The water glowed under the late afternoon sun as Anna led Damon to the edge of the mansion's luxurious pool. Damon followed eagerly, curiosity lighting up his eyes."Do you want me to swim with you?" he asked, rubbing his palms together in excitement.Anna shook her head firmly. "No. I didn't bring you here to swim. I have questions, and I need answers."Damon chuckled softly. "The pool isn’t exactly the best place for an interrogation. How about your room? Or mine?" His gaze locked onto hers, mischievous yet intense."You're dangerous, Damon," Anna said, her voice steady but wary. "No woman is safe with you in a private room." She averted her eyes, feeling the magnetic pull of his presence even in the open air.Even at the pool, his power over her seems to be getting stronger. He's not trying to force his way with far, far from it. He's trying to infect her with his charms and so far it's working.Damon folded his arms, his smile still intact, he couldn't help but enjoy the whole thi
Anna's POV"I have to admit, I think I'm beginning to like Damon," I confessed, glancing at Bonnie to gauge her reaction as she sipped her wine.She smiled slyly. "Should I call that progress or a setback? And more importantly, what are you going to do about it?" Her eyes flickered between me and the scattered bar patrons, always on alert."I want to run away. Before it's too late," I said softly, taking another sip. The sweetness of the wine dulled the chaos swirling in my mind.Bonnie chuckled and placed a comforting hand over mine. "That's fear talking. You're scared you'll fall in love with him—and you don't believe any man is worthy of that, do you?"I nodded reluctantly. "Exactly. Which is why I have to run."Bonnie's expression turned thoughtful, as though weighing my words carefully."Anna, you can't run from Damon," she said firmly. "Kill that idea. At least for now.""Why not now?" I asked, my brows furrowing."Manzoni Clan," she reminded me. "They
"Who are you?" Anna demanded, her voice steady despite the fear creeping up in her spine.The man didn’t answer Anna’s question. His expression was cold and serious. Instead, he asked firmly, “Where is she? Where’s Bonnie?”Anna tried to step away, but he blocked her path swiftly. “You’re not going anywhere until you tell me where she is.”Rose stood from her seat, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Anna, what’s going on? Do you know this guy?”“I have no idea who he is,” Anna replied, her voice steady despite the growing tension.Rose took a step closer, her tone sharp. “Hey, dumbass, take your hands off her.”The man’s expression darkened as he reached into his back pocket. A glint of metal caught their eyes just before he raised a pistol and fired a shot into the air.The deafening echo of the gunshot lingered in the air, and the bar erupted into chaos. People scrambled for cover, overturning tables and knocking over chairs in their desperate attempts to escape. Anna’s heart raced,
The dimly lit room was thick with the scent of cigar smoke, the air heavy with tension. Damon leaned back in his chair, a half-burnt cigarette between his fingers, exhaling a slow stream of smoke as he listened to the suppliers seated before him. They were a rough bunch—three men with hardened faces, each bearing the scars of a life spent in the underworld.The leader of the group, a middle-aged man with slicked-back gray hair and a jagged scar running from his cheek to his jaw, leaned forward. "The shipment came in last night. High-quality stuff, pure as it gets," he said, tapping his fingers on the wooden table. "Now, about the payment—"Before Damon could respond, the heavy doors to the room swung open, and his right-hand man, Victor, strode in with urgency written all over his face."Boss, we need your attention."Damon didn’t even spare him a glance. Instead, he took another drag of his cigarette, exhaling the smoke slowly before speaking. "I'm in the middle of a deal, Victor. Wh
A sleek black SUV—more like a heavily armored jeep, was parked in the middle of a forest, its polished surface reflecting the pale light of twilight. Damon leaned casually against it, a thin roll of smoke curling from his hand as he observed the surroundings.Out of the undergrowth, three of his tough-looking men emerged, their steps silent but with purpose. One of them stepped forward and reported, "Boss, we are ready."Damon nodded slowly. "What about the guy who shot my wife?" he asked, his tone measured.The man replied, "We have him chained in the barn, just as you requested."A brief smile flickered across Damon’s face. "Good, good. You guys are free to go. I'll take it from here."They bowed respectfully, then quickly spread out and into another vehicle parked close by. As the SUV’s engine rumbled away in the distance, Damon checked his wristwatch. It read 7:50 PM. He chuckled lightly and stepped away from the jeep, heading deeper into the forest. After about ten minutes of
Damon sat quietly in the warehouse, his eyes fixed on his wristwatch. It was 10 PM, and the solar-powered lights outside cast a harsh brightness over the area, illuminating the empty lot and the dark silhouettes of nearby trees. He exhaled slowly, the smoke from his cigarette curling up into the cool night air. Despite the calm appearance he projected, his mind was already calculating his next move.Suddenly, the quiet was shattered by the sound of engines rumbling through the forest. A group of bikes—rough, and black, trolled in droves. About twenty men, their faces set in grim determination and their hands never far from their guns, rolled in. They spread out methodically, their task clear: search the perimeter for any sign of trouble. Among them, four of the bikers veered off and sped toward the warehouse. When they saw Damon sitting there like a king surveying his domain, they quickly signaled to their boss.Moments later, a man in his fifties, with weathered skin and eyes that
