I hadn't really considered why I would use this place or what it could be used for. At first, I just wanted to visit, but now I'm considering whether I would."You have no idea about this world, do you?" He smirks, and I nod."Of course I don't. I keep telling you that your son was right." Has he forgotten that?He laughs and nods. "Someone not knowing about this world doesn't instantly make them boring, dull or a prude. People only search out this world through interest and such." Sighing, he stands."Stay there." I watch as he walks off. Why am I to stay here? Looking down, I see my glass is empty, walking to the bar I order another drink."Hi." Turning, I look at the guy. "I'm Kian." The guy holds out his hand. I shake it and smile."Ruby." He nods at me, starts talking, and then stops. Alaric looks between us and turns me away from Kian."I'm sorry, Mr Hendrix. I didn't realise she was your guest." Kian smiles at him."She isn't, but she doesn't know enough to hop into a room with
Driving back, I walk in."Bex!" I walk up to her door and knock. "Bex, I know you're in; unlock the door."I watch Ivy step out of her room. "Now, what did she do?" She laughs, looking at me."Bex! You have three seconds, or I swear, I will pour out your vodka." The door unlocks, and she opens it, standing smiling. "You left me with him!""Did you not want to get into Jake's daddy's bed again?" she smirks, and I groan."You slept with his dad?" Ivy stares at me."No! Nowhere near. You left me alone." I look at Bex."Sorry, but well, I only had an idea it was him. I wasn't sure, you're right though, he is hot.""Bex!" She was meant to stay."Did you two have fun?" She grins, and I walk in and sit while Ivy follows."We spoke, and he gave me a guided tour of the place and told me to do research, real research.""Okay, well, Jake has been calling you. You didn't answer, so he called me." I look at Ivy. "He's been calling nonstop for half an hour, pissed off that you're not answering."Re
"You're not here because you want me, Jake; you're here because you're scared your dad will stop the money when he finds out we're not together." I'm not a fool."No, I have the money. He can't stop me from getting it, Ruby. This was me realising I saw you with Oliver, and I realised how much I love you."Sitting, we talk, and no matter what he says, I know this is fear. Fear his dad will find out the truth and cut him off. Is he really going to sit here and make out like he loves me just to keep money?I watch him come back from the toilet; his hand reaches down, and he picks something up. "When did you wear this, or even get it?" He holds up the leather one-piece."Jake, stop touching my things." He nods and places it down."I just hadn't seen it before, that's all. It's not exactly something you would normally wear.""I wear different things; I agreed to come with you; that's as far as this goes.""Are you really saying there is nothing I can do to sort this?""Jake, I need a drink
Walking up the steps, I watch as Jake opens the door and calls out to Alaric. Stepping in with him, I hang my bag and coat up."Jake, I'll be two minutes." I watch as Jake pulls me into the kitchen, my mind returning to yesterday. To what happened right here with Alaric"Thanks." Jake hugs me, and I step back."We need to talk..." Alaric stops at the door and looks between us. "I thought Ruby was busy?" Alaric looks confused between us."No, she sorted it out. Didn't you, babes?" He kisses my cheek, and I move away."You haven't been back in a while and and was ignoring my calls." Alaric looks at him."We were busy planning the wedding." Turning, I look at Jake, shocked. "We're thinking of setting a date, right?" Jake looks at me."Right..." What the fuck is he doing?"One second." I watch Alaric answer his phone and walk out."Jake! You're meant to be telling him this is over.""Give me a chance! I just walked in, and I don't want to do it immediately.""You're stalling." I see Alari
The room stays quiet; after so long, I watch Alaric answer his phone and leave."I'm getting to bed." Standing, I walk out and go to Jake's room. Throwing the pillow on the floor for him, I change into the few items I have here and climb into bed.I wake feeling the bed move and arms wrap around me. The feel of Jake's hand sliding down my stomach makes me move."You're meant to be on the floor!""Come on, babes.""Don't babes me! I'm only here because you haven't told your dad yet!""You haven't changed, have you?" He laughs slightly."Fuck you, Jake. I'm not staying in here with you." Standing, I walk downstairs, lying on the sofa, I turn the tv on. I watch it, I should just sleep, but knowing Jake, he will come down and try again.Somewhere in his mind, he thinks I am going to fuck him. A short while later, I hear the door and turn to it, watching as Alaric walks in. He stops and looks at me as he locks it."You're up late.""Technically, it's early. I was asleep, but Jake decided t
The room stays silent, a few minutes later I hear the front door open.Did Alaric really make it seem like he wasn't even here?"Dad?" I hear Jake and try to stay still."Had a work issue. Why are you up?" I don't move as I hear Alaric walk into the kitchen."Like I know, something woke me though. Ruby is sleeping on the sofa.""Why?" Alaric questions."I tried for sex. She's not in the mood." Jake laughs, and my eyes squeeze close."So she left the bed?" Alaric quizzes him again. Jake isn't going to say."It's Ruby. I kiss her around someone, and she runs away scared, telling me people can see. She needs to loosen up." Jake laughs."That's enough! Have some damn respect Jake. If you spoke like that, I'm not surprised she walked out and slept alone.""It was a joke." Jake laughs."No, there's a time for jokes, and that isn't it. Are you sure you two are good? She didn't seem happy.""She's fine.""Jake, she wasn't happy, so what happened?""I found her in bed with someone else." What?
