One year later...Blaine stands at the helm of the boat, navigating the sea as if he was born for this. The change I've seen in him in the past year has been immense as he opened up to me little by little, letting go of all that hurt and anger that he harbored toward himself.When he finally told me about what he'd done before Oak found him, I can't deny that I was freaked out. He's a murderer—one that got away with it—but I know that's not what defines him. His past further back haunts him and he still won't talk about his life in Russia before he emigrated to Toronto with his brother.I swallow hard as I place a hand on my swelling stomach. We're expecting twins in the fall, less than four months away. When I told Blaine I was pregnant, I think his brain misfired in shock. After all, we'd only just decided to start trying that month and it happened instantly.And then when we had the first scan, and the lady told us it was twins, he almost ran out of the room. I could see the panic
I feel him move my bikini bottoms aside and then he thrusts three fingers inside of me."So wet. So ready." He fucks me with his fingers, driving me toward the heights I crave. Ever since I got pregnant, I'm even more insatiable than before, and I was pretty fucking insatiable.I rock myself against his hand, chasing my release like a crack addict, looking for the next fix.Blaine stops and pushes away from me, making me grunt in frustration. "Bottoms off, now." He releases me, staring expectantly.I hook my fingers in the waistband of my bikini bottoms and pull them off, chucking them up onto the deck of the boat.He does the same and through the clear water, I can see his cock is hard and ready to take me. "Turn around."I do as I'm told, treading water and turning so my back is to him.Suddenly, I feel his arms around my waist and the length of his cock pressing against my center. Without warning, his cock is inside of me, filling me up the way I needed."Fuck, yes," I cry out, as
When a harmless prank spirals out of control and infuriates her parents more than she ever thought possible, Eva Carmichael must adjust to her new life in the elite Syndicate Academy, while also going toe-to-toe with the principal who hates her.—The Syndicate or Swiss Academy, to the outside world is an elite school for the children of the rich. But inside, it's an Academy intent to straighten (discipline) the spoilt, hot-headed heirs of the leading Mafia families in the world.Eva Carmichael this time has bitten more than she can chew. When a harmless photo prank threatens to upheave her family's stellar image in the public eye, no one is happy with her. As a consequence, she's scheppled to the Syndicate Academy to be disciplined amidst her senior year.Eva hates the Academy. But Principal Oakley Byrne even more. He disarms her without even trying, and she can't help but tug at his strings, despite his cold treatment towards her. She wants him whole, but Oakley is broken long befor
I ring Doris, my secretary, to check if she knows. She answers on the second dial tone, her voice sleepy. “Sir, what is it?”“The building is on fire. Could anyone be in there?”“How awful.” She rummages around, and there’s a click as she turns on a light. “They show up at about three o’clock.”“Jane mentioned she’d be working late, but I’d guess she’d be home by now, right?” I ask, swallowing hard.Doris sucks in a worried breath. “Oh no, Jane regularly stayed in the early hours of the morning. I hope she isn’t, but it’s not impossible, Mr. Archer.”My hand tightens around my cell phone. “Thank you. Can you do me a favor?”“Of course, anything, sir.”I clench my jaw. “Can you call the cleaning agency and call them off tonight for me?”“Yes, I’ll do it right now, sir.”“Thanks, Doris. Nobody will need to come in tomorrow.“Leave it to me. I’ll handle it, sir.”I cancel the call, feeling panic take hold of me again that Jane might be in the building. I’ll never forgive those fucking Ca
Five years later…“I swear that isn’t me,” I say, standing in front of my father, who is holding a photo of someone who looks remarkably like me kissing the high school janitor. “Someone must have photoshopped it.”For a start, I don’t think I’ve ever even spoken to the high school janitor in my life. As I stare at the photo, the sight of him churns my stomach. Not that I’m vain, but he’s certainly not a man I’d be attracted to, weighing probably a hundred pounds more than he should and less hair on his head than I have on my legs.Second, I’ve never kissed a boy in my life, let alone some random, balding, middle-aged man. It’s hard to believe they think that’s me.“Eva Carmichael. You almost brought utter ruin on our family,” my mother chides, shaking her head in the corner. “Don’t think we’re stupid enough to believe that isn’t you.” She steps forward and glares at me with her hard, stony expression. “How long has it been going on?”I stare at my mother, dumbfounded, wondering if sh
My heart flutters in my chest as I stare up at the dark, intimidating building. Its cold stone and harsh lines only foreshadow what’s waiting for me inside. The columns that flank the entryway all along the many meters of facade only add to its imposing effect.I swallow hard, realizing I’m about to enroll in a school full of the spawn of murderous criminals who are probably exactly like my parents. “Please don’t leave me here, mother,” I say, pleading at her with my eyes.Her expression hardens as she glares at me with no emotion whatsoever. “The Syndicate Academy is the perfect place for you to learn discipline, Eva.” She tucks a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. “You need to learn what kind of behavior we expect of you as the sole heir to the Carmichael Clan.” I hate when my mother calls me the sole heir, as all it does is remind me of my loss–our loss, and yet the way she says it, you’d think her child wasn’t dead and buried.Karl, my older brother, died two years ago. Unli