The first thing I noticed was the weight pinning me to the bed, as if my body had forgotten how to move or too weak to move. My eyelids fluttered, heavy and blurry, until a sliver of light broke through the darkness. A steady beep pulsed in the background, soft but insistent, tugging me back to reality. My senses sharpened, I'm in a hospital, I felt a firm, gentle pressure on my stomach. firm hands.I turned my head, the motion slow and sluggish, and there he was. Damon. Sitting beside me, his dark hair falling slightly over his forehead, his presence filling the dim hospital room like he owned it. His hands rested on my stomach, steady and warm, and a sweet sensation fluttered through me—butterflies, wild and unexpected, dancing beneath his touch. It was a feeling so alive it almost drowned out the dull ache radiating from the wound beneath his fingers.Our eyes locked, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. His gaze was piercing, blue and endless, pulling me in. But then—somethi
Scarlett Manzoni, Mario's sister, stood tall behind her desk, her thick frame exuding authority in the well lit office. Her vicious blue eyes bore into Bob, Anna’s father, as she turned to face him. At forty-five, she retained a striking beauty, her blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, a defiance against time. With Mario dead, she was next in line to lead the Manzoni clan, and she carried the weight of that responsibility with a powerful resolve."I strongly believe Damon is behind my brother’s death," she said, her voice steady and cold. "What do you think, Bob?"Bob shifted uneasily in his chair, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. A man of average build, his graying hair and worry-lined face. "I don’t think Damon did it," he replied, his voice faltering slightly. "He has an alibi."Scarlett’s eyes narrowed, her gaze sharpening like a blade. "Are you saying this to protect your daughter?" she pressed, suspicion lacing her tone. "Are you picking your daughter over me?"Fear
Damon's POV I’m sitting on the edge of the bed, the mattress dipping under the fact that I'd almost cheated on Anna, what is left is just to penetrate Rose, but I couldn't do it.I was still battling my lust for Rose and love for Anna when Rose’s voice cuts through the haze of my thoughts. "I want you to fuck me, Damon," she says, her tone bold and unapologetic. Her hands were on me before I can process it, trailing down my chest, fingers brushing the waistband of my pants with a purpose that sends a jolt through me. "I want to feel your dick right inside me."A groan rumbles out of me, because damn it, she’s not wrong—I’m tempted, she's hot. The heat of her touch sears through the fabric, and for a split second, I can picture it: giving in, letting her pull me under, drowning out the mess in my head with something deep. But that’s the problem—it’s too real, too messy, and I’ve spent years building walls to keep messes like this out. "I can’t, Rose," I say, my voice rougher tha
Rose took steps toward him, the she stopped just short of touching him, close enough that he could feel the warmth of her breath, smell that spicy perfume that always seemed to linger around her. “I want you, Damon,” she said, her gaze locking onto his, unflinching. “I want you all to myself. No one’s ever shown me what it means to be cared for like you have.”Damon’s chest tightened, her words hitting him like a punch. He’d pulled her out of a dark place years ago, given her a new life, but this—this was something else. His mind flickered with memories of her gratitude, her loyalty, but now it twisted into something deeper, something he wasn’t sure he could handle. He chuckled, the sound rough and tinged with disbelief. “You’re serious?”Her eyes flared, a spark of frustration cutting through the longing. “I killed the Manzoni Queen for you, Damon,” she said, her voice steady despite the weight of her confession. “I took out Scarlett, climbed to the top of this clan, and all I’m a
Damon rolled up to the Manzoni mansion alone, his sleek black car humming to a stop in front of the iron gates. He stepped out, smoothing his black jacket—his favorite color, always had been—and took a deep breath. No backup, no crew, just him. He didn’t want this new Donna, whoever she was, thinking he was scared or uneasy. Showing up solo was a power move, a way to say he wasn’t rattled, even if his gut told him this could go sideways fast. Scarlett Manzoni’s death had hit him like a curveball—he hadn’t seen that coming, and now he couldn’t stop wondering how she’d gone down.The security guys at the gate gave him the side-eye, a mix of suspicion and nerves flickering in their stares. They’d heard the stories—Damon Lockwood, the ruthless Don of the Lockwood Clan, a name that carried weight and a shiver down the spine. But seeing him in the flesh? That was new. He caught a couple of them whispering, their hands twitching near their guns, like they weren’t sure if they should bow
