“Reminding you of your place.”
“What’s that?” she purred as I wrapped one hand around both her wrists.
“My sweet submissive.”
“Never.”
“I guess we’ll see about that.”
She shuddered visibly. “Not a chance.”
“You will do as I say,” I teased, but it was truthful.
She seemed full of surprises, not bothEricag to try to get out of my hold. I continued fucking her in earnest, the force driving her into the bed, the headboard hitting the wall several times. She continued wiggling under me, now starting to try to free her hands.
“Escaping is not going to happen, sweet girl.”
That’s the moment I released my hold, backing off onto my knees, watching as she brushed her hand down her face, her breathing heavier than before. When she rolled over, I slipped my arm underneath, lifting and plopping her down onto her hands and knees.
Anticipation tightened my gut, my reaction to her involuntary, as if I’d known her all my life. There was nothing pure and innocent about my intentions. I’d never tell anyone otherwise, including the lovely woman I was about to deflower in perhaps the vilest of manners. The dark, animalistic side of me had a need to claim all of her, as if the primal instinct was something I’d been born with.
Perhaps that was the case, my entire lineage created from the worst of humanity, developed over time into polished beasts and nothing more. But as I used her long strands for a leash, holding her in place with one hand while I wrapped my hand around my shaft, I knew it was an innate as breathing. Even more so. The truest nature of every man was primal, primitive in every way.
What the woman captured in my web likely already knew was that the greatest weakness in any red-blooded male was sex, mating more instinctual than anything else in a man’s life.
As I pushed the tip just inside, her small cries were ones of celebration to me. I’d conquered my mate. The thought was strange and ridiculous, but truthful, nonetheless.
She clamped her hands around the bedding, gasping for air as her ass muscles spasmed. Every sound she made continued to fuel the darkness and fire until I was out of breath. No longer capable of thinking rationally, all I needed was to pump her full of my seed.
I thrust harder, waiting long enough for her to gasp several times. When I plunged the final two inches inside, her slight scream was a sinful reward. Maybe I was a selfish monster, but the woman was irresistible in every way. As I started fucking her once again, I was struck by the sound of my body slapping against hers mixing with her soft cries.
I held her in position for a while before folding my body over hers, intertwining our fingers together. She was still panting, still shaking as I nuzzled into her neck, taking my time to nip and bite on her tender earlobe. For some reason I sensed her building reservations all over again, as if she’d come to her senses in the middle of our round of passion.
Pulling one hand free, I smacked my palm across her bottom several times until she yelped.
“Are you having doubts, mycherie? Are you worried about what will be said when others find out about our deep connection?”
“Yes.”
I cracked my hand against her bottom several additional times. “You’ll learn that I’m the air you need, the lifeforce you require to thrive. You’ll also realize that there is no turning back. I’ve already claimed all of you.”
With that I pumped more brutally until I could take it no longer. As every muscle starting with my calves began to tense, I squeezed her breast with one hand, twisting her nipple with my fingers until she cried out.
Only then did I erupt deep inside.The woman had no way of knowing she’d just created an entirely different monster.
But she would soon learn.
SelenaDeadly allure.That’s exactly what Joshua had in spades. The danger surrounding him was real and it was terribly exciting. While he was afraid of being alive, I reveled in the electricity, hungry for more. That terrified me as well.The man had been smiled on by the gods, so perfectly created with his chiseled jaw and hard muscles that even now my stomach was in knots thinking about him. What troubled me wasn’t only how my body had betrayed me but also that I felt myself slipping further into the dark abyss of his dangerous world. Meaning I could do even more inappropriate things to keep him from prison.The fact his body had intricate ink in the most delicious places was equally as attractive, a bad boy personified. I had to wonder whether he owned and rode a Harley. I laughed softly, brushing the back of my hand down my neck, tingling from the filthy thoughts that lingered. Even though he was polished, riddledwith understated elegance, there was a rough edge about him, his in
“That women couldn’t be president of the United States given our weakness. When I asked him what that was, he said it was our sex. That we used our beauty to lure men in instead of our brains to beat them in anything worthwhile, including all aspects of business. Then he told me that I would make a pretty good beauty queen and could likely find a decent enough husband. But that if I worked on myself, including spending more time in the gym, I could improve my odds.”“Your father was an asshole.” What the hell was she trying to tell me?She laughed. “Yes, he was. But what that heart to heart did for me was put a fire in my belly. I went on to get a full scholarship to Columbia where I excelled. On the day I had to bury my father, I stood over his coffin and told him that I would be president one day. Then I laughed. I haven’t been back to the gravesite since. But I thank him every day for being such an abominable man. And do you want to know a little secret?”“Sure.”There was somethin
