avel

one milli

, hidden ballroom, a place wher

Orleans, was bankrupt. My father and stepmo

he golden boy of Louisiana politics, had stoo

ce smooth as poison. "A Vanderbilt cannot

left me to be swallowed by t

on a stage, a p

o bought me wa

family in New Orleans richer than mine used to b

this moment play

at him. I screamed that I would rather die than be

s a

ctioneer, smirking, moved to the ne

oke "pure" things. He put a diamond choker around my ne

ross the room. Hope, stupid and stubborn, flared in my chest. One of hi

A cold, dism

s trash now. Fun to look at, bu

bro

ad tried to raise more money to buy me back. He got in

ve the woman who had

the betrayal from Liam, the truth about Jax

en I w

air thick with the scent of ex

again. "Jax Devereaux bids one

, I didn'

acc

clear. It cut through t

m went

ual arrogant smirk was gone, replaced by a look of pure shock

n't ge

e distance. He paid the auction master, then turned to

at gilded hell and int

ast and reckless, through the city streets. We ended up at his penth

inside and sl

his dark eyes s

kept woman now?" His voice was laced with the old mo

I would have sla

forward, stood on my

rate. A kiss that said thank you, and I'm

t time in his life, he