ETHAN BLACKWOOD POV "You should stop contacting me Asher, I told you, that was the only help I was going to be rendering""What the hell are you talking about. You gave your word that you were going to help us destroy Riven"I scoffed. "And you believed that. You must be more stupid than I thought. Did you really think that I was going to destroy my family business just because I hate Riven"There was a pause and I smirked just imagining the look on his face."Then why the fuck did you help us. You were the one who provided us with that video"I grinned, staring at my phone. "I was just trying to spice up Riven's relationship because he seemed to be very into it and wasn't doing much about it"I could feel him start to get angry."Don't fucking play me around you bastard, I know that's not why you did it""And what else would be my reason, Asher? I was just bored and needed a little distraction. I've had my fun, so I have no need for you any longer. Don't call this line—""The fuck y
HAZEL STYLES POV Riven's lashes were thick.I stared at him, my eyes taking in every minute detail of his features as he slept. This was the first time I had seen him so sound asleep, and it did things to my heart that it had no right to. Why was he still here? Most times, he was gone when I opened my eyes. I tilted my head, my bottom lip between my teeth as I watched him. He looked breathtakingly handsome.How could someone so beautiful be so fucked up.But wasn't I also fucked up since I couldn't get him out of my head? Riven was dangerous. I should be running for the hills, so why was I here, watching him. Why did I feel like if I left, I would be making a mistake?Every time he came near me, it was like my brain circuited. Sometimes, I couldn't even remember my own name. Sure, he was hot, but I've seen a lot of hot guys, so why was it with Riven, my brain absolutely stopped working.He said he saved me that night.Could I really trust his words? Was that even a question when I
RIVEN BLACKWOOD POV Hazel had cried for me. And I still couldn't wrap my mind around it.She'd shed ugly tears for my pain and kissed my scars as if they were the most beautiful part of me.I pressed the shover button, my head dropping against the wall as the water poured in torrents around me, beating hard against my neck and back.Hazel was killing me.She'd cried for me, and it wasn't just because she pitied me; no, I could tell by her eyes that she'd been truly hurt that I was hurt. She had seen my pain that everyone else chose to ignore, and it had broken her.My heart burned in my chest.I could still see her face in my head, the redness of her eyes, the tip of her nose, and the way her lips trembled as she said sorry repeatedly. I was sure that I was forgiven for lying to her. It should have made me happy.But I was selfish, and It wasn't enough for me. I wanted more. I wanted her to choose to stay with me, I wanted her to love me, with all my scars and fucked upness.The wat
HAZEL STYLES POV He watched me, his eyes dark and intense."Are you sure?" he asked, his voice a rough whisper. "I might not be able to stop if you change your mind in the middle, little rabbit" It was a warning. My stomach flipped. But I really wanted it. I needed him to touch me, I wanted him to do bad things to me. Fuck the consequences.My fingers caressed his cheek, my gaze locked on his. "I want you to make love to me" I whispered.He smiled, the smirk on his lips making my heart stutter in my chest."Good girl," he said and was going to kiss me, but then his eyes widened, and the next thing I knew was being shoved and hard.I slammed into the counter, my head blanking out for a few seconds.What the hell...I barely finished the thought when the windows exploded, shards of glass raining down on us as gunfire erupted, bullets flying into the room and shattering everything at the top of the counter. The sound was deafening.My instinct told me to run. I started to get up."Sta
RIVEN BLACKWOOD POV Hazel brought her head down, her eyes clenching shut, and I drove out of the garage at full speed.Fury raged in my chest, the feeling burning up my lungs as they opened fire from all sides. I swerved hard, my car hitting those at the side, before accelerating forward.Their cry of pain did nothing to ease my rage as I drove over those who couldn't make it out of my way in time.The crunch of their bones and flesh as it shattered under the car's tires filled my ears.Could Hazel hear it, too? God damnit! She had already been through so much, and now she had to experience this, too.As I drove forward, more men came out, their automatic weapons a lot more dangerous as they started to aim at the tires.I swerved to avoid getting hit, my heart hammering in my chest even as I screamed at my head to focus. There was no room for fear. Fear only got people killed.Bullet rained around the car, the sharp gasp of Hazel every time I swerved, twisting my gut.She was definit
HAZEL STYLES POV "I love you, Hazel," Riven's voice whispered in my ear, his hand grazing my cheek. But there was something wrong. He looked all kinds of wrong. And the hand that was touching my face was sticky with blood.He suddenly grinned, the blood on his face dripping into mine. "You should have run when I told you to, little rabbit"****A sharp gasp escaped my lips as I woke up, my body trembling as my heart pumped hard in my chest.Realizing that it was all a nightmare, I took a deep breath and let it out, then did it a few more times until the trembling stopped and I could focus.I sat up, then groaned as pain wracked through my body and made me dizzy. It was like I'd been run through by a truck. My limbs and hands all felt like lead. What the hell happened to me.I glanced around the dimly lit room."Hello" I called, but my voice came out hoarse and small.My mouth was parched and my throat felt like sandpaper. I gripped at the bedsheet as my eyes darted around the unfam
