He's not just a criminal-he's a king in the underworld. A ruthless leader who commands two of LA's most dangerous gangs. And now, I belong to him. Kidnapped. Trapped in a gilded cage with no escape. I should be terrified, desperate to run. But his touch is intoxicating, his presence irresistible. He says he took me for a reason. That my father wants him dead. Can I trust the man who stole me? Or is he playing a game far deadlier than I realize? The truth will shatter everything. And when it does, I'll have to make an impossible choice: Betray the family I've always known... Or surrender to the man who owns my soul.
ALEXANDER'S POV
Maybe I had waited too long to bring the whole thing up. The truth was, I wanted to keep them out of it for as long as possible, my closest friends, my greatest allies. I knew they wouldn't take it well that someone was trying to kill me.
Especially when that someone was Vincent Graves, the most notorious hitman in the business.
But I was sure now, and there was no more time to waste.
The five of us were having brunch at a little downtown cafe, the kind that you couldn't find unless you knew it was there. The waiters here were like family, and so it felt like the safest place to begin to plan things-out on the patio under a large, sun-bleached umbrella.
"There's something I need to tell you, the reason I brought you all here today," I said, my serious tone.
The conversation around the table fell silent and they all turned to look at me.
Caleb's face, as usual, was hard as a rock and difficult to read. I trusted the Russian man's judgment though, and I knew he would be the first to protect me.
"What? You mean you don't just want to spend time with us?" Elias jokes, earning him a stern look from Jonah. At thirty he was the youngest of the group, and this tended to show through his playful demeanor.
Jonah, on the other hand, was always serious. Not unreadable like Caleb, but instead like a calm and sturdy boulder that I always knew I could count on.
"Now is not the time, Elias," Luca said, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. He was the only one who I had told beforehand. I needed him to be able to gather intel so we could properly plan things out. The information we had been able to find on Vicent was scarce, but it was better than nothing.
"What is it?" Jonah asked, leaning towards me looking expectant. He probably had some idea of what was going on, he was intuitive like that.He had known me for the longest, too, and I was sure that had something to do with it.
After all, I didn't think of myself as a man that's easy to read, even if I am more emotive than Caleb.
"I just got it confirmed yesterday, so we still have time," I began, looking at each of them individually.
"But I'm definitely being targeted."
"By who?" Caleb asked, his voice gruff and deep.
"Vincent Graves."
There was a collective groan all around the table.
"Shit, that sucks," Elias said.
"Nathan, that dirty bastard."
"Let's not jump to conclusions yet," Luca said. He always liked to reason things through, and not cause unnecessary conflict.
"We don't know for sure if Nathan is the one who sent him."
"But who else would?"
"It's true that Nathan has the means and the motive to send Vincent after Alex," Jonah said. He looked deep in thought, his forehead wrinkling with lines of determination and contemplation.
Nathan Kane could be called my rival in the business. There were two large gangs that ran the streets of Los Angeles when it came to drugs. He led one of them, and I led the other.
I had known for a while that Nathan was tired of the competition, and of the ways that I kept his gang in check, but I hadn't thought he would resort to hiring a hitman this quickly.
After all, I had my Four, the friends that were with me now, and they wouldn't just let the gang go to ruins if I was shot and killed.
No, I'd reckon if I was, Nathan would have more to contend with than he had bargained for.
"The issue right now is not if it's Nathan sending Vincent after me," I said.
"The issue is that Vincent is going to try to kill me. Unfortunately for him, we know what's going on, so we have the advantage. So right now, we need to figure out what we want to do about it."
"Now, we don't have much information about him," Luca said.
"We know he started as a hitman to provide for his family. He had a wife, dead now, and still has a daughter. As far as I know, she has no idea what her father does for a living."
"Let's keep her out of it then," Jonah said. "I would hate to drag an innocent person into this, even if she is his daughter."
"Agreed," I said.
"Can we kill him?" Caleb asked.
"That would seem like the most logical solution," Jonah responded.
"Or we could get him shipped out somewhere overseas," Elias suggested.
"How in the hell would you make that happen?" Jonah asked.
Elias shrugged in response. "I don't know. That's for you to figure out."
"So we kill him." Caleb took a long drink of his coffee.
I nodded. "It seems like our only option."
