Romans de Christie Bassey

ARIAThe doors opened, and for a moment I stood still.I was holding my bouquet, and ahead of me was the aisle.And I was suddenly frozen in place. My father was here in his wheelchair, but weeks ago, I had made the choice to walk myself down the aisle. No one was giving me away. I had already given myself away too many times in my life, and this step of tt way and this vowas mine to make. All mine.I moved forward slowly, the train of my dress dragging against the floor, and each step of mine matched my heartbeat.Nyx and Xander were seated in the same row, stiff in their suits, their eyes fixed in opposite directions like magnets turned the wrong way. Neither had spoken a word to the other since everything went sour between them, but still, they had come. That was something. That was love, in its own stubborn shape.I kept walking.I smiled at Reed and Michelle. His arms were around her shoulders, and she looked radiant, her hands resting in her pregnancy bump. Evelyn had claime

ARIA The twins had wormed their way under my blanket again. They always did like two little magnets who believed my arms were made to hold them forever. I wasn’t complaining, especially now when the house finally felt like a house again and not a battlefield I was tiptoeing through. Lark’s giggles bubbled up against my chest as I held him pinned to me, my chin tucked over his soft hair that still smelled like his hair oil. He wriggled, his legs kicking uselessly, the sound so bright and unrestrained that it made something open in my ribs. “Help,” he squealed through his laughter, thrashing as though I were the villain in some great adventure. “Mama won’t let me go!” “You’re my prisoner,” I whispered dramatically into his ear, tightening my hold just enough to make him howl with delight. “Captured forever by me.” Across the bed, Caspian had Nylah by the wrists, letting her swing her tiny fists at his chest while he made exaggerated groans of defeat. “Oh no,” he crie

ARIAIt had been a week since Rowan was dragged out of the lobby in handcuffs, screaming like a man who couldn’t believe the world had stopped revolving around him. A week of statements, lawyers, and headlines that refused to soften. But today wasn’t about Rowan anymore.Today was about the girls.The driveway of the safe house was crowded with FBI vans, tinted windows reflecting the gray morning sky. Agents moved efficiently, guiding the girls toward the vehicles, carrying the small duffel bags they’d been given. Their faces were pale, some pinched tight, others blank with exhaustion. They were being moved again, this time to a long-term facility where therapists and doctors would help them put their lives back together.I stood near the porch steps, my arms wrapped around myself even though the morning wasn’t cold. I tried to look strong, but my throat burned.Sofia broke from the line, jogging to me with her ponytail swinging. She stopped short, her hands holding something tigh

ARIAI stood in the doorway of my office at Zane Corporation, staring at the half-packed boxes on my desk like they were funeral arrangements.That’s what it felt like, boxing up my office because I was done with this place. My five years with Bennett wasn't done yet, but there was no way in hell I was sticking around here. I didn’t even care about anything anymore. He could sue me if he wanted.Caspian leaned against the window, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a file he hadn’t opened once. He wasn’t here to help me carry boxes, he was here because he refused to leave me alone, and though I’d never admit it out loud, I was grateful.“You sure you don’t want me to just send someone?” he asked.I shook my head. “No. I started here. I’ll finish it myself.”He nodded, but his eyes stayed on me, watchful in a way that made my shoulders relax.I picked up the last framed photo on my desk. It was a picture of Nylah and Lark. The frame went into the box with a soft clink. That wa

ARIACaspian groaned, dragging a hand over his jaw like he’d said too much.I was suddenly shaking him. “Tell me please.” He smiled down at me, and there was happiness in his eyes. He reached for me, hugging me hard as though I was about to run. “Yes, I've been working with Duke. We've been bringing the girls Rowan trafficked back here to Luxenburg. We've moved them into the same house so they're safe and protected.”I stared at him, my heart climbing so high in my throat it hurt to swallow. “How many?”“Nine now.”Nine. The word smacked into me like a stone, rattling through every bone in my body. I held the edge of the seat, trembling. My hands wouldn’t stop. My whole body felt as though it belonged to someone else. It was as though this day was giving me everything and not stopping to allow me breath at all.I wasn't sure if I enjoyed the emotional rollercoaster, but I liked knowing those girls were finally safe. There was nothing better than that. “Why didn't you tell me? Why

