The moment her mind cleared from the high, Anateya scrambled off the bed and hurried towards the bathroom.
“Anateya, Ana-wait! Dammnit.” Romero cursed, fist slamming against the door that shut before he could stop her.
Reaching for the robe hanging next to her, she shrugged it on, wrapping the belt tightly around her waist. Pressing her back against the door, she let out a shuddering breath, willing her heart to settle.
She couldn’t make head nor tail of her emotions. She wanted to stay angry at Romero, but she melted every time he touched her. A rush of heat bloomed between her thighs at the thought of how she shamelessly gave herself to him, begging just like he said she would.
As much as she hated to admit it. Romero was right. Her father had a choice, and in his desperation, he chose to use her as leverage, dragging her into a war she had no business being in the middle of.
She just wanted to go to college and do d
Anateya kept her expression blank as Romero’s warm hand settled on the small of her back, guiding her through the lobby of Premise Enterprises. Employees who flitted back and forth gave them a wide berth, whispering behind their hands– no doubt about Gage’s mystery daughter and her powerful new husband.It reminded her of when her papa brought her to an aquarium as a small child. She pointed and gawked at the sea creatures for the better part of an hour, asking a million questions a minute. Looking back, she wondered if they felt as exposed and vulnerable as she did now.This was her legacy, yet it didn’t feel quite like hers. Anateya didn’t know these people, their culture, or their language. A few weeks ago, she was technically a nobody. Now, her face was splashed on the front page of every news outlet.It certainly didn’t help that Romero was trying to take her birthright before she could make sense of it.“After you,” Romero gestured for her to get into the elevator. Bodyguards fi
Had the tables been scantily attended, he would’ve been more keen, perhaps, to prevent the catastrophe that was to follow.Gage rubbed his hands together in satisfaction as he observed the 35 tables on the ground floor teeming with gamblers who were eager to make a wager. The night was especially ripe with revelry. Tourists and locals alike flocked into The Armageddon, flitting from one table to the next in hopes of getting lucky.The dealers would let them win on occasion to keep them interested, but not too much.They were in the business of making money, after all.Some gamblers didn’t even need the incentive of a win to stay in the game. Being the addicts they were, the mere hope of winning kept them glued to the game until one of the bouncers had to throw them out for their violent behavior.Gage probably should feel sorry for them, but he had to feel sorry for himself first and foremost.The Armageddon was one of a chain of highly successful casinos owned by none other than Rome
She bounced her feet, doing a silly jig while she waited for her father to pick up the call. The phone was pressed to her ear as she paced her apartment, reading the letter over and over again.“Yes, Anateya?” A warm voice answered.“I got in papi! I got into Columbia!” She squealed, clutching the letter like a lifeline, “They said my application was one of the most impressive they have seen this year.” Her Italian accent thickened as her excitement grew. “Oh, I can’t wait!” She was one step closer to that MBA and joining her papi’s company.A chuckle sounded on the other end, “Take a deep breath, Ana. You know how you can get... I’m so proud of you. Your mama must be smiling down at you from heaven.”Anateya’s throat burned at the memory of her mom, taken too soon from them. When they found out, it was too late for chemo and only had time to say goodbye. “I miss her so much, papi. I wish she could be here to see this.” Anateya sat on the edge of her bed, looking out through the flo
Anateya felt like there were cinder blocks tied to her feet as she dragged herself back to her dorm room. She dressed in a cheerful smile every day, laughed when she was supposed to and blended in like any other typical college freshman. On the inside, she felt dull. The sun didn’t shine like it used to. The food tasted bland and more and more she preferred solitude more than anything else. She never saw her mystery man again after that night–not for lack of trying. Lafel had made good on his promise if she had defied him and she lost the little freedom that she had. She’d snuck out of her apartment a few times to go back to Club Eleven, hoping to see him there, but they wouldn’t let her in. Her papi had made sure she was banned from the premises. Whoever he was, Anateya couldn’t get him out of her head. He consumed her dreams and every waking moment. Could one kiss be so powerful? It couldn’t. He was a total stranger, and yet the thought of never seeing him again, never feeling his
The powers that be had a real twisted sense of humor. Anateya stared, her eyes blinking in disbelief. This was not happening. She was dreaming, and would wake up any second now. Any second now. To her dismay, there was no waking up from this very real nightmare. He was dressed as impeccably as he did that night, this time in a navy-colored suit, his dark silk tie popping against his powder blue shirt. Not a strand of his hair was out of place, and his silver eyes were void of emotion. They were like an abyss of nothingness that threatened to destroy her. Memories assaulted her mind, making her feel even more confused. This couldn’t be the same man that had ignited her with his touch. “Have a seat.” His regard of her was that of boredom, as if he had a million other things to do and couldn’t be bothered with her. If that was the case, why did he take her captive anyway? Not that she wanted him to pay attention to her–the last thing she needed was to capture the attention of a Ma
