Contract Of A

Billionaire
BILLIONAIRE KING SERIES

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EVA WINNERS

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 Contents

Author’s Note
Billionaire King Series Collection
Follow Eva Here
Playlist

Prologue
1. Autumn
2. Alessio
3. Autumn
4. Alessio
5. Autumn
6. Alessio
7. Autumn
8. Alessio
9. Alessio
10. Autumn
11. Alessio
12. Autumn
13. Alessio
14. Autumn
15. Autumn
16. Alessio
17. Autumn
18. Alessio
19. Alessio
20. Autumn
21. Autumn
22. Alessio
23. Autumn
24. Alessio
25. Autumn
26. Alessio
27. Autumn
28. Alessio
29. Autumn
30. Alessio
31. Autumn
32. Alessio
33. Autumn
34. Alessio
35. Autumn
36. Autumn
37. Alessio
38. Autumn
39. Alessio
40. Alessio
41. Autumn
42. Alessio
43. Autumn
44. Alessio
45. Autumn
46. Alessio
47. Autumn
Epilogue

Acknowledgments

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 Love is a puzzle.
When you’re in love, all the pieces fit.
But when your heart gets broken,
It takes a long time to piece it back together.
And sometimes the pieces never quite fit right.

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 Author’s Note

This book touches on some sensitive subjects and might be

sensitive for some readers.

There is trigger content related to - loss of family, suicide,

abuse, violence.

Resemblance to actual persons and things living or dead,

locales, or evens is entirely coincidental.

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 This one is for all my readers.
You’ve made my dream come true.
You’ve changed my life.
THANK YOU!

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 Billionaire King Series
Collection

Each book in the Billionaire King series can be read as a

standalone.

Enjoy!

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 Copyright © 2022 by Winners Publishing LLC and Eva Winners
Cover Image Designer: Eve Graphic Design LLC

Model: Aaron G.
Photographer: Wander Aguiar
All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or

mechanical means, including
information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the
author, except for the use of brief

quotations in a book review.

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 Playlist

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 Prologue

T he rain pounded against the hospital windows.

Exhaustion lingered in my bones. Every single inch of
me ached.
But the moment I held him in my arms, I knew he was
my most beautiful creation.
Dark hair. Stormy eyes.
Though the latter could be the fact he was just born and
they were more murky.
It didn’t matter. He was utter perfection.
Kol.
It meant the dark one. It fit him. Kol Alessandro Corbin.
Mom, Dad, and Branka stayed with me in the hospital
through twenty hours of labor and many hours afterward.
But I finally made them leave.
They needed rest. And I needed alone time with my
baby. To bury this longing ache that lingered in my chest.
All these months and I still hadn’t been able to forget
him.
Alessio Russo wasn’t a man that was easily forgotten.
Even with the words that still rang in my ears from our
last encounter.
I smelledthe nicotine before I was fully awake.
My heart latched onto it. Nobody I knew smoked. Except
for Alessio.
The silver smoke wrapped around the room, stealing my
breath and my dreams.
No smoking in the hospital.
My eyes shot open. A shadow loomed over my son who
slept peacefully, a burning red circle piercing the gloom. It
was the tip of a cigarette but it wasn’t Alessio standing
there.
Something’s wrong.
“Get away from my son,” I rasped, straightening up in
the hospital bed.
I ignored the pain in my abdomen.
His face turned from my son and my heart froze.
Alessio’s father.
I scrambled up the pillow reaching for the nurse call
button.
“Nice kid.”
His voice was full of disgust. Hate.
A bolt of fear shot through me, the terror soaking
through my skin. His face was sinister, and the gun in his
other hand didn’t escape me. He took a drag on his
cigarette and then blew smoke into Kol’s face.
“Get away from my son,” I warned, my voice trembling.
There was nothing I wouldn’t do to protect him.
His menacing, dark eyes met mine. “Now you listen to
me, you Corsican trash. You and your son will never come
around Alessio again.” I swallowed, fear thundering in my
ears.
The adrenaline pulsed in my veins, making me
lightheaded, but I refused to back down. I shifted off the
hospital mattress, inching my way closer and closer to my
son.
“And Branka?” I whispered.
He shrugged. “She’s useless.”
 This man was a fucking lunatic. A cruel, sadistic bastard.
Just like Branka described him.
“She’s not useless,” I spat at him. “She's an amazing,
good person.”
Another inch closer to my son. I just had to grab him and
get the fuck away from here. Nurses had been in and out of
this room all goddamn night. But now that I wanted one
here, they were nowhere to be seen.
“You, Autumn Corbin, and your family are a fucking
plague. Stay away from Alessio, or I’ll make you and your
family pay. Alessio has other women to fuck.” My heart
shattered; pieces of the fragile organ scattered at my feet.
Even after all this time, it fucking hurt like hell.
Alessio’s words still rang in my brain. I was just a good
fuck to him. Nothing more; nothing less.
His eyes lowered to my son, his lips curving into a cruel
smirk. “And this will be a dead bastard if I see you around.”
Before I could blink, he pushed his butt into my baby
and a scream shattered through the hospital. Kol’s and
mine.
“Get away from him!” I had no idea how or when I threw
myself on him, my fists hitting against his back.
He threw me off him easily, my back hitting the cold
hospital tile. Black dots swam through my vision. A high-
pitched scream from my baby filled the space. The scent of
smoke. A cloud filling the air.
Horror tore through me.
This can’t be happening.
The cigarette still burned in my son’s cradle.

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 Chapter 1

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Autumn

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 FOUR YEARS EARLIER

O kay, celebrating your college graduation on top of a

bar, dancing and shooting darts wasn’t exactly the
most mature way to get recognition for four years of
hard work.
Yes, it took us an extra semester. The first year was
hard. Both Branka and I failed most of our classes the first
semester and never caught up. We weren’t geniuses. Just
two average girls with an artistic gene. Or something like
that.
But we finally graduated. Yes, summer was behind us,
but we had our entire lives ahead of us. Many more
summers.
My dreams were finally coming true. I got an offer for an
internship with National Geographic and my first
assignment started in a week. A freaking week. I would
travel the world taking pictures. My father was always a
fan of the old adage “a picture's worth a thousand words.”
I wanted my pictures to make a difference in this world.
Hopefully, make the world a better place.
“Another shot for the girls,” someone shouted in the
back.
It was amazing what a tight mini-dress could
accomplish. Drinks followed, Branka and I danced on top of
the bar, moving sensually. Slow, fast, slow. After weeks of
packing, studying, and more packing, we deserved to
celebrate and unwind.
The loud music pumped through the speakers, vibrating
through every surface. The music bounced off the walls, the
latest Dua Lipa’s best hits album playing one after another.
A few of the girls danced together on the bar, while others
were too busy sealing their lips to their boyfriends or men
they’d never met.
My gaze traveled over the crowd. It was September yet
most girls wore skimpy little summer dresses. But then,
this was California. Summer dresses were almost a year
round outfit.
The bar was too crowded. Probably over capacity, but
nobody had started kicking us out. Our last week here. The
last four years had been filled with some seriously wild shit,
but we never got in trouble. Branka claimed it was because
her brother had connections everywhere.
Alessandro Russo.
He didn’t even remember me or the whole incident on
my eighteenth birthday. I was so nervous and excited that
day. Branka and I couldn’t wait to get to the University of
California, Berkeley. We shared a birthday and celebrated
at my parents’ home that day.
The birthday party was still in full swing. The chatter
and laughter of guests could be heard from downstairs. My
family. Friends. Branka, my best friend. From the moment
my parents and I moved to Montréal, the two of us clicked
and had been inseparable ever since.
“I’m sorry your brother couldn’t make it today,” I
murmured. I knew how much she hoped he’d be here. He
was the only family she loved. The only family that was
there for her.
“It’s okay.” A hint of bitterness colored her voice.
I reached for her hand and squeezed it gently in
comfort. “It’s not okay,” I murmured. “But I’m happy I got
to spend all day with you.”
 From all she had told me, her brother always came
through. It could be that he was just late. In four years, I
had yet to meet the famous, or infamous, brother.
Alessandro Russo. Alessio to those closest to him.
Untouchable. Ruthless. Corrupt.
Connected to the mafia. Not that I’d seen it firsthand.
Those were just the rumors. In reality, it could be that the
guy was just a ruthless businessman. If there was one thing
I’d learned from my parents, things weren’t always what
they seemed.
“Send him another message,” I suggested softly.
She shook her head.
“Father reads my messages. Sometimes I think he reads
his, too.” Huh? There were so many things I didn’t
understand about Branka’s family. “I don’t want him to give
me a hard time.” Another difference between her parents
and mine. Her father was mean, cruel even. And her
mother, well she seemed to be only a ghost of who she once
was.
“You can use my phone if you want,” I offered. I knew
how much it meant to her to see him today.
“That’s okay, thanks. I called Alessio earlier and left him
a voicemail that I’d be here.”
I nodded. The two of us stood in front of the mirror. She
had changed for the occasion and looked gorgeous in her
sheer, golden dress that was long in the back but shorter in
the front. The contrast of gold against her dark, auburn
hair was striking. I still wore my white, skater dress.
“I just can’t wait to get out of here,” she remarked,
meeting my gaze in the mirror. Her gray eyes turned dark,
like storm clouds, every time she was sad. “Our last night
in Montréal. Let’s make it a memorable night.”
I nodded although I wasn’t as thrilled about leaving my
parents behind. I was excited about going to California and
attending university there. But unlike her, I also couldn’t
wait to come back to visit my parents. And we hadn’t even
left yet.
Branka’s eyes traveled over me. “Are you going to
change?”
I lowered my eyes. “What?” I swept my hand over my
skater dress. “This isn’t good enough?”
She rolled her eyes. “It’s fine for an everyday event, but
not for our birthday. Today’s special.”
“Fine, fine,” I retorted dryly. “I’ll change.”
Turning eighteen seemed to be a big deal. Yet the same
face I’d known yesterday stared back at me today in the
mirror. Same raven black hair. Same hazel eyes. My mouth
was still the same, that top lip slightly bigger than my
bottom one.
“Do you feel older?” I asked.
She shrugged her slim shoulders. “Not really. But we’re
eighteen now. Legal adults.”
My lips curved into a smile. I wasn’t quite sure if I felt
like an adult. Or that I was even ready to be an adult. I was
certainly in no rush.
“I guess I better hurry up and change before all the food
is gone,” I said, eyeing the dress that Branka picked out. It
was a beautiful dress, but it was way over the top for a
simple birthday party in the backyard. So was Branka’s,
although that didn’t seem to stop her.
She clapped her hands. “Wonderful, I’ll wait for you
downstairs. I need to have some of your mother’s crème
brûlée before it’s all gone.”
She was out the door before I could even protest. It
would have been wonderful if she’d given me a boost of
confidence once I tried the fancy dress on. I didn’t want to
look like an overdressed peacock.
“Save me some,” I yelled after her. “Hide it from
everyone.”
Her laugh rang down the steps, right along with her
thumping heels against my parents’ hardwood floors.
 My eyes roamed over the room where Branka and I
spent so much time together over the last four years. It
wasn’t grand or super luxurious, but I loved my room
nonetheless. Pink and white bedding over the mahogany
canopy bed. The antique white dresser and the vanity were
the only other furniture in my bedroom.
Frames with my parents’ pictures stood on the dresser.
Our trips all over the world. It was where I got my taste for
adventure and the will for justice.
Nostalgia hit me. One more night and I’d no longer lay
my head down to sleep under my parents’ roof. One more
night and I’d be thousands of miles away.
“I guess it’s part of growing up,” I mumbled under my
breath softly.
I shook my head, then took off my dress, leaving me only
in my white panties and bra. Discarding it into my hamper,
I reached for my dress, hanging it on the rail of my canopy
with my back to the door. It slipped off the hanger, falling
silently to the floor.
Bending over, my ass in the air, my fingers curled
around the soft material was exactly the position I was in
when the door opened.
“What the… ?” A deep voice came from behind me.
For a moment, I stayed frozen, staring at the man upside
down through my legs. Shiny black loafers. Tailored and
expensive business suit. Stormy gray eyes that studied me.
Or maybe he studied my butt in the thong.
I shot up, whirling around.
The moment I saw him upright, my step faltered back
involuntarily.
Hard face. Even harder eyes.
A shudder shot up my spine, and for a fraction of a
moment, I forgot to breathe. The most gorgeous face I had
ever seen. But it was not that which took hold of me. It was
the darkness and ruthlessness in his gray gaze. A gaze the
color of the skies right before a thunderstorm.
 The angular jawline spoke of determination and
stubbornness. The slight stubble on his face made him
appear harsh and untouchable. Not that he needed it,
because I’d be terrified if I found myself alone in a dark
alley with him. The dark three-piece-suit hugged his broad,
towering frame.
Lethal.
This man was lethal. I might have turned eighteen only
today, but I’d stake my life on it. This man could end a
human life without losing sleep.
His one hand was tucked into the pocket of his suit
pants while the other hung casually down his body. My eyes
flickered to that strong veiny hand. A single ring on it with
some weird looking symbol. The letter ‘A’ with a skull.
We stared at each other, frozen, the seconds stretching
into a lifetime. He was like a dark demon focused on his
prey.
“What are you doing here?” I snapped out of my stupor,
trying to appear brave.
“Where is she?” he snapped back.
“How in the hell should I know?” I narrowed my eyes on
him. He reeked of darkness and danger. You’d think I was
smart enough to scream for help. “Who the hell is she?”
My father always said that sometimes I was too brave
for my own good. But I wasn’t reckless. At least not now. All
I had to do was scream and my father would come after
this guy. Although, if I was honest with myself, I wasn’t
sure that Dad could kick his ass.
He cocked his eyebrow, as if he was surprised. When he
didn’t answer, I continued, “And who are you?” My voice
hitched just a tad bit higher, while my heart thundered
against my ribs.
He slipped his other hand into his pocket as his gaze fell
down my body, lazy and observant. Just as slowly, his gaze
traveled back up my barely decent state.
“Watch your tone, little girl,” he drawled.
 Be smart, Autumn. Be smart, Autumn.
“Or what, old man?” I sneered. Jesus, this wasn’t smart,
yet my mouth refused to stop. “One peep and my dad will…
Kick. Your. Ass.”
Maybe. But he didn’t need to know that.
He took a step forward, I took one back. Another step
towards me and like we were made of the same poles on
two magnets, I took one back.
“You really think so?” His tone was low, deep, almost
threatening.
I pushed my shoulders back and realized my mistake
right away. I revealed more of my barely covered body. But
I couldn’t show weakness.
“I do,” I sneered. “Now get lost.”
His eyes narrowed, then traveled down my body again,
leaving me feeling strangely breathless and my heart
racing in my chest.
I attempted the same tactic and let my gaze fall down
his body. It was a mistake because it became even more
apparent how tall, muscular, and breathtaking he was. Not
a good conclusion to come to while alone with a stranger in
the room.
My eyes locked on his shiny, expensive, black shoes.
Italian leather, if I had to guess. He still wasn’t moving. But
now we stood so close together, I could smell his spicy,
woodsy scent. Powerful, just like his presence.
“What’s your name?” His question caught me off guard,
and I lifted my eyes back to his, meeting those dark stormy
eyes.
“None of your business,” I snickered. “What’s yours?”
Where did that come from?
“None of yours,” he deadpanned. “If I tell you, I’d have
to kill you.”
What. The. Hell?
“Get out!” I took a step forward, and pushed my palm
against his chest, then realized I dropped the dress that
covered my upper torso. I quickly folded my arms in front
of my chest.
We still stood in the middle of my girly bedroom, his
towering frame in a dark suit looking ridiculous among all
my pink.
His eyes lowered to where my palm rested only seconds
ago, then came back to my face. We looked at each other
for a moment and I realized his hand was on my wrist, the
rough pads of his fingertips brushing against my fluttering
pulse.
“Careful, Autumn,” he drawled. “Or you’ll find yourself
in the wrong bedroom.”
It wasn’t until he was long gone that the realization sunk
in.
He knew my name!
Ten minutes later, I smoothed the non-existent wrinkles
of the light pink dress. It hugged my body too tightly,
making it hard to breathe. I wasn’t used to wearing snug
clothing and heels. Being careful not to get my strappy pink
heels stuck in the dirt, I kept my gaze focused on the
ground. The music and laughter vibrated all around me and
a smile already formed on my lips.
“Autumn, come and say hello to our guest.” Maman’s
voice traveled through the air.
Taking a step over the gravel, I steadied my ankle.
“I’m coming,” I grumbled. “These damn shoes are
getting stuck.”
Another two steps, I looked up and froze.
A pair of dark gray eyes in a black three-piece-suit
watched me, pinning me to my spot. The guy that barged
into my bedroom stood next to my father. A smile lifted his
lips and my eyes locked on them. Such sensual, well-
proportioned lips. I wondered how he kissed.
Hard. Rough. Wet. Demanding.
“There you are.” My mother pressed a kiss on my cheek.
“Joyeux anniversaire, ma chérie.” Happy birthday, my
mother wished me in French.
“Merci, Maman,” I murmured, keeping my eyes on the
stranger.
A set of arms wrapped around me and I swayed. “He
made it,” Branka squealed in delight.
“Who?” I muttered, flicking a frown her way, then
returning it to the gorgeous stranger. Why was he talking
to my dad?
“My brother.” My head whipped her way and I followed
her gaze. “Alessio.” I swallowed hard, remembering how I
yelled at him barely ten minutes ago.
“Autumn, meet Mr. Alessio Russo.” My father’s tone held
a note of caution. The one that told me he’d rather not have
me talk to the man. If only he knew, I spent a few minutes
alone with him. “Mr. Russo, my daughter Autumn.”
I tipped my head in greeting as a warm rush of
adrenaline ran down my spine at the way he watched me
and the recognition of his name. I met his heavy gaze, dark
gray eyes shaded by thick, dark lashes that could fool you
into thinking his eyes were darker than they really were.
“Miss Corbin.” His voice was indifferent but something
amused and dangerous played in his gaze, challenging me.
I’d stake my life that all the rumors of Alessandro
Russo’s ruthlessness were true.
I blinked, returning to the present.
It was ridiculous that even after four years, thinking
about him had my heart racing in my chest. Fifteen years
my senior, Branka’s brother, was way out of my league. Not
that I wanted him in my league. He was a gentleman on the
outside, but dangerous and ruthless underneath that
expensive suit he loved to wear.
And he had connections to the mafia, for Pete’s sake.
I didn’t need that kind of trouble in my life. But those
steel-like eyes! That mouth! That body! The chemistry I felt
in that very moment when I had met him has never been
replicated. It was barely a fleeting moment in his book. In
mine, it was a life changing event in a mere second.
I’d never forgotten him. It’d be impossible to forget that
face, that gaze that held me captive, and that jaw with a
mouth that I was certain knew how to bring pleasure. One
look at him and shudders rolled down my spine. The
ruthless man with a gorgeous face was exactly what I
didn’t need but my body seemed to want him.
The music pumped remix after remix, my skin glistened
with sweat, the crowd became rowdier and rowdier when I
heard my name, loud and clear, over the pounding music.
My eyes roamed the room, but I didn’t see a single familiar
face.
“Branka. Autumn.” Again, our names were called out.
Branka and I shared a glance, then both of our eyes
traveled over the faces in the crowd.
Two men walked confidently through the crowded room,
their eyes zeroed in on us. Branka took a step closer to me
at the same time, I stepped closer to her.
“Do you know them?”
Her eyebrows furrowed, recognition in her gaze.
“They’re my brother’s friends.”
My eyes flickered back to the two men striding towards
us like they owned this joint. Danger was part of these two
men, and not because of the ink that marked their skin on
their necks and hands, but it was the harshness in their
gaze. Darkness in their eyes that resembled that of Alessio
Russo.
“Are you sure?” I barely got the words out when the two
men stopped in front of us.
“Ladies. I’m Cassio King and this is my brother, Luca.
We’ve come to take you home.”
Branka and I shared a glance. We planned on hanging
out here for another week before I headed out for my
assignment. Asia. Kuala Lumpur. My finger itched to start
snapping photographs.
 Branka waved her hand as if that would send them away.
“No, thank you.”
“I’m afraid, I’ll have to insist,” the other guy chimed in.
Luca King. Cassio and Luca King. In the back of my mind, I
searched for that name. It was familiar. I’ve heard it before.
The alcohol I’d consumed wasn’t helping.
Cassio and Luca King.
Mafia. Their father, Benito King, was one of the most
feared men on the East Coast of the United States. And his
sons weren’t far behind them.
“Your mother is dead, Branka,” Cassio explained. “And
your brother needs you back.” A soft gasp escaped my lips
and I glanced at my best friend. She kept her expression
masked, but I knew she cared. She wasn’t as close to her
mother as I was to mine, but she loved her. The poor
woman married a hard, cruel man and it broke her.
I felt the men’s eyes on me and I turned to look at them.
“Miss Corbin, you can come along. Alessio indicated you
and Branka are close, and she’ll need all the support she
can get.”
Hesitation slithered through me. I wanted to be there
for Branka, but I wasn’t sure that I wanted to see her
brother. Or her father.
Branka slid her hand into mine and our eyes locked.
“Please come,” she choked out, her lower lip trembling and
there was no way I could refuse her.

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 Chapter 2

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 Alessio

I fucking hated funerals.

The fact that it was my mother’s made it ten times
worse. I hadn’t been close to my mother. It was
impossible with my father - correction, bastard stepfather -
around.
The fucker loved tormenting everyone around him. He
hadn’t even given Branka a chance to say goodbye. He held
our mother cut off from everyone until she was dead. For
goddamn days.
Throwing an impatient look at my watch, I noted the
time. I had another twenty minutes before I had to head
out, or I wouldn’t make it to the cemetery on time. I poured
myself another scotch and downed it in one gulp.
Montréal. Québec. I ruled everything in these territories
and east of them, all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.
From the window of my office, I could see the Saint
Lawrence River. The ships traveled at a slow speed, fooling
you into believing this city had a slow pace. It was anything
but slow, and the corruption ran deep. I’d experienced it
firsthand.
Fuck, I ran it. Owned it. Ruled it.
Before me, it was my stepfather that had these streets
running red. He climbed the ladder by killing the innocent,
weak, and powerful; no cost was too great to him when
reaching for his goal.
I guess in that regard he wasn’t too different from my
biological father.
Fuck them both. I just wished it was him that I was
burying today.
Not my mother.
He knew it too. It was the fucking reason he pulled that
stunt. Jesus fucking Christ, I tasted what this world would
be without him for the briefest moment. Thank God I didn’t
message Branka to let her know. She endured enough
torment from our father. This would have been too much.
Now, I had to protect my sister more than ever. I failed
Mia, I couldn’t repeat the same mistake. Branka couldn’t
endure Father’s cruelty. It left a goddamn mark on her,
although she appeared strong and invincible. She wasn’t; if
anything, she was fragile and so easily breakable.
Flicking another glance out the window, I knew time was
running out. I poured another and relished in the bitterness
as it slid down my throat.
I’d have to head to the gravesite.
If for nobody else, then for Branka. For my mother. For
Mia.

T he R usso mansion was the most expensive stretch of real

estate in the province of Québec, possibly Canada. It was
two hundred acres of prime real estate on one of the Great
Lakes.
My mother would be buried among all the other Russo
family members, living her eternal life among enemies. In
their family cemetery. It fucking rubbed me the wrong way.
I wanted to burn the motherfucking place down and move
her and Mia, my sister, to my own property with a little
chapel and cemetery where they could have peace in their
death.
Since they couldn’t have it in life. At least Mia and
Mother would be together. After all, she always hoped for
Mother’s salvation. It was for Mia that I’d saved her that
day.
I threw a hateful gaze at my father who stood with a
smug smirk next to Branka. I just wanted to reach out and
choke the life out of him. See the light extinguished from
his eyes. I was at Luciano’s earlier this week when I got the
note. My father was dead and I needed to rush home.
So I did. Only to find my mother dead. I should have
known better. The man loved to torment everyone around
him. Even when we were kids, he loved to destroy anything
good we had. Fashion designs for Mia. Learning self-
defense skills for Branka. Building furniture for me. Fuck,
he killed everything just to hurt our mother.
Every. Single. Thing. That woman couldn’t eat without
being tormented.
I closed my eyes, remembering the misery she called her
life.
Mother showed up in my bedroom. Her long white
nightgown swallowed her frail frame. She never came to
my room, so I tensed, watching her warily.
“Come along, Alessandro,” she called out, her voice soft.
A rare show of emotions shone in her eyes. She looked like
a caring, doting mother, ready to take on the world. It shot
a warning through my fifteen-year-old brain.
Mother usually stared with an empty gaze at the world,
moving through the mechanics of life on a day-to-day basis.
I narrowed my eyes on her. I didn’t hate Mother. I felt
sorry for her, but I didn’t like that she was weak. I found
Father extinguishing his cigarette on Branka’s little body
and Mother just watched him.
She fucking watched him, her gray eyes dull.
“Your sisters are with me.”
 That had me jumping off my bed and following her. I had
outgrown her, my frame already about three inches taller
than her. It didn’t stop me from wanting a hug. Or
comforting words, here and there.
All I got was beatings from Father, his hate constantly
staring me in the face. Apathy from Mother, her dead eyes
staring everywhere but at me. They both hated me. They
hated my sisters too. What had we done to them to deserve
it?
The moment we stepped inside the bedroom, Mother
shut the door behind me with a soft click. Then she locked
it, pulling the key out of the door. My sisters sat on the
large bed. Branka was still an infant, her lungs carrying a
high-pitch note that pierced through my brain. Mia, who
just turned ten yesterday, sat next to her, her eyes wide in
fear and her face smeared with tears.
“What’s wrong?” I asked her, dread pooling in the pit of
my stomach.
“Father burned Branka,” Mia rasped, her body shaking.
“He won’t hurt us anymore.” My mother’s voice was
eerily calm. The expression on her face was that of a
madwoman. She had finally snapped.
Before I could ponder the meaning of her words, she
strode in slow, heavy steps towards her dresser while I
closed the distance between my sisters and me. Taking
Branka into my arms, I cradled her and pulled up the little
shirt up to check her wound.
“I-is she gonna die?” Mia’s voice shook like a leaf in the
wind.
I shook my head. “We have to clean it,” I told her and
shot to my feet. Mia followed, her auburn mane a mess and
her eyes watching me like I was her savior. I fucking failed.
I always failed. If I was a savior, I’d have taken my sisters
and disappeared.
Forever. Somewhere where nobody would find us.
 A simple life. I could fish and hunt, feed them. I was
good with building furniture. I could sell it. I could teach
my sisters whatever I knew. We’d be safe; we’d be happy.
The smell of smoke filled the room and I whirled around.
My mother flicked a box of matches onto the curtains that
were already burning and my chest froze.
We’d burn. She meant to burn us.
“He won’t hurt us anymore,” she repeated her earlier
words and I finally understood the meaning. Branka started
to scream again. Mia cried, pale and sweaty, while staring
at the flames.
I took Mia’s hand in mine and rushed toward the
window, dragging her with me. Keeping Branka shielded
with my body, I ripped at the curtains, ignoring the pain on
my skin. Flames licked at my forearms, my back as I kept
Mia and Branka shielded.
“You have to jump,” I ordered Mia. She shook her head
frantically, while mother sat on the floor. Numb and ready
to die. “Now!”
Two stories down to fall. It was our best chance at
survival.
She took a step forward, then glanced at me over her
shoulder. “I’m right behind you,” I assured her.
“What about Mother?” she whispered, her eyes
flickering to the broken woman.
“I’ll take care of everything.”
She jumped. Father’s men were already alerted,
shouting and screaming filled the night. Keeping Branka
out of our mother’s reach, I took three steps to her and
yanked her with my free hand.
She stumbled, reverting back to her old, empty self.
Maybe I should let her burn; let her find peace in death.
But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.
I pulled her with me, flames quickly spreading and
licking at our backs. Once at the window, Mother’s eyes
met mine.
 Dead. She was already dead.
I pushed her out of the window, and I fucking prayed
she’d find her peace. She didn’t want this anymore.
I jumped out of the window with Branka in my arms. I
fell on my back, the wind knocked out of me. The lawn felt
hard as a rock, but I knew it saved me from breaking some
bones. All that mattered to me was that the baby in my
arms was unharmed.
For her, I’d break all my bones.
My eyes flickered to the grave. She held it against me
for saving her. For saving Mia and Branka. She didn’t have
to say it, but I saw it in her eyes. Accusation that I had
taken away an escape.
For me, my mother died that night. I had mourned her a
long time ago.
Our mother had been a walking corpse for decades. She
was too naive and too soft for this world. First, she was
deceived by a corrupt, up-and-coming politician who was
eyeing the presidency of the United States and couldn’t be
bothered with a young Irish woman whom he impregnated.
And then she was sold by her parents to a sadistic animal.
The dark stone of the chapel matched my mood. Arched
windows gleamed with dullness and saints leered down
from the top of the building, judging this entire damned
family. The setting fit the occasion perfectly.
The gray clouds gathered above our heads, darkening by
the minute. The sky was weeping for me because I had no
tears to shed. They’d been beaten out of me a long time
ago.
My eyes remained on the casket as the ground
swallowed it whole, the words of the priest… background
noise.
Ashes to Ashes. Dust to dust.
The only words that registered as my mother’s body was
lowered six feet under.
 Branka’s tears trickled down her face in silence as her
lower lip quivered and she desperately tried to stop it from
doing so. She had learned a long time ago to cry in silence.
She had learned the lessons no child should ever learn. At
least she was spared seeing the things no child should ever
see.
I took her hand in mine and squeezed it gently. I could
afford to do this now. It has been a while since my old man
could overpower me, and since I earned my own money, I’d
secured a roof over Branka’s head, so she wouldn’t have to
endure him. My only regret was that I didn’t do it earlier.
With a fifteen year difference between us, I should have
been able to protect her from the moment she was born.
But I wasn’t. She had to endure years of our father’s
brutality. Years of my mother’s broken shell. Fucking years
of being locked in her room when he decided to beat on our
mother. She listened to their screaming matches and
mother’s wailing, unable to save her.
I failed Branka just as our parents had. I failed Mia who
ran off to join the U.S. military just to fucking get away.
Maybe that was our family legacy - failing all those whom
we loved.
It wasn’t until Branka was ten that I pulled her out of
that fucked up shit. When I had something to hold over the
old man’s head. The humiliation he didn’t want anyone to
know about. That his son’s wealth superseded his own by
tenfold.
He fucking hated anyone being better than him,
especially his bastard son. My eyes darted to him to see
him watching Byron. More like, killing him with a glare. My
father hated me, but he didn’t want the world to know I
wasn’t biologically his. And having one Ashford too close to
me could reveal that. We looked too much alike.
What-the-fuck-ever. As far as I was concerned, neither
one of them was my father. Byron could go fuck himself and
find another soul to stalk. I didn’t need him here for me.
Never did; never would.
My eyes searched the crowd for the daughter of the man
who had succeeded in protecting his family. Autumn
Michelle Corbin. It was then that I saw her and all thoughts
of my half-brother Byron crumbled into dust. She was
stunning. Her ivory skin. Her raven hair. Lush, plump lips.
And those hazel eyes. She hid behind rows of people,
leaning against a tree. I couldn’t see all of her, but I could
see she wasn’t crying, nor pretending to be distressed. She
was here just for Branka. Though I was surprised her
parents let her come.
The cemetery was full of men and women who
pretended to know my mother. The very same ones who
pretended not to know who or what my father was. They
simply didn’t care. My mother came from a line of Irish
immigrant gangsters so in their minds, my mother
deserved what she got.
A cruel and sadistic bastard.
Branka’s hand squeezed mine. She was twenty-two, but
she still seemed small to me. My six-foot-five to her five-
foot-five probably didn’t help matters. I let Branka mourn
our mother, so she could get the peace she needed.
My eyes flickered to Byron Ashford. My half-brother.
Fucking bastard. Always trying to mend what Senator
Ashford destroyed. That fucker would never be my father,
and I wasn’t interested in mending any kind of relationship
with the Ashfords.
People whispered that the two of us looked alike. A lot
like the old man. Except, I had my mother’s eyes. He had
his father’s. Truthfully, I detested any similarities with the
fucker who destroyed my mother. I wouldn’t lose any sleep
if he died.
The parade of people commenced.
Throwing red roses, my mother’s favorite, onto her
grave. Offering condolences. Moving on to go back to their
petty little lives. They were like flies on shit, hungry for
drama and fake with their sympathies.
Byron didn’t bring a red rose. Instead, he threw a white
lilac. The damn bastard always had to be different. I
wondered if white lilacs represented purity and innocence.
Nothing with Byron was an accident.
He stopped in front of me and Branka. His gaze flicked
up and caught Branka’s who watched him curiously.
“Alessio and Branka, my condolences,” Byron offered,
his eyes returning to me.
My jaw tightened, words intended for him burning my
throat. This wasn’t the place nor the time. I’d prefer not to
see the bastard ever again.
“Thank you, Mister–” Branka didn’t know our
complicated family history. I’d protected her from that
clusterfuck. I failed to protect her from our father when she
was little, but I was all grown now, and I’d use merciless
methods to protect my family.
“Byron Ashford,” my half-brother answered, more than
willing to prolong this dialogue.
I shoved my hand into my pants pocket. “Thank you for
coming,” I dismissed him in a cold tone.
Branka’s gray eyes, so similar to mine, furrowed and
darted to me, then to Byron and back to me.
Without another word, Byron tilted his head and
disappeared. But the persistent bastard would be back. He
always came back. Like a bad fucking case of herpes.
The crowds dwindled to fewer and fewer people. My
eyes kept returning to the woman with hazel eyes that
fascinated me.
For four years, I worked to forget the image of her. The
innocence standing amidst pink, frilly bed sheets in front of
ruthlessness. And she’d refused to cower. Her eyes met
mine and a soft exhale parted her lips and a flush colored
her cheeks.
 She remembered me. It was in the flicker of those
greenish hazel eyes. Chemistry and tension roped us in, the
invisible strings wrapping around us, and I knew this time
I’d have her.
The moments stretched into eternity and, as if she could
see the resolution in my eyes, Autumn averted her gaze.
Something told me I had never stood a chance against
this woman. Everything in the last four years led us here, to
this very moment.
Her parents would come after me but they’d never win.
She’d been mine from the moment we locked gazes. As if
she could hear my thoughts, Autumn slid another glance
my way. Hesitation. Caution. Fear?
Ironically, she stood with Cassio and Luca King,
although she didn’t speak to them. Her wary gaze was on
me and the two of them. Rightly so. We were all killers,
shaped by our fathers and circumstances.
Another couple came up, murmuring their condolences.
I didn’t even bother acknowledging them. All my focus was
on the young woman with raven black hair and the
strangest hazel eyes I had ever encountered. The girl that
shoved me out of her room four years ago. The first person,
never mind a girl, to stand up to me.
Soon, it was just my bastard father, Branka, and I, while
Autumn, Cassio, and Luca stood to the side. Cassio and
Luca already offered their condolences and they remained
in a show of support for me.
I was certain Autumn remained for Branka, although she
looked nervous. Her watchful gaze darted between me, my
father, to the King brothers, and then back to me.
Good instincts, I mused.
She shifted from one foot to the other, her fingers
clutching the red rose so tightly, her knuckles turned white.
She wouldn’t approach us, I’d stake my life on it.
“Is it okay if I go?” Branka murmured softly.
 “Where?” Our father barked so loud that even Branka’s
best friend jumped.
“Go ahead,” I urged her.
“I’m her father, not you,” Father hissed but I ignored
him. If the fucker didn’t die soon, I’d kill him myself. In
fact, right now might be an opportune time since we were
at the cemetery already. Push him into a grave and let him
rot, like the damn worm he was.
Without a backward glance, Branka rushed to her
friend. Autumn smiled at her and wrapped her into a hug.
“Want to come to my place?” I could hear her soft voice
travel over the breeze. It was exactly as I remembered it.
“Maman said she’ll have your favorite dessert. She’s
buying.”
Branka nodded, while her lip quivered and she no longer
tried to hide it as she did around my father. Even me.
Autumn’s eyes flickered and our gazes met. One fraction
of a moment, turning into so many moments that made me
wish to make her mine now. I watched as Autumn’s eyes
changed from hazel brown to green so vibrant that I had to
blink to ensure I was seeing it right.
Her gaze left me and landed on my father. Instantly, her
eyes changed to brown.
Her eyes changed with her emotions, I realized. In all
my thirty-five years I had never seen anything like that. The
first time I saw her, they didn’t change so drastically, and I
thought it was a play of light, but today, away from the safe
haven of her bedroom, the change in color was more
drastic.
Turning around and without any acknowledgement to
any of the most lethal men currently in this city that stood
in this graveyard, the two women headed away from us and
towards the little beat up Volkswagen bug.
Meeting Autumn Corbin was the best thing that could
have happened to my sister.
 Me, not so much. Because the vision of that body in
some white panties and bra was seared into my mind like a
fucking tattoo.

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 Chapter 3

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 Autumn

I spent the entire night tossing and turning.

Branka’s sleeping face, smeared with tears, rested
against the pillows. She slept in my bed, just like so
many times before during our high school years. She even
had her own room here, although she rarely stayed in it.
My parents never allowed me to spend the night at
Branka’s home. I could understand it now, but back then I
didn’t. But my best friend never minded and preferred to
spend the night away from home so it worked out.
Slipping out of the bed, I shuffled quietly down the stairs
and into the kitchen.
My mother’s scolding look first thing this morning
wasn’t good news.
“Maman,” I groaned before she could even open her
mouth.
Her hands came to her hips and her brows furrowed
even further.
I sighed. “Here we go,” I murmured. “Can I at least get
a cup of coffee before we get started?”
I turned around and started working the fancy
cappuccino machine my mother insisted she needed.
Because she was a true French woman, she’d say.
Personally, I thought Italians preferred to drink
cappuccinos. But what did I know?
 Before step one of the fancy coffee machine was
performed, Maman started ranting.
“Autumn, ma chérie, you know your père doesn’t like for
you to spend time around the Russo men. Or any of their
friends.”
I shook my head but didn’t bother glancing behind me.
She’d see me rolling my eyes and another string of ranting
would follow.
“I went to a funeral,” I explained. “For Branka. She lost
her mother. I didn’t speak a word with her family.”
“But a whole flight from California to Quebec with
Cassio and Luca King,” she retorted, a slight panic in her
voice.
“They mainly kept to themselves,” I muttered. “Branka
and I slept.”
“Oh, mon Dieu.” I didn’t need to turn around to know
she was waving her hands dramatically. “They could have
forced themselves on you, ma chérie.” Another annoying
groan slipped through my lips while I rolled my eyes
vigorously. “Don’t you roll your eyes at me, Autumn
Michelle Corbin.” Of course she’d know I was rolling my
eyes. She could probably see them in the back of my head.
“You and Branka are close and I want you to be there for
her. But you have to be smart about it. Always be alert
around men like that.”
I was tempted to roll my eyes again but I didn’t.
“Understood and I will. But let’s not exaggerate. They
didn’t force themselves on us,” I told her calmly. “Now let’s
not ruin my last week before I go on the road.”
A deep, exaggerated sigh left my mother’s lips. “How is
Branka?”
I glanced up at the ceiling, as if I could see her from
here. She was finally resting. It wasn’t until the early hours
of the morning that she finally calmed down enough to fall
asleep.
 “She’s upset,” I answered slowly. “She just lost her
mother.” And she’s scared of her father.
But there was no way I’d say those words out loud. It’d
bring another round of her ranting.
“Is she going to stay with her father?” It was clear by my
mother’s tone that she thought it was a bad idea. “You
should tell her to stay with her brother.”
Her brother. Alessio Russo. Alessandro. God, that name
alone was so sexy.
Over the last four years, I’d convinced myself he wasn’t
that good looking. But then I saw him yesterday, and just
like before, when our eyes met, he held my gaze captive.
The cemetery was full of people but Alessio dominated the
entire damn city, never mind that little cemetery.
Branka’s brother was larger than life.
During the entire service, I had the urge to keep my
eyes averted, away from him. Yet, they always landed back
on him. Like a magnet that drew you in. Even with a yard of
distance between us, his presence invaded my personal
space. He stood tall, towering over people.
Impenetrable. Unemotional.
And the moment his attention honed in on me, my skin
buzzed with something familiar. Something that hadn’t
happened since the last time I saw him.
But being on Alessio Russo’s radar should be the last
thing I wanted. The last thing I needed. He was a predator
and I’d be his prey. Consequences would be… pleasurable,
though. I was certain of it.
“Autumn?” My mother’s voice penetrated my thoughts
and I whirled around to find my mother still standing in the
same spot.
“Hmmm?”
“So what are her plans?” she questioned.
I blinked in confusion. “Whose?”
“I asked you if Branka will stay with her brother?” My
mother’s tone turned slightly agitated.
 “I think so,” I rumbled.
“She could stay here,” she offered.
I didn’t think her big brother would ever allow that but I
didn’t say that. Instead, I just answered, “I’ll let her know.”

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 Chapter 4

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 Alessio

A utumn Corbin.
Four years wasn’t long enough to forget her.
I kept my distance. Fifteen years between us was
too much to entertain anything with her. Not to mention,
her parents detested the Russo family. The only reason they
allowed Branka into their circle was because Autumn put
her foot down and refused to turn her back on her.
Admittedly, that made me like her even before I met her.
Cassio and Luca King, and Nico Morrelli all stood
around my office.
“Has Luciano worked things out with Grace?” I asked,
leaning back in my chair.
“They will,” Cassio assured. He was the most optimistic
one of us.
“So the raven-haired girl,” Luca started and I knew the
next words would make me want to punch him. “Is she
single?”
“No,” I gritted.
Luca chuckled like it was the funniest goddamn thing he
had ever heard. “Does she know that?” he asked.
I flipped him the bird.
Luca opened his mouth but his brother quickly shut him
down. “Jesus, Luca. The man just buried his mother, let it
go.”
 “Shouldn’t touch a young thing like that,” Luca drawled,
pouring himself another glass of scotch. Cassio warning
him probably gave him the extra boost. “I’m younger than
you. We’re probably more compatible.”
“Luca, I swear to God, you touch her and I’ll enjoy
sawing your dick off with a dull knife,” I growled.
“Ouch, that’ll hurt,” Nico chimed in, glaring at Luca and
mouthing for him to shut the fuck up. Then his eyes
returned to me. “Have you thought about Branka and her
future?”
I dug a cigarette out of my drawer. The truth was that I
had, but I kept pushing it off. I wanted a happy life for
Branka. Full of love and laughter. Something that she
always talked about with envy when describing the Corbin
household.
“I have,” I admitted. “Considering how fucked up most
arranged marriages are, I’m a bit reluctant.”
Cassio lit up a cigar. “I don’t blame you. Have you
checked into the Brennan family? Liam’s son is decent, and
if he’s anything like his father, he’d be a good connection to
have.”
“Killian Brennan?” I questioned. He nodded. “I’ll look
into him.”
Just not too fast. My sister was still too young.
The irony didn’t escape me though. Branka and Autumn
were exactly the same age.
Yet, I didn’t hesitate to secure Autumn for myself by
reaching out to the head of the Corsican mafia four years
ago.
Hypocrisy at its peak.

W e strode to L a P etite , a bar that an old friend owned.

The first woman I ripped out of the clutches of traffickers.
 She waved us over. She always kept one table secured
for us.
“Alessio,” she greeted me, barely a hint of a smile on her
lips.
“Fleur, how are you?” My eyes roamed over the crowd.
“It’s busy tonight, huh?”
“You’ll see why soon.” Her voice held a note of
smugness to it and I cocked my eyebrow. But before I could
question her, she turned her attention to Cassio, Luca, and
Nico. “Gentlemen. Drinks are on the house.”
I chuckled. “Business must be good.”
“Today definitely is,” she retorted, glancing over her
shoulder. Her gaze was focused on the furthest corner of
the bar where the grand piano stood. There was nobody
there. “We have live entertainment. They’re taking a
break.”
“That must be some entertainment.”
Another smug smirk. “It is.”
“I’ll have my usual please,” I ordered.
Fleur turned her attention to Cassio, Luca, and Nico.
The three of them recited their orders, and leaving us to it,
she headed back to her spot behind the bar.
The four of us sat back into the comfortable leather
booth seats. It didn’t take long for drinks to appear in front
of us when the first tunes hit the notes on the piano.
The crowd turned to face the corner where the piano
stood. The lights dimmed and a soft, melodious voice came
through the microphone.
“Okay, peeps. How about something slower?” The voice
was one I’d recognize anywhere and my head snapped in
its direction.
Autumn Corbin sat behind the piano, her ebony hair
pulled up in a high ponytail. It highlighted those high
cheekbones, large almond shaped eyes and those plump
lips that begged to be kissed.
 Branka sat next to her, but knowing my sister couldn’t
play the piano, I was certain that her friend was leading the
show. The two of them shared a glance whispering
something to each other.
“Okay, ladies and gentlemen,” Autumn drawled and even
from here, I could see her lips curving into a mischievous
smile. “We took your requests earlier. The rest of the night
is for us. Because guess what?”
“What?” the crowd responded in unison.
“My bestie is taking a year off to be my sidekick.”
A roar rolled through the air. It turned out my sister and
her best friend were frequent attendees here, as their
names were chanted by the crowd.
Branka raised her hand to calm the rowdy attendees.
“Unpaid assistant,” my sister clarified, then elbowed her
best friend. “I demanded a promotion.”
My little sister was the happiest when around her best
friend and her family. Not that I could blame her. Our own
family was fucked up beyond recognition.
“Pfft,” Autumn tsked. “Who needs money when we’re
going to save the world?”
The two giggled and the tunes started. “So my awesome
peeps, we’ll start with my man, Jaymes Young.”
“Is he good looking?” Branka’s whisper could be heard
through the microphone.
“No clue,” Autumn replied, shrugging her shoulders.
“But that voice can whisper anything to me. All. Night.
Long.”
The audience’s chuckle filled the air. The two of them
felt at home here. Fleur had often let them come here even
during their high school years. She had given them
reprieve, but not alcohol.
Autumn started singing. Her voice was soft, the kind
that sent goosebumps rolling down your skin. Each word,
each emotion. You felt it as if it was your own. It didn’t help
that the song “I’ll Be Good” by Jaymes Young was relatable,
charged with the very emotions and words that could easily
reflect my life.
At certain spots of the song, Branka’s voice chimed in
perfectly, which told me those two frequently played
together. I listened to her sing, mesmerized, just as most of
the men in this club.
Everyone in the room faded into the background as I
watched her play with a dreamy smile, her fingers flying
over the keyboard. I knew from my background check into
Autumn’s parents that her mother used to be a musician.
Obviously, Autumn had inherited her mother’s talent.
“She’s pretty good,” Nico remarked, side-eyeing me.
“For someone so young.”
“Good looking too,” Luca chimed in, as always egging
me on.
I flipped them both a middle finger, keeping my gaze on
Autumn’s face that lit up with each note she played. The
song switched. The tunes turned even more serious and
sad. I had no idea if it was a song by the same singer, but it
seemed too serious of a song to be listened to by a pair
almost twenty-two year olds.
Autumn’s inky black hair reflected the lights of the bar.
Her posture was perfect as she moved along with the
music, the curve of her neck exposed, tempting me.
And I watched her, savoring the moment. Imagining how
she’d feel underneath me.
Autumn’s eyes, now brown, flickered to Branka. A single
tear rolled down my sister’s face and my chest squeezed.
I’d failed her. My parents failed her. I should have better
protected her from my father. Both Mother and her.
“Too sad,” some dick shouted. If he didn’t watch it, he’d
end up six feet under. That’d be sad.
Autumn flipped him a bird without missing a beat and
continued on. How fucking appropriate that Autumn, at
that very moment, sang the words ‘six feet under.’
 A terse nod by my sister and she leaned her shoulder
onto her best friend. She was her rock. Not me. Not our
family. Autumn and her family gave her what I couldn’t.
Love and warmth.
The ounce of decency I possessed warned I shouldn’t
touch her best friend. She wanted to save the world. I had
been destroying it for years. Distribution of arms and drugs
was definitely a far cry from saving it.
Yet, even as I had those thoughts, I knew I’d never let
her go. After all, it was the reason for my contract. To
ensure she’d be mine.
Now that she was back and grown up, nothing would
save her from me.
There was no going back.

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 Chapter 5

OceanofPDF.com
 Autumn

B ranka and I against the world.

