All I have to do to inherit an empire is pass one final test. Assassinate my intended victim. Easy. I don't mind killing to survive. I have no problem bringing my enemies to justice. But then I notice her. She can't possibly be my target. She is most emphatically not my adversary. This has to be a typo. Because all I want is to have her, regardless of the consequences. And the ramifications are severe...
Enzo
Alcohol
It has the potential to reduce your inhibitions.
Make you into someone who society accepts.
Allow you to unwind enough to ask the hot girl at the end of the bar out on a date.
Alcohol is extremely powerful.
The ability to tempt me.
To transport me away.
In order to make me forget.
It should only be an act of defiance. An underage misdemeanor committed for attention as well as to feel the effects. That is all alcohol should stand for. I'm only seventeen years old. Although I am still a long way from the age of twenty-one, alcohol has never been a healthy pastime.
I knew as soon as I tasted the liquid that it was a habit I would never break.
Not because I'm a drunk. That's something I'll never be, no matter how much I drink. Even when I require alcohol as much as I require oxygen.
I need to forget about it.
I drink the last drop of amber liquid from my glass. One drink isn't going to be enough to make me forget. If there was another way to erase my demons and induce amnesia, I'd take it. But I've never come across another option. This is my only choice.
"Another round," I say to Zeke and Langston in the corner booth next to me. It's a statement, not a question.
I need more, and they'll both stay with me for another hour, drinking until my past is erased.
Slinking out from beneath the shadowy corner booth, I stand and cross the room before climbing onto a stool at the bar. We have a waiter, but I don't have the patience to wait for her to notice that we require more drinks.
I cast a glance behind the bar at Blake. When he sees me, he knows to drop his other customers and serve me right away. His tip, like his job, necessitates it. This is just another bar owned by my family. In the grand scheme of things, it's nothing more than a safe haven for me to retreat to when necessary.
And lately, I've discovered that coming here on a daily basis is absolutely necessary.
Blake notices me from the corner of his eye. He politely ends his conversation with the flirtatious woman at the far end of the bar and walks over to me, pouring me another glass of the best bourbon we have. I reach for the glass he has placed in front of me and wait for him to finish making drinks for my friends.
I raise the glass to my lips, relieved that my nightmare will soon be over. My memory will be wiped clean, at least until I meet with my father later today.
A girl falls through the door as it flies open. She stumbles once before falling to her knees. Her cheeks, however, do not burn with embarrassment. Instead, as she scans behind her, fear threatens her eyes. As if the evil she is fleeing will catch up with her at any moment.
She gets up quickly and brushes herself off habitually, not because she's dirty. Her skin is a light olive color, but the coloring alone does not reveal her ethnicity. We live in Miami, where everyone is tanned. Her skin, however, suggests that she has spent far too much time in the sun. Hers promises a far more intriguing past and culture.
Her legs are too skinny, I realize as I soak up her body and memorize it like I do everything else. My memory is perfect, and even if it wasn't, there's no way I'd forget such a beautiful spark like her.
Her clothes are far too large for her. Her blue jean shorts encircle her legs too much. Instead of revealing the curves beneath her tank top, it hangs like a tent. Her dark black hair falls in thick waves down her neck, concealing her face.
But then she flips her head back and blows her hair out of her face. Fear has vanished. The clumsy girl has vanished. Gone is the awkward girl who was uncomfortable in her own skin.
I've forgotten her clothes are two sizes too large.
With one toss of her hair, she goes from meek girl to powerful woman. Her steps are bold and robust as she struts toward the bar, only three steps to the edge.
Blake floats over to her, as enchanted as I am by her smile at the bartender. I'm not sure what she says to Blake as she whispers, but I know he'll bring her whatever drink she ordered without checking her age. And I'm correct. Blake hands her a beer without looking at her ID. An ID that is either fake or shows she is not older than I am.
Her age, however, is irrelevant. Her piercing greenish blue eyes and unwavering poise are enough to persuade him to risk his job for her.
Blake is accustomed to serving underage clients, but only because of me. I've never seen him serve anyone who isn't related to me who is clearly a minor.
The girl raises the glass to her lips, the foam resting on her upper lip as she sips the golden liquid as if it were the only thing keeping her alive.
That makes sense to me.
I should avoid approaching her. I should stop thinking about her. I shouldn't bring more evil into her world when it's clear she's already running from enough.
I don't have the necessary strength.
I set aside the drinks Blake had set out for Langston and Zeke. As I slide into the stool next, I only take a drink.
As I move closer to her, her gaze never leaves her drink. She is unaware of the danger that has approached her.
"What are you doing in a bar like this, an innocent creature?" I ask.
Her eyes gently roll in her head, but it's the only indication she heard me. Otherwise, I'm not there for her.
However, I am a patient man. I know she heard me, and I know she is bothered by my proximity. She'll respond. If only for the fact that she's curious as to why I converged on her in the first place.
Tessa is a nice girl who has a sweet, dependable boyfriend at home. She has purpose, ambition, and a mother who is determined to keep her that way. But she hasn't even arrived in her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. Hardin is cute and different from what she's used to, with his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos, and lip ring. But he's also impolite—to the point of cruelty. Tessa should despise Hardin for his attitude. And she does—until she finds herself alone in his room with him. Something about his dark mood draws her in, and when they kiss, she feels a passion she's never felt before. There was before Tessa met Hardin, and then there was everything that happened after... Nothing will ever be the same again.
