All Chapters of Desired by the Dangerous Men: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

“This is an important lesson, figlio mio,” Father said, his heavy hand resting firmly on my shoulder. “That is why I wanted you to come.”“Yes, padre,” I answered, nodding my head with conviction as I fell into step beside him, keeping my posture straight and my movements deliberate, just like he had taught me.My father was a powerful man, one nobody dared to mess with, one whose mere name made people lower their eyes and cross the street. Everyone feared him—and by extension, they feared me too. It was a strange kind of power to wield at such a young age, and it made it harder and harder for me to do anything else but stand loyally at his side. There was no room for mistakes. No room for softness.This was one of my very first missions. Father had started bringing me along for more and more business dealings, each one a little heavier, a little more serious than the last. And I loved it. I craved the responsibility, the respect that came with it. I had overheard him once, speaking i

Eight years earlier...My feet were killing me—literally killing me. Every step felt like fire shooting up my legs, like the soles of my shoes had fused with the pavement, dragging me down with every movement. It felt like I had been walking for hours, and truthfully, I probably had. But I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t turn around. I just needed to get away, away from everything.Dad was getting worse—so much worse—by the second. His paranoia had evolved into something more volatile, more desperate. He had taken to ripping apart the house, tearing open drawers, peeling back floorboards, shaking down furniture in search of any scrap of hidden cash. And he found some. Of course, he did. He always did. But that only made it worse. It fed the cycle. It made him meaner, jumpier, more dangerous.I knew then—without a doubt—it wasn’t going to be a pleasant weekend at home. It was going to be loud, maybe violent, filled with accusation and silence. The kind of silence that buzzes in your ears and

“Why weren’t you there, Ana?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest as I looked at my kick-ass roommate—the one who had, inexplicably and effortlessly, become my best friend within mere moments of us meeting.Ana looked down, her fingers nervously fiddling with the zipper of her small suitcase. She was heading home for the weekend, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before her big brother came to pick her up. She always left on Fridays with that same little suitcase, one I was pretty sure had never been washed or cleaned, and yet somehow still managed to look stylish—just like everything else she owned.She was taller than me by a few inches, with a body that could make even the most seasoned supermodels green with envy. Every runway designer would beg to dress Anastasia Volkov, and frankly, so would I if I were them. She had this magnetic energy about her—an effortless confidence that made you want to be her, or at least be close to her.Her hair color was impossible to define. It was

“You can have whatever you want, baby,” Robert smiled at me, leaning back in his chair like he didn’t have a care in the world. “Whatever you want, just say the word and it’s yours.”Obviously, I appreciated the fact that Robert wanted me to have the wedding of my dreams. Any woman would be thrilled to hear that kind of promise, especially when it came from someone with as many resources as him. But despite his generous words, I couldn’t help but wish he would get involved a little more. I didn’t want him to just sign the checks and smile on cue—I wanted him to care. I had never planned anything remotely this big before, and I certainly hadn’t expected to have a budget that made venues nod approvingly and wedding planners light up when they heard the amount.“What do you want?” I asked him, carefully folding both of my hands in my lap. I sat straight, trying not to slouch in the expensive leather chair, not wanting to look out of place in this kind of restaurant. Everything around us w

“Miss Caraway,” Dylan nodded politely as I stepped out of the elevator, the gleaming chrome doors sliding shut behind me with a soft hiss.“Hello, Dylan, how are you?” I asked, offering him a soft smile while slipping my sunglasses into the designer purse Robert had given me last month—a sleek black leather piece, elegant and far too expensive for everyday use, but here I was, using it anyway.Dylan returned the smile easily, a natural charm in his expression. “I’m doing good. Finals are slowly approaching—but you know that.”He was one of the firm’s temps, currently working his way through law school while gaining real-world experience. His name had become somewhat of a staple around here. He had earned a fixed spot on Robert’s team, something rare for a temporary hire, but not surprising. Dylan put in more effort than most, staying late, volunteering for the grunt work, and showing up early to prepare for meetings that didn’t even require his presence. I had overheard Robert praisin