Another couple of days and we’d hit the road, and it
felt right to take the next step together.
Two drinks appeared in front of us. Fleur smiled at us
and mouthed, “Non-alcoholic.”
Branka and I shared a glance, then rolled our eyes, but
we still murmured our thanks. I was about to stop our
playing, but Branka leaned over and whispered, “One more.
Please.”
I went through various songs I liked in my mind and
finally settled on one. “Okay, one last song and then the two
of us have to go.” Some members of the audience
protested, others murmured they weren’t ready to be
depressed tonight by our choices in song. “Last sad song of
the night.”
My fingers moved across the ivory keys as the tune of
Halsey’s “Sorry” began to build and like always,
goosebumps traveled down my body. Maman said it was a
sign of the sensitive, artistic soul. Father’s lips would curve
into a smile, but he wouldn’t laugh. He’d never laugh at
Maman. Neither would I, but I wasn’t like her.
She was too soft, too romantic. Father appeased her
because he loved her so much, but I learned the two of
them were an exception in this life. Love like theirs was
rare, so I was thankful I got some of my father’s realism.
But it didn’t stop me from wishing for a great love story
like my parents had.
The last note of the song traveled through the air and I
realized the entire bar was still, everyone’s eyes on me. I
let out a soft exhale and smiled.
“The show is over,” I announced. “No more sad songs.”
Then I reached for my drink. Branka was already sipping
on hers. “Fleur, just so you know,” I said into the
microphone, raising my glass and clinking it against the
invisible in the air. “We just graduated and have had our
share of alcohol. But thank you for keeping us sober and for
the apple juice.”
Laughter broke through the room.
Fleur’s lips tugged up. “I know what you two do when
you drink, and we don’t need a riot tonight, girls.”
“I’ll buy you drinks.” A slightly drunken voice broke
through the chuckle. A man stumbled over to us, his hand
reaching for Branka and me. She was quick to stretch
backwards to avoid his hand. I wasn’t. I shot up but not
before his hand took hold of my ponytail and pulled it
tightly. “For a kiss,” he slurred. “And a peek of what’s
between your legs.”
“In your fucking dreams,” I sneered. My hands clutched
his wrist, my nails digging into his skin as I stared at the
man in disbelief. What a creeper!
“Let. Me. Go.” I gritted while he leered at me. My skin
crawled with him too close to me. He looked like a dead
beat with a muscle shirt on and ripped jeans. Balding head
with bushy brows that glistened with sweat.
Instead he tugged on my ponytail even harder, causing
me to lose balance and fall backwards.
“Let her go and you’ll only lose your hand. If not, you’ll
be dead by morning.”
 My eyes whipped in the direction of the deep voice.
Where the hell did he come from?
Alessio Russo stood behind the drunk, muscle shirt guy,
the disparity between the two so obvious. Alessio towered
above him in his suit, looking drop-dead gorgeous. Like a
dream. Geez, I was drooling.
But who wouldn’t be? Alessio Russo in a suit was drool-
worthy.
Every time I’d seen him he’d worn a suit, and it made
me wonder if the guy ever wore anything else. Maybe he
was born in a suit.
Alessio’s posture was calm, but underneath it was
something harsh and ruthless. The look in his eyes could
freeze a volcano. Yet, I was on fire. Just his presence
erupted an inferno within me, and I didn’t know how to
extinguish it. My eyes flickered to Alessio’s hand wrapped
around the drunk’s throat. Tanned skin, strong fingers and
my heart drummed with unnatural speed as I wondered
how they’d feel wrapped around my own throat.
Jesus Christ!
I was losing my mind. If Alessio Russo had his hand
wrapped around my throat, it meant I was enroute to being
a dead woman. So yeah… there was that.
“Whoa, where did you come from?” Branka voiced my
thoughts.
Her big brother ignored her question and folded the
guys’ fingers back, loosening his hold on my hair. The crack
of the bones echoed in the air and my eyes widened. My
mouth parted in shock and I glanced at Branka who didn’t
seem shocked at all.
Was her brother mad? He couldn’t do shit like that to
people.
Taking a step towards him, I jerked on his arm and
gripped the sleeve. “Hey, you can’t do that.”
His granite, hard expression didn’t flicker as he inclined
his head. “You’d rather me let him harass you?”
 I swallowed with a gulp and shook my head, the tips of
my ponytail brushing against my bare shoulders. This man
was formidable, scary, and fascinating all in one. Let’s not
forget drop dead gorgeous.
For barely a fraction of a second, his eyes lowered to my
lips and then back up. His gray eyes held mine captive as a
shadow passed through them, watching me with an icy
gaze that threatened to steal my breath away.
Instinctively, I took a step back and my hand that held
his forearm mere seconds ago fell to my side. The loss hit
me instantly, causing me to sway on my feet. My eyes
flickered to my fingers that had held his sleeve as if I
expected to find something that would explain this feeling.
This attraction. Whatever the hell this was.
Alessio’s eyes darted to his sister. “You and your friend
go and sit down at my table.”
Both of us followed his gaze to a table in the far corner.
The table that was always empty when we came here. But
not today. The two men that came to get us at Berkeley sat
there, as well as another man.
Branka and I shared a glance, both of our brows
furrowed. The flight back from Berkeley was uncomfortable
enough. Cassio King barely spoke a word, while his eyes
whispered of darkness that I never wanted to experience.
And his brother, Luca, was just as scary, but he hid it
behind his snarky comments and seemingly laid back
attitude.
“Ummm, we’ll just go,” I muttered, my throat suddenly
dry.
“You walk to that table and sit down.” The cold,
measured tone of Branka’s brother would whip fear into
anyone. Never mind me.
Branka already headed toward the table, while I
remained immobile in my spot, staring at him. Who in the
hell did he think he was? I couldn’t let the bastard talk to
me like that. My shoulders straightened and I glared at
him, hiding my fear behind fake bravado.
“You can’t tell me what to do,” I hissed and surprise
coasted through his eyes. “And secondly, I’m only going to
sit over there because of Branka. Next time you think about
bossing me around, think again.”
I glared at him, then whipped around giving him my
back. With my head held high, I strutted towards the table
where Cassio, Luca, and another guy sat, then flopped my
ass next to Branka.
Okay, so it wasn’t smart to talk like that to someone who
was rumored to have connections to the mafia. Fuck
rumors. I’d stake my life that he was the mafia. After all,
Cassio King sat in front of me.
“Your brother is a dick,” I gritted under my breath to
Branka. I wasn’t even certain why I was pissed off. Maybe
it was the fact that I got all flustered around him. Or the
fact that my body heated up with an unfamiliar, aching
need that I knew deep down only he could sate.
Branka shrugged her slim shoulders. “That guy went too
far. Alessio doesn’t like it.”
“I could have handled him.” Lie. I would have called the
police, but whatever.
“How are you this evening, ladies?” Luca’s tone rang
with sarcasm. “Causing trouble again, I see.”
Branka and I narrowed our gazes on him, but neither
one of us answered. I glanced over my shoulder. Alessio
was no longer in the same spot. In fact, he was nowhere to
be seen. Neither was the guy that dared to approach us.
“Great singing voice,” one of them complimented, but I
was too busy fuming.
“Thanks,” I muttered, ignoring all three of the men.
“Why are you all here anyhow?” Branka questioned,
glaring at the three men seated in front of us. My eyes
darted curiously to the men. They shrugged as if they were
one. Okay, a tad bit freaky.
 It was Luca that finally answered. “We came for drinks
and this isn’t your place… So– ”
“Well, we always come here,” Branka sneered. “Go drink
somewhere else in Montréal.”
“Considering your brother owns fifty percent of this
joint, why would we put money in someone else’s pocket?”
“Huh?” Branka and I stammered.
“Alessandro owns this place?” Branka questioned.
“That is what I said,” Luca repeated slowly, like he
thought we were dumb. “Alessio owns this bar.”
Both Branka’s and my mouth formed a silent O. Neither
one of us knew that little detail and we visited this place
frequently during our high school years. Fleur had never
mentioned it.
Needless to say, this would not be my choice of hangout
in the future. Though I had to wonder how come we never
ran into Alessio here before.
As if on cue, Branka’s brother showed up out of nowhere
and sat down in the empty spot next to me with lethal
grace.
“Hello,” I murmured, absorbing his heat. That man was
a walking furnace.
He sat close to me, his muscled thigh brushing against
my leg and my whole body sizzled. The butterflies in my
stomach worked overtime and it took all my will not to
scoot away from him. I needed space so I could breathe
easier.
This section, despite being part of the bar, had a quiet
ambiance to it. The circle-shaped booth had a sheer golden
curtain that allowed all the men to see the bar but it
afforded them privacy.
Fleur showed up too and offered us apologetic smiles.
“Are you two okay?” Both of us nodded our answer. “I’ll
bring you all another drink.”
With Alessio so close to me, it was hard to find my voice.
My heart raced in my chest and my skin burned like it was
on fire. He was too close, yet not close enough. I couldn’t
remain around this guy or I’d do something stupid.
“Alessio, you own this place?” Branka blurted out, her
tone slightly accusing.
“Yes.”
A clipped answer while Alessio’s eyes remained glued to
me. His expression was disinterested, but his eyes
darkened to a molten silver. He hid it underneath all his
ruthlessness and darkness that consumed any room he
lingered in.
And the most peculiar thought shattered through me.
This man is broken.
“I don’t think you remember my best friend,” Branka
continued. “Autumn Corbin.”
“Autumn,” he repeated, his tone like sweet liquor that
was sure to leave a bitter aftertaste.
Alessio Russo was the kind of man who had women
falling at his feet. Like he was a god. Well, he wasn’t. The
jerk didn’t even remember me. Not that I was bitter about
it or anything.
He was a gentleman dressed in a Brioni suit. A savage. A
demon in disguise.
Something I didn’t need in my life.
But fuck, I wanted it. Him.
Why? I had no fucking idea. There was just something
about his stone-cold gaze that set an inferno ablaze inside
me. Through every single inch of me.
“How is the photography coming along?” he asked and I
gave him a slow, plain blink. I was surprised he knew what
I studied.
“That’s an odd thing to study,” Cassio chimed in,
studying me curiously.
“Why is that?” I asked, tilting my chin up.
“Because all you have to do is press a button and you
take pictures,” Luca commented, rolling his eyes. “You
don’t need a fucking degree in it.”
 “There is a degree for etiquette and social
communication,” I grumbled. “You could use it. And then
I’ll talk to you about my photography.” Dumbass.
Though I didn’t have a death wish so the last word
remained sealed behind my smart lips.
“Branka sent some of your photographs,” Alessio said,
something ghosting through his eyes. But it was gone too
fast for me to catch the emotion. “They are really good.”
Falling. Falling. Fallen. God, was it that easy for me to
fall for someone?
The deep, smooth timbre of his voice sent a warm shiver
down my spine, while I held my breath. I eventually took a
deep breath in and released it. It was just the way I
remembered it that first day I met him. When I shoved him
out of my bedroom and all the while my thighs clenched
with this ache that I knew only he’d be able to sate.
I mentally slapped myself. It did nothing to sober me up
from this lust-filled haze. God, why was he so damn sexy?
And hot? That dark expression on his face and ghosts
lurking in his eyes tempted me. I wanted to explore what
he hid underneath that ruthless persona and ease all his
pain.
Did it make sense? Absolutely not.
“Thank you.” It was the most intelligent response I could
come up with. Lovely, I thought dryly to myself.
“You’ll have to share your work with us,” Cassio
remarked. “If there is something fitting my style, I’ll buy a
photo. Before you become famous.”
A soft breath of air left my lungs. “I’m not sure that I’ll
be famous. But you’ll be sure to see my photos in National
Geographic.”
“Ohhh, wild nature photos,” Luca mused.
I just couldn’t deal with that guy, so I just rolled my
eyes.
“Any photo will be good coming from Autumn. Even the
one taken of Luca King… dead. It could be your obituary
photo,” Alessio remarked, shutting down Luca’s smart
mouth.
And I swooned for the man even more.
He trapped me with the gravity of his gaze, watching
me. I got a sense he could see every corner of my soul. I
was an open book to this man, while he was a mystery to
me. The one I wanted to solve.
“So National Geographic, huh?” he asked since I
remained quiet. I exhaled a deep breath and nodded. The
corner of his mouth tugged upward. I amused him.
Wonderful. “What’s the first assignment?”
“Kuala Lumpur.” This time I smiled too, that dreamy
feeling swelling in my chest. “First stop, Batu Caves. It’s
over four hundred million years old.”
“Oh lovely, a history buff,” Luca muttered.
“Shut the fuck up,” Branka snapped.
“Better watch it,” the third man remarked. He was at
the funeral earlier too. Alessio’s friend, I guessed. “Or
you’ll end up six feet under.”
Alessio didn’t spare either one of them a glance. I
dropped my gaze to my hands, his cologne seeping into
every single pore of me. We might as well be alone because
my body was only attuned to him.
Like the entire world ceased to exist, and he was the
only human that mattered.
It was petrifying, thrilling and exhilarating all at once. I
had never felt such attraction towards anyone. The last
time I felt my blood buzzing like this was the day I first saw
him.
I swallowed nervously, flicking a gaze to my best friend,
and the rest of the men around the table. Could they feel
the air sizzling?
I resisted the urge to shift in my seat while Alessio
adamantly stared down at me. His eyes moved slowly down
my body, leaving a trail of fire erupting in its wake.
Suddenly, I regretted wearing a short dress. I needed to
hide, cover every inch of my skin because I feared he’d be
able to see what he was doing to me.
My fingers curled into my palm, nails digging into my
flesh, as I fought the urge to cover up. He was calm and
collected while I burned with a craving that threatened to
turn me to ash. A pulse throbbed between my legs, causing
my thighs to clench.
Alessio’s gaze flickered and I knew, just knew, he noticed
my movement. When his lips tipped up, I got my
confirmation. He read me like an open book. Something
dark and hot lurked in his stormy eyes that suddenly didn’t
look so cold.
I gulped, attempting to calm my racing heart.
Casually, yet I’d bet my life that it was on purpose,
Alessio leaned back and rested his arm behind me. He
hadn’t touched me, but my skin tingled like he had. The
heat of his body snaked through the space between us. His
spicy, sandalwood scent enveloped me and even that turned
me on. Fireworks exploded through my bloodstream.
I pretended to be unaffected, but my heart thundered so
hard, I was certain everyone could see it beating out of my
chest.
Fuck, why didn’t I sit on the other side of Branka?
Alessio was forbidden fruit. My father, being an ex-
special agent, nor my maman would ever approve of
someone like him. They wanted me to meet someone safe
and grounded, not dark and consuming like Satan’s spawn.
After all, Father called Alessio’s father the true Satan.
Not that he ever elaborated why he assigned him that
name. It seemed appropriate considering how scary and
cruel he was.
“So what are your plans for the night?” Luca questioned.
“Nothing,” my friend and I murmured.
“It doesn’t look like nothing,” the third guy remarked.
What was it with these men? Was the requirement to be
friends ‘super hotness’ or something?
 “And who are you?” Branka questioned, glaring at the
third man.
“Branka, that’s Nico Morrelli,” Alessio clarified.
The name didn’t mean anything to me but it meant
something to Branka because she scoffed and muttered
under her breath, “Another damn mobster.”
Fleur was back at that moment with our drinks.
“Gentlemen.” She placed their drinks in front of them.
“Autumn and Branka, sparkling water for the two of you.”
“We had better drinks at college,” Branka grumbled. I
agreed, but with Alessio’s closeness I was so parched that I
grabbed my drink and downed it in one gulp.
“Thirsty?” I felt Alessio’s hot breath on my neck, and it
took all my control not to jump up.
Anxiety and something unfamiliar buzzed beneath my
skin.
I had to get out of here. Or I’d give in to temptation. I
teetered on the edge, needing to touch this man who’d
consume me for so long. He looked like a man who’d
promise heaven and deliver it. Either that or the most
delicious sin.
I shot up, unable to handle this tension anymore. If I
remained here for another second, I’d burst into flames and
do something there’d be no coming back from.
Everyone’s eyes landed on me, but I locked them on
Branka.
“It’s getting late,” I murmured.
And just like he was my magnet, my eyes returned to
Alessio. That perfectly chiseled and symmetrical face that I
itched to explore with my mouth. I wondered if he was
clean cut underneath that suit or was there some bad boy
ink hiding. Like his friend Cassio.
“Cassio, can you take Branka to my place?” Alessio
asked.
“Ugh, I was hoping to spend the night with Autumn,”
Branka retorted dryly.
 “Not tonight.”
I slid a glance to my friend, but she seemed resolved in
accepting her older brother’s demand.
“We’ll touch base tomorrow,” Branka said.
“Sounds good.”
By the time I exited the bar, Cassio had already headed
to drop off Branka. Luca and Nico remained behind, while
Alessio fell into step with me.
I dared a side glance at him.
Alessio moved quietly and lethally next to me, darkness
swallowing his every move. His presence dominated the
space around us and he seemed to steal oxygen. Did it
bother him? Not one bit.
“Why are you following me?” I asked him, my tone
slightly breathless. My goal was to get distance between
us, not to have him with me until my Uber showed up.
“I’m taking you home,” he drawled, never stopping.
My steps faltered and I narrowed my eyes on him. “I
didn’t ask you to.”
“You didn’t.” It was obvious that man never had to
explain himself to anyone. He paused and turned around,
cocking his eyebrow. “You coming?”
My mind immediately shot to filthy images of Alessio
and how he’d make me cum. My cheeks turned crimson.
They had to be totally melting. The only saving grace was
the cover of the night.
A dark chuckle left his lips. “Not to worry, Autumn.
When you cum, I won’t have to ask you. I’ll know by your
screams.”
Holy. Mother. Of. God.
My cheeks blazed and a flush covered every inch of my
skin. Forget Jaymes Young. Alessio’s voice and his words
would be every woman’s dream of pillow talk. He took a
step closer to me and his scent enveloped me. In the middle
of a parking lot, the light warm breeze whipped through
the air, but all I could feel and smell was him.
 Spice. Sandalwood. Heat.
This man would devastate me if I wasn’t careful. And
still like a moth to the flame I went.

M y mother always said that life was made up of moments

you grabbed.
You made your life happen. Nobody else would do it for
you. It was right at that moment my decision was made up.
“C’mon Autumn,” Alessio nudged me towards his sports
car. He opened the door for me like a true gentleman, and I
had to swallow a tiny sigh. That was one thing about
college boys. They had no manners, and I was a sucker for
them.
“Ugh, Alessandro,” I muttered as I lowered myself into
his sports car. “Can’t you have a normal car that sits off the
ground?”
His chest shook as a chuckle broke loose. “I like my car.”
“I think your tires are flat,” I muttered under my breath.
He shut the door and went around to get into the
driver’s seat. As his car roared to life, I sat in the fancy, red
Maserati next to my friend’s much older brother, all I could
smell was him. His car smelled like expensive leather and
him. And the close proximity made my mind hazy with an
intensity of desire I had never tasted.
“Buckle up,” he ordered, buckling his own seatbelt.
“Okay, Daddy,” I muttered, rolling my eyes, and reaching
for the seatbelt. Of course, I wouldn’t admit to him that I
always put a seatbelt on. He just rattled me and left me
drooling after him. “Didn’t know you were law
enforcement.”
“If I’m old, you’re a baby,” he mocked. “And if you don’t
buckle up, I’ll be forced to teach you a lesson no law
enforcement ever could.”
 I didn’t like his mocking tone. I was almost full-blown
fanning myself here and he was calling me a baby.
“Like what?” I retorted back sarcastically. “Put me in
timeout?”
“My kind of timeout would involve you bent over the bed
and your ass bare for spanking.”
My pussy clenched and I rubbed my legs together in
shock at such a response. The image that picture painted
had my panties soaking wet. I should be embarrassed at
such a reaction.
I wasn’t. I wanted to hear more filthy talk from him.
I watched those strong, veiny fingers resting on the
wheel. I tried hard to focus on that strange ring he wore.
The letter ‘A’ with a skull, but my eyes kept flickering back
to his forearms and then his hands that I knew, just knew,
would feel so good on me.
It took everything in me not to reach out and put them
on my bare thighs. It was a carnal need that demanded I
feel him on my skin. On every inch of my body.
“You could never keep up with me, old man,” I breathed,
my heart drumming.
Crossing my legs, I watched him flick a glance at my
bare thighs.
“You’re playing with fire, love,” he drawled, a hint of
delicious darkness in his voice. A muscle in his jaw ticked,
as if he fought for control.
I shifted in my seat and my skirt hiked even higher.
“Ooops,” I murmured.
Those beautiful lips curved up into a devastating smile.
“I’m going to have fun playing with you, my little toy.”

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 6

OceanofPDF.com
 Alessio

F uck me.
Or I’d fuck her. Yeah, that was a much better plan.
She had gone and done a one-eighty on me.
I had expected we’d find ourselves here. I had not
anticipated Autumn playing the seductress.
She wasn’t very experienced. I made sure boys stayed
away from her for her last four years in college. Because
I’d wanted her for myself. My brain stopped working the
moment I saw her four years ago. Half-naked temptation
sent to destroy me.
Autumn’s movements were too jerky as she moved those
gorgeous legs of hers, but it was an even bigger turn on
than anything I ever had before.
She smelled delicious. Like cinnamon, apples, and fresh
fallen leaves. Like fall. Her name suited her.
It was hard to keep my eyes off her. She wore a red mini
skirt that barely covered her thighs, and a slinky black top
that played peekaboo, giving a tiny glimpse of her breast
each time she moved.
“Is it true you keep a flask in your suit?” Autumn asked
out of nowhere. I cocked my eyebrow. How did the minx
know that? Her lips curved into a mischievous smile.
“Branka told me.”
 “And how does my sister know?” I inquired. Not that it
was a secret. Then I remembered there was a period where
my flasks kept disappearing. “Did you and my sister steal
my flasks?”
She shrugged. “Maybe once or twice.”
I shook my head and my lips tugged up. She had to be
the only woman, apart from my sister, who didn’t seem
scared of me. The attraction that sizzled between us
frightened her, but otherwise, she didn’t seem to fear me at
all.
I dug out my flask and handed it to her.
“Bottoms up?” She grinned, then winked.
“I wouldn’t recommend it,” I grumbled. It was a
hundred-year-old cognac and strong as fuck.
Autumn tipped back her head and swallowed. I watched
her throat work as she swallowed her drink and my dick
pulsed against the zipper of my suit pants.
I wondered how many men had tasted those plump lips.
My grip tightened around the wheel. Just the idea of
another man touching her made me want to go on a murder
spree. The obsession over this woman would be my doom.
Did it stop me? Fuck no.
I was aware of her eyes studying me, curiosity and
excitement in those hazel greens. Green equals lust. Duly
noted.
I returned my eyes back to the road, and all the while, I
sensed her gaze on me.
“Autumn, if you have something to say, you better say
it.”
From the peripheral, I noticed her cheeks color with a
pink blush. I couldn’t help but to imagine how far I could
make her blush spread. She nibbled on her lower lip. It
seemed to be a nervous habit but sexy as fuck.
“Have you had many women?” she blurted out the
question like she was scared she’d lose her courage
halfway through.
 “Why?”
She shrugged her slim shoulders. “I’ll tell you my
number if you tell me yours.”
My teeth clenched and my jaw ticked. If I found out her
number, I’d demand the names and then I’d hunt those
boys down. Jealousy ate at me. Who in the fuck dared to
touch her? I ensured for the past four years that all her
dates went nowhere.
It didn’t take much to dissuade those boys to stay the
fuck away from Autumn.
“Better not,” I gritted.
“You have a penthouse right around the corner, don’t
you?” she asked curiously.
“And how do you know about my city apartment?”
Her soft chuckle filled the car. “Branka and I snuck into
it once.”
Now that was news to me. “You did?”
Her almond shaped hazel eyes met me in a bold stare.
“Yes, we did. We convinced your doorman that you sent us
to retrieve your wallet.”
“And he bought it?”
She smiled mischievously. “We can be quite convincing
when we want to.”
“I bet you can,” I muttered, coming to a stop at a red
light. I turned to face her fully. Despite Autumn’s beauty
and playing seductress, innocence rolled off her in waves,
and it made me a bastard for wanting to take what she had
to offer.
If I took a right, I’d be taking her to her house. If I
turned left, I’d be heading in the direction of my penthouse.
Left was the way to delicious sin.
She held my stare as if she could read my thoughts as I
battled with this craving I had for her.
“Take me to your place,” she murmured softly.
“Who said I want you in my place?”
 Her slim shoulder shrugged and she turned to face me.
Fuck, she looked at me as if I was a god. But I was a
demon. A savage in disguise. Would she want me if she
knew my history?
I could never go there. Not with her. Not with anyone.
“You did,” she answered. She was brave. I liked that
about her. There wasn’t much I didn’t love about her. That
sassy mouth of hers. The incredible brain. Her compassion.
Fucking everything. “The way you’re watching me.”
“I don’t do lovemaking, Autumn.” I offered a final
warning. “I fuck. And once we cross that line, there’s no
turning back.”
She tilted her head, her eyes that green hazel that
fascinated me. “Let’s cross the line then, Alessandro.”
Fuck, when she said my name like that, it made me want
to pounce on her right away.
The light turned green, and without another thought, I
turned left. The rest of the drive we spent in silence but the
air was charged with both of our cravings.
In the dark corners secrets lurked.
Hers. Mine. Ours.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 7

OceanofPDF.com
 Autumn

I asked Alessio Russo to take me to his penthouse.

Oh. My. Gosh.
Hiding the turmoil inside me, I walked in the
direction of the elevator. At his six foot five, it didn’t take
him long to fall in step with me. Or more like I had to keep
my step up with him. At barely five foot seven, I was much
shorter than him and still our steps were perfectly
synchronized against the marble floors.
His height wasn’t a towering, threatening cloud
anymore. It was a security blanket wrapped around me,
sheltering me.
We stopped by the elevators and faced each other. There
were secrets that lingered in those stormy eyes, causing a
mild case of breathlessness that had every inch of me
craving him.
Ding.
The elevator opened and we stepped inside it. I had
never done anything like this. I had never been the
seductress, never attempted it until this man. Boys usually
approached me, wanted me. So yes, I’d fooled around
plenty. I never claimed to be a saint. I just never went all
the way.
Goddamn it. Should I rub against him? Should I lean in
for a kiss?
 His frame heated my skin, and we hadn’t even touched
yet. Anticipation buzzed underneath my skin, my heart
palpitations kicked into overdrive as adrenaline rushed
through my veins.
Ding.
The elevator opened to a luxurious penthouse. It was as
I remembered it, decorated in flawless design and luxury.
The slick black furniture, crisp white walls, not a single
personal effect. Yet, it was all him.
Dark. Crisp. Impersonal.
Although, the way he watched me was all kinds of
personal. Like I was his already.
“Changing your mind?” My head whipped in his
direction, and I realized I hadn’t moved. Both of us still
stood in the elevator.
“No.”
There was no hesitation in my voice nor my heart. I
wanted this.
“Good girl.”
His eyes and words sent shivers of excitement through
me. Somersaults of anticipation played in my stomach. A
scorching warmth rolled down my back like a volcano
nearing an eruption.
So I took a step, and it felt almost symbolic as I crossed
the threshold.
His hand came to my back, then wrapped around my
waist, and warmth spread to every single part of my body.
From my head down to my toes. My heart hammered so
hard, I worried one of my ribs would break.
Then in one swift move, like his control snapped, Alessio
grabbed both my wrists and pinned them with one hand
above my head and pushed me against a wall.
Heat sizzled across my skin and his mouth brushed
against mine. A soft moan escaped me and his lips moved
against mine, demanding more. His one hand held my
wrists in a viselike grip while his other roamed over my
curves.
I tore my lips from his, breathing heavily. I wanted to say
one thing, before I lose myself in him. He jammed his face
into my chest and sank his teeth into my flesh.
“Fuck,” I gasped. The sharp edge of his teeth was
replaced by his tongue and the shiver rolled down my
spine.
“Now I marked you,” he murmured against my skin. “So
everyone knows you’re mine.”
Oh. My. God.
His mouth latched on to the spot he marked and he
sucked.
“Break my heart and I’ll fuck you up,” I breathed, tilting
my head to accommodate him. A simple warning. It didn’t
mean I didn’t want him.
He straightened and met my gaze. “Fair warning,” he
acknowledged. “Break my heart, and I’ll be your worst
nightmare.”
A terse nod. ”I won’t,” I promised and his hot, hungry
mouth was back on mine.
I’m going to do this.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 8

OceanofPDF.com
 Alessio

B ringing Autumn to my place was a deliciously bad idea.

She was taunting my control with those luminous,
almond shaped eyes. Yet, I didn’t give two fucks
because she was mine.
The moment I touched her soft skin, my control snapped
and I had her back against the wall. I took her mouth,
sliding my tongue between her soft, luscious lips. Her scent
was calming. She smelled like she belonged to me, soothing
the broken pieces inside me.
Fuck.
I pressed my nose to her neck, nipping and licking at her
soft skin. She moaned and the sound shot straight to my
rock hard dick. I inhaled deeply, memorizing her scent.
She was so damn sweet and responsive.
Her soft moans filled the dark penthouse, and it was
music to my ears. Rocking into her, my cock pressed
against her and she whimpered into my mouth. I couldn’t
decide whether she was following her instincts or she had
done this before. I wrapped one of her legs around me and
she repeated the movement with her other leg.
Her small skirt bunched up around her waist, and the
heels of her fuck me shoes dug into my ass.
I pushed my hand into her hair, tilting her head back to
meet my eyes. “Last chance, love.”
 Her hazel eyes widened, clearly contemplating whether
she should cross this line. Green. They were green, and I
fucking loved them. Her full lips were slightly parted as she
watched me through her half-lidded gaze.
She wanted this as much as I did, but clearly, she was
smarter. I didn’t want to go back, but she at least realized
she should want to go back.
Our breaths thundered, an erratic drumbeat hummed in
my ears. “I want more,” she demanded softly.
Her fingernails scraped at my nape then she pulled me
closer. Her lips met mine and the moment her soft mouth
brushed against mine, I thrust my tongue inside her slightly
parted mouth. Her sigh was a fucking melody. Her tongue
danced in tune with mine.
She tasted exquisite, better than I had ever imagined.
Sweeping her up into my arms, I carried her to my
bedroom, shut the door with my foot, then lowered her
down.
“What-?” Her protest was weak, her voice breathy as
she pressed her palms against my chest for balance.
“You are going to strip off everything but your panties
and get on the bed.” Her eyes widened, shock and desire
mixed in those green eyes. “Now.”
My control and need for her teetered on the edge. She
must have seen it on my face because she took a step away
from me. For a fraction of a second, I thought she’d run.
But she headed for my large bed, reaching for the hem of
her shirt. She hesitated for a second, glancing back over
her shoulder. Her eyes met mine and her lips curved into a
soft smile.
I had found my heaven, and she was it.
She turned her head around and slowly lifted the shirt
over her head. I watched her lean muscles shift with each
movement, tempting me to lick every inch of her body.
Discarding the shirt and bra on the floor, she turned
around to face me.
 Jesus fucking Christ. She was beautiful.
Then she shimmied her skirt off, and tiny white panties
covered her perfect ass.
“I’m going to rip those panties right off of you and eat
that pussy for dessert.”
Her body shivered in response and a deep blush colored
her cheeks. But she still didn’t move.
Good girl.
I shrugged out of my suit jacket and tossed it on the
chair. My cufflinks followed, as I put them on the dresser.
Her eyes followed my every move, just as I followed every
move as she stripped for me. Next, I unbuttoned the shirt
and tossed it on top of my jacket and then followed with my
pants.
She chewed her bottom lip, her breathing choppy and
her eyes blazing with fire. Her nipples turned hard as
pebbles, straining for my touch.
Standing toe to toe, her head barely reached my chin.
But there was something about this woman that made her
seem taller, stronger.
My big palms reached for her panties, my thumb sliding
under the waistband, then pulling them down her slim legs.
I kneeled down, helping her step out of them. She lifted her
left leg, then her right. The glimpse of her glistening pussy
and the scent of her arousal fragrancing the air had my
cock throbbing for her.
“You’re drenched for me.” A torturous groan left my lips.
“I’m going to keep these,” I told her, my eyes lifting to see
her lust-filled expression focused on me and her mouth
parted. What the hell made me want to keep her panties, I
had no fucking idea. But I’d kill anyone right now if they’d
try to take them from me.
I slid my palm between her legs and cupped her before
dragging a single finger through her folds. Her head fell
back and a moan echoed.
 I swirled my fingertip around her opening, teasing her.
Her moans were the best drug. Each sound she made
brought me to a new high, and I knew she’d be my
addiction for the rest of my life.
She pushed herself against my hand, my finger filling
her. Her eyes fluttered shut, and a deep sigh followed.
Fuck, just to hear her sounds, I would do this all night.
I pulled my finger out, and her eyes snapped open. “Not
yet, sweetheart. We have all night.”
Her lips parted, her eyes hazy on me. I picked her up off
the floor, and gently threw her on the bed. I gripped her
knees and pulled them over my shoulders. She was
completely exposed to me, the most glorious sight I had
ever seen.
She was the altar, and I’d been brought to my knees to
worship her.
I buried my head between her thighs. My tongue lapped
at her drenched pussy and my control was gone. She was
the only dessert I would have from now on.
“Please,” Autumn gasped, her pussy grinding against my
face. I flattened my tongue against her clit and nipped at it,
then alternated between long, slow licks and fast, hard
ones. I could feel her thighs trembling as I feasted on her
like I was possessed. My teeth tugged on her clit, then
flicked over the sensitive nub with my tongue.
I feasted on her like I hadn’t eaten in years.
“Alessandro.” Her moans barely penetrated my mind as
her body shuddered underneath me. She pushed herself
into my mouth, her greedy pussy wanting more. So I
pushed a finger inside her slick pussy, and my name left her
lips on a scream as the orgasm ripped through her body.
She trembled underneath me and each shiver was the
sweetest submission.
“You taste so fucking good,” I growled, lapping up every
drop as she shuddered beneath me. Her face flushed from
the orgasm, our gazes held and she watched as I kept
licking her, hungry for more of her juices.
As I crawled up her body, she traced my every move
through heavy eyelids. Every inch of her was flushed from
arousal and the pleasure she just experienced. If I was a
painter, I’d fucking paint her just as she was in this very
moment. With that raven hair fanned around her, every
inch of her naked, and her skin flushed.
I placed my cock to her drenched folds, and in one hard
thrust, I slammed into her, filling her to the hilt.
Her painful whimper and her nails digging into my
shoulders had me stilling. Our eyes locked. She was tight,
her pussy clenching around my cock and realization
slammed into me.
She was a virgin.
“How… What… “ I was lost for words.
I didn’t do virgins. I knew she was inexperienced, but
the way my sister spoke, Autumn had boys pining after her
their entire high school years. And neither one of them
were shy about dating. It made me so certain that Autumn
was no longer a virgin.
Fuck, I didn’t do virgins. Bile rose in my throat as
memories crawled up my spine.
Blackouts. Spinning rooms. Cries.
“Alessio.” A soft voice. A soft touch. “Hey, Alessio. It’s
okay.” Soft lips skimmed over my neck. “I’m not hurting. I
just didn’t expect you to be so big.”
Her mouth brushed over the corner of mine and her
tongue swept over my bottom lip. “Are you okay?”
Every word was soft. Every touch. It was different. She
was different.
I blinked, the fog clearing away and the face I’ve
obsessed over for the past four years came into focus. Her
eyes were still green, a worried expression replacing her
lustful one.
 Her palms roamed my back, soothing. Up and down. Her
touch feather soft. My ghosts hid, scared of her.
“You okay?” I rasped, my cock demanding I move and
fuck her to oblivion while my mind protested with goddamn
memories that I’ve kept at bay for decades.
“Yes.” She shifted her hips slightly, grinding her pelvis
against mine and her eyes turned the greenest I’d ever
seen them. “Just let me get used to you.”
Sweat creased my brow. She wouldn’t want me if she
knew-
I couldn’t go there now. Instead, I focused on the woman
underneath me. The one that looked at me like I was a god
she could corrupt, but it was me who was corrupting her.
My cock throbbed as she slowly shifted, grinding her
hips against me and her pussy throbbing around my cock.
The blood pounded in my ears, the most basic instinct
inside me demanded I take her hard and fast. My cock had
never known better pleasure than at this moment while
gripped by the pussy of Autumn Corbin. I could barely
breathe, all my need focused on the woman underneath me.
It took me several moments to gather myself. “Want me
to stop?”
God help me if she wanted me to stop. I wasn’t sure if I
was capable.
“No, I’m fine.” Thank fuck! Her voice was a soft stroke
against all my senses.
I slowly pulled back and slid back into her, as I angled to
hit her G-spot. Her inner muscles fluttered and clutched at
my cock. It took all my self-control to stop myself from
rutting her like a beast. I pulled out and pushed inside her
again, her moans encouraging, letting me know pleasure
replaced her pain.
“Fuck, you’re taking me so good,” I grunted.
I continued fucking her with long, sure strokes. Her
inner muscles clutched at my cock, as she dug her nails
into my shoulders, holding on to me. And the whole time, I
watched the bliss on her face. Her green eyes watching me.
Her parted mouth tempted me.
I thrust hard and fast, her moans turned into screams,
and her pussy clamped down on my cock in a stronghold.
“Fuck!” One more thrust and I was lost. I spilled inside
the sweetest pussy I had ever owned.
Our eyes locked and her gaze shimmered like stars in
the sky.
“That was perfect,” she murmured softly, brushing her
lips over mine.
I hadn’t realized until this very moment. I have been
starving for her. For this. For us.
Although deep down, I knew it. It was the reason I went
to see her grandparents four years ago. To ensure nobody
else got to taste her again.
Autumn was the only woman who could break me.
On more than one account.
It took me three minutes for the realization to sink in.
We didn’t use a condom.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 9

OceanofPDF.com
 Alessio

OceanofPDF.com
 FOUR YEARS AGO

I dropped a cube of sugar into my expresso, then glanced

at my Patek Philippe watch.
Any minute now.
The moment I landed in Philadelphia, I expected my half-
brother’s cousin - fucking complicated - to show up. Priest
DiLustro ran this city. His older brother, Dante, ran Chicago
and then there was the biggest asshole of them all, Basilio
DiLustro who ran New York.
All three of them were fucking pricks if you asked me.
Of course, they had a much longer life ahead of them than
Cassio and my gang. It didn’t help that most of us had
asshole fathers so we felt well beyond our age.
But that was neither here nor there.
What mattered the most was that I found my future wife.
Autumn Corbin in her plain cotton bra and thong, and her
beautiful soft lips berating me and kicking me out of her
bedroom, were a dream come true.
I knew Branka made friends with the granddaughter of
the man who ran the Corsican mafia. I hadn’t been
interested in my sister’s best friend until the moment I laid
eyes on her. The moment I had, all bets were off.
She was the one I wanted. So I started plotting. I was
aware of the agreement between Autumn’s parents and
grandparents. Autumn was to rule the Corsican mafia or
marry someone who would do it on her behalf. So after her
eighteenth birthday, her grandparents had the right to pull
her into the underworld. That birthday happened three
days ago.
I set my plan into motion. And the head of Blanchet was
more than happy to hear my proposal. It helped that they
had violated one Russo agreement in the past. Autumn’s
mother was supposed to be my father’s wife. How fucking
ironic that I’d be the one to collect that debt now?
Karma was indeed a bitch.
I took a sip of my espresso, the image of Autumn still
playing through my mind. Branka mentioned her best
friend many times over the course of the last four years. I
never paid much attention, although I regretted it now.
Boyfriends. Parties. She was popular. Loved to sing.
I needed more information.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Priest’s voice
interrupted my enjoyment of superb coffee. Like I said, a
goddamn prick.
I returned the tiny cup to its white saucer. The whole
fucking thing looked ridiculous in my hands. Fragile.
Breakable.
Would Autumn be too fragile for me? I didn’t think so.
There was a quiet strength in those hazel eyes.
“Hello to you too,” I greeted him.
I purposely came to Priest’s hotel. A bit to fuck with him
and to let him know I had no intention of coming after his
city. I had plenty of shit to run, thank you very much.
Meeting his gaze, so blue and unlike the rest of the
DiLustros, I watched him quietly. Unlike his cousins, Priest
had light hair and eyes that resembled nobody in their
family. I wondered if the poor kid knew what that meant.
Although, nobody talked about it; it was fucking obvious.
“Cut the shit, Russo,” Priest spat, his gaze narrowed on
me. “You, Cassio, and your whole gang of old men better
not get any ideas in this city.”
 I shrugged my shoulders. “Well, now that you suggested
it– ”
Leaving the meaning to linger, I let my lips curve up. It
was too much fun to fuck with the younger generation. Of
course, Cassio, the gang, and I were once them. Once upon
a time. Yeah, I was still waiting for my fairy tale ending.
My eyes traveled around the swanky restaurant. I had to
admit, the kid did well. For as young as he was, he
established his presence in Philly and ran his underworld
activities smoothly, covering it up with his legal businesses.
Smart kid.
“Don’t get your feathers ruffled,” I finally told him. “This
is a courtesy visit. I’m visiting the Corsicans.”
Priest shoved his hands into his suit pockets, but it
didn’t escape me that he fisted his hands. Probably ready to
punch someone, even wearing that three-piece-suit.
“What the fuck for?” he barked.
Kid had to work on his poker face. He was younger than
his cousin and brother by several years, but still. Poker
faces were a must in our business. Though I could sense
underneath all that, Priest had anger issues. I could spot
them a mile away - because I used to have them when I was
younger. Fuck, I still had them.
For what my father had done to me.
“A marriage contract,” I told him. “And nothing to do
with you. Like I said, this is a courtesy visit.”
Because I intend to possess the raven-haired beauty
with skin the color of thick cream and a tempting mouth
that would part as she deliberately opened her legs to
expose her sex to me.
Her unwavering stare would watch me as my tongue
explored her pussy.
Even if I had to wait four years to have her. There was
no way I’d let anyone else see that ass. That image of her
bent over, her ass in a thong in my full view seared into my
memory.
 She was the one for me. Beautiful. Smart. Mine.
Two hours later, I sat in the fancy, very blue parlor that
Blanchet used as his office. The fucker should really
consider killing his decorator.
“You met our granddaughter?” Marcel Blanchet
demanded to know.
Neither he nor his wife had any information on their
daughter and granddaughter. Autumn’s father knew how to
hide their trail, and I had no intention of revealing it. But
their last clusterfuck reunion left them with a reluctant
agreement.
I nodded.
“Is she righteous like that bastard father of hers or more
like her mother?” There was no missing the bitterness
behind his question. They hated Corbin for taking their
daughter away from them. She was one of their most
efficient assassins.
Choosing not to answer their question, I went straight to
negotiating.
“For the marriage contract, I’ll allow you to pass your
arms and drug distributions through Canada. No flesh
trading.” He opened his mouth to protest but I shut him
down. “That part is non-negotiable. The entire East Coast is
being cleaned up, and I won’t risk having anything like that
pass through my territory.”
“Fine,” he grumbled. “No commission on shipments or
profits, right?”
“Right,” I agreed. Greedy fucking bastard.
“What else?” he demanded to know.
“Once signed, neither one of them are your concern any
longer, and I’ll allow your distribution through Canada
effective immediately. You will consider the agreement
between your daughter and you fulfilled, and Autumn will
be bound to me.”
“You intend to marry Autumn right away?” he
questioned.
 “I’ll marry her when we are both ready, but in your
book, she’s married,” I warned. “And no longer your
concern.”
He scoffed. “Do her parents know?”
I stared him down and remained silent until he started
to squirm. The old man was well into his eighties and
needed to retire. But he refused to pass on the torch to
anyone but his daughter or granddaughter. Unfortunately
for him, one didn’t want it and the other didn’t even know
he existed.
With this marriage, it would allow me to take control of
their businesses upon his passing. He had willing nephews
that were quite capable to take over. I might push it off
onto them. I didn’t want this territory or conflict with the
DiLustros.
“Autumn’s mother promised she’d allow you to marry
her to your most advantageous ally,” I told him coldly. “But
if you have no say in Autumn’s marriage, I’ll go and
negotiate with Autumn’s parents.”
That had him straightening in his seat. He hated that he
had no power over their daughter. I suspected it made him
proud and infuriated at the same time. Compared to my
own parents, the Blanchet family was fairly decent.
“Let’s sign the contract.”
It was that goddamn easy to get a wife these days.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 10

OceanofPDF.com
 Autumn

I woke up, enveloped in the scent that was quickly

becoming a familiarity and the soft moon glow. It was
late. Or early, I wasn’t certain.
My body ached. The sweet exhaustion kind of ache that I
wouldn’t mind more of. After he’d spilled inside me, I was
sore all over and unable to move. Alessio disappeared into
the bathroom and came back with a rag, then gently
cleaned me up as I watched him.
And something deep in my chest warmed. Yeah, stupid
but what-the-fuck-ever. I loved it.
Alessio was amazing, and I was so fucking glad I waited
to do it until now.
I ran a hand across the side of the bed where Alessio
slept, but I found the sheets cold. Sitting up, I brought the
sheet up to cover my naked body and blinked my eyes. The
room was dark but I could smell something. I could sense
someone.
“It’s me.”
My eyes whipped in the direction of the voice, and it was
only then that I could distinguish a shape sitting on a chair
in the far right corner with the flicker of the red brim of the
lit cigarette.
“I didn’t know you smoked,” I murmured.
“I quit.”
 Something wasn’t right, but I couldn’t quite figure out
what. Maybe he didn’t enjoy sex with me as much as I
enjoyed it with him. Maybe I overstayed. I pushed my hand
through my long, tangled messy hair.
I wasn’t experienced like him but my sixth sense told me
he enjoyed it. I felt his muscles shudder, his grunts still
vibrated in my core, and his mouth devoured me like I was
his last meal on Earth. Yeah, I was certain he enjoyed it.
Which left only one conclusion. I must have overstayed
my welcome. I shifted off the bed, my feet hitting the
hardwood soundlessly.
“I’ll get dressed and go,” I murmured, rising up.
“Don’t you fucking dare.”
I stilled, hesitation slithering through my veins. My eyes
focused on the dark silhouette. The lit cigarette cast a
shadow across Alessio’s face. My breath hitched the more
he came into focus. He wore ripped jeans, his upper torso
completely bare and the sight was beautiful.
It made me want to snap a photo and memorize it
forever. Just as he was now. The mixture of darkness and
bad boy, but also something deeper. Something vulnerable.
Earlier, or was that yesterday, when he stripped, I noted
the ink that marked his upper chest and arms, but I was so
focused on him that I didn’t get to study the tattoos. It was
still hard to distinguish them in the dark, but it’d be
impossible to miss how fucking gorgeous he was. Every
inch of him.
“Come here.” An order and my legs already moved
towards him, the sheet dragging behind me. “And lose the
sheet.”
My grip on the sheet loosened and it dropped
soundlessly, pooling around my feet. Something heavy
flickered in his gaze, pulling me with invisible strings
towards him.
One step. Two steps. I closed the distance between us on
the third step and stepped between his spread thighs, his
unique woodsy and spice scent mixing with the cigarettes.
He hadn’t moved, but his eyes turned into hot liquid,
darker than I’ve ever seen them.
His one hand came to the inside of my thigh, while his
other still held the cigarette. In lazy strokes, his rough
palm moved higher and higher, until it cupped my sex and a
hitched breath escaped me.
“Are you on birth control?”
I nodded. I’d have to switch to something other than the
pill before I left for Kuala Lumpur. Mirena or Depo shot.
Anything as long as it eliminated the need of daily intake
while I was on the road. But Alessio didn’t have to know
that.
“Can you lose the cigarette?” I breathed as my hands
came to rest on his shoulders. The heat of him burned my
fingertips in the best way possible.
“So demanding,” he rasped, putting it out in an ashtray
on the little side table.
I scoffed softly, my thighs parting wider so I could feel
more of him at my core. His hands inched closer and closer
to where I wanted him while my fingers circled his
shoulders, then down his forearms. His skin was rougher
there, like he had scars under that ink.
“You already issued three demands to my one.”
My hand paused over one and I sensed him stiffening.
The question lingered on my lips, but I didn’t want to ruin
this moment. This night. So I continued exploring his body,
noting more of the similar scars. All under the ink.
“You’re beautiful,” I whispered. He was, scars or no. Ink
or no. Every inch of him was hard, warm and just beautiful.
His knuckles brushed against my pussy and my head fell
back while a moan slipped through my lips.
“Are you sore?”
I wanted to lie to him. I wanted more of him inside me.
But I knew he’d be able to tell I was lying.
“Just a little bit.”
 Without a warning, he slid one finger inside me and I
whimpered. “You’re more than just a little sore.”
My pussy clenched around his finger, hungry for that
sensation only he could give me.
He went to pull his finger out and my hand wrapped
around his wrist.
“Please, Alessandro, I want more.” Our gazes locked, his
finger at my entrance and my pussy throbbing with the
need to have more of him. “Pleasure outweighs the pain.”
I lifted my leg and rested my knee on his thigh, grinding
myself against his hand. His finger slid deeper inside me
and a moan slipped between my lips. His other hand
wrapped around my neck and pulled me to him, keeping
our faces inches apart. The cigarette burned on the ashtray
next to him.
Kind of like the two of us. Would we burn out in the end?
Because to feel something so intense when someone
touches you couldn’t last. Right?
“From the moment I saw you amidst that ridiculous girly
bedroom, your ass perked up in the air, I have fantasized
about this.” His admission surprised me and made my chest
glow with satisfaction. He didn’t forget me. “You writhing
under me, like a goddess, begging me to fuck you.”
This man boiled all my thoughts into single words. Want.
Need. Pleasure.
“Are you going to kiss me, Alessandro?” I murmured, my
lips brushing against his and all the while his finger
remained in my pussy. He thrust it deep inside me and my
moan vibrated against his mouth.
“Alessio,” he gritted. “Nobody calls me Alessandro.”
“Alessandro,” I retorted back, taking his bottom lip
between my teeth. “I like being the only one to call you by
that name.”
It made it special. It made it ours.
I gently nipped his lip, then swept my tongue over it to
ease the sting. And the entire time, my body rocked against
his hand. Another finger joined in, stretching me. “Oh,
fuck.”
“That’s right,” he hissed, then took my mouth for a
rough kiss as his fingers thrust in and out of my clenching
pussy. “You’re mine now.”
I couldn’t think when he made me feel like this. Like
he’d fracture me, shatter me to pieces, only to put me
together again.
Alessio’s kiss was dominant and intense, but then I
expected nothing less. My lips molded into his, all his
hardness stealing my breath and sanity. He angled my head
back and ravished me with the need I felt deep inside me,
and all I could do was feel. Give in to him.
His tongue thrust in and out of my mouth, in sync with
his fingers and the intense pleasure lit up in the pit of my
stomach. My breasts thrust in his face, and he wrapped his
lips around a nipple. His slight stubble created a friction
against my soft skin as he sucked and nipped and bit, and
all the while his fingers thrust in and out of me.
My fingers curled into his shoulders, desperate for some
balance and control but he held all the control. I craved
him so much that I feared I’d burn out if I couldn’t have
him.
My core was slick with juices and throbbing, my orgasm
within reach. He circled my clit, his appreciative groan
sending vibrations deep to the pit of my stomach.
“You’re so fucking wet.” The tone of his voice was
appreciative, the look in his eyes hungry.
“Please, Alessandro,” I breathed. “I-I want you inside
me.”
The sound of the zipper sent a shiver through me. A
seductive echo promising pleasure. I barely had time to
process what he was doing, when he took hold of my hips
and slammed inside me, both of my legs straddling him.
I screamed and exploded over his hard cock buried deep
inside me while black dots swam in front of my vision. My
body shuddered and he kept me close to him, his huge
shaft filling me, my chest pressed against his.
Heart-to-heart.
“Just remember, you asked for it.” His raspy, slightly
unhinged voice sent a thrill down my spine. And then he
lost any semblance of control. His fingers dug into my soft
hips and he pounded into me with an urgency.
My thighs slammed against his, pleasure coiled deep in
the pit of my stomach with each hard thrust. His groans
and my moans mixed, utterly addictive and leaving both of
us to chase the same pleasure.
“Ahhh. A-Alessandro… “ My voice turned high-pitched,
mixing with moans as the second orgasm brewed inside
me.
“Mine.” Slap. The sting against my bare ass caught me
unaware and surprisingly, I could feel the burn of his slap
spread to my core and my pussy pulsed with the need for
more.
“More,” I demanded. Slap. Slap. Slap.
My stomach tensed and my fingers curled, nails sinking
into his flesh. I was marking him just as he was marking
me. I was so close. The sensation built and built,
magnifying with each thrust.
“Don’t hold back, love.” He thrust harder, hitting my G-
spot. Alessio wasn’t just fucking me, he was owning me. “I
know you want to scream my name.”
He dominated every single cell within me. The way he
gripped my waist, I had a feeling I’d feel him for months.
My orgasm detonated and took me under so strongly
that I almost forgot to breathe. His hips jerked forward, his
cock thrusting into me through my orgasm and my eyes
rolled to the back of my head.
Stars exploded behind my eyelids as I panted and fought
for breath. I thought I’d die and it wouldn’t be a bad way to
go. I pressed my head in the crook of his neck, inhaling his
scent deep into my lungs.
 With the last thrust, Alessio followed me over the cliff,
spilling inside me.
“Fuck,” he grunted with his face buried in my hair.
His hot cum filled me, and I could feel it trickle down my
inner thighs.
We remained like this, his arms cocooning me
protectively, both of us breathing harshly.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 11

OceanofPDF.com
 Alessio

T his intense reaction towards Autumn wasn’t normal.