HAZEL STYLES POV "It's exactly as I said. After your little accident in the woods, Riven met up with me and told me you were too much trouble and he didn't want to be bothered with you anymore"Maybe in the past, I would have been gullible to believe his word, but now I knew better. Riven loved me too much to abandon me. Whatever was going on, there had to be an explanation for it.Julian smirked, his smile stretching. "You don't believe me, do you?" he stated, then laughed. "You know what, it doesn't even matter. The truth remains that you've been abandoned once again, and that too by someone you gave your heart to"I fisted the sheet. "I think you should leave since you have nothing good to say..."His hand thrust out and I flinched, pain coursing through my arms as he gripped my shoulder hard."When the hell are you going to stop this madness, Hazel. You found out that that bastard lied to you, and what did you do? You chose to go away with him. Now I am telling that he betrayed
RIVEN BLACKWOOD POV *****A WEEK EARLIER Cold water splashed onto my face, and I gasped awake, choking as some of it got into my lungs.I blinked, trying to get my vision to adjust to the dim lightening in the room as water dripped into my eyesI tried to move and groaned as pain zapped through the length of my arm.Both of my hands were chained above my head. And I could tell that it had been a while since I passed out as they were so numb that I couldn't even feel them.My legs were also fastened to the platform I was chained to, making movement almost impossible.I gritted my teeth as I tested the strength of the iron and found them unyielding. What the hell was going on."Are you finally awake, son?" Father said as he stepped into my line of vision.My heart froze to a stop, my ears ringing as everything that happened rushed back to me. I looked around the room I was in wildly, then glanced back at Father when I didn't see Hazel."Hazel" I called out, then gasped as a punch stru
EPILOGUE ETHAN BLACKWOOD POV I gasped awake, my breath coming out in harsh pants as my eyes darted around the room wildly. But I was all alone.I sucked in a sharp breath and then groaned as the pain hit me all at once, my chest constricting painfully despite my effort to relax.The feeling was awful. My body felt like it was on fire, and despite all the drugs that were pumped into my system every other hour, I couldn't even breathe without feeling like I was on the verge of death.It was a horrible existence. I spent every day writhing in agony, praying and wishing for the day it would all end.And as if that was not enough, I kept having nightmares every other night of Riven coming to finish the job. I knew Father said he already made a deal with him to spare my life, but I was still skeptical. It could all be a lie to make me let my guard now— I scoffed."Let my guard down? What the hell can I do even if he chooses to attack me now," I muttered to myself, laughing at how ridicul
HAZEL STYLES POV I stared into the mirror, awed by the girl staring right back at me. Lena leaned over my shoulder, her gorgeous face shining as her lips stretched in a sweet smile."You look ethereal Hazel. I keep saying it, but Riven is totally going to be speechless when he sees you."I grinned, letting out a nervous breath. "He better be!" I said then met her gaze. "You also look really beautiful, Lena"She did a little twirl, then laughed. "I know girl!" "Like, look at all those curves—" A knock on the door interrupted me and we both glanced at it. "I'll go check," Lena offered, walked to the door, and pulled it open just enough to stick her head out. "Mr Blackwood," she gasped out and my eyes widened.I could hear him asking to talk to me alone. Lena glanced at me and I nodded.She stepped out as Mr Blackwood walked in, then gently closed the door behind her, leaving the both of us alone."Mr Blackwood?"He took off his cap. "Don't be so formal, Hazel, after all, we are beco
RIVEN BLACKWOOD POV "This was fun, right?" I asked, staring at her face as she basked in the sun, her skin glowing in the light.She grinned, her head turning in my direction. "After receiving gold bars from your Dad, I really don't have much to complain about."I chuckled, then tilted my face to the sun. We lay in comfortable silence, enjoying the sound of nature. It was serene. I glanced at her. Her eyes were closed, but I could see some crease on her forehead and I wondered if it was wise to bring her to the beach after what happened with Ethan. "Are you really okay, Hazel?" I asked, watching as her eyes blinked open, her gaze fixed on the crashing waves as she thought over my question. We've already talked through most of her trauma but I needed to make sure that she was truly fine. I had to know that I wasn't doing something that could jeopardize all the progress she'd made. I wanted to make sure I was her safe space just like she was mine. "You can tell me anything you kn
