Being a stripper wasn't the life that Maria wanted, but it paid the bills. When she gets roped in with her brother's debts with the Mafia, she finds herself trapped between a rock and hard place. That is, until the deadly Mafia Don Damien Serrano, gives her an offer she can't refuse. Meeting him changes her life, but is it for the better, or for worse? Only time will tell, as her heart wavers with every time spent with him, between hate and love.
The brunette gave a loud keening cry, her second climax more sudden than the first. Then she promptly fell into a state of bliss that was accompanied by sleep at its heels.
Damien however, was alert, and he got up from the bed, his skin glistening with a sheen. Unbothered as he was, he prowled from the edge of the bed to the bathroom, jumping into the shower to rinse off the traces of sweat and sex on his body.
Despite his leisurely pace however as he finished off, the gears in Damien's mind were as always, constantly turning.
Just as he was buttoning up his white shirt, there were two quick raps on the door. Damien noticed the girl stir as he called for the person to enter, and he spared her a glance, her body exposed to the world for all to see. However he felt not a hint of empathy as one of his men walked in.
The girl gasped in horror, and quickly fumbled for the covers in a long attempt to cover herself.
Damien paid her no attention, instead focusing on the man who gave him a subservient nod.
"Sir," the man spoke without any preamble. "We have found him."
Those words were like a trigger in him, and his eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Finally," Damien intoned, turning to pick up his jacket. As he put it on, the gun in one of its inner pockets jostled against his side, a comfortable weight he was used to. "And where is he?"
"In the boroughs, sir," the man responded quickly, eager to give any and all his boss asked. "He was spotted coming out of the apartment. It seems that there is a woman living with him too."
His lover, Damien thought to himself.
Very predictable.
"We should be able to move in tonight," the man was then saying, but that made Damien snap his head to look at him. He sulfur up immediately, traces of fear showing in his expression.
"I want Alex Zane in an hour. No excuses," Damien ordered. "Waiting until nighttime will only give him a chance to escape. And if he does, remember you will pay for it with your life."
"Yes boss."
Damien straightened slightly, appraising himself in the small mirror the hotel had to offer. His eyes caught the frightened look of the girl who was wide awake, and covered head-to-toe in the white bedsheet.
Smirking at her reflection, his satisfaction grew when she flinched, looking away.
He'd have his men take care of her.
Without any more words said, Damien Serrano left the hotel room, brushing past his man who gave him a respectful, eyes-to-the-floor bow.
...
"Ugh," Maria Zane groaned to herself as she got off the bus. Another day gone, she thought to herself, her steps on the cobblestone pavement slow and indicative of her tiredness.
The blonde had her hair covered by her hoodie.
It was already 7am, and she was headed back home from another night of grueling work.
Being a stripper wasn't the kind of respectable job she had envisioned for herself when she was younger, but it was the only work she had been able to get when she was under the threat of being kicked out of her apartment.
Now it had been over a year and any bit of shame the 22 year old felt about her job had been beaten out of her by the trials and tribulations she faced everyday.
Yet, it did pay the bills.
A yawn broke out of her lips and she covered her mouth promptly. A woman walking towards her wearing a suit gave her a funny sort of look that made Maria want to laugh in her face.
Soon after she was home, turning the key in her lock and entering the apartment.
Walking from the entrance to the kitchen, she stopped when she noticed the dirty dishes in the sink. Her nose wrinkled and she let out a growl of frustration.
Alex.
Again.
She really hated her brother sometimes, trying as she might to let some little things go.
Maria banged on the door of the second bedroom, which previously served as her painting room until her brother showed up out of the blue three days ago, asking to stay with her.
"Alex!" She yelled at the door and it was opened.
Her older brother, the idiot, looked at her with bleary eyes and confusion on his face.
"Sis, what the fuck? I was sleeping," he groaned.
"Yeah? Well maybe you shouldn't have dirtied up the kitchen, again," she lifted up a finger to point at him. "Come out right now and get those dishes washed up. You know I won't do it for you. Come on," she beckoned to him.
He groaned louder and slammed the door in her face. Maria exhaled sharply, before turning to go back to the kitchen, picking up the frozen dish she got from the grocery shop for her breakfast and stuffing it in the microwave to warm up. She slammed the microwave door shut, breathing heavily.
Damn it, she screwed up her face, feeling frustration run through her.
