LOGINAlexei povEthan finishes up his eggs and rubs his belly before he slips away from the table. Talia and I both watch him as he toddles over to me, his toy dangling from one hand while he studies the spread of documents I’ve been stuffing into the manila envelope.“What are you doing?” he asks curiously.“I have to send out a package.” My eyes meet Talia across the room, and she can’t hide her nerves.We both know this is a last-resort option and I don’t need to tell her that I’m doing this just in case I don’t come back today. “Can I help?” Ethan asks.“I’ll tell you what, buddy.” I scoop him up and set him on the bed beside me. “Why don’t you wait here for a second? I have the perfect job for you but it’s top secret, okay? Just between us guys, can you handle that?”He giggles and eyeballs his mom, who is suddenly pretending not to hear.When I walk over and grab my mother’s trinket box from the nightstand, I sneak a glance at Talia as she disappears into the bathroom to wash up. She
Talia POVIvan called back almost immediately after Viktor’s call, and the moment Alexei answered, I heard Ivan draw a sharp breath on the other end. “You know what that will make you?”Viktor and Ivan were probably standing next to each other and he must have heard what Alexei told Viktor.Alexei’s jaw tightened as he answered. “Yeah, I know.”“It won’t be only Matteo coming after you, there are a lot of underbosses in America and we don't have cordial relationship with all of them, if they decide to join hands with Matteo and turn away us .....”“I’m willing to take that risk.”The certainty in his voice made my stomach twist. “What?” I asked, every hair on my body standing on end.Alexei glanced at me but didn’t answer.“I have to do this, Ivan. It’s him or me, and even if it weren’t, I owe him for trying to manipulate me at the very least.”There was a pause. “I advise against this.”“I know.”“You’re putting a target on your back.”“I’ll keep you out of it. You and your Aurora wo
Talia POV Alexei cleans me gently afterward, dresses me in one of his T-shirts, and tucks me into the crook of his arm on the bed.He was right actually, I did need to be fucked and I feel better and more lighter.I glance at the door between our rooms, which Alexei opened again. If I listen closely, I can hear Ethan even breathing.“Why didn’t Damon stay here too?” I ask. The older man said he’d see us tomorrow and disappeared before we got to the hotel.“He’s been in hiding a long time. He wants to trust me, and he wants to help you and Ethan, but Matteo would kill him if he knew he was alive. I’d do the same if I were in his shoes.”I nod, that actually makes sense. “The man at the our house, he said something I didn’t really think about then.”“What was it?”“He said that his order was to take me and ‘the kid’ and he said he didn’t want to hurt us.”“matteo knows, Talia. He knows who you are.”“Which means he won’t want to kill Ethan or me even though he killed my mom?”“He’s a s
Talia POV Alexei grips a handful of my hair and hauls me up to my tiptoes then he kisses me, his other hand cupping my ass and his cock like a steel bar between us.“You’re mine, Talia. You belong to me forever, and I will take care of you. There’s nothing you can say or do that will make me let you go.”The certainty in his voice sends a shiver through me and there is something intense about the way he says it, as if he has already made up his mind and nothing in the world could change it.Before I can respond, he leans closer and takes my earlobe gently between his teeth, giving it a teasing bite.A sudden rush of sensation runs through me, sending electricity through my body and making me draw in a shaky breath.For a moment, I simply stay there, caught between his words and the warmth of his touch, my heart beating faster than I want it to.“I’m tired.” I push against him but trying to move him is like trying to move a brick wall.“You need to come.”“Let go.”“No.” He tugs my h
Talia POV After coming back from the park, I was completely exhausted. My legs ached and my body felt heavy, all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep.Instead, we ordered room service and the food was surprisingly good, and for a while, everything was peaceful.Ethan sat happily in his little spot, eating and making a complete mess of himself while I watched him with a tired smile. By the time we finished, I was convinced he had to be just as exhausted as I was but I was very wrong.The moment we cleared the plates, Ethan's energy seemed to come rushing back. He started running around the room, jumping from one place to another like he had somehow discovered a second wind. "Ethan, slow down," I called, barely having the strength to move from my spot.He ignored me completely then he wandered into the bathroom and that was the beginning of the end.A few minutes later, I found him fascinated by the bathtub, and once he discovered the bubbles, there was absolutely no convincing
Alexei POV I texted Viktor from my other line and gave him strict instructions that nobody was to step outside the house unless it was absolutely necessary.Every doctor’s appointment for Noah was to be put on hold until further notice and I didn't care who complained or what excuse they had because right now, keeping my entire family alive mattered more than anything else then I called Tristan, who had a habit of thinking a fast car could solve almost any problem. “Stay indoors,” I told him.There was a brief silence on the other end before he tried to argue. “Alexei…”“I’m not asking.”My voice came out harder than I intended, but I didn't have the patience to argue not now when Matteo was involved.Fighting Matteo who is one of the oldest and most powerful capos in the United States, wasn't something any of us could take lightly.The man had survived too much, controlled too many people, and had enough influence to make things difficult for anyone who stood in his way and now he k
Aria POV I flinched every time my uncle’s stifled cries rang out as Alexei and Viktor broke each of his fingers. My eyes weren’t on my uncle, though, but instead on my husband’s face. His expression was unreadable as he watched my uncle like he was conducting some sort of experiment.Soon, they b
Viktor POVWhen Alexei first told me about a marriage with the Crown Syndicate, I thought he was pulling my legs as usual but when Nikolai sent me the picture I was surprised, marriage was the last thing on my mind right now and an orphan, I didn't know what to say about that. I should have known s
Aria POVI immediately looked away from him and fighting the weak tears at the corner of my eye.I saw him remove his boxers, and then he climbed on the bed naked. I trembled because couldn’t stop myself no matter how had I tried. His hand touched my waist then slid up slowly, the touch was light b
Aria POV“Who is it I am going to marry?” I forced the words out, but they sounded strangled.That was the first question I asked my uncle when he came into my room and informed me I was getting married. I was an orphan so finding a notable member of the Crown Syndicate is almost impossible.“Vikto