I woke up with her face pressed against my chest.
Most of her face was covered by thick, dark strands
and I knew I was fucked.
My cock talked my heart into playing. Now, I was
screwed. I felt her lips on mine, her fingers on my scars,
and I knew it was something I couldn’t live without. It was
that fucking easy to fall for her.
I wrapped my fingers around those silky strands to see
her sleeping face.
Serene. Happy. Beautiful.
So different from me. Filthy. Twisted. Ugly.
And still, I couldn’t resist her. I lost all control and
spilled my seed inside her. I didn’t fucking regret it. My
only regret was that she was on birth control. I wanted to
tie her to me.
I had to bind her to me before she found out everything.
All the twisted history that tainted me. If she learned what I
had done, she’d despise me. She wanted to save the world;
I fucking ruined it.
It was exactly the reason I put a marriage contract in
place with her grandparents. It was my backup plan in case
she rejected me. Yes, it turned out I was a selfish prick like
my bastard father. But the thought of losing this was un-
fucking-bearable.
If she knew what I had done, she would reject me.
Something in my chest twisted at the thought of losing
Autumn. Or maybe it was at the thought of forcing her to
do something and seeing pain in her eyes.
I never wanted to be the reason to see her hazel greens
turn brown.
For the past four years, I kept all college boys and men
in California away from Autumn. As my friends liked to
point out, it was a tad bit overboard. So fucking what.
They’d done the same if not worse for their women. Cassio
was plotting how to get his woman. Luciano forced his
woman to marry him in his plot to avenge his mother and
sister. The Nikolaev men were full blown stalking their
women and those women didn’t even know it. Well, except
for Sasha. Whatever woman that psychopath put on his
radar, I felt sorry for her.
We cheat, steal, and kill for what we want.
And then there was the fact that I fucking hated when
people looked at what’s mine, never mind dared to touch it.
It was the reason I was now back at Fleur’s bar, right
after I dropped Autumn home.
In the early morning hours, before the sun was even up,
we both dressed in silence, and true to my word, I kept her
panties. She protested a bit, but then caved in after I
lowered myself down onto my knees and ate her pussy, her
fingers gripping my hair like she was scared I’d stop.
She had no fucking idea it took only one time for me to
become addicted to her.
I stared at the ancient building of Fleur’s bar. On the
outside, it looked old as dirt. On the inside, all the latest
upgrades had been made.
Fleur and I had an agreement. I financed fifty percent of
her business, but I got to use her bunker in the basement.
It was one of the kind, used in 1642 by merchants to
smuggle their goods.
Upgraded use, torture chamber. It made it a convenient
way to dump a body too.
Fleur understood the need for it. She had seen firsthand
the various shades of gray required to survive in this world.
She was a victim once. The legal system couldn’t save her.
It required a gray motherfucker like me to finally do that.
But my sins still remained. There’d be no washing those
away.
True to my word, the fucker who dared touch my woman
lost his fingers. He was lucky I didn’t finish him off. But
that was about to change. This world would be a better
place without him.
The door closed behind me with a quiet click.
In the early hours of the morning, before the sun even
came up, the soft click sounded like a gunshot. The fucker
jumped in his seat even with the chains keeping him
hostage and his palms pressed on his knees.
His eyes shot my way, fear clear on his face. He’d been
here since last night.
My cold gaze swept over him. Dirty and now bloody
muscle shirt, no fucking muscles. Balding head.
His left hand was missing fingers and they laid on the
ground, smeared with blood and dirt. There was no saving
them. His blanched face held fear. Not enough fear.
Last night I had only gotten started. I decided to have a
background check ran on the fucker before I let him go,
and it turned out, this fucker liked to force himself on little
girls. So letting him go was no longer an option.
Acid burned in my blood at the thought of his filthy
hands on Autumn, even for a fraction of a moment.
“Do you know why you’re here?” I asked, my tone cold
and my lip curled with disdain.
I pulled the blade out of my pocket and the fucker’s eyes
bulged with terror. He started to wheeze, gasping for air.
 “Please, please, no more,” he begged.
I ignored him, gripping the handle of the blade as I
leaned forward.
“You touched what’s mine,” I said coldly, then drove the
blade through his hand and straight to his upper thigh.
Flesh and bone yielded as an inhuman howl at the highest
pitch ripped from his throat and vibrated against the
cement walls of the room.
The blood pooled around him and I found sadistic
pleasure in making him suffer. I pushed the knife deeper
into his hand, the blade digging further into his thigh.
The smell of urine filled the air as he stared at me, his
eyes glassy with pain.
My teeth clenched. Thank fuck this room was all
concrete. I couldn’t fucking stand piss stains on hardwood
or tile.
“Please, enough,” he yelped, tears wetting his face.
“Fucking coward,” I gritted.
Then because I knew this guy would fucking cry and
probably shit himself next, I decided to end it. I pulled out
my gun and the gunshots ripped through the air.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
I watched as the light extinguished from his eyes, then
his body slumped over the chains, blood dripping from his
skull.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Some of it splashed on my boots. Thank fuck I opted for
jeans and a plain black t-shirt. I’d be pissed if blood got on
my suit or loafers.
Tucking the gun in the back of my jeans, I walked over
to the little sink and washed my hands.
There was not enough soap produced to wash all of my
sins away.
Leaving the body for one of my men to clean up, I exited
into the hall and ran into Byron, lounging against the wall.
“Stalking me?” I mused in a sarcastic tone.
 I didn’t show my surprise. Truthfully, nothing surprised
me about the persistent fucker anymore. Although
reluctantly I had to admit that my younger half-brother was
as stubborn as I was.
“You’re not hard to find,” Byron retorted dryly. “You
finished him off?” he asked. The whole cellar was
soundproof so there was no risk of him hearing anything
that happened while inside.
“What do you want, Byron?” I answered with my own
question instead. “Looking for something to hold over my
head so we can play one big happy family?”
His jaw tightened.
“Not one big happy family,” he said dryly. “But I would
like you on my side.”
“Why? So you can get extra funds for your father’s
campaign?”
“He’s your father too,” he remarked dryly.
He barely finished the sentence and I got into his face.
“Not. My. Father.” I gritted, my jaw ticking. A fucking
father didn’t leave his kid to be raised by a sadistic
monster. A father didn’t let his son live in hell. He knew my
mother was pregnant but he didn’t want his precious
political career ruined by an illegitimate son so he swept
me under the rug.
A part of me wanted to pounce, destroy my father and
his shiny little life. But I knew it wasn’t time yet. I’d have to
hold myself back with a fine thread of self-control and keep
my cold logic. I’d destroy him when the presidency was
within his grasp. He’d have it so fucking close, right at the
tip of his fingertips, just to be yanked away. By me.
“Get lost, Byron,” I told him as I walked away from him.
“Next time I see you, I’ll take it as you’re poaching my
territory and you’ll have a war.”
“Bring it on, Brother.”
Like I said, a stubborn motherfucker.
I sat in my office , in the building I owned, away from the
father who gave me my last name. It was pretty much all he
fucking gave me.
It was only ten in the morning. It has been six hours and
thirty eight minutes since I’d dropped Autumn off and I
already fucking missed her. So goddamn much that I had to
ponder whether I was feverish.
I pulled out my phone and checked Autumn’s Instagram.
She often posted pictures and updates on it. Today was no
exception. I had to be ancient or she had to be way too
young, but that girl lived on social platforms. It served me
well over the last four years.
I stared at the photo.
Tousled red sheets and raven black mane sprawled on
the pillow like a fan. You couldn’t see her face, but I knew
exactly what it meant.
She was no longer a virgin.
The usual acid didn’t come. Instead, a strange sensation
sparked in my chest. She gave me a big piece of her, but
she also took something from me. I just couldn’t quite
figure out what.
I skimmed through her other photos, although I’d seen
them before. I’d been stalking her Instagram for the past
four years. From a burner phone and anonymous account.
Yeah, I was too old to stalk a twenty-something woman.
Yet, here I was. Although this didn’t compare to the
fucked up way the Nikolaev brothers stalked. Especially
Sasha when he was in for the kill. So yeah, I was much
better.
A knock shattered the silence and I flicked my gaze up
to Branka entering without waiting for a response.
“Why do you knock if you are going to enter
regardless?” I grumbled.
 Much like her friend, she rolled her eyes at me. Do these
two realize I’ve killed men for less?
“Whatever.”
I leaned back in my chair and locked my gaze on my
little sister who wasn’t so little anymore. Nico made an
interesting remark yesterday that I hadn’t thought about
until that moment. Unless I secured her a match with a
family that could protect her, Branka could end up being
targeted just for sharing the same last name as our bastard
father. He had a bad habit of double-crossing powerful
men, and they wouldn’t blink an eye to end her for his sins.
My enemies wouldn’t hesitate to come after her too. I’d
have to find a way to protect her before Father made a deal
with another sadistic asshole to sell Branka.
Tabling the thought for now, I waited for Branka to say
whatever she came here to say. I knew her well enough to
know she needed to talk. Otherwise, she’d never step foot
in my office.
She reminded me of Mia. Our dead sister. Branka didn’t
remember her much. She was young when Mia committed
suicide. She survived our parents. She fucking went into a
war and survived. But it took a group of dickheads to drive
her to suicide. It was a bitter fucking pill to swallow.
Ironically, it was Sasha Nikolaev who ended them. He
happened to be on a similar rotation and found those
fuckers raping her. My only regret was that Sasha killed
them before I could.
My expression darkened at the memory of that funeral.
My mother didn’t cry. Father came to the gravesite as they
lowered Mia’s casket into the ground. I didn’t cry but my
eyes burned; my fucking chest hurt like a motherfucker.
Branka was the only one who cried that day. Her hand
was pressed against her chest. The second I spotted the
faded cigarette burn on her hand, a red mist descended
over me. I had no idea how I found myself on top of my
father, beating him black and blue right above Mia’s casket.
 After someone pulled me off of him, I took Branka away
from him and our mother, and moved her in with me.
“Should I leave?” Branka’s voice pulled me from the
past.
“No.”
Flicking a nervous look my way, Branka sat down in the
empty chair across from me, my desk the only thing
separating us.
A deep exhale filled the air. “Are you mad?” she blurted
out.
“You’re going to have to be a bit more specific,” I
retorted dryly. I wondered if Autumn told her what had
happened between the two of us last night. Maybe I should
be asking my sister whether she was mad I’d banged her
best friend.
But I wouldn’t, because that would imply I’d stop if she
was mad, and I had no intention of stopping it.
Branka let out another deep sigh. “That I didn’t ask you
about going with Autumn on her world photography
adventure.”
“When did you and Autumn decide that?” I questioned
her.
“On our way to Fleur’s, Autumn and I got to talking. I
told her how much I hated to be in the same city as Father,
and she invited me to come along,” she answered. “If I
can’t use my money, she even offered to help with
expenses.” Branka’s fingers wrapped around her wrist. It
was her nervous habit. Too many broken wrists in her
childhood. “I’ll pay for it too.”
“We have the money,” I told her. “No need for her to pay
for it.”
Her gray eyes reminded me of rain. I had no fucking
idea why but they always stabbed a soft spot in my heart.
Maybe because I felt guilty for not protecting her sooner.
Or maybe because I saw my pain in hers.
 “I should stay for you, but I’m a coward,” she
murmured, a guilty expression on her face.
“You’re not a coward,” I growled. “Never say that again.
You’re a survivor, Branka. My sister and my family. I’ll be
damned if I ever see you hurt. No matter when, what or
how, I’ll always be here for you. Okay?”
A happy smile spread on her face, and it was the best
damn gift. Seeing my baby sister smiling and happy.
I stood up and adjusted the sleeve of my suit, then came
around to be closer to her. Leaning against the table, I
studied her. We didn’t look very much alike, aside from the
eyes. We both inherited those from our mother. I looked
more like my biological father and she looked more like her
father’s side of the family. But in our heart, we were the
same.
“Is that something you want to do?” I asked her.
Before I even finished the question, she nodded
enthusiastically. “It is.”
“Why study social media and marketing if you now want
to get involved in photography?” I questioned her softly.
She grinned. “I won’t be taking photos for Nat Geo. That
will be all Autumn. We’re thinking about starting a travel
influencer site and blogging.”
My lips tugged up. “Interesting.”
I knew absolutely nothing about it and it seemed
something the younger generation would do but if it made
her happy, it made me happy.
Branka grinned. “Right?” The enthusiasm on her face
was contagious so I just nodded. As long as she was happy,
I didn’t care what she did. She would never lack money so
she might as well enjoy her life. “So you’re okay if I leave
with Autumn?”
“I wouldn’t exactly say I was okay with it,” I told her,
smiling. “But I want to see you happy. And don’t be
surprised at your big brother’s frequent visits,” I warned.
 She jumped out of her seat and threw herself into my
arms. Just as she used to do when she was a little girl.
“Thanks, Alessio,” she murmured into my chest. “You’re
so much better than me. I ran away from our father and
you continue to fight him head on.”
Her father, not mine. But she didn’t know that. Nobody
but the Ashfords, myself, and the cruel asshole who raised
me knew that. My mother, of course, knew but she was six
feet under now.
“I could always kill him for you,” I half-joked.
She shook her head, her face still pressed against my
chest. “No, brother. He’ll get his. Eventually.”
Not fucking soon enough.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 12

OceanofPDF.com
 Autumn

I sat on the floor of my bedroom in my boy shorts and a

green t-shirt, surrounded by my notes, photos, and
more notes. Another few days and we’d be on our way
to Asia. Our first destination - Kuala Lumpur.
Except after last night, I had something, or rather
someone, that had me wanting to stay. My whole body was
still enveloped in the sweetest exhaustion and even after a
shower, I could smell him on my skin.
I wanted to bottle the scent and keep it with me forever.
The door to my room swung open, hitting the wall
behind it and I groaned.
“Branka!” I scolded.
My best friend stretched her arm up above her head and
leaned against the doorframe while with her other one she
held out a cup of iced coffee.
“Here I am,” she announced.
“I can see that,” I retorted dryly. Okay, so maybe last
night’s activity had left me a bit tired and cranky. I reached
out for the cup of coffee she held in her one had. Branka
hated iced coffee, so it had to be for me. She pushed it into
my hand and I took a slurp.
“Nothing beats good coffee,” I purred.
“Sex does,” she snickered. “If you’d only give it a try.”
 I shook my head but my cheeks flushed because her
brother immediately came to mind. She was absolutely
right. Sex beat coffee a hundred times over.
“Have you given it a try?” I snickered, knowing the
answer very well.
She shrugged. “I came close, but during our adventures,
I will find an exotic man and have mind-blowing sex. You
will too.”
I smiled but hesitation and a demand to know Alessio’s
plans for us warred inside me. He didn’t say that he wanted
to see me again. Granted, I didn’t ask, but why couldn’t he
at least show that he wanted to see me again.
He dropped me off, sexy as all hell in his ripped up jeans
and black t-shirt, without even a kiss. He could have at
least pecked my cheek.
“My brother agreed,” Branka beamed and I blinked in
confusion. Her brother told her he should have kissed me
goodbye?
I met her eyes so much like her brothers, shining like
molten silver. “He did?” I asked surprised.
Gosh, I wanted to have sex with him again. Again and
again. I wanted to explore his entire body, kiss every inch
of his skin and more than anything, I wanted to study the
ink marking his chest and arms. I wanted to kiss his scars
hiding underneath it. I wanted to know the story that he
hid.
“Yeah, Alessio thinks it will be a good experience for us,”
she elaborated and I ignored the sinking feeling of
disappointment. Alessio was fine with me just going on my
way. Last night didn’t mean as much to him as it did to me.
He probably had women on speed dial. “Oh my gosh, we’re
really doing this,” she beamed.
Pushing Alessio out of my mind and getting back on
track to my goal, I focused on our impending trip.
My lips tipped up. “We’re really doing this,” I repeated.
 Branka’s eyes traveled over the floor. “What are you
doing?”
I shrugged. “Preparing.”
“Where are your parents?” she demanded to know. “We
should all go out to celebrate. Late lunch.”
I returned my attention back to my notes. “Maman is
shopping and Father is meeting with an old friend or
something.”
“Then let’s just go,” she suggested. “Your favorite.
Kebabs.”
I groaned. “Why do you tempt me?”
She grinned wide. “Because I’m evil. Bwahaha.”
Attempting to let out an evil sound, she totally ruined it
with her contagious laughter. I tried so hard to keep a
straight face, biting the inside of my cheek. But the look in
my eyes must have ruined it because she lunged onto the
floor, knocking me backwards. I sat my ice coffee out of the
way, barely avoiding disaster on my plush white rug.
“I know you want to laugh,” she teased, tickling me.
“Show me. Show me.”
We giggled on my floor for the next half an hour. Just
like we had in our high school years.

F eeling lighter and with Alessio out of my mind, we

entered the restaurant in downtown Montréal two hours
later. I wore a simple light green dress that stopped a little
above my knees. Each time I wore it, I received
compliments that it brought out the green in my eyes.
Branka borrowed my red dress of the same design, making
us appear more like sisters.
We laughed and chatted about all our grand plans,
waiting for the hostess to come and seat us.
 My hair fell down my back in soft waves and I opted for
no make-up. It made me look younger, but I really had
nobody to impress. Because the man I gave my virginity to
thought it was a good decision for me to move on. But hey, I
wasn’t bitter. Not at all.
“Long time no see, ladies.”
The hostess greeted us and both of us turned our
attention to her. “Hello, Jasmine. How are you?”
“Better question is how are you two?” Her eyes studied
both of us. “I hear you’re leaving in a week for Asia,
Branka.” My eyebrows shot up at that knowledge. Jasmine
must have read my expression because she added,
“Alessio.”
“Ohhh,” both Branka and I let out at the same time
while the little green monster slithered through me.
Are those two sleeping together? I wondered. An
irrational bite of jealousy slammed into me and tasted like
acid, but I had to swallow it down. It wasn’t like Alessio and
I dated before I threw myself at him.
“Daughter.” A cold voice I never cared to hear reached
us, and I stiffened at the same time as Branka paled.
The two of us slowly turned in the direction of that voice
and found Branka’s father and brother sitting at the table
with two other men. I gulped as my eyes traveled over
them, but they ended on Alessio.
My gaze always came back to him. He had a darkness
that was impossible to resist.
“We should have gone somewhere else,” Branka
muttered under her breath. I couldn’t agree more.
“They don’t need a table, Jasmine.” Branka’s father
barked, drawing everyone’s attention to us. “They’ll sit with
us.”
Refuse, my reason demanded. My parents would be
furious to know I sat at the same table as Branka’s father.
Never mind other mobsters.
 “Don’t leave me,” she whispered under her breath,
desperation lacing her tone.
I let out a heavy sigh. If my parents didn’t know, it
wouldn't hurt them. Besides, I didn’t want to cause a scene
so I followed Branka with heavy steps.
My heart rate kicked up with each step I took towards
the table. Unfortunately, it was caused by the man who
made my body burn last night, not the clear danger lurking
at that table. With his black suit and sharp features, Alessio
belonged on GQ, not in a restaurant, next to his bastard
father.
I let out a shuddering breath, attempting to calm down
my racing heart. Alessio never indicated he wanted a
relationship. Not that we did much talking last night.
Don’t think of that, my mind murmured. Don’t think
about that.
Otherwise, I’d melt into a puddle. Instead, I met
Alessio’s furrowed brows as he stood up, his eyes locked on
me. Something in his gaze made my skin sizzle and my
fingers tremble. You’d think after last night, the reaction
would ease but it hadn’t. Instead, I reacted even more
intensely.
He was so tall that I had to crane my neck the closer I
got to him.
Forcing my gaze away from him, my eyes traveled slowly
over the men and I swallowed a lump in my throat. They
screamed of danger. So did Alessio but he didn’t stir fear
within me. Only lust.
His father on the other hand made my skin crawl. And
these other two men were scary. They had the most
unusual blonde hair I had ever seen. Their attention was on
Branka and me, but it was their size that was terrifying.
Even sitting down, they seemed to somehow tower and
swallow all the oxygen in the room. I raised my eyes to
their faces and blinked. Then blinked again to ensure I was
seeing their eye color right. They were the palest blue.
 Wow. Just freaking, wow!
They both stood up and I almost wished they hadn’t,
because they towered like dark, threatening clouds. Branka
and I instantly took a small step back, our instincts kicking
us into self-defense mode.
Branka’s eyes flicked my way as if she wondered if I
knew them. As if! I gave her a barely noticeable shrug and
both our eyes returned to the two men. Despite their huge
size, I’d be totally blind not to notice they were both good
looking. Extremely so.
“Ladies, meet Vasili and Sasha Nikolaev,” Alessio
introduced us and my eyes immediately returned back to
him. Like he was my magnet and just like that, my heart
skipped a beat. Just one night of sex and I was a goner for
this man. Ugh. “Gentlemen, my sister, Branka Russo and
her best friend Autumn Corbin.”
There were only two available seats. One seated next to
Sasha Nikolaev and the other next to Alessio. Was it bad
that I wanted to leave the seat next to Sasha Nikolaev to
Branka? She must have had the same idea because her
eyes flickered to the chair next to her brother and both of
us eyed it longingly.
It was self-preservation mode for both of us.
“Nice to meet you,” Sasha drawled, his pale blue eyes
darting between Branka and me, then locking on Branka.
Relief washed over me. A smart woman didn’t want that
guy’s attention.
Alessio Russo is so much better, my brain mocked my
heart.
“I didn’t realize the ladies would be joining us,” Sasha
drawled.
“Is our discussion appropriate for the ladies?” Vasili
asked, his brows furrowed. “I wouldn’t want my sister to be
troubled with such topics.”
Well, that was a first.
 “We can go.” Branka’s voice was barely audible, both of
us stiff and shifting on our feet. We both wanted to bolt and
never look back.
“You’ll both stay,” her father demanded.
A gulp sounded. It could have been mine.
Sasha pulled out a chair next to him, his pale eyes
locked on Branka. Thank God! Although she didn’t move,
he kept waiting for her to sit down while her gaze kept
flicking to the empty chair next to her brother.
“Sit down, Branka,” her father barked. “You too,
Autumn.”
Both of us startled immediately and our legs moved of
their own will.
Alessio held the other chair and both of us sank into the
pulled out chairs. Anxiety buzzed under my skin. I flicked a
side-glance at Alessio almost as if he’d save me which in
itself was ludicrous. Just because we had sex last night, it
didn’t mean he’d save me.
“Isn’t this nice?” Branka’s father drawled, leering at me.
A shudder rolled down my spine, and it took all I had not to
seek out Alessio’s gaze for help. “It’s about time that
Autumn Corbin had a sit down with me, isn’t it?”
My spine stiffened and foreboding slithered through my
veins. My parents always emphasized keeping away from
the Russo men. It didn’t take a genius to figure out why. All
you had to do was look at Branka’s mother.
“Or should I call you Autumn Blanchet?” I flicked a
confused look to Alessio, then to Branka who rolled her
eyes then snickered. She was scared of her father but when
her brother was around, her bravery showed through.
“Show some respect, Branka,” he roared and we both
jumped in our seats. “Or we’ll see who’s rolling their eyes
last!”
Another gulp sounded. No idea if it was mine or
Branka’s, or maybe both of us, but I had a bad feeling
about this. I should have just kidnapped Branka and ran. To
hell with her father. Yet, my body was so stiff it refused to
move.
The tension was palpable; I could almost taste it. Silence
was thick, but it seemed to only affect Branka and me.
Sasha produced bubblegum out of nowhere and the crinkle
of the wrapper filled the air. I gave him an incredulous look,
but he ignored me. His brother, Vasili, seemed unconcerned
with his brother or Branka’s father. Alessio didn’t seem
worried at all either. Or maybe both were hiding it
extremely well.
Sasha threw gum into his mouth with a grin that
promised something vicious, although I couldn’t quite
distinguish who it was aimed at. He popped the gum as he
crushed the wrapper in his hand.
The hand that I was certain killed many people. I stared
at the symbols inking his fingers that I couldn’t read. My
eyes returned to Alessio who stared at Sasha with
displeasure scrawled all over his face. Then his eyes met
mine and instantly the frown between his eyes eased and I
drowned in his gray gaze.
“Been playing with fire, huh?” Branka’s father drawled
and both of our eyes snapped to him. He was staring at
Alessio and me. His tsk followed, an unpleasant grin
marring his ugly face. He looked like a snake that was
about to swallow a mouse. Vicious and about to pounce.
A waitress came around, interrupting the tense and
uncomfortable silence. Neither Branka nor I seemed
capable of opening our mouths so Alessio placed the order
on our behalf. And the whole while, the old Russo’s eyes
never left me.
“How is your mother, Autumn?” Mr. Russo asked, a cruel
gleam lurking in his eyes. I didn’t like it. I felt vulnerable
under his dark, menacing gaze.
My eyes flickered around the table, then returned to the
old man. Unlike his son who was tall and handsome, Mr.
Russo was short, bald and sported a gut that would put a
pregnant woman to shame.
“Fine,” I answered through my clenched teeth.
He rubbed his belly, a smug look on his face. “And your
maternal grandparents?”
My brows furrowed and confusion entered my
expression. “They’re dead.”
Truthfully, I didn’t even know their names. My mother
never spoke of her parents. She just said they were out of
the picture. We left it at that. I had my paternal
grandparents who were a big part of our lives until they
both passed away.
He chuckled. “Not possible. Did they die within the last
month?” he questioned and I blinked.
My tongue swept nervously over my bottom lip and I
met Branka’s gaze. She seemed just as clueless as I was.
My eyes darted to Alessio, but his face was unreadable.
A mask of indifference. Except for the slightest muscle that
tightened in his jaw and his expression that darkened.
Vasili and Sasha Nikolaev wore a similar expression.
Although I was unsure whether it was aimed at me or
Branka’s father.
It felt like being thrown to the wolves with no way of
getting away.
Alessio’s father chuckled, creepy and dark.
Knowledgeable. Both my hands laid in my lap, under the
table and I hadn’t realized my nails were digging into my
palm until a big, warm hand covered mine.
I stilled for a moment, but I didn’t move. A comforting
squeeze and it was an infusion of strength I needed.
“As far as I know, they’ve been dead for a long time,” I
said, my voice deceptively calm.
Alessio’s father brought his fist to the table. Branka and
I startled in our seats. Silverware rattled.
“Now that’s a lie,” he spat, venom coloring his voice.
“Your grandparents are very much alive. They run the
Corsican mafia. And your mother was their most efficient
assassin.”
He must be mad. Crazy. Delusional.
“You’re wrong,” I insisted with an incredulous snicker.
“My mother is a singer. An artist.”
He laughed. Hard and loud. Looks flickered our way but
I kept my eyes on the biggest threat. The old Russo.
“Singer,” he snickered. “Yeah, she always liked to sing. I
remember her skimming around in her little Catholic skirt
and playing that piano. Men pant for that good girl look.”
Fury simmered through my veins. “I don’t give a shit
what men pant for,” I hissed, staring him down. “You have
my mother mistaken for someone else. She is an artist with
no connection to this Corsican mafia.”
“You’re the spitting image of her,” he continued, like I
hadn’t spoken. ”There was only one Alessandra Blanchet.
That raven hair runs in the family. Your eyes are all wrong
though. They have to be your father’s.”
The last word sounded like a curse on his tongue.
“For the last time, you have my mother mistaken for
someone else,” I gritted. “My father would never connect
himself with someone like you.”
This time, he threw his head back and laughed. A
snickering, menacing, got-you kind of laugh.
My father was an ex-special agent. It would have ruined
his career. Except, my father never really explained how or
why he got out of that career. I always assumed it was
because he decided to become an advisor and retire early
so he could see me grow up.
“But your father gave up that career,” he cackled like a
fucking witch. “Or he was booted,” he sneered, his lips
curled disgustingly.
My fingers curled around the sleeve of Alessio’s jacket,
fisting it like he was my life raft. At this moment, he was my
lifeline.
 “He wasn’t fired,” Alessio said, his voice pure ice. “He
resigned and raised his daughter.”
“How would you know that?” Branka questioned, her
eyes wide, darting between her father, Alessio, and I.
Her father laughed smugly and I wanted to claw his
face. No wonder Branka couldn’t stand him. “What kind of
father would I be if I didn’t know who my daughter hung
out with?”
I hadn’t met Branka’s father before. The first time I saw
him was at the funeral, but now, I regretted attending it. I
didn’t like Branka’s father before and I certainly didn’t like
him now. In fact, I detested him.
“Autumn’s connections are of no relevance,” Alessio
stated matter-of-factly, his voice cold. Why did it sound like
Alessio knew something I didn’t?
“No relevance?” Mr. Russo spat, his saliva spluttering all
over the table. My nose scrunched and my appetite was
suddenly gone. “She could be spying for them.”
Alessio laughed, clearly displaying he didn’t believe that.
“It seems to me that Miss Corbin’s parents wanted to
spare her the harsh reality of this kind of life,” Vasili
chimed in, his voice cold. “Now can we conclude our
agreement or are we going to argue further?”
I had no idea who Vasili Nikolaev was but suddenly, I
liked him very much.
For the next thirty minutes, whatever deal the Nikolaev
were working on was concluded. All the men spoke in code
while Branka and I sat in silence, pretending to eat but we
really just pushed it around on our plates.
And all the while I pondered on the revelation of my
maternal grandparents.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 13

OceanofPDF.com
 Alessio

S ecrets never stay buried long.

The fact that Autumn didn’t know the identity of her
maternal grandparents this long was a miracle. I’d
known it since the first playdate those two had. I always
checked into all of Branka's friends.
But this lousy excuse of a father didn’t bother looking
into Autumn until he saw her at my mother’s funeral. He
didn’t fucking care about Branka at all. She was a
daughter, a disposable commodity that he held against my
mother. Both my deceased sister and Branka were
expendable to him.
In Father’s eyes, it was my mother’s fault she couldn’t
produce him an heir.
Father didn’t know I kept tabs on all his activities. His
resources were nothing compared to mine. Nico Morrelli
was my main man for any information I needed and he
came through every time.
Nobody knew that Autumn was in line to inherit the
Corsican mafia upon her grandfather’s passing.
I also knew that my father tried to arrange a contract to
wed Autumn’s mother. Unsuccessfully.
Smart woman. Lucky woman.
Bottom line, I knew this day would come. The moment
my father laid eyes on Autumn, he’d know who she was due
to her resemblance to her mother. The woman who denied
him. The fucker hated that.
And now he was eyeing her daughter. Too late fucker.
She was mine and the contract I had put in place with
Autumn’s grandfather four years ago ensured that. If
Father dared to even touch her, the streets of this city
would be colored red because I’d fight him and all his
fucking men until I finished him. Once and for all.
I shot a quick text message to my right hand man to set
one of my father's warehouses on fire. I was tired of
dealing with the fucker. It took Ricardo only ten minutes to
make it happen. It was the reason he was irreplaceable.
My father’s phone beeped but he remained leering at my
woman. Then it beeped again and he glanced at it. That got
him running.
My lips tugged up at seeing him wobble out of here, his
men surrounding him the moment he stepped outside. He
was so fucking paranoid about a sniper shooting him as he
walked to his car.
“Fucking finally,” Sasha Nikolaev announced. Neither
one of the Nikolaev men wanted to deal with the old
bastard anyhow. “You should get that asshole eliminated. I
can help with it.”
“I agree,” Branka mumbled under her breath. “Let the
Russian take the blame.” All our heads snapped her way
and her eyes widened. “Did I say that out loud?”
I nodded. Maybe Branka was a bit more ruthless than I
thought. She’d need it to survive in this world.
“Just give me a date and time,” Sasha grinned, watching
her calculatively. I didn’t fucking like it. “And it’s done.”
“I can handle my father,” I told him.
Autumn shifted uncomfortably, her eyes darting between
all of us, probably wondering if we were joking or not.
“Can Autumn and I go to the bar?” My little sister didn’t
waste any time.
 I nodded and the two of them left us without a
backwards glance, leaving me to finalize the deal with
Nikolaev men.
“I can have him gone today,” Sasha offered one last
time. The fucker was persistent if nothing else. “Like your
gorgeous little sister pointed out, the Russians will be to
blame,” Sasha deadpanned, but something unhinged lurked
in those eyes. All the Nikolaev siblings had the same color
eyes. I didn’t like it that one of those pale blue eyes was
focused on my sister sitting at the bar, only fifteen feet
away from us.
“All you have to do is give me your little sister,” Sasha
added with a wide grin, and suddenly I was in the mood to
beat it off his face.
“Sasha,” Vasili warned.
“Let me make one thing clear,” I added, my voice deadly
calm. “My little sister is not on the table. Never will be.
She. IS. OFF LIMITS. And if I have to kill you to make that
point, I will.”
Much later, I’d realize those words made my sister a
forbidden fruit to Sasha Nikolaev.

I t took us another twenty minutes to finalize the details of

the next distribution. Guns and drugs were my businesses
of choice. I didn’t touch human trafficking, but
unfortunately the same couldn’t be said for my father.
The two brothers departed, leaving me alone with
Branka and Autumn. For a moment, I watched them
whisper to each other as Autumn’s finger swept over her
phone.
“If we can get pictures like this in front of people,”
Autumn said in her soft voice, “it’d bring awareness. Make
people help.”
 She was strategizing on how to save the world and I just
made a deal that would further corrupt it. The differences
between us were so stark. Would she stay with me if she
knew exactly what kind of shit I dealt in? Even better
question was would I give it up for her?
Branka reached over and swept to another screen.
“Next time I send you a message, Branka,” I told my
sister calmly, “read it.”
If she had, Autumn and Branka wouldn’t have crossed
paths with the old man. Both of them shifted towards me,
their eyes darting behind me. As if they wanted to ensure
Father was gone.
My sister didn’t need any additional scolding. Her
complexion was just as pale as Autumn’s and they only
recovered after Father’s departure. The Nikolaev brothers
could be intimidating to outsiders, and so far, I’d kept
Branka out of the underworld. Just as Autumn’s parents
had kept her out of it too.
“Let’s go back to the table so you two can eat,” I told
them. I watched Autumn’s slim body slide off the barstool,
then bent down to grab her purse she had carelessly
discarded on the floor.
Fuck, she had a gorgeous ass. My dick hardened and I
had to ignore the need to drag her into the room in the
back and fuck her.
I signaled Jasmine who appeared immediately. “Clear
this off, please. And bring in their favorite.”
With her usual efficiency, Jasmine stripped down the
table to nothing, then cleaned it up and set it with clean
plates and silverware as I typed a message to my right
hand man, Ricardo. Once I clicked send, I put the phone
back into my pocket and studied Autumn.
Her hand kept smoothing the non-existent wrinkles over
the tablecloth. The brown in her eyes slowly started to fade
back to her hazel color, and suddenly I realized hazel green
became my new favorite color.
 “Sorry, Alessio. We were just so excited.” Branka broke
the silence. “I didn’t even think to check the phone.”
“No matter,” I told her. Jasmine came back with the
food. “You two eat. Then Ricardo will be here to take you
home, Branka.” When terror entered her eyes, I added,
“My home. Always there. You’re not going back to him
anymore.”
Over ten fucking years since the Russo manor was her
home and she still feared going back there. I’d never give
up on her. She had to know that by now. Didn’t she?
“Okay.” She nodded. Autumn sat stiff in her chair, her
gaze slightly unfocused.
“Autumn, eat something,” I ordered her.
Her eyes met my gaze. “Is it true what your father
said?” she questioned, her eyes on me.
“Yes.”
“Did you know?” she asked in a low voice.
I could lie. I should lie. I couldn’t lie. “Yes.”
“Do you want something?” Fuck, that was a loaded
question. I wanted her. With me. Willingly. But deep down,
part of me knew that every wrong I had done would cause
her to eventually walk away. So I put a contract in place.
“From?” I asked instead.
“From them. From me.”
“From them, no. From you, yes,” I answered as honestly
as I could. Her cheeks turned crimson and I knew exactly
where her mind went.
“Eat something,” I told her. Branka was lost in her own
world, staring at her phone.
“I don’t understand,” Autumn muttered. “Why would my
parents keep something like that from me?”
Because they were better people than most of the ones I
knew. I couldn’t fault them for never wanting Autumn
around men like me. We destroyed innocence and left blood
in our wake.
“They protected you,” I told her.
And I will protect you.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 14