Liam.Mikey leaned forward, scanning the perimeter while he shook his head. “Are you sure about that, boss?”“Do not…” Hissing, I had to tamp down the rage so as to not make a scene. “Do not ever question my authority again. Is that clear?” What I also couldn’t erase from my mind was that my arrival in Louisville had been used against me and against the Voltairs. Was it possible Liam had broken protocol, used the meeting to take out his own brother? Selena’s idea had been well thought out. Enough so a meeting with Liam would flush out his intentions, or so I hoped.“Never again, sir,” Mikey said quietly. “Just a slight reminder that you have two soldiers with you. He has dozens, many of who are chomping at the bit to spill the blood of their enemy.”The girl approached, the arm holding the tray shaking so badly the drink glasses were clicking together as she walked. She could no longer look me in the eyes as she placed the drinks in front of me. Then she slipped the bill down as well,
SelenaDo you remember me? I’ve been looking forward to seeing you again.The words lingered in my mind, the second note I’d found on the windshield of my car haunting, pulling me into an entirely different kind of darkness. Was it possible my past was coming back to haunt me?The terror was real and ripe, pushing me to the very edge of rationality. And I hated it.I’d stood staring at the blood-red script, taking me back to the single time in my life when I’d failed completely. I’d failed myself. My profession. And the victims of heinous crimes. The loss had humbled me, shaken me, and provided proof that I could never be cocky. What was I doing lately? I’d laughed even as a few tears had slipped past my lashes, refusing to believe the monster had returned after these years. But the MO was very similar, the same calling card that I’d heard about from the various cops who’d investigated the scene.The pictures reminded me of the ones depicting the murders of the Voltairs, but there was
Yet the last thing I wanted to do was to call attention to the fact I was standing outside watching whoever it was casing my house. Things like this didn’t end well. Could it be that Joshua had found me? That wasn’t possible. My address was unlisted on purpose, only my boss… Fuck.I held my breath as a truck rolled by, where I was standing lit by the single streetlight on the entire block. This was getting ridiculous. When it finally drove by a few seconds later, I didn’t waste any time, still fumbling but finally getting the key into the small slot. When I threw open the door, I still expected someone would jump from the shadows, but the warmth of my cozy home, including the light over the stove I had left on allowed me to feel a little better.Still, I closed and locked the door, almost dropping the wet bags. I hurried into the kitchen, barely able to get them onto the counter before one of the bags split. Thank God, I caught the bottle of wine before it smashed to the floor.At lea
PrologueSelena“Put down the knife, my love.”His deep voice used to excite me, igniting a fire within my soul. Just yesterday, I could lose myself in his eyes, surrendering to the darkness he brought with him.But not anymore.He was nothing but a cold-blooded killer, a monster dressed in designer clothes and expensive shoes. “Not a chance.”“Then you will die, and it won’t be by my hand. Do you understand?”“I’ll take my chances.”“I can’t let you do that, dear. It would haunt me.”I let out a bitter laugh, tears welling in my eyes. I knew he didn’t care—just like he had no soul.As he stepped closer, I brandished the knife, the blade glinting in the dim light. I could see the fear in his eyes as he jumped back, his anger clear on his handsome face.He looked down at his shirt, noticing the red mark from where the blade had grazed him. I chuckled softly at his surprise.“Then so be it.” I took a step forward, feeling the weight of the ancient knife in my hand. My grandfather had gi
A couple days earlier…JoshuaFear was more than just an emotion; it was a powerful tool I wielded with finesse. It had a way of spiraling out of control, turning dark and all-consuming. But when used skillfully, that paralyzing grip could achieve more than any act of violence before or after a confrontation. I had become a maestro of dread, a force so formidable that with a mere glance or the flash of my eyes, I could freeze a man in his tracks.At least, that’s what I had been told. If only I truly possessed such a gift—perhaps it would save me the trouble of replacing shirts stained with blood. I chuckled softly at the thought as I maneuvered through the rain-slicked streets of Montreal, my destination set for a reckoning.Some might label me a bloodthirsty villain, a thrill-seeker with an insatiable hunger for chaos. But to me, it was just another day at the office, a necessary step to maintain the fragile balance of power in the streets I loved.I never wavered from my mission, n
Joshua“I’m raising the stakes, Shawn. This is a one-shot deal.”“Meaning what exactly?”“Meaning if you win this hand, not only do you walk away with my cash, but I’ll wipe out your debt to those Bratva bastards.”His eyes flickered with intrigue, a glimmer of hope brightening his expression before confusion set in. “And if I lose?”I leaned back, relishing my dominance. “Then you’ll accept the punishment you’ve earned—like a man.”At first, he snorted, but then he realized the weight of my words. “Punishment?”“It’s a fair deal, Shawn. Anyone else would be eliminated for such a serious infraction.”Panic washed over him as beads of sweat trickled down his temples. “I can give you the name of the guy running the syndicate in the U.S. You can have their business.”“Oh, I intend to, Shawn. And you’ll provide the name and all the details I need. What I’m offering you is a chance to keep your life intact. This is a one-time opportunity. Take it or leave it.”He was trapped, cornered by h