ARIAI could have thrown the phone right out the window if it was possible. Every time I spoke to Camilla, I wanted to scratch the skin on my face right off.I opened my car door, slammed it shut and stared abruptly out of the windshield “When have I ever pretended to be a hero to Zara, Camilla? Even now you want to pretend our daughter was an angel? She was the fucking devil herself!” Camilla’s shocked silence made me realize the things I'd just said. I sat back, tugging my fingers through my hair.“How dare you, Aria? How could you? Your sister just died and that's all the sympathy you have?” Camilla squeaked in my ears. “She burned all her bridges, Camilla. I'm not sure why you would expect sympathy from the person she hated the most. I'm sorry for your loss though, please have a good day.” I ended the call, sat back and screamed into my fist.Yes, I had been foolish. I could feel the guilt warring with the need to bash my head against the steering wheel. I knew damned well it

LYSSANDRA The knife comes down.I feel the weight of it in my hand, the promise of it, the sheer reckless hope that maybe I can end this before it truly begins. My muscles lock, my breath cuts short, and every nerve in my body screams as the blade connects with the back of Cross Kryne’s neck.And then, instead of a cry of pain, instead of the wet, sickening sound I am braced for, there is laughter.It is deep and rich and utterly wrong, spilling out of him like I have just told the most amusing joke he has heard all year.I go still while my arm remains raised, my grip still tight around the handle, my heart slamming so hard against my ribs that I can hear it in my ears. For one dizzy second, I wonder if I have finally lost my mind, if fear has cracked something inside me and I am hallucinating this sound.Slowly, dread pooling thick and heavy in my gut, I look down at my hands.There is no blood.There's no slick warmth coating my fingers, and no iron smell rising up to choke me. I

ERDEN I was wearing a groove into the floor of my office.Back and forth, from the desk to the door, from the door to the window, my steps heavy enough that the wood complained under my boots. I could feel it in my chest, that tight, useless pressure that wanted to turn into something violent and reckless. Panic. Rage. Fear. None of it would help Lyssandra. None of it would get her back.I stopped short and turned toward the window, planting my palm flat against the glass. It was cool under my skin, just like Lyssandra’s skin pressed firmly against my chest had been thr last morning at her house. I leaned forward until my forehead almost touched it and forced myself to inhale slowly, then again, counting the seconds the way I had taught myself years ago when my control first started slipping.Losing my head was exactly what my father wanted.My reflection stared back at me, jaw clenched. I dragged my hand down my face and straightened, already knowing what I had to do even though

LYSSANDRA I don’t need him to introduce himself. I already know who he is.The resemblance is impossible to miss now that the light is fully on him, now that I’ve had time to steady my breathing and really look. All his children look like him. I’ve seen it before in Aksel’s brutal height, in the way Erden’s face can go frighteningly still when he’s angry, in Kavev’s eyes when he’s calculating something and pretending not to care. This man didn’t just pass on his genes, he stamped them onto his bloodline like a signature.Dominant doesn’t even begin to cover it.He straightens to his full height and I have to crane my neck back to keep eye contact, which irritates me more than it should. Aksel is tall, infuriatingly so, but Erden is taller still. This man, though, is something else entirely. A giant in the truest sense, broad-shouldered and solid in a way that suggests violence doesn’t cost him effort. I get the unsettling sense that he has never once in his life doubted his own

LYSSANDRA I wake slowly, dragged up from darkness by a dull, insistent throb behind my eyes.For a few seconds, I don’t move. I let my breathing calm, and allow the ache settle into something tolerable, because experience has taught me that panic only makes everything worse. Whe I finally open my eyes, the ceiling above me is unfamiliar. I'm in a room I've never been in before. My heart starts racing. I push myself upright too fast and immediately regret it as pain spikes sharply through my skull. I hiss under my breath and brace my hands on the mattress, waiting for the room to stop tilting. When it does, I take stock of myself frantically. My wrists are free. My ankles too. There are no restraints biting into my skin, no blood, and no pain anywhere else except the brutal headache and a thick fog clinging to my thoughts. That alone should calm me, but it doesn’t, because I remember what happened next, and my pulse becomes even harsher. Cde and Arch had done something to me. I