OceanofPDF.com
 Autumn

F oreboding slithered down my spine and I had no idea

why.
I just knew that the way Alessio’s father watched
me wouldn’t bode well for me. Call it intuition. In
retrospect, I wished I’d have run and never looked back.
But I didn’t. I was too brave for my own good and I wanted
more of Alessio.
So instead of getting up and leaving, I remained in my
seat, trusting that when the time came, Alessio would
protect me.
Ah, if only I knew better.
Alessio’s man took Branka to his place while we found
ourselves back in his penthouse. The moment we stepped
inside of it, his hands were on me. Hungry and urgent.
Blood roared in my ears and drowned out everything,
except for my heart and his and the soft rustle of our
movements as we frantically undressed each other.
His suit jacket. Tie. Shirt. Belt.
My fingers trembled as I fumbled to unbutton his pants.
The sound of the zipper mixed with our shallow
breathing. The dress pooled around my feet. Alessio’s gaze
roamed over my body, the molten silver of his eyes setting
every molecule in my body aflame.
 But Alessio’s body was a sight to behold. With the light
pouring from every window of the penthouse, he looked
like a god of war. His broad, muscled shoulders marked
with ink that his sophisticated suits usually hid. Those
sculpted abs and a sexy V-cut.
My mouth dried at the sight of Alessio’s long, hard, thick
cock. I swept my tongue over my lips, wetting them. The
anticipation of what was to come drummed inside me. I
knew how he felt now and it only heightened this need
pulsing between my thighs.
“Soft or hard?” I blinked in confusion. His gaze
smoldered with so much heat, it seared through me. “Do
you want to be fucked soft and slow or hard and fast?”
The dark purr of his voice promised both would be
pleasurable. And there was something so damn hot about
him letting me choose. I wanted it all. Hard. Slow. Fast.
I wanted to experience it all. Only with him.
His fingers glided over my collar bone, his touch soft,
yet rough. Down my breasts and a shiver rolled through
me, as lust blazed through me. He went lower and lower,
until his finger brushed over my damp panties.
“Hard,” I moaned.
He tore my underwear off with one tug, then his mouth
latched onto my neck. I gasped and tilted my head, my
fingers gripping his hair. His palm ran to my ribs, spanning
my waist. His lips ran up my neck, teeth nipping my jaw
before he came to my mouth.
He was unraveling me with his simple touch. I wanted to
do the same to him. He grabbed the back of my neck and
kissed me hard. Wet and messy. Wild and rough. That was
who Alessandro Russo was.
And I fucking loved it. I wanted to make him feel good. I
wanted to see him unravel for me and an idea sparked in
my brain. I gently nudged him away. He stopped
immediately, his chest rising and falling and his labored
breathing matching mine.
 “You okay?” The note of concern in his voice had warmth
spilling into my chest.
My hands slid downward his abs, every single muscle of
his tightening under my touch. Touching Alessio was a
carnal sin all of its own. His smooth skin warm under my
fingertips, tempting me to taste him.
“Yeah,” I breathed. “I- I want to do something.”
The insinuation was thick in the air, the meaning
unmistakable as my fingers curled around his hard length.
His gaze flicked to my face, the scent of him seeping into
my lungs. It was enough to intoxicate me.
“You don’t have to.” His eyes darkened, reminding me of
clouds right before a violent storm. It was thrilling,
exhilarating, tempting to get lost in it. The air around us
shifted into something thicker, heavier, more condensed
and my heart thundered so hard, I feared it would leap out
of my chest.
“I want to.”
Before he could protest, not that he looked like he
wanted to, I sank onto my knees before him and his gaze
swam with turmoil and tension that radiated from every
single inch of him.
“Have you done this before?” he asked through clenched
teeth, his voice rough. His control tethered and it made me
feel like a seductive temptress.
My lips curved. “I didn’t say I was a saint,” I murmured,
watching his hard length already thick and dripping with
pre-cum. My palms came to his thighs, my fingers curling
with anticipation. I wanted to make him feel good. Yes, I’d
done this before but never with someone like Alessio.
Nobody compared to Alessio.
His fingers fisted my hair and he tugged on them so
tightly, my scalp burned. Fuck, even that felt good with
him. With his free hand, he stroked his cock once, twice
and my mouth watered.
This man was made for sex.
 “Look at me,” he demanded, forcing my face up. The
heat of his gaze promised retribution to anyone who I
dared give a blow job before. “I want their names,” he
gritted.
“No.” My lips parted. “Are you going to fuck my mouth
or are we going to talk?”
His gaze burned, his control slipping, and I fucking
loved it. This could be my ultimate kryptonite. Seeing him
unravel for me. He ran the crown of his cock over my lips
and my tongue darted out to lick him, tasting his precum
on my lips.
Heat blossomed between my clenching thighs and I
could feel wetness slicking my skin.
I parted my mouth and slowly took him down my throat.
Our gazes held as I took him deeper, pausing every few
seconds to adjust. I could feel his muscles trembling under
my palm and his control slowly shredding with each inch he
thrust deeper into my throat.
His grip tightened on my hair.
“Fuck, Autumn.” His tortured groan vibrated through
me. I rubbed my thighs together trying to relieve the
throbbing ache. I started moving and it was then that
Alessio lost all control. He wrapped my hair around his fist
and held my head in place as he rammed in and out of my
mouth. Hard and fast.
His shoulders were rigid. The lines of his face tense. And
I watched, mesmerized by the lust in his eyes as he kept
thrusting in and out of my mouth. Tingles covered my
spine, and wetness trickled down my inner thighs.
“That mouth is mine.” He thrust in all the way. “You’re
not allowed to use those lips on anyone else. Understood?”
I nodded, my fingers buzzing with the need to touch
myself and alleviate the ache between my legs. But I didn’t.
Because this was for Alessio.
I licked and sucked, settling into his rhythm. I flattened
my tongue and lapped at him like it was the last thing I
would do in my life. He slid all the way down my throat
again.
“Fuck.” His groan vibrated through his penthouse and I
hummed with satisfaction. “You’re such a good little toy,”
he praised and the ache deepened. “I can smell your wet
pussy, hungry for my cock.”
God, I could come just from his filthy words.
Our gazes locked, my eyes watered from taking him in
so deep. The ache between my thighs was unbearable and I
finally gave into the temptation. I slid my hand between my
legs and brushed my fingers over my drenched clit. Then I
applied the firm pressure against my clit and grinding
against my hand.
I moaned, the sound muffled with his cock thrusting in
and out of my mouth. His half-lidded gaze was locked on
me and his breaths came out heavy. Pleasure coiled higher
and tighter with each passing second until Alessio abruptly
pulled my head away from him.
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “What-”
Before I could finish the sentence, he picked me up and
pushed me against the window, the entirety of Montréal
stretching in front of us.
“I’m going to come with my cock buried deep inside
your pussy,” he rasped, his mouth hot against my ear.
Rough. Demanding.
The glass cooled my heated skin, but it did nothing to
ease this blaze inside me. Then he was inside me in one
hard thrust, I screamed his name.
He stilled, his teeth grazing my earlobe. “Did I hurt
you?”
My pussy clenched around him as he filled me to the
hilt. The stretching sensation stung but felt so good.
Despite our difference in sizes, we fit perfectly. He was so
deep inside me, I could feel him in my stomach.
“It feels so good,” I breathed. “I want more.”
 His fingers savagely gripped me by my hips and he
pulled out slowly, only to pound into me hard.
“Your tight cunt is choking my cock,” he rasped. “So
fucking greedy.”
Another thrust, and I soaked in every jerk of his hips
with moans and incoherent whimpers of his name. My
palms pressed against the glass and my breathing hard,
fogging the window, I stared at the city as he fucked me.
Savagely. Brutally. Consuming.
“Alessandro,” I begged. “Oh. My. God.”
Our eyes met in the faint glass. It was surreal, barely
visible. But it was there nonetheless. As he fucked me deep
and hard, my cries filling every corner of his penthouse, I
watched his face in the glass.
Possessive expression.
“I’m fucking you,” he growled. “Not God. You scream my
name.”
And I did. His fingers dug into my hips, his length
stretched my inner muscles as I took him deeper and
harder. My nipples scraped against the cool glass and I
watched his expression unravel for me in the glass through
my half-lidded eyes.
Harsh breaths. Needy whimpers. Flesh slapping against
flesh.
The slickness of his cock thrusting inside me.
“You take me so good,” he praised, his brutal thrusts
making it hard to process his words. “Your pussy was made
for me. Just for me.”
My gasping breaths fogged the window and my eyes
closed as Alessio pounded me brutally. I was reaching
higher and higher toward pleasure only he could give me.
“Alessandro, I need…” Another moan ripped through the
air. He wrapped a fistful of my hair around his hand and
pulled my head back so I had no choice but to turn my face.
His mouth slammed into mine, and the whole time, he kept
thrusting.
 He captured my top lip between his, kissing and nipping
with a sweet pull. A groan vibrated deep in his chest and
straight into mine. His rough hands held me exactly how he
wanted me. Vulnerable to him. But also protected.
“Please… please… “ Sweet, hot pleasure built. I was so
fucking close. “I need… “
“What do you need?” His harsh breaths matched my
own.
“You.” His mouth left mine, and he pressed his face
against my throat while a satisfied groan left his chest. He
angled his cock and went deeper inside me, hitting that
most pleasurable spot. “Oh… ohhh… I’m…”
He did it again and my back arched, his fingers gripped
my hips and slammed into me again and again, hitting my
G-spot. He built the sensation higher and higher, stoking it
hotter with each thrust until I saw stars. And like a
crescendo, my orgasm spiraled out of control. The blood in
my veins lit with sparks and sent a wave of electricity to the
tip of my toes.
I screamed out his name and the pleasure stretched on
and on until I felt lightheaded. My pussy clenched around
his cock as he thrust in through my orgasm. Once. Twice.
His muscles went taut against my back and he came with a
loud groan, spilling inside me.
My body still floated somewhere between his penthouse
and heaven as his cock throbbed inside me.
Alessio’s arms wrapped around me from behind, his
forehead resting against my shoulder and his mouth on my
skin.
I felt like I had been fucked. Literally and figuratively.
My forehead pressed against the window, my breathing
still hard, I murmured softly, “If I knew sex was this good, I
would have had it sooner.”
He pulled me by my hair, his hand caging my throat.
“The sex is this good because it’s us,” he whispered hot
into my ear. “Because I own you.”
 His claim should send an alert through me. It didn’t. All
I knew was that every single touch and taste of him sank so
deep inside me that he might have already lodged himself
into my heart.
“If you own me,” I panted, my body pliable in his arms,
“I own you too.”
A pause.
“You got it.” Goosebumps ran over my skin and a
craving, a need, grew in my chest. He was quickly
becoming someone important.
He turned me around and lifted me into his arms, then
carried me to the bathroom. I wanted to stay with him
forever. But there was a life waiting, the one I always
wanted. Except now it didn’t seem as enticing.
I caught a glimpse of us in the bathroom. Both of us
naked. Him, larger than life. Me, small in his arms with
disheveled hair and the look on my face that said I was
thoroughly fucked and enjoyed it too.
Our gazes met in the mirror and my breath caught in my
lungs. Something soft and vulnerable flickered in his gray
ones.
“I like you,” I whispered, although somewhere deep
down I thought it might be so much deeper than that. But I
wasn’t ready to admit that to myself, never mind him.
He gently lowered me onto the counter. His lips brushed
against mine, softly and in such contrast to our earlier
rough, unhinged sex.
“I like you too.”
My lips curved into a smile as I pressed our mouths
together. Then he pulled back and he turned on the water.
He poured a liquid into the bathwater and soon, the whole
bathroom smelled like eucalyptus.
“Is that your last girlfriend’s?” I asked dryly, jealousy
biting at me.
A sardonic breath left him. “No, Branka’s Christmas
gift,” he retorted wryly. “She thought I’d want women’s
bath crap here.”
A choked laugh escaped me. “It’s not a bad idea. It’s
becoming useful now.”
“She gave me that shit two years ago,” he grumbled.
“Hopefully we don’t get a rash.”
“Well, you just made it appealing to take a bath with
you,” I teased. Amusement entered his expression, but he
said nothing.
I watched him pour the contents of the bottle into the
bath. It was clear he never prepared a bath before because
he dumped the whole bottle into the large tub.
He helped me into the tub and then slid behind me so I
sat between his long, muscular legs. I leaned back into his
chest and sighed.
“Better?”
“Much, thank you.”
His hand came to my shoulders and his fingers started
massaging. I closed my eyes and enjoyed his tenderness.
My muscles loosened with every passing second, relishing
in this intimate moment with him.
My head fell back against his shoulder and my eyes
fluttered closed. His hands lowered to my hips, then to my
inner thighs.
“We should have taken it easy,” he murmured against
my ear. “You’re new to this.”
I didn’t open my eyes. “I’m not complaining. Are you?”
His chest rumbled against mine. “Definitely not.”
His hands found their way between my legs as they
parted of their own accord. His strong fingers massaged
my aching thighs, rubbing circles and pressing against my
muscles. He inched closer to my sensitive core, but each
time I thought he’d touch me there, he’d stop. Then resume
at a slower pace.
“When do you have to leave for your job?” His question
surprised me, and for a moment, I remained silent.
“Another few days.”
 His fingers inched up and cupped my sex. “This isn’t
over.”
I turned my head to look at him over my shoulder. “What
exactly?”
The intensity of his darkened features should warn me
to be cautious. It doesn’t. “You. Me. Us.” His finger rubbed
my clit, then slid inside my folds and a low moan filled the
air, vibrating against the tiles. “I want your itinerary. I’ll
come and see you on your days off.”
Fuck, I was melting. Whether from his words or his
finger that lazily thrust in and out of me.
“Okay,” I agreed. Maybe I should play coy but I saw no
point in it. I wanted him. I wanted to see more of him. “Can
I have your phone number?”
The smile he gave me had my heart fluttering like a
newborn butterfly. “I’ll message you when we get out of the
tub. You save that number and memorize it.”
I rolled my eyes, feigning annoyance but my happy smile
ruined it. Alessio’s hand was still cupping my pussy, his
fingers expertly rubbing my clit.
“You’re sore.” His words seemed more for himself than
for me.
“But I love your hands on me,” I admitted softly. It
wasn’t something new for him. He could see that it did with
each moan and clenching of my thighs.
“Are you excited?” His mouth on my neck and hands on
my body made it hard to think. His hand was no longer on
my sex but he still kept me cocooned in his arms.
“Like at the prospect of having sex again or– “
His deep laugh caught me by surprise, and I twisted my
neck to see it on his face. God, that man should have babies
because he was hot as sin.
“I mean, are you excited to travel and take photos?”
I grinned and turned back, then leaned against him. “I
am. I love doing it. Freezing moments into something that
everyone can experience. I’m lucky that this opportunity
came along. It’s a once in a lifetime one.”
Silence followed and I wondered what he was thinking.
“Did you always want to be–“ I didn’t know how to ask.
“Ummm. Did you want to be a fireman when you were a kid
or something like that?”
He chuckled again. God, I fucking loved making him
laugh. Maybe I’d make it my purpose to make him laugh
more. Hashtag goals - take that social media.
“Fireman, huh?”
Okay, maybe I couldn’t see him as a fireman. “Pilot?
Doctor? I don’t know. What do boys dream of becoming?”
I held my breath, waiting. I didn’t know why. It was a
simple question, but it felt like something so much more.
Touching a wound or going to a place nobody was allowed.
“I just wanted to stay alive.” Such a simple answer, yet it
spoke volumes. And my heart hurt for him. Branka hinted
at a hard childhood. I got a sense Alessio’s was even
harder. My hands curled around his strong ones and I
pulled them tighter around me.
“I’m glad you are,” I whispered, turning my head to
press a kiss on his neck. God, he smelled good. Even with
this crazy eucalyptus bath scent, he still smelled like him.
Sandalwood and spice.
We stayed in the bath for another few minutes before we
both started to get antsy. Together we climbed out of the
tub, and he wrapped me in the towel first. Then he sat me
on the counter before he wrapped a towel around his waist.
A regretful sigh left me, while amusement entered his
eyes. “What?”
“I love seeing you naked.”
He laughed. A warm, deep laugh that was so sexy it had
my toes curling with happiness.
“I love seeing you naked more,” he responded. My
cheeks turned red but I made no move to discard the towel.
I wasn’t shy but I wasn’t exactly walking around the
penthouse naked type either.
So I sat on the counter, while he stood in front of the
sink and started to apply shaving cream to his face. I
leaned back on my hands and watched his sure movements.
His muscles gracefully moved with each motion.
“Want me to help you?” I offered and surprise flickered
in his eyes. When he didn’t refuse, I tugged him gently to
me, then placed my legs on either side of him. He handed
me the razor and I leaned closer to him, putting the blade
to his throat. He tensed. “Don’t worry, Alessandro. I like
your throat and pulse too much to let anything happen to
you.”
A corner of his lips lifted.
“That’s comforting,” he murmured, barely moving his
lips. He didn’t look worried so I started to shave him.
“I like your stubble,” I mumbled as I gently pulled the
razor down his jaw. “Gives you a bad boy vibe.” I repeated
the movement, my eyes focused on the task at hand and
careful not to cut him.
“I don’t like to see the marks my stubble leaves on your
skin.”
My movement stopped and my eyes flicked up. “It leaves
a mark?”
“Yes, red marks. Like someone hurt you.”
I resumed shaving him, my brows furrowed. “You bit me
on my shoulder. That leaves a mark, not your stubble.”
“I bit you to mark you, so everyone knows it’s me
fucking you and not to touch you. That’s different.”
My lips tugged up. “You don’t have to mark me. It’s not
like I’ll be running to another man.”
“If you do, he’s a dead man.”
I rolled my eyes, but the truth was I loved his
possessiveness.
“Your tattoos, do they mean something?” I asked,
changing the subject. His breathing stilled for a second
before resuming. “Looks like a lion and a crown.” My
fingers trailed down to his navel area. A tattoo of a skull
with eagle wings.
I wanted to ask him about the scars, but I didn’t want to
bring up any painful memories. So I stuck to the ink, and if
he wanted to tell me, he would.
“It is.” I never stopped my movement, but my heart
paused its beat, waiting. “A lion will tear down enemies
who wear the crown. He’s the king of the jungle, but he’ll
always worship his lioness.”
I wanted to be his lioness, but I couldn’t bring myself to
admit it. Not to him.
“Are you the lion?” I questioned instead.
He shrugged.
“Who wears the crown?” I asked softly. He remained
quiet, but the tension in his muscles didn’t escape me. My
first guess would be maybe he had something against his
father’s ruling, but I couldn’t be sure. “Do you want to wear
the crown?”
“Not really.” I believed him.
“And the skull?” I murmured, tracing it with my fingers.
“Represents death.”
“You have a lot of enemies?”
“Only two that matter.”
I finished shaving him, then straightened, meeting his
guarded gaze on me.
“I’m surprised any enemy of yours remains breathing,” I
said casually as I discarded the razor and grabbed a hand
towel to wipe any remains of shaving cream.
My fingers trailed lower to his ribs that were free of
tattoos, only smooth, tanned skin.
“One day,” he murmured, then kissed me, lightly nipping
my bottom lip and leaving me breathless. He pulled back,
then ran a thumb across my cheek. “I like you in my home.”
My chest warmed. I scooted closer to him, feeling his
hard-on and that familiar ache settled between my thighs. I
leaned forward, my lips parting his and his tongue brushed
against mine.
“I want you again,” I breathed as a shiver rolled down
my spine.
“Insatiable,” he stated, his voice hoarse.
Before I could process what was happening, he pushed
inside me so deeply that a gasp tore from my throat.
This time he fucked me slow and long, our lips inches
apart. He thrust deep inside of me, his fist in my hair,
holding me in place. It made this feel more intimate and
raw. Exposed.
“You’re my fucking property,” he rasped into my ear and
my chest blossomed. “I’m going to ruin you for any other
man.” My body shuddered with his lips pressed against my
ears, his voice sending a shiver down my spine. “Your cunt
is strangling my dick. My personal heaven.”
It was all it took for my body to unravel and pleasure to
burst through me. I’d never be able to get this man out of
my system. Not with his dirty words ringing in my ears. Not
with the craving I felt deep inside me.
Afterwards, he carried me to bed and we talked about
plans. His. Mine. Ours. He’d meet me in each country, take
me to dinner. We’d visit a temple. Anything I wanted, he
said.
“Alessio?”
“Hmmm.”
“I don’t think we should say anything to Branka,” I
whispered. I kneeled between his open legs and sensed him
tense. My hands reached out to cup his cheeks. “It’s not
what you think.” When his brows shot up, I explained. “I
don’t want Branka to think she’s going to have less of you
or less of me.”
I had no idea if I was making sense. But he nodded.
“Okay.” But something in his gaze told me he wasn’t
happy about it.
 He shifted off the bed while I remained in my spot,
wrapped up in the comforter and watching him get
dressed. I found his every move sexy and so goddamn
fascinating.
When he reached for his signature coal black suit, I
stopped him. “Wear jeans.” His hand froze midair and his
eyes of stormy clouds met mine. He cocked an eyebrow as
if he expected an explanation.
“Your butt looks good in them,” I added, smiling and
ogling his ass.
In his powerful stride, he walked over to his closet and
dug out a pair of jeans and put them on.
“These okay?” he asked, a hint of humor in his voice.
I grinned. “Much better.”
He shook his head, letting out a sardonic breath
between his teeth. Maybe he thought I was ridiculous. But
then, he was appeasing me so it couldn’t be so.
Next, he slid on a T-shirt. Watch followed.
I never thought watching a guy put a watch on would be
sexy, but with Alessio Russo it was. His hands were as sexy
as the rest of him and I couldn’t get enough of them. My
eyes flickered to his face to find him watching me.
“What?” I asked him.
The devastatingly gorgeous smile that spread on his face
made something hot and hesitant flicker to life in my
stomach and my chest. I desperately wanted him to kiss me
again. He was like a magnet, like an addiction, that I
couldn't get enough of and I wasn’t sure that it’d bode well
for me.
He took five long strides and was back by the bed. As he
sat down, the mattress tilted and rolled me over to him and
his arms came around me.
“Send me your schedule now,” he demanded. “I’ll book
my pilot right away. This is far from over.”
A stupid grin spread on my face and schoolgirl giddiness
filled me.
 Much later in life, I’d blame it on my naïveté and
romantic ideals. But for right now, I beamed like the sun.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 15

OceanofPDF.com
 Autumn

W e sat in Alessio’s McLaren, parked one street over

from my parents’. It was almost ten at night and I
worried maybe my parents were still awake. I
couldn’t get enough of him, so like a horny teenager I
straddled his hips, the wheel at my back.
“One more kiss,” I begged.
He let out a rough breath, watching me lazily. But he
appeased me, his hand gripping the back of my neck and
pressing my mouth to his. “You’re going to ruin me.”
I smiled against his lips. “Ditto,” I murmured, grinding
against him. The friction between our bodies was so
heightened, all we needed was a match to ignite it. “Now
kiss me.”
I ran my hands up his chest, over his neck and into his
thick hair, tangling my fingers into his hair. My nails
scraped against his scalp.
Grabbing my hips, he pulled me closer and his hard
erection pressed against my hot entrance.
We both groaned. I met his eyes, the steady pools of
metal. And then he kissed me. Lazy and slow. Slipped his
tongue into my mouth and pulled my bottom lip between
his teeth. His kiss was so deep and consuming, it made my
head spin.
 His hand at my nape tightened and the hazy rush of lust
pooled in my lower stomach. I moaned into his mouth. He
ended the kiss too soon.
“Fuck.” His voice was rough, hoarse, like he was on the
brink of control. HIs hands moved everywhere - down my
spine, up my hips, over my breasts. “We’ll end up fucking in
the car if we stay here,” he rasped, nipping at my earlobe.
“I’ll walk you in.”
I chewed on my bottom lip. I wanted to prolong our time
together and eventually my parents would catch on to who
I was seeing. But I had to talk to them about the Corsican
mafia and this supposed connection we had to them.
I sighed. I wasn’t ready for it. “You can’t avoid it
forever,” he noted softly, wrapping my strand around his
finger.
It didn’t surprise me that he read me so well.
“You don’t have to walk me to the door,” I murmured,
brushing my lips.
“I’m not letting you walk alone in the dark,” he
grumbled.
Pushing away from him, I tugged my dress down. He
helped me adjust my dress, his touch soft. Then he opened
the door, helping me step out of his car. He followed right
behind me.
Taking my hand into his, like we’ve done this thousands
of times, our fingers interlocked and we walked down the
street in silence.
We stopped ten feet away from my parents’ white picket
fence.
“You saved my number?” he demanded to know.
“I have.” I lifted on my tiptoes and reached for his
mouth. “You better have mine saved too. With little sexy
symbols next to my name.”
His laugh rumbled and made me smile. “Sexy symbols
next to your name. Duly noted.”
One more kiss.
 Then I rushed inside with a last glance over my
shoulder. He stood in the same spot, his hands tucked into
his pockets, watching me. I waved my hand.
“Autumn.” My mother’s voice startled me and I whipped
around to find my mother watching me. “Who are you
waving at?”
“Nobody.”
“You and Branka have a good time?” she asked as she
shut the door behind us.
The memory of our unsuccessful lunch had my smile
falling. “Maman?”
“Yes, ma chérie.”
“Are we connected to the Corsican mafia?” My mother
froze on the spot. Okay, I could have done a better job
leading in.
“Where did you hear that?” she asked, her voice small.
I didn’t want to tell her I found out from Alessio’s father.
It would upset her if she knew I spoke a word with that
asshole.
“So it’s true?”
“Christian,” she yelled, a slight panic in her voice.
“Maman, it’s ten at night,” I scolded her in a hushed
tone. “Dad’s probably sleeping.”
“Nope, here. Wide awake,” he showed up at the doorway
of the kitchen. “There’s leftover dinner, baby. Are you
hungry?”
I shook my head. I had dinner with Alessio already, but
of course, I couldn’t say that. I shifted on my feet, back and
forth, avoiding looking at dad’s eyes. He was always very
perceptive and stupidly I worried he’d see in my eyes the
truth. That I was mad about Alessio Russo.
“Your daughter asked about our connection to the
Corsican mafia!” Maman said pointedly.
The air stilled and the two exchanged a glance. Silence
stretched, tension rose.
 “Oh my gosh, it’s true,” I gasped in a low voice. “How– ”
I pushed my hands through my hair. “What– “
“Maybe it’s best we go sit down?” Maman
recommended.
God, was the shit so bad that we had to sit down? Dad’s
face was harder to read than Maman’s but neither one of
their expressions soothed the nerves inside me.
The three of us made our way into the living room.
Pictures of my happy childhood stared at us from every
corner of the room. Three of us at the beach. Three of us on
an alligator farm. Visiting Paris, Maman’s favorite place in
the world.
I sat down on a loveseat and crossed my legs,
anticipation building.
“Did they approach you?” Father broke the silence.
“Who?” I asked, confused.
“The Blanchets.” I shook my head.
“They’re alive?” My eyes kept darting between my
parents, trying to read what was coming.
Maman took a deep breath in and let out a heavy sigh.
“Maybe we should start at the beginning,” she
recommended.
“Goddamn it, I didn’t want our daughter worrying about
shit like this,” Father grumbled. Both of them were seated
together, as always, Father holding Mom’s hand. His gaze,
so similar to mine, came to me. “I guess we’ll start with,
yes, it’s true. Maman’s father was head of the Corsican
mafia.”
“He still is,” she pointed out.
Father rolled his eyes and it would have been comical if
the subject was anything but this. “Yes, he still is. Anyhow,
they were my case. To bust them for drug distribution they
had going on between France and the States.” I waited
patiently. Maman always said they met while she sang in a
bar. “I’d monitored the Blanchet family for weeks. One
night, I see this girl climbing over the wall and jumping
down before disappearing into the night.” Father’s eyes
flicked to Maman’s and they instantly softened. It was
always like that with them. “I followed her to a bar. It
turned out your mother had a job, under a false name,
playing the piano and singing in a bar. We fell in love, but I
knew there’d be no keeping my job and getting the woman
of my dreams. So I quit my job, but maintained all the tools
that helped me do it.”
“Huh?”
“Baby, I developed a software that allowed me to tap
into the home of the president. It was a useful tool to have
to keep your mom safe.”
“I think I’m impressed,” I murmured.
“Don’t be, because once your mom and I decided to
elope, we brought trouble to our doorstep. Not only from
the underworld but also from the secret service.”
My eyes flickered to their hands. They always touched
each other, held hands, kissed. Like they couldn’t get
enough of each other. But now as I watched my mom’s
knuckles turn white as she gripped Father’s hand, I
realized he was her strength too.
“What happened?” I whispered, as if I was afraid
someone would hear us.
“We left that world,” Dad said. “I left my job. And we
ran. Your grandparents didn’t take that lightly. Neither did
my superiors. They hunted us. At first, we did well losing
them. We moved every week from one spot to the next. But
once you were conceived, we slowed down.” Maman and
Dad shared an anguished look. “I got too cocky. I thought I
had a handle on them. I monitored both criminals and
special agents coming after me. I thought myself invincible,
but then, your grandfather’s men caught up to us.”
A soft whimper left Mom’s lips and my eyes darted to
her. When neither one of them said a thing, I almost didn’t
want to know what happened next.
“And then?” I asked hesitantly.
 Mom swallowed, opened her mouth and then closed it.
She shook her head. “I-I can’t.”
Father nodded as if he understood. “It’s the reason you
were born in August, instead of November, baby.”
Maman visibly paled and her lips quivered, while my
eyes darted wide-eyed between my parents.
I blinked. “I don’t follow.”
“They induced your mother’s labor and then cut her
open. To get their hands on you, Autumn.” Father’s voice
rang in my ears. I comprehended the words but for the life
of me, I couldn’t process them.
“But why?”
“To ensure I complied with their demands,” he
explained. “They held the woman I loved and my unborn
child. I had information on them that could put their whole
organization under. The first piece of information I sent to
the Attorney General was what pushed them over the edge.
It was what had them cut her open so they’d make us pay.”
There was one thing for sure. I never wanted to meet my
grandparents. Fucking ever!
“If they had Maman and me, how did you get us back?” I
rasped.
Dad pushed his hand through his salt and pepper hair. “I
gambled.” Then seeing I didn’t follow, he continued, “I had
nothing to lose. Without your mom and you, there was
nothing for me in life. So I threatened them. Either they
give me the two of you back or I dump all their crime,
details and evidence, into the press. They had connections
with state officials but not the public. If people saw the
crimes they committed, there would have been an uproar.”
“That’s not a bad blackmail,” I muttered. “Smart.”
Dad shook his head. “Not really, but it was all I had.
They knew if I leaked it all, it’d impact your mother too.
There were illegal dealings that were in her name so it’d
take her under too.”
 My eyes snapped to Maman. “You were a criminal too?”
I gasped with shock.
“I helped my father once or twice in some dealings,” she
admitted, shame on her face. “I was in line to take over his
empire, and he felt I should be strong and ruthless. Just
like a man.”
My mouth agape, I stared at my mother. The gentle
mother who loved to sing and always jumped in to help
anyone. I couldn’t see the lethal, ruthless woman that could
lead a criminal organization.
She must have seen it on my face. “I wish it wasn’t so,
ma chérie,” she murmured softly. “But that was the world I
was born into. It was what I had seen growing up. I could
kill a man nine different ways by the time I was fifteen and
make it look like an accident.”
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
“B-but you can’t even cook?” I said for no good reason.
Dad chuckled softly, but he patted Maman’s hand as if he
worried my words upset her.
“Now, chérie, I am getting better with eggs,” she
protested. “And the toast is no longer burned when you get
it.” I half-nodded my head. That much was true but people
couldn’t survive on toast. “Cooking wasn’t something that
was deemed important in my world. At least not for me, in
line to take my father’s organization.”
“What made you want to leave?”
Maman’s eyes darted to my father and there was so
much love in it that I felt myself choking up. I always
thought my father would kill for my mother. Now I realized,
it was also true the other way around. Maman would kill for
him.
“Your father,” she murmured softly. “In his eyes, I saw
what my life could be. More than the violence I grew up
seeing. More than an arranged marriage.”
I blinked. “An arranged marriage?”
 She nodded. “Yes. My parents formed an alliance
through an arranged marriage. So did their parents before
them. It’s a way of life. The husbands have many affairs.
Some are more violent than others. Maman was lucky. My
father wasn’t as brutal to his wife as other men, but he did
have a wandering eye.”
“Was the story about how you met real?” I asked. This
was information overload.
“Yes, we met at the pub I played at. Nobody knew me
there. I always loved to play and sing. It was one thing I got
from my own maman. The rest of me was shaped by my
father. But the moment I saw your father, everything
became background noise. It was like life restarted and he
loved me despite all the ugly things I’ve done. He showed
me how it could be - for us, for our future.”
“Jesus, I don’t know if it’s a love story or– “ My fingers
pushed through my hair, very much like my dad did when
he was stressed out. “Or maybe a horror story.”
Maman smiled softly. “It’s definitely the greatest story of
my life.”
My chest warmed at seeing the love. No wonder they
couldn’t keep their hands off each other. They went
through some obstacles to be together.
“So how did you get Maman and me back, Dad?” I asked
him, going back to the story.
Maman and dad frowned at the same time and for the
first time, I saw fear flicker in their gazes.
It was Maman who answered. “I want you to remember
that we never had the intention of letting them have you.
Ever!”
Her words made no sense but I nodded nonetheless.
“We made a deal, ma chérie,” Maman said, her fingers
clutching dad. Or was he clutching hers? I couldn’t tell
anymore, although one thing was for certain. Alone they
were weak, but together, they were a rock. Strong.
“What kind of deal?”
 “On your eighteenth birthday, they would start
preparing you to take over the Corsican mafia. Either you
would rule it or someone they designate for you to marry
would.”
I shot up from my spot like someone had burned me.
“What?” I screeched. “They can’t decide who I marry!”
Then the full meaning sunk in. “On my eighteenth
birthday? But that was four years ago.” They both nodded. I
felt like something was missing here. “Are they dead?”
“No,” Maman answered. “They said they are not ready.”
“They are not ready,” I repeated slowly. This
conversation was getting weirder by the second.
“I think maybe after all these years, my father realized
it’s best to let his nephews’ rule.”
“My cousins?” I muttered. Maman nodded. “I guess
that’s good.” I sank back into my seat. I didn’t know what
to make of all this. “What if they change their mind and
demand I–” I searched for words. “I can’t be a criminal,” I
muttered. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”
Maman jumped up and came to my seat. Just like when I
was a little girl, she sat next to me and hugged me.
“If they come for you, then we’ll disappear. We know
how to do that. They won’t have you. I love the woman you
have become. The little girl that always wanted to save the
world is finally on the move and I won’t let anyone stop
you. Please don’t hate me, chérie.”
A lump formed in my throat and my eyes stung. I
wrapped my hands around her. “I could never hate you or
Dad.”
If anything I appreciated them even more.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 16

OceanofPDF.com
 Alessio

T ap. Tap. Tap.

I tapped my fingers against my desk as I studied
photos Autumn posted on her Instagram. She was in
Afghanistan.
For the past two months, I’d followed her all over the
world.
Kuala Lumpur. Sydney. Tokyo. Taiwan. Cambodia. And
now Afghanistan.
Pictures of the sunrise from the top of Petronas Twin
Towers. Sydney Opera House. Sensō-ji in Tokyo. Street food
in Taiwan. Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The contrast of desert
and mountains in Afghanistan.
I made it to each destination every weekend. To see both
of them. My sister and Autumn lived their best life and
enjoyed every single minute of it. Me, not so much. I had
aged about five years in the past two months worrying
about the two of them.
I sat in my Abu Dhabi office, counting down the hours
when I’d see Autumn. She and my sister were scheduled to
arrive tonight. I had already scheduled their pick up and
instructed my driver to bring Autumn to my room. Knowing
Branka, she’d be too tired to see me or talk to me until
tomorrow.
 My phone beeped, signaling a text message and I slid it
open.
“Fuck,” I grumbled. The message was from Father. What
the fuck was he doing here?
There should be no reason for him to be here. I had
businesses here, he didn’t. He barely held on to his
connections in Montréal.
Ignoring his message, I got back to work. I’d be damned
if I’d see him tonight. I’d be counting hours until tonight.
I’d be seeing my girl.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 17

OceanofPDF.com
 Autumn

T he last two months were bliss.

It was time to admit it, I was in love with
Alessandro Russo. Hard and fast. There was no
turning back from it.
True to his word, Alessio met me almost every week.
Tousled sheets. Hands on skin. Glistening sweat.
A shudder rolled down my spine. Just thinking about him
sent hot desire swimming through my veins. It had only
been two weeks since I saw him and it felt like two years. I
craved his touch every night and his smile every morning.
Every single country I had seen so far was incredible.
Magical and beautiful. Because Alessandro Russo came.
Even when he could only spend twenty-four hours with me,
he made a long haul trip to come and see me. It was just
us.
I had been busy with work, but on the weekends, he’d
find a way to get to wherever we were and he’d spend time
with his sister and me. But the nights were only for me.
There was nothing I loved more than watching Alessio
undress as I sat on the edge of the bed. He’d unclasp that
expensive, fancy watch and put it on the hotel dresser.
Then his cufflinks would come next. Then his tie and I’d
hold my breath as he’d work the knot loose. His strong
fingers would start on his shirt buttons and it was usually
where I’d cave and reach for him.
My movements weren’t as graceful as his. I’d fumble
with the buttons, eager to see his abs. I’d press my mouth
to his chest, skimming my lips over his skin. When I’d feel
his scars, he no longer stiffened. I’d spend extra time on
them, kissing them, licking them.
I loved him so fucking much that it borderline hurt. But
it was a good kind of ache. So I let it hurt. I could feel his
hands on me even now. His fingers fisted in my hair as I
kissed a path over every inch of his skin. I’d work my way
down lower and lower, until I’d take him in my mouth.
And seeing Alessandro unravel for me had become my
newest addiction.
Right alongside the stolen moments we shared all over
the world.
The two of us under a cherry blossom tree in Tokyo. The
two of us in the Sydney Opera House. The two of us in Batu
Caves, then eating at the Central Market in Kuala Lumpur
surrounded by al fresco ambiance.
Ladies eyed him everywhere we went. But his eyes
never wavered and remained on me. If I thought Alessio
looked good in suits or jeans, it didn’t compare to the way
he looked in black shorts and a white polo t-shirt. It
highlighted his tall, muscular frame, gave hints to his bad
boy vibes and tattoos hidden under that white polo.
No matter what he wore, he always finished the look
with black aviator glasses.
I glanced around to ensure Branka hadn’t changed her
mind and decided to follow me. She tended to disappear
during our downtime. Probably playing matchmaker for
everyone we met, but it worked out perfectly. It gave me
more time with her brother. The rest of our working group
stayed at another hotel. We had the luxury of staying here
only thanks to Alessio.
 A slither of guilt snaked through my veins. My parents
still didn’t know. Neither did Branka. I should tell my best
friend I was sleeping with her brother. Or dating. This was
definitely dating. My lips curved into a soft smile. Who
knew Alessio was the dating kind?
I rushed through the lobby of the Shangri-La Hotel in
Abu Dhabi that buzzed with life. And so many different
nationalities. It was like a mecca for people of various
nationalities blending in. Some women covered their hair
with hijab, others had it flowing. Some men wore
traditional long kandura and ghutra while others wore
suits.
I entered the elevator, excitement rising with each floor.
Bing. Somewhere in the far corner of my mind, I realized
music was playing. Soft elevator music. Bing. My lips
curved into a soft smile.
The last time soft music played, Alessio and I danced on
the streets of Kyoto in Japan. Maman always preached Paris
was the city of love. To me it was Kyoto. Somewhere in the
distance some traditional sad music played in soft tunes,
but I had never been as happy as in that moment. The
mountain landscape that surrounded the city washed the
cobble streets in autumnal reds, yellows and oranges. We
walked through the quiet streets, light drizzle covering our
hair.
Alessio was so tall, his head brushed against some of the
rooftops. The rain drizzled and the street was empty but
the tunes played in perfect harmony with the rain. Before I
knew it, my hands wrapped around Alessio’s waist and I
made him dance. “For my Instagram picture,” I told him as
I snapped a photo of our feet against the wet ground,
autumn leaves, and cherry petals.
Bing.
It was for me. For us. He appeased me, our bodies
slowly swaying. We danced as the raindrops rolled down his
face and my heart shuddered with happiness.
 Bing. I was on Alessio’s floor.
I rushed out of the elevator eagerly. My heart floated on
a cloud while a happy smile danced on my face. My
eyebrow furrowed, usually Alessio waited for me in front of
the elevator.
Because I can’t waste an extra second to see you, he
said.
No matter. I rushed down the hallway. There was only
one room up here. The Presidential Suite.
But with each step that I took, a dread in the pit of my
stomach grew. Ignoring it, I took another step. And another.
Cracked hotel door.
I held my breath. What if someone had come after
Alessio? He warned me of his enemies. His father’s. His
friend’s.
None of it deterred me.
Another soft step and I pushed the door wide open.
I blinked once. Twice. Three times.
It took a fraction of a single breath for my heart to
shatter into a million pieces. For the bleeding to start. My
stomach lurched. An invisible knife clawed its daggers into
my chest and refused to let go. I’d bleed out. In a daze, my
eyes lowered to the floor, almost expecting to see pieces of
my heart around me. There was nothing.
Yet, the pain was unlike anything else I had ever
experienced. It clawed at my chest, cut me open and left
me bleeding. A scream bubbled in my throat but I couldn’t
quite manage the strength to make it known.
Your eyes turn brown when you’re sad, Alessio said
once, the stupid words echoing in my mind as hot tears
stung and burned.
I stood frozen as I watched Alessio, sprawled on the
ground and a woman between his legs, bobbing her head
up and down. The coal black hair fell down her back.
Alessio didn’t grip it like he had when I kneeled in front of
him.
 Bile rose in my throat. I was stupid. Just another soft
body to him, while he was everything to me. How many
women had he fucked since we started dating? This time, I
snickered at the notion. We were never dating. I was just a
stupid woman.
Heed the warnings of your parents. My mother said she
didn’t want to be part of that world. Men in it lied, cheated,
and killed. Her father had done it to her mother, Maman
wanted something better. So did I.
Except, Alessio felt so right. Like an extension of me.
When he touched me, my body melted. When he was
around me, I felt complete. But I guess the joke was on me.
I couldn’t watch anymore. I couldn’t be here.
The light in my soul dimmed. The pain in my heart made
it hard to think. To feel anything else. But I knew I had to
get out of here.
I turned on my heels and headed back for the elevator. I
couldn’t stand there and watch that man for another
second.
I never wanted to see Alessio Russo again.

I t wasn ’ t until I got back to my room that my body

collapsed.
Sobs shook my body as I slid down the hotel door and
sank to the floor. The flood of tears and my chest clenched
so fucking bad that it made it hard to breathe.
The image of Alessio’s face while that woman pleasured
him tormented me. Slack jaw. Closed eyes. He looked so
fucking relaxed while the pain clawed at my chest watching
another woman’s mouth on the man I love. It felt like
someone was ripping out pieces of my heart and shredding
my soul with a grinder.
 I squeezed my eyes trying to erase the image of Alessio’s
face as he laid on that floor.
This agony tore at my insides. My heart had splintered
into a thousand sharp pieces, cutting me on the inside. It
hurt so fucking much that I expected blood to stain my skin
at any moment.
I drew my knees to my chest and buried my head
against my knees.
The thought of him, only a few floors up, sent a shiver
down my spine.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. I’m stupid, My mind chanted. I’m
so fucking stupid.
I’d known the age difference between us would
eventually bring an end, but I was too caught up in the
excitement of falling in love. For the first time.
Since the day he barged into my pink and frilly bedroom,
I had waited for him. Nobody had ever made my body buzz
by their sheer presence. It only took him a single look to
awaken something dormant inside of me and I was his.
Forever his.
Through gasping sobs, I attempted to draw oxygen into
my lungs. I couldn’t.
I was so fucking scared I’d choke on my own sobs. My
body shook. My ribs hurt. And my throat squeezed so
painfully, I couldn’t breathe.
A knock.
I instantly swallowed my sobs. What if it was Alessio?
Did he see me?
Another knock.
“Autumn?” I heard Branka’s voice. Another knock
followed. “Open the door, Autumn. I can hear you.”
I didn’t want to move. I couldn’t explain to her what I
had seen. This grief was swallowing me whole. I had to pull
myself out.
The door shook and I shifted away from it so Branka
could enter. Every fiber of me hurt. My muscles. My
organs. Everything.
But most of all my heart and I didn’t know the first thing
about how to patch it up.
“Oh my gosh.” Branka’s arms wrapped around me,
running soothing circles on my back. “What happened? I
thought you went to see your mysterious stranger.”
I leaned my head against her chest and another wave of
choking sobs came. I couldn’t breathe. I needed him. My
stupid heart wanted him even after what I’d just seen.
There wasn’t enough glue in this world to piece my
heart back together. But Alessandro Russo had another
thing coming if he thought I’d leave Abu Dhabi without
doing some damage to him.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 18

OceanofPDF.com
 Alessio

I woke up with a familiar taste in my mouth.

The kind I hadn’t had to endure for almost two
decades.
Panic. Shame. Disgust.
I blinked, the numbness in my limbs and the blackout in
my memory confirming my suspicion that I’d been drugged.
When I got my hands on who dared to do this, I’d
fucking kill them. I’d tear them limb from fucking limb.
It couldn’t be my father. He wouldn’t dare. Besides, I
hadn’t seen him.
I waited until my sight cleared before I glanced at the
clock.
Nineteen hundred hours. Military time.
It was seven at night.
Autumn. She should be here by now. I inhaled deeply.
There was no scent of her. Usually her fall scent lingered in
the air long after she was gone. It remained on my skin, on
my clothes, and on my hair.
Nothing. Only a heavy Chanel No. 5 that I despised.
Foreboding slammed into me. Right along with the sheer
terror.
I shot up, bile burning my throat like acid. I rolled right
on time to throw up whatever lingered in my stomach,
retching up a thin stream of vomit. Just like before.
 I paused, letting the room settle around me. The hairs
on the back of my neck prickled in warning. I took two
steps into the bedroom of the hotel suite. She wasn’t there.
Bathroom. Not there.
Ignoring the black spots in my vision, I rushed down the
stairs to Branka and Autumn’s floor. The whole elevator
ride down, blind panic slithered through my veins like
poison. All kinds of scenarios played in my mind.
Did they get my woman? Did they get my sister?
I banged on the hotel door. “Autumn!” Nothing. Branka’s
door was right next to it. “Branka!”
Still nothing.
I banged again. “Open the fucking door!”
Because the alternative was unimaginable.
Branka’s door swung open. My eyes roamed over my
sister’s short frame. She stared at me suspiciously, but she
was unharmed. Relief slammed into me. She was safe.
“What are you doing, Alessio?” Branka hissed. “We were
supposed to have lunch, not fucking dinner! You stood me
up. Your own sister.”
The fog in my brain had to go. Lunch with Branka. That
was tomorrow. Tonight was supposed to be my night with
Autumn.
“Our lunch is tomorrow.” My voice came out calmer than
I felt.
As my sister’s eyes roamed over my state, I could feel it
all. My tie was crooked. My hair was a rumpled mess. No
jacket. My shirt was half out of my pants.
The worried look on my little sister’s face didn’t bode
well. “No, Alessio. That was today.”
My jaw flexed. “Where is your friend?”
Branka flicked a glance at the door next to her own
room. “She checked out today. She went to stay with our
crew.”
“Where?”
 Branka’s delicate brows furrowed. “It doesn’t really
matter,” she said. “She took an extra assignment and flew
out today.”
My stomach tightened. What the fuck happened
yesterday?
I let stillness wash over me. It wouldn’t do Branka any
good if I lost my shit. “You want to grab dinner together?” I
offered, hoping she’d say no.
Dinners in Abu Dhabi were later due to the extreme
heat. We still had another two hours before they’d start
serving dinner.
“Sure.”
“Downstairs restaurant,” I clipped. “Two hours.”
I turned around to leave when Branka’s hand closed
around my wrist. Or half of it. “Alessio, what happened?”
My sister studied me with a worried expression. “I’ve never
seen you like this.”
Because she was still a baby the last time someone
drugged me.
“I’ll see you downstairs,” I said.
The moment I was back in my hotel room, I dialed
Autumn’s cell number.
No answer.
I had to hear her voice. Then I’d know she was safe.
Know she was fine. Desperation to hear her voice settled
heavy in my chest. Almost as if someone sat on my chest
with the intent to end my lungs.
I dialed her again. Then again. And again. And again.
“What do you want, Alessio?” I froze at the sound of her
voice. It was different from before. Her voice wavered on
my name.
“Are you okay?” She was my rock. I’d been obsessed
with Autumn Corbin for four years and fear knotted in my
chest with the thoughts of losing her now.
Her humorless laugh was a stab into my heart, but she
didn’t answer.
 “I need to see you,” I said, desperation lacing my voice.
A strange sensation burned in my chest and behind my
eyes.
“And I don’t need to see you.” Her words pierced me
straight through my chest. A knife in the heart would hurt
less.
My heart shattered around me and this time, there’d be
no Autumn to mend the pieces.
“Please, Autumn.” My voice was twisted with the
rawness of my emotions.
“After what happened, I never want to see you again,
Alessio.” My heart cracked at her words. The knife in my
chest twisted deeper and deeper. I thought a small sob
sounded over the line but I must have misheard it because
her next words were calm. “Don’t call me. Don’t text me.
Don’t follow me on social media.”
The line went dead right along with my heart.
I was alone until her. Now I’d be alone for the rest of my
life.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 19

OceanofPDF.com
 Alessio

I stared at the message.

Three months of nothing and now this. She wanted
to see me.
*Can we meet please? It’s important. I’m in Europe
for a week. Just let me know where.*
Three fucking months of nothing. Dead silence. Then she
fucking sends me this message.
And like a love-struck puppy I was ready to run to her. It
fucking killed me not to respond. I’d been staring at the
message for the past two hours.
Pathetic.
I glanced at my calendar. I had some business, more like
a hunt, in London in two days’ time. I could fool myself into
thinking I wouldn’t see her, but if she’d ask me to go to a
goddamn war zone today, I’d drop it all and run.
I shot off a reply with the address of my place in London.
Leaving my home office, I went in search of a drink. I
needed a stiff one. My footsteps echoed against the black
marble floors that reflected my soul and my mood. I hated
my bedroom. There were still a few things that sat on the
nightstand from the last time she spent the night at my
penthouse - a hair tie, her ring, and a travel size perfume.
“Maybe she wants that girl shit back,” I muttered to the
empty glass. I had no fucking idea when I poured the drink.
I watched the brownish liquid swish around the ice. It
reminded me of her eyes when she was sad or scared. That
fucking color. I’d have to switch to another poison. Maybe
some fucking pink girly drink.
I downed the drink, the liquid bitter in my throat. Or
maybe that was just me. Bitterness and numbness
swallowed me whole.
It was ironic what a few months could do to a man. She
brought a light to my life and then extinguished it, taking
my heart and soul with her.
“A little thief,” I grumbled. She couldn’t have left it at
that fucking five million dollar tab she left behind. She had
to take my heart along too. Little Autumn Corbin left me a
surprise as I checked out of the hotel in Abu Dhabi.
Apparently, she convinced the staff I insisted on paying
everyone’s fucking bill.
As a thank you because the staff has been so
accommodating to your needs, the receptionist beamed but
a flicker of worry resided in her eyes. I could have so
fucked them all up, but I was too goddamn tired. So I paid
the bill.
Five million dollars for fuckers I had never met.
And still I couldn’t be mad at Autumn.
My bedroom door opened soundlessly and I sank into
the same chair I used to watch her sleep our first night
together. The room was dark, her soft scent still lingered in
the air. Or maybe it was just my fucking imagination
playing tricks on me.
I tipped my head back and closed my eyes.
I could force her to marry me. I had that contract with
her grandparents. I could enforce it and she’d be mine.
Why hadn’t I used it? The only answer I could come up with
was that I had turned into some sappy, pathetic loser who
wanted to do right by her.
I wanted her to choose me. Fuck!
 My memory was still fucked up from that night three
months ago. Whatever it was, it had to be bad, judging
from Autumn’s reaction. I’d been digging and digging to
find the information on who fucking slipped that drug into
my drink.
I finally had a name. Two names. And both were in
London.
Talk about karma.

