LOGINBut Aria can't seem to get her mind off him. Nico knows just how to get through her defenses and she sees past his scars and all the horrible stories they have to tell. But as secrets are uncovered, Aria realizes her fate is tied to a man who prefers to live in the shadows. And even as her father takes on a case involving a mysterious crime group Nico is tied to,
View MoreA TALL, HORNY, STRANGER
ARIA "You know we have to leave, Aria." I frowned at my father. "No, we don't. You can, but I won't." He shook his head as if he had heard enough of what I had to say. "Well, I have made my decision, daughter." "Dad, we've only been in Stonehaven for a month and you want us to leave because you got another transfer letter? What about my new school? My friends? You just expect me to dump them and leave?" "That's how it has always been. We leave to where I'm transferred to." "No, dad. It's beginning to look like we're running." "From what?" he asked. "You tell me." We were in the dining room and my dad was getting ready to go to work. He as a cop, a detective to be precise. With the the First Division in Stonehaven, and the only one at that. He gulped down the remaining of his coffee and tossed some breed into his mouth. I watched him masticate. "I have nothing to say to you, Aria," my dad finally answered me. "Better go get your things packed. We leave tomorrow morning." I went to my room all right but I didn't lift a hand to pack my stuff. I left them where they were because I was sure I would stay. Why the hell did we always have to leave? I didn't want to, not yet at least. He could go wherever it was that wanted to claim him, but I would stay and complete high school in Stonehaven. Stonehaven was just a suburban town in the United States of America. We were used the summer in those parts. Nothing much happened, and we literally knew each other if one had the chance to peel off that antisocial skin. They way we moved from place to place, I lacked connection. I had no roots, no long time friends to call my own and he was okay with that? I needed to talk to someone at that point. My new best friend came to mind and I picked up my phone and called Emma. The background was noisy. Music was blaring off speakers. "Where the hell are you?" I sat up in bed and asked. She was someplace having fun while I was sulking at home? "At a party. I was just about to call you. We haven't started but we're kicking off soon. Where the hell are you?" Trust Emma to throw my questions back at me. "I'm at home." She chuckled. "Oh, you're going to miss out if you ground yourself in your room. Come to Beaver's Inn right now. I've got some friends I'd like to introduce you to." "I'm leaving tomorrow, Emma." "What?" "My dad got his transfer letter." She paused for a spell. Then said, "Okay. Come to the party and we'll talk about it, good?" "Good." "Call me when you get here, sweet. Jeez, that guy is handsome." If an handsome fellow was the last thing I would remember about Stonehaven, then I had a party to attend. *** "What kind of a place is this?" I raised my voice so as to be heard over the loud music. Emma was by my side wearing a tank top and bum shorts. As for me, I opted for black leather pants and body-hugging sleeves. "A clubhouse." "What's the party about?" I asked. "It's about catching fun. One of my friend threw it. You'll meet him soon." Emma always had numerous friends to introduce me to. I wondered if it was her way of playing matchmaker. The place was well packed with people. Some of them, I recognized from school. They smiled at me, nodded their heads to the music, and walked off. She took me to a red couch. There, we were alone, then she asked what I wanted. "We've got drinks, sweets, dessert, condoms if you like dicks, cakes and smokes too." "I'll take a light beer." "Smirnoff then," she chose for me. "I'll be right back." Just as she left the disc jockey changed the music and began playing by A Bar Song by Shaboozey. Everyone went apeshit. Everyone but one man. And that was because he had just stepped into the building. My jaw dropped. He was the most handsome man I had ever set my eyes on. He was tall and lean, had dark hair, and I noticed a tattoo at the side of his neck. He looked around the place with a cold dark stare then his eyes landed in my direction. I felt my stomach churn with need. Why did I suddenly need him at first sight? He took intentional strides towards my red couch. I wondered the amount of power he had in those hips and how they would sound against my ass if he happened to give me a doggy fuck. Emma brought me my bottle of Smirnoff and an opener, interrupting my train of thought. She looked at the man who had just stopped before us and said, "Thought you'd never show your face." "I didn't want to," he said, his voice loud dangerous. "Until I heard all the noise and thought there might be some lady here willing to fuck. Who is your friend?" His eyes studied me carefully as Emma