She ran away from the mafia families because she wanted nothing to do with them, but fate had other plans for her. A mafia lord named Antonio Valencia has requested that she be delivered to him in exchange for not killing her family. But Amari wants nothing to do with the mafia. Can she avoid Antonio and still save her family? Or will she bring about their deaths?
Amari's POV
Martinis. Italian beef. Then Manhattans.
I'm trying to remember something that has to do with why I'm here, but it all seems fuzzy. Like the jazz tune playing on the stereo. This is supposed to be a stop for jazz fans, like people really into that genre of blessed sounds, but here we are.
A trio. Poking our noses.
All I know is, that Marco and Isabella suggested someplace called The Green Mill on the North side of Chicago for some drinks. Why? No goddamn idea.
I look around the place and all I see are patrons dressed in jeans t-shirts and hats; a couple are dressed in shorts and sandals, their upper half bare.
"Some fashion here," I say.
Marco flashes a smile at me. He's been giving Isabella a lot of those since we sat down at this table. "Don't be sarcastic. The fashion is much more relaxed and less formal than it was in the past. It's all about being comfortable. Goditi la musica."
"You don't say. What did they wear in the past?"
Marco leans towards me like what he's about to say doesn't demand another listening ear. "Back in the nineteen twenties and nineteen thirteens, jazz fans would often dress in suits and ties, or with fur coats and jewelry. For men, hats were a must, and fedoras were particularly popular. For women, hats and gloves were important accessories. And of course, high heels and stockings were essential."
"Sounds like a cult to me," I comment. "What the hell is playing on the stereo anyway?"
Marco just smiles. Isabella laughs. I nurse my Manhattan.
A cool breeze drifts in through the open windows of the bar, bringing with it the sounds of the city outside. The hustle and bustle of the streets out there seems far away from the cozy interior of the bar, where everything seems soft and slow.
I try to relax my nerves, but it is so hard to shake the feeling of anticipation that has been plaguing me all day like a dog at a bone. I can't seem to put my finger on it, but something feels off. Like, there's something about to happen that's gonna change my life forever.
Marco and Isabella share a laugh. I get sick of it.
I sip my Manhattan, rise from my chair, and walk to the bar where I sit on a stool and watch the clock tick its way around.
"You okay, signora?" the bartender asks.
I sigh. Tell him that I probably need a better company in Italian. He shrugs, cleans off a tumbler, and walks off.
I sit here for a few minutes, then as if summoned by my words, someone comes and sits down next to me. I don't need to turn. I can tell it's a man.
As he sits down, I catch a whiff of his cologne. It is light and fresh, but also somehow earthy. I cannot help but take a deep breath, trying to place the scent. Is it sandalwood? Maybe sage?
The bartender comes over.
"Manhattan cocktail."
His voice is smooth and deep, like rich, dark chocolate. I don't even know why this comes to mind.
Bartender nods. "Same as the lady."
I notice him turn to me. "Nice to meet an indulger."
I feel my heart skip a beat. I don't know what it is about this man, but something about him feels... magnetic.
"I'm Antonio," he says, extending his hand.
I turn to him and I take his hand tentatively, like a peace offering. And experience a spark of electricity. It is like nothing I have ever felt before.
"Amari," I say, though my voice comes out in a whisper.
Antonio raises an eyebrow. "Amari. Lovely name. A pleasure to meet you." He releases my hand just as the bartender brings him the order. Antonio immediately takes a sip of his drink, like he's been craving for it.
"Said that before," I remind him, and scoff. "And pleasure? Not when it means bitterness."
"But does it matter?"
I try to collect myself, but I can't help but feel a little breathless. I say something about needing better company, and one comes like a wish granted by a djinn.
"Looks like you needed that," I say, finally finding my voice. "Is that what brought you here?"
Antonio leans in a little closer, and I can feel his breath on my cheek.
"I'm here on business," he says, his voice low and conspiratorial. "I'm in this part of town for a few days and wanted to find a place to relax after a long day."
I nod, my heart still racing. There is something about Antonio that makes me feel off-balance like I'm a pirate ship tossed in a storm. But I don't want to leave. I want to stay right where I am, in this strange, electric moment.
I like strange.
Antonio takes another sip of his drink. "What about you? What brings you to this bar on this particular night?"
I hesitate, unsure what to say. I don't want to tell Antonio the truth, that this was a suggestion but the novelty of it was what drew me to this bar, like a moth to a flame. Finally, I lie, "I just felt like going out. Gioviti la musica."
Antonio smiles. "I don't believe you. There's something else going on here, I can tell."
I feel my face flush and the sting.
He notices. "Feel like I'm putting you on the spot? No offense. Just that I'm a bit of a people-watcher, and I can tell when someone is hiding something. You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to."
I am surprised by Antonio's sincerity. It is unexpected, but also refreshing. I take a deep breath. "It's okay. It's just...it's complicated."
"Hmm," he says, eyes still fixed on me.
"I've just been feeling like something is missing from my life. I'm not sure what it is, but it's been on my mind a lot lately."
Antonio nods. "I can understand that. Sometimes, we just know something is missing, even if we can't quite put our finger on what it is. And it can be frustrating."
I feel a sense of relief washes over me. Well, Antonio seems to understand me better than Marco or Isabella, and I feel like I can be honest with him.
This stranger.
"Maybe you just need to try something new," Antonio ventures. "Something that will shake up your routine and make you feel alive again."
He looks at me expectantly, as if waiting for a response.
