༺RAYNE༻ “You think you're my mama or somethin', talkin' to me like that?” Keyshia snarls, holding her baby, her face scrunched into a frown. “You think you're better than me just 'cause you got money to throw around? Just cause you paid for my food, bitch?” I shake my head and sigh again, tucking some strands of my hair away. “No, sweetie, I don't think I'm better than you. I know I am. And paying for your food was just me being kind, don't get it twisted. I'd hate to see you get arrested and leave your baby without a mother, even if you don't deserve to be one.” Keyshia's scowl deepens, forehead creasing into a mess of wrinkles, her eyes bulging like marbles. Her skin reddens to a deep, mottled brown. But after a second or two, her scowl drains off and she just chuckles hard. “Well, ain't this a damn miracle? You done grew some teeth, Rayne! Last time I saw you, you were all gums and no bite but now you snappin' like a pitbull!” I'll take that as a compliment. I know I have chan
༺RAYNE༻ Liam inhales a harsh breath and his hand tenses against my mound. I see a vein start to throb rapidly in his neck, his breathing becoming shallower. He pierces my eyes with his and at the same time, his fingers brush against the lace of my panties, tracing the outline of my pussy lips through the material. “Is that what you really want?” he rasps. I nod, feeling my heart flutter and my clit pulse. “Yes.” Is he no longer interested in making me his submissive? Why is he acting like we never had that talk yesterday? “Forget about what I said to you yesterday, Rayne. I don't want to force you to do anything you're not comfortable with.” I go rigid. Why has he suddenly changed his mind? He brings his lips to my neck and kisses me as he slowly pushes my panties aside. His other hand lines with my chest, his fingers gliding to the straps barely covering my boobs. He snakes his fingers under and lifs up the strap around my areola, freeing my perky, pink nipple. A sharp gasp i
༺RAYNE༻ I'm pacing back and forth in my bedroom, my hands on my waist, my eyes staring at nothing in particular. My heart is drumming in my ears and my palms are sweaty. This can't be happening! I'm silently praying to whoever's up there to please let this be a false alarm, to please make me not have to face Liam with this news. It would turn my life upside down and I don't want to even imagine how Liam would react. Kim rushes in, holding what I asked her to get for me. “My goodness, dear! You look so pale. Calm down, will you? It's just a baby, it's not the end of the world.” “It is the end of the world for me! I can't get pregnant! I can't!” The panic in my voice is unmissable. It's unmissable but too bad my period isn't because it's clearly nowhere to be found—just like my sanity! A whole month passed and no sign of it. Mother Nature must be playing a cruel joke on me! I wouldn't be panicking like this if I hadn't skipped my pill one day, if Liam and I didn't have raw, hot se
༺RAYNE༻ Dinner at the Everhart Resort goes pretty well. There's no drama, no uncomfortable silence and definitely no heart attacks. Lucas seems much better and healthier than the last time I saw him and it's nice to know that he's taking care of himself. Sometimes though, I often wonder what he has written in his will. I know it's a morbid thought but still, I can't help it. I'm curious. If, heaven forbid, he suffers a fatal heart attack or he drops them today, who will inherit the empire he's making his grandsons desperately fight for? Will it be Liam? It has to be. I don't know if Daniel and Leo are keeping scores but Liam is ahead of them and on top of the leaderboard and it's not even close. Liam knows this and that's why he's so full of himself. But one thing I admire about him is how he doesn't let that get to his head. He's still putting in the effort, giving it his all, never taking his lead for granted. I'm sure Lucas sees that too. It's no wonder Daniel and Leo feel thr
༺RAYNE༻ It's morning again. I open my eyes and stretch my limbs, a wide smile on my face. This morning feels different, the best kind of different. It definitely has something to do with everything that happened the previous day. And I'm talking about how Liam finally got what he's been chasing for the past week. He was appointed as the new CEO of Everhart Energy yesterday! Lucas made it official by releasing a public announcement and hosting a press conference. The media was in a frenzy, with reporters and journalists clamouring for Liam's attention, bombarding him with questions and trying to get a scoop on his plans for the company. There are even rumours flying around that Liam has emerged as the clear frontrunner and has secured his spot as Lucas' successor, leaving Daniel and Leo in the dust. I doubt those two will be happy about this. Liam, however, has been over the moon. I've never seen him so happy before. He's been on cloud nine ever since, his mood is pretty infectiou
༺RAYNE༻ “So, what's it going to be?” Henry's voice is hard and heavy with spite. His tone tells me he's enjoying this a lot, enjoying putting me in a difficult position where I'm forced to make a choice. My heart is drumming, hammering against my ribcage and thumping in my ears as I think about this carefully. I weigh the consequences of each option. If I don't do as he says, he'll definitely release the pictures and even... the sextape. I gasp sharply and curse myself for being such a fool. A fool for being so stupidly in love that I handed him the ammunition to destroy me and now he's holding it over my head like a ticking time bomb. My staggering gullibility and stupidity makes me want to give myself a resounding slap. I was willing to degrade myself for someone who never truly loved or valued me. I trusted him so much that when he insisted on us filming us while we made love, I didn't think twice. “It would be just for our private collection, a special memory for us to cheri
༺LIAM༻ This cannot be happening. This cannot be fucking happening! Rayne is staring right back at me, peering into my eyes and telling me she doesn't remember anything. She doesn't remember me. Not even her name. What kind of a sick joke is this? “Are you... really my husband?” she asks, her voice soft and feathery. She looks like she's in so much pain and I'm not just talking about the stitches, scratches, her broken arm, the swollen lip and cuts on her chin. Although, seeing her covered in wounds and scars makes my chest tighten with rage. I can see the pain flicker in her deep blue eyes, a haunting blackness that chills me to the bones and scares me more than anything has in a long while. Her frail sight tears me apart and breaks my heart into a million pieces. It makes me want to hold her forever and never let her go. Fuck, how could I have let this happen to her? I take her hand in mine again and heave, “Yes, I'm your husband, Liam. And you are my wife, Rayne.” The pain m
༺LIAM༻ I drive off to the old warehouse in the outskirts of the city where I had strictly ordered for Henry to be held alive and chained up. The minute I pull up outside the outside the rundown building, a cold wind chills me to the bone. But it’s the exact opposite of the seething fury burning in my gut. Marcus approaches me while I’m stepping out of the car. He gives me a slight bow, his lips pulled into a tight grimace. “Welcome, boss,” he hoarses. “We’ve been softening the son of a bitch up for you. We have everything under wraps, no leaks.” I nod and loosen my tie, my eyes scanning the trees around. “You never disappoint me, Marcus.” Marcus is my go-to enforcer when I need to handle messy, off-the-books situations like settling scores, tidying up loose ends and eliminating threats permanently. He’s been working for me ever since I got him out of jail. He’s brutal animal and a cunning sociopath but his loyalty is unmatched. “Take me to him,” I order. Marcus gives me a grim