If she had known that her older brother would be this exhausting to live with she wouldn't have done it in the first place.
Maria still remembered how many times she would call him for help and he simply wouldn't respond. Now he was the one relying on her for the time being and she was too soft on him to refuse.
Moments after she picked up her now warmed food from the microwave, her brother sauntered in, bare chested and his sweatpants hanging low on his hips. She rolled her eyes at him.
"Maybe put on a shirt?" She muttered to herself.
As she ate, she watched him roughly wash her dishes.
Maria had a lot of questions about her brother's sudden arrival. For example, where the hell had he been for the past two years? And why did she feel like he was hiding something about the circumstances that landed him at her doorstep?
Yet every time that she would ask him, he would deflect.
"When are you going to leave?" She asked him now, watching as the muscles on his back tensed.
Alex responded moments later.
"Not for a while," he stated. Yet there was an undercurrent of tension in his words.
"Why?" She demanded.
He didn't respond.
Maria scoffed, brushing wayward strands of hair away from her eyes.
"You know, you have been really silent on why you came to stay with me in the first place. Are you in trouble for something?"
"It's none of your business," he shot back at her, his voice rough and dangerous. She stiffened. "And if you know what's good for you, you'll stop asking me that question, Maria."
The conversation was brought to an end as he slammed the door of the kitchen cabinet shut, making the wood shake.
"The bloodline is confirmed. The Universal God Token is activated. All the gods will obey..." ........................................... Everyone believed Ye Liuyun was trash, even himself. No money, no talent, and no one he could rely on. Bully, scorn and laughter, that's what he deserved. But Ye Liuyun never gave up working hard. One day things had changed. Ye Liuyun's inner power was suddenly awakened. He could cultivate a divine level spirit and became a supreme hero. Slaying demons and exterminating devils, his adventures just started... Money, beauty and power, he would grasp everything in his hands...
"You're my wife in name only, on paper only. My heart and love will never be yours." Edward made it clear to Daisy that she was nothing to him. They were both victims of family greed -- the marriage was arranged for them. Six years passed. She remained quiet, gaining a reputation in the army as a tough-as-nails colonel. When she walked into his life again, Edward fell in love with this woman, unlike any he had known. She surprised and delighted him. But will Daisy take him back? Can their son keep them together? Can the rift between them be healed? Pick this one up and find out!
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
Damian didn't believe in love, but he needed a wife to claim the inheritance his uncle left him. Amelia needed to take revenge on her ex-husband, and what better way to do it than a marriage of convenience with his worst enemy? There were only two rules in their fake marriage: no entanglement or sexual relationship, and they would go their separate ways after the arrangement was over. But their attraction for each other is more than they bargained for. When feelings start to get real, and Noah wants Amelia back, will Damian let her go? Or will he fight for what he believes is his?
COALESCENCE OF THE FIVE SERIES BOOK ONE: THE 5-TIME REJECTED GAMMA & THE LYCAN KING BOOK TWO: THE ROGUES WHO WENT ROGUE BOOK THREE: THE INDOMITABLE HUNTRESS & THE HARDENED DUKE *** BOOK ONE: After being rejected by 5 mates, Gamma Lucianne pleaded with the Moon Goddess to spare her from any further mate-bonds. To her dismay, she is being bonded for the sixth time. What’s worse is that her sixth-chance mate is the most powerful creature ruling over all werewolves and Lycans - the Lycan King himself. She is certain, dead certain, that a rejection would come sooner or later, though she hopes for it to be sooner. King Alexandar was ecstatic to meet his bonded mate, and couldn’t thank their Goddess enough for gifting him someone so perfect. However, he soon realizes that this gift is reluctant to accept him, and more than willing to sever their bond. He tries to connect with her but she seems so far away. He is desperate to get intimate with her but she seems reluctant to open up to him. He tries to tell her that he is willing to commit to her for the rest of his life but she doesn’t seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that he’s different; and a chance to love her. But when not-so-subtle crushes, jealous suitors, self-entitled Queen-wannabes, an old flame, a silent protector and a past wedding engagement threaten to jeopardize their relationship, will Lucianne and Xandar still choose to be together? Is their love strong enough to overcome everything and everyone? Or will Lucianne resort to enduring a sixth rejection from the one person she thought she could entrust her heart with?
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!”