His hand lingers on my leg."Alaric.""Hmm?"I turn and look at him. "We need to talk; why am I still here?" I should have left, and he shouldn't have wanted me here."Do you not want to be here?" His body pushes against mine."People are going to think that..."His hand covers my mouth. "Turn, read clause 7a. Out loud." Turning, I flip through and find it."7A, the submissive understands that the view and opinion of those outside their dynamic make no difference and hold no power. Therefore, it shouldn't even be considered by the submissive or impact their actions."Oh, I must have missed that one. I laugh slightly."Still, you're Jake's dad. He cheated, this going to be seen as revenge." Turning back to face him, I smile."And if what we did isn't revenge, what is it?" He looks at me.It's not revenge, but. God, I don't know. "Something that I want, somehow, I feel things and feel ways I never have before when I'm with you. It makes me forget about the fact it's forbidden. It makes
Alaric has been gone a lot. Jake has been attached to the controller, which I'm grateful for. It keeps him off my back and prevents him from acting like a doting boyfriend.His phone rings, and he glances at it briefly before ignoring it; I continue to read my book and hear it again. Groaning, he pushes the phone towards me."Answer."Glancing, I see the name."It's your dad, Jake.""Right, so answer." Sighing, I hit the button and held it to my ear."Hi Alaric, Jake is busy.""Well, tell him to get off it. I have guests coming, and I'm not having him lying around like a damn slob." The phone cuts off."You need to get off that. Apparently, he has guests coming." I'm not sure which guests. He sighs and turns it off."It's fine, I had plans anyway." He walks off upstairs. What plans? I sit waiting, and half an hour later, he walks back down, looking ready to go out."What's happening?"He shrugs and grabs his jacket. "Like I know, but I have plans.""Jake, you're really going to out an
ZadeI knew if I waited, things would go wrong, which is why I proposed to Izzy sooner than I had planned. Good job I did as if I hadn't. I was meant to be proposing right now, which isn't ideal.The room is buzzing with controlled chaos. Nurses move efficiently around us, murmuring instructions and checking monitors. Izzy lies in the hospital bed, her face flushed, hair damp with sweat, and hands clutching mine like a lifeline. Her grip is strong—stronger than I ever expected—but I welcome the pain. It’s grounding me, keeping me in the moment when I feel like I might lose my mind.“Zade, breathe,” Izzy groans, her voice strained as another contraction overtakes her. “You’re supposed to remind me to breathe, not forget how to do it yourself.”I snap out of my daze, nodding quickly. “Right. Breathe, Izzy. Deep breaths.” I mimic the motion, inhaling and exhaling like I’m teaching her something she hasn’t been doing perfectly for hours.She glares at me between breaths, sweat beading on
IzzyI can’t help but smile at Zade as he drives, his hands steady on the wheel, his profile glowing in the soft morning light. Time has slipped by so quickly. It feels like only yesterday we were grappling with fears and uncertainty, and now here we are. Zade has been by my side so much more than I ever expected. He still works, but not nearly as much as he did before. Somehow, he’s found a balance, and it’s brought us closer in ways I didn’t think possible.While he’s working, I spend most of my time at home with Sammi and baby Emmerson. It’s been heartwarming to watch Sammi and Grayson navigate parenthood together, their bond strengthening with every passing day. Watching their joy gives me hope—hope that Zade and I can have something just as beautiful with our baby.Zade has been going to counseling regularly, and I see pieces of the real him emerging more and more each week. The man beneath the armor he built to survive, to lead the mafia, to bury his pain—that man is someone ext
Zade POVI lose myself in her, time slipping away as I drink her in, the salty-sweet flavor of her flooding my senses. She collapses into the bed eventually, her body limp, a satisfied sigh escaping her lips. Even now, her walls quiver, her body still coming down as I lick the last remnants of her release.When I finally pull away, I move up her body and kiss her with a desperate need, our lips crashing together in a possessive claim. I’m hard again, painfully so, but there’s no rush. Tonight, there’s no clock ticking down, no interruptions, just us.“Alright,” I say, standing to strip the last of my clothes, my eyes devouring her sprawled form. “Let’s keep going.”She whimpers, weak from the relentless pleasure, and reaches for me, her hands trembling as they find my shoulders. “Zade,” she murmurs, but I’m nowhere near done.Izzy tastes like heaven, pure and raw, a flavor I never want to forget. My lips return to her swollen clit, teasing and tormenting her again. Her body jerks as s
ZadeAs I help Izzy into my car, her radiant smile reminds me just how much I’ve been neglecting her. I’ve been so consumed with making sure Grayson is home with Sammi and the baby that I’ve failed the one person who needed me most—her. The guilt eats at me as I start the engine, and I steal glances at her, soaking in her beauty, her strength, her unwavering patience with me.She pulls something from her bag and holds it out to me—a scan image. My heart twists as I take it, running my fingers over the black-and-white lines that outline our baby.“I’m sorry I missed it,” I whisper, the weight of regret heavy in my voice.Her smile is soft, understanding. “It’s fine. You were working and making sure Grayson was home for Sammi and the baby.” Her words are kind, but they cut deep. Missing this moment wasn’t fine, and I can’t let it happen again.When we arrive, I park and immediately step out, going to her side and lifting her into my arms. She laughs lightly, her arms wrapping around my