T wo days later , I was in a London cellar, examining the

fucker and his woman. They were both strung up with
cuffs, their arms spread into a V-position. I felt a bit
creative so I pinned nails through their palms.
My ears didn’t thank me because they screamed like
little bitches. I could still hear the ringing in my ears. Good
thing the basement of my London townhouse in the heart of
Chelsea Barracks in central London was soundproof.
My eyes flicked to their feet that were stained with
blood. I felt generous and left them dangling, just so they
could feel that nail stretching that hole in their palms.
Although I did break their kneecaps beforehand.
After all, I couldn’t be too generous.
“Should have gone on a diet,” I told them both, following
up with a click of my tongue.
I was extra agitated, counting down the hours until
Autumn’s arrival. Four more hours.
My eyes roamed over their bodies, mottled with black
and blue bruises. I was never fond of torturing a woman. In
fact, I’d never tortured one before. But there was a first
time for everything.
She cost me everything.
“Okay, let’s try this again,” I started, snapping on a pair
of gloves and then finding my way to the table with tools.
Knives. Screwdrivers. Brass knuckles. Nail gun.
You name it, I had it.
Ricardo was with me, his arms folded over his chest and
a bored expression on his face. He wanted to start the
torture session hours ago. I wanted them to think about it
for a bit. Psychological torture was so much worse when
left to fester in someone’s mind.
“I’d pick a nail gun,” Ricardo muttered. “Give him a
piercing. Or two.”
I grinned. Ricardo could be sadistic when he wanted to
be.
“Let’s use it for every wrong answer,” I told him. “I want
to make you happy. I know you’re itching to use that nail
gun.”
“Man, you are the best boss.” Ricardo grabbed the nail
gun and ensured it contained nails while I selected a knife.
It was easier to cut up a person with a knife than a nail
gun.
I faced the beaten fucker and smiled.
“Let’s get started, shall we?” I didn’t wait for him to
answer and pressed the tip of the knife into his neck. “Your
name and who sent you?”
“Fuck you,” he spat.
I glanced at Ricardo. “Want to use the nail gun and then
I cut him?” I feigned a thoughtful expression. “Or you can
shove that nail gun into the bitch and he can watch?”
Ricardo shrugged. “Or you cut her open and he
watches? If he doesn’t answer, then I patch her up with a
nail gun.”
Ricardo and I grinned viciously. This was the shit that
happened when people crossed you.
“A sound plan.” I pressed the tip of the knife to her
sternum, my eyes on her as she shook with fear. She kept
glancing at the man, hoping he'd save her.
“Did I give you permission to touch me in Abu Dhabi?” I
asked calmly. But it was all a disguise. On the inside, fury
burned and something dark rooted in my chest. “Tell me
what happened and who’s behind it?”
Her eyes widened but she kept shaking her head. She
wasn’t scared enough. Of me anyhow. So I pressed the
blade harder against her skin and dragged the knife down
her torso. She screamed as blood welled and trickled down
her body.
And I felt nothing. Fucking nothing.
I was about to push the blade into her belly but her man
screamed the answer. “It was your father,” he yelled. “He
wanted my wife to fuck you. He paid a million upfront and a
million once the job was done. He wanted the girl out.”
Something icy rooted in my lungs. Everyone in this room
knew who the girl was. That fucker couldn’t let a good
thing flourish. He was destructive by nature. Everything he
touched turned to ash.
“How far did it go?” I asked with the rage coiled tight in
my chest. When they both remained silent, I roared. “How
far did it go?”
“All the way.”
Three little words.
It was just those three words that turned the bile in my
throat into acid and I vomited all over her. The mere fact
that she had her hands on me caused me to retch.
Ricardo put the nail gun to her gut and pulled the
trigger. But the whole time my ears buzzed and I pictured
Autumn seeing it all.
“What’s your name?” I asked the man.
“E-Ernest Sizzling.” His eyes flickered to the woman.
“René.”
The primal rage tore through my chest. The thought that
Autumn saw it all. The thought that they could have hurt
Autumn.
“Did she see?” I asked, my voice dull to my own ears.
“Yes.”
 “It’s not my wife’s fault,” her husband attempted to
defend. “If she hadn’t done it, I’d have to do it to the girl. If
we refused, he had others. They were worse.”
That was when I lost it. Rage exploded, blinding me. The
thought of him touching Autumn, snuffing out that light
that always shone in her eyes.
The woman that loved to dance in the rain. The woman
that kissed my scars. The woman that started healing me.
I rammed the sharp blade through the woman’s belly,
then punched him. I alternated slashing the blade through
him, then her. Somehow the nail gun was in my hand and I
alternated between stabbing them and shooting the nail
gun. I punctured his chest, then hers and watched them
choke on their own blood.
An agonized howl split the air.
Hers. His.
I had no fucking idea, but by the time I stopped, my
chest heaved and their throats were slit, their heads
hanging loosely to the side and I was covered in blood.
I stared at the massacre I’d committed.
“You didn’t give me a turn.” Ricardo’s calm voice had me
turning to face him. There was no pity in his voice. Just a
mild curiosity.
“She’s the first woman I ever killed,” I muttered. I’d be
meeting the first woman I loved in mere hours.
A strange kind of calm washed over me. The contrast to
the lunacy and rage I experienced mere minutes ago was
jarring.
He’d never let me have her. If I explained to her,
assuming she’d believe me, and kept her with me, we could
run. But my father would hunt us. He’d never give up, until
one of us was dead.
I would die for her. Take a bullet for her. But I couldn’t
handle Autumn coming to harm. That was something I
could never forgive myself for.
 I watched the guts hanging out of the two people I just
slaughtered, and I knew.
I just fucking knew.
There was no chance in hell I could ever keep Autumn
with me. Even knowing she was my one shot at any
semblance of happiness.
I had to let her go.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 20

OceanofPDF.com
 Autumn

I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

I wore a sweater dress that hid my little bump. The
tiny life that we created somewhere in Asia; maybe it
was in Kyoto. I’d like that. It was where I felt the happiest
when I danced with him under the rainy sky, both of us
laughing.
Alessio had swept me off my feet. Scrambled my mind.
Made me lose all my senses. I left Canada without getting
the depo shot. And without pills. Jesus Christ. I’ve had
months of sex with Alessio without a single thought about
protection.
That was what happened when you lost your mind. Yet, I
couldn’t quite find it in me to regret it.
Even after all of these weeks, months, my body trembled
every time I thought about him. The emptiness since I
walked out lingered in my chest and on my skin. I missed
him so much that each heartbeat fucking hurt. My heart
ached for something we could have had, but now never
would.
There were so many days and nights I wanted to call
him. This love for him grew too big for my chest, ready to
explode. To beg him to love me. I wanted to be enough for
him, just as he was for me.
 Thankfully, my pride held steady. I was better than this.
I’d survive it. One day the memories would no longer bring
pain. One day.
My brown eyes stared back at me. I hated the color. I
hated that it betrayed how I felt. I wanted to hide my pain
from the world. Especially from Alessio. He filled my cracks
so perfectly, only to use a sledgehammer and cause
irreparable damage.
A tear ran down my cheek and I wiped it with a
frustrated sigh.
Tears didn’t help. It’d only make me look more pathetic.
My hand drifted over my lower belly and my chest
fluttered. A baby. Our baby.
My eyes roamed over my body. It was the same but then
it wasn’t. Would Alessio notice it? My stomach twisted into
a knot. My chest tightened. God, I hadn’t even seen him yet
and I was falling apart.
Maybe I should change?
I went through five outfits. It started with jeans but they
accented my baby bump. I was three months along. It was
peculiar how a little pink plus sign could change so much.
I cried. Then I cried some more. I had never cried so
much in my life.
My chest never stopped aching. The happiness turned
into bitterness. And then I cried again.
But I knew I couldn’t keep this secret from Alessio. He
deserved to know. He should know. Before I could change
my stupid clothes again, I left the hotel room with the
determination I didn’t feel.
Each step I took in the direction of his address felt
heavier than the last.
I dreaded seeing him. The pain was still raw. Fresh. The
weeks went on and I hoped it would ease. It didn’t. The
pregnancy had made me even more emotional. Rain made
me cry. Sun made me cry. Seeing ripped up jeans made me
cry. Everything made me fucking cry.
 Before I knew it, I stood at the doorstep of the address
Alessio gave me. It was only ten minutes from my hotel. I
wished it was farther. I wished it was closer.
It had to be another symptom of the pregnancy and
hormones. Indecisiveness.
God, we were doomed from the start.
I was just too naive to hope. To want what my parents
had. To dream with him.
I inhaled deeply, then slowly exhaled, forming tiny white
puffs in the air. I pulled my coat tighter around me and took
the first step up to the fancy townhouse in central London.
February in London wasn’t such a joyous occasion. The cold
and the gloomy weather reflected my mood.
Before I had a chance to ring the bell, the door opened.
My eyes lifted to find Alessio’s guy, Ricardo, standing in
front of me. Frowning. A dark expression on his face.
He never said much when I saw him. More often than
not, he’d accompany Alessio on his trips. Bodyguard or
something. Thankfully, he never came along for our dates.
“Umm, hey,” I muttered. “I-is Alessio here?”
Ricardo’s expression was guarded but something about
the darkness in his eyes unnerved me. He tilted his chin up
the stairs. “In the bedroom.”
I blinked, then flickered a hesitant look up the stairs. “In
the bedroom?” I repeated slowly, my body suddenly warm.
The damn, traitorous, single-track minded body.
Ricardo muttered something under his breath. My eyes
darted back to him, but the only word that followed was,
“Yes.”
I wanted to ask him if Alessio has been happy these past
few months. If he missed me at all. But my level of pathetic
hadn’t reached that level yet. Thankfully, Ricardo moved
around me and left before my resolve weakened.
“Oh- okay,” I muttered to his retreating back.
I entered the large, luxurious foyer. Marble shone. The
chandelier gleamed. Paintings worth millions hung on the
walls. But I couldn’t focus on any of it. The door closed
behind me with a soft click when I reached the second step.
Glancing over my shoulder, knowing Ricardo wasn’t
there anymore. The man moved quickly and quietly. I
returned the attention to the front of me. I took another
step, and another. Until I found myself at the top of the
staircase. A cracked door.
I ignored the ache blooming in my chest with the
memory of the last time I peeked through a cracked door. I
had to do this. For the baby.
Exhaling heavily, I strode towards the door with a
certainty I didn’t feel.
Knock. Knock.
I held my breath as I waited. “Come in.”
God, that voice. My pulse drummed in my ears. My heart
tripped up in anticipation. My thoughts became an
indiscernible white noise as I pushed the door open and I
came face-to-face with him.
My demon. My savage. My gentleman.
He sat at the little desk, and the moment his eyes met
mine, I forgot to breathe for a few seconds. The darkness in
his sober expression consumed me. Burned.
Eyes of melted steel looked back at me.
My skin lit like a live wire and my heart filled with a
desperate hum. It clawed its way through my chest so it’d
go back to him. His sins no longer registered. His betrayal
was forgotten for a fraction of a moment. I wanted to run to
him and throw myself into his arms. Like I had done every
time he came to see me in a different town, country.
Except for Abu Dhabi.
My heart cracked another inch. My feet remained still.
He stood up, then ran a hand down his tie, watching me
with that gaze that could light me up or destroy me. He
held such power over me. Did he know it?
Something deep flickered through his eyes but it was
replaced by a cold steel gaze. A mask.
 I love you, I wanted to scream. You hurt me, I wanted to
yell. You promised not to break my heart.
None of those words came out. Instead, I stood still as
my heart thundered and the hole in my chest grew bigger
and bigger. There’d be no patch big enough to bandage
that wound.
“Autumn.” He headed to the little minibar. His
movements were smooth and sure as he filled his glass.
“Want something to drink?”
“No,” I rasped as my heart started cracking all over
again. I didn’t know what I expected. Maybe an apology.
Maybe some regret. Something. But not this awkward
silence and a cold shoulder. “No, thank you.”
“Always so fucking proper,” he muttered. “Except when
you shoved that hotel tab on me.”
He downed his drink, then poured himself another.
Was he drinking because he missed me? It was a dumb
thought. The hope that flickered in my chest at that
possibility was even dumber.
“You can afford it,” I mumbled under my breath.
“And how would you know?”
“A wild guess,” I retorted dryly, watching his broad
shoulders and tense back.
He didn’t bother looking my way and he barely spared
me a glance as he passed me on his way back to his chair,
the scent of sandalwood and spice lingering in the air. My
lungs tightened with every breath as I watched him
unbutton his jacket and sat back down.
His eyes returned to me. Unreadable.
It was then that I heard it. A toilet flushing. Running
water. My tongue swept over my bottom lip and I looked in
the direction of the noise. It had to be the bathroom.
“Why are you here?” Alessio’s cold voice pulled my
attention back to him.
“I-I have something to say to you,” I murmured.
 His gray eyes locked on me. I used to think of them as
molten silver. But now, they were stone-cold gray. My chest
heaved as my heart twisted.
“I don’t want to hear whatever you have to say,” he
replied coldly.
A knife in the heart must hurt less than this. I was
scared. I wanted him in my life for this baby. Our baby
deserved the best. Yet at this moment, I wasn’t so sure
what the best was.
“We dated for two months,” I croaked. “The least you
could give me is two minutes.”
“We didn’t date,” he replied in a tone so cold, it sent
frost down to my bone marrow. “It was fucking. I fucked
you. Despite my better judgement, I couldn’t resist a good
fuck. That’s all this ever was.”
Pain, raw and consuming, grabbed me by my throat. I
should have turned around, right there and then. I should
have slapped him and went on my way. I didn’t.
Desperation and hope robbed me of my pride.
“It’s important,” I choked on a hiccup. “W-what I have to
tell you… it’s important.”
We stared at each other. His face was still the same,
handsome and mesmerizing, but that lethal ruthlessness
lingered in his gaze. Suddenly, I no longer felt warm.
Something deep in his eyes froze my soul and my heart.
“Tell someone who fucking cares.”
Another crack in my heart. Except this one split it in
two.
Icy tone. Hard stare. Simple words. Yet they struck
deep. They slashed me. Broke me. My knees shook and I
feared they wouldn’t hold me. This scenario I hadn’t
anticipated. This hole in my chest expanded until I feared it
would swallow me and I’d drown in this pain.
“Was any of it real?” I croaked, my throat burning.
His jaw tightened.
 The door to the bathroom opened and I got my answer. A
woman came out. Skimpy little nightgown. Long blond hair.
Messy. The kind you got after you were thoroughly fucked.
My heart turned to ashes. Like it had been torn out of
my chest and sliced with a blade.
None of it was real. It was just a fuck for him. I didn’t
need this. I wanted more. I could have more.
Except, I wanted him. I loved him.
“Goodbye, Alessandro.”
I turned around and forced one foot in front of the other.
I left without a backward glance. I didn’t run.
It wasn’t until I was outside and saw my mother that a
sob tore through me. A tear ran down my cheek. Then
another. Until my face was wet, the cold temperatures
stinging my face. My legs gave out. Before my knees hit the
cold ground, Maman caught me.
Sobs wracked my body. My heart twisted in my chest
and all the while my gasping sobs filled the cocoon of
Maman’s arms.
And the whole time she held me, whispering words only
a mother could. “Want me to kill him?”
And then I cried harder, because Alessio dead would be
the ultimate hell on this earth. I fell in love with a bad man.
He promised me heaven and delivered hell.
Life without him was hell and it had just started.
“Don’t kill him, Maman,” I whimpered. It should surprise
me that she knew but somehow it didn’t. “Where is dad?”
“Just me,” she murmured into my hair.
My heart bled, matching the flood of tears. The man I
fell in love with didn't exist. Molten silver turned into a cold
metal.
“It’s okay, ma chérie.” Maman’s mouth moved against
my hair. “You let it all out.”
“H-he doesn’t love me, Maman,” I croaked. It was
stupid. I was a grown-ass woman and I cried like a baby.
My chest hurt so fucking bad, I thought I’d die.
 “He doesn’t deserve you.” Her voice was hard. Cold. I
lifted my head off her chest and faced her. And for the first
time I got a glimpse of the woman she was before she
found my father. She cupped my cheeks and pressed a kiss
on my nose. “He’s not good enough for you, ma petite.”
“I’m pregnant,” I whispered.
She didn’t seem surprised. “Want to talk about what
happened?” I shook my head. “Bien. When you want to talk,
you’ll tell us. For now, I’ll take care of my baby. And dad,
you, and I will take care of your baby.”
I buried my face into her chest and my heart shattered.
This raw ache in my chest was unbearable. Nausea rolled
in my stomach. My heart clenched so hard, I was certain it
would stop beating.
It wasn’t until now that the loss of him fully sank into my
bones.
Alessio broke my heart, and I couldn’t find the strength
to fuck him up.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 21

OceanofPDF.com
Autumn

OceanofPDF.com
 FOUR YEARS LATER

N ew York City.
The world through my lens. My own exhibition of
photographs I’d taken for the past four years.
It was nerve-racking, exciting, surreal and totally
exhilarating.
Years of snapshots - unforgettable moments,
breathtaking corners of this Earth, children in war torn
countries, families in starving countries, the world nobody
wanted to talk about. A starving child offering his bread to
another who had nothing. A human sharing his coat with a
child. They were the moments that offered hope for our
world.
Raw emotions were reflected on each photo. Or maybe it
was just me because I remembered every single thing I felt
when I snapped the photos.
Awed at the beauty of this planet. Sadness. Happiness.
Awareness.
I was proud of every single photograph. That was how I
saw the world. A reflection of my emotions.
Broken heart. Healing. Surviving.
Standing in the corner of the gallery, I leaned against
the wall and watched people studying every piece. Soft
whispers. Critical eyes. More examinations.
 My eyes roamed over the large gallery. Never in a
million years had I dreamt that I’d have my own exhibition
in New York City. This was the closest I dared to venture. I
had avoided Canada for the past four years. Even New York
was too close to Montréal, but I couldn’t pass up this
opportunity.
I knew there was still a lot to learn, but I was so fucking
proud of what I’d accomplished. Nobody could take this
away from me. I lived every single moment in these
photographs.
“We are so proud of you.” Maman and Dad came beside
me. My mother looked as beautiful as ever in her long red
dress. Dad couldn’t seem to keep his eyes away from her
long enough to study my photographs.
It made me smile. It made me happy. Even after all their
years together, they loved each other. It gave me hope
despite the ache that still lingered in my chest. Even after
all these years.
“Thanks, Maman.” She pressed a kiss on my cheek. “And
thank you for coming all the way to New York to watch
Kol.”
My greatest treasure. My son.
“Of course,” Dad answered, his eyes twinkling. “It’s our
job to care for our daughter and grandson.”
My family. I wouldn’t have survived without them.
“How do you feel about your exhibit?” Maman asked. “I
think every photograph is magnificent. And to think you’ve
been in some of those areas! Just the thought of it frightens
me.”
My parents have been amazing over the last years.
Whenever I had to go to remote locations or potentially
dangerous ones, they’d meet me anywhere in the world,
take Kol and care for him until I was back.
I hadn’t been back to Montréal once. Kol had yet to step
foot in Canada. He had visited almost every continent but
hadn’t stepped foot there. It was better to be safe than
sorry. Especially considering the threat.
My parents never pushed to know what happened. Dad
hadn’t demanded to know who the father was. Sometimes I
wondered if he suspected. Worried gazes when he talked
about the Russos. Like he said too much. Or maybe not
enough.
“I hope people like it,” I admitted. “But if they don’t,
that’s fine too. I enjoyed taking every single one of those
photos.”
It was true. Photography was something that I did for
me. It made me happy. Sometimes it felt like I saw a whole
new world through a lens. A richer, more detailed world.
“I eavesdropped on some of the visitors,” Father said
conspicuously. “I have yet to hear a negative comment.
Although if they dare to say it, I’ll break their necks.”
Maman threw her head back and laughed, then patted
him on the hand. It was hard to imagine my father as a
killer. Though he had to have killed someone during his
career. Not that he’d tell me.
“Come on, killer,” Mom murmured, her voice doting.
“Let’s go take our grandson from Branka’s hands so she
can enjoy some of her evening too.”
With another peck on my check by both of them, they
left me, while I watched after them wistfully.
That was all I wanted. To grow old with someone who
would look at me the way my father looked at my mother.
But I had come to the realization that what my parents had
was as rare as red diamonds.
A dull pain was still a hollow presence in my chest. Just
as Maman promised, it got better, but it never healed.
Alessio was a constant whisper in my soul.
Laughter rippled through the gallery and my gaze
traveled to it. Unsurprisingly, it was the crew from National
Geographic that took me under their wing four years ago.
They insisted on coming in to show their support. They
were the most amazing group I had ever met.
Much like me, they didn’t bother dressing up. When you
spend months on the road, you end up preferring comfort
to fancy. I opted for jeans, emerald flats and a green crew
neck blouse. It fit the whole summer vibe in New York City.
The four crew members made it over to me.
“How is our star?” Loren exclaimed, and I couldn’t resist
rolling my eyes. “What? You are a star. None of us had a
gallery exhibition before. And we’ve been around about
three decades more than you.”
“Two decades might be pushing it,” I retorted, smiling.
“You guys are not that much older than me.”
“Pfft. You’re a baby,” Loren remarked.
“I tried to buy one of your photos, but I was told it’s all
sold out,” Alex complained and my eyes snapped to him in
shock.
“What?”
The whole thing just started. I certainly hoped my
parents didn’t get a bright idea and buy the entire
exhibition. They’d be bankrupt. We’d be bankrupt.
“Yeah,” Sarah chimed in. “How in the hell did we miss
out? I barely blinked and poof, the whole thing is sold out.”
An awareness trickled down my neck and I turned my
head. For a moment, I froze. I recognized that face.
Cassio King.
Peeling my eyes from him, I glanced frantically around,
searching for the gray eyes that haunted all my dreams.
Nothing.
Excusing myself from the group, I walked over to the
mobster. Jesus Christ. I should be running the opposite way,
not towards Cassio King. It was only once I was two feet
away that I spotted a woman on his arm, and another
couple next to him.
A double date. How sweet.
 My eyes traveled over the four of them. It would seem
Cassio and his friend preferred redheads.
The red-haired woman on Cassio’s arm had ocean blue
eyes. But the other one had the most unusual eyes I had
ever seen. Unless the lighting was throwing me off, they
were violet. I had never seen anything like that.
“What are you doing here?” I blurted out, returning my
eyes to Cassio and glaring at him. Yeah, I wouldn’t win the
award for hospitality.
“Hello, Autumn,” Cassio greeted me, unfazed by my
rudeness. “Nice to see you again.”
“I can’t say the same,” I grumbled, then immediately
scolded myself. That was beyond rude. And still, no apology
came out of my mouth. “So what are you doing here?”
Brave or stupid. It was still up for debate.
“I own the space,” Cassio answered.
“Oh.” Seriously? Of all the buildings in New York City,
my exhibition ended up in the one belonging to Cassio
King! The freaking mobster. “Sorry,” I mumbled my
apology. “I didn’t mean that I’m not happy to see you.”
Liar, liar, pants on fire.
The woman on Cassio’s arm chuckled softly. “Yes, you
did.” My cheeks burned. Possibly melted. “Don’t worry
about it. It happens more often than you know.” My
eyebrow cocked. Interesting.
“Nice exhibition.” The other woman complimented.
My eyes glanced around the walls. “Thank you.” Then
realizing, I had no idea who she was, I extended my hand.
“I’m Autumn.” Then did the same with the other woman.
“Autumn, this is my wife, Áine. And my friend, Luciano
Vitale and his wife, Grace,” Cassio introduced us and we
shook hands. I couldn’t quite decide who’s scarier. Cassio
or Luciano. Not that it was a competition.
I returned my gaze to Grace and Áine. They were a safer
alternative, and for the moment, we studied each other
curiously. They both seemed so clean cut for someone as
tatted up as their husbands. But then Alessio was hiding a
lot of ink too. Heat rose on my face at the memories, but
with it always came bitterness too. That latter part was
what I hated.
“I heard your entire exhibit sold out,” Grace remarked,
her violet eyes on me. “Congratulations. That is the fastest
two million earned I have ever seen.”
My mouth parted with shock. I hadn’t thought through
what a sold out exhibition meant for me. Two million.
“Did you buy it all?” I asked Cassio.
He shook his head. “No, Áine got one.”
“Which one?” I questioned absentmindedly. Awareness
trickled down my neck. My eyes shifted to the left, then
right, behind me. There were people all around us but
everyone’s eyes were focused on the photographs. Not on
us.
There was a single mirror on the far wall and even that
reflection confirmed nobody paid attention to us.
I returned my attention to the four of them.
“The piece you called Woman with broken eyes,” Áine
answered.
That was one of my favorite pieces. And one of the more
heart-wrenching ones. The emotions from the woman
reflected so vividly in her eyes - torture, pain, horror but
also the strength. She prevailed. The man who dared to
shame her, rip her apart because she dared to love out of
wedlock didn’t win that one.
My throat choked. “That’s one of my favorites,” I
admitted in a raspy voice.
“I paid extra,” Áine admitted. “I had to out buy this prick
who thought he should get all your photos.”
I had no idea who that prick was. If it was Alessio, I
didn’t think Cassio would allow her to call him a prick.
“Thank you,” I said. I meant it too. “Every penny you
paid for that photo will go back to the woman and the
shelter she started.”
 “What a coincidence,” Grace remarked. “Áine has a
whole thing with rescuing women and placing them in
shelters.”
It wasn’t something I expected to hear.
“Hmmm. Small world, huh?”
These two women seemed to have a purpose.
Some days I felt like I had a purpose. Other days, my
purpose seemed to drift because it always came back to
him. Without Alessio, I only drifted through life.
Microphone feedback rippled through the air and the
three of us turned in its direction. Everybody’s steps
paused and the crowd quieted.
What the hell was Branka doing up there?
She stood up on the stage, dressed up in a flowy pink
dress, her hair gleaming red, golden and brown colors
beneath the lights. Our eyes met and she grinned with that
mischievous look I have come to know so well. Her eyes
reminded me so much of her brother that it fucking hurt
sometimes.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I just wanted to take a moment
and announce that everything has sold out.” A murmur of
disappointment traveled through the room. “But– “ Branka
paused for the effect or something, smiling at everyone like
a perfect hostess. “But if you are interested in more prints,
please feel free to check out our website or our social
posts.”
She grinned, her eyes traveling over the room. While I
loved to blend in the shadows. Branka loved to shine.
However our personalities meshed well together. When I
took charge in the field, she supported me. When it was
time to sell ourselves and our brand, she took charge and I
supported her.
“I hope you follow Autumn to her next exhibit. We’ll
announce it well in advance on our website.”
With that, she gracefully descended the stage and
nodded at a man standing in the corner. Together they
made their way towards us.
“Who’s that?” Grace asked curiously.
“No idea.”
I flickered a glance at Branka’s date. At least I thought it
was her date. Slim. Tall. Totally not her type.
“Hey there,” she greeted me smiling. “Guess who I have
here?”
She glanced to the right of her and we all followed her
gaze. I cocked my eyebrow and followed her gaze to her
date. She acted like I knew him. I didn’t recall meeting him
before.
“Hmmm, your date?” I guessed.
She shook her head. “No, this is Jaymes Young.” I
blinked, then blinked again. “Autumn, this is Jaymes
Young.”
“Oh my gosh,” I muttered, my eyes darting between
Branka and him. Then in an attempt to get myself together,
I extended my hand to shake his. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
Then a small giggle escaped. I felt like a teenager. “I can’t
believe I’m actually shaking hands with you.”
“Right back at you,” he retorted, smiling. “Branka
cornered me on my way in and insisted I should talk to you
about a few photos that I was interested in.”
My hand came to my cheek. “Yes, yes. Of course.
Anything you like.”
An awareness tickled in the back of my head and I
turned around, but there was nobody behind me.
Branka chuckled and I returned my gaze to her.
“Well, not anything he likes.” I frowned at her. “Certain
prints you said you’ll never sell. So…” she justified. She
pursed her lips. “That means he can’t have anything he
likes. He can’t have you.”
I frowned. Branka behaved like I wanted to date this
guy. She usually wasn’t such a smartass when it came to
men. Nor a cockblocker. Not that I wanted this guy. Alessio
ruined me for anyone else. I kept comparing every man to
him - too short, too tall, too blond, too much hair, not
enough hair, too happy, not happy enough.
I’ve used every damn excuse in the book by now.
So no, I wasn’t interested in this guy. Beyond fanning
like a schoolgirl meeting her idol.
“I love your songs,” I murmured.
“And I love your photos.
“Who’s Jaymes Young?” Áine whispered loud enough for
everyone to hear. I threw her a side-glance and caught
Grace shrugging her one shoulder. Her expression clearly
indicated she had no clue who that was.
“There are a few particular photos I was interested in,”
Jaymes explained.
“Of course. I have a few things on my phone I can show
you too,” I blurted out. “Just raw photos of some of the stuff
I’m still working on. They are stored on my secure drive.”
He nodded and I flicked a glance to Cassio and his
guests. “Excuse me.” I turned my attention to Branka.
“Want to come along?”
She just shook her head. “You go on.”
The two of us made our way to the corner of the exhibit
with the window looking out to the street.
The room seemed to be oblivious to who stood next to
me. Truthfully, I wouldn’t have recognized him either.
There were so many nights Branka and I spent playing
rusty pianos and singing in off-the-beaten-paths of this
world. When the only entertainment we had was us.
“Branka tells me you’re a talented singer,” Jaymes
remarked and it took all I had not to start fanning myself.
“Not really,” I admitted. “My mom is so much better. She
loves it. I just love the memories that come along with it.”
“You seem close to your family,” he commented.
“I am.”
Now more than ever, I thought silently. It was Branka
who always silently reminded me that I was a lucky girl to
have my parents. The two of us have learned to take what
we need from each other. Her relationship with her mother
was bittersweet. Tragic, she called it.
She couldn’t be close to someone who wouldn’t protect
her when she couldn’t protect herself. From what little
Branka has said, her siblings never got what they needed
from their parents. She said it damaged Alessio, although
she didn’t elaborate.
Her brother.
Alessio never left my fucking heart, no matter how hard
I tried to push him out. At this point, he was a reluctant
tenant. Part of my every breath and every heartbeat.
My thoughts seemed to often drift away when it came to
Alessio. Grief. The cracking of my heart.
“And you?” I attempted to change the subjects, glancing
around. Why did I have a feeling like someone was
watching me? A lot of people roamed around, but nobody
paid attention to us. “Do you collect photos?”
“Only a few,” he admitted. “I liked your non-conventional
style. You capture feelings with your photos. I like that.”
A group of people wandered near us, laughing and
drinking. “Want to show me which ones you’re interested
in? And I can show you a few more that I haven’t published
yet.”
He grinned. “I love the idea of having something nobody
else has seen.”
“I’d love a secret album you have that nobody else has
heard,” I suggested hopefully. “Although fair warning, I
wouldn’t be able to resist sharing it with a few people.”
“Next song I write, I’ll have you listen to it first,” he
joked. Or not, I wasn't sure.
“Okay, let’s get back to business,” I told him. “So I’m not
holding you up.”
We went through a few photos. My thoughts drifted to
Alessio. They always seemed to revolve around him. Even
after four years.
 “So these three,” Jaymes concluded. “They’ll fit great in
my studio.”
My gaze drifted out the window, the street full of
pedestrians when my heartbeat halted. A tall figure. Dark
hair. Broad shoulders. Familiar profile.
I blinked. And he was gone.
“Yes, yes. Give your address to Branka,” I muttered, my
steps already leading me out the door. “We’ll ship it.”
Then I rushed through the crowds and bolted out the
front door and onto the warm summer night. The summer
breeze swept my hair against my cheek. My eyes searched
frantically. The glow of New York city lights. The sound of
the city - cars honking, people talking, music playing. But it
was all background noise.
He was gone.
“I saw him,” I whispered to myself. “Right?”
Four years was such a long time. Four years without him
seemed like a lifetime.
A very lonely lifetime.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 22

OceanofPDF.com
 Alessio

I watched as they lowered my father into the cold ground

covered by November frost and felt nothing. Absolutely
nothing. I heard sniffles, soft cries, and I knew for a fact
they were all fake. My father was hated by most, if not all.
The only ones that didn’t even bother with fake tears
were Branka, myself, and my half-brother. And Autumn’s
parents. I was surprised to see them. Unless they were
here for Branka, since Autumn couldn’t make it.
Autumn.
My favorite season. The only woman I loved. And lost.
Last time I saw her I made her eyes turn brown. I haven’t
seen her in four years. Not unless you counted my stalking
activity.
There hadn’t been a day that I hadn’t thought about it.
One thousand four hundred and sixty days. Not a single day
had gone by without me thinking about her. Regretting
those last words. She was never just a fuck, but I knew if I
didn’t end it, end us, my bastard father would have never
stopped going after her.
So she became my past, while still lingering in my
present. My future.
She had made a name for herself. Attempting to save the
world, while I corrupted it at the same time. Her photos
were sought after and sold for a lot of money. She didn’t
just capture moments that National Geographic booked.
She became a freelancer. She visited the corners of the
world that other photographers hesitated to visit. The
photos she snapped made the public aware of topics
nobody talked about.
Mistreated girls in Afghanistan. Starvation in Ghana.
Child abuse. Discrimination.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
She and Branka ended up starting a blog and that was
their motto. It was fucking appropriate that my sister and
the love of my life aimed to save the world, while I
corrupted it distributing guns and drugs.
Yeah, no wonder our story ended the way it did. A
tragedy. A total fuck-up.
Colorful leaves covered the grounds all around us,
creating a beautiful setting but there was nothing serene
about the current moment. The autumn breeze flowed
through, lifting the leaves off the ground, creating a dance
in the wind.
Whirling around Senator Ashford, like witches casting
spells around a fire. I wished there’d be a death wish cast
on that fucker too.
If I could get away with shooting my biological father
right here and now, I would. It’d save me time. Two
funerals at the same time. It’d make my fucking year. But
that wouldn’t fly with my half-brothers.
Branka’s gaze kept flickering to Autumn’s parents. She
wanted to go to them. Honestly, I didn’t give a fuck. We
were a clusterfuck of a family, courtesy of the man we were
burying.
The man I killed. I should have done it years ago. It
would have saved us all a great deal of pain. The final push
was learning he was about to trade my sister for a
shipment of drugs.
All it took was a clean shot through Father’s brain to end
him. Courtesy of my half-brother, Royce Ashford. Byron
planned the logistics; Royce pulled the trigger. It was
fucking amazing what brought people together.
Now, I owed him. Reluctantly. We were still not friends,
and I didn’t consider them family.
“Autumn.” Branka’s soft exclamation stilled me before I
followed her gaze.
It was then that I saw her. She stood off to the side, her
cheeks slightly flushed. She must have just arrived. I took a
deep breath, almost expecting to smell that unique scent of
her. Apples, cinnamon, and fresh fallen leaves. The need to
inhale her scent crawled up my chest, but instead oxygen
burned my lungs. Her fragrance never reached me.
Four fucking years. The sound of her moans and her soft
body underneath me never stopped haunting me. She never
stopped haunting me.
I watched the woman who looked the same but different.
Strong. Soft. Beautiful. So fucking perfect.
Like moths attracted to the flame, men’s gazes followed
her. Some things never change, I thought bitterly. It made
me want to dig out all their eyeballs and throw them into
the dirt so they’d never see my woman again.
Since I couldn’t shout at everyone to avert their eyes, I
took my piss-poor mood out on my half-brother.
“Stop staring at my woman before I punch you in the
face,” I hissed under my breath.
Yes, my woman. Autumn was mine. If I had to wait
another four years, I would because there was nobody else
for me. The biggest threat to her was finally gone. Now, I
wanted another chance. A way for us to go back to the way
things were.
I flicked a bitter look to the bastard’s casket. He
deserved to die a long time ago.
It was he who cost me my woman. It was he who cost
me my childhood, mother, and both my sisters’ well-being.
My only regret was that I hadn’t killed the old man decades
ago.
 Returning my eyes back to the woman who’d finally
come back, I let my gaze travel over her body. Her simple
black dress hugged her curves and only reached down to
above her knees. Each time the breeze swept through the
gravesite, it gave a peek of her beautiful curves.
Fuck, if it’d only bring her scent over my way. I just
needed one dose of her to carry me until I got her back. In
my bed. In my home. In my life.
The priest’s voice penetrated through my thoughts.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
I hope you burn in the eternal flames of hell, Father, I
added silently as the fistful of dirt landed on Father’s
casket.
I watched Autumn’s raven curls dance with the breeze,
framing her pale face. Her hair length was shorter, but still
long enough to wrap around my hand. It was one thing that
I missed in all her postings. She was rarely in her pictures,
and when she was, it was never just her. It made it hard to
see her body, her face, and her eyes.
But now, I could see those hazel eyes.
Her eyes searched the crowd until she spotted her
parents off to the side. I watched her like a predator as she
glided through the graveyard to get to her parents. Their
faces lit up the moment they saw their only child and
Autumn wrapped them both into a hug, placing a kiss on
their cheek.
Then she kneeled down and every inch of me froze. A
little boy with jet-black hair held her hand. She whispered
words to him. The little boy smiled, then hugged her
parents too.
She had a kid?
Nico’s surveillance of her never said anything about a
kid. What. The. Actual. Fuck? When I got my hands on my
friend, I’d choke the fucking life out of him.
“Your sister’s best friend?” Byron mused. I was so
enthralled at staring at Autumn, I didn’t even realize
Branka had left us to go meet her friend. “Just a piece of
advice, it’s never good to fuck your sister’s best friend.”
I shot him a glare then returned to look at Autumn. Four
years without her were too long. Living without her touch
was torturous. And sleeping was a special kind of torment.
My nightmares were replaced with dreams of her. It was a
temporary relief, only to wake up to realize I no longer had
her. It was like losing her all over again - every forsaken
day. So I’d stay up so late and get so fucking tired so I
wouldn’t dream of her.
But Autumn Corbin always found her way into my
dreams. Just as she had into my heart.
The two women hugged tightly, then Branka kneeled
down to hug the little boy. The kid grinned widely and
returned the hug. My sister never mentioned that Autumn
had a kid. Not that I asked but for fuck’s sake. Couldn’t I
depend on anyone?
It wasn’t as if I asked my sister for Autumn’s deepest,
darkest secrets. But having a kid was public knowledge.
She should have told me that. And fucking Nico should
have included that in his background check that I
demanded a few months ago.
Autumn’s parents kissed Branka, hugging her tightly in
comfort. I was sure they knew the death of our father
wasn’t a big deal. Not with this cruelty. His death was a
blessing.
My sister murmured something to her friend and
Autumn nodded then kneeled, whispering words to the
little boy. I couldn’t hear her words but the way her lips
moved, I knew her words were spoken softly. Just the way
she used to murmur soft words when I fucked her.
Autumn was pliable after an orgasm. It was my favorite
time with her, when she’d whisper sweet words and trail
her mouth over my neck while her fingers skimmed over
my skin and over my scars. She was the only woman to
offer that soft touch, and I took it greedily.
 Whatever Autumn said had the little boy raising his eyes
as he gazed around. His eyes met mine for a fraction of a
second. Gray with specks of green in them.
In the back of my mind something nudged me. A voice
whispered, but I pushed it away and I focused on the boy’s
face. He had his mother’s hair and eyes with those green
specks, but his facial structure was different. Must be his
father’s. I hated the lucky bastard already.
A kid wasn’t something I’d foreseen.
I’d kill Nico for not mentioning the kid. What the fuck
did I pay him for?
Autumn softly took her son’s chin and brought the little
boy’s face back to herself. A soft smile lingered on her lips
as she spoke again. Whatever she said brought a happy
smile to the boy’s face and he nodded eagerly. She leaned,
kissing him on the cheek and he wrapped his chubby arms
around her.
She straightened up to her full height and nodded at her
parents. The boy reached out his hands to both of his
grandparents and the three of them walked off, leaving
Branka and Autumn behind.
People slowly started approaching me, offering their
condolences but my focus remained on Autumn. Even after
four long years, I craved her warmth, her softness, her
taste. I stood still, not daring to move or risk losing my self-
control.
She was finally back and I wasn’t about to let her out of
my sight. I was about to collect on a debt owed. She had a
contract to fulfill.
Son or no son.
The bastard who posed a threat to her was six feet
under. For good.
And I’d be damned if I let her go this time. She was mine
now.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 23

OceanofPDF.com
 Autumn

T his didn’t work out exactly as I planned.

The goal was to get to my parents’ house before
the funeral and have them stay behind with Kol. But
the best laid plans get fucked up. Our flight got delayed,
and when I finally landed, it was either miss the funeral or
have my parents meet me there.
Truthfully, I didn’t give a shit about Branka’s father or
his funeral. But I wanted to be there for my best friend.
The moment I stepped out of the cab, I sensed Alessio's
eyes on me. I forced myself not to look, focused on my son
and tried to slow down my wild heartbeat. Four years ago, I
swore I’d never see him again.
But the man kept visiting my dreams. And now I saw
him in my son’s face.
All I had to do was take a look at my son and realize that
all the pain was worth it. It gave me the most beautiful
human being in the world. My son. For that alone, I’d
endure a hundred humiliations and a hundred heartbreaks.
It only made me stronger. And I could totally resist
Alessio Russo. I was older and wiser now. I knew what he
was and the pain that came along with him.
I watched my parents walk to their car with my son
between them. I knew Kol would turn his head one more
time to ensure I was still here. And he did, as soon as they
got to Grandpa’s car. He stopped and glanced over his
shoulder. My chest warmed and I waved, smiling
reassuringly. He was the spitting image of his father, minus
that coal black hair and the little specks of green in his
eyes.
But he was mine. All mine. Alessio missed his chance.
“He’s something,” Branka murmured softly.
Yes, he is. My best treasure.
One last wave as my dad drove away and I turned to
Branka. “How are you holding up?”
She hugged me again, and I returned it. “Now that
you’re here, great. I missed you.”
I tilted my head. “It’s only been a week,” I pointed out.
The moment her father was pronounced dead, by
mysterious circumstances, Alessio sent her a text and she
flew out while I finished the photoshoot. The latest
assignment took us to Central Africa, and we’d been there
for the past three months. The wildlife edition. We’d had
tons of fun with it - both for National Geographic and our
blog edition.
It had been a dream come true, although with little Kol
getting older by the day, it was time to think about a more
permanent location to raise my son. With the old Russo
gone, Montréal was now a possibility. If only Alessio wasn’t
here.
“You should go back to your spot, Branka,” I urged her
softly. “I’ll wait for you here.”
“I don’t want to,” she complained. But she knew it was
the right thing to do. “Come with me.”
Now that would be the irony. To stand over the grave of
the man that came after me and tried to kill my son. I
wanted to dance over the fucker’s grave, not keep a
straight face.
“I’ll wait for you here,” I told her firmly, smiling
encouragingly, then nudging her forward.
 I watched Branka take her place with her brother. And
just like a magnet, my eyes drifted to his face. No amount
of preparation would ever be enough to get used to Alessio
Russo.
Beautiful, yet hard. Ruthless. Lethal.
Tell someone who fucking cares. The last words he had
spoken to me. The words that changed it all. I still heard
them in the whispers of the wind. Sometimes in the heat of
a blazing sun. The words left a permanent mark in my heart
and my mind.
Maybe it was the best case scenario for our ending
because all of the stories I’d read about him over the last
four years painted him in dark colors. I didn’t think they
were exaggerating either. The criminal of Montréal who
ran the underworld alongside Cassio and Luca King, Nico
Morrelli, Raphael Santos, and other mobsters.
The only good trait - they were all against human
trafficking.
The only problem around that man was my traitorous
body that still reacted to the man who shredded my heart
to pieces. A shiver ran down my spine. The man that set my
sexual expectations so high, it was impossible for anyone to
reach them. It left me to endure a dry spell for the past four
years.
So many long and lonely nights.
My mind knew he was bad for me. He left me in hell
after those words, but my body didn’t care. It was addicted
to Alessandro - his touch, his darkness and his mouth. If
there was a cure to this damning attraction, I would take it.
No questions asked.
Alessio’s eyes shifted from the person he was speaking
to and our gazes locked. His jaw tightened and his
unreadable eyes bore into me. My stupid, silly heart
stuttered in my chest.
He was so damn beautiful and raw, sending molten lava
through my veins.
 But he wasn’t mine. He was never mine. Not really.
I was smarter now. I had my son to think about.
Months of tears and a broken heart had taught me not to
dream of the impossible. Alessio was always out of my
league. Honestly, I didn’t want him in my league. It wasn’t
the kind of relationship I ever strived for.
The months when the pain became too much and the
terrible sensation that I had lost something irreplaceable
overwhelmed the reason. I’d listen to Kol’s soft breathing.
A small life that depended on me. He was my entire focus.
My life.
This was the best case scenario for my son. Our son, my
heart corrected.
No, Kol was all mine.
Branka, her brother, and another guy started walking
towards me and I blinked. The ceremony finished. Most of
the people had disbursed while I was lost in my thoughts.
As I watched Alessio stride towards me, taller and
darker than I remembered him, I had to temper the need to
flee. Instead I met them halfway.
“Hello, Autumn.” Alessio’s voice was still the same.
Smooth. Deep. Pulling me into its amber depths. Another
shiver ran down my spine.
“Alessio.” My voice was barely a whisper. He seemed
bigger, taller. “Sorry for your loss.”
His expression darkened. His jaw clenched so tightly,
the muscles in his neck stood out. His breathing grew
harsher. He advanced a step towards me and I had to fight
the urge to take one step backwards. He was too close.
Electricity crackled between us as he held my gaze. For a
fraction of a moment, a carnal lust glittered in his steely
gaze.
My skin tingled in response. The familiar wanting and
lust shot through my veins.
The last words he had spoken to me whispered in my
mind. Tell someone who fucking cares.
 It was all the reminder I needed.
“Is anyone going to introduce me?” An unfamiliar voice
penetrated the silence.
I blinked. Alessio’s entire expression reverted back to a
mask. An expressionless mask. But his eyes remained on
me and it looked like he wasn’t about to introduce me.
“This is my best friend, Autumn.” Branka ended up
making introductions. “Autumn, this is Byron Ashford.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Senator Ashford?” I asked,
studying him. Expensive custom tailored suit. Dark hair.
Piercing, blue eyes. Holy smokes, he was handsome. “I
assumed you were older.”
The guy chuckled. “That’s my father.”
He extended his hand and I accepted his handshake. It
didn’t surprise me that the Russo family had connections in
politics. The corruption was deep in all levels of the
government. Some of my ideals died, but others, I still
fought for.
“Maybe you can point out to your father that his vote in
the Middle East affairs means life and death for some
people,” I retorted dryly. “But then he seems more worried
about campaigning and accepting bribes from criminals.”
An awkward silence followed. Okay, so it was a bit
tactless and not good timing. But on the other hand, I
didn’t think I’d probably run into the guy again.
Byron’s full lips curved into a harsh smile. “Duly noted
and I’ll be sure to pass along the message. Or you can tell
him yourself.” It was hard to tell by the look on his face
whether he was pissed off. “I admire your work very
much.”
My eyebrows shot up. Branka hadn’t provided him with
my full name. He must have read the suspicion on my face.
“I saw a picture of you during your exhibit a few months
ago,” he explained. “The photographer who will save the
world.”
 I couldn’t quite decide whether he was mocking me or
not. Regardless, my sixth sense warned me that this man
was just as good at hiding his emotions and thoughts. My
eyes flickered to Alessio, then back to Byron and my brows
furrowed. Minus the eyes, the two men looked very much
alike.
Similar face structure. Same nose. Same full mouth.
Different eyes.
“Was that your son?” Byron’s question was casual but an
alert shot through me. I managed a terse nod. “He is a
handsome little boy.”
“Thanks.”
Branka shifted on her feet, her hesitant gaze traveling
between Byron, Alessio, and me. As if she expected a bomb
to detonate. Not that I blamed her. The way Byron watched
me hinted to him knowing all of my secrets. Well, one
secret. The one that I’d protect at all costs. After London, I
decided it would remain my secret.
Maybe I was just paranoid. Yes, probably paranoid.
“Byron, can you take Branka to my place?” Alessio
demanded, his eyes never wavering from me.
Every time I was around this man, he ordered someone
to drive Branka home.
“Branka and I can take a cab,” I chimed in. “To my
place.”
“No.”
I blinked. He did not!
Did he realize he had no say in either of our lives? We
were both adults and have been living on our own for the
past four years. Well, Branka got an infusion of her
brother’s cash but still. He couldn’t boss her around like
that.
“That’s okay, Autumn,” Branka chimed in, probably
sensing the tension in the air. “Why don’t you come to our
place?” Her question sounded hopeful. I wanted to say no; I
needed to say no. “Please, Autumn.”
 With a heavy sigh and knowing I was making a mistake,
I replied. “Yeah, sure. For a little bit.”
I took a step to follow them when Alessio’s voice stopped
me. “I’ll take you.”
My head snapped his way. “That’s not necessary.”
“Yes, it is.”
My jaw clenched. “I will not ride with you, Alessandro,” I
gritted.
I realized my mistake at once. Nobody called Alessio by
his full given name. Branka watched us, curiosity and
amusement in her eyes. Sometimes she reminded me so
much of her brother, it wasn’t even funny.
“We have things to discuss,” he claimed, his voice calm
and collected.
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him to go discuss it
with someone who fucking cared. But I didn’t. Instead, I
just glared at him. Pissed off at him for being so calm.
Pissed off at myself for being so worked up within minutes
of seeing him.
“I have a sports car so it’s probably better that you ride
with Alessio,” Byron chimed in. Fucking traitor.
“That’s settled then,” Alessio concluded with a smirk.
“I’ll see you there,” Branka murmured, pecking me on
the cheek.
Branka and Byron walked away, leaving me standing
face-to-face and alone with Alessio.
Harder, harsher Alessandro.
One thing was clear. Staying away from Alessio for four
years wasn’t long enough. I hadn’t forgotten him and I still
missed him. Despite that I hadn’t forgiven him. I couldn’t.
Not that he ever asked for forgiveness.
This invisible force, pulling me towards him would be
the end of me. Even after all of this time, memories of the
two of us were bittersweet.
We stood close enough that his unique spicy sandalwood
scent invaded my senses.
 For the past four years, I tried to forget his touch. His
smell. His rough hands. His burning desire. The sweet
nothings he’d whisper. But it was all a lie.
The man I fell in love with didn’t exist.
He stood unmoving, like a stone statue. As if he was
waiting for something. But his eyes burned with words that
I understood only too well. Except, his gaze deceived me. I
couldn’t afford to fall into his trap again. The stakes were
higher.
I went to take a step back, to put some distance between
us. One moment there was space between us and the next,
he thrust a rough hand into my hair and titled my head
back. A soft gasp slipped through my lips and my eyes
widened.
His other hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me
flush against his body. Before I could utter a single word,
his mouth descended on mine. He was just a breath away
and my body buzzed with that familiar feeling. The parts of
me that were dead for four years came back to life. Like
drops of rain in the desert.
My mouth parted and his lips touched mine when reason
slammed to the forefront of my mind. My palms came to his
chest and I took a step back.
“No.” Such a simple word, yet it held such power. Yes, I
said it, but it didn’t stop disappointment from washing over
me.
The feral, possessive look in his eyes sent a shudder
through me. I knew how he kissed. Hard. Rough. Savage.
“You want this, Autumn,” he claimed with longing in his
voice. Or maybe my mind was playing tricks on me. “I want
it. Just let it happen.”
His hand wrapped around my waist and he pulled me
closer. My palms rested against the stone wall of his chest,
but instead of pushing him away, my fingers clutched his
suit jacket, gripping him tightly to me.
 I hated myself for it. I hated him for it. My body loved it
and so did my stupid heart. Despite the pain, it kept
beating for him.
“You and me. We make sense,” he rasped.
My mind screamed. My reason protested. But my body
betrayed me, molding into him.
I shook my head. I needed to keep my head.
“No,” I repeated, my voice firm despite my insides
shaking with the need to have him. “I wanted you four
years ago and I let it happen. We both know how that
ended. You can’t just restart something you’ve broken.”
He broke us. He destroyed what we could have.
My heart beat hard and fast against my chest,
threatening to break my rib cage and leap to him. It felt
like it clawed at my insides to get to him.
I had always wanted him. He was my everything. Until
he wasn’t.
My demise. My happiness. My downfall.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 24

OceanofPDF.com
 Alessio

A utumn was quiet as I drove, leaving that fucking

graveyard behind me.
She had barely sat in my Bugatti and her autumn
scent already filled the car. She smelled just the way I
remembered. My cock hardened. It was all it took when it
came to her. I wanted to stare at her. Fuck her. Have her in
every single space of mine.
Some men wanted space and boundaries. I just wanted
her.
My heart has been frozen for the past four years. It had
turned into a frozen block of ice the moment her eyes
turned brown because of me, because of what I purposely
did to her in order to save her. I became her villain out of
necessity but the years hadn’t been enough to allow me to
move on. I’ll never be able to move on. Since that first taste
of her, there was no going back for me. She had consumed
me from the moment we’d crossed paths.
Her touch. It was all it took. Suddenly, I couldn’t fathom
life without her. In my world of violence, torture and pain,
she was the proof that there was life outside the
underworld. A happy life.
She offered so much more than just a warm body. I
wasn’t a saint but I was never fond of physical closeness.
Nor touch. It was the reason I always fucked women from
behind. Seeing their faces was too personal. Ghosts, at
least the ones I remembered, came back too quickly.
But with Autumn, I wanted to see that bliss on her face.
I wanted her pleasure before my own. And I fucking wanted
to give her all of my broken pieces. That was the bottom
line, wasn’t it? My father broke me before I even became a
man but with her, I remembered none of it.
With her I felt alive. Whole.
Without her, only coldness resided in my chest. Without
her, I was nothing. With her, I was everything.
I wanted every fucking piece of her. To be the reason for
her smiles. To wipe her tears away. To own her loyalty.
I gave my head a small shake. I was so fucked.
Now talk about irony. She didn’t want to be anywhere
near me and I was obsessing over her. She had turned my
world upside down the moment she pushed me out of her
bedroom. I kept telling myself she was just a nuisance but
then why couldn’t I let it go. Not the first time I met her.
And certainly not now.
Now that the bastard was dead.
She had shattered the walls that made up my life and
then slowly put them back together during those two
months. She made me whole. But then, poof. She was gone
and my blood pressure had never been the same.
“So what have you been doing over the past four years?”
Jesus Christ, did I really just make small talk?
She must have realized it too because she snickered.
“And what have you been doing, Alessandro?” She shot
me a glare, but her eyes weren’t brown. They were
somewhere in between. “Or should I say who?” She almost
growled.
“I’ve been busy.” I was tempted to reply with something
sarcastic but it wouldn’t do me any good. Not with the
bomb I’d be dropping on her before today was over. I
needed her in a good mood.
 “I can imagine,” she sneered. “I know your kind of
busy.”
My lips tugged up at her jab. Autumn wasn’t exactly a
wildcat but she definitely wasn’t a doormat.
“I remember when you were pliant and more amiable to
our talks,” I mused, unwilling to argue with her. “Or even
better, how to get you to be a pliant doll while I sucked at
your– “
“And I vaguely remember when you weren’t a dick,” she
snapped, cutting me off. Though the flush in her cheeks
didn’t escape me.
She turned her back to me, the stubbornness evident in
the way she clenched her jaw.
“I saw your exhibits,” I changed subjects. Her head
whipped my way, surprise coasting her eyes. Those
stunning eyes that held so much power over me! All she
had to do was look at me and I was falling to my knees. My
heart beat only for her. Despite the pain and all the fucked
up shit, it couldn’t help beating because it was waiting for
her.
She held such power over me and she didn’t even
fucking know it.
“Your photos are really good,” I continued.
“Hmmm.”
“What? You don’t agree?” I challenged.
She rolled her eyes in that familiar way, except there
was no mischievous playfulness curving her full lips.
“I’m surprised you like them, that’s all,” she retorted
dryly.
“Why?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” She feigned confusion, but her eyes
flashed annoyingly at me. “Could it be because a lot of my
photos deal with illegal guns, trafficking of women, and
drugs? And we all know what an upstanding citizen you
are.”
 “I haven’t changed,” I sneered, unwilling to let her know
her words hit the intended target. “My business hasn’t
changed. It didn’t bother you before.” Her eyes narrowed
and her lips thinned in displeasure. She hated the reminder
of our past. So naturally, I continued to prompt more
memories. “In fact, I remember you being quite thrilled
with me before. Screaming my name at the top of a mount–
“
“Jesus Christ, would you stop?” she hissed, the blush
spreading down her neck and disappearing under her
dress.
“I’m trying to make conversation, Autumn,” I told her
calmly. “I want to know how you’ve been. I want to know
about your son.” And his father, I thought with bitterness.
“The world you’ve seen. I want to know everything I missed
over the last four years.”
“I have no idea why you’d care considering how we
parted the last time I saw you,” she gritted. She clutched
her hands in her lap, her knuckles turning white. “I’ve seen
plenty of the world. My son is none of your business and
neither is whatever happened after you–”
She cut herself off. Her brows were drawn, her mouth
tight and her breathing shallow. I was so fucking tempted
to reach out and smooth a hand over her brow. I never
wanted to see distress on her face. Unfortunately, it has
been all I brought her.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
She’d never fully comprehend how sorry I was. How
hard it was to give her up. I could have accepted risks to
me, but never to her. My death was acceptable, hers was
not.
She was the cure to all my pain.
Her eyes met mine. Brown. Goddamn it, I hated that
color.
“Sorry about what?” she demanded to know in her soft
voice. Even when pissed off, she spoke softly. Fuck, where
did I even begin?
Sorry that she didn’t get someone better than me. Sorry
that I hurt her. Sorry that I couldn’t keep my father at bay
so her life wasn’t in danger. Sorry that I failed her.
But none of those words came out.
“Sorry is not enough, Alessio,” she whispered, then
turned back to look out the window, signaling our
conversation was over.
She didn’t know it would never be over. Not for the two
of us. I was useless without her so I’d take her now. I’d take
care of her and her son, whoever his father might be. Hate
slithered through my veins at the thought that someone
else touched her soft skin, heard her moans or felt her tight
pussy. But I would never be like my step-father. I would
never cause pain to a child who had no control over his
parentage. I was a better man.
God, I hoped I was a better man than that bastard who
raised me.
We pulled up to my home, sitting on acres of land and
surrounded by protection. I had procured the place
decades ago for my sister, to give her some semblance of
safety. One day I hoped it’d be a happy place for her family,
my family. Our family.
Autumn jumped out of the car and rushed up the marble
stairs without a backward glance.
“By all means, let yourself in,” I grumbled under my
breath.
She couldn’t hear me since she was already out of the
car by the time I turned off the ignition. I took a moment to
admire her curves. She was still slim but there was more
softness to her. I guess it was the result of having a child.
Once I found out what fucker had dared to touch her,
he’d be a dead man. I had already sent a note to Nico.
My phone beeped, signaling a text message, and I
glanced at it.
“Ah, speak of the devil,” I muttered, then dialed him up.
 “Why in the fuck didn’t your background check include
her kid?” I demanded to know. There was no point in
wasting time and beating around the bush.
“You said you wanted to know about her, not her family
and her kid,” Nico answered unperturbed.
“Why in the fuck wouldn’t I want to know about the
kid?” I roared. I could already picture Nico shrugging his
shoulders and sipping his cognac or scotch. Whatever his
choice of poison was.
“I want the father’s name,” I demanded, my teeth
grinding. “Now.”
Children’s high-pitched voices belonging to girls and
boys sounded in the background. “Girls, cut it out. You too,
boys. Or there will be no movie today,” Nico warned. He
had two sets of twins. Honestly, not sure how in the fuck
Nico kept his sanity. His house always buzzed with life and
children’s’ cries, screams, and tantrums.
“You really want to know who the kid’s father is?” Nico
asked. He must have put his kids in check.
“I asked, didn’t I?”
“Look in the mirror, Alessio.” I blinked, my eyes actually
flickering to the rearview mirror. “You’re the kid’s father.”
My ears buzzed and the whole world shifted on its axis.
I was the father. And I had abandoned her. Fuck me.