"Hey!" Elias said at the same time that Luca tapped my arm, fear in his dark brown eyes.
"Luca, what is it?" I asked in a whisper.
"He's here, right now," he said, pointing to a pair of figures walking up the street towards us.It was Vincent , and his daughter, Natalya.
They were talking together and laughing. The two of them were clearly close, from the way Natalya leaned in. The trusting look in her eyes killed me. She had no idea how bad of a man her father was. It made me want to tell her the truth.
F**k.
I hadn't been counting on this. I was terribly attracted to her. She was the kind of beautiful that people wrote poems and songs about.
She had dark wavy hair that went to her collar bone, and the most enchanting green eyes I had ever seen. Her figure was short and curvy, and she was built in a way that reminded me of the muses of ancient Rome.
Truly a woman to inspire art. Or war.
"We should take care of it now, while we have the chance," Caleb said, interrupting my thoughts as the pair were seated by one of the wait staff.
They hadn't seemed to notice us, and I couldn't help but agree that now could very well be the most opportune time.
"I can make it quick, quiet, just like you like it," Caleb added, eyeing the pair as if he was already calculating the shot he would take to finish it.
"No, we can't do this now," Jonah said.
"Not with his daughter here. She's innocent."
"I'm not going to shoot her," Caleb said with a shrug as if that was the problem.
Jonah glared at him. "That's not what I'm worried about. Can you imagine how traumatizing it would be, to have her father die in front of her?"
"He will die either way." Caleb wasn't getting it, but I could see where he was coming from. Now was our chance, and we had ourselves to worry about first.
"She's getting up," Luca said. If we want to do it now, we should do it while she's away.
Jonah looked visibly torn. I knew he wanted to protect me, but it was likely he was thinking of his own trauma right now. I knew he didn't want to inflict that on anyone else either.
"You guys can do what you want, just do it soon," Elias said. "There'll be more people on this street the later it gets, and you guys know how much I hate damage control."
Thoughts were spinning around in my mind as I took one last look at Vincent Graves, sitting there alone, waiting for his daughter to come back.
"Want me to do it now?" Caleb asked, as serious as ever.
"No," I said, knowing my answer would surprise all of them.
I was a fan of getting things done quick and tidy-like, but in this situation, I knew that there was another way, a better way in fact.
"We're not doing anything yet," I said. "But don't worry, I'm not going to let Graves get the better of me. I have an idea, one that will stop him from killing me without any bloodshed."
"And how do you intend to do that?" Luca asked.
"You'll see, in time," I said, watching as Natalya took her place back at the table with her father.
He was my first love. And my first heartbreak. Now, he's back-with a ring, a contract, and a proposition I never saw coming. Darius Ferguson is a name that turns heads. Billionaire. Power player. The kind of man who can make or break anyone with a single deal. The world sees him as untouchable, unstoppable. But to me? He's the boy who disappeared without a goodbye. The one who left me picking up the pieces of a heart he had no right to break. Now, years later, he's standing in front of me with an offer too tempting-and too dangerous-to ignore. Marry him. Be his perfect wife in public. Play the role until the ink dries on his biggest business deal yet. In return, he'll make all my problems disappear. One year. No emotions. No messy entanglements. Just a means to an end. It should be easy. Except nothing about Liam has ever been easy. He still knows exactly how to make my pulse race. Still watches me like I belong to him. And when he touches me, I forget every reason I swore I'd never let him back in. But this isn't real. It can't be. Because I refuse to make the same mistake twice. Even if pretending to be his wife starts to feel a little too real.
Everything has with a price. Including her. I'm Damien Anderson. I run this city. Control is everything to me. In business, in pleasure-I never give up the upper hand. So when a stubborn little thing dares to defy me, it gets under my skin. Makes me want to break her, own her, make her beg for everything I know she needs. That fire in her green eyes? I want to watch it flicker and fade into sweet submission. I give her an offer she can't refuse-thirty days in my bed, and her money problems disappear. No strings. No emotions. Just my wealth in exchange for her innocence. But Lily isn't just another deal. She's an obsession. A weakness I never saw coming. And now? I don't care about the contract. She's mine. And I'm never letting her go.