I think for a moment. I am so used to going through the motions of my life, doing the same things every day. But I know Antonio is right. I need to do something different. "What would you suggest?"
Antonio smiles like he's been waiting for this question. "I have a few ideas. Why don't we start small, and then we can work our way up to something more adventurous."
"Something like?"
"Ever danced in a bar before?"
I am rendered speechless for a moment, and then I spurt out a laugh. "What?"
"A dance in a bar, Amari."
"No, I have not danced in a bar before and I have no intentions of doing so in this life."
"What did we say about doing things differently?"
"Not this, which I guess you have done plenty of times," I say, with some pang of jealousy. Why should I even be? He's handsome. Tall. Dark hair. Blue eyes. And a mouth that can warm one's insides, if given the chance. If he's been a bad boy, why should I feel bad?
"This is my first time too," he says.
And I have to scoff. "So you're willing to make me your first dance partner?"
"If you can trust me, Amari," he says, conditionally.
I look back at Marco and Isabella. His head is buried in her neck, and her left hand fingers his ear. Finally, some smooching is about to take place. Why should I be left out then?
I smile at him. "I think I can."
The music plays softly, and the lights are dim. We stand facing each other, and Antonio takes my hand in his. He places his other hand on my waist, bringing up a lot of tingles in my body, and we begin to move in time to the music. I feel the warmth of his hand on my waist, and I am so acutely aware of his body close to mine. Tingles of excitement flow through me as we move across the floor. The dance seems to go on forever, then it is over all too soon. The song ends but we don't move apart. Instead, we stand close together, looking into each other's eyes. There is a moment of awkwardness, as we both seem unsure of what to do next.
Then, Antonio speaks. "Would you like to come with me to my room for a drink?"
In a busy city of New York, where a hidden world of wolves thrives, Cana, a young wolf believes she is about to achieve her ambition when she is preparing to get married to a powerful Alpha of her pack, Axel. A shocking event happens on her wedding day which turns her world upside down. She is rejected, betrayed and humiliated, Cana runs to another city not knowing that her destiny and true identity are yet to be found. What happens when Cana comes across the most powerful lycan who happens to be her true mate?. Can she trust the lycan, or will she be betrayed again? Can Cana rise to the challenge most especially when her pack is attacked by enemies? Or will the entire pack fall into darkness? Dive into this werewolf story full of suspense to reveal the truth behind her past and witness her fight for a future she will never imagine.
Marvis was despised in her own home by her parents. (Her father and her stepmother). She was forced to get married to a fallen hero (The supposed heir to Sullivan companies) in her sister's stead. The Lewis family had an agreement with the Sullivan family many years ago to get their offspring married in return for protection and social status from the Sullivan. She gets married unwillingly and plays the role of his caretaker. As she is about to heave a sigh of relief that Jace has quit throwing tantrums, the situation in her new family tends to pull her down. Her husband's stepmother and her children have their ambitions which they must achieve at all costs. She is a stumbling block to those ambitions and must be removed. She knew she had to save herself as well as her husband. The battle is difficult. But will she give up?
Getting married to the love of your life is everyone's dream. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Drea Miles was in love with someone who didn't know she exist. But she was alright with it cause deep inside she had accepted he would never be hers. But when her father forces her into a marriage in order to save his company, never in a million years did Andrea think she would get married to Sorin Zaveri , the billionaire and the love of her life. But there was a big problem, he was already in love with someone else. Will being with the love of his life pose a threat to their marriage or will he be willing to love Andrea as much as she loves him.
When Corynn mustered up the courage to tell Elliot about her pregnancy, she unexpectedly found him gallantly helping another woman from his car. Her heart sank as three years of effort to secure his love crumbled before her eyes, compelling her to leave him behind. Three years later, life had taken Corynn down a new path with someone else, while Elliot was left grappling with regret. Seizing a moment of vulnerability, he pleaded, "Corynn, let's get married." Shaking her head with a faint smile, Corynn gently replied, "Sorry, I'm already engaged."
She thought she was the love of his life, and he became the love of her life that fateful day she had seen him at the pack's party. Selene Grace was only a replica of Alpha Leo's real mate, and when he spotted her, Leo immediately claimed her as his Luna in order to suppress the rumors of him being mateless. Being unable to conceive turns Selene's marriage into a nightmare, and as if that wasn't enough, Alpha Leo finally reunites with his long time lover and mate, rejecting a pregnant Selene as a result. 5 years later, Selene, a now successful doctor, receives an invitation to the moon shadow pack in order to rid the pack of a deadly disease which has struck it. Will Selene return back to the pack which had caused her so much pain, and what would she do when she realizes that she is mated to the Alpha who had betrayed her in the past?
Everyone was shocked to the bones when the news of Rupert Benton's engagement broke out. It was surprising because the lucky girl was said to be a plain Jane, who grew up in the countryside and had nothing to her name. One evening, she showed up at a banquet, stunning everyone present. "Wow, she's so beautiful!" All the men drooled, and the women got so jealous. What they didn't know was that this so-called country girl was actually an heiress to a billion-dollar empire. It wasn't long before her secrets came to light one after the other. The elites couldn't stop talking about her. "Holy smokes! So, her father is the richest man in the world?" "She's also that excellent, but mysterious designer who many people adore! Who would have guessed?" Nonetheless, people thought that Rupert didn't love her. But they were in for another surprise. Rupert released a statement, silencing all the naysayers. "I'm very much in love with my beautiful fiancee. We will be getting married soon." Two questions were on everyone's minds: "Why did she hide her identity? And why was Rupert in love with her all of a sudden?"
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.