Izzy POVHis dark eyes burn into mine, a mixture of frustration and desire. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Izzy,” he murmurs, his voice low and hoarse.I lean in, letting my breath ghost over his lips. “Good. I want to play, Zade. And this time, I make the rules.”“You want to fuck me?” His voice is low, teasing, as his dark eyes bore into mine, a smirk playing on his lips. The sight of him, restrained and vulnerable yet brimming with raw power, ignites something primal in me. I chuckle softly, leaning in to capture his lips, grinding against him as I feel him stir beneath me.“Oh, you have no idea how much I want to fuck you,” I murmur against his lips, my voice husky with desire. Pulling back, I let a wicked smile curl on my lips. “You’re all mine now,” I whisper, my words dripping with dominance. Slowly, deliberately, I sink to my knees in front of him, maintaining eye contact as my hands glide over his thighs.His breath hitches when I reach up, my fingers wrapping around his s
IzzyIt’s been two months since we came back, and while Zade and I have grown closer, some days feel like we’re barely keeping our heads above water. The distance that came with my pregnancy has dissolved, and his promise to fuck me every day? He’s kept it. But most of the time, it’s rushed, like an obligation rather than passion.I understand why—he’s juggling too much. He practically ordered Grayson to stay home for a couple of months after Sammi had the baby, leaving him to hold everything together. Sure, his brothers are around to help, but Zade hardly leans on them. It’s as if he’s still carrying the weight of raising them, of being their protector, even now.Today was supposed to be different. It was the scan, the moment I’ve been excited about for weeks. But, at the last minute, he got a call—something urgent, something he couldn’t ignore—and I found myself in the clinic with my mum instead of him. All I got from Zade was a quick message asking how it went. No follow-up, no exc
Izzy POVThe moment Zade walks in, the tension between us hangs in the air like a storm waiting to break. We talk briefly, my voice trembling as I tell him the words that have been weighing on my heart: “I’m keeping the baby.” Relief flickers across his face, but it’s not pure joy—it’s layered with fear, uncertainty, and something I can’t quite place. He doesn’t say much after that, just pulls me into his arms, holding me close. I melt into him, exhaustion taking over as I fall asleep wrapped in his warmth.When I wake, the space beside me is empty, and the bed feels colder without him. Slowly, I sit up, rubbing my eyes. My gaze falls on Zade, seated at the foot of the bed, his back turned to me. His shoulders are tense, and his head is bowed slightly, as if the weight of the world is pressing down on him.I hesitate, unsure of what to say or how to bridge the chasm that feels like it’s grown between us. Things had been going so well before all this, and now? Now it feels like we’ve b
IzzyThe moment Grayson wraps his arms around me, I feel the weight of everything pressing down on me like a storm. For the first time in hours, there’s a flicker of safety, but it’s fragile, like glass teetering on the edge of shattering. Zade’s words still echo in my mind—angry, hurt, raw—and even though I know deep down he would never hurt me, in that moment, he didn’t feel like the man I fell in love with. He felt like someone else entirely, someone I didn’t know.The sound of the door closing behind me sends a chill through my spine. Zade has left. I should stop him, run after him, beg him to stay, but I can’t. My legs feel like lead, and my heart is a hurricane of guilt and confusion.“What’s happened?” Grayson’s voice cuts through the silence, low but laced with tension. His arms tighten around me, and for a moment, I let myself break. The tears come in uncontrollable waves, and I bury my face into his chest as though I can hide from my own mistakes.“I’m pregnant, Gray,” I cho
Zade POVEvery time I close my eyes, I see her face—tear-streaked and filled with anguish. Then the memories hit, unbidden and relentless. Blood. The screams. The bodies. My parents, mangled and lifeless. Her—my ex, so pregnant, so full of life, and then... gone. The flashbacks swallow me whole, dragging me under. My breathing becomes shallow, erratic, and I grip the edge of the table to ground myself, my knuckles white.“Zade,” a voice cuts through the storm in my mind, anchoring me back to reality. I look up to see Grayson sitting across from me, his face a mixture of concern and frustration.I can’t even muster the energy to speak. I just stare at him, then down at the untouched glass of whiskey in front of me.“Did you drink it?” he asks, his tone sharp but not unkind.I shake my head. “No. But I wanted to. God, I wanted to.”Grayson exhales, leaning back in his chair. “At least you didn’t. That’s something.” He watches me closely, his eyes narrowing slightly. “You’re drowning, Za