Louisa had taken Anateya to a large bedroom in the second floor's left corner. It matched the running theme of the parts of the house she’d seen so far, minimal and void of any personal touches to suggest this was a beloved home. The most stunning part of the room was the large king-sized bed in the center. It was wide and inviting, and the mental fatigue bore down on her to the point where she wanted to crawl under the thick blankets and forget the world. Romero. That was his name, right? The Mafia Lord who had ruined her with a kiss. She could hardly even call it that- what he did was pure and utter possession of every fiber of her being. Anateya hated how she ached to feel that again. A loud thud broke her train of thought, her eyes darting to the hardwood floor where Louisa had dropped her suitcase. “This your room,” The woman’s Romanian accent was thick. “If you try to escape, we break kneecaps.” Anateya scoffed, “Is that your answer for everything? To break some part of
Except for bringing her meals, no one bothered her after that. Not that she cared. Anateya was still in a daze from the man she desired carving her up like a Thanksgiving turkey. Three days later, as she sat before the mirror to apply makeup, she could recall how torn up she was inside– a blubbering mess as she told Diana what happened. Diana had let her sob for a while before bringing her back to reality. “Come on, Ana. You’re stronger than this. You have to hold on until your dad comes back. You have to do whatever it takes to survive.”Afterward, Anateya wiped her tears, pulled herself together, and tended to her wounds. Despite her best efforts, it still got infected.She could feel the fever creeping up while she patted down her foundation. Her eyes were hollow from lack of sleep but held a small glimmer of excitement. Romero had insisted that she join him for dinner tonight. And she was determined to show him that she was fine. She would stay and pick at the food for a respe
Romero felt a twinge in his chest as Anateya faded into unconsciousness. He wasn’t that rough with her, was he? Placing the back of his hand on her forehead, he hissed out a string of Romanian curses. She was burning up. Which could only mean that the mark he gave her wasn’t healing well. The little liar.He caught her up in his arms, walking briskly back to her room. She curled into his chest, and he scoffed. “I swear petarda…if this is all an act, I’ll turn that ass of yours crimson.”Such pride. Anateya would rather be sick than ask him for help. He should let her suffer out of spite, but he didn’t like the unease in his chest at the sight of her shivering body.”Louisa, get the doctor over here now!” He bellowed, stomping up the stairs. He laid her carefully on the bed, belly down, and pulled a switchblade from his pocket. He sliced through the woolen fabric, revealing a bandage with red and yellow splotches. He took his time peeling it back, grimacing at the sight. He would’ve c
Anateya kept her expression blank as Romero’s warm hand settled on the small of her back, guiding her through the lobby of Premise Enterprises. Employees who flitted back and forth gave them a wide berth, whispering behind their hands– no doubt about Gage’s mystery daughter and her powerful new husband.It reminded her of when her papa brought her to an aquarium as a small child. She pointed and gawked at the sea creatures for the better part of an hour, asking a million questions a minute. Looking back, she wondered if they felt as exposed and vulnerable as she did now.This was her legacy, yet it didn’t feel quite like hers. Anateya didn’t know these people, their culture, or their language. A few weeks ago, she was technically a nobody. Now, her face was splashed on the front page of every news outlet.It certainly didn’t help that Romero was trying to take her birthright before she could make sense of it.“After you,” Romero gestured for her to get into the elevator. Bodyguards fi
The moment her mind cleared from the high, Anateya scrambled off the bed and hurried towards the bathroom.“Anateya, Ana-wait! Dammnit.” Romero cursed, fist slamming against the door that shut before he could stop her.Reaching for the robe hanging next to her, she shrugged it on, wrapping the belt tightly around her waist. Pressing her back against the door, she let out a shuddering breath, willing her heart to settle.She couldn’t make head nor tail of her emotions. She wanted to stay angry at Romero, but she melted every time he touched her. A rush of heat bloomed between her thighs at the thought of how she shamelessly gave herself to him, begging just like he said she would.As much as she hated to admit it. Romero was right. Her father had a choice, and in his desperation, he chose to use her as leverage, dragging her into a war she had no business being in the middle of.She just wanted to go to college and do d
“What’s wrong with you?” Romero questioned, dropping a kiss on her neck. “Despite everything, I know you want me. That’s the one thing we could never deny between us. So, why the sudden change?”After hearing her vows, it took every ounce of willpower not to ditch the rest of the ceremony and bring her home where he could have her all to himself for hours on end.“I don’t know, maybe because you forced me to marry you mere days after losing my father?!” She snapped. “What, are you gonna force me to sleep with you too?”His brows furrowed, “This is the second time you’ve mentioned that tonight. You were never worried about that before. Why are you acting like this? Tell me.”He pulled back, studying her features. Her face was flushed, eyes averted. Her chest rose and fell with short erratic breaths and her lips were pressed into a thin line. His petarda looked skittis