Rose POV I sat alone, my fingers tracing the edge of a crystal glass, the amber liquid inside untouched. My reflection stared back at me from the polished surface of the desk—a woman with sharp green eyes and red hair spilling over her shoulders, a far cry from the broken girl I’d once been. I’d come a long way from the orphanage, from the life that had tried to crush me. But even now, with all this power at my fingertips, there was an emptiness gnawing at me, a void I couldn’t fill.I didn’t know where I came from. No mother, no father—just a crib in a gray-walled room, surrounded by other forgotten kids. The nuns at St. Patrick’s Home for Lost Souls had been kind enough, but they couldn’t give me answers. My earliest memories were of cold floors and whispered prayers, of wondering why no one came for me. As I got older, I begged for clues—anything to tell me who I was. I’d had my DNA tested more times than I could count, scraping together every pen
Anna's POVThen instinct kicked in, and I jerked back, stumbling a step away. “Bonnie, what the hell?” I gasped, my voice shaking, my lips still tingling from her touch.She didn’t answer, just stared at me with those deep, unreadable eyes, her chest rising and falling fast. Then, without a word, she turned and walked out, the door clicking shut behind her. I stood there, my heart hammering against my ribs, my thoughts a tangled mess. What had just happened? Why would she—?And then it hit me, a slow, shattering clarity. The way she’d held me, the protectiveness in her voice, the way her eyes lingered on me too long—it wasn’t just friendship. Bonnie was in love with me. She’d been in love with me this whole time, and I’d been too blind to see it. Now she was leaving, walking out of my life without explanation, leaving me with the weight of her kiss and the chaos of my own feelings.My legs gave out, and I sank onto the edge of my bed, my hands trembli
Anna's POVThe framed picture of Ghost stared back at me from Damon’s desk, I could see the striking resemblance between them, especially the piercing eyes. I’d come looking for him, but he wasn’t here. The room felt hollow without him. I lingered anyway, unable to leave, drawn in by the faint scent of him that clung to everything. My fingers brushed the edge of Ghost’s frame, a restless energy humming through me as I wandered deeper into the space.This wasn’t how I’d pictured things since we got back from Mexico. I’d imagined us wrapped up in each other, a blur of tangled sheets and breathless nights, orgasm after orgasm until the world outside didn’t matter. Instead, there was this gap between us, a distance I couldn’t bridge no matter how much I wanted to. I sank into the chair at his desk, the leather creaking under my weight, and let out a shaky breath. My body felt alive in a way it never had before, a constant drum of sexual need pulsing through
Damon's POVThe rooftop of the mansion was my last refuge, a place where the chaos of the world below couldn’t quite reach me. The night was cold, the air sharp with the scent of distant rain. I stood near the edge, hands gripping the iron railing, staring into the void. My room had felt too small tonight, its walls closing in with every unanswered question, every festering doubt. Up here, at least, I could breathe—even if every breath tasted like fear.I’d never been in this position before. Me, Damon, the guy who always had a plan, always knew the next move. Now? I was teetering on the edge of something I couldn’t name, and for the first time, I wasn’t sure I’d make it out alive. The Manzoni Clan lingered in my thoughts like a shadow I couldn’t shake. They had to be behind this—the deaths, the chaos, the unraveling of everything I’d built. But who was their mole? Someone close, someone I’d let into my circle. The betrayal gnawed at me, a dull ache tha
Anna's POVThe mansion stood tall ahead of us as the car slowed to a stop, the tires crunched against the gravel driveway, a sound that grated against my already disturbed nerves. Damon’s hand was warm in mine, his fingers laced tightly with my own, but there was something off—something I couldn’t ignore. Even though we were touching, he felt distant, detached, like a wall had sprung up between us. His jaw was clenched, his gaze fixed straight ahead, avoiding mine. I squeezed his hand, hoping for some reassurance, but he didn’t respond. He was here with me, physically, but his mind was somewhere else entirely.We stepped out of the car, and the cool evening air hit me like a slap, sharpening my senses. The mansion’s heavy wooden doors swung open as we approached, revealing a group of Damon’s men waiting inside. Their faces were etched with determination, and the tension in the room was thick enough to choke on. I clung to Damon’s hand a little tighter,
Anna's POVMy hand pressed harder against my mouth, muffling the gasp that tore out of me. The room tilted, the edges blurring as my knees wobbled beneath me. Damon’s men stood there, their pale faces carved from stone, waiting for me to say something, do something. But I couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. Ghost—Damon’s sister, the one he’d spoken of with that quiet reverence—was gone. Murdered. And Damon… where the hell was he?“Where did he go?” My voice came out sharp, cracking at the edges as I lowered my hand. My fingers trembled, and I clenched them into fists to hide it.The taller man—the one with the buzz cut—shifted his weight, his jaw tight. “We don’t know. He got the message, went silent, then grabbed his keys and left. Told us to get you to the mansion before he drove off.”“When?” I demanded, stepping closer. “When did this happen?”“About an hour ago,” he said, his eyes flicking away from mine, like he couldn’t stand the weight of my stare.An ho