The Beginning of It All

Seattle – Washington

The sound of fists echoed through the abandoned warehouse—a place that would be a nightmare for anyone who crossed paths with Adam Donovan, a man feared by all who knew his reputation and understood what he was capable of doing to anyone who meddled in his business or dared to betray him.

Adam stood about six feet tall, with light brown eyes and jet-black hair, neatly trimmed on the sides and a bit longer on top. At thirty-two, his athletic build drew attention wherever he went. At that moment, he was settling a score with one of his subordinates who had thought he could deceive him—a nearly impossible feat, since Adam was notoriously distrustful. He placed his trust in very few people: his two brothers and two of his most loyal men.

Raised under his father’s strict rule, Adam grew up immersed in the world of organized crime, shaped to follow its ruthless standards. His mother, however, was a woman of warmth and compassion. She tried to teach him values that most men in that world dismissed as weakness—like never raising a hand against a woman or forcing her into his bed. In front of his father, Adam obeyed the harsh rules imposed upon him, but behind closed doors, he lived by his mother’s principles—a rare trait in such a dark world.

Adam took over one of the major American crime families at twenty-eight, after his parents died in a car accident—an event he had long suspected, though never proven, to be the work of the rival Duncan family.

He finished beating and torturing the man, leaving the final act to Caio. As Adam turned to leave the place, Caio fired, killing the already badly weakened man.

Adam walked out of the warehouse and headed to his car. He needed to change, as his shirt was stained with blood. He always kept a spare set of clothes in the car for situations like this; you never knew when they’d come in handy.

Caio approached Adam and asked what they’d do for the rest of the night, since it was getting late.

“You can take the rest of the night off, Caio,” Adam said. “Sabrina texted me—she’s waiting at the apartment I got her. Since it’s our anniversary, she says she’s got a surprise for me.”

“Alright,” Caio replied. “I’ll head back to your place. I don’t have any plans. Let me know if you need anything.”

“No lady friend to visit?” Adam asked with a grin.

“Nah, you know my life revolves around the organization, Adam. I swore my loyalty to your family, to you. I vowed my life would be about protecting you and your family. So, no time for romance—plus, it’s tricky in our line of work.”

Adam knew he was right. Sabrina was his girlfriend, but he had no intention of marrying her—not just because the council was against it, though their opinion didn’t weigh much on him, but because he’d already figured out Sabrina wasn’t quite what she seemed.

“Fair enough,” Adam said. “My phone’s about to die. When I get there, I’ll borrow a charger from Sabrina.”

Adam finished changing and got into the car. Caio said he’d drop him off at his girlfriend’s apartment before heading to Adam’s mansion. Adam agreed, and the two drove off. The mess back at the warehouse was left for the other guys to handle.

As he headed to the apartment, Adam started reflecting on his relationship with Sabrina. He’d met her at one of his nightclubs. The way she carried herself, with an apparent innocence and naivety, stood out in the chaos and cruelty of the world he lived in, making her instantly intriguing. Besides nightclubs, Adam owned hotels and restaurants, most of them fronts for laundering money from his illicit dealings.

The night they met, Sabrina refused to go somewhere else with him, saying she didn’t know him and didn’t sleep with anyone on the first date. After that, they met up a few more times and even went out to dinner. When she finally gave in to him, Sabrina seemed shy and embarrassed, which, for Adam—used to women who were just out for a good time—was charming.

A few months into their relationship, though, Adam noticed a shift in Sabrina. The innocence was gone. She started showing off a more exaggerated sensuality and treated his staff with arrogance, which deeply irritated him.

Caio snapped him out of his thoughts, announcing they’d arrived. Adam checked his gun and ammo before getting out of the car—he never went anywhere unarmed, even to Sabrina’s place. He climbed the stairs and rang the doorbell. Though he had a key to the apartment, he hadn’t brought it with him. Sabrina opened the door with a smile on her face.

“Come in, I’ve been waiting for you,” Sabrina said, inviting him inside.

Sabrina was a blonde, five-foot-three, with striking green eyes that seemed to glow. To everyone, she was a stunning, captivating woman who turned heads wherever she went.

“I thought you’d be waiting in that lingerie you sent me a picture of,” Adam said, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her closer.

“I figured it’d be better to wait for you without it,” Sabrina replied in a sultry tone.

She was wearing a silk robe. Taking Adam’s hand from her waist, she guided it to the opening of the robe, sliding it toward her skin, revealing she had nothing on underneath.