Orbital Trade Beacon

Steel & Saddle In a city ruled by shadows, love becomes the most dangerous rebellion. Gabrielle Wren never asked for refinement. Raised on horseback and heartbreak, she’s more comfortable in a saddle than a silk gown. But when her father dies, she’s forced to trade the wild countryside for the polished prison of city life under her aunt’s watchful eye. Dante Virelli is 28, heir to a criminal empire built on silence and blood. Feared by many, trusted by none, he’s a man who walks the line between power and ruin. But beneath the tailored suits and cold stares lies a soul quietly unraveling. When Gabrielle defends a stable boy from Dante’s men, she catches his attention—and his curiosity. She’s everything he shouldn’t want. He’s everything she’s been warned about. But as danger closes in and secrets unravel, their unlikely bond becomes the one thing that could save them both… or destroy everything.

Without Kaelen's knowledge, I had his little plaything sent out of North America. That same night, he cast a blood-vine curse on my parents, banishing them to the wilds—a wasteland prowled by rogues. He was going to trade my parents' lives for the whereabouts of his plaything. Kaelen pushed a communication crystal in front of me. Inside it, my parents were ensnared by blood-red vines, the thorns digging deep into their flesh. Drops of dark crimson blood fell, one by one, onto the barren earth. A countdown timer pulsed in stark red digits on their chests. 23:59:59 23:59:58 He sat across from me, a black suit tailored to perfection molded to his lean, powerful frame. His long fingers tapped a light, steady rhythm on the solid wood table, as if he were waiting for a trivial business deal to close. "Estelle, you have twenty-four hours." His voice was low and calm, laced with a venomous tenderness. "Tell me, where did you send Cassandra?"

Overnight, my best friend became the long-lost principessa of the Toscano family. After returning to her family, she transferred all her villas and luxury cars under my name. Even on her deathbed, she made sure to hand over control of the family's dockside trade operations to me. However, I never once visited her grave. Three years after her death, I took her place as the true heiress of the Toscano family and married her former fiancé, Gaspare Volpe, the young heir to the rising mafia family in Damerelli, the Volpes. Everyone called me a social climber and an ungrateful traitor, but I did not care. I obeyed the womanizing Gaspare without question. When he called me to bring condoms for his hookups, I moved like my life depended on it. I became the laughingstock of Damerelli, someone everyone looked down on. Five years later, on the anniversary of my best friend's death, I slit Gaspare's throat at her grave. "From the very beginning, I came for revenge."

It's my seventh anniversary with Chase McGregor. I hide in his car's trunk while holding a pregnancy report. In my other hand, I hold a limited-edition watch that I've prepared for him. I want to surprise him and tell him we're about to have a child. To my surprise, I hear something that devastates me. "Chase, you're not really going to marry Daphne, are you? Lucille Gervais wants to marry you. As long as you do that, the North Sea's shipping routes, cargo operations, and drug trade will come under your control." "Help me set up a date with her. I'll break up with Daphne." My breathing hitches. I want to hear Chase object to this or show even the slightest bit of hesitation, but none of it comes. The pregnancy report slips from my fingers. I once thought he would be the father of my children; I thought we would have a happy family together. Now, my dream has been shattered.

"I want your body, heart and soul would you give them to me?" "I..." "I know you can't, so when you are ready to trade those with me Cupcake. I'll be waiting for you." She was his addiction, she was his long time crush. She works as a maid. He's the CEO of a famous company. She's nice, he isn't. She's an angel while he's the devil. They are worlds apart, opposite worlds that aren't supposed to meet. He never noticed her, he never did even though she's been working in his mansion for the past five years. A meeting changed their whole life completely, she was always watching him from afar, admiring him but when fate decided to start playing games with them he became addicted to her and she fell madly in love with him even though after knowing that loving him will bring her nothing but pain. She was his little lamb, his cupcake and "His Addiction."

