her family. None of them will be harmed by anyone. Ugo is making the right decision, Mrs. Chike." I added, looking over at my supposed mother-in-law-to-be. "Ugo, you're sure about this? If not, you can stop it," Ada insisted as she looked at her daughter. "Mom," Ugo called, drawing her mother's attention. "I. am. Fine. You have absolutely nothing to be worried about. And I will definitely pay you and Papa a visit. Right?" She asked, looking a
"You're supercharged today," Maxine shouted as I emptied the bullets in the 9mm he gave me that morning. Aside from the numerous rooms Hollis showed me, I discovered there were other rooms in the big house, like the shooting range. And I did jump excitedly when Maxine proposed a home defense beginner class. "Yeah," I shouted back. "It would be great to find other avenues to burn the extra charges," I replied. "What do you have in mind?" He positioned my hand and pointed it directly at the shooting target placed in front. "Focus, U." I nodded and paused. Welding the pistol with precise strength, I positioned myself and hit the target for the first time that morning. "Now that's more like it." I bit out with a smile. "Why don't we visit Hollis's club tonight? Have a drink or two. Just some harmless night out." I suggested. Maxine chuckled knowingly, shaking his head. "You can't use me to piss your fiancé off. I'll show you, after the wedding. No one's going to let you through the
Some people might find my method crude and believe it's not how things work. But who cares? As I had anticipated, Ugo didn't appreciate the situation. But I was hopeful that, in time, she would learn to feel a connection toward me. And the physical and sensual part of the relationship I had once sort with her would begin. 'And what if she doesn't come around?' Well, I hope she would because I believe in the sanctity of marriage, in the vow you make to not only your partner but God, it meant I couldn’t fuck around anymore. And with the willful woman I have to live with, I had a feeling my balls were going to either be permanently blue or it would take a while before I would get any relief. But that's a choice I've decided to make. It is also why I’d gone ahead to let my ex-escort suck my dick last night before the wedding as it might be the last release I would get for a while that wouldn't be done by my own goddamn hands. The possessiveness in Ugo's tone rang in my head. I smiled,
UGO A reporter rattled on tirelessly as she spoke about everything and almost nothing. Then she started out another line of news, hinting about the marriage of Hollis Genovese, the son of the wealthiest man in Lilycity, who would be getting married today to the love of his life, whom for the purpose of privacy, they couldn't reveal her identity. "Pathetic!" I said as I watched the reporter blabber words. "Would you like me to turn the television off?" Alessia asked as she fixed my hair. Taking a sip of the wine she brought for me earlier, I shook my head before looking into the mirror. "I don't like my hair looking like old Maggie's hair. Isn't there something better you could do to it? In fact, let's leave the hair down. I don't think a pony would do me any good at this point." A knock came on the bedroom door and I turned to Alessia. "I thought the men left for church already?" "Yes, Nero and a few men stayed back to drive us to the cathedral." She replied. "The rest of the
We drove down a clear road, surrounded by mountains and hills, and then through cave-like closings. "Where are you taking me?" I asked, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. "I’m taking you home, Emmah Landon," Gideon said, and he looked at me with that goddamn devastating crooked grin. "It's Emmah Huxley. We're divorced." I reminded him. "Yet, you're wearing a ring that would stop other men from coming close." He winked at me, obviously pleased with himself. I ignored him. But why do I have a ring on my goddamn finger? Let's see... I'm yet to get over Gideon... Of course not. I just didn't want to be disturbed by any man, relationship-wise. And... Well, and nothing. "This is not the road to my home," I said, my fingers nervously circling around my ring finger. I saw him flick his eyes over to me, and there was something almost predatory in that lazy, easy smile. "It is now," he said. I tried not to look at the muscles in his arms or how his legs were spread carelessly
He hurled me over his shoulder and started toward the side of the gas station where a black car was readily in wait. I screamed, yelled, scratched his back, yet nothing. Well, I might as well be hitting a brick wall. The area was deserted, there was no one to help, and my screams weren't getting me anywhere. There was nothing hurried about his steps; he took his time, and when we got to the car, he threw me in the back seat and filed in behind me. "Drive." He said, and that was it, his driver or whoever that robotic-looking man was, started the car. "How... What are you doing here?" I asked him, frantic. "How did you know where I was?" He didn’t answer right away, instead, he leaned back in his seat and said, "I've been on your tail for the longest time. There is this thing called a tracker. Since you've refused to see or hear me out, I had to be creative." I knew that must be the situation, but it still took my breath away. "You're kidnapping me, why?" I asked breathlessly
Dear Readers, Thank you so much for going on this amazing journey with Hollis and Ugo. I want you to know that I'm forever grateful for your love and support. Thanks for the gems, the comments, and the reviews. If you've gotten to this chapter, then you're such an amazing human and I'm sending lots of virtual hugs your way. You can always share your reviews on the review page and comments on the chapters. I would love to know what you love about this book. My new book, "RUTHLESS KINGS: THE LANDON BROTHERS," will be live soon on the Goodnovel app. Meanwhile, here is a sneak peek of a few chapters of the book. *** *** *** RUTHLESS KINGS: THE LANDON BROTHERS ** ** I'm never one to put a warning at the start of a book. But, here we go... The following book contains characters that might sound unreasonable, offensive, top-of-the-line, possessive and many more. If you consider an unapologetic, irredeemable obsessively-in-love alpha male offensive and unacceptable, you can
