All Chapters of Tempted by Sin: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Ace“How is everything with you, Ace?”I blink at Enzo from across his desk, the leather seat cool against the back of my jean-clad thighs. He leans back in the large chair, his hands running down the front of his dark blue blazer sculpted to his frame. Not a single strand of dirty-blond hair is out of place, and his hard blue eyes focused on me.“Everything is fine,” I answer, my back pin-straight. “Is there any news on those Bonanno fuckers?”“They’ve been silent,” Enzo says and leans forward. “After they messed with our supply drop, it seems they’ve gone into hiding, likely waiting for us to retaliate.”“Are we going to retaliate?”Enzo hums. “Not yet. Patience is a virtue. If they think we could strike at any moment, I want them to fester in that anxiety, waiting for the unknown.”I nod. Enzo isn’t someone who rushes into a situation like this, guns blazing, ready to kill. He takes his time planning an attack down to the finest details. Partly because he likes to keep his enemy on

PaetynI’m greeted by harsh rays of moonlight shining through the open window above the bed when my eyes flutter open, heavy with sleep. Every muscle in my body is tense, my back aches and my limbs feel like a weight is keeping them pressed firmly against the mattress.I force myself into a seated position, dragging the thin black sheet up to my chest. My eyes sting as I rub the sleep from them, hoping it’ll make me feel more awake when in reality, I want to lie down and go back to sleep. I want to feel Ace’s arms wrapped around me, holding me close to his firm chest as he strokes my hair.Ace…My eyes widen as panic crashes through me, nearly knocking the wind out of my lungs.Ace!I nearly get whiplash from the ferocity of my head snapping to the left where my phone sits on the bedside table. With my heart in my throat, I snatch the device off the table. The screen beams to life, almost blinding me in the dark room.10:18 PM.My heart sinks to my toes at the notifications on the hom

Paetyn’s POVFor someone who ended their engagement with their long-term fiance not even twenty minutes ago, I feel content with my decision. I’m sure that might sound odd to someone from the outside looking in, but if people knew Liam—the real him—and the kind of man he is, I would be getting praised for my decision. They would tell me I dodged a bullet, and I’m better off without him. And while I agree with them, the lingering anxiety of how drastically my life is going to change without him in it has my hands tightening around the steering wheel, and a lump forms in my throat. Did I make the right decision? I mean, the asshole conspired and paid to have me kidnapped by the same man whose house I’m driving to. If that doesn’t scream I don’t care about you then I don’t know what does. This whole time, I was a pawn in a game he constructed so that he could reach his goals. At no point did he stop to think what something as fucked up as having me kidnapped and held captive for a week

Paetyn’s POVIt was a long day, to say the least. My mind was a jumbled mess of everything that had happened in the last forty-eight hours, making it hard to concentrate on my clients. No matter how hard I tried to push everything to the back of my mind, I would find myself getting lost in thought whenever a client was speaking or when I was on my lunch break. I hate that Liam has somehow forced his way into the corner of my mind, despite my breaking off our engagement. Every time I picture his face, or remind myself about how he put my life on the line for his own gain, I get the urge to punch his stupid face. He deserves it. It’s easier said than done to move on from what happened, but I’m optimistic that, with a little bit of time, I can put this whole thing behind me. At least, I hope so. I expect to see Ace when I walk through the front door of his house. Now that I know what he does with his spare time, I’m not sure what his schedule looks like. I mean, being an enforcer for

Paetyn’s POVMy eyes nearly bulge out of my head. “What?”I blink at him, trying to process what I just heard. Ace has a recording of Liam sleeping with his secretary. I mean, I had a feeling he was being unfaithful but didn’t have the evidence to prove it. But somehow Ace does…. How? He stares down at me, unmoving. His silence indicates he’s allowing me to process the bomb he just dropped on me, but his not saying anything is making the anger bubbling in my veins worse. “What the hell, Ace? How do you have footage of that?” I fold my arms over my chest. “I want the truth.”Ace runs a hand through his messy hair and takes a step back as if pushed aside by the anger radiating off me. “Does it matter how I got it? We can use it against him and destroy any chance he has at progressing his campaign. It’s a win-win for both of us.”“Ace,” I growl. “Tell me how you got the footage, or I’m walking out that door.”His eyes darken. The ticking in his strong jaw tells me I hit a nerve, but th