“Prey, tell what happens when… if you lose? What benefits am I to reap from this bet of yours?” This bastard had a lot of nerve.I could not back down from him. I knew I could see this contest through. I know I can make my dream a reality.“If I lost than…I will serve under your modeling agency for free for half a year. Does that seem fair enough?” I said regaining my confidence. I could not help but glared back at Elijah. “Sounds like a fair trade to me, little kitten.” He said. I do not like that nickname. No matter how sexy it sounded on his lips.“If I lose than I will publicly apologize to you, I.” Elijah said with a smile repeating the terms. “But it you lose than you work as a model in my business for free for half of the year. Sound about right?” Elijah said.I shook his hand. “Deal.”Elijah smiled to the point where his teeth reminded me of the big bad wolf. “Deal,” he said softly.

On the day before the marking ceremony, my Alpha mate, Zev Briarwood, is wounded in a battle and loses his memory. He forgets everything… including me. To help him restore his memories and Alpha pride, I go all out. I seek out an evil witch to trade my precious heartblood and fangs for her magic, nearly dying in the process. I sketch jewelry designs day and night, selling them just to earn money and to find every possible memory cure. When I drag my battered body to visit Zev at the clinic, I overhear him laughing with his buddies. "Your acting's next level, Zev! Kira still hasn't figured out you're faking it, and you've delayed the marking ceremony!" A buddy snickers. Zev gulps his wine and grins. "I'm definitely winning the bet that I'd sleep with 100 women at parties. Once I've had my fun, I'll go back to her for my mate duties and complete that marking ceremony."

"You were flirting with my client right in front of me, I knew you were trying to get back at me, well you won! Because I'm so mad that I'm going to punish you for it!" He pushed me inside, grabbed my lips and kissed me roughly. "There will be no time for foreplay…" ------------------------------------------------------ I never thought I could meet Carl again, at my darkest moments. “GET OUT OF MY OFFICE OR SUCK MY DICK” He screamed at me. I flushed with embarrassment, how could the gentleman I had secretly in love with for years become this grumpy? Yet still, he is hot as hell and I want him so badly. The first time I saw Carl, he was the heir of Manson Empire, and I was nobody but a little intern. He was successful and respected, yet always being caring and gentle. I was clumsy and shy, yet full of dreams and ambition. He had never laid an eye on me, but he was always the beacon lighting up my world. Until my world collapsed. So I ran.

As I secured the safety rope, I discovered that the metal clip had been replaced with a flimsy plastic ring. My girlfriend, already on the soft ladder, dismissed my concern casually. "Ryan has got a ton of luggage. One clip isn't enough to keep it secure, so I gave him yours. Just wait for the next trip." In desperation, I pointed to the floodwaters surging past my chest. "But I can't swim!" "Cut the drama, okay?" she huffed. "You're a swimming champ. What's the big deal about treading water for a bit? Ryan is related to my boss, and if anything happens to him, my promotion is down the drain. Can't you be reasonable?" "Is his luggage more important than my life?" I shot back, lunging for the ladder. But she kicked me away. "I've checked. The water won't rise too fast. At worst, it'll reach your neck. You'll survive." Refusing to argue further, I watched the floodwaters rage higher and quickly pressed a special emergency beacon on my wrist.

My younger twin sister, Emma Lawson, is everyone's favorite because she is sickly. A snowstorm traps us on the mountain and the rescue helicopter arrives with room for only one more. I have terminal cancer and am ready to let Emma take my place. Then she suddenly clutches her head and cries that she feels dizzy. My whole family rushes to her side and together they push her into the cabin. My husband, Leon Ziegler, touches my fractured arm and says, "Sarah, you'll have to wait for the next helicopter." My daughter, Daria Ziegler, even throws a snowball at me. "Aunt Emma is sicker than you. Stop trying to take her spot." Only when the helicopter takes off do I see Emma pressed against the window, smugly sticking her tongue out. She has been lying the whole time. When I am finally rescued, the doctors tell me I have three days left to live. I decide to trade everything I own for a small piece of my family's affection.