I swallowed, somehow having a faint idea of where all of this was going. A slight laugh escaped my husband's lips, and those damn twinkling eyes of his took me in again, like he'd just seen me and he finds me so endearing, and that look alone made my heart gallop. He placed a kiss on my shoulder. Pleasure shot through me and I inhaled sharply in response. Without warning, he threw me down on our bed. I gasped, my heart soaring when he dropped me, then bottoming out when my bare back hit the cool sheets. Hollis grabbed my bodice, and pushed it up, exposing my ass to his view. I shifted my weight back on the bed, intending to work my way closer to the middle, but before I could, he grabbed my bare legs and dragged me closer to the edge of the bed. On instinct, I grabbed the mattress to prevent myself from falling. "Hollis you..." Before I could finish my sentence, his face was between my thighs. My tummy turned over. "Oh..." When he put his mouth in my cunt, I almost
Hollis yanked off my bra and cupped my exposed skin, teasing over my nipples. My body was a complete inferno even before his lips were moving from mine.I wanted him inside of me and the release as much as I wanted my next breath. But not quite as much as I wanted to show him how much I love him and how happy he makes me.So before he could continue his kisses down my chest and toward my breasts, I pulled back, meeting his gaze, making him watch as I went down on my knees in front of him.My hands landed on his knees and slid forward up his thighs. I watched as an expression of surprise and pleasure crossed his gorgeous face.Then I reached for his fly and pulled out his thick, straining cock, pushing it into my open mouth. "Fuck, baby," he groaned, pushing his cock at the base and tracing my lower lip with his thumb. Then he pulled it out and a gush of precum sipped out. "Lick it," he demanded, holding it and my tongue moved out to trace over his head, tasting him, wetting him mor
"I told you, Baby," Hollis said as we made our way to the front door after our goodbyes. "You didn’t need to be nervous." "I’m worried about my father," I admitted, linking my arm through his own."Why?" He asked, seeming genuinely interested as Nero pulled up with our car, and Hollis pushed me in before sliding in beside me. "He seems withdrawn," I told him, shrugging. "And that isn’t how my father is.""Things have taken a sudden turn and he still blames himself for all of this. He thinks he's the one that put you with me," Hollis said, shrugging."He just doesn't know that it's destiny. One way or the other, we were bound to be together. Don't worry, next time, it will be better." He said. "By next time, do you mean my Mom's next birthday?" I asked, my heart sinking a little at the idea. "I meant the next family function," he replied, shrugging. "I believe there are going to be many of them.""You’re going to let me go?" I asked."Let
"Your wife?" My father came closer. "I didn't stutter. You heard me. Yes, my wife," Hollis said in a firm voice, erasing the distance between them. "Hollis..." I called, pressing a hand into his stomach. Sensing the plea in my face or my voice, his jaw loosened. "I'll go get you a glass of juice." He offered. "I'll like that," I said, nodding, giving him my silent gratitude. "I’ll be right back," he replied, squeezing me gently on the hip, before walking off. "I hoped you’d be happy to see me," I said to my father as soon as Hollis left, but I noticed that his gaze followed Hollis until he heard me speak. I didn't try to hide the vulnerability in my voice. I was upset. And I wasn’t accustomed to hiding that around my family. "Oh, my baby." My father called, his anger falling and getting replaced almost immediately with sadness. "Of course, I’m happy to see you," he started reaching for me. "Are you okay?" He asked, holding me tight
THREE MONTHS LATER**UGOGetting out of the the Garden after months of being kept in and guarded twenty-four-seven was reason enough to put some extra care into my appearance. It's been months since I left the confines of this place. There had been dark days throughout those couple of months. Hollis wasn't always around. I knew they were trying to set things straight.But I had no idea how they were going about it, until my husband came home to me with a bullet wound. My heart almost ripped through my chest. But, he insisted he was okay. And that was the last time he ever left me home alone. "The deed has been done, everything has been taken care of." Maxine had said to me on one of his visits.I still miss Castello, terribly, painfully. His memories remained embedded in my heart.Taking a look at myself in the mirror, I smiled. We were going to see my parents, it was my mother's birthday.Of course, I wanted to look nice, not just b
I was having one of those vivid dreams where I killed Hollis again. Over the time I've been at the Garden, I've had various versions of this dream. But they always end with Hollis's death. At times I pierce his heart with a dagger. Other times, it ranges from a gunshot to strangling him in his sleep. The dreams were always ending with my betrayal. My evil to him and the hurt I caused him. As usual, I woke up sobbing. Indeed there was no peace for me. Then I perceived it, his cologne, the one I checked out in his cabinet the first day I came to the Garden. A high-pitched cry escaped my lips. I'm now hallucinating and imagining the smell of fragrances, my situation was getting worse by the day and I'm not even helping matters. But, what can I do? Absolutely nothing. "Baby." I heard his voice and a sharp pain ricocheted through my heart. But when I turned around to the direction of the voice, in the dim lighting of the room, I saw a figure resembling that of Hollis standing