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2024-10-29 19:42:56Joshua
“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 his own desperation. After a brief moment of hesitation, he nodded, acceptance dawning on him.
As the final cards were dealt, a flicker of satisfaction crossed his face. “Full house!” His men cheered, eager to celebrate with shots.
Normally, I’d bask in the glory of a win, but today was different. Maybe I needed a break—a tropical escape. Mikey even suggested I could use some “stress relief,” a comment only he could make without consequence.
I glanced at my cards, sliding them down carefully, then allowed Shawn a second glance before revealing my hand. “Straight flush.”
In an instant, all color drained from his face. He shot up from the table, two of his goons instinctively reaching for their weapons.
“You fucking cheated!” he yelled, rage taking over.
“Time for your punishment.” I rose slowly, pushing back my chair before pocketing the cash on the table.
“This is bullshit! You can’t just waltz in here and act like you own the place.”
“Erica owns this bar, Shawn. You know that. And you know the saying: you play, you pay.” Just then, the door swung open, and another Clinton soldier stepped inside—clearly sent by Shawn’s father to maintain order.
“Mr. James. Is there any way I can assist?” the soldier inquired.
“What the hell is this?” Shawn shouted.
I exchanged a glance with Mikey, signaling him to reveal the knife he’d brought along. This lesson needed to stick—no mere band-aid fixes for betrayal. It had to leave a lasting impression.
The Clinton soldier seized Shawn’s wrist, slamming his hand onto the table.
Amid his confusion and rising paranoia, Shawn hurled threats my way. I was used to that; a week wasn’t complete without at least one threat against me.
“You won’t get away with this!” he shouted, struggling against the grip of his own man.
“Shut up, Shawn. Your father agreed.”
The weight of that revelation hit him like a freight train, draining the color from his face once more. I moved toward the door but paused just before stepping out. “You will have one of your men email me the information I requested. And because I’m a fair man, I’ll have a word with the Pakhan about reducing your debt.”
Mikey raised his head, awaiting my signal. When I held up two fingers, he understood what came next. I wasn’t going to leave Shawn completely crippled; that was the arrangement we had with his father.
But there would be no mercy beyond that.
As I stepped into the night, a chilling thought crossed my mind: What if Shawn wasn’t the only one with secrets worth exposing? A trip to the States was inevitable, and I could already sense the thrill of the hunt. I’d indulge in a little R&R along the way—after all, the game was just beginning.
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The Night He Owned Me 4
“I honestly don’t see the point in continuing this conversation,” I said, trying to sound casual despite the turmoil inside. As a seasoned prosecutor, I had faced some of the toughest cases in Louisville, and dealing with this arrogant jerk was turning out to be easier than I expected. I wanted to feel something—anything—after spending nearly six months with Matt, but the truth was, I felt nothing at all.Surrounded by the lavish wedding reception of my best friend, I was getting dumped, and all I felt was exhaustion. Maybe there was something inherently broken in me that made it difficult to form genuine connections.“You don’t have anything to say?” Matt laughed, a hint of mockery in his voice.“What do you want me to say? I might’ve had a bit too much champagne, but you’re the one breaking up with me. Did I miss the memo? Oh, let me guess: you chose to call me during the wedding festivities for a reason.”“I’d like to hear that you’re upset. That you wish we could talk this through
The Night He Owned Me 5
SelenaThe sting of betrayal was sharper than I expected.It was hard to admit, but there it was. I never considered Matt to be “the one,” yet I had enjoyed our time together. With my busy life, it had been nice knowing that on a Friday night, I could spend a few precious hours exploring the countryside, savoring a nice dinner, planning a weekend getaway, or just staying in to binge-watch old movies.And now I’d caught the bouquet of all things. Talk about bad karma.“You’re going to spill all the juicy details, right?” Jenny teased on the other end of the phone.Juicy details? She had everything lined up for me, but I seriously doubted I’d find a rugged hunk in a fancy hotel bar.“Go have a wild night with Brad. I’m perfectly fine on my own, thanks.” I raked my fingers through my hair, biting my lip—a clear sign of my frustration. Ever since she dropped that idea into my head, I couldn’t shake off the enticing images.“Hot man. Sizzling sex. It’s good for the mind and body. Trust me,
The Night He Owned Me 6
