LOGINPrologue“Dad, stay with me,” she whispered, voice cracking. Tears burned her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. At twenty-four, she had already carried too much, running the failing family bookshop, selling her illustrations in secret, and keeping her younger brother Theo safe from their father’s gambling mess.Her father’s eyes fluttered open. They were full of fear. “Liora… listen. The debt. Cassian Rook Valerian. He’s coming. Don’t fight him. Just survive.”“What debt?” she asked, leaning closer. His skin felt cold and paper-thin. “You said it was just a few bad bets. We can fix this. I’ll talk to the banks…”He shook his head weakly. “More than money, girl. Old blood ties. Our family… his family. Oaths from long ago. I thought I could run from it.” A painful cough shook his body. “Protect Theo. Promise me. Whatever it takes. Don’t let them touch him.”“I promise,” Liora said, squeezing his hand. Theo was only sixteen, smart, kind, and the one good thing left in their lives.
RileyMy heart nearly stopped. Jax’s hand was still wrapped tight around my cock. Our clothes lay scattered across his bedroom floor like evidence of a crime. Heavy footsteps climbed the stairs. Mom’s voice called out cheerfully, “Boys? We’re home early! The flight got rescheduled.”Panic exploded in my chest. Jax moved like lightning. He shoved me toward the small bathroom attached to his room and tossed me his robe. I yanked it on, tying it with shaking fingers. Jax pulled on sweatpants fast, his chest still bare and marked with my scratches.We stepped out just as the bedroom door opened.Mom stood there with Dad right behind her, suitcases in hand. “Oh! Were you two talking in here?” she asked, eyes bright.“Yeah,” Jax said, voice calm and deep. He slid his arm around my shoulders, fingers digging in with a possessive squeeze no one else could see. “Riley came to help me with some work stuff. We’ve been… catching up a lot lately.”I forced a smile, my face burning. “Welcome home.
RileyMorning light hit the kitchen like nothing had changed. I poured cereal and tried to act normal, but my neck still carried Jax’s mark under my collar. Every move reminded me of the shower, his hands, his voice calling me a good boy.Jax walked in wearing a crisp white shirt and dark pants, looking every bit the CEO. He stopped behind me, close enough that his chest brushed my back.“Morning, little brother,” he said softly, hand sliding down my side before he reached for a mug. His fingers squeezed my hip.I jumped. “Jax, stop. They’re back.”Our parents had returned early from their trip for a quick stop before another week away. Mom was humming at the stove, and Dad was reading the paper at the table.Jax just smirked and sat across from me. Under the table, his foot hooked around my ankle. I shot him a warning look. He raised an eyebrow, daring me.“Boys, you’ve been getting along so well,” Mom said with a big smile as she served eggs. “I’m so proud. This is exactly what we h
RileyI barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw that flash of lightning and Jax’s hand moving while he moaned my name. By morning my body felt tight and restless, like a wire pulled too hard.I stayed in my room as long as I could, but hunger finally dragged me downstairs. The house was quiet except for the low hum of the fridge. I walked into the living room and froze.Jax was waiting. He stood by the big window in a black t-shirt and gray sweatpants, arms crossed, eyes locked on me the second I stepped in. No smirk this time. Just raw, aggressive heat.“You heard what you heard,” he said, voice low and rough. “Now what are you going to do about it?”My heart slammed against my ribs. I tried to sound normal. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”“Bullshit, Riley.” He took one step closer. “You stood there in my doorway last night watching me jerk off while I said your name. Don’t play innocent now.”Heat rushed up my neck. I wanted to run. I wanted to hit him. Mostly I w
Riley I heard him before I saw him. Six thirty in the morning and the whole house was already awake because of him. The rhythm of weights hitting the rack, the controlled exhale after each rep, the low grunt that followed. I lay in bed for four full minutes telling myself I was not going to get up.Then I got up.. The gym door was cracked open. I stood in the hallway in my old university shirt and boxers and looked through the gap like the absolute fool I apparently was.Jax was doing pull-ups. Shirtless. Sweat running down his spine, every muscle in his back pulling tight with each rep, the tattoo across his left shoulder blade stretching and shifting like it was breathing. He dropped down, rolled his neck, grabbed a water bottle, and tilted his head back to drink.My mouth went dry.I went back to my room. Shut the door. Sat on the edge of the bed with my heart doing something embarrassing in my chest. My hand moved before I made a decision about it. It was fast and quiet and after
Riley “I swear to God, if one more person tonight tells me to calm down, I will lose my mind.”I slammed the front door hard enough to rattle the frame. The marble foyer swallowed the sound and threw it back at me, mocking. Two in the morning, mascara probably smeared down my face, and Marcus’s voice was still ringing in my ears telling me I was “too much.” Too emotional. Too loud. Too everything.Story of my life..I kicked off my shoes and left them where they fell. Mom would hate that. Mom wasn’t here. Mom was somewhere in Santorini feeding grapes to her new husband while her son was having a full breakdown in the entryway.I needed water, cold water, a shower maybe. Something to wash Marcus and that entire horrible night off my skin.I dragged myself up the stairs, pulling at my jacket, not even bothering with the lights. I knew this house. Grew up in it. Every creak in the floor, every shadow on the wall. I pushed open the bathroom door and reached for the light switch.The ligh