I entered my home to find Branka and Autumn pouring

themselves a glass of my finest scotch. As if that wasn’t bad
enough, Branka poured another generous, overly large
glass, and offered it to Byron.
“Here, this is for driving me,” Branka told him dryly. “It
was the most boring ride home.”
“I bet my ride trumps yours,” Autumn murmured
absentmindedly. She looked tired. Her dark lashes swept
against her cheeks in a dark fan as she took a gulp of my
scotch.
Branka followed up by downing her own glass. I don’t
think either one of them cared that it was almost two-
hundred-year-old scotch the way they were gulping it. It
was supposed to be savored. Byron at least sipped it. He
must have not been in the mood for socializing because he
disappeared into my office.
“Is it bad that I’m glad that man is dead?” Branka
muttered.
Autumn placed her hand gently over my sisters. “Just
forget about it. Probably best.”
She had no fucking idea. That man had put so many
lives through hell.
“It will be nice to stay put for a while,” Branka beamed.
“For now.” Autumn took another drink of the scotch.
“What do you mean for now?”
“I’ll see how it goes,” she watched the liquid in her
glass. “I kind of like being in the field.”
“But you can’t keep doing that with Kol.”
Autumn sighed deeply. Kol. My kid. Branka hadn’t once
mentioned her best friend having a baby. Did my baby
sister know? Or was that something Autumn kept to
herself? We kept sneaking behind Branka’s back during
those two months.
“I know,” she muttered. “Maman already got me an
appointment to register him for a few hours of daycare. She
said it’s good for socializing.” Was it? I’d have to look it up.
Jesus, I knew very little about kids. Would I have to learn
how to change diapers? “God, I can’t believe I’m back
home. Maman kept my room exactly the way it was.”
“Mine too?” Branka was shocked.
“Yes.” Autumn pushed her hand through that thick mane
of hers. “We should have come back earlier but-” she cut
herself off. “Anyhow, so not sure how long this will last.”
 “What did Alessio want to talk to you about?” Branka
asked her curiously.
She shrugged her slim shoulders. “My photos.”
The look on Branka’s face clearly showed she didn’t
believe her. “Yeah, because every man wants to talk about
arts and crafts.”
Autumn shot her an annoyed look. “Well, I guess your
brother does. Maybe he has an artistic soul.”
Branka rolled her eyes. “Yeah, his arts and crafts end at
making furniture and torturing– “ My sister would be the
death of me. “Anyhow, he likes to make furniture. Although
I don’t remember the last time I saw him do that.”
“He builds furniture with his own hands?” Autumn asked
her, disbelief clear on her face. Branka nodded. “Geez, I
didn’t know he’s that good with his hands.”
“You should test out his hands,” Branka muttered.
“Unless you already have.”
“What the fuck are we talking about?” Autumn
grumbled.
“My brother’s hands,” Branka answered innocently with
that look on her face I have come to know so well. It had
trouble written all over it. “And what is it with the two of
you? I can’t quite decide whether you can’t stand each
other or want to fu– “
“You better not say it,” Autumn hissed her warning. “I
know we buried your father today, but if you say it, I swear
I’m gonna lose my shit.”
Branka grinned. It was all the challenge she needed.
“What? Feeling a bit horny? Your last date didn’t go so
well.”
Her last date? Fury shot through me.
“Branka– “
“I just want to know what’s going on,” Branka grumbled.
“There had to be more behind my brother insisting you ride
with him.”
 “Fine, he talked about my photographs and wanted to
know what we’ve done for the past four years.”
“Maybe he’s fishing for information?” Branka pondered
and my gut warned there was something my little sister
was hiding. “What have you told him?”
“Nothing.” Autumn sounded too defensive. “There was
nothing to tell.”
“Really?” Branka watched her critically. “Like absolutely
nothing to tell?”
“Should I have told him all my dreams and desires?”
Autumn retorted sarcastically.
This time Branka laughed. “Yeah, like that one dream
you had in high school.”
Autumn rolled her eyes. “You’ll have to be a bit more
specific. Those dreams changed weekly. Daily sometimes.”
They both chuckled. “True,” Branka agreed. “The one
where you insisted you’d only marry a local guy because
you wanted to stay close to your parents. And then that
prick called you narrow-minded and I had to punch him for
you.”
I certainly hoped Branka was joking but by the way
Autumn choked on her drink told me she wasn’t. “He ran to
his mommy crying.” They both snickered. “The only reason
nothing was said was because of who your brother was.”
Branka shook her head. “No, they didn’t call anyone
because of who my father was. Alessio is scary but he
always makes me do the right thing. My father was a
different story.”
Both of them remained quiet for a moment.
“Why don’t you marry Alessio?” Branka suggested.
This time Autumn did choke on her drink. “Yeah, that
would be a hard no.”
There was no hesitance in Autumn’s voice, but her
flushed cheeks didn’t escape me.
Branka chuckled. “Somehow I knew you’d say that.”
 They both poured themselves another drink, clinked
glasses, and continued drinking.
“Yeah, he’s not really your type,” Branka remarked,
though I detected sarcasm in her tone.
Wrong, sister. I was totally her type and she was mine.
“I guess.”
Branka already refilled her glass. And her own. That
bottle would be gone tonight, unless I locked it up.
“What do you mean, you guess?” Branka inquired as she
put the bottle down, then took another sip.
Autumn chuckled. “C’mon, Branka. He is hot. Scary as
shit, but hot nonetheless.”
“Would you do him?”
“Branka!”
“What? It’s a good question.” Branka defended herself
while Autumn’s cheeks turned crimson.
“Something is definitely wrong with this conversation. If
I had a brother, I would not want to know if you’d do him.”
Branka shrugged her shoulders. “The fact that you are
avoiding the question, tells me you would do him.”
Autumn exhaled. “No, I wouldn’t. And I wasn’t avoiding
the question. Merely pointing out how inappropriate it
was.”
“You should do him.”
“See, that’s why I don’t tell you when men are hot,”
Autumn pointed out. “You go into full matchmaking mode.
Honestly, that should be a business you start. You thrive in
matching couples together.”
Branka grinned and leaned her head back. “I know. So
far I did pretty well. Thanks to me, two of our crew
members got hitched.”
“Yep.”
“So Alessandro is your type?” Branka tried again.
“Jesus, you are killing me.” Autumn spat out annoyed.
“No, he’s not my type. Currently, nobody is my type.”
 “Okay, okay. He’s not your type.” Branka refilled their
drinks. “Bottom’s up, sis.”
They both laughed and drank it down, then poured
themselves another one.
Leaving the two friends to their own devices, I went in
search of my half-brother. Byron and I had come to a
reluctant truce after he helped me get rid of the old man.
The office door shut behind me with a quiet click. I
found Byron seated comfortably in the sitting area of my
office, sipping the scotch.
I crossed the room, my steps slow and deliberate, until I
reached my desk. I sat behind it, a muscle in my jaw
pulsing. Decades of resentment were hard to overcome and
truthfully, Byron did me a solid. I owed him for this favor,
and I hated being indebted to anyone.
“She’s pretty,” Bryon commented nonchalantly. I didn’t
comment, but my teeth clenched. “Perfect wife material for
an up and coming politician. And closer to my age than
yours.”
Anger burned in my chest. Byron was just two years
younger than me, but he and Autumn were more
compatible. On paper only. Both were clean cut. Both had
ideals. But there was something about seeing Byron and
Autumn together that made me want to smash my half-
brother’s head against the nearest wall. Byron, just like
Autumn, wanted to save the world. It was the reason he
worked behind his father’s back - cleaning up the mess of
corrupted dealings he had left in his wake.
“You realize you’re growling, right?” Byron took a lazy
sip of his drink. My fucking drink.
“And you’re annoying me.” Restlessness buzzed beneath
my skin. I was eager to kick my plan into gear and now that
I learned Kol was mine, I was obsessed with putting it in
play. Jesus, he was mine. I had a kid. A smarter person
would be furious she kept that hidden from me, but the
obsessive and slightly psychotic side of me was thrilled
there was something tying us together. A bond that
couldn’t be broken.
That fucking last scene of us together four years ago
played in my mind. Over and over again. Like a broken
record. She reached out to see me, asking to talk to me,
and I shut her down. Was she going to tell me about the
baby when she came to see me? I never gave her the
chance. Another thing to add to my list to be sorry about.
Would she forgive me?
Because letting go wasn’t an option.
I should have been there for her. I should have been
there for her.
I focused on the positive. Autumn did a good job hiding
my son from my father. It made me love her even more, if
that was even possible. She protected him from that old
bastard for the last four years.
I couldn’t wait to have her in my penthouse. In my bed.
Because there was another organ that worked only for her.
My dick refused to entertain the idea of any other woman.
Just her.
Four years was a long time for abstinence and constant
jerking off.
“You realize she’s your weakness, right?” There was no
need to ask who we were talking about. Autumn Corbin,
soon to be Russo, was my weakness. And I couldn’t even
find the will to give two flying fucks. I’d keep her safe.
Her and our son.
She was the puzzle my heartbeats missed. That organ
only functioned properly when she was around.
I forced thoughts of jet-black curls and hazel eyes aside
for the moment. There was no need to broadcast my
weakness.
“Mind your own goddamn business, Byron.”
“And here I thought you’d love me and be nice to me
forever for killing your father for you.” Byron feigned hurt,
sarcasm heavy in his voice. “And you have that deal with
gun dumping with my cousin, Dante.”
“Yeah, I’d love for you to forever stay out of my sight,” I
grumbled, then my lips curved into a sardonic smile. “I bet
you a specific woman is demanding you stay out of her
sight too,” I jabbed mildly.
Surprise coasted through his eyes, followed by
annoyance and a hint of fury. “You didn’t really think your
oldest brother wouldn’t know your secrets, huh? What kind
of brother would I be?”
“It’s the first fucking time you called me your brother,
and you’ve done it twice in less than a second,” he gritted.
I could see his anger pulsing in his jugular. It wasn’t at
me; it was at a different kind of woman. If Autumn was my
weakness, that red-haired woman was his.
Byron, despite his clean cut appearance, was just as
ruthless as I was. The last person who dared touch
something of his, a woman to be exact, ended up in a coma
with missing fingers and toes and a face that would never
recover.
This must have ruined Byron’s will for conversation
because he stood up, buttoning his expensive Brioni suit. I
fucking hated that we both liked those goddamn suits.
Maybe I’d permanently change to jeans because Autumn
did mention my ass was sexy in jeans. It’d make it harder
for her to resist me.
Right? Fuck! I’d end up hitting an insecure stage in my
forties. Lovely.
“Russo, I already have annoying brothers,” Byron
grumbled, his expression irritated. “I don’t need another
one.”
We were halfway down the large foyer when we both
paused, the sound of Branka’s and Autumn’s laughter
reaching us from the terrace.
“I think I’m a lightweight,” Branka announced, swaying
on her feet and giggling drunkenly. “I used to be able to
drink a whole bottle and not feel this impact.”
“Well, alcohol was scarce in the jungles,” Autumn
mused, her own tone slightly slurred.
I could see Autumn perfectly from here. Both she and
Branka sat on the marble floor of the terrace, their heads
tilted backwards against the rails. The moon’s silver rays
shone against their faces. My sister seemed happier. But it
was my woman that made me unable to look away.
Her ivory skin reflected perfectly in the dark. Her dark
curls blended with the night, leaving her neck exposed. I
craved to suck on her pulse, lick her skin so I could taste
her… like I did four years ago.
She was so fucking beautiful, it hurt to look at her.
“We have to stop drinking,” Autumn said, her speech
slower as if she was too tired to talk. Even with her speech
slurred, her voice was still melodious. “If I get shitfaced, I
might do something stupid. Like get your brother naked.”
Then as if she realized what she said, she gave her head a
small shake. “That would be very bad.”
I stilled at that admission. It took my sister a few
heartbeats to realize what Autumn said.
“So you do have the hots for him,” Branka slurred,
grinning stupidly.
As if Autumn realized her mistake, she tried to
backtrack. She opened her eyes, glancing over at her best
friend. “I don’t. Any man would do, really.”
“Which is the reason your dating life is so abundant,”
Branka retorted. While I tried to distinguish whether my
sister was sarcastic or not, she asked, “Do you still talk to
Kol’s father?”
Autumn shrugged one slim shoulder, but didn’t answer
her. So my little sister didn’t know that I was the father
either. I’d like to think she would have told me. Branka was
young but she was fiercely loyal, and when push came to
shove, she’d choose family over friends. Soon, Autumn
would be her family too.
 “Maybe I should go and volunteer to be her man,” Byron
mused next to me.
“Maybe I should just shoot you dead right now,” I said
darkly.
Byron’s chuckle rang long after he was out the door.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 25

OceanofPDF.com
 Autumn

I t was a perfect time to confess my secret.

Yet, the words refused to leave my lips. I had never
realized how true Maman’s words were. The longer you
withhold the truth, the harder it was to admit it.
And I have kept the truth from her for a very long time.
Four years to be exact. The problem was that if I told her, I
knew she’d tell her brother. Branka and Alessio were close.
He was the big brother who protected her from their father
who was obscenely cruel to their family.
The look she gave me set me on edge. “Why won’t you
talk about Kol’s father?”
It wasn’t the first time she asked this. Sometimes I
wondered if she knew but wanted me to admit it. Although
I’d think if she knew, she’d tell her brother. And I wouldn’t
be able to blame her if she ran to Alessio the moment she
learned who Kol’s father was. If I had a sibling, I’d tell him
too.
“Because there’s not much to say. We fucked. He didn’t
want anything more. Then he didn’t even want that,” I
grumbled, then reached for my phone, sitting on the
marble rail and checked the time. “Oh, crap,” I mumbled,
getting to my feet. The world was a bit dizzy. “Let’s call it a
night.”
“Stay the night,” Branka protested weakly.
 “Or you could come back to my parents’ place?” I
suggested.
This was my first time here. In Alessio’s home. Four
years ago, we stayed at his penthouse downtown. Besides,
the last thing I wanted was to stay under the same roof as
Alessio Russo.
“I think I should stay with Alessio,” Branka murmured.
“To ensure he’s alright.”
I nodded. It made sense. Although the man didn’t seem
overly upset to bury his father today.
“Are you sure I can’t convince you to stay the night?”
Branka tried one more time.
“I don’t want Kol to wake up without me there,” I said
mildly. “I’ll ring a cab.”
I no longer had my car. It was old to begin with and I
hadn’t been back since I first left. My parents met me in
different cities across Europe to celebrate Christmas, to
see Kol and spend time with us.
All because I refused to come back to Montréal and run
into my first love. The father of my child. The man who
betrayed me. But most of all, to never see Alessio’s father
again.
“I’ll take you home.” The lazy drawl of the familiar deep
voice sent shivers down my spine.
Slowly, as if I needed time to adjust, I turned around and
craned my neck at his six foot five frame. Chiseled
cheekbones and steel colored eyes. Sin and ruthlessness all
wrapped up in an expensive coal black suit.
Even after all these years and knowing what he had
done, my body still craved his touch. I had to wonder where
my pride went. I felt like the moment I saw Alessio again,
my feminism went out the fucking window.
Alessio’s eyes flickered to his sister. “Branka, you better
go and sleep off my two-hundred-year-old scotch. I’ll take
Autumn home.”
 When she didn’t move, he let out a sigh. “Don’t leave,”
he ordered me. He took three powerful steps and reached
Branka, then gently nudged her in the direction of the
grand staircase that led to the bedrooms.
For a few moments, they both disappeared from my
view, and I stood in the middle of the grand foyer,
chandelier right above my head, pondering if I should
remain or go. Truthfully, I didn’t want to be alone with
Alessio.
It was too risky - for my traitorous thighs not to open
and welcome him in. Especially under the influence.
“No riding anything under the influence,” I muttered
under my breath. “Especially not Alessandro Russo.”
“Too bad.” The deep, smooth timbre of his voice sent a
warm shiver down my spine. “I think we’d both enjoy that.”
My fists tightened and I forced myself to loosen my
fingers in tandem with my exhale. The things this man did
to me.
Just as before, I slowly shifted, aware of his heat against
my back. Meeting his gaze was always a shock to my
system. It sent adrenaline rushing through my veins along
with this constant craving that never eased.
Except when I was around him.
“Has your son never spent the night away from you?”
His question came out of left field and for a moment, I
stood confused, staring at him.
Your son, he said. Our son, my mind screamed. He was
our son. I thought of him as our son. But for the second
time this evening, I couldn’t get the admission to leave my
lips.
“He has,” I said softly. “He’s spent the night with Branka
and my parents. That’s it.” My chest warmed, just as it
always did when I thought about Kol. “Kol is quite
demanding. Kind of like his father.”
It was the closest to the truth I dared to go. Two
heartbeats and Alessio nodded, understanding in his eyes.
 “Let’s go to my car,” he finally said, putting his hand on
the small of my back and guiding me out the door.
A car already waited for us. Different from his fancy
sports car.
“What happened to the other car?” I asked him.
“There’s more room in this car.”
I wondered for what but I didn’t bother asking him. It
didn’t really matter.

T he second I sank into the expensive leather seats, the car

door shut and Alessio came around the car. He slid into the
driver’s seat with that lethal grace that I used to swoon
over.
Not anymore. Yeah, totally not anymore.
The car smelled like him. The spicy cologne and that
woodsy smell that I came to associate with only Alessio
Russo.
Without a word, Alessio shifted the car into drive and
navigated through his lavish driveway, leading him off his
property.
He drove steady and controlled. Just as he breathed,
talked, and fucked. Yeah, the latter I didn’t really need to
remember. I took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled, then
cursed myself for being so stupid as to let him drive me
home.
That stupid scotch had more alcohol than I anticipated.
It didn’t help that I had two glasses of it. Or was it three?
At one point, I started dumping the contents of my glass
over the rail. Branka was past the stage of noticing.
The urge to touch him was so strong, I had to force
myself to keep my hands planted in my lap. I watched his
fingers curl around the steering wheel, and my memory
latched on to the images of the two of us the last time I felt
them on me.
Cambodia. Right before Abu Dhabi.
“We’re going where on that thing?” I asked Alessio,
staring at the small motorbike.
“We’re going to see the countryside of Cambodia. In all
of its colorful glory,” he answered. He behaved like a
country trip through Cambodia was an everyday
occurrence. “You said you needed a photo for your blog and
you haven’t been able to find it.”
I planted my hands on my hips and leveled Alessio with
a glare. “But what about sex? It’s been a whole week.”
His mouth twitched. “We’ll have time for sex.”
I watched him suspiciously. “Promise?”
“Cross my heart and all that.” He roared the Honda to
life and grinned wide. My gaze traveled over him. Plain
black polo shirt. Jeans. God, he looked good in jeans. And
combat boots. “Ready?”
He extended his hand and I laid my fingers into his
palm. “I can never resist you in jeans,” I muttered. “That’s
the only reason you wore them, isn’t it?”
He didn’t answer. “Do we need helmets?”
“I won’t be going fast.” His eyes roamed over me. I wore
a pink t-shirt and jean shorts. Just like him, I opted for
boots. Except mine were pink. “I’ll never let anything
happen to my woman.”
My cheeks flushed. I loved when he called me his. “Do
you want to see a temple or some dramatic landscapes?”
“Landscape,” I answered. I always preferred the
landscape. “I need my equipment though.”
He patted the bag hanging off the motorbike. “Got it all
here.”
“Okay then,” I sighed. “Here we go.”
I hooked the leg over the bike and slid behind Alessio,
wrapping my arms around his waist. We were in the
riverside town of Battambang and headed south. We
reached the lush Cardamom Mountains at nightfall.
“Where are we going to sleep?” I asked him when he
parked. My thighs were aching from spending so much
time on the back of the bike and the rough terrain. I
stretched my legs.
“There is a cabin up that hill.”
Alessio grabbed the bag off the bike, took my hand and
we hiked up the hill. The sounds of the night vibrated
through the air. We followed the path, highlighted by the
moonlight. My fingers interlocked with his.
It was just the two of us right now. Nobody else.
When we got to the top of the hill, I saw the cabin.
Simple. Small. Perfect.
“Home, sweet home,” I murmured.
He scooped me up and a soft squeal escaped me as I
giggled giddily.
“What are you doing?” I questioned him as he kicked the
door open with his foot, then stepped inside. “Aren’t we
going to enjoy the views?”
“Tomorrow, views,” he rasped against my mouth. “Today
you asked for sex, and I intend to deliver.”
He placed me on a small, single bed made up with clean
sheets that smelled like fresh mountain springs.
My insides clenched and my chest warmed when he
stooped down on one knee to undo my boots. Once he slid
them off my feet, he put them at the foot of the bed, then
removed his own boots. The holster strapped around his
ankle with a knife followed.
His eyes raked over my body. “Strip for me.”
So I did. I always felt more daring with him because of
the way he looked at me. With admiration. Like I was his
salvation.
I pulled my t-shirt over my head. My breasts rose up and
down, my eyes soaking in his expression. I wore a white
lacy bra. He knew it was for him. He once said it was my
white bra and panties that had him losing his focus when
we met. I could tell he remembered it by the way he drew
in a breath. That familiar primal hunger in his gaze set me
ablaze. He reached out his hand, and I handed him the
shirt. He neatly placed it over the only chair in the cabin.
My shorts followed. I shimmied out of them and handed
them to him.
“Your bra and panties too,” he demanded, his voice
raspy.
“I want you naked too,” I breathed. He pulled his shirt
over his head. His jeans followed and he stood gloriously
naked in front of me. The flicker of candles threw shadows
all over him but not even darkness could hide his beauty.
I reached behind me and unlatched my bra. Then I
tugged my panties down my thighs, giving him a glimpse of
my folds. Glistening and wet.
My panties were barely off me when Alessio gripped my
thighs and curled my legs around his waist.
“Ahhh,” I moaned, feeling him at my hot entrance. I
ground my sensitive clit along the ridges of his hard length.
He watched the tip of his cock disappear inside me and we
both groaned at the same time.
“I missed you,” he rasped. My hands came around his
neck, pulling him closer.
“I missed you more,” I murmured against his lips. Then
his mouth took mine, rough and wet. My breasts brushed
against his chest. He impaled me in one harsh thrust and
my nails dug into Alessio’s muscular shoulders.
“Fuck.” His mouth skimmed over my jaw, my neck. “You
feel so good.”
The walls of my pussy clenched around his cock, greedy
for him to start moving. He roared as he started pumping
in and out of me. Hard and deep. The pleasure coiled tight.
Every relentless pound of him built me higher and higher. I
was quivering, the need for release part of every scream
and moan.
 Alessio trapped my nipple in his warm mouth and my
eyes rolled back in my head as my moans turned husky.
His tempo turned harsher and faster, turning me into a
blubbering mess and all the while his tongue teased my
nipples.
“Alessandro, please,” I begged. I was so close to my
orgasm. My eyelids fluttered closed, the emotion building
with each hard stroke.
“Look at me, Autumn,” he demanded.
Snapping my eyes open, I met adoration in his gaze as
my body exploded into an earth-shattering orgasm. He
continued thrusting, pumping into me hard and his pelvis
grinding against my clit. Shudder after shudder rolled
through my body.
Once every shudder had been drained out of me,
Alessio’s cock slid out of my drenched pussy and insecurity
hit me. He was still rock hard.
“We’re not done.” His voice was hoarse; his eyes full of
lust. “All fours. Now.”
I scrambled to obey, my hands and knees hitting the
small mattress. His hand swept my hair to the side and I
tilted my head. I watched as his hands came to my hips,
those graceful fingers gripping my flesh. My pussy
clenched as he pulled my hips higher, so my ass was thrust
higher into the air.
“Hard and fast, right?” The raspy note of his voice sent a
shiver through my body.
“Yes.” The word barely left me when he slammed back
into me in one hard thrust. I screamed his name, my pussy
clenching around his cock. He felt deeper inside me than
ever before. His other hand came to my hair and fisted my
ponytail. He tugged on my hair so my mouth was closer to
him. His lips slammed down on mine, his tongue invading
my mouth roughly while his cock pounded in and out of me.
Another orgasm fast approached. Fireworks built in my
bloodstream. His grunts filled the cabin. Slick sweat
covered my skin. He pounded into me, the thrusts so rough
that the springs squeaked. Heck, it could be that the entire
cabin was shifting.
Every inch of him filled me to the hilt. I rolled my hips
up, greedy for more, causing friction.
“Who do you belong to?” he rasped as flames of desire
burned hotter and brighter inside me. His fingers dug into
my flesh. “Who?”
His voice skirted on the edge of control. His thrusts
picked up a pounding rhythm.
“You,” I screamed. “A-always you.” His harsh breathing
mixed with mine. He hit that spot that caused my back to
bow. And all the while, Alessio fisted my hair. My orgasm
slammed into me and all the while Alessio fucked me
harder and deeper. My throat was raw from my screams.
The pleasure roared through my body and he bit my
shoulder, his own body shuddering with his release. His
throbbing cock spurted hot cum inside me and I lost myself
in him.
This must be what standing in the middle of a hurricane
felt like. Every ounce of my strength was wrung out of me.
My body trembled in his arms and he smoothed a hand
over my back, his rough palm following the path of my
spine.
“I got you,” he whispered into my ear, shifting us so that
he lay on his back with me safely nestled in his arms. “I’ll
always have you.”
That night I slept in his arms, his body spooning mine
dreaming of our future.
The future that crumbled to ashes not too long after I
snapped the pictures of the most breathtaking landscape
and the man that was as wild as the lush Cardamom
Mountains.
“Autumn.” Alessio’s voice chased the memory away,
while my fingernails dug into my palms. At least I was
smart enough not to touch him. “Autumn?”
 “Hmmm.”
“Did you hear me?” he asked.
Annoyance shot through me. “Yeah.” Crap, what did he
say? I was totally not listening, the memories sweeping me
away. Ugh, sometimes amnesia would be welcomed.
The fog started to rise, hiding the moon’s glow. It
reminded me of us.
Alessio brought the car to stop with screeching tires and
I stiffened. I didn’t think I missed anything important. Did
I?
The silence followed. I couldn’t quite decipher whether
it was ominous or just tense. Maybe nerve-wracking.
“What?” I finally snapped, my skin pulled taut.
There was only so much tension I could handle. And this
fucking car was too small for both of us. Thank fuck he
didn’t drive his Bugatti. That was even smaller than this
Land Rover.
“You’re going to marry me.”
An ominous silence followed. With some crickets
chirping, like daggers promising death.
“Breathe.” I didn’t realize I held my breath until that
very moment. A loud swish of air left my lungs in a totally
unflattering manner. I took a deep breath and then let it out
again, my lungs expanding with oxygen.
“Are. You. Fucking. Nuts?” I hissed. This was certainly
not the way I ever thought a man’s proposal would happen.
If it could be called a proposal. “First of all, Alessandro,
your proposal skills suck. Big time,” I gritted. “And
secondly, I’d rather slash my own throat than marry
someone like you.”
His eyes, equal parts ice and fire, filled with fury and a
muscle in his jaw tightened. His eyes darkened and
something bitter passed through his expression.
When he said nothing, I continued. “Tell someone who
fucking cares,” I said coldly, repeating the words he had
told me four years ago. “Those were the last words you
spoke to me four years ago. And now you think I’ll just
forget it all.”
A snicker left my lips. Alessio closed his eyes for a
fraction of a second, his expression pained.
The petty, stupid part of me filled with satisfaction that I
got to him. The fact was he hurt me and didn’t even give
enough of a shit to apologize. And now he thought I’d
marry his cheating ass.
No, thank you.
“If you refuse to move in with me and marry me, you
violate the contract.”
I stilled, then shot him a confused look. Big mistake,
because a self-satisfied smile made an appearance. That
bad boy smile - the kind that I used to love and would mold
my lips to his so I could feel his smile.
“You come from the Corsican mafia. I made a deal with
your grandparents.”
This couldn’t be good. “So?”
My voice sounded strange to my own ears. I
remembered my mother’s words. The agreement they made
with my grandparents. But they never came to collect.
“I made a deal with them,” he drawled, the smug look on
his face sending an alert through me. “To secure their
presence in Philly, I have supplied them with the product
they needed. Their greatest desire is for you to rule the
Corsican mafia, like your mother was raised to do. Since
your skills are lacking, the next best thing was for them to
marry you off. That’s where I came into play. So I signed a
marriage contract binding you to me.”
“A contract?” I repeated stupidly, my mind unable to
comprehend.
“Yes, a contract. It cost me close to a billion but then I
have many more billions to spare,” he said, satisfied with
his victory.
A choked laugh escaped me. “You are fucking insane,
you know that?” I seethed. “My grandparents have zero
rights to me. I don’t even fucking know them. And secondly,
if you think I’d honor something so fucking ludicrous, you
don’t know me at all.”
There it was again. That arrogant fucking smile I hated
so much. Or loved. I couldn’t fucking decide.
He casually leaned back into his expensive leather seat,
pulled out a cigarette and lit it up, inhaling deeply. I
watched his mouth, remembering that first night with him.
In his penthouse. After I gave him my virginity.
“Did you ever wonder why none of the boys approached
you in college?” he asked casually. I blinked. The sudden
change of subjects was giving me whiplash. It was hard to
keep up. “Because you have been mine since I first saw
you. Because if a single man had touched you, I would have
skinned him alive.”
“You’re definitely insane,” I hissed.
“You have no idea,” he retorted dryly. “You and I are
going to be spending a lot of time together. So get used to
it.”
A choked laugh filled the space between us. “This is a
free country and I’m a free woman. So thank you, but no
thank you. I’ll be on my merry way and will not spend time
with you.”
“Do you ever wonder?” he asked.
I curled my fingers into my lap, annoyed and mad. At
him. At myself. “You’re gonna have to be a bit more
specific. I wonder about a lot of things.”
“Do you ever wonder where we’d be today if things
ended differently four years ago?”
Was he for-fucking-real?
“Why are you doing this?” There was a hint of
vulnerability in my voice. He caused it. I hated it.
“I wondered every goddamn day,” he rasped. “Every
fucking night as I lay awake in bed and every godforsaken
morning I woke up.” I swallowed, emotions getting the best
of me. I couldn’t let him get to me. I couldn’t let him break
my heart again. Yet, I felt the damn organ fluttering in my
chest. The traitorous, fragile, breakable heart that longed
for him for the past four years. “I want you, Autumn. And
I’ll do whatever is necessary to keep you this time.”
“I’m not an object,” I snapped. “You can’t make someone
do whatever you want. Just because you want it.”
“But you want it too.” He sounded so damn sure of
himself, it made me hate him and my stupid heart.
“Nothing has ever felt as good as you and I together. You
make sense. We make sense together.”
“We make absolutely no sense,” I said, my voice too soft.
Too low. I should be screaming at him. Telling him to burn
in hell. I couldn’t.
“You’re lying to yourself and me. You want me. At least
your body does.” Goddamn him for switching tactics on me.
“For now, I’ll take that. Until I can fix everything else.”
“There is no fixing us.”
His hand reached over and tucked a piece of hair behind
my ear. His fingers lingered there, brushing against my
sensitive skin and a shudder rolled down my spine,
“I can still remember how your pussy strangled my cock.
How you shuddered underneath me, begging me to go
harder and faster. I remember every single moment with
you. I can make it good for you again.”
Suddenly, I could hear nothing but the drumming of
blood in my ears. Every inch of my skin buzzed and ignited
like it was on fire. The need vibrated under my skin, his
warm scent numbing all my reasonable sense. A heaviness
settled between my legs and I had half a mind to beg him to
ease it.
I was wound up so tight, I thought I’d fucking explode or
burn to ashes like that fucking cigarette. Four years
without sex was a very long time.
“No.” My voice was throaty, betraying how much he
affected me. “No to all of it. Marriage. You. Me. Us. No to
everything.”
 He made a rough sound of anger or maybe it was
disappointment.
“You will marry me, Autumn Corbin.” His deep voice
finally broke the moment. “You want to know why?”
Don’t fall for it. Don’t fall for it. “Why?” I breathed,
while his gaze burned me.
“Because I’ll destroy everything you love if you refuse.”
He put the car back in drive and pulled away from the side
of the road. “Trust me, love, I have the means for it.” He
flashed me that bad boy smile that promised trouble and
like a fool I fell for it. “Pack your shit tonight. I’m taking
you and Kol to my place.”
And this was why it was safer to hate him. He would
rather destroy me than love me. He’d already proved that
once. As if I needed the reminder.

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 Chapter 26

OceanofPDF.com
 Alessio

T here’d be no escaping me.

Not this time.
I pulled up to the Corbin residence and Autumn
jumped out of the car, slamming the door behind her.
As she strode away from me, she flipped me the bird
over her shoulder. Okay, so she was upset.
She’d get over it. Eventually. I hoped.
She went into her parents’ home and it took all of one
second for her mother to show up at the door.
For a woman who grew up surrounded by luxury and a
fucking fortress, Mrs. Corbin downgraded significantly.
Though by the looks of it, she didn’t mind it one bit.
The charming, two story home of three thousand square
feet was surrounded by a white picket fence. There was a
large vegetable garden off to one side with fruit trees
spread over the yard, while on the opposite side a wide
opening of green lawn stretched for two acres, every single
inch covered by leaves. It was fall heaven.
Autumn’s father certainly changed his lifestyle. From
the guy that chased criminals and locked them away to a
security consultant who spent most of his time tending to
his garden alongside his wife.
Mr. and Mrs. Corbin were one of those beloved couples
and their own happiness projected to everyone around. No
wonder Branka fell for their charm. Maybe Mrs. Corbin
could understand Branka better than most. Growing up in
the Corsican mafia exposed her to the cruelty of the
underworld. Fuck, she battled the DiLustro’s and other
criminals right alongside her father sometimes.
I exited my car and Mrs. Corbin waited by the door for
me.
“Mrs. Corbin,” I greeted her as I reached the residence.
“Alessio Russo.” Her voice was cold and her eyes
narrowed on me. “What is going on?”
“Your daughter and Kol will be staying with me,” I told
her coldly.
“So you’re the reason they never came,” she stated
matter-of-factly.
I didn’t bother answering her. She could go ask her
parents about the details. All I cared about was that
Autumn and Kol were with me.
Her dark eyes, unlike her daughter’s, darted over the
horizon. It took a second before she returned her eyes to
me. “Listen to me, Alessandro Russo.” I stiffened at her
warning. Nobody ever fucking dared to warn me. “I left
that life behind. But if you make my daughter cry again, or
my grandson for that matter, I won’t hesitate to use the
skills my father taught me one last time.”
My lips tugged up. I liked Autumn’s mother. “Duly
noted.”
Her husband showed up, his expression dark. I was
surprised it took him that long. But then his wife wasn’t
exactly helpless. He didn’t look happy either. Too fucking
bad. Autumn was my woman and that little boy was my son.
Jesus, it’d take a while to get used to saying that. My
son.
Yet, each time I thought about it a smile touched my lips
and my chest grew full. I only found out about him and
already, I’d die for him. For both of them.
 But it’d be best if Autumn didn’t know that. She might
expedite my death.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Autumn’s father
barked. Okay, that didn’t take long at all.
“Derek, that’s not how we treat guests,” his wife scolded
him. Apparently, she had forgotten that mere seconds ago
she herself threatened me.
“Mr. Corbin, I’m here to take Autumn home.”
“Don’t you Mr. Corbin me, Russo!” he gritted. I never
knew the even tempered man had the attitude in him. “She
is home.” He didn’t wait for my answer. “Where are you
taking my daughter and my grandson?”
“To my place,” I told him calmly. “They’ll be safe there
and you can visit anytime you wish. And they can visit you
anytime they wish.”
“This is their home,” he snapped.
“Their home is with me,” I said coldly. “And I won’t
hesitate to make anyone that tries to take them from me
pay.”
It sounded like a threat. To her parents. The truth was,
I’d never hurt them because Autumn loved them so much.
But a little incentive never hurt anyone.
“It was bound to happen eventually,” Mrs. Corbin
mumbled, then took her husband’s hand and patted it
gently. They shared a look, silent understanding passing
between them. “He hurts us, we hurt him. It doesn’t really
matter. As long as Autumn has decided and agreed to go
with him, we have to respect it. But if he makes her cry,
then we take him out.”
Jesus Christ. Was that how a normal marriage looked?
I wouldn’t fucking know. I hadn’t seen a single normal
relationship in my entire goddamn life. The only normalcy
in my life was that short period with Autumn.
“You better be good to her,” Autumn’s father warned
quietly. “To her and Kol.” Or else hung in the air. I couldn’t
blame him and that made me respect him more. “If I see
my daughter cry, I’ll come after you, Russo. I don’t care
who your friends are.”
My lips tugged up. Twice in less than five minutes. That
must be a record. “Noted, Mr. Corbin.”
Autumn showed up behind her parents with Kol in her
arms and a large overnight bag. Kol’s alert eyes studied me
curiously. My chest swelled with so many emotions. I feared
I’d become a fucking pussy, and I couldn’t give two fucks.
He was my kid. My son. And he was fucking perfect. As
he studied me, I studied him. He had his mother’s hair but
definitely my eyes. My face too. The few photos I’d seen of
myself when I was a kid, Kol was my spitting image.
“Hello, Kol,” I said, keeping my voice low. My own father
always roared and I fucking hated it. “I’m Alessio.”
“Hi. You Maman’s friend?”
I swallowed. Good God, was it normal to feel so
emotional? He didn’t seem sleepy. It was only seven at
night. I thought it was a bit early for bedtime, not that I
knew much about kids.
“Yes, I’m your Maman’s friend,” I confirmed. My eyes
darted to Autumn who was watching us with a guarded
expression. Her eyes shimmered and she chewed on her
bottom lip. As if she attempted to keep herself together.
I reached for the straps of Autumn’s shoulder bag and
felt a tremble in my hand. My fucking hand shook from the
need to touch my son. I shut it down fast and slid the large
overnight bag off Autumn’s shoulder.
“Need me to grab anything else?” I asked her, keeping
my eyes on Kol.
“Our travel bags are still packed,” she murmured. “I
want to leave some stuff here.”
The pulse in her neck beat wildly and I wondered if she
was already contemplating an escape. Bitter amusement
filled me. She hadn’t even spent one night with me and she
already planned on running.
 “Leave it then,” I told her, my voice calm while my
insides boiled. “I’ll order everything else.”
I’d research what a three-year-old needed. “Alessio, you
can have my car seat for Kol,” Mrs. Corbin offered and
earned herself a glare from her husband and daughter.
“Not to worry, darlings. He knows I’ll have his head on a
spike if something happens to my daughter or grandson.”
“Thank you.” Okay, I’d start with buying the safest car
seat tonight.
Five minutes later, Kol was strapped safely into his car
seat and Autumn’s parents lingered on their front porch as
we shut the door.
I opened the door to my Land Rover but before she
could get into the car, my hand wrapped around her slim
wrist.
“You run, and I’ll burn this motherfucking world down to
find you,” I told her in a soft voice, keeping my tone low.
“You and Kol belong with me.”
They were mine now. I’d never let them go.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 27

OceanofPDF.com
 Autumn

A lessio was blackmailing me.

The bastard was blackmailing me. First the threats
from his father and now this. I was free for five
fucking minutes and then Alessio trapped me again. A
fucking contract. But he had another thing coming if he
thought I’d just accept it. I didn’t give a shit what my
grandparents agreed to. They were nothing to me. Two
strangers I had never met.
We got to Alessio’s penthouse, and he showed us to Kol’s
room.
He turned around to leave, when my voice stopped him.
“Where is my room?” I demanded to know, keeping my
voice low.
His gaze found me and a shudder rolled down my spine.
Jesus, maybe alcohol still lingered in my system. Or maybe
it was just him. This damn man.
“You know where our room is,” he answered.
“I want my own room,” I insisted.
“No.” Agitation shot through me, but before I could say
another thing, he disappeared into his office.
Goddamn him!
For the next hour, Kol roamed Alessio’s penthouse, his
eyes curiously exploring every inch of it. And me with him.
The place was just as I remembered it. It was as if he
hadn’t changed a single thing in all these years.
How many women has he brought here since? I thought
bitterly.
I fixed a simple dinner for Kol and myself. His favorite,
mac and cheese with peas, while I had grilled cheese. Kol
liked to take his time eating so I took the opportunity to
edit a few photos on my laptop while he ate, making a
disaster out of his seat.
Afterwards, I had to carry him into the bathroom like a
sack of potatoes and all the while he shrieked happily,
leaving a trail of peas and macaroni in our wake.
“Alessio is not going to be happy about his prestigious
bamboo hardwood getting all smudgy,” I told my son softly.
“But then he demanded we stay here, so he had it coming.
Didn’t he?” I grinned as another happy high-pitched squeal
left him.
Once in the bathroom, I shut the door and let him roam
around as I filled the bathtub. Then I took off his clothes
and put him in the tub with the bubbles. The moment his
toe hit water, he commenced his splashing, shrieking
happily.
These were my favorite parts of the day. Simple
moments when I kneeled next to the tub while Kol babbled
and splashed excitedly. It was always new and exciting to
him.
Kol waved his hands and brought them down, making
another splash and getting me all wet. It made me laugh -
loud and carefree.
“You’re making a major mess, Kol,” I scolded him softly.
“Alessio’s going to kick us out.”
Not a bad idea. It was one way to cut this stay short.
“There is no chance of that ever happening.” A deep
voice came from behind me and I glanced back to find
Alessio leaning against the doorframe, his eyes on little Kol
who was waving his hands excitedly.
 Alessio took two steps and stood over the tub, looking at
Kol. It was as if he studied him. I followed his gaze to my
son. Alessio studied Kol’s scar. Right above his heart. Each
time I saw it, a pang of terror shot through me.
The screams. The pain. The smoke. I could still taste it.
“It’s a scar,” I whispered, my voice hoarse and my heart
stuck in my throat.
The memory. The terror. I could still taste it on my
tongue.
The high-pitched scream of my baby rang in my ears for
days after that.
Alessio’s father pushed the lit cigarette into my baby
and a scream shattered through the hospital room. Kol’s.
Mine.
“Get away from him!” I threw myself on him, my fists
hitting against his back.
He pushed me off easily, my back and skull hitting the
cold hospital tile. Black dots swam through my vision. My
body was weak, but I kicked and clawed at him, trying to
get to my son.
His fingers fisted my hair, my scalp burning as he pulled
it, then lifted my head and slammed it hard against the tile.
Smoke filled my lungs. My hand wrapped around his wrist,
my fingernails digging into his skin.
My head hit the cold floor again and this time, I twisted
my head and bit into his hand. Hard.
He slapped me hard across the face and my body flew
across the floor towards the little hospital crib.
“Dare to touch him and I’ll kill you,” I croaked, the
metallic taste of blood and fear heavy in my mouth. I was
the only one standing between him and my son. Actually,
kneeling since my legs were too weak to support me rising
to my feet. “I’ll make sure my parents and my grandparents
know what you have done to their heir. Are you able to fight
the Corsican mafia?”
 I was grasping for straws. I had no idea where the
thought came from. But it scared him. I could see it on his
face.
“So you finally came to terms with it, huh?” he
snickered. “Your mother would have been something as the
head of that family. Lethal and efficient. Listen to me, little
Autumn. Approach Alessio, and I’ll burn your entire family
to the ground. Starting with your father and ending with
your little bastard son.”
With that final threat he left me and Kol behind.
“Who did that to Kol?” Alessio’s voice was calm, but a
hint of vehemence showed through.
The man was dead. He was no longer a threat. Should I
tell him? I trusted Alessio never to hurt Kol. My heart was
an entirely different thing. I knew in my heart that he
would never hurt Kol. He would never hurt me. Physically.
My heart was something entirely different.
Sometimes it was best to leave ghosts where they
belong. In the past.
I was older now. Hopefully a little bit smarter. I
recognized Alessio’s scars now because Kol’s scar was
exactly the same. Cigarette butts. It twisted my heart to
think of what Alessio had to endure as a child.
He was a product of a fucked up family. It made me
appreciate my own family even more. The confession that
Kol was his burned in my throat. There was just something
about seeing Alessio in the same room with his son that
made me want to confess to him that Kol was his.
It wasn’t something I ever intended to keep from him. I
wanted Kol to have both of us, but things worked out
differently.
A pang of guilt shot through me.
I should tell him now. I knew I should. Yet, those last
words he spoke to me in London held me back. He hurt me.
Broke my heart. He had never admitted nor apologized. It
was a two way street. I owed him nothing.
 Yet, keeping his son away from him felt so much worse.
Unless he didn’t want a kid.
It wasn’t like we ever talked about it.
“Are you ever going to trust me, Autumn?”
A simple question. A complicated answer.
“I trusted you once,” I choked in a soft voice, turning my
back to him. “I’m not inclined to do it again. Besides, you
never trusted me.”
It was true. He made me happy four years ago. My heart
was his and all the while, he kept himself locked up tight
behind a wall.
I brushed my fingers over Kol’s wet hair, that innocent
face staring back at me with so much love. I’d like to think
that Alessio had at least that when he was that age.
“Do you need help?” Alessio offered, his voice hoarse.
I turned my head to watch him over my shoulder,
slightly shocked at his offer. I remained staring at him with
my mouth parted. Without waiting for my answer, Alessio
unbuttoned his suit jacket and slid it off his broad
shoulders, then discarded it against the bathroom counter.
He joined me on the marble tilted floor, his eyes zeroed
on Kol.
“Hey, buddy,” Alessio greeted Kol softly. “Are you having
a good time?”
Kol nodded, smiling wide. “We’ll have to build you a cool
bedroom here,” Alessio said softly. “It’s been awhile since I
made furniture. But maybe a bed in the shape of a car?”
Alessio making furniture? Now that was something I had to
see. Kol shook his head. “Okay, no car. How about a bed in
the shape of a plane?”
Kol let out an excited squeal and started splashing water
with both his hands and little legs.
“Okay then.” Alessio smiled and I stared at his face,
mesmerized. I had never seen him so relaxed. Happy. “We’ll
build you the best plane bed any boy has in this city.”
 We sat there for a while longer, neither one of us talking
while Kol kept babbling in baby talk. It was a perfect family
moment and all the feelings I buried so deep inside me
started to break free.
The wings fluttered. The love I convinced myself I didn’t
feel broke through. But I couldn’t forgive him. Those words
he spat at me cut deep.
“Okay, buddy,” I started, raising up to my full height.
“It’s time to get out.”
Swiftly, Alessio rose up. “Let me,” he offered and took
Kol out of the water, uncaring of the water dripping all over
his expensive suit.
Together we dried him off, then put him into his pjs with
little planes and trains all over it. Afterwards, we read him
a story together. With each passing page, Kol demanded
that Alessio read another page.
It’s that easy to get demoted by your son, I thought
wryly to myself.
Kol’s eyes drooped, heavy with sleep.
“Okay, last page,” I whispered softly to Alessio. His eyes
lowered to Kol, and for a moment, I thought I saw pride
flicker in his gaze.
Pride and love. The kind that would make you sacrifice
the world for a child.
My breath hitched in my lungs and I froze, waiting. For
what, I didn’t know.
Alessio finally met my gaze. Something raw and
vulnerable waged in his eyes. The look in his gaze no
longer burned but it grabbed hold and hung on.
He leaned over our son’s small body and pulled me
gently by the nape.
Soft kiss. Heavy heart. Dark as sin possession.
“I’m never letting you go.” A simple statement wrapped
in so many layers of complication.
He left in a hurry, leaving me speechless and staring
after him. Was I hurt he was leaving my first night back?
He insisted we come tonight. Right away. No running away.
What. The. Fuck. Ever!