One medicine, one dose, Blyss.... The aphrodisiac to end all aphrodisiacs. A sex game that has been meticulously planned and orchestrated. Two cruel, gorgeous men...one helpless woman trapped in the between. Jully Oakley's intentions to spend the summer at home take an unexpected turn for the worst. Nicky has become his biggest fixation, and he will stop at nothing to get her. Nicky, who is dangerous and in charge, has been laying the stage for a long time, and when their worlds cross, sparks fly. Nick, on the other hand, underestimated Jully's fiery, independent nature. She'll fight him no matter what it takes. When Nicky's right-hand man, Travies, sets his eyes on the prize, all hell breaks loose. Nicky is in it for the long haul, while Jully is battling for her life.
Kaelyn devoted three years tending to her husband after a terrible accident. But once he was fully recovered, he cast her aside and brought his first love back from abroad. Devastated, Kaelyn decided on a divorce as people mocked her for being discarded. She went on to reinvent herself, becoming a highly sought-after doctor, a champion racer, and an internationally renowned architectural designer. Even then, the traitors sneered in disdain, believing Kaelyn would never find someone. But then the ex-husband’s uncle, a powerful warlord, returned with his army to ask for Kaelyn’s hand in marriage.
She was a diamond covered by ashes.... King Dakota was known as the most Powerful Alpha King of all times - more powerful than any other King that had ruled from his lineage. He was cold hearted, introverted and dangerous in anger. Cursed by the Moon goddess, King Dakota had to get married to three wives all in search of a male child that would become his heir, but it was impossible as the curse would only let his wives bear she -wolves. But on a different day, the King meets a lady who offends him and as a punishment, he took her home as his fourth wife. Her name was Shilah. Shilah was a powerless wolf and as a result, was disregarded and intimidated by all. But, when she begins to do things that the King had never felt for years, he began to wonder who she really was. Slowly, she crawled her way into his icy heart and turned out to be something nobody ever expected - a storm.
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
Sandra Hill, the long-lost real heiress of the Hill family, was shunned by her own kin. Instead of embracing her, they bestowed their affection upon an impostor. They even arranged her to marry a vegetative man in place of her so-called “sister”. Sandra sneered, refusing to put up with this humiliation, cut off ties with the Hill family immediately and ran into the flash marriage with Wesley Cooper, her unconscious billionaire husband. With her incredible medical skills, she defied the odds and revived him. Little did she expect that her husband spoiled her with all his love... A medical genius, a computer prodigy, a national treasure in painting, and a racing legend... Her husband revealed her various identities, leaving the Hill family regretful. Her father came pleading, "It's Dad's fault. Please come back." Her mother wept, "Mom will protect you from now on. Please come back." Even her five brothers knelt before he, begging for forgiveness. Yet, Sandra's smile held a hint of mockery as she vowed, “Never!”
"Ahh!" She was in a moaning mess. She did not want to feel anything for this man. She hated him. His hands began to move all over her body. She gasped when he pulled down the back chain of her dress. The chain stopped at her lower waist, so when he zipped it off, her upper back and waist were exposed. "D-Don't touch m-ummm!" His fingers rolled around her bare back, and she pressed her head against the pillow. His touches were giving her goosebumps all over her body. With a deep angry voice, he whispered in her ear, "I am going to make you forget his touches, kisses, and everything. Every time you touch another man, you will only think of me." - - - Ava Adler was a nerdy omega. People bullied her because they thought she was ugly and unattractive. But Ava secretly loved the bad boy, Ian Dawson. He was the future Alpha of the Mystic Shadow Pack. However, he doesn't give a damn about rules and laws, as he only likes to play around with girls. Ava was unaware of Ian's arrogance until her fate intertwined with his. He neglected her and hurt her deeply. What would happen when Ava turned out to be a beautiful girl who could win over any boy, and Ian looked back and regretted his decisions? What if she had a secret identity that she had yet to discover? What if the tables turned and Ian begged her not to leave him?
"You're a creepy bastard." His eyes smolder me and his answering grin is nothing short of beautiful. Deadly. "Yet you hunger for me. Tell me, this appetite of yours, does it always tend toward 'creepy bastards'?" **** Widower and ex-boss to the Mafia, Zefiro Della Rocca, has an unhealthy fixation on the woman nextdoor. It began as a coincidence, growing into mere curiosity, and soon, it was an itch he couldn't ignore, like a quick fix of crack for an addict. He didn't know her name, but he knew every inch of her skin, how it flushed when she climaxed, her favourite novel and that every night she contemplated suicide. He didn't want to care, despising his rapt fascination of the woman. She was in love with her abusive husband. She was married, bound by a contract to the Bratva's hitman. She was off-limits. But when Zefiro wanted something, it was with an intensity that bordered on madness. He obsessed, possessed, owned. There'd be bloodshed if he touched her, but the sight of blood always did fascinate him. * When Susanna flees from her husband, she stumbles right into the arms of her devilishly handsome neighbour with a brooding glare. He couldn't stand her, but she needed him, if she was ever going to escape her husband who now wanted her dead. Better the devil you know than the angel you don't. She should have recalled that before hopping into Zefiro's car and letting him whisk her away to Italy. Maybe then, she wouldn't have started an affair with him. He was the only man who touched her right, and the crazy man took no small pains in ensuring he would be the last.