SelenaWell, there went my fantasy.I’d never been good at making them come true, including the whole imagining part. I’d always wanted to be a witch, but that dream wasn’t meant to be. I took another gulp of my drink. A nice bath was sounding better and better. Maybe the gift shop had a small bottle of bubble bath I could buy. I had brought a bottle of wine, thinking it would be for a surprise visit from Matt.I hated myself even more. I was going to drink the whole thing by myself, and I was okay with that."Hey there, pretty girl. Why are you sitting all alone in a dump like this?"The guy was loud, obnoxious, and clearly drunk.Any one of those traits would be off-putting, but all three? Toxic."Because I’d rather be alone than deal with jerk men who don’t understand what a woman wants. You know, the kind full of testosterone and hot air, and definitely not in a good way." I gave him a sweet smile that masked my annoyance, my words laced with the same sharpness I used in court. Ma
The Night He Owned Me 7
Tingles remained, my pussy clenching and releasing. Even a single bead of perspiration trickled down the back of my neck.After finishing the five olives from both glasses, tossing back a solid half of the second drink, I asked for the check, leaving the man with the reprehensible name a huge tip. Then I headed for my room, a little tipsier and less in mourning than before.As I rounded the corner, heading down the corridor, I couldn’t help myself, stopping long enough to remove my heels. There was something decadent about walking barefoot toward my room. I was surprisingly more relaxed than I’d been in a long time.All because of a kiss, but not just any kiss. One so powerful I remained lightheaded.A sudden flash occurred out of the corner of my eye and before I had the chance to make a single sound, a warm body was shoved against mine.Correction, a body as ablaze as mine.I dropped my shoes as the man thrust me against the alcove wall, pressing the full weight of his frame against
The Night He Owned Me 8
JoshuaI’d had zero intentions of fucking a woman while I was handling business in Kentucky. However, the moment I’d seen the stunning beauty with the shimmering natural blonde hair from across the bar, I’d been entranced, which wasn’t like me in the least. I was used to being alone, determined to remain so for a long time to come. There was too much risk involved in being seen with a woman, let alone fucking her.I was here for a single job. Engaging in a conversation with the Irish mob who seemed to have control of the entire southern area of the United States.The meeting with Ronald Voltair had been pleasant enough, the man even introducing me to his lovely wife. We’d had a couple of drinks, the man insisting that he’d had no idea Shawn Clinton had betrayed an agreement, stealing clients and representing himself as being the front man for two powerful Canadian families.Then things had gotten weird, enough so we’d had terse words. When the asshole had thrown a punch, the meeting h
The Night He Owned Me 9
I lunged forward, snatching her by the arm, twirling her around so she was forced against my chest. “No so fast,cherie. You deserve the punishment.”“You’re crazy,” she hissed, yet the sparkle in her emerald eyes remained.My cock remained hard from the longing to tame the wild child, requiring her full submission. I could only imagine the kind of passionate lover she would be, and I made it my mission to have her scream out my name.When she dared to lift her arm again, as if she believed I’d allow her to smack me, I drove her against the wall, easily maneuvEricag both her arms over her head. Her heated gaze stayed glued to me but the sly smirk on her face allowed me to know what she had planned.The moment she tried to drive her knee into my groin, I crushed the full weight of my body against hers, pinning her against the wall. Both of us gasping for air, I lowered my head until our lips were almost touching. “That wasn’t very nice of you,cherie.”“I never said I was a nice girl.” S
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The strange phrase sent a thrill through me that should have left me with chills instead of the extreme heat it had done. I was suddenly lightheaded, holding my breath as he backed away, watching the arc of the leather strap as it was brought down, almost as if in slow motion. I wasn’t entirely certain the harsh snapping sound wasn’t his wrist versus the thick belt.But when the rush of endorphins shot through me from the anguish bursting in every muscle, I knew exactly what I was experiencing. Shit. Shit. Shit. I kicked out, fighting to maintain my stance. I never blinked, studying him intently as he brushed the tough pads of his fingers from one side of my bottom to the other.The light touch was scintillating, almost as much as his heated kisses had been. I was floored at how much I wanted the man. I longed to feel his thick cock driven so deeply inside that I couldn’t breathe.I was still contemplating my sinful level of desire when he stepped back again, cracking the belt against
