Gregory•The call came through right as Cassie was finishing her little show and he was about getting ready to step out. Gregory’s phone buzzed, and he saw the name. It was one of his men, sounding rather rattled.“Boss, Hades is at Vito Carbone’s place. The old man’s underground boxing ring casino. He’s making moves on Vito’s business, trying to get his hooks in. Looks like he’s trying to cut you out.”Gregory’s eyes flashed. Vito Carbone. The late Vito Carbone. His empire was up for grabs, and Hades had always had his eye on it. This was a challenge, a direct hit at his own ambitions. He stood up, pushing Cassie gently off his lap. “Get the car ready. We’re going to the casino. Now.”Cassie raised an eyebrow, a knowing look on her face. “Oh? A family reunion, perhaps? Or just a bit of brotherly competition?”Gregory just smirked, a cold, hard thing. “Something like that. And I’ll need you to act the part tonight.”••Hades~The New York casino was a blur of flashing lights and lou
Gregory’s•Gregory was perched on the edge of his penthouse balcony, a glass of amber liquid swirling in his hand. The New York skyline stretched out before him, a million tiny lights that looked like scattered jewels.He had a smile on his face, but it was a cold, sharp thing, the kind that promised trouble. He was a wild one, a proper lunatic, always looking for a way to stir the pot, especially when it came to his brother, Hades. And Claudine? She was a constant buzz in his head, a tune he couldn’t get out.‘She was his, mine, he thought, the idea a hot coal in his gut, burning him from the inside out. A prize that Hades stole. And I’ll find a way to reclaim her. She’s a forbidden fruit I intend to taste. Hades is too blind to see what she really is. He’s a fool, a lovesick puppy, wrapped around her little finger. But I’ll make him see. I’ll make him pay for everything. For taking what was mine.’For every slight, every insult, every time he made me feel less than him. He closed h
"My bag! Let me get my bag!" Hades didn’t even let her recover from her shock, he pinned her under him still ravaging her with his hands and mouth “Don’t worry about the bag baby, I’ll get you a new one.. hmm?”Getting a new bag was definitely less of her worries.Shit.Shee needed to think, but how could she! This man’s mouth was on her like a sexy weapon fashioned against her.“God, Mia, I missed you all day,” he breathed against her neck, his voice thick with longing. “So much.”He pushed her skirt up, his fingers digging into her hips, pulling her flush against him. “You want this, don’t you, Mrs Hades?” he breathed against her lips, his voice rough with desire. “You want me to take you right here, right now. Tell me you want it, you little slut.”There it is again! The Mrs Hades.Fuck.“Yes,” she gasped, her hands tangling in his hair, pulling him closer. “God, yes, Hades. Take me. Make me forget why I came here in the first place. Make me yours. Please.” Her hips bucked against
8:15pmClaudine’s heart beat like a wild drum as they drove towards Hades’s tall office building. The city traffic seemed to move like glue, every red light a personal torture, slowing down her crucial mission. She was set on planting the tiny recorder Freida had given her. She knew if she failed, the FBI would “cancel” her, which was worse than dying. Her life was a hot mess, boiling over. No turning back.This was her last try. A do-or-die mission, with her very life on the line. The weight of the world, and her own survival, rested on this tiny device. It was her last stand, her final throw of the dice.They finally got to the fancy building, a fortress of glass and steel, shining coldly under the evening sky. Claudine stepped out, her mind made up, a calm look on her face, ready for whatever came next.Charon stood guard at Hades’s office door, as still as a stone statue. His presence was a quiet warning. “The Boss is in a very important meeting, Ms. Vancouver. Maybe you could w
It was two days later. Hades hadn’t come back from his warehouse adventure. He was still out, building those secret vaults, she guessed. But today, he was back. She’d seen his car pull up this morning. The thought made her stomach clench. Not in pure anxiety, as everyone would think (maybe a little) but mostly because she missed him. A terrible. Terrible feeling.Claudine clutched the encrypted device, her mind racing like a runaway train. The war was coming, and she was caught right in the middle, her heart pulled in too many directions. She was still trying to deal with Christian’s news and the new fear about Cassie.The heavy demands from Freida were a constant ache. She’d been dodging Freida’s calls, her phone buzzing with missed alerts like angry bees. Her life was about to fall apart.The FBI literally owned her and could destroy her. Where did she go from here? She was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and both were closing in.A true no-win situation, a dead end. These w
Christian’s words hung in the air, chilling Claudine to the bone. Their youngest aunt.The one who had vanished years ago, a wild card even in their family of wild cards, a true loose cannon that could explode at any moment. The thought of her aunt, a ghost from a dangerous past, sent a shiver down her spine, like a cold draft on a hot day. Well now that they’re trying to get their family name back, they could get her on their side. Hopefully.“Our aunt?” Claudine whispered, her eyes wide with alarm. “What does she want? And who is she with? Is she here to stir up trouble? More family drama? Just what we need, another Kalashnikov catastrophe. But.. but it shouldn’t be a big deal right?.”Christian shook his head, his face grim. “We don’t know who she’s allied with yet, but she’s dangerous. She always was. A real snake in the grass. But listen, Indie, that’s not the only reason I’m here.” He looked her straight in the eye. “The omerta family, the loyal ones, they’re working behind th