Anateya felt her throat constrict as the altar drew closer and closer.This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.She’d envisioned her nuptials a million times since she was ten. In her fantasy, her father was by her side, happily giving her away– not Antino– stiff and fuming with rage. She would say I do to a loving doting man, upstanding in society and fit to be her husband.Instead, at the end of the aisle, she would meet a monster who was determined to have his way by any means necessary. Even if it meant robbing her of the one special moment she looked forward to most.She’d never felt so conflicted.Her desire clashed with the grief of losing her father and she could find no way to rationalize Romero’s actions. Still, she craved him like her next breath. What did that make her? A traitor to those who cared for her? A victim of Stockholm? Or a reckless angel–willingly throwing herself over the edge to fall for a devil?And what
He’d never admit it, but he was pleased that she caved and decided to come to him of her own volition.Yes, he forced her hand with what was the biggest bluff of his life, but it got the job done.It got her to stay.It would’ve been unfortunate if she had held out and he ended up doing something out of prideful madness.He regretted that Gage died. They worked well together in the past and Berretta always protected his interests. Still, Romero refused to take the blame for his demise. He made his choice.Romero always followed his instincts, and when he saw Antino Dellator getting too handsy with Anateya, he suspected that something was amiss. It was shortly confirmed by the mini-explosions throughout the cemetery. If he’d been just 3 minutes late, she would have been gone and he’d probably never find her again.Berretta’s people were annoyingly good at staying hidden.Anateya didn’t spare him a single glance when t
Anateya’s mind drifted as she stared blankly at her father’s freshly covered grave.According to Wallace, the Sosa Kartel had found out about her father being a mole and they’d strapped C-4 to his body and left him in an abandoned building.There was nothing left to bury, so they committed an empty casket.Like countless times in the last few days, her mind drifted to the moment when her world fell apart.She refused to believe what the majordomo had said, demanding that they find him and bring him back. She’d attacked Romero with equally blind rage and grief. He’d held her tightly to his chest, murmuring in her ear, trying to center her.There was no centering her with her father gone. She was hysterical to the point where Romero had no choice but to knock her out.Those moments of unconsciousness, of nothingness… were a short reprieve from the grief that assaulted her heart
One night turned into three, and eventually, two weeks passed with Romero barely noticing. He lived for his next fight, relishing each time he left his opponent bloody and broken on the mat. The more he fought, the emptier he felt. Quenching his bloodthirstiness did nothing to quell the fire in his veins that burned only for Anateya. How was she?He itched to know. Yes, his guards gave him daily reports on her every move, but that was different. He wanted to see her for himself. Their past encounters were few but beneath the quarreling, he could sense her desire for him. After what happened with Jaxel, her eyes were only full of resentment. If she couldn’t handle being on a leash for five minutes, how would she withstand the rest of what he had in store for her?No matter. He had all the time in the world to teach her what it meant to be his. That was his mantra returning home. After two weeks of endless fighting, he felt more tempered to deal with his Petarda. His house looked fo
Long after she was confined to her room, Anateya’s words nipped at the corners of Romero’s mind.‘I wish I never met you.’It bothered him more than he cared to admit, but he would not apologize. He didn’t need to explain himself or his methods to her. He was a glitter-coated unicorn compared to Jaxel.He blamed Gage and Sosa for this. The news about his casino was spreading like wildfire in the underground. People were getting too bold, thinking they could get to him. Under normal circumstances, Jaxel would have never dared to cross the threshold of his house uninvited. He would remind them. Romero leaned against the apple tree in his garden, relishing the cool bite of the bark against his bare skin. He reached for a low-hanging fruit, bringing it to his lips. As he chewed, his mind drifted to Anateya.That little petarda of his was pushing all the right buttons in the worst way possible. It was becoming harder and harder for him to keep his word and leave her untouched. Her expres
Goosebumps pricked her skin as they pulled up to the house. There were four armored cars and dangerous-looking men littering the front entrance. She glanced at Romero but his face was hard as stone. This time, when he grabbed her from the car, his hands circled her forearm so tightly that she thought her bone might snap.“Romero? You’re hurting me.” She searched his gaze questioningly.“This is nothing compared to what will happen to you if you don’t do everything I tell you,” He kept his voice low, hands undoing his belt. In the next second, he was sliding the thick leather around her neck.“What the–”“You will wear this until I remove it.”“I will do no such thing!” She struggled against him but he pinned her with his legs, securing the buckle at the front of her throat.“You will only speak when spoken to, and your answer will be either yes Sir, or no Sir.”Anateya gaped at him, “You can’t be serious.”“Deadly serious.” His eyes flashed. “Your punishment will be swift and severe if