ERDENI don’t realize Lyssandra is missing all at once. At first, it’s just a thin, irritating unease that slips under my skin while I’m standing in the middle of my office, staring at nothing in particular, my thoughts still on Arch’s escape. It’s the kind of feeling I’ve learned not to ignore, the one that has kept me alive through more nights than I can count, but exhaustion dulls it, and blunts the edge.She’s probably asleep, I tell myself, or with Riley, or at work trying to focus on her research. It’s only when I pull my phone from my pocket that the unease becomes a problem because I find I've missed multiple calls from her. My pulse kicks hard against my ribs. “Fuck,” I mutter, dragging a hand through my hair as I unlock the phone and scroll, hoping for something that tells me I’m overreacting.Cold spreads through my veins, sinking deep. It's an absolute feeling that nearly makes me panic. I never should have sent Farouk away from her. The thought lands with brutal clari

LYSSANDRA By the time I realize it has been two days, the knowledge doesn’t arrive all at once. It seeps into me slowly, like cold through stone, settling in my bones until everything aches with it.No one comes.Not Cross. Not Cade. Not even the silent guards whose footsteps I’d memorized the first night. The house moves around me without ever touching me, like I’m a ghost haunting my own captivity. I hear doors opening and closing somewhere beyond my walls, voices murmuring faintly and then fading away, but none of them belong to anyone who intends to look me in the eye.The food appears when I’m not looking.I notice the pattern on the second day, when I step out of the shower with damp hair clinging to my back and find a tray already sitting on the small table by the wall. It hadn’t been there when I went in. There is no knock, no sound of a door opening or closing, no hint of another presence. Just warm food, arranged neatly, as if someone had been waiting for the sound of runn

CASSIANSophia's breathing was ragged behind me as I headed for the elevator.My head or security, Marcus met me in the lobby, his gun already drawn. "Sal's leading them, and he's demanding a meeting."I nodded "Then let's not disappoint him.”I stepped out of the lobby. There were twenty men spread across the street like roaches, and in the center stood Sal Moretti, Big Mike's favorite enforcer. He was six-four, with a face that looked like it had been used as a punching bag most of his life."Devine," Sal called out. "We're here for the girl."I stopped about ten feet away, my hands in my pockets. "No.""You don't want to do this, Devine. Mr. Winters wants his daughter-in-law back. You give her to us, we leave, and everyone goes home happy.""Sophia isn't going anywhere. She's under my protection now.”My cock was still half-hard from having her on her knees earlier, her pretty mouth stretched around me. The memory of her tongue sliding up my shaft made my jaw clench.Sal's face da

SOPHIACassian's hand shot out, fingers wrapping around my throat before I could draw another breath. He didn't choke me, but his nails were digging angrily into my skin. His mouth crashed against mine, and I gasped at the violent sweetness of it. He kissed with absolute control. His tongue swept into my mouth, tasting, taking, and owning me.I melted against him, my hands fisting in his shirt as heat pooled between my legs. I wanted him. I wanted to forget everything except the way his body felt pressed against mine.Then he pulled back, his silver eyes burning into mine. "Don't lie to me, Sophia."I was dazed. "I'm not lying to you ""You expect me to believe you were married for four years and never fucked your husband?" His grip on my throat tightened just slightly, enough to make my pulse jump. "That you're still a virgin at twenty-four?""I am." My voice came out breathless, and I hated how needy I sounded. "David never touched me even once."Cassian's eyes narrowed, searchin

SOPHIA Thirty minutes after giving Cassian Devine the best blow job of his life, I was following him up to his penthouse suite. I hadn't known he owned a penthouse, but I should have. The Winters family owned the biggest Mafia run clubs in New York, but Cassian had enough connections to be feared. We stopped at a wide, wooden door and he swiped a card to unlock it. “You'll be safe here. No one who isn't family is allowed onto the property without my permission.” We walked down a hallway lined with prints of a beautiful woman I didn't recognize. She was about forty in the frames, but there was something dead about her eyes. My head spinning with nerves, relief, arousal and heavy exhaustion, I looked at Cassian, waiting for him to say something. That half-smile was back, giving me the uncomfortable sense that he was reading my mind. "This will be your room for the duration of your stay. I need to get back to work, but I'll be back after five tonight.”I nodded, watching as he turn