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Selena“I’m going to fuck you until you can’t stand up straight. After that, baby girl, I’ll do it again.”Dear God, I hadn’t been able to rid myself of the hunk’s salacious words or the husky tone of his voice. I could still feel the man’s fingers dancing across my skin after the hours that had passed.“No, Jenny. I am not lying to you,” I said into the phone, my fingers crossed from the blatant lie, my pulse still racing. Jenny had bugged me relentlessly the day before and was starting again bright and early on Monday morning in her attempt to get me to spill my guts. She had the instincts of a lion, certain I was lying to her. I wasn’t entirely certain why I wasn’t coming clean, although I’d never considered myself a one-night stand kind of woman, even making fun of girls who engaged in such sordid proclivities.“Uh-huh. You forget I know you too well, girlfriend,” Jenny huffed. “I will get the sexy, blazing truth out of you. My spideysense tells me that you were with a hot man. Ad
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The Night He Owned Me 82
“That’s for me to decide.”I nodded and took a deep breath. “I do love you, Gina, and if you want me, I’m in this for the rest of our lives.”“I should be mad at you,” she said as she stood up and approached me. She reached up to cup my face with her hands. “But I love you for putting aside your happiness for your family.”“Does that mean that you’ll take me back?”Gina smiled and leaned into me as I wrapped my arms around her. “Of course.”I grinned and stood, picking her up and spinning her around in a tight hug. She laughed and wrapped her legs around my waist.“I love you, Gina.”“I love you too.”When I captured her mouth in a searing kiss, all felt right with the world. Her hands sank into my hair, holding me to her as I carried her across the beach and into the house.I nipped at her bottom lip, and our tongues tangled as I took her down the hall. She moaned as I spun and pinned her against the wall, rolling her hips and grinding her core against my hardened cock.With a groan,
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BrandonAmaliawatchedmeasI carried plates of food to the kitchen table. I sat in front of her before taking my own and sitting beside her. She sighed and picked up her fork, moving the roast potatoes around the plate.“You know, she loves you,” Amalia said.“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” So instead, I focused on slicing my chicken into small pieces. I didn’t want to be having this conversation right now.“And I know that you love her. What I’m struggling with right now is why you still haven’t told me I will have a sibling.”I nearly choked on the chicken I had just put into my mouth. I reached for my water glass and took a long sip before looking at Amalia. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.“Where the hell did you hear about that?”“Gina told me. I’ve been talking to her a lot the last couple of days. Did you know that she’s thinking about leaving Silverlake? She might move back to the city.”I froze, my entire body stiffening as I looked at her. While I k
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Gina“You’regoingtohaveto talk to me sooner or later,” I said as I stood beside Amalia in a coffee shop. It had been nearly a week since the breakup, and she had ignored every call.I tried going to her house when I knew Brandon wasn’t home to see her. During the first visit — when she didn’t think I was coming — she had answered the door.Talking to her since then had been nearly impossible.Amalia sighed as she approached the counter. She gave the barista a small smile. “Two large mochas, please.”I smiled, but my stomach was tossing and turning. I felt like I was going to be sick. This was the first chance that she had given me all week.“I don’t want to throw our friendship away over this,” Amalia said as she looked at me.“Then there’s something else you should know before we get into everything,” I said, knowing I couldn’t keep the baby a secret.Amalia needed the whole truth before deciding whether to forgive me.As soon as our drinks were made, Amalia led the way to a booth in
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“And what did you do? You hurt me anyway.” Amalia’s eyes were glassy as she glanced away from me. “I want you to end it with her.”“Then I’ll do it.”The words hurt me to say. It felt like I was ramming a knife through my chest, but my daughter was the only family I had left. I wasn’t going to alienate her. If breaking up with Gina was what it took to keep my daughter in my life, then that is what I had to do.“You’re too old for her. What the hell happens when you get even older? Will she spend the last good years of her life changing your diaper?” Tears tracked down Amalia’s cheeks. “And what about you? Are you going to spend the next few years trying to keep up with someone as young and ambitious as Gina?”As much as I hated to admit it, Amalia was making all the points that had spent the last several weeks circling through my mind. I knew that there was no way I would be able to keep up with Gina forever.That was supposed to be a problem when we got older.“Break up with her, Dad