One glance. One touch. One note of her mesmerizing voice, and I'm undone. Like a dream I never want to escape, she draws me in, wrapping me in her presence. Consumed. Overcome with need. Fueled by an unshakable desire to claim her as mine. One night, I take more than she's ever given, and it only leaves me craving more. Needing more. Desperate for more. She's the one I've waited for my entire life. And I'll be damned if I let anyone-our families included-stand between us. She trusts me. Yearns for me, just as I ache to possess her. Forever. But fate throws a twist we never saw coming. A curveball no one could have predicted. Still, I cling to her light. She's my Angel. Something about her-about us-makes me believe I've found heaven on earth. She's now my world and I'm never letting her go. Not now. Not ever.
Adeline I was already regretting this blind date when my ex walked into the restaurant-hand in hand with his new girlfriend. The urge to disappear hit me hard, so I did what any self-respecting woman would do . I ran to the ladies' room, unfortunately for me , it was a men's room... and so I had no choice but to climb out the window. Except I didn't exactly stick the landing. Instead, I tripped, tumbled into the dumpster, and almost got shot by a criminal who was on the run from a hot cop. --- Kenneth I was staking out a notorious drug dealer, waiting for the perfect moment to move in. Everything was going smoothly-when a woman fell-yes, fell-from the restroom window and almost got shot by the suspect. The suspect bolted. My cover was blown. And the woman? She looked up at me with the most stunning eyes I'd ever seen... and then tried to run. I caught her before she could get away. Annoyed as hell, I slapped cuffs on her. She was livid. I was livid. But the only thing worse than losing my target? The fact that I couldn't stop staring at her. And I had a feeling that wasn't going to change anytime soon.
My past is a locked door. Sealed shut. Guarded by the lies I tell to survive. A mask. A façade. A carefully crafted illusion. But no disguise is perfect. No wall is unbreakable. And he-relentless, unyielding- shatters through every barrier I built. He gets too close. Sees too much. Draws me in with a fire I can't control. Our connection is raw, reckless- a beautiful kind of destruction. But love is dangerous. Secrets are deadly. And there's one truth I swore he'd never know. One part of me I refuse to expose. Because he's just as fractured as I am. And together, we might be the only thing standing in our way.
"Hello , Nicholas" Eight years ago, Nicholas Chesterfield had made a wrong decision of choosing his father's attention and acceptance over Amelia and her father. He lost Amelia in the process and he regretted it ever since. Now as the CEO and partner in NW International, he needs to finalize a property deal but there is one major obstacle: Amelia is contract negotiator for the owner and she doesn't trust him. Amelia had sworn never to have anything to do with Nicholas Chesterfield again after her and her father lost everything years ago when Nicholas' father lied about his intentions for buying her family's resort. But now she's facing him across the negotiating table and sparks that had previously been stumped out re ingnite between them. Will Amelia be able to resist Nicholas' charm this time around or fall for him once again like she did years ago? Will they be able to put their past behind and act professionally? Could this deal be a second chance at love for both of them?
For ten years, Daniela showered her ex-husband with unwavering devotion, only to discover she was just his biggest joke. Feeling humiliated yet determined, she finally divorced him. Three months later, Daniela returned in grand style. She was now the hidden CEO of a leading brand, a sought-after designer, and a wealthy mining mogul—her success unveiled at her triumphant comeback. Her ex-husband’s entire family rushed over, desperate to beg for forgiveness and plead for another chance. Yet Daniela, now cherished by the famed Mr. Phillips, regarded them with icy disdain. "I’m out of your league."
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.
"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."
The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."
"I heard you're going to marry Marcelo. Is this perhaps your revenge against me? It's very laughable, Renee. That man can barely function." Her foster family, her cheating ex, everyone thought Renee was going to live in pure hell after getting married to a disabled and cruel man. She didn't know if anything good would ever come out of it after all, she had always thought it would be hard for anyone to love her but this cruel man with dark secrets is never going to grant her a divorce because she makes him forget how to breathe.
After three secretive years of marriage, Eliana never met her enigmatic husband until she was served with divorce papers and learned of his extravagant pursuit of another. She snapped back to reality and secured a divorce. Thereafter, Eliana unveiled her various personas: an esteemed doctor, legendary secret agent, master hacker, celebrated designer, adept race car driver, and distinguished scientist. As her diverse talents became known, her ex-husband was consumed by remorse. Desperately, he pleaded, "Eliana, give me another chance! All my properties, even my life, are yours."