LOGINMilaI held my breath. Every instinct I had was screaming at me to push him away, to remind him that I was Ryan's wife, that I was carrying his nephew. But I felt strengthless. He shifted his weight, leaning just a fraction of an inch closer. "You are shaking." Aaron murmured."I am cold." I breathed out, the lie sounding pathetic even to my own ears.Aaron’s eyes flicked back up to mine. The corner of his mouth twitched with a smirk that made my pulse completely skyrocket. Slowly, he lifted his right hand. He didn't touch my face. I knew he wouldn't cross that absolute line but his long fingers caught the oversized hood of Ryan's sweatshirt where it was slipping off my shoulder.With agonizing care, he pulled the fabric up, tucking it securely around my neck to shield me from the cold. His knuckles brushed against my pulse point, right where my heart was furiously beating against my skin.He held his hand there for three long seconds and then inhaled sharply, pulling his hand away
MilaAaron was wearing gray sweatpants and a dark, fitted t-shirt, looking completely awake and entirely unbothered by the fact that it was three-thirty in the morning. He held a steaming mug of black coffee in his left hand. Did he ever sleep? Did he ever stop drinking coffee?Spotting me inside, he didn't look surprised. He just stared at me through the glass with those green eyes, before raising his free hand and making a slow, circular motion with his index finger.Roll down the window.My hands were shaking so badly I could barely find the right button on the door panel. I pressed it, and the glass smoothly glided down.I stared up at him, tears streaming down my face, looking like an absolute, pathetic mess in my husband's oversized hoodie.Aaron took a slow sip of his coffee. His cold eyes leisurely scanned the dashboard, then my tear-streaked face, my white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel, and finally dropped to my completely bare feet over the pedals."It is three-forty i
MilaJust like what you wanted.I left the phone there and slowly retreated to my side of the bed. I pulled my knees tightly against my chest, wrapping my arms protectively around my stomach. I wasn't naive. I wasn't some sheltered billionaire's wife who fainted at the sight of a gun. I was raised in the foster system. I was raised by Havoc. I had fallen in love with Ryan when he was wearing the president’s patch, when his hands were permanently stained with the violence of the streets.I knew exactly what he was capable of. I knew he was a killer. The blood didn't scare me.The lie did.The meticulously crafted, week-long lie. He had looked me directly in the eye, kissed my forehead, and sworn to me that he was building a corporate castle to keep our family safe. He had let me cry over his absence, let me feel completely isolated and alone in this suffocating estate, while he was slipping back into his leather cut the second the sun went down.Why? Why hide it from me? Did he think
MilaThe peace I felt in his arms was something I hadn't felt in days.Ryan’s breathing had deepened against my ear, sleeping on his stomach with one arm thrown securely across my waist, his large hand resting exactly where our baby was growing. His face was turned toward me, the sharp, ruthless lines of his jaw softened by sleep.I was simply watching the steady rise and fall of his scarred back in the dim moonlight filtering through the velvet curtains.For the first time all week, the crushing anxiety in my chest had receded. He was here. He was holding me. The desperate, worshipful way he had touched me left absolutely no room for doubt. Ryan loved me. Whatever corporate wars he was fighting for the Empire Group, he was doing it for us. I had to believe that. I wanted to believe that.I let my eyes drift shut, pulling the duvet higher over my shoulder, fully prepared to let sleep pull me under.Then, a sharp buzz shattered the silence.Bzzzz. Bzzzz.I flinched, my eyes snapping o
MilaWhen we pulled away finally, Ryan’s dark eyes were entirely black, completely consumed by a hunger he had forced to lock away. He moved his hands from my round belly, sliding them slowly, agonisingly up my waist. His large palms flattened against my ribs, his thumbs brushing the undersides of my breasts through the thin silk of my nightgown. "Do you have any idea….” Ryan murmured, his voice a dark, rough rasp that sent a shiver straight down my spine, "what you have done to me?" "Ryan..." I breathed out, my eyes fluttering shut as he leaned forward, pressing an open-mouthed kiss to the sensitive skin just below my jaw. "It is a torture, Mila." He growled softly against my neck. His teeth grazed my collarbone, making me gasp. My hands gripped his shoulders tightly. The possessiveness in his voice thrilled me. Slowly, Ryan pulled back just enough to look at my face. He reached up, his fingers tracing the thin straps of my nightgown. With a gentle tug, he slipped them off my s
MilaHis lips were soft, warm, and entirely desperate, but the space between us felt miles wide. I let his mouth move against mine but couldn't bring myself to kiss him back.Ryan slowly pulled away. The rejection, quiet as it was, flashed across his dark eyes. He let his hands drop from my face, his broad shoulders slumping."Mila." He whispered with an exhaustion that seemed to reach his bones. "What's wrong?"I looked away, staring away at the far wall of the suite. "Nothing." I murmured. I didn't have the energy to fight him anymore tonight.Ryan didn’t push. He didn’t argue or try to feed me another perfectly constructed corporate excuse. Instead, he let out a heavy sigh that seemed to tear its way out of his chest.Then, slowly, the untouchable billionaire CEO dropped to his knees right in front of me.I gasped softly, my hands instinctively dropping to my sides as he wrapped his muscular arms around my waist. He buried his face gently against my slightly rounded stomach."I a
HavocThe fight was over as quickly as it started. The Kings were retreating, licking their wounds, their morale broken by the loss of the deed.But the dust was still choking me as I walked through the debris of the overturned spool. Cards were scattered everywhere like fallen leaves.My gaze fell
HavocShe moved between my legs, opening the kit. She took out an antiseptic wipe and gently took my hand in hers. Her fingers were small, warm, and impossibly soft against my battered skin."This is going to sting." She murmured before she dabbed the wipe against the open cut.I hissed, my hand je
ReaperI didn't need to look at the card. I knew the weight of these paper, the slight bend in the corner of the Ace that only a dealer’s hands would recognize. I knew exactly where the death card was hiding.But I watched her hand anyway.Mila’s fingers were trembling. She hesitated for a second b
MilaRyan turned to the crowd. "The Ransom is on! But since the 'Lady' wants to prove she has not property, we are changing the buy-in." Then he glanced at Brick. "If she wins, the Kings hand over the deed to the North End warehouse. Total control. No more side-bets."Brick’s eyes widened. "That’s