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 28

OceanofPDF.com
 Alessio

T he music played softly in the background as I walked

down an aisle of the store. I had two men watching
the penthouse to ensure Autumn and Kol were safe.
And that she didn’t leave. I had to leave them - to get some
space and more importantly to get everything we needed
for my son.
Our son.
Ricardo insisted on coming along.
“You know one of the men could have done this,” he
grumbled.
I didn’t care. Kol was mine and I’d get what we needed.
With a phone in one hand and an app open, I added
things to my online cart, while at the same time I pushed a
cart down the aisle. It was safe to say, I had never in my
goddamn life pushed a shopping cart down a store aisle.
“So she’s staying this time?” Ricardo wouldn’t drop the
subject. He could be such a persistent motherfucker.
“If you say I told you so, I’m going to knock you out with
this fucking car seat,” I grumbled.
Four years ago, he left my townhouse just as Autumn
showed up. I had a plan of cutting her loose. He disagreed.
He thought we should cut my father loose. I was up for
killing my father except that it would put Autumn in even
more danger. His associates would follow. We would have
put her in the midst of it all.
My father didn’t hesitate to send someone after her
once. If I would have kept her, he wouldn’t have stopped.
“I wasn’t gonna say it,” he said dryly. “You just did.”
By this point, the cart was full. Car seats, baby gates,
safety covers for receptacles, clothes, toys, more clothes.
And at the same time, I kept clicking the ‘Buy’ button for
things I’d need to build my son a bed like I promised.
“I never told you, I stayed outside your place that day,”
he started. There was no need to ask what day. When he
came back, there wasn’t a single item in that townhome
that wasn’t damaged. The blonde scurried out the back
door. She was paid to play a part and nothing else. I never
touched her.
“If you are up for reminiscing about the bad old days,
I’m really going to shove you into that car seat,” I warned,
hiding the turmoil inside me. That day in London haunted
me every day. It was me that caused the sadness in her
eyes that day. Her lip quivered but she tried to stay strong.
She was so full of pride.
He ignored my threat and continued. “When she left
your place, I followed her a few steps. Wanted to make sure
she got back to her hotel safely. She broke down.” My heart
twisted. “Her mother was there to catch her.” No wonder
the woman hated me. I was surprised she didn’t come and
finish me off that day. After all, I had no doubt her father
had taught her how to kill and make it look like an
accident. “Autumn was in pretty bad shape.”
And it was me that caused it. She told me she had
something important to share with me. Was it that she was
pregnant? If I had known, I’d have changed it all. I would
have gone after my father, consequences be damned.
But that was the thing. There was no changing what
happened. Only our present and future.
T wo hours later , I brushed past two of my men in the
lobby and took the elevator up to my penthouse. I’d ask
them to bring up the stuff tomorrow. I didn’t want to wake
Kol up trying to unpack the bags and boxes filling my Land
Rover. If I knew Autumn, she’d probably want to go to her
parents.
Once inside my penthouse, I went straight to the bar
and poured myself a glass of scotch. The penthouse was
enveloped in darkness, the only glow coming from
Montréal’s city lights pouring through the floor-to-ceiling
windows.
Restlessness ghosted down my spine. Tension coiled
beneath my skin, and I knew it had something to do with
the raven-haired woman that was currently in my bed.
At least she better fucking be there. I didn’t deserve her.
I fucked it all up four years ago. But I still wanted her. It
had always been her.
Downing the drink in one gulp, I went to check on Kol in
his room. He slept peacefully, sprawled over the entire bed
and a soft smile on his lips. He must be having good
dreams.
Another thing Autumn did right.
She allowed our son to have peaceful dreams. No
fucking nightmares for him. I honestly couldn’t remember
ever sleeping that peacefully when I was a kid. Four years
ago, during those short months, I slept soundly when
Autumn was in my arms. Kuala Lumpur. Japan. Cambodia.
It didn’t matter, as long as she was with me.
Kol shifted on his bed and laughed in his sleep. My lips
tugged up softly. God, I loved him. So fucking much that it
scared me. I’d kill anyone who tried to taint a single speck
of his innocence. The curtains were half open and the moon
offered the natural nightlight.
 My chest fucking ached at the beautiful sight. I bent
down and kissed his forehead, then pulled a cover over him
so he wouldn’t get cold. Fall temperatures could be brutal
here.
Leaving the door slightly cracked, I went to my room.
The bed was empty. I wasn’t surprised. Disappointed, but
not surprised.
I went to the next spare bedroom. And then the next
one. I found her in the fifth one, sleeping soundly on her
side facing the windows. I recalled when she loved sleeping
facing the window in my bed too. And every hotel we slept
in together.
I gently scooped her up and carried her back to my
bedroom, placing her on the same side she slept before.
She barely stirred as I covered her up.
She stretched one foot, leaving her one thigh outside of
the covers. Her lips were slightly parted. Her breathing
was even and smooth, her dark lashes fanning her cheeks
and making her seem like a fallen Madonna in my bed.
Satisfaction washed over me and my chest rumbled with
a feeling I hadn’t felt in four years.
This was where she belonged.
In my bed. In my home. In my life.
Although, I didn’t think Autumn agreed. Even in her
sleep, she attempted to put distance between us. She
shifted again and scooted so close to the edge of the bed,
another inch and she’d fall off the bed.
I strode into my closet and undressed down to my
boxers, washed off, then slid under the covers.
Staring at the dark ceiling, I took a deep breath in,
letting her fall scent seep into my lungs. That smell was
everywhere already.
In my car. In the penthouse. In my bathroom. In my bed.
I turned my head and watched her small silhouette
curled on her side, her back towards me. That raven hair
spilled all over the pillows and my fingers itched with the
need to touch her.
Just one touch.
I reached out and wrapped one silky jet-black strand
around my finger. It was as soft as I remembered.
Fuck, she was perfect. And now I was rock hard.
I let the piece slide off my finger and bounce back onto
the soft feather pillow. I should go to sleep, yet with my
painfully hard cock, straining for her, it’d be impossible to
find sleep.
Maybe I shouldn’t have insisted she sleep in my bed.
Karma was a bitch indeed.
The desire raged inside me, burning every single
reasonable thought until only her warm scent and the
visions of how she’d look writhing underneath me
remained. Her breathing pattern slightly changed, but my
brain couldn’t process that realization.
My groin pulsed, demanding release.
She was too close to me. Not close enough.
Autumn had been buried so deep into my soul for so
long, she was the only thing I ever wanted. The only woman
to get me hard anymore. The last four years had been hell
without her. The possibility of living the rest of my life
without her made me want to end it all. Instead, I followed
her photographs and career.
I stalked her on social platforms. The temptation was too
great and I needed to be sure she was okay. Every photo
posting gave me that assurance. So did Branka, but my
little sister was stingy with information.
I glanced over to Autumn. She still hadn’t moved. Fuck,
this was torture. If I only rolled her onto her back, I could
slide between her thighs. Taste her pussy. Would she
welcome me back?
I returned to stare at the ceiling, trying to ease my
heartbeat and stop thinking so I’d get some sleep. Maybe I
should count sheep, I mused to myself, but I already felt my
mind drifting.
I closed my eyes and wrapped my hand around my cock.
I was hard and swollen, drops of pre-cum already smearing
over it. I remembered her soft moans. Her soft body. Her
eagerness and how she thrashed under me, begging for
more.
A low groan vibrated in my chest as I fisted my cock and
cupped my balls, just the way she used to do. My grip
tightened and a harsh breath pierced through the fog in my
brain. It wasn’t my breath.
My movement stilled and my eyes opened to find
Autumn’s eyes locked on my hand fisted around my cock.
Her cheeks were flushed, her mouth parted. Her eyes so
fucking green, I could get lost in them.
My cock pulsed, recognizing the woman that brought me
so much pleasure.
“You smell so good,” I grunted, resuming. I pumped up
and down. Hard and rough. Fuck, I needed her so fucking
much. If she’d feel a fraction of this, I’d be buried deep
inside her now.
“Ditto,” she breathed and lifted that beautiful gaze,
meeting mine. It was then that I saw it. Her own lust
reflected in her hazel depths.
Our eyes locked, she shifted over to me, barely an inch
but I took it. I inhaled deeply and watched her through my
half-lidded gaze.
“Four years of jerking off with you on my mind,” I
hissed, fisting myself faster and faster.
She inched her way closer and before I realized what
she was doing, her hand came to mine, removing it and
wrapping her small hand around my shaft.
“Fuck.” A loud groan vibrated through the dark bedroom
and my head fell back. She started pumping, up and down.
Her soft hand felt so much better than mine. My eyes
closed and my breathing harshened. “That’s right, love.”
 She paused her movements. Goddamn it, I wanted to
touch her so bad. It clawed at my chest. Her touch was a
cure that would make me even more addicted to her.
I opened my eyes and our gazes met. Need. Desire.
Ache.
Everything I felt for her, reflected in her own eyes. Or
maybe my mind was projecting.
But there was something else in her eyes. Something
that wasn’t there before.
Hurt. Walls. She held herself back.
“I don’t forgive you.” And there was my confirmation of
the damage I’ve done. “For any of it.” I nodded. There was
so much to say and no words good enough to explain.
“You’re just an itch I have to scratch.”
A sardonic breath left me. Okay, that one hurt. “Then
scratch it, love.”
“I-I just want to get off.” Her tongue swept over her
bottom lip. “And you happen to be here.”
“Then use me,” I rasped. “I’ll give you whatever you
need. Everything.” I watched her delicate neck bob as she
swallowed, then took her lip between her teeth. I still
remembered how good her mouth felt wrapped around my
cock. “I’ll take whatever crumbs you throw my way,
Autumn.”
She blinked, confusion and desire battling in her eyes.
“I want you to feel good, too,” she murmured. And that
was the reason she was different from me. I took and took.
She took and gave. It was who she was.
“Anything you do to me will feel good,” I assured her
while my cock throbbed painfully. Just seeing her was
enough to spill. Her hand on me had me already ready to
spill. I just needed another pump and like an addict, I was
ready to beg her for it.
“Can I straddle you?” A barely audible request but my
hands registered it before my mind did.
 I grabbed her waist and placed her on top of me, her
knees spread, one on each side of me.
I could feel her hot pussy so fucking close to my cock.
All I had to do was push her panties aside and thrust inside
her. Sweat beads formed on my forehead, a tremor buzzed
through me with the need to bury myself inside her.
But I couldn’t do it to her. Not unless she wanted it.
Unless she was ready.
“C-can you touch me?” she begged, our eyes locked and
our faces inches apart.
I pushed her panties aside at the same time her hand
wrapped around my cock again. Her moan and my grunt
mixed. “It won’t take me long,” I growled. “All I have to
think about is your hot pussy choking my cock.”
“Alessandro,” she whimpered, her hips rocking into my
touch as I rubbed her clit.
Our movements somehow synchronized. Our eyes
lowered between our bodies, my hand cupping her pussy
and fingering her. Her small hand wrapped around my
glistening cock, jerking me off. Pumping harder and faster.
I could feel her hot pussy clenching for my finger or
cock, just as my dick throbbed for her pussy. My greedy
woman ground against my cock. Her movements were jerky
and un-practiced and while her hand kept pumping me, my
cock would brush against her hot entrance.
I jerked up my hips and a moan slipped through her full,
pink lips. “Fuck, more,” she breathed.
So I did it again. I was so fucking hard, I’d burst at any
moment, but I refused to cum before she got her pleasure. I
wanted to see that blissful look in her eyes as she
orgasmed, knowing I brought it to her.
Her panties in my way, I took my other hand and ripped
them off her. She didn’t even pause her movements.
Neither did I. Our heavy breathing and grunts were the
only sounds filling the darkness.
 She brushed her pussy against my shaft and I fingered
her harder and faster. Her wetness dripped down my wrist.
My free hand grabbed her nape and pulled her next to my
face.
“Mine,” I grunted, rubbing her clit like my life depended
on it. “Your mouth is mine. Your breasts are mine. Your
pussy is mine.”
“Fuck,” she moaned. Her pussy was drenched.
“Your ass is mine.” The slickness of her clit as I fingered
her faster, the slickness of my cum as she pumped me
harder. “Say you’re fucking mine.”
“Please,” she begged breathlessly. “Please, I need–”
Her eyes lowered between us and I followed her gaze.
Seeing the two of us jerk each other off. She lowered her
body barely an inch and my shaft slid inside her hot
entrance.
“Fuck!” I had no idea who said it. Her. Me. Maybe both
of us.
Her shudders pushed her down further and the head of
my cock pushed at her entrance. She moaned. Long and
loud. I grunted. Hard and brutal. Her body trembled as I
spurted my cum all over her pussy, our juices mixing
together. I hadn’t come so hard from jerking off in years.
And the whole time we both watched our bodies almost
connected.
But not joined.
I jolted up, my balls aching. And my fucking cock hard
as metal.
Autumn must have rolled over and was now facing me.
She was still fast asleep, her lips slightly parted, and her
breaths came out even and shallow. She looked so damn
peaceful. So opposite of me. My own dreams were always
disconnected images of shit I’ve done. Things I couldn’t
remember when awake. Things I’d probably never
remember.
 My throat tightened and my gaze found her again. That
familiar ache in my chest, the pain that always lived there
slowly eased.
Autumn healed my invisible scars and she didn’t even
know it.
There was no good version of my life without her in it.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 29

OceanofPDF.com
 Autumn

I woke up to rumpled sheets and the scent of sandalwood

and spice in the air. How did I end up in his bed? I had
gone to sleep in the guest bedroom. Being too close to
him, never mind sleeping in his bed, was too tempting to
break my resolve.
And that would leave a bad taste in my mouth. After
everything that had happened between us.
At least Alessio was gone. I heard him get up at the
crack of dawn and leave. Burying my face in the pillow, the
images from my dream last night flashed through my mind.
Jesus.
Less than a day back in Montréal, and I was already in
Alessio’s bed. Dreaming of sucking him off. Not that he
didn’t reciprocate in that fantasy.
Ugh.
My whole body heated up. How could I have let my mind
go so far last night? I had to remember that he was a
cheater. I had to find a way to get out of this mess.
He did say he was sorry after his father’s funeral, my
soft heart whispered. The stupid heart. He left it vague.
‘I’m sorry’ explained nothing.
I shot out of bed and got ready. I threw on a pair of jeans
and a rust colored sweater, along with a pair of boots just
in the nick of time before Kol woke up.
 When I stepped into Kol’s room, I found him sitting in
the middle of the bed, smiling and wide awake.
“There is my handsome boy,” I beamed at him. “Are you
ready to go see Grandma and Grandpa?”
“Yes, yes, yes.”
I grinned. “I’ll shoot them a message and ask them to fix
us breakfast and strong coffee. Yeah?”
A nod.
Twenty minutes later, Kol and I were in the lobby, his
small hand in mine, our steps slow and making our way for
the exit, when a towering frame blocked my way out.
“Umm, excuse me,” I muttered and tried to side-step
him. He blocked my way again. “Hey!”
“Where are you going?” he demanded to know and I
frowned.
“None of your business,” I hissed. I recognized him from
four years ago. “Now get out of my way before I call the
police,” I threatened, already pulling out my phone and my
finger hovering over the screen.
“Boss didn’t say you were going anywhere,” he
muttered.
My fingers stilled over the first number. “Boss?”
I knew what he meant. Or rather who he meant. But I
couldn’t believe that the asshole would keep me prisoner.
“Alessio.”
Oh, he did not.
My eyes narrowed on the big, towering frame and my
hand with my phone shot to his chest.
“You tell Alessio he cannot control my movements,” I
hissed, my cheeks hot with frustration and all the while
poking at his chest. “Actually, never mind. I’ll tell him
myself.”
Before I realized what I was doing, I pulled up his
number and dialed him.
“Autumn.” My face burned crimson. Images of the two of
us last night flashed through my mind. Damn him. “I’m glad
you still have my number.”
I never had it in me to delete it. Not because I still loved
him. But because he was my child’s father.
“Tell your brute to let me pass,” I grumbled, pissed off
that even over the phone, Alessio managed to make me all
flustered. “I’m going to visit my parents for breakfast.”
A long pause followed.
With each second that ticked by, my irritation rose
another notch. I opened my mouth, ready to snap at him.
Scream at him.
“Ricardo will take you.”
“No need,” I protested. “I can take a cab.”
“Either Ricardo takes you or you stay home.”
Anger consumed me. Scratched at my throat. Burned my
cheeks. I have traveled the world for the past four years
alone. Jungles. Deserts. War zones. I didn’t need a
goddamn escort. I was a grown woman.
“This isn’t over,” I spat in a low voice, trying desperately
to hold on to my reason. I’d deal with him later. I ended the
call and glared at Ricardo. The poor guy was getting the
brunt of my anger. “Alessio said you’ll drive us to my
parents.”
This was fucking bullshit. I traveled the whole goddamn
world, and now I couldn’t go across town to my parents
alone.
Fuck. That. Shit.
Ricardo’s phone beeped at that moment. It must have
been the instructions from Alessio. If I let the anger boil,
I’d end up seeing red and blowing a gasket. So I took a
deep breath in and released it. Then I repeated it again.
Ricardo drove us in a black, bulletproof Expedition that
had a new car seat in it. And the old one to return to my
maman. I didn’t even ask. I just counted the minutes to get
to my parents’ home. Before we pulled up in front of their
home, my phone beeped.
 It was a message from Branka, asking where I was. She
was already at my parents’ home. How was it that shit
always ended up happening all at once? Never nice and
slow. I had no doubt that Maman and Dad had given her a
version of her brother taking me to his place.
Jesus Christ!
I typed a quick message letting her know that Kol and I
were on our way.

W e spent all morning outside .

Thick tension permeated the air, dancing between the
leaves that swirled around our feet as we picked them up.
Thank God we were outside because the tension was so
stifling, I could barely get enough oxygen to breathe.
Maman was smart to put us to work, helping with the
cleanup of the leaves and the garden. Dad had been
grumpy. Maman was worried. Branka was – I wasn’t sure.
Maybe a combination of a bit mad, a bit disappointed, and a
lot worried.
The only one that seemed perfectly relaxed was Kol.
He’d push all the leaves into a pile we were building, then
throw himself into it. It was part of the reason it took us a
long time to clean up the yard.
That was probably Maman’s plan all along. Tire us all
out, and then we’d talk. She even made us eat lunch while
we labored with the damn leaves that kept falling. I
honestly saw no point in cleaning them.
It was when Kol finally went to take a nap that my father
finally said something.
“Has he hurt you?” I blinked in confusion.
It wasn’t exactly the first question I expected. I shook
my head. Father meant physically and that was a true
answer. He hadn’t hurt me physically. Four years ago, when
I caught him cheating, I was devastated. When he told me I
was just a fuck to him, I wanted to loathe him. I never quite
succeeded.
But physically he had never hurt me.
“Alessio would never hit a woman.” Branka sounded
insulted on her brother’s behalf. She had a right to be.
My father didn’t seem to believe either one of us.
It was Maman that tried to soothe the tension. “We
know your brother is not your father, Branka. Yesterday
was just unexpected. The way it went down and Alessio
taking Autumn and Kol– ”
“How did it go down?” My best friend’s eyes narrowed
on me, those grays almost flashing silver. “Because my best
friend never even hinted she had something going on with
my brother.”
I sighed. “Branka–”
She raised her palm. “How did it go down?” she
repeated.
A tense silence followed. I honestly didn’t know where to
start. That was the problem with hiding something for so
long.
“Which part?” I finally asked. “Four years ago?
Yesterday? Eight years ago?”
“What?” Dad hissed, fury turning his face red. “If he
touched you when you were underage, he’s a dead man.”
“Jesus Christ, you kept this from me for eight years?”
Branka screeched.
“Would you all stop?” I scolded them. “The first time I
saw Alessio was eight years ago. Here, in fact. Remember
the birthday party?”
“Under my fucking roof?” Father roared, his face getting
red.
“Putain de merde,” Maman cursed. Her favorite curse
word. For fuck’s sake. I couldn’t agree more. Dad was
taking things to an entirely unnecessary level. “Let Autumn
finish!”
 “Thank you, Maman.” This was definitely not going well.
At my age, I really didn’t think I had to explain anything to
my parents. This was fucking ridiculous. Not to mention,
embarrassing. “I only met him at that birthday party. Just
for a fraction of a moment.” That was mostly true. There
was no need to tell them I was half naked. “Then I didn’t
see him again until your mother’s funeral. I swear it.”
My eyes kept darting between the three people that had
always been there for me. I didn’t outright lie to them for
the past four years but an omission was still a lie. I hid the
truth.
“So when in the hell did you have sex with him?” Branka
grumbled.
My cheeks burned. My father looked like he was ready
to murder someone. Probably Alessio.
“Umm.” I shifted from my left foot to my right, then back
again, while my fingers gripped the rake like it’d save me
from answering. “Do we have to go into those specifics?”
“I think it’s best if we don’t.” Maman came to the
rescue. She had never outright told me she knew Alessio
Russo was Kol’s father, but considering she found me in
London, outside his townhouse and she offered to kill him, I
knew she knew. “What’s done is done.”
Branka’s eyes studied my mother. “You knew too, didn’t
you?”
Maman shrugged. “A mother always knows,” she
explained. “Autumn never wanted to say it, but it didn’t
take a genius to put it all together.” Maman glanced my
way. She was being vague on purpose.
“Kol is the spitting image of Alessio,” Branka
announced, surprising me with her statement.
I swallowed. If that was true, Alessio probably knew
already. Was that the reason he insisted we stay with him?
He wanted Kol but not me? Would he try to take Kol away
from me? That thought terrified me.
 “I need some more time to process this,” my father
grumbled and headed to the front of the house. “More
leaves to pick up.”
Maman gave me an exasperated look and followed him
back there, leaving me alone with Branka.
I met her gaze with a heavy sigh. “So you knew?” She
nodded. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” I mumbled. “He’s your
brother and I didn’t want you to keep a secret from him.
You two are close.”
I couldn’t tell what she was thinking. This was where
our differences came in. Branka, growing up the way she
did, was good at keeping a poker face. Me, not so much.
“When… how long have you known?” I asked her.
Her lips pursed, then a flicker of anger flashed in her
eyes. At me or someone else, I wasn’t sure. “Abu Dhabi,”
she answered, her voice calm.
God, I hated remembering Abu Dhabi. I hated myself
even more for still wanting him and succumbing to my
craving for him. My thighs clenched remembering last
night. I didn’t think I was strong enough to resist him if I
spent another night in bed with him.
Stupid woman, my reason whispered.
“What happened?” she questioned. “I want to hear it
from you.”
I shook my head and my lower lip trembled. Goddamn
emotions. They got you nowhere, I swear.
Branka took my free hand into hers and squeezed.
“Alessio never said a goddamn thing to me. I started to put
the pieces together on my own. When Kol was born, it
confirmed my suspicion. Since neither you nor Alessio said
anything, I kept waiting. I don’t know what happened
between you two, but I think it’s time you come clean. Both
of you.”
Letting a shuddering breath out, I felt a tremor in my
chest, my heart and my limbs. Four damn years and it still
hurt just as it did the first day.
 “I went to his room,” I said, my voice small. “He had
someone else there.”
Her incredulous expression stared back at me. “Alessio?
Cheating?”
I shrugged, hiding how much it really fucking hurt. “We
never really established we were dating.”
She shook her head. “No, no, no.” I had no idea if she
was saying ‘no’ to my assumption of dating or ‘no’ to
Alessio cheating. “Alessio would never cheat.”
Well, he did. But I kept those words behind my lips. I
saw him with my own two eyes, both times; otherwise I’d
be persuaded by the conviction in my best friend’s voice.
“No, Autumn, you don’t understand,” Branka continued
when I remained silent. She must have seen it in my eyes
that I didn’t believe her. “He saw what Father did to our
mother. Alessio’s never had a relationship with a woman.
Ever. I can’t tell you why. He will have to. But I’d bet this
was my father’s doing.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Never mind my father,” she retorted dryly. “May he rot
in hell.” I couldn’t agree more. He was a creepy and cruel
motherfucker. The little bits and pieces of what he’d done
to Branka were enough to churn any stomach. His visit in
the hospital when I gave birth was enough reason to want
to murder him. “In Abu Dhabi, after you left. The next day
Alessio came down to our floor. He was banging on my door
like crazy. He looked like shit. When I accused him of
standing me up for lunch, he looked at me like I was crazy.
He thought it was the day that we arrived. ”
I still couldn’t follow what she was saying. “So he had jet
lag?” I asked. “That doesn’t explain him getting a blow job
by another woman the night we were supposed to meet
up.”
I fucking hated how bitter my voice sounded. Four years
should be enough not to care and move on. Except, I didn’t.
I hadn’t dated anyone else. I had gone out to dinner with
men here and there, but it ended after the first date. I
compared them all to him. Alessio Russo, the man who
broke my heart.
I hadn’t kissed another man. Friends didn’t count. Ugh,
no wonder I dreamt about having sex with him and got all
hot and bothered. Wet dreams were a bitch when you
haven’t had sex in four years.
God, his hands knew exactly how to get me off in my
dream. And his mouth–
Instantly, my insides ignited into flames. That was hands
down the best dream. It was hot porn worthy. The way he
pumped into me, demanding my pleasure before his. And
when he spilled inside me, he grunted my name as he
finished. Yeah, it was a dream but I’d be sure to keep it
stored for nights when I had to get myself off. Women
would pay big money to see such a beautiful man unravel.
A strange possessiveness shot through me. I’d have to
claw out the eyes of anyone who saw him unravel. Maybe I
should talk to him and tell him if we would share a bed, no
other women. Or I’d have to turn into a killer.
Fucking lovely. From saving the world to a murderer.
Nothing like going from one extreme to another.
“I’ll cut off my pinky if he cheated,” Branka tried again.
“Talk to him.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m telling you, woman. I saw him with
my own two eyes.” Not to mention what had happened in
London. “It seems your pinky will have to go.”
“Everything is not as it seems, Autumn.” Branka’s voice
held that note of vulnerability. The same one she usually
had when she talked about her father. “Trust me on this
one. Talk to Alessio. Ask him to explain that night.”
I sighed. It wouldn’t hurt… I guess. At least to get his
admission. Or he could deny it, but I knew what I'd seen.
Not to mention, I heard those fucking words he threw my
way in London.
 “Okay,” I caved. “I’ll confront him. Do you forgive me?” I
asked. I couldn’t bear losing my best friend. “Kol is your
nephew and you always treated him as such. And he
already considers you his aunt. But none of it makes it
right. That I kept him from you.” Truthfully, I kept him from
Alessio even more.
Assuming he didn’t know already.
“I’ll forgive you if you talk to him,” she said with a
conviction I didn’t exactly feel. “He’s in Kol’s life now. Keep
him there. Alessio deserves this. He deserves Kol and you.”
Branka loved her brother and her loyalty was sometimes
blinding. Not that I’d tell her that. He was her savior when
she was a little girl. When her mother failed her, her big
brother swept in like a knight.
Nothing and nobody would persuade Branka that her
brother had a ruthless darkness about him, regardless that
it was plain as day. He might be wearing polished,
expensive suits and behave like a gentleman but
underneath it all, he wore his ruthlessness like a second
skin.
“And I’m not mad, Autumn.” Branka hugged me tightly.
“I’ve kept a few secrets of my own that I’ll never tell
Alessio.” Huh? She must have seen the shock on my face.
“He’d go after him and probably kill him. Or he’d kill my
brother. Not a good scenario either way.”
Branka keeping a big secret from her big brother
couldn’t be a good thing. Not at all.
“D-do you want to tell me?” I asked, almost scared to
hear her answer.
Dark gray clouds reflected in her eyes. They were the
color of the sky right before the rain. The same color as
Alessio’s. The same color as Kol’s. Except my son had a
speck of green added to them which gave his eyes some
color.
“Do you want to know?” I knew what she meant. When
we first became friends and everyone in high school
warned me off the Russo girl, we made a pact. She
wouldn’t tell me what I didn’t want to know. But whatever
she did tell me, I had to keep between us.
And at this moment, Branka Michelle Russo looked like
she needed to offload something from her chest.
“Yes.”
She was always there for me. The least I could do was
be there for her when she obviously needed someone to
talk to.
“I’m getting married.”
Silence followed. The words mixed with the rustling of
leaves that gently swished with the breeze.
I blinked, then blinked again. Maybe the mind was
playing tricks on me.
“I didn’t get that. Can you repeat it?”
The expression on her face told me I understood it right.
“I’m getting married,” she repeated.
“What? Who? When?” Okay, I couldn’t come up with a
coherent question. “I didn’t know you were seeing
someone.”
She swallowed. “I’m not.”
“I’m confused.”
“Alessio arranged a marriage for me,” she explained.
Her whole demeanor was calm, like we were discussing the
most natural event in the world. Arranged fucking
marriage. “Well, actually he let me pick among acceptable
candidates. I spoke to all of them. This guy and I… well, we
came to a mutual agreement. He’ll help me and I’ll help
him. Father managed to make many enemies and this guy
will protect me. For years, I thought there was a way out
but-”
The shock of her statement had thrown me off-balance. I
had a hard time keeping up with her.
“What do you mean a way out?” I asked in a worried
voice. “Branka, if you need help, or you need to get away,
my parents can help.”
 After all, Maman and Father had fought more than a few
battles and they’d hate to see Branka unhappy. They
thought of her as family. She was family.
Fury flashed in her eyes, reminding me of pissed off
Alessio. Maybe there was more of a badass in Branka than I
thought. It would make sense, considering who she grew
up around. “What I want is to make that fucker Sasha
Nikolaev pay.”
Her voice was calm. Deadly. Resolute.
Jesus Christ. Branka hid her savage under her drop-dead
gorgeous and cute smile.
“Sasha Nikolaev?” I repeated. The name sounded
vaguely familiar but for the life of me, I couldn’t place it.
“Yes,” she hissed, clearly mad. “He made me promise to
wait and then I find him with some fucking Olympic chick.
Younger than me!”
I had to be missing something. Or my brain was still
fried from last night's orgasm. I couldn’t follow a single
damn thing she was saying.
“I’m confused,” I mumbled.
“Welcome to the goddamn club,” she responded, her
tone dry as gin. “First the asshole stalks me. Then makes
me so fucking hot.” She started fanning herself. Although it
was barely fifty degrees out here. And it was considered a
warm day for November. “But he gives me some shit about
not being ready for him. Fuck. That. Shit. I’m so ready that
if my vagina were balls, they’d be blue.”
A strangled laugh escaped me despite her fury. “I’m
sorry,” I choked. “The image of a vagina looking like blue
balls–”
She blew out a frustrated breath, sending a strand of
her warm brown hair flying.
“Yeah, I know. But Autumn, I have to be the oldest
fucking virgin in Canada,” she groaned. “Fuck, the whole of
North America! Possibly the entire world.”
 Okay, that was definitely an exaggeration. “Well, what
happened? And what does an Olympic chick have to do with
any of it?”
“Apparently the fucker found himself a younger woman.
Wynter Flemming, the Olympic figure skater. From the
States.” My lips formed a silent O.
There was no mistaking the bitterness on her face.
“Well, you know those athletes can’t have sex during
training,” I muttered the first thing that came to mind. “So
he must have major blue balls.” Her face lit up with that
statement. “And–” I added, happy to make her feel better.
“What kind of name is Wynter Flemming for a figure
skater?”
“Right?” She eagerly agreed, then our gazes met. “It’s
actually kind of a cool name,” she grumbled under her
breath.
I had to agree. It was a pretty cool name but we had to
end that girl. “Besides, she’s not a Canadian figure skater,”
I said. “And we all know we have the best figure skaters.
Just look at Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue. This Wynter
Flemming, who I never heard of by the way, cannot be
better than Scottie and Tessa.”
She waved her hand through the air. “Exactly. Though I
have no fucking clue who Scottie and Tessa are either.”
It was safe to say that neither Branka nor I were into
sports.
“But who is Sasha Nikolaev?” I asked. “Why does the
name sound familiar?”
Branka’s eyes darkened and her expression turned
murderous.
“The man who’s going to regret ever meeting me,” she
hissed. “Before I die, I’m going to carve my initials into his
heart. He wanted psychotic, he’ll fucking get it.”
Jesus fucking Christ.
I wasn’t sure whether to feel sorry for Sasha Nikolaev or
not, but one thing was for certain.
Branka Russo would make him pay.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 30

OceanofPDF.com
 Alessio

I pulled up to the Corbin residence mid-afternoon and

found them all outside.
It was a warmer than usual day, and it seemed they
were all put to work. Including my sister. Autumn and
Branka whispered to each other, both of them leaning
against their rakes and slacking. I could see they loved
hard labor all the way from here.
I strode through the little gate. Mr. Corbin and Kol
looked up, and immediately Kol’s whole face lit up and he
bolted towards me. His grandfather didn’t seem overly
happy about it, but it didn’t fucking matter to me.
Nothing could beat this feeling. I kneeled down so we’d
be at a similar height, just as Kol threw himself into my
arms and I caught him.
“Hey, buddy.” I still couldn’t believe this tiny, perfect
human was my son. “Missed you today.”
He grinned. “I want a story.”
I chuckled. “Sure, we can read you another story
tonight. I got some more books.”
“Can you sing?”
Autumn and her parents loved to sing. It wasn’t my
thing. Nor the thing of anyone unfortunate enough to hear
me sing.
 “How about if your mom sings and I read?” I suggested.
If he demanded I sing, I would but he’d probably regret it
fast.
“Oui.”
It was another thing I noticed. Kol spoke French and
English interchangeably.
I rose to my full height. Autumn and Branka were still in
their own world, in the furthest corner of the yard. Neither
one of them had noticed me. Mr. and Mrs. Corbin had,
though, and both strode over to me.
“Alessio,” Autumn’s mom greeted me first.
“Mrs. Corbin.”
“I’m making an early dinner,” she continued. Her
husband immediately followed up with a grumble. “Will you
stay?” Yeah, that would be a hard pass. “I’m making
everyone’s favorite.” Still a hard pass. “Please.” Slightly
weakened pass.
She glanced at her husband.
“Darling, don’t you want Alessio to stay?” Autumn’s
mother was a stubborn woman. “He could help you with
the playset you’ve been working on for a month that’s been
sitting in the garage.”
This time we both grumbled. “That’s a yes, right?” She
eyed us both with wide eyes. The woman was a master
manipulator. So unlike my own mother who always feared
to even look up. My father killed her spirit.
“Sure,” Autumn’s father and I both muttered at the
same time.
I took my suit jacket off and threw it over the fence rail.
“Lead the way, Mr. Corbin,” I told the old man. “If I help
you with the playground, you’ll have to help me with the
airplane bed I’m going to make for Kol.”
Both Kol and his grandmother squealed happily.
Autumn’s father grumbled.
“Hey, brother!” Branka’s voice could probably be heard
on the entire street.
 “Sister, subtle as always.” My eyes flicked to Autumn
and instantly that restlessness that was a constant
companion eased. I sought out her eyes. Green. Good, she
wasn’t sad nor unhappy.
Her gaze met mine and instantly her cheeks flushed. I
couldn’t help the smugness that filled me. Maybe her
resolve was weakening. The dream from last night was
hard to erase. I’d been going around with a hard-on all
goddamn day. My cock wanted her pussy. My fucking
tongue wanted to taste her juices.
Fucking great, I’d end up with blue balls.
“Autumn,” I greeted her. She grumbled something that
resembled a greeting or maybe ‘fuck off’, I wasn’t sure.
“How was your day, dear?” She narrowed those beautiful
hazel eyes on me, annoyance clear in them. My lips tugged
up. No answer. “Your parents invited me to stay for dinner,”
I drawled.
Her eyes snapped to her father, then mother. The former
grumbled; the latter smiled happily. “It will be great.
Everyone’s favorite. We’ll see if Alessio likes it.”
“I’m sure it will be delicious, Mrs. Corbin,” I said.
“Branka has told me your cooking skills are incomparable.”
Snorts and snickers filled the air. My eyebrows shot up.
My sister spent many dinners here. She wouldn’t have
eaten here if the food was bad. Would she?
Shit, maybe she would. It was better than sitting alone
at my place or putting up with the company of our parents.
“Sure,” Branka snickered, and I was positive we’d have
to have a second dinner.
Mrs. Corbin clapped her hands eagerly, shooing her
husband, Kol, and I towards the garage. We made our way
there, Kol’s hand in mine.
“Grandma thinks I can’t handle building an outdoor
playset,” Autumn’s father grumbled as he opened the wide
door. “But we’ll show her, won’t we Kol?”
 My son nodded eagerly, without any intention of
releasing my hand. Then he started jumping up and down,
squealing. The little boy was a ball of energy.
I squatted down and smiled at him. “Let’s help Grandpa,
okay?” He nodded again. “Okay, you carry this bag.” I
handed him the bag of screws and bolts. “Perfect. Grandpa
and I will get the beams.”
I stood back up to find Autumn’s father watching us with
those eyes so much like his daughter’s. Autumn had her
mother’s beauty but her father’s eyes.
I rolled up my sleeves and we all got to work. Kol glued
himself to me, following my every direction. We moved all
of the playset parts out of the garage.
“Over here,” Autumn’s father ordered, pointing to the
middle of the yard. My lips curved. I couldn’t recall the last
time someone gave me an order. My board of directors and
my friends would get a kick out of this one. “This is the best
spot. We can see it from every corner of the yard and from
the living room.”
I nodded. It made sense. “He shouldn’t be outside
alone,” I remarked. Autumn’s father stiffened. I didn’t give
a shit. Kol was my son and I wouldn’t risk anything
happening to him.
“I raised my daughter,” he ended up commenting. “Safe
and happy. All the while fuckers like you tried to eliminate
us.”
“Understood,” I told him calmly. “But what kind of father
would I be if I didn’t do the same for my son?”
Silence followed. Surprise flashed in his eyes. He
thought I didn’t know. Or maybe he hoped I didn’t know.
“You and my daughter will have to work that out,” he
finally said. “My wife told me about the contract you had in
place with her parents.” I couldn’t quite decide if it
sounded like an accusation or not. “Are you aiming for
more power?”
 My jaw tightened. “I couldn’t give two shits about more
power,” I said.
“So what are you going to do when the old Blanchet
passes the reins to Autumn?”
“I’ll pass them on to someone else.”
Curiosity flickered in her father’s eyes, but it was the
tension in his shoulders that betrayed him. “Who?”
He thought I’d prepare Kol to lead it. “Those French
nephews. I’ve looked into them and they are decent
enough.”
Silence swept through the late afternoon air.
“I think you and I are on the same page,” he finally said.
An understanding passed between us. An alliance. “You are
not your father, Alessio,” her father added, shocking me.
“Either one of them.”
Somehow it didn’t shock me that the old man knew.
After all, collecting intelligence against the most powerful
criminal organization was his expertise.
We worked in silence for the next two hours and finished
the playground. A pirate ship stood in the middle of the
lawn and Kol stared at it awed.
“You like it?” I asked him, smiling. His wide eyes kept
darting left, then right. He didn’t know where to look first.
“Oui.”
“It’s very cool,” I told him. “Want to check out the
inside?”
He nodded, tugging me along eagerly. I bent my tall
frame, and it was all it took for him to start exploring.
“This is mine?” His voice squealed from the inside of the
pirate ship.
“All yours, buddy,” his grandpa answered. He turned to
me and continued, “It was hard to put together anything
permanent when Autumn refused to come home. But now
that she’s here, nothing is stopping me.”
My lips curved. “If you need help with another building
project, let me know.”
 He smiled smugly. “Make sure you have cool boy stuff at
your place. It’ll make it harder to leave.”
“I intend to.” In fact, I already placed an order for all the
material to build Kol his custom airplane bed. “We’re
staying at my penthouse right now, but we’ll be back and
forth between the house outside the city and the
penthouse. I figured she’d want to stay close to you.”
He waved his hand. “Even before she came back, she
already talked about leaving.” He side-eyed me. “I’m
guessing she’ll be staying now.”
“That’s the plan.”
Of course, the contract I had put in place for her was
just security. There was no letting her go this time. I’d earn
her love and I’d bring us back. The way we were. Both
Autumn and Kol were my family. We’d grow old together.
We’d bicker, we’d fuck, and we’d make love.
Bottom line, we’d be happy. I’d make sure of it. I’d give
her everything she wanted. She’d be close to her parents.
We’d make a life for ourselves like her parents.
My eyes traveled over the cozy home. It was a nice size
house, although nothing like my estate. And nothing like
the Blanchet residence in Philly.
“Maman says dinner is almost ready.” Autumn came up
behind us with a tray of drinks for all of us. She must have
taken a shower, her hair was still damp and she changed
into jeans with a pink sweater. “And if you’ll be stinky, take
a shower.”
Her dad took a drink from the tray. “Are those your
mother’s words or yours, Autumn?” her father retorted
dryly.
She ignored him and craned her neck to meet my gaze.
“Same goes for you, Alessio.” Then her eyes traveled down
my body. “You have no spare clothes here, so maybe you’ll
have to go back to the penthouse.”
A sardonic breath left me. Autumn had claws. Truthfully,
I didn’t mind the banter. It’d make for a great makeup sex.
 “Not to worry, love,” I mused, taking a drink from the
tray. “I have a change of clothes in the car.”
“Of course you do,” she remarked, rolling her eyes. “Are
you ever unprepared?”
“Be nice to our guest,” her father defended me,
surprising the fuck out of me. “He just built the pirate ship
playset for Kol.”
“I could have gotten a man from Home Depot to do
that,” she grumbled.
“But would a Home Depot man build the playground and
drive you home?” I mused.
Autumn rolled her eyes. “I see how it is. Men against
women. I’ll let you eat Maman’s cooked dinner. My cooked
portion will be only for friends,” she said, but her little
smile didn’t escape me.
Something was up with her Maman’s cooking.
“Kol, come on buddy,” she called out to him. “Let’s go
eat stuff that Mommy cooked. We’ll leave grandma’s
cooking for Grandpa and Alessio.”
“Grand-mère sing?” Kol mumbled.
“Probably. Now let’s go before Aunt Branka eats all the
good stuff.” She picked up Kol and started walking towards
the house. “You two have twenty minutes to get showered.
Or no food for you.”
Fifteen minutes later, we were all seated around the
table in the dining room. Pictures of smiling Autumn
decorated the walls everywhere I looked. There were quite
a few of Branka and Autumn from their high school years.
There was one that stood out the most. Autumn, Kol, her
mother and Branka with their faces tilted up to the sky,
catching raindrops with the Eiffel Tower in the background.
They looked so fucking happy that it made me both happy
and jealous.
“Let’s say a prayer,” Mrs. Corbin announced. Was she
joking or was she for real? The woman was a fucking killer
in her young days.
 I flicked a look at my sister, then Autumn. They both just
shrugged and went along, mumbling the prayer. Kol did
too, switching between English and French. I was the only
one who had no fucking clue how the words to the prayer
went.
“Her kicks for prayers come and go,” Autumn whispered
in between two prayer words.
I cocked my eyebrow. “Salvation and eternal glory,” she
choked out, her words full of humor.
“Autumn Michelle Corbin,” her mother scolded her. It
was another thing Autumn and Branka had in common.
Same birthday and same middle name.
Autumn flicked a gaze her mother’s way. “What? The
trend comes and goes. Even you have to admit that.”
Her mother grumbled a few words in French and I was
pretty sure they were not the good kind of words.
“Why Autumn?” I asked curiously, shifting the heat away
from my woman. “Her birthday is in August.”
Her parents shared a look, a hint of anguish passing
between them. “Autumn was due in November. My wife’s
parents kidnapped her, induced her labor prematurely, and
attempted to steal Autumn.”
What. The. Fuck?
Autumn’s grandparents kidnapped their own daughter
and risked not only their daughter’s life but Autumn’s too
by doing shit like that. Those fuckers would be dead before
the week was over.
“Let’s not forget the deal of turning me over on my
eighteenth birthday,” Autumn retorted dryly.
“We weren’t going to let them just take you,” her father
chimed in.
“Exactly,” her maman agreed. “All that is in the past
now.”
“And here I thought I found a normal family,” Branka
snickered softly.
 “Okay, that’s not a topic for our lovely day. We are all a
little bit abnormally normal.” She chuckled like it was
funny while Branka and Autumn rolled their eyes.
“Everyone dig in,” Mrs. Corbin announced. I barely fucking
blinked, Autumn and Branka went for the manicotti on the
right. They both laughed, stealing food from each other’s
forks. And all the while the manicotti on the left remained
untouched.
Kol squealed, smashing his plastic plate against the
table. “Food,” he demanded.
“Bad Aunty,” Autumn scolded Branka through laughter.
“We have a baby to feed here. Eat Maman’s manicotti.”
“You two are the worst,” Mrs. Corbin grumbled. “My
manicotti is just as good.”
I went for the platter that nobody wanted to touch, but
before I could put it on my plate, Autumn’s hand shot to
mine and she shook her head.
“Trust me,” she mouthed, looking at me pointedly.
“You’ll die.”
My lips curved up, amused at her playfulness. It
reminded me of her four years ago.
“I’m happy you want me alive,” I remarked low, so
nobody else could hear me.
Her hazel eyes fell to my lips and darkened. Fuck, it was
enough to have my blood rush with a powerful heat. I
wanted to explore her body, feel every inch of her again. It
had been far too long. I stroked a stray strand of her hair
off her eyes with her finger.
She didn’t flinch. She didn’t pull away.
“Kol, no!” Branka hissed and the moment was broken.
Both of us turned our heads just in time to catch my sister
sweeping all the food off Kol’s plate and giving him her own
plate.
“Oh come on,” Mrs. Corbin exclaimed. “It was food
poisoning only twice.”
I froze. Food poisoning?
 A bunch of grunting followed. “Okay, maybe four. Five
tops,” Mrs. Corbin added exasperated. “But in twenty-five
years. That’s normal.”
“Maman, once in a lifetime is normal,” Autumn
snickered. “Twice is attempted murder.”
Mrs. Corbin let out a string of French curses. Branka
and Autumn chortled. Autumn covered Kol’s ears while his
grin stretched from ear to ear.
I could finally see the appeal firsthand why my sister
loved coming here. It was an easy-going, welcoming, and
relaxing atmosphere.
Even with the threat of food poisoning.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 31

