Off Gun

Forever Us is part 2 of the book Us. It picks up where Crystal Martini and Brooks Milner leave off in the first part, after getting engaged and finding out they are expecting.

Just when I thought I had successfully moved on from a loveless relationship, I realized I made the same mistake again. I fell in love with a kind and handsome billionaire, and I thought he was already the perfect man. However, I learned about his deep secret--the secret evolving around my identity, and the secret that shattered my respect for him.I broke off with him and claimed everything that belonged to me. I hated him like he was the fiercest criminal in the world. I accused him as a thief, stripping him off from his once, dazzling glory.But then, a particular event led me to the truth. Only to know that I was already too late!

I've been in love for six years, but my wedding has been called off 99 times by the man who claims to love me most, the mafia boss, Daniel Reed. The first time is on a private island off the coast of Sorellia. He promises me a secret wedding. But an hour before the ceremony, he gets a call saying that his new assistant, Emily Jennings, has been taken by a rival family. Without a word, he leaves me behind and sails off into the night. The second time, we're standing at the altar, exchanging vows. His underboss then leans in and whispers, "Emily's in trouble." Daniel tears off his boutonniere and walks out without looking back. Emily has been kidnapped again—this time, near the border district. He leads an armed raid that very night while I'm left behind, becoming the laughingstock in the mafia's VIP lounges. No matter when I schedule the wedding, Emily always ends up in danger. And Daniel always runs to her without hesitation. Eventually, I realize I will never win against the reckless Gen Z assistant who constantly drags him into chaos. After the 99th cancellation, I decide to break up with him and disappear from Valemont. I move out overnight, erase every trace of myself, leaving nothing behind. But I never expect him to go completely mad. He shuts down the ports, searches every villa, and unleashes his entire family's intelligence network just to find me. His eyes burn red like a wild animal on the edge of collapse. "Elara," he growls, "just give me one more chance."

Mina Mendoza thought her darkest days were behind her. Running her late mentor’s bar in the heart of New York gave her a fragile sense of peace. But all of that shatters one night when a blood-soaked stranger crashes through her doors just before closing time, gun in hand and secrets in his eyes. Luciano is dangerous, wounded, and devastatingly magnetic, the kind of man Mina swore she'd never fall for. But he’s not just any man. He’s tied to the mafia. The kind of ties that leave blood trails and whispered threats. Helping him survive was instinct. Surviving what came next, that’s the real challenge. Drawn to him in dreams that feel too real, haunted by her traumatic past, and stalked by the violent world Luciano can’t outrun, Mina finds herself caught in something far deeper than attraction. She’s entangled in a web of lies, bullets, and power where trust is a gamble, and love might be a fatal mistake. As her world tilts into chaos, Mina must choose: run from the fire, or walk straight into it with the one man who could destroy everything. Because loving him was never part of the agreement. And yet, it might be the only thing that saves them both. Luciano isn’t just trouble, he’s the trouble: the Don of a powerful mafia family, running from a betrayal that could cost him everything. Now, Mina is caught in his storm, haunted by dreams, and tangled in a love that defies logic. She saved him once. But loving him might be the most dangerous thing she’s ever done.

Arturo Abruzzi tore the world apart to find the woman that he loved, who mysteriously disappeared without a trace. Feeling empty without her. Cold. Numb. Hollow. Feeling like he was better off dead. Better off six feet under the ground. And there were times when he would provoke his assassin to pull the trigger. Wishing that his suffering would be put to an end. Asking God to drag him straight to hell. After all, hell was the resting place for criminals like him, wasn't it? The final destination for Mafia men? But years later, fate caused their paths to collide again. To cross again. Except this time, she was married to someone else...

"You heard me right, Heather! We're marrying you off to the Forgers! They're coming tonight, you better get ready to meet them, do not try to pull any stunts tonight, if you do, then forget about having a roof over your head!" * * Poor and ambitious, Heather Stone finds herself in a pickle. She wants to study but her family is too poor to afford her tuitions. Convinced that her education is a waste of time and money, she is married off to the infamous Alexander Forger, the crippled billionaire. Two different worlds collide into one, will Heather be able to find love in her new home, or will she labelled as a gold digger like Alexander's past wives?

Slave to her pack, Delilah Hunt has suffered the worst betrayal from those she considered family. Turning from a Sentinel to a wolfless member of the pack, she has lost all hope. Not until she met General Kane, the executioner. Kane lost all empathy and developed a stony heart years ago when his birth mother was banished by his father. He never bothered to search for his mate, refusing to love or be loved by anyone. He lived closed off from the rest of the world except a few of his pack members. But an encounter with Delilah Hunt, one of his many prisoners, sets off something in him. For how long would he be able to resist their bond?

He had once sworn I was his fated Luna, the Omega he cherished above all. However, just a month shy of our bonding, he decided to repay a life-saving grace by fathering a child with his old flame. To add insult to injury, he swiped the herbal research I was on the cusp of unveiling. He claimed he was trapped, obligated to both sides. I, however, was done with him. I cut ties, called off our Bonding Ceremony, and set off for the Northwood tundra to lose myself in my research. Two years on, he pleaded for my return, professing I was his one true love. However, by then, I was renowned far and wide, and he was nothing to me.

“This wedding is going to destroy the lives of those involved, so why don’t you call it off before it is too late?” She finally speaks up looking me dead in the eyes after hesitating for a while “Call it off?” I scoff as I shake my head no one really understands how badly I want this to end, but I am just so helpless because a lot is at stake for me “You are in the best position to call this wedding off, because if Eden tries it, she has to risk getting disowned by her father so I really hope you can put her out of her misery because she doesn’t deserve any of this at all” she concludes and I scoff again “Well, it’s not like you can put your best friend out of her misery by substituting her as the bride, so stop building castles in the air by thinking you call of the marriage alliance that means so much to both the Kings and the Westons” I advice her “if you can’t do it…” she says clenching her fists “ …I assure you that I will” she says in a resolute voice before storming out of my presence

I pushed the door open and saw Giovanna standing there in my silk robe—my gift from Enzo—and wearing my heirloom pendant. She lifted a brow and mocked me, “The robe fits, the pendant’s mine, and you—get out.” I grabbed Enzo, demanding an explanation, but he shoved a fake contract in my face, saying, “You signed it.” “I did not. Stop lying!” I snapped. He snapped at me, “This is family business. You know nothing.” It seemed three years together was nothing but an act. That very night, I ran away to Milan. I had nowhere to go and no one to turn to until Mark showed up out of nowhere. “Don’t be scared,” he said. “I’ve got you. As long as I’m around, no one touches you.” He protected me, and for a moment, I really thought I’d finally found someone I could rely on. However, when we were practicing at the shooting range later, I stared at him. “Why are you helping me?” I asked. “And don’t tell me it’s because of that mess I left behind.” His eyes flickered for a second before he answered, “Just trust me. That’s all you need to do.” Something about the way he said it made my stomach twist. This whole disaster was all one giant setup. And now here I am, gripping a gun, fighting for justice, but am I really avenging myself? Or was I already someone else’s pawn from the very beginning?