LOGINI walked into the kitchen and wandered toward the pantry. Tucked in the back corner, shadowed by the wooden shelves, I spotted a heavy, arched oak door I had not noticed before. I turned the iron handle and pulled it open.A rush of cool, earthy air hit my face. A set of stone stairs led downward.I slowly descended the steps. The space opened up into a massive, temperature-controlled wine cellar. Hundreds of dusty glass bottles lined the floor-to-ceiling wooden racks. I walked down the narrow aisle, running my fingertips over the old paper labels. I read the elegant, curling scripts—names of exclusive French and Italian vineyards I could barely pronounce.I reached out and grabbed a dark green bottle covered in thick dust. I picked up a heavy metal corkscrew resting on a nearby tasting barrel. I tucked the bottle under my arm and hurried back upstairs, bypassing the locked study completely.I went straight into the master bedroom.I stripped off my freezing, damp clothes and stepped
His body was pressed so tightly against mine I could feel the cold metal zipper of his leather jacket digging directly into my coat. I was incredibly small, my head barely reaching the center of his broad chest. The heat radiating off his massive frame completely swallowed the freezing mountain air. I stared up into his eyes, feeling the rough texture of his leather glove against my lips. My stomach twisted into a hot, heavy knot.I remembered the starving way he had kissed me in the rain. I wanted him to close the final inch between us and devour me right here against the bark.His gaze dropped to my lips beneath his glove. His thumb slowly stroked my jawline. The air between us grew incredibly thick, suffocating and hot.Then, a loud, mechanical vibration broke the silence.The encrypted satellite phone in his jacket pocket buzzed violently.The heavy spell shattered. The loud noise spooked the buck in the clearing. The animal bolted, crashing through the brush and vanishing into th
The mountain air was turning bitter.I sat at the wooden island counter in the kitchen, pushing a small piece of scrambled egg around my porcelain plate with a silver fork. The thick, gray morning fog pressed heavily against the cabin windows, entirely blocking out the sun.Killian walked into the kitchen. He wore dark tactical pants, heavy black combat boots, and a thick black leather jacket over a dark sweater. The leather stretched tightly across his massive shoulders. He looked incredibly dangerous, blending the sharp, violent edge of the Russian Pakhan with the rugged isolation of the forest.He set a large, scoped hunting rifle down on the wooden dining table. The heavy metal clunked loudly against the wood."Eat," Killian instructed quietly, pouring himself a mug of black coffee. "Put on your thickest boots and your heavy coat. We are going on a hunt."I looked up from my plate. My fork paused halfway to my mouth.A hunt. My green hazel eyes widened. I had never been in a fores
He stepped back, putting a solid foot of distance between us. His chest heaved heavily, his jaw completely locked as he fought a brutal internal war for control.I stared at him, entirely confused. My lips were swollen, my skin flushed red despite the cold. Why did he stop.Killian stepped forward again. He leaned down and pressed a firm, chaste kiss to my wet forehead."Change," Killian instructed. His voice was incredibly rough, strained to the absolute breaking point. "Or you will catch a cold."He turned his back to me and walked completely out of the bedroom.I stood there for a second, my mind completely scrambled. Pure frustration burned hot and sharp in the back of my throat. My body was practically screaming in protest at the sudden loss of his heat.I turned and walked into the master bathroom, shutting the door.I stood in front of the large mirror. My dark hair was a wet, tangled mess. My lips were completely bruised and swollen.I gripped the edges of the marble sink. A d
A sharp gasp ripped from my throat. I stumbled, my wet bare feet slipping on the slick wood. Two massive hands instantly clamped down on my hips, completely arresting my fall.I froze. I spun around, wiping the heavy rain from my eyel.Killian was standing directly behind me. He was completely exposed to the storm. The heavy rain pounded against his broad shoulders, soaking his black t-shirt entirely through to the skin. The wet fabric clung to every single ridge of his dense, muscular chest. His dark hair was plastered to his forehead.He looked down at me. His pale gray eyes were entirely black. They burned with a dark, consuming hunger that practically vaporized the freezing rain between us.I stared up at him through my wet l, my chest heaving rapidly.Killian slowly reached his hand up. His rough thumb brushed against my freezing cheek, wiping a streak of rainwater away from my jawline.My body reacted entirely on its own. I leaned my face directly into his massive palm.Killian
Heavy sheets of water hammered violently against the thick glass doors of the master bedroom.The storm had rolled over the mountain completely unannounced. The sky was a bruised purple, casting a dim, gray shadow across the massive space.I sat on the edge of the king-sized mattress. Killian stood near the bedroom door. He had his encrypted burner phone pressed to his ear, his jaw tight as he listened to Marco. He was trying to step back, isolating us completely in this cabin, but the massive Russian syndicate did not stop moving just because he left the city.He pulled the phone away from his ear."I have to take this call downstairs," Killian said softly.He walked over to the bed. He leaned down and pressed a warm, lingering kiss directly to the center of my forehead."I will be back."He straightened up and walked out of the bedroom, pulling the heavy oak door shut behind him.The sudden quiet of the room wrapped around me. I stood up from the mattress and walked slowly toward th
The snow was deeper here, coming up to my shins, soaking through my thin pajama pants immediately. I should have gone back inside. I knew that. But my feet kept moving forward anyway, carrying me toward the center of the clearing where the space opened up even more.I stopped and tilted my head back
Luna's POVThe road had disappeared an hour ago.Now we were on something that wasn't really a road at all. Just a dirt track cutting through dense forest. Branches scraped against the SUV. The headlights carved a tunnel through absolute darkness.I sat in the back seat. Staring at nothing.My body
BOOM.The shockwave hit us. A wall of pressure and sound. The SUV rocked violently.Ahead of us, the east wing of the estate erupted in flames. Fire bloomed into the night sky. Debris rained down. Stone. Glass. Burning wood."DOWN!" Volkov roared.He threw the SUV into reverse. Backed up fast. Spun
The StudyThe heavy oak doors were bolted shut.Inside, the air was thick with cigar smoke and something sharper. Fear, maybe. Or rage barely contained.Don Dario Vitiello paced behind his massive desk like a caged animal. The "loving father" mask he wore in public had been ripped away. His face was







