All Chapters of Unexpected Encounter: Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

Seattle – WashingtonThe 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

Pedro, a nurse at a private clinic, was the one who’d introduced Samantha to Douglas, her ex. Douglas, a doctor at the same place, became her ex the day she learned (through Pedro) that he’d cheated with another nurse on staff.Right then, all Samantha wanted was to go home. She loved Pedro, but something about the party was grinding her gears. The music was blasting, drunk people kept bumping into her, and it was all getting under her skin. It was Pedro’s birthday bash at his boyfriend’s house, but the real kicker was Douglas showing up with his new girlfriend (yep, the nurse).When she found out about the cheating, Douglas gave this whole speech to justify dumping her. He said Samantha was gorgeous, sure, but too “basic” for a doctor like him. She was a homebody; he liked to party. She played by the rules, kept her impulses in check, and according to him, that quiet vibe just didn’t match his energy. He even said she didn’t seem to have a drop of Latin blood in her, words that cut d

Samantha’s pulse hammered. Floor it and he might shoot. Stay still, and he might kill her anyway. Damned if she did, damned if she didn’t.“Open the door!” the man barked, voice raw and ragged.Without thinking, she hit the unlock. He collapsed into the passenger seat, blood slick on his hands, and snapped another order:“Drive!”“If you want the car, take it. It’s not mine—the owner’s got insurance,” she said, voice shaking but trying to stay cool.“I don’t want the damn car. Just drive. Anywhere. Get me the hell out of here—*now*!” he growled, gun wavering in her direction, weak but still lethal.She threw it in gear and rolled forward as the light turned green. No clue where to go. Panic screaming in her head, one insane thought surfaced: *home*. She couldn’t explain it. She was terrified.Like he could read her mind, he asked while she drove the dark streets:“Your place. You live alone?”“Yeah, by myself,” she answered on reflex. The second the words left her mouth, she cursed he