said, "This is Aria. Aria, meet Nico." I got to my feet and offered my hand. "Hi." He took it and planted a kiss on my knuckles. I swear, my insides turned into jelly and I felt some residue escape to my pussy. No one needed to tell me that I was wet already. "Sexy," he drawled, which only seemed to worsen things for me. "Please don't ask her if she wants to fuck, Nico. She's off the charts. How long will you be staying?" "I'll leave once I get my... sex partner," he said, his eyes still on me, and he didn't even let my hand go. If Nico was the one putting all those sexual images in my brain just so that I could get interested, then he was doing a really good job. "Your friend seems ready for me, though," he said to Emma. "What?" I asked, wondering why he had said that. There was a smirk on his face as his eyes fell to my breasts. When I looked, I saw that my nipples were hard and visible through my outfit. "Fuck. Excuse me," I said, plucked my hand from his, and ran off.FACE-OFF ARIALuca smirked, tilting his head. “Does it? Or does it only begin?”I pressed back against Nico instinctively, my mind spinning. I had no weapons, no backup, and we were completely exposed. Every move felt like it could be the last.“I won’t let you take her,” Nico continued. “Not tonight. Not ever.”“You always think you can protect her,” Luca said, advancing slowly. “But protection isn’t enough. Power is everything.”I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself. “Stop fighting over me!” I shouted. “This isn’t about me!”Both men froze for a moment, their gazes flicking to me. I realized suddenly that I was the fulcrum of this battle — the one thing that tipped the scales between them.“Exactly,” Luca said softly, smiling cruelly. “It’s always been about who controls her influence over him.”I shook my head. “I am not a pawn!”Nico’s hand brushed mine briefly. “You’re not. But you’re the reason he came here. The reason this escalated.”“I don’t care!” I yelled. “I won’t be
UNDERGROUND ARIA“They’re close,” Nico said. “We need to split. I’ll draw them away. You keep moving.”“What? No! I’m not leaving you!” I protested.“You won’t survive if I hesitate,” he said, his eyes locking on mine. “Trust me. Go. Now.”My pulse thundered. I wanted to argue, to stay with him, but instinct screamed at me to obey. I nodded reluctantly.He pressed a small device into my hand. “This. If you activate it, it will create a temporary blockage in the tunnel behind you. Don’t waste it. Only use it if you have no choice.”I nodded again, my fingers tightening around the device. Nico leaned close, his breath brushing my ear.“Aria… whatever happens… survive. That’s an order.”Before I could respond, he dashed down a side passage, shadows swallowing him almost instantly.I took a deep breath and forced myself forward, every step echoing like a warning. My heart felt like it was going to leap out of my chest. The further I moved, the louder my thoughts became.Suddenly, the tun
THE CONTENTION ARIA“Luca and I didn’t always hate each other.”“I figured that part out.”“He used to be different.”“What happened?”Nico looked away briefly, as if choosing his words carefully.“Power happened.”I frowned.“That’s vague.”“Our family controls things,” he continued. “Businesses. Politics. Money. Influence.”“And Luca wanted more.”“Yes.”“And you didn’t.”“I wanted stability,” he corrected.I crossed my arms.“So now you’re enemies.”“Something like that.”I hesitated before asking the question that had been bothering me the most.“Why does he care about me?”Nico met my eyes.“Because you matter to me.”The words hit harder than I expected.I blinked.“That’s… not really comforting.”“It’s the truth.”My pulse quickened.“So now I’m a target because of you.”“Yes.”“Well that’s just fantastic.”He pushed himself off the door and stepped closer.“I’ll protect you.”“You already tried that tonight.”“And I’ll keep trying.”I searched his face.He looked serious.Det
21ESCAPE AT NIGHT ARIAThe cold night air hit my lungs like a shock.For a moment, I just stood there outside the mansion, gasping for breath as if I had been underwater for hours. The distant wail of sirens grew louder with every passing second, flashing red and blue lights reflecting faintly against the tall iron gates and towering trees that surrounded the estate.Nico’s hand gripped my wrist firmly, pulling me further into the shadows.“Keep moving,” he said quietly.I stumbled beside him, my legs still trembling from everything that had just happened.The fight.The gunshot.Luca.My mind was still spinning.We slipped through a narrow pathway beside the estate wall, hidden by tall hedges that blocked the view from the driveway. Gravel crunched softly beneath our feet as Nico led me toward a dark parking area tucked behind the trees.A black car waited there.Of course it did.Nico opened the passenger door quickly. “Get in.”For once, I didn’t argue. I slid into the seat, my f






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