I force one foot in front of the other and step into the dark office. It takes my eyes a moment to adjust. And then, it feels like my heart stops beating entirely. A pair of striking aquamarine eyes gaze at me. The man they belong to stands, drawing my attention to the bulging muscles straining against his simple white dress shirt. He has to be about six foot five tall as he towers over the desk. “Mrs. Carmichael, I presume?” he asks my mother, but his eyes don’t move from me for a second.“Yes, I’m ever so sorry that we’re late, Principal Byrne.” My mother shoots me an irritated glare as if it’s my fault our flight was delayed. “Unfortunately, you’re going to have your hands full with this one.”Unbelievable.I’m being punished for something I didn’t do. I’ve ensured I never stepped one toe out of line my entire life, and this is the thanks I get. They have uprooted me and turned my life upside down because of one stupid prank. As it is the only plausible explanation that I could com
My nails bite into my palm as I clench my hands tightly, using the dull pain to control myself. There’s a sinister part of me that craves to reach out, snatch Angela by her stupid ponytail, yank her over to me, and wrap my hands around her throat until I crush the life out of her right in front of her daughter.I close my eyes, drawing in a deep, calming breath. The mental picture of her life slipping from her eyes as I choke her while her daughter watches is satisfying, but it’s not time.There’s a simmering inferno building under my skin, provoking the beast that lies in wait. Vengeance has never been this close. I can practically taste it on my tongue, but killing her here and now wouldn’t come close to making her suffer enough.Nothing short of deliberately and painfully torturing her and her husband will suffice. When I’ve had my fun, I’ll delight in obliterating the Carmichael family from the face of this earth.“If that’s all.” She glances at her daughter. “Eva has a suitcase o
Archer holds my hand as we pad barefoot through the sand, the sun just setting beyond the horizon and casting a warm, orange glow over the beach.Natalya's wedding was beautiful. And even though I still can't believe she's married the man that tormented her for years, I'm happy that she is happy."It's beautiful, isn't it?" I ask, stopping to watch as the sun dips slowly lower.Archer smiles at me. "Shall we sit down and watch?"I nod in response. "Sounds good." I sit down in the sand and he sits behind me, placing his legs on either side of my thighs and his arms around my waist. "This is nice," he murmurs into my ear.I lean back into him. "It is.""Did you enjoy the wedding?" He asks."It was beautiful, even though I still can't quite believe that Nat ended up with Elias after he was such a bully."Archer moves my hair to the side and skims his lips over the back of my neck. "Is it any different to you being with me after I blackmailed you?"I stiffen at the reminder. "Not sure it'
Motherfucker.I search the closet for something to pick the bedroom lock with. If Archer is facing my father and his goons, then I need to be by his side.Another shot echoes through the air, making me tense. I work even harder to focus on the lock, knowing I need to get out of this room. Finally, the lock clicks and I'm thankful I took the class on safe breaking two years ago when it was being taught.Quickly, I run out of the room and down the corridor, hardly thinking about what I'm doing.My heart skips a beat when I see my father and Archer standing outside of the window, each pointing a gun at one another. "No." I rush out of the cabin without a second thought. "Stop!""Adrianna," my father growls, pointing the gun at me. "What the fuck are you doing?"I freeze at the other end of his gun, knowing that he would without a doubt shoot me dead. "I'm not coming home to Mexico," I say.He growls. "Like hell you aren't.""I don't want to be married off to some mobster.""No, you want
I pull my jeep off the main road in the middle of nowhere, driving down an unmarked track. It may be secluded, but I know the path to this place like the back of my hand. After all, I spent just under two years living up here in my cabin.I notice Adrianna shudder."Are you cold?" I ask.She shakes her head. "No, this place just gives me the creeps.""The creeps?" I never thought of it as creepy."Yeah, like maybe you are actually a serial killer and this was your elaborate plan all along."I laugh, shaking my head. "You have a wild imagination." The woods open up to a clearing where my cabin is, and it's not just any old cabin. It's modern and sophisticated."Wow, do you own this place?" Adrianna asks.I nod. "I bought it when I needed to remain low while my family was looking for me." It was a difficult time in my life. One fraught with loneliness and a little too much alcohol, but this place saved me. "It's actually how I met Oak. He owns a cabin near to here and we met while we we