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“My dad asked me a while ago if it would be okay for him to start dating again,” Amalia said as she looked at me.A wave of panic raced through me. Does she know that I’m seeing her dad?“I think he’s ready to get out there and try again. It makes me feel better about maybe moving away from Silverlake. I didn’t want to leave him here alone, but if he’s ready to start seeing someone, maybe he won’t be as lonely as he has been.”“You’re okay with him dating again?” I swallowed the lump in my throat and hoped I didn’t look guilty.“It’s not the easiest shit I’ve ever thought about, but I know Mom would want him to move on again and be happy.”“What if you don’t like the woman he’s with?”Amalia shrugged before lifting her hands and swaying to the music. “I don’t think I get much of a choice in it. My dad isn’t the kind of man who would date a woman if he didn’t think it was serious.”I nodded. “That makes sense. He seems pretty rational.”“He is.” Amalia grinned and stopped dancing long
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Mateo shook his head. “There has to be more to it than happiness. Let’s pretend that the potential career damage isn’t a factor. Have you ever thought about what your daughter will think about this?”“Don’t drag Amalia into it.”“You need to weigh all the options and stop thinking with your dick.”My hands clenched into fists as I bit back the words on the tip of my tongue.“Consider what you’re doing,” Mateo said as he stood up. “The cleaners are only here once a week. You’re lucky that they found it before someone else did.”I crossed my arms and arched an eyebrow. “Do I need to worry about you?”“Me? Telling people about your little office affair? No. I may not support your actions, but you have been in a better mood since you started seeing Gina. And I like her. She’s got a backbone.”Mateo grinned and left the office, closing the door behind him. I sighed and ran my hands down my face when he was gone.Keeping my relationship with Gina a secret would be more complex than expected
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“I don’t know if this is the kind of thing you can get over.”He took my jaw in his hand and tilted my face up to his. His lips are soft as his mouth brushes against mine in a tender kiss.It was easy to lose myself in Brandon instead of thinking about everything else in our lives, so I did. I nipped his bottom lip, deepening the kiss. His tongue tangled with mine as I moved to straddle his lap.My arms drape over his shoulders, my fingers sinking into the soft hair at the nape of his neck. Brandon’s hands slid beneath my shirt, his fingers setting fire to my skin as he worked his way up to my breasts.He cupped them, his thumbs brushing over my nipples as I rolled my hips. My back arched as his hardened cock pressed up against my core. I rolled my hips again, trying to build the friction between us and relieve some of the tension building.Brandon groaned, his tongue sweeping through my mouth as he pulled my shirt over my head. His head dipped forward, and he sucked a nipple into his
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GinaOver the last two months, hiding my relationship with Brandon has been getting harder and harder. Nevertheless, we do our best to keep our relationship a secret.However, Amalia has nearly caught us a few times.I snuck out Brandon’s window more than once and ran to my car parked down the street. The next day I would have to listen to Amalia telling me about her theories on her dad’s dating life.She was sure he was seeing someone, which made me feel worse. Amalia would lose her shit if she found out that I was the mystery woman sneaking out in the middle of the night.It was getting too stressful to hide it from her, but it was too late to turn back.I’m falling for Brandon.Hell, I’ve already fallen. He had me at hello, and I’ve been enamored by him every moment since, even though it would have been better for the both of us if I wasn’t.I sighed as I leaned over the sink in my bathroom, my stomach tossing and turning.I had been holed up in my apartment for the last week, feel
The Night He Owned Me 74
BrandonAmalialeanedbackinher chair, tilting her face and closing her eyes as she soaked up the sun and the salt air. It wasn’t often that I got to see her this relaxed as she lounged by the ocean.We tried to make time to get lunch together once every couple of weeks, but with both of us having careers, it could be hard to find the time. She had her career, and I had mine.Throw sneaking around with Gina into the mix, and I had even less time than I used to spend with Amalia.“Okay,” I said after our food was delivered. “How is work going? Do you have any shows coming up?”“I’ve signed on for New York Fashion Week next year.” Amalia took a bite out of her lobster roll and shrugged. “Other than that, there’s not a whole lot going on. I’m building a new line, but some designs aren’t coming together quite right yet.”“I’m sure you’ll figure it out. New York Fashion Week is huge, though. We’ll have to have a party to celebrate. Congratulations.”“I don’t think that I want to do anything