SOPHIA “Sophia, I don't like asking twice.”His voice was a warning in itself, a dark, smoky warning that brought me to my knees in front him. I gulped air into my lungs as my hands went to his belt buckle. “Isn't this too soon, Cassian?” “Aren't you offering your body in return for paying your mother's hospital bills?” His question was accompanied by an imperious rise of his brows. I felt my nipples pull taut. “It is.”“Then this is a business arrangement, Mia cara. You will either take it or not.” He reached for his pants and pulled the belt from the loop. His shorts were pulled down his taut thighs, and soon, his cock was revealed. It was only semi-hard, and huge. What would it look like when it was fully erect? A line of veins roped up from the base, disappearing just before the pink tip. I was about to suck Cassian Devine’s cock. Take it in my mouth, lick it, stroke and cup his balls. If I did a good job, he'd have his hands all over me. Fuck me, and more. He'd said he'd

SOPHIAMike found the pad, and the blood, and his hand quickly disappeared from between my legs. "Fuck," he cursed, disgust clear in his voice."I'm sorry, Big Mike, if you want, I can still…" I made myself gesture vaguely toward him, and I wanted to vomit at the implication, but desperate times required desperate measures."No. That's fucking disgusting, bitch. I'm not interested.” He climbed off the bed, and the relief was so intense I felt dizzy. His eyes were cold and hard now. "You have three days, Sophia. Three days until your period ends. And if you try to run or call someone, or do anything except wait here like a good girl, I will tie you to that bed and invite every man in my organization to fuck you until you're begging me to kill you. Do you understand?"I understood. "Yes, Big Mike.""We'll continue this conversation on Sunday. In the meantime, stay in your room. I'll have Neza bring you meals."I waited until his footsteps faded down the hall, and I heard his office d

SOPHIAThe slip was still in its box in my closet, tags attached, wrapped in tissue paper. David had given it to me with an apologetic grimace and a whisper ‘Dad picked it out, just keep it somewhere visible.’Even then, I'd known what it meant. Mike had been planning this for years.He walked to the door, paused with his hand on the knob. "Oh, and Sophia? If you're thinking about running…”I wasn't that stupid. I'd seen what happened to people who ran from Big Mike. Their bodies turned up in dumpsters, or rivers, and if he was feeling in a good mood, maybe in shallow graves Upstate that the police never managed to find."I won't run," I said.Mike closed the door behind him, and locked it. I waited for thirty minutes, then I was on my feet. My hands were shaking because fuck it, I'd thought I would have more time. David was dead. Big Mike wanted to rape me. And my mother was dying in a hospital room in Queens with no idea that her daughter had sold her soul to keep her breathing.

TWO YEARS LATERThe garden smelled like roses and summer rain. There were lanterns hanging from old oak branches.I'd never dreamed of a wedding day catered to just my taste, but if I had, this would had been it. “You're crying.” Valentina murmured, taking a kerchief from her bag. I shook my head. “They're happy tears. I just wish Papa was here.” “So do I, buy you'll ruin your make up, and we don't want that.” I nodded, and slid my arm into Pietro’s who had watery eyes himself. “You make the most beautiful bride, Alina. I'm glad to see the day when you are happy.” I turned and hugged him hard, only pulling away when the marching band started. “Thank you for walking me down the aisle, Pietro.” “It's my honor. You could have picked anyone and you choose me.” He kissed my finger gently, and together, we walked down the aisle to Luca. Everything looked like a scene from a memory I’d want to keep forever. Because at the end of the aisle, Luca stood waiting.He looked devastatin