I approach Adrianna, who is standing with all her friends. My nerves are fried, mainly because I'm practically kidnapping the princess of the Vasquez Cartel. Thankfully, I saw Damien Vasquez leave ten minutes ago in his armored SUV. I'm pretty sure he hardly even said a word to Adrianna after the ceremony.I clear my throat. "Adrianna, can I have a word?""Stil not giving up?" Natalya teases.It's clear no one knows about us among her friends, except for Azira, and that was my fault.She meets my gaze and nods. I can tell from the look on her face that she's just as nervous as me. "Sure."I nod toward the exit of the hall and she follows me out of it."What's up?" she asks, as I lead her into an empty classroom and shut the door."I just wanted to double check you are all set for the plan?"She nods. "Of course. I'm packed, only essentials and no tech.""Good. And your father has gone. I watched him leave."She purses her lips. "I don't even know why he bothered to come. He didn't say
My father is standing at my door half an hour before the ceremony."Hey, Adrianna." He looks at my outfit. "You look well."I swallow hard. "Thanks for coming." I glance down the corridor. "Where is mom?"He shakes his head. "Your mother couldn't make it."It hurts a bit, I must admit. Out of the two of them, I'd expect my mom to be here over my father. She may not have ever been emotionally supportive, but she's always been a little less cold than him."Oh, is she busy?""No, but I don't enjoy traveling with your mother. You know that."I clench my jaw. "I know that." He doesn't like to travel with her because he likes to pay hookers whenever he stays away from home. The man disgusts me, but my mother isn't much better. Their marriage is a sham, and it has been all my life. Exactly what I want to avoid by escaping, as that was my future. My mom was married by arrangement to my father, hence the toxic relationship between them."Shall we get going then?" I say.He nods. "Lead the way.
Adrenaline has been racing through my veins since I woke this morning.It's sickening, but today is the day. Graduation is this afternoon and then all my friends and I will go out to celebrate. My father agreed to my plan and told me he'd booked into a hotel twenty miles away in the nearest city, as he's above the little inn in town and the motel near here. It actually makes the plan easier, as he won't be nearby when I make a run for it.However, after the celebrations are through, Archer and I will disappear. Our friends will know that we've left for good, but not where we are going. No one knows that, not even I do. I've let Archer figure the entire thing out and where I'm going to go.It's been hard trusting him in this way, as I've always relied on myself alone. He can't disappear with me, though. He has a life here at the academy, and so he's going to set me up with my new life and then leave. That's the part I've been trying to avoid thinking about entirely.I'm not sure how I'
I walk up to the door of Archer's apartment, my heart thumping at a hundred miles an hour.Am I crazy for being here?Perhaps. I knock on the door and wait a few moments and then I hear the thud of footsteps descending the stairs. Archer opens it and smiles at me with a smile that could stop most women's hearts. "You are here."I smile back at him. "I didn't get murdered.""I'm glad," he says, stepping aside to allow me in.I pause for a moment, knowing that now I'm coming to him of my free will rather than because he's blackmailing me. I'm not sure how to feel about that. It changes everything.His brow furrows. "Are you going to stay there or come in?"I purse my lips. "Still trying to decide."He laughs and grabs my hand, yanking me into the apartment and against him. "Don't be an idiot.""I'm normally the one saying that to you."He leads me up into his apartment, where he has a table set with candles alight. "I was prepared since I hadn't heard of any murders on campus." There is
My plan to get my revenge on Archer is backfiring.Why the hell do I feel so excited whenever I see him?And when he touched me earlier by the stream, he was trying to comfort me, but his touch ignited butterflies fluttering in my stomach and made my head spin. He keeps talking about feelings and how he wants us to continue after I graduate, which is insane.I can't work out if he's only saying it because I've never admitted I want him. All the while, I've made sure I keep detached and cold, even when he talks about his feelings.As I walk into the academy, I'm ambushed by my father. "Where have you been?"I cross my arms over my chest. "I went for a walk. Is that a crime?"He sighs heavily. "I'm here to take you back home."My brow furrows. "But what about the academy?" I ask, wondering why he didn't come to get me during spring break, especially as he said he had a meeting set out for me the week before.He yanks my wrist and drags me into an empty classroom, slamming the door behin
I sense Adrianna isn't used to relying on anyone for anything."Seriously, Adrianna. Let me help." I need to help her as I need to know her plan. She's so pigheaded. It wouldn't surprise me if she disappeared forever and I couldn't find her. It's the only way to ensure I keep tabs on her."Fine, you can help."I smile, relief coursing through my veins. "Good, as I have quite a few ideas.""Such as?"I pat my lap for her to come and sit on it.Her eyes narrow, but she sits anyway."Your father is coming to graduation, and that's a complication, but not the be all and end all. I mean, you dictated to your father before, so do it again.""What do you mean?""Tell him that you are going to celebrate with your friends. They're all going to be celebrating, right?"She nods. "Yeah.""Then tell him to book a motel and you'll leave with him the next morning."A crease forms in between her brows. "I'm uncertain it will work, but I can ring him beforehand. It's an option, I guess.""Well, tell m