HAZEL POV The curtain opened, and Lena gasped, her gaze darting to Eloise, her mom, who was equally staring at me in awe."Well," I asked, spreading my arm a bit. "What do you think?"Lena's mom got up, her eyes fixed on me almost reverently. "What do we think? You look absolutely stunning, dear. Wow, I am just speechless," she said and I grinned, the nervous energy slipping out of my body. This was the third dress I was trying on and they had all been good, but I liked this one best and was a bit worried that Eloise and Lena might disagree, but I shouldn't have bothered. I guess, just like me, they had a good eye."Really?" I asked, just to make sure."Don't just sit there, Lena. Doesn't she look absolutely stunning?" She asked, turning to face Lena. I also faced her.Lena looked like she was in a trance, her wide eyes locked in on the dress on my body; then she blinked, her hands flying over her open mouth, and then she literally screamed. I and Eloise jumped, a bit surprised beca
RIVEN BLACKWOOD POV "I told you not to kill him," Father got out gravely, his hands flexing against the window sill. Letting out a sigh, he turned to face me. "What are you going to do when Victor finds out that you murdered his son huh? Do you think you'll be able to take him out like you did to Metz?"I stared at him. From how passionate he had been the last time we spoke, I expected him to be more angry than he was right now. Not that I cared though.I scoffed, then raked my fingers through my hair. "I wasn't thinking of doing anything that drastic, Father. Don't be so paranoid." His shoulders tensed, his veins visible as he gritted his teeth. "This is not a joking matter, Riven!" He snapped, his hands balling up at his side. Yes, that was more like it. Nothing pleased me more than rilling up the old man.I straightened, my gaze holding his. "I never said it was, you're the one who keeps blowing this out of proportion." I let out a rough breath, then stuffed my hand into my pocke
HAZEL STYLES POV The soft music filtering through the air pulled me out of the foggy dreamland I was in. My eyes blinked open, then I turned, the weight of Riven's arm on my hips making me smile.My face was leveled with his chest, and as I took in the smooth expanse of his skin, my pulse picked up, a wave of desire washing over me.I reached forward tentatively, my fingers caressing and tracing his muscles, loving the way he flexed even in his sleep."So beautiful," I whispered, then pressed my palm against his chest, the steady rhythm of his heart picking up as I flexed my hand.My gaze jerked up to see him watching me, the smoldering look in his eyes making my breath hitch."You're awake," I stuttered, my face flaming up as I remembered just how insane last night had been. I started to look away and gasped when his hand gripped my jaw, his russet brown eyes boring into mine."Keep your eyes on me, baby, you don't have to be shy when it's just us," he rumbled, his voice raspy. A sh
RIVEN BLACKWOOD POV I watched Ksar limp away, then turned to face Hazel."You shouldn't have taken that risk. I told you I was going to handle it," I got out, the rhythm of my heart still out of beat.Hazel stared at me from beneath her lashes. "I'm sorry," she muttered, then raised her head, her glazy eyes crashing with mine.It was disarming. My mouth dried and I swallowed, getting lost in them.It had driven me insane watching that filthy bastard touch her and put a gun to her head. For a split second, I'd almost put a bullet into his head when I had him in my range, but then Hazel had turned the tables in a move that stole the breath right out of my lungs.I had watched her through my scope, my heart pounding in my chest as she smashed his wrist and took the gun from him. She'd taken charge like the boss she was and I couldn't help but be proud of her even though the fear that it could have ended badly lingered like a bad taste in my mouth.Hazel stepped closer, her hands splayin
HAZEL STYLES POV He leered as he approached me, the gun in his hand aimed straight at my face. "Look at those rage-filled eyes," he grinned, flicking the gun. "I can see the obsession Julian had with you now. No wonder he wanted to keep you at his side so bad even if it meant dying," he said, then paused, his eyes roaming over my face.My hands balled into fists, the urge to punch the smug look off his face overwhelming. "I should have killed you on that night fifteen years ago. You were like an itch under my skin that I couldn't get rid of no matter how hard I tried. But if there is one thing I've learned, it's that waiting and anticipating the thrill of a kill gives the same dopamine as the act itself. Also, I knew this day was going to come. I am very good at predicting things, you see."Tears of pure rage brimmed in my eyes, blurring my vision. "Fucking bastard! It isn't enough that you killed my mom and my dad—""Wrong," he shouted, cutting me off. He leaned in, his eyes boring
HAZEL STYLES POV "Wow, you look really beautiful, Hazel," Lena said as I stepped out of the house.I smiled, rubbing my sweaty palm on the sides of my dress. "Thank you, Lena." My gaze dropped to the off-the-shoulder, beautiful, short black dress I had on. "But it's a bit on the shorter side huh?"Lena nodded. "I'm actually surprised Riven let you wear this?"I grinned, rolling my eyes. "He almost didn't. You should have seen him making a fuss about how it was going to make everyone stare at me" I huffed and she laughed "You couples won't take it easy on us singles, will you?" She tsked, then pouted. "I feel so jealous."I grabbed her arm, jerking her close. "Don't be. I'm sure you're going to find your prince charming very soon.""Ugh, please, I am done searching for a prince charming. I'll take a paid vacation instead," she said, and I laughed, then let go of her. "Come on let's go, or the restaurants gonna be close before we get there."I nodded, my gaze darting to those of Riven