LUCAI didn't hear the shot from Ethan. I wasn't even sure where exactly he was shooting from, but one minute, Riot was huddled together with his guards, and the next second, his head jerked back. For a moment, it seemed he had tripped over something and the guards reached out to steady him. Except he didn't stop, he kept falling, his body folded in on himself like someone had pumped the life of him. Riot hit the pavement, blood pouring from his head shot wound, and flowing out onto the asphalt under him. None of the guards moved fast enough, and that was always a bad idea. They stopped and stared at him, as though they couldn't process what their eyes was showing them. I shoved open the SUV door and stepped out. The air was cold, smelled like rain and exhaust, but all I was looking at were the rooftops. My Glock was already in my hand, pointed up, and ready to shoot. Alvez was right behind me, grinning like this was his idea of a good time.Vector slid out on my side, his r

LUCAShe was quiet for a moment, searching my face. Then she nodded, tears welling in her eyes, but this time, they were good tears. “Yes.”I kissed her again, deeper this time, and she laughed against my lips. Leo came running over with grass stains on his knees, demanding juice, and Alina wiped her face quickly before scooping him into her lap. For a moment, everything felt easy.We sat together, sunlight burning my scalp while I watched the Leo and Maya run around the park. This was easy, I could do this. That was just before my phone rang. It was an unknown number and even before I answered, I could almost tell something was wrong. It was the prickle between my shoulders. It came and went, but it always came when there was danger. “Enjoying your day out, Luca?” a voice drawled on the other end.Every muscle in my body went rigid. “Who is this?”The man chuckled. “That’s a beautiful park, the boy and girl are cute. Shame if something happened to them.”My eyes shot to my men,

LUCADinner was loud. Louder than I’d have liked for someone who’d been shot a few days ago, but I let it happen because the kids deserved it.Maya was laughing at something on Pietro’s phone, the sound of her tiny giggles lighting the dining room.Bruno was stretched out under the table, tail thumping every so often like he was in a good mood. My plate was barely touched. Between the stitches in my side pulling every time I moved and the storm that was always brewing in the back of my head, food didn’t exactly feel like a priority. Alina sat next to me, hair tucked behind her ear, laughing as she spooned mashed potatoes onto Leo’s plate.She caught me staring and gave me this small, knowing smile that said she wasn’t fooled for a second by my silence.That’s when my phone rang. I didn’t even check the caller ID. Campbell’s voice reached my ears the moment I pressed answer.“Mila’s gone.”I leaned back, my fingers tightening around the fork I hadn’t realized I was still holding. “

ALINAHe was breathing, thank God, but his breaths were shallow, wet. My heart felt like it was splitting in two.“I’m fine,” he rasped, like the idiot he is, clutching at his side.“Shut up, you’re not fine! Stop talking!” My voice changed into a scream without warning, and I was shaking so hard I could barely see.“I am.”“Don’t you dare,” I snapped at him, pressing both hands against the wound. My palms were slick with his blood. He groaned, flinching under the pressure, and that sound nearly had me breaking into hives.Bella was still standing there in shock, her hands clamped over her mouth, the gun dangling uselessly in one hand. Her whole body shook as she whispered, “I didn’t mean to…oh my God, I didn’t mean to!”I tried to lift him, grabbing under his arms, but his weight was dead against me, too heavy, and I almost dropped him. Panic clawed up my throat. “Help! Somebody help me!” My scream was raw, desperate. “Pietro!”Footsteps hurried down the hall, and Pietro burst into

ALINABella’s hand trembled as she moved the gun from me to Luca. Her face was pale under the warm lights, a strange mix of grief and fury twisting her features until she barely looked like my mother anymore.“You killed him,” she spat. “How could you? After everything I did for you, for this family, this is how you repay me?” I didn’t look away from my mother's face, and it wasn't because I wasn’t terrified, because I was shaking in my shoes. Every nerve in my body was screaming at me to run, to duck, to scream for help. But Luca was beside me, and if there was a single thing I knew for certain, it was that I wasn’t going to let her hurt him.“Everything you did for me?” My hands curled into fists at my sides, nails digging into my palms. “You helped Matteo kill my father, Mama. I know what you did. You stood by and watched while he took everything from us, and I forgave you. I didn’t say a word. I swallowed it, even when it burned every time I looked at you. Don’t you dare stan