OceanofPDF.com
 Autumn

A lessio carried Kol’s sleeping body already dressed in

his pjs. His favorite ones - airplanes all over them.
Thank God for grandma.
“We should have gotten home sooner,” I murmured
softly as we stepped through the penthouse door. My feet
came to a halt. Did I just call Alessio’s penthouse home?
In barely a day. This was moving way too fast. He
blackmailed me to get me here for fuck’s sake.
“Kol was having a good time,” Alessio answered. “I was
too. I can finally understand what drew Branka to your
parents’ home all these years.”
I chuckled softly and we started to make our way to
Kol’s bedroom. “You mean besides the bad food?”
The door of Kol’s bedroom was ajar and my breath
hitched when I looked inside.
“Oh my gosh,” I whispered, my eyes glued to the walls.
The entire room was redone. The room was painted dark
blue with white planes on the walls and light blue skies for
a ceiling. The modern black dresser was gone and in its
place, a children’s dresser with planes for knobs.
“Do you think he’ll like it?” Alessio's voice was soft, low.
I whipped my head to the side, my gaze meeting his.
“Like it?” I breathed.
 “I’m going to build him that airplane bed, but I’ll have to
do it in my shop back on the estate.”
Returning my gaze to the room, my chest warmed and
my eyes burned. “He’ll love it,” I rasped, my emotions
choking me. “Thank you.”
The look he gave me seared, dark and hot. It held
promises that were too scary to believe. Branka’s words
flashed in my mind. Talk to Alessio. This was probably a
conversation that should have happened four years ago.
“Let’s put him to bed,” I murmured softly.
He laid him on the bed, and I pulled the covers over him.
He looked so peaceful with a little smile on his face. He was
always such a good and easy baby. I was very lucky. I
pressed a kiss on his forehead. Alessio’s gaze was so
intense that my insides shook. He followed my suit, pressed
a kiss on Kol’s forehead, and we both walked it out of his
room.
Both of us found ourselves in the kitchen, chest-to-chest.
I had to look up to meet his gaze, locking us together. Time
lagged, as it always did when I was with him. His fingers
fisted my sweater and pulled my body flush with his.
I held my breath, his head slowly bent, lower and lower,
until his mouth was a breath away from mine.
I waited. He waited. I wanted him. He wanted me. Yet,
nothing was that simple. Not anymore. His mouth brushed
against my lips, his kiss gentle and soft.
My heart fluttered. Heat bloomed beneath my skin. My
chest grew heavy with that familiar consuming feeling. And
all the while, he kissed me like I was something precious to
him.
But if that was true, he wouldn’t have cheated. The
memory washed over me like a cold shower.
My palms rested against his chest and I pushed him
away.
I shook my head. “No,” I told him firmly. I couldn’t
venture down the same road and let him burn me again.
“I’m here because you blackmailed me, Alessio. But that
doesn’t mean, I’ll let you repeat history. We can’t repeat the
past.”
A long pause followed. The fragile hope that Branka’s
words flickered inside me threatened to blow out and all
the while my soul shook like a leaf in a wind. There was no
point in denying it. I wanted him. I always wanted him.
From the moment he barged into my bedroom on my
eighteenth birthday.
“I didn’t cheat on you.” A simple statement. The
sincerity in his eyes. Honesty in the tone of his voice.
I could have believed it, if I hadn’t seen it with my own
two eyes. It was the most damning evidence. Even if in my
oblivion and stupidity I wanted to believe him, I couldn’t
forget what I had seen.
“I saw you, Alessandro.” My tone was detached. Tired.
Hurt. But the flicker of hope refused to extinguish. “Both
times. And those words– “
He stilled. The pain that crossed his expression pierced
my heart. And it had already been damaged by the very
man who stood in front of me, battling his own scars -
visible and invisible. I knew he had them. I felt them
firsthand.
I turned to leave when Alessio’s fingers wrapped around
my wrist, holding me back.
“I’m going to tell you a story,” he said bitterly, his gaze
filling with something dark and sardonic. “It’s not a pretty
one.”
His left palm, rough and big, cupped my cheek and
sorrow filled his gray gaze. It was like staring at the
darkening skies, just as a storm was about to break loose. I
didn’t like to see pain in his expression, but I knew we
wouldn’t be able to move past what had happened four
years ago. Not unless he explained - although I couldn’t
even fathom what could ever justify cheating.
 “My mother was young when she married my father.”
Bitterness filled his voice, swirling around us like the old
ghosts that lurked in his eyes. Haunting him. “She was
already pregnant. With another man’s child.” I held my
breath, waiting. Unsure where this story would go.
“Senator George Ashford is my biological father. Of course,
he wasn’t a senator back then. He was an ambitious prick,
willing to destroy anyone and anything while he climbed
the ladder. Even an innocent, naive, young woman.”
A sharp gasp escaped me. I hadn’t even realized I
lowered myself down into a chair. He paced to the opposite
side of the table. As if he needed distance from me. The
large kitchen seemed too large yet, at the same time, too
small.
Alessio let out a breath, regret lurking in his eyes. He
already regretted sharing this story with me and
uncertainty grew in my lungs. But I still remained, waiting.
Hoping for a miracle. Or maybe for something that would
cure me of this need for him.
“Anyhow, he refused to marry her or acknowledge her
child. Me. So her parents scrambled to marry her off. To
the man who raised me.” The hate in his voice didn’t
escape me. Except, I couldn't tell whether it was aimed at
his biological father or the man who raised him. Maybe
both. “The fucker who raised me, Branka’s father, was a
sadistic bastard. He beat my mother for giving her virginity
to someone else. He beat me for not being his son. He beat
Mia and Branka for being girls instead of the boys he
wanted. His favorite form of entertainment was
extinguishing cigarettes on me, on them. But his hate
towards me ran deeper than most.”
Uncertainty slithered through my veins. I knew his
father was sadistic but I had a feeling that didn’t even
scratch the surface.
“I was about thirteen when my father’s beatings turned
into something worse.” I swallowed a lump in my throat as
dread grew within me. “He trafficked women. As young as
he could get them. And he loved breaking them.” My chest
went cold as terror and fear bubbled up inside me. “The
first time I dared to stand up to him, he drugged me.
Rohypnol and Viagra. The next morning, I woke up naked
with a girl beaten black and blue, and her thighs bloodied.”
Horror swelled in my chest. The backs of my eyes
burned. Alessio’s eyes flared with contempt. “Don’t pity
me.”
I couldn’t say a word so I just shook my head. I didn’t
pity him but my heart ached for the young boy who had to
suffer through it. Alone.
“It took me a while to learn never to take a drink from
my father. Or any of his men.” Silence stretched. I didn’t
dare to ask him how long was awhile. “There are many men
like him in this world, Autumn. So I promised myself, I’d
become stronger, more powerful and more ruthless than
him. Eventually, I put an end to his trafficking, but there is
nothing that will absolve me of those sins. Those women,
virgins, I can’t even remember.”
Jesus Christ.
I didn’t even know what to say. How to comfort him. I
couldn’t blame him though. He was a kid. He should have
been protected.
A grimace touched his lips as he continued,
“Unfortunately, I forgot the fucking lesson. I thought myself
invincible. Four years ago, that sadistic bastard bribed a
couple - husband and wife - to slip me the same drug.”
Alessio Russo didn’t cheat. He was… Jesus, he was
raped. And I just left him. Oh my gosh, I could have saved
him. Instead, I left him.
My face paled and I covered my mouth. Acid churned in
my stomach, rising up my throat. A bitter laugh escaped
him at my expression.
“Three months later, when you saw me in London,” he
continued, his voice tired. “I had just killed those two. But I
realized, that bastard, my father, wouldn’t stop coming.
And I couldn’t bear the thought of him destroying your
innocence. So this time I staged it so you’d hate me. Never
want to see me again.”
“That woman–” I rasped.
“I had no clue what her name was. I never touched her.”
He pushed his hand through his hair. “Because I knew I
wouldn’t be strong enough to stay away from you. I needed
you to hate me and never want me again.”
A soft exhale left me while tears stung my eyes. “I care,
Autumn. I cared back then and I still do. So fucking much
that it terrifies me.”
“You do?” I whispered in shock.
“You’re the first person to make me feel worthy.” God,
the look in his eyes was breaking my heart. I didn’t like
seeing him suffer. “All my broken parts somehow healed
around you. For such a long time, my demons dominated
my soul. They have been ripping me apart for so long that I
didn’t know what happy was until I experienced it with
you.”
I’ll always love your broken parts. Your scars. Every
piece of you.
My throat squeezed too hard to utter even a single word.
“I lied four years ago. I lied when I said you were just a
fuck. That I didn’t care. I hurt you and I’m so fucking sorry,
love,” he whispered. The pain on his face was gut
wrenching. I didn’t like to see him suffer. “I only feel alive
when I’m with you. A stronger man would let you go. I’m
not that strong. I can’t let you go. You’re my only hope for a
good life. Of happiness. You and Kol.” There was a sheen of
moisture coating his grays. It reminded me of clouds on a
rainy day. Like the sky was shedding tears that he tried to
hold back. “But I won’t force you to sleep in my bed
anymore.”
His finger came up to my cheek and he brushed a lone
tear with his thumb. “You were always the best thing this
shitty life had offered me.”
Without another word, Alessio stood up and
disappeared. A few moments later, I could hear his voice
coming from his home office.
And the whole time I remained still, my body still in
shock from hearing it all.
I failed Alessio. I should have been stronger and stayed
with him. I should have protected him.
Worst of all, I kept our son a secret from him.

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 Alessio

M y eyes locked on the city skyline from my penthouse

office and suddenly, I felt so goddamn old. The irony
of my confession was that I was bound to lose her
whether I admitted my shame or not. Damned if I did;
damned if I didn’t.
Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. Maybe I should
have left her believing I betrayed what we had.
Even though we created the most beautiful boy.
Kol was mine.
That was one thing nobody could take away from me.
And I’d marry Autumn. Make her my wife, but I wouldn’t
force her to be my wife in every sense of the word.
Although I fucking wanted to. My cock ached for her. My
fucking heart and soul ached for her.
I hadn’t had another woman since our last time together.
I didn’t fucking count that day in Abu Dhabi. After the drug
wore off, the old feelings of filth and unworthiness came
back tenfold. It didn’t matter how old I was.
The only way to heal after I lost her the last time was to
go hunting. I killed the man and woman who accepted the
bribe from my father. She wasn’t an innocent victim of
trafficking. She was some greedy bitch. And her husband
even more so for even contemplating slipping the drug to
Autumn.
 God that expression on Autumn’s face. The way her eyes
turned brown and glittered. I made her sad again. I fucking
hated seeing her sad. It gutted me. It was worse than a
knife through my heart.
I should have known that Autumn would have witnessed
what happened in Abu Dhabi. Maybe it was my fucking
pride that hoped she hadn’t seen it. Or maybe I expected
all along that she’d realize she was so much better than me
and walk away. When she left without a word, I convinced
myself she didn’t want me. After all, I was unworthy. I had
been unworthy my whole fucking life. I just thought if I
loved her enough, she’d stay.
But then three months later, it was me who ended it all.
Her parents worked so hard to keep her out of the
underworld. Her mother gave it all up, and fuck if she
didn’t look happier. Food poisoning and all. Autumn’s father
saved her. Maybe the schmuck in me hoped Autumn would
be my salvation.
My eyes lowered to my hands. There was no blood on
them but they were stained with it, just the same.
None of it fucking mattered anymore because I lost
Autumn just the same.
There’d be no salvation for me.

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 Chapter 33

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 Autumn

G uilt was a powerful feeling.

It gnawed at you. It ate at your insides and turned
you inside out.
I didn’t save Alessio while he was being sexually
assaulted in front of my eyes. The image from four years
ago flashed in my mind, and I started analyzing every
single detail.
Fuck, it hurt to think about it but I forced myself to
remember every single detail. Images lived in my head. It
was the reason I loved photography. It was how my memory
worked. Except when it was something I didn’t want to
remember.
Alessio’s big frame was sprawled on the marble floor of
the presidential suite. His suit jacket was still on,
unbuttoned. His pants pulled half down to his knees. The
crisp white shirt was half ripped, a brown stain on it. Glass
shattered on the floor.
I blinked. There was glass on the floor. All around him.
How did I not realize it earlier?
The woman’s head bobbed up and down, up and down.
Acid burned in my stomach from the memory and my heart
clenched in pain but I ignored it, focusing my mind on
every single detail.
 Alessio’s hands were relaxed, sprawled down his body.
He didn’t grip the woman’s hair. He wasn’t making any
noises. All the moans and grunts were hers.
Her hand cupped his balls and he moved. It was slow.
Like his body was too heavy to shift.
Oh my God.
He was drugged. And all I did was dwell on self-pity. I
walked away from him when I could have saved him.
I should have saved him. I wondered if he blamed me,
like I blamed him. Or if I told him Kol was his son would he
hate me forever? I stole the first years of our son’s life from
Alessio. It was wrong and cruel.
We wasted four years. I had robbed my son of his father
too.
I had no idea how long I sat frozen, lost in my thoughts.
Four years flashing through my eyes. Kol’s first smile. First
crawl. First steps. First birthday. I robbed Alessio of all of
it. How could I possibly make it up to him?
Rising to my feet, I strode towards Kol’s bedroom to
check on him. Alessio had procured the snap on rails so he
wouldn’t fall off the large mahogany bed.
Until I build him a bed, he had said. Only a day around
him and he’d proven he’d be a worthy father. And now,
when I told him, I’d risk hurting him again. Breaking this
fragile bond.
Unless he knew, I pondered. But then, he’d pounce on
me. Alessio wasn’t scared to fight for what was his.
My hand shook as I pushed his dark curls off his
forehead. Kol slept peacefully, a dreamy smile on his lips.
This should have been Alessio’s childhood too.
I failed him four years ago. I wanted to tell him how
sorry I was. I needed to ask him for forgiveness. He
survived a nightmare and I walked away without a
backwards glance. Most of all, I wanted to tell him how
much I loved him. I would always love him.
 Pressing a kiss onto my son’s forehead and leaving the
door cracked open, I left his room and went into Alessio’s
room.
Our bedroom.
I found him there. He must have finished his business
call. He didn’t look up as I opened the door. But his back
tensed. Like he expected me to hurt him. Again and again.
He sat on the side of the bed with his elbows on his
knees and his gaze on the floor. In nothing but black
boxers. His muscles sculpted. His ink tempting. The silver
moon filtered through the large floor-to-ceiling windows,
but the darkness of his admission and my failure lurked in
each dark corner of the room.
I waited a moment, holding my breath. I wasn’t sure
what I waited for, but my heartbeat thundered in my throat
and my ears. The bravery that brought me here suddenly
seemed to slither away.
Dad always said I tended to run into things head first.
But at this very moment, hesitation kept my feet glued to
my spot and tugged on my heart. I worried about messing it
up. Hurting him again. Losing him again.
However, there was no turning around. No going back.
So I took steps towards him. I pulled the sweater over
my head and let it fall silently onto the floor. Next step, my
jeans followed.
Every inch of my body shook, the tremor in my fingers
visible. It was terrifying to think the next few seconds could
forever end this. End us. Four years and I had never
stopped loving him. After the loathing simmered down,
underneath the bitterness, love remained. The craving for
him remained. Because he was it for me.
Just as he promised, he ruined me for anyone else.
I stopped in front of him in nothing but a bra and
panties. White, his favorite. He didn’t look up at me. I took
another step, forcing myself between his slightly parted
legs. He didn’t widen his stance to welcome me between
his legs either.
Will he ever welcome me again? I wondered. Once I told
him my truth.
My breaths came out shallow and the drumming of my
heart filled the air.
I lowered myself to my knees and took his face between
my hands. Our eyes met, locked into many breathless
moments. Those two months were the best of my life.
Sweaty bodies. Hotel sheets. Pillow fights. Only so he could
catch me and fuck me again. Agonizingly slow, until I
begged him to make me come.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. He let out a tense, sardonic
breath. His warmth poured off him and I absorbed it. I
needed strength right now. His strength. Because he was
one of the bravest men I had ever known.
“Don’t pity me.” Three words. The lifetime of
vulnerability.
“I’m sorry I didn’t save you four years ago,” I rasped,
emotions choking me. It took all this to realize I couldn’t
live the rest of my life without him. “I’m sorry I thought the
worst of you. I’m sorry I didn’t talk it through with you. And
most of all, I’m sorry I didn’t kill that woman or your
father.”
Maybe there was some of my mobster grandparents in
me after all.
My fingers laced through his soft strands, gripping a
handful of it. “I love you,” I murmured softly, my lips
skimming over his neck. “Just the way you are. Every single
piece. Broken or not. Your bad boy ruthlessness underneath
that gentlemanly exterior. I love you so much that it hurts
to breathe when you’re not around.”
Our gazes remained locked. My admission filled the air.
Vulnerability lingering in his eyes matched the one in my
voice. Rejection - we were both scared of it. There was
nothing I wouldn’t give to erase his pain.
 “Alessandro?” I murmured softly.
“Yes?” His palm snaked under my panties and kneaded
the flesh of my ass.
“I have a confession to make too,” I whispered softly. He
waited, his eyes on me. “I-I came to tell you. In London.”
Something dark flickered in his gaze and he searched my
face. “I wanted to tell you I was pregnant.” His fingers dug
into my ass. “Kol is yours.”
Something dark as sin filled his gaze. Possessive.
Consuming.
“I know.”
An incredulous breath left me. So he knew after all.
“How? When?”
A half-smile pulled on his lips.
“Only yesterday. When I saw Kol at the gravesite, I
called a friend,” he admitted. “Kol is mine. You listed me on
his birth certificate.” He raised his hand to cup my cheek.
“You gave him my name.”
The intensity in his voice made my throat tighten. The
way his hand shook told me I did something right.
“Yes. Your first name for his middle name,” I breathed.
“Alessandra is Maman’s name so I figured if anyone
questioned it, I’d blame her for it.” His lips tugged up,
tempting me to kiss him. “We can change his last name.
Anything you want.” His heat and familiar scent wrapped
around me like a blanket. “I’m sorry I kept it from you.”
“I’m sorry for hurting you, love.”
Tears blurred my vision. So much time wasted. “Ditto.”
“Tell me about Kol’s scar.”
As always, terror squeezed my chest. The man was dead.
Six feet under. But the memory still terrified me.
“Your father showed up at the hospital the day he was
born,” I croaked, that old familiar fear in my chest. “He
threatened me. He pushed a cigarette butt into Kol. I
fought him, but I was too weak after giving birth. He only
stopped when I threatened him by using the Corsican
mafia.”
He pushed his face into my lower belly. His mouth
skimmed over the soft cloth, like he wanted to kiss all the
pain away.
“I gave you up and still you ended up hurt.” His voice
was rough. Full of pain and regret. ”I failed you and Kol.”
I shook my head.
“No, I failed you,” I claimed. “I don’t want us to live in
the past anymore. We have each other now. We start over.
Focus on our present. Our future. The three of us. My
parents. Branka. A family.”
He leaned closer and his nose touched mine, his mouth
was a breath away from mine.
“I love you, Alessandro.” A rough sound rumbled in his
chest. “I don’t want to waste any more time.”
“You have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear those
words.” His admission warmed my chest. His forehead
came to mine and his eyes bore into me, conveying so much
but he said nothing else.
“Make love to me,” I murmured. “Please.”
The words were out before I realized it. Not that I
wanted to take them back. It was never making love for us.
It was hunger, craving, ripping clothes off. I wasn’t sure
what making love was. But maybe we could learn. Together.
“If I make love to you, Autumn, there’ll be no going
back. I’ll be the last man ever to touch you. The last man to
feel your pussy. The last man to feel your lips, your skin.”
His grip tightened. “You’ll belong to me. Every single piece
of you will be mine. I gave you up once. I won’t do it again.”
Ba-boom. Ba-boom. Ba-boom.
It wasn’t a declaration of love. But it was a start. Four
years ago, he warned me he didn’t make love. The fact that
he was willing to try spoke volumes.
“You can have all of me.” He deserved it. I wanted to
give it to him, because it was all I ever wanted. “On one
condition,” I added.
“I want the same from you,” I rasped. “I’ll be the last
woman to touch you, kiss you, feel your nice bad boy ass.”
His smile just about stole my breath away. “I’m all yours
and you’re all mine.”
Before I could even blink, he had me flipped on my back
against the mattress.
“Alessandro,” I squealed.
His mouth pressed against my lips before another word
could come out. His kisses burned a path down my neck.
Rough. Bruising. Consuming.
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Autumn.” My
heart was beating so hard, I feared it would explode. “You
and Kol. The three of us.”
“I love you,” I whispered.
His hand slid over my hip, then his finger hooked on my
panties. “I love white on you.”
Heat consumed every inch of my skin. My bra followed.
“I want you to buy me new panties,” I murmured, my
mouth searching for his. Urgent. Wet. My tongue met his
and I moaned with need. My hips ground against him,
mirroring every thrust and glide of our tongues.
It was all he needed. I barely had time to blink. His
boxers were off before he pushed inside me in one powerful
thrust, filling me to the hilt. I moaned, he groaned.
I had forgotten how big he was. We were both shaking
with the intensity of it.
“Home,” he hissed against my neck. My palms pressed
against his spine and a shudder rolled down his back. “I’m
finally home.”
My pulse thrummed between my legs. He sucked on my
tongue as he eased out and then back inside. Pleasure
burned through my bloodstream and I knew I wouldn’t last
long. Four years without his touch, I’d probably burst any
moment.
 “God, it feels so good,” I breathed. Both of us lowered
our eyes and watched his length disappear in and out of
me.
“I won’t be able to go easy,” he rasped.
“C-condom… we need a condom,” I moaned as he
pushed inside me.
“I’m clean.”
“Same,” I breathed, my eyes rolling in the back of my
head. “T-that’s not… Oh, God.” He thrust deep inside me. I
could feel him stretching me, hitting my spot. “We need to
be responsible.”
“I want more kids.” Another thrust. Hard and deep. Our
heavy breaths filled the space between us. “You?”
His question should scare me; it didn’t.
“Whatever you want. Just please, I need more.” His eyes
came up to mine. Molten silver. “Please, Alessandro. I need
you.”
He didn’t need any more encouragement. He fucked me
deep and hard. My body remembered him. His body
remembered mine. My arms wrapped around him, my legs
hooked around his hips, and I held on.
Each thrust sent pleasure through me. The wave of heat
curled in the pit of my stomach. My eyes rolled into the
back of my head.
His hand came to my throat and my neck pushed into his
big palm.
“Mine,” he grunted. “All mine.”
A shudder rolled through me. My breasts brushed
against his chest. My legs wrapped around him. His pelvis
grinding against my clit. It was hot. Erotic. Fast.
His mouth came down on mine, kissing me. His hand
was still on my neck. He groaned each time, the look of
crazed possession in his eyes.
“This pussy is mine,” he rasped. “These tits. This body.
All fucking mine.”
 “Yes. Yes. Yes,” I screamed mindlessly as pleasure sent
an inferno blazing through me. The orgasm hit me hard and
stars swam in my vision. My nails scraped down his back as
I held onto him, violent shudders rolling down my body.
“Fuck, love,” he groaned, spurts of cum erupting from
his throbbing cock. My core tingled, my orgasm roared, my
body spent. His strokes eased, but he kept moving.
He trapped my bottom lip between his teeth and bit.
Hard. Then soothed the sting with his tongue. As if he
wanted to punish me and reward me at the same time.
With my legs still wrapped around his waist, I placed a
kiss on his neck, soaking up his smell. My lips skimmed
over his hot skin, tasting it.
“That was not lovemaking,” I murmured against his skin.
“We’ll have to do it again.”
Rough noise sounded in his chest. It sounded almost like
a chuckle. I lifted my head to meet his eyes and they shone
like stars. My heart raced, my ears buzzed.
“Don’t write me off yet,” he murmured against my lips.
“We’ll try again, I just need a few minutes to recover.”
I buried my head into his neck and he turned us over so
he laid down, pulling me over so my head laid against his
chest. I listened to his heart beat hard and fast. For me.
Just as mine beat for him. Only for him.
Slowly the room came into focus. Our labored breathing
eased. His fingers played with my hair. Our hearts beat
together. My hands roamed his chest, my fingers pausing
over the scars hidden by the ink.
“How old were you when he did this?”
His movement stilled for a second before resuming
twirling a strand of my hair around his finger.
“The earliest one I remember was when I was four, but I
had scars from earlier.” My heart caught in my throat.
Jesus Christ.
I shifted and pressed my mouth against it. “D-didn’t your
mom fight him?”
 A sardonic breath with a hint of bitterness left him. “No.
She was terrified of him. She let him do whatever he
wanted to me, Mia, and Branka.”
“Branka doesn’t talk much about Mia,” I noted softly.
“Were you close with her?”
“Yes.” It was only a single word but raw pain vibrated
through its syllable. “She was five years younger than me.”
My palm roamed his chest in a circular motion. “I couldn’t
protect her. The only thing I could do was irritate him more
so his anger would be more focused on me. He blamed her
for being a girl. Liked to humiliate her, make her walk in
front of his men naked, showing them the burn marks she
earned by disobedience.”
“God,” I whispered. “I knew he was cruel but that is
sadistic.”
“Your mother should have taken you and ran,” I
murmured. “Or shot him.”
He let out a sarcastic breath. “The only time our mother
was brave enough to do something was when I was fifteen,”
he said. I had a bad feeling. “She tried to set us all on fire
in her room. Branka was only an infant.”
My heart froze. I couldn’t fathom a mother hurting her
own children. “Is that how Mia died?”
“No, she survived. We all did. But Mother never forgave
me for getting us out. Every scream, every pain that
Branka and Mia endured from then on was my fault.”
I shot up, my palms on his warm chest. “It’s not your
fault,” I croaked. “You saved their lives. Look at Branka.
She’s strong and brave. And a total badass if I may say. All
thanks to you.”
He reached to the nightstand and lit a cigarette.
“Some days I wondered. Mia was so ashamed of her
body, but she refused to let Father break her,” he
continued, lost in the past. “The moment she turned
eighteen, I helped her get to the U.S. and join the military.
Once she was accepted, he couldn’t get her out. You want
to know the ultimate irony?”
I wasn’t sure that I did, but I nodded anyhow. He had
never confided in me like this before.
“She committed suicide.” A soft gasp sounded from my
lips. “A group of assholes raped her and she just snapped.
Couldn’t come back from it.”
“God, Alessio,” I murmured softly, pressing a kiss to his
cheek. “I’m so sorry. So damn sorry.” He had so much
tragedy in his life.
“At Mia’s funeral, I beat my father black and blue, then
took Branka to live with me. I swore at least one of us in
this wretched family would have some semblance of
normalcy.”
It made me admire him even more. He took his
responsibility seriously. I pressed my cheek against his
warm chest and kissed his sculpted abs. His scent was all
over me and around me. The scent of sandalwood, spice
and smoke. Familiar and intimate.
“Are you smoking a lot?” I asked for no reason.
“I’ll quit.”
I raised my head off his chest. “You will?”
He nodded. “It’s not good for the baby. Or you.”
My lips curved into a soft smile. “Nor you.” I shifted and
pressed my mouth against his. I’d never get enough of him.
“I love you.”
His hand grabbed my nape and he nipped my bottom lip.
“Don’t you ever stop, Autumn. There isn’t much that can
kill me but you… you can.” His last words came out rough,
but the look in his eyes said it all.
“Ditto,” I murmured. Another kiss. Wet. Possessive. So
fucking right.
“Forget the contract and the blackmail,” he rasped
against my mouth. “Marry me because you want to.”
We still had a lot of things to resolve. My own parents
worked at their relationship every day. So would we. A lot
of ghosts to bury and wounds to heal. But we’d do them
together. I finally had him back. I missed him with an ache
for the past four years.
“Yes,” I murmured, burying my face into his neck. He
smelled so good, like warmth and spice. And home. “There
is no need to rush it though. And nothing big. Leave the big
wedding to Branka.”
“Anything you want.” His lips moved over my head. “She
told you, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“She fought it for years. Not sure what made her
suddenly change her mind.”
That was definitely not my story to tell Alessio.
“I’m not sure if arranged marriages are smart,” I
muttered. “She should marry for love.”
“More than anything, she needs protection,” he retorted
dryly. “Our father managed to make many enemies.”
I tensed. “What about you?”
“I have many enemies too.” I flicked him a worried look.
“I’ll protect you and Kol. Always.”
I didn’t doubt him. I always felt safe with him, but it
didn’t mean I agreed with his illegitimate business.
“Would you have many enemies if you were just an
average businessman?” I asked hesitantly.
“Probably.”
I shook my head. “Probably?”
“I inherited all my father’s enemies. Add to it that I
ended the human trafficking in our territory and earned
myself some more because I hurt their business.”
“So you can’t get out?”
“If I get out, there would be someone taking over the
territory and possibly reinstating human trafficking. My
friends and I have worked hard and sacrificed a lot to end
it. I can’t just throw it away.”
“But gun and drug dealings– ” He tensed and
uncertainty flickered through me. I didn’t want to ruin this
moment so I switched subjects. “So do we know when
Branka’s wedding will be?” I asked and he nodded. “Who’s
the lucky groom?”
“Killian Brennan.”

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 34

OceanofPDF.com
 Alessio

A utumn slept tucked beneath the covers, one smooth

thigh outside the covers and her bare ass tempting
me. Her brows were drawn as she slept on her side,
facing the window. I smoothed a hand over her brow and
she leaned into my touch.
She was beautiful.
I still couldn’t believe she was here. With me.
She came to me willingly. Eight years of waiting and
sacrifice led us here. I’d do it all over again - if it meant her
and Kol’s safety.
She was my first and last love. My only one. Without her,
I was just existing. With her, I was living.
I watched her sleeping until the flicker of dawn began to
temper the darkness in our bedroom. I itched to wake her
and lose myself in her again. I shouldn’t. I’ve taken her
several times already tonight.
She had the most perfect ass, begging me to bite it. My
dick hardened and I couldn’t resist the temptation.
I laid my hand on her thigh, then dipped it between her
legs. She opened her legs in invitation and the moment my
fingers brushed against her clit, a soft whimper filled the
air. She was drenched already.
My mouth traveled down her soft body, her skin smelling
just as I remembered it. Fall. Apple. So fucking tasty. I
flattened my tongue against her clit, then licked her. Slow,
savoring her juices.
“Oh my God.”
Autumn’s moan vibrated through the darkness of our
bedroom. Her fingers gripped my hair, her legs hiked over
my shoulders as she ground her pussy against my mouth. I
licked her clit like it was the last taste of heaven.
Her fingers tightened. “Please, please don’t stop.”
“I just got started, love,” I drawled, then gave her clit
another languorous lick. Her thighs shuddered, squeezing
around my head. I sucked her swollen bud into my mouth
and another breathless moan followed.
I felt her shiver and her pussy was dripping wet. For me.
I loved eating her pussy. I loved her scent. I loved tasting
her. I watched her face as I pushed a finger into her
entrance and she screamed with pleasure.
“Want my tongue inside your pussy?” Her answer was a
whimper. I gently slapped her pussy and her eyes snapped
open. “Words,” I growled.
“Yes.”
“Yes what?” I egged her on. Fuck, that flush on her
cheeks was so attractive. There wasn’t a single thing I
didn’t find perfect when it came to her.
“I want your tongue in my pussy,” she breathed on a
moan.
I grinned. “That’s my girl.”
The moment my tongue touched her pussy she bucked
again and her eyes grew half-lidded. I always loved
watching her when eating her pussy. That blissful look on
her face was the best fucking sight. I started fucking her
with my tongue. Harder and faster. Just the way she liked
it.
“You taste like I remember,” I rasped against her. “So
fucking good.”
I couldn’t get enough of that taste that was uniquely her.
She ground against my mouth, her muscles taut and her
whimpers getting louder and louder. I’d never have enough
of her. I pushed my tongue deeper into her, then out. In and
out. I could feel her pussy clenching, greedy for more.
I nipped her clit, then pushed my fingers in hard. She
was so fucking tight, her walls clenching around my
fingers.
“Oh my God, Alessandro,” she cried. “I- I’m gonna… “
I pushed my fingers back in until I was knuckles deep
inside her. “That’s right, love. Let it go.”
A shudder rolled through her, her eyes on me, watching
me full of lust as I lowered my head again and ate her up,
savoring her. Her back bowed off the bed as she cried out
my name, her fingers fisting in my hair.
Her whole body vibrated with the force of her orgasm. I
rose and made my way up her body, taking her mouth.
Letting her taste herself on my tongue.
Then in one thrust, I pushed deep inside her. Her loud
moan traveled up my spine, and I started thrusting into her,
faster and faster, until the only sounds were our ragged
breathing. Flesh slapping against flesh. She was my
heaven. I fucked her so rough and hard, I feared I’d break
her. Bruise her.
“Don’t fucking stop,” she moaned with a tiny growl.
Even if I wanted to stop, I wouldn’t be able to. And I didn’t
want to stop fucking her. I watched her pleasure glazed
eyes, her mouth urging me to go faster and deeper.
She shattered as another orgasm slammed into her, her
pussy clenching me tightly until I came apart, spurting my
cum into her pussy. I shuddered against her, kissing her
mouth, her nose, her forehead.
Fuck, I hoped she’d get pregnant so she’d wed me
sooner.
As I came down, I found Autumn’s lips curved into a soft
smile. “That was love making, right?”
I dropped my forehead to hers. “Yes, it was.”
 Her smile turned wider, but her eyes fluttered shut. “I
knew it.”
A soft snore sounded and amusement filled me. Maybe I
shouldn’t have woken her. I’d been keeping her awake late
into the night most days tasting every inch of her. She’d
start touching me. I’d start touching her. It was as if we
tried to make up for the last four years.
I pulled her closer to me and she curled into me,
murmuring something unintelligible.
Seven days.
It had been seven days since Autumn and Kol became
part of my household.
I watched the woman who’d filled my every waking
thought for the past four years sleep in my arms, and I still
couldn’t believe she was with me. We hadn’t talked about
the blackmail anymore. She agreed to marry me but asked
not to rush it.
Now that I was so close to having her, I worried about
losing her. The itch to force her to take my name still
clawed at me, but I ignored it. I’d wait for her to set the
date. I wanted to go about it right.
For her. For our son.
The sun hadn’t risen yet, but years of insomnia were
hard to break. I rose out of bed and strode to the window. I
watched her sleep as I lit up a cigarette. The habit had
grown worse since she walked away four years ago.
The need for the smoke had diminished since she’d been
back. She seemed to be the only cure I needed. She and
Kol. When we were together, I forgot about the fucked up
past. With her, I had a family.
Branka, Autumn, Kol, and I. Although, I couldn’t quite
get a read on my sister. Something troubled her. She wasn’t
happy about this wedding arrangement, but her lack of
protest puzzled me. I couldn’t quite figure it out.
Slowly the sun rose and cast its rays over Autumn in my
bed. It still seemed surreal. Autumn Corbin slept in my bed.
Willingly. The sheet came up to her waist and the rays
radiated over her smooth, creamy skin. That gorgeous jet-
black hair sprawled out on the pillow and the sun reflected
in that too.
After four years of restlessness and rage, I finally found
peace. And fuck it, I was scared to lose it. Lose her because
now I knew how life without her would be.
Bleak. Pointless.
But my lifestyle still stood between us. She was saving
the world; I was corrupting it. We’d need to come clean on
our path forward sooner or later.
Extinguishing the half smoked cigarette, I headed for
the kitchen to fix breakfast. Little Kol loved scrambled
eggs. The best part of my day were mornings when we all
sat around together eating breakfast and nights when I
buried myself inside my woman.
I started with the coffee maker. My lips curved up into a
smile remembering how cranky Autumn got yesterday
before she had her coffee. She was a coffee addict alright.
I started the bean grinder when a pair of soft hands
wrapped around my waist from behind and that unique
scent enveloped me. Her touch always sent a small shudder
through my spine. I fucking lived for her touch.
I turned around and she pressed her face into my chest.
“A sexy guy without a shirt fixing me coffee,” she
murmured into my chest, inhaling deeply. “It’s a dream
come true.”
A smile touched my lips. “I live to serve you.”
A blush rose to her cheeks. God there was so much I
wanted from her. Her smiles. Her happiness. More
children. I wanted everything from her. But her reluctance
to set the date fucked with me.
Maybe I wasn’t good enough. What I felt for her was so
fucking deep, part of each breath and heartbeat that
sometimes I worried I wouldn’t function without her. The
only thing that kept me going over the last four years was
bits and pieces of information Branka fed me.
Pathetic, I know.
Yes, I could have had Nico provide me with a daily
detailed report on her but I didn’t. I thought it was best for
her that I let her go. Until I learned what my father had
done. To our son. I should have been there to protect her.
Bottom line, I was all in.
Although I wondered what Autumn would do if she knew
how far my obsession went. From the moment I laid eyes
on her eight years ago in her bedroom while the birthday
party below us was in full swing.
She was too independent. Too normal. Maybe it was
exactly that which drew me to her. She repaired all my
broken, cracked parts with just her touch or a smile. She
was my cure. My healing started when I met her.
“A few of my friends are coming up,” I told her. “Can
your parents watch Kol so you can come along? We’ll pick
him up on our way back from the restaurant.”
Her hazel eyes met mine. “Wouldn’t they rather just see
you?” she asked.
I shook my head. “You are part of me.”
She studied me. “Don’t men usually prefer to hang out
without women around?”
I smiled. “I don’t. Neither do my friends.” When you’ve
gone through life without something and you finally found
it, there was no letting go. Autumn was that for me. Áine
was that for Cassio. Aurora, my half-sister, was that for
Alexei. “Their wives will be there.”
“What should I wear?” she asked.
My eyes roamed down her body. She wore one of my
long-sleeve shirts. The collar was slipping off her shoulder,
and she had the sleeves rolled up her forearms. She looked
perfect. And mine.
She rose to her tiptoes, brushed her tongue against the
corner of my mouth, and breathed against my lips. “I really
like when you look at me. Like I’m the best sight you have
ever seen.”
Satisfaction ran hot through my veins. “You are the best
sight I have ever seen.”
The only sight I wanted to see for the rest of my life.
Her and our children.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 35

OceanofPDF.com
 Autumn

A lessio and I had fallen into a routine.

He’d fix breakfast. When Kol woke up, we’d eat it
together. Then we’d tag team getting ready and we’d
escort him to work, while Kol and I would go visit my
parents. Or meet up with Branka.
Today was no exception.
After breakfast, the three of us slid into his car, Kol
safely secured in the car seat between us. The moment
Alessio shot the partition between his driver and us, I
turned to face him.
“What time should I be ready for dinner?” I asked him,
bringing back our original topic.
“I’ll be home by five.”
Home. I came to think of the penthouse as home. Alessio
and Kol were my home.
I pulled out my phone and typed a quick message to my
parents.
The reply was instant.
“We’re all set,” I told him smiling.
Alessio leaned over the car seat and I met him halfway,
our mouths connecting. A soft, fleeting kiss. Yet, it rattled
my soul unlike anything else before. Alessio’s arms rested
behind our son’s car seat and reached behind me. His palm
rested on my shoulders and his fingers played with my hair.
Twisting it and untwisting it around his finger. And I
enjoyed a small tingle that coursed through me as his
driver drove us across town to my parents.
“Do you have to work today?” I murmured. “We could do
something fun.”
His mouth curved. “Like what?”
I grinned. “I’m sure we could find something.”
My cheeks heated at the insinuation in my words. And I
got confirmation of my blush when his thumb brushed over
it.
“I have to fly to Philly this morning, but tomorrow, I’m
all yours.”
“Promise.”
“Cross my heart, love,” I vowed. “How about we have
your parents come to my estate? You can decide what room
should be Kol’s. And the materials are being delivered
today so I can build Kol the bed I promised him.”
Kol started flopping his legs and arms excitedly.
“Airplane bed.”
“It’s a date,” I beamed. “The three of us tomorrow all
day.”

I wouldn ’ t exactly say

I was nervous.
I wasn’t. But I did wish Branka was coming with us.
She’d join us later with her man. Killian Brennan.
It sounded Irish, but what the fuck did I know?
I wore a red strapless cocktail dress that accentuated
my curves. My hair fell down my back in soft curls and I
even did my eyes with smoky eye shadow.
The moment Alessio saw me, the awed expression in his
eyes told me he liked it.
His next words confirmed it. “Tell me you have red
panties underneath that dress.”
 He held Kol with his right arm so I took his left. “You’re
gonna have to find out,” I told him playfully.
It took no time to get across town and leave Kol safely
with my parents. It didn’t escape me that Alessio’s men
lurked on each corner.
When we slid back into his Land Rover, I asked him
casually, “Are your men always here?”
“Yes.”
I let out a small sigh but I said nothing else. My father
probably noticed them. There was little that escaped him or
Maman. Force of habit and years of practice. But if they
didn’t complain, then neither would I.
The moment Alessio and I entered the large restaurant,
the room quieted. The restaurant was decorated in gold
and red and it had a festive motif. On the far right wall, a
long glass bar stretched with a variety of drinks and a
bartender ready to serve. In the center of the wall, there
was a large television muted but the captions were too
hard to see.
My eyes traveled over the room full of mobsters and
their wives. They closed the entire restaurant to the public.
Alessio’s hand came around my waist and pulled me
closer. It was all the assurance I needed. I knew he got me.
Cassio and Áine, along with Luciano and his wife, came
up first.
“Nice to see you again,” Grace greeted me.
“Yes, long time no see,” Áine remarked teasingly. “It was
only in June that we saw you. Seems so long ago.” They
both seemed really happy to see me.
“Hi again, Autumn,” Luciano added. “Hopefully, you’re
happier to see us this time. At least us, Cassio can still be
on your shit list,” he elaborated, referring to the exhibition
we met at.
“Luciano, Grace.” Alessio greeted them. He stood taller
than Luciano but something about the latter’s tattoos made
him look outright scary. Not that I thought Alessio was any
less ruthless. He hid it under his polished gentleman’s
exterior. “How is little Matteo?”
“He’s doing great,” Grace beamed. “We’ll have to bring
him up next time.”
“Agreed. Matteo and Kol are close in age, they’d play
well together. Of course, Kol speaks more French and
Matteo Italian but they’ll figure it out.”
A round of chuckles followed.
Another couple approached, and it took all I had not to
shrink back. Arctic cold blue eyes. Emotionless face. And
next to him a woman with dark hair smiling like the whole
world was just right.
“Hi there,” she greeted me, extending her hand. “You
must be Autumn.” I nodded, my eyes darting back to her
date. I didn’t trust him not to kill me before I blinked. “This
is my husband, Alexei. I’m Aurora, his wife.”
I swallowed, flicking a gaze to Alessio. He didn’t seem
worried.
Okay, then. Neither was I. Maybe?
The last name registered. Nikolaev!
“Are you related to Sasha Nikolaev?” I blurted out.
Alessio’s eyebrow shot up in surprise.
“Brother,” Alessio answered. Raspy voice. Cold voice.
Jesus, he was fucking scary.
“Oh, look at that. You remember me.” A tall, stalky
three-piece-suit strode over to us. A shark-like grin on his
face and a slightly unhinged look in his eyes that darted
behind me. Like he was expecting someone. “I must have
left a lasting impression.”
And the memory slammed into me. I remembered him.
Four years ago, we sat in the restaurant with him and his
brother.
Sasha Nikolaev. This was the guy who broke Branka’s
heart?
Holy fucking shit! Branka needed her eyes checked. Did
she not see he was a scary motherfucker?
 She’d need help carving his heart out. Or killing him. I’d
help her. I was a peace loving, kind-hearted girl but this
guy… Yeah, I’d make an exception because I wanted my
best friend to live. My son needed an aunt.
I shot him a glare. It had to catch him by surprise
because his eyebrows shot up.
“Not that lasting,” I mumbled. “Not unless you count
people you never wanted to see again as a lasting
impression.”
His inked fingers slipped into his pockets and he took
another step towards me. “Where is your sister, Russo?”
Sasha asked Alessio, but his eyes remained on me.
“Running late, as usual,” Alessio retorted dryly. “She’d
never miss hanging out with Autumn. Those two are
inseparable.”
“That’s so sweet,” a soft voice exclaimed. Another
Nikolaev. It was fucking hard to miss them with those tall
frames and freaky pale blue eyes. A towering man came up
with a petite woman in his arms. I had met him before too.
They were like night and day. Scary face and smiling face.
Storm and sunshine. “Hello, I’m Isabella. Vasili’s wife.”
“Hmmm.” The age disparity between the two seemed
even bigger than Alessio’s and mine. In fact, all of them
seemed to have much younger wives. I guess when I
married Alessio, I wouldn’t be the younger one. When, I
thought dreamily. I’d have to talk to him about setting a
date. “Nice to meet you. I met your husband briefly a few
years back,” I responded. You could see it all over Isabella,
she was a sweetheart.
“How is Tatiana?” Alessio asked, leaving me to wonder
who Tatiana was.
“She needs time to heal,” Isabella answered. “She’s
upset.”
“Tatiana needs to kick some ass,” Sasha grumbled. “And
she’ll get over it all.”
 “Tatiana and you need to be separated,” Vasili snapped.
“The two of you together will start a goddamn war.”
Isabella patted her husband’s giant hand in an attempt
to calm him down.
“Autumn, meet Nico and his wife Bianca,” Alessio
continued the introductions, while Sasha and Vasili started
bickering in Russian. “And you remember Byron.”
The half-brother.
“Hello, Autumn,” he greeted me. “And before you ask, no
I didn’t speak with Senator Ashford.”
“Well, a girl can hope,” I muttered. “Although I’d
strongly suggest you or someone give that man an
education on weapons trade agreements and humanitarian
activities in the world. He’s fucking clueless.”
“I like her.” My head whipped in the direction of the
rough, cold voice. It belonged to Alexei. Hopefully, it was a
good thing to be liked by Alexei. Or maybe not. His wife
grinned.
“Yeah, me too,” she added. She leaned over and kissed
Alessio on the cheek. “Good choice, brother.” I frowned.
Did she just call him brother? She noticed my confused
look. “Byron is my brother.”
“Oh.” I tilted my head, studying her. “Does Branka
know?”
Aurora’s eyes darted to Alessio and mine followed. He
shook his head. “You have to tell her,” I murmured. I turned
my head back to Aurora. “So it’s just you and your brother–
“
“No, I have another half-sister. Alessio and Byron, of
course. And three other brothers.” Wow, that was a big
family. “How about you?”
“Umm, just me. And Branka,” I answered. “My parents
say that is like having ten kids.”
A soft chuckle traveled through the room. “My father
used to say the same thing,” Bianca, Nico’s wife, chimed in.
“Sometimes I wonder what he’d say if he saw our twins.” A
soft smile curved her lips. I could relate to that smile. It
was the very same one I felt every time I talked about Kol.
Everyone’s eyes remained on me, studying me curiously.
But to their credit, they didn’t ask any questions. We all sat
around a large set table, with only two spots still vacant.
They belonged to Branka and Killian who I had yet to meet.
The meal was served and I quite enjoyed it. Alessio sat
next to me talking to the men, his hand on my thigh.
Isabella and Bianca discussed recipes. From the sound of it,
Isabella was bad at cooking.
“She’s better at saving lives than cooking,” Aurora
commented. “She’s a doctor.”
“Oh.” I flicked a glance Isabella’s way. She was writing
notes with a furrowed brow, muttering it was easier to cut
up a human than cut up a chicken. It was almost comical. “I
hear your photographs are sought after.”
“Oh, they are,” Grace and Áine chimed in at the same
time. “I barely snatched one,” Áine added. “Alessio bought
out the whole gallery.”
“What?” I blurted out.
Áine and Grace shared a smile. “Yes, he was the prick,”
Grace teased in a hushed tone. “I was so pissed off. I
wanted a few of those photographs. But Alessio has to be
an obsessive prick. Cassio said he hid them all in his
manor.”
A chuckle traveled over our side of the table. “I wonder
where he has them,” I muttered. “I haven’t seen them in his
penthouse.”
“He’s probably hiding them until he’s certain you won’t
run away,” Áine chimed, tilting her chin to the men. “All of
them are obsessive and possessive.”
I flicked a glance at the men, then back to the women. “I
guess I can see that,” I remarked softly. Although I didn’t
mind it. Not with Alessio. I loved his dark side. I loved his
possessive side. I loved everything about him.
 “I’m going to have to look into those,” Aurora said.
“Alexei has a penthouse in D.C. and it’s so bland, basic. I
want to make it more homey so when we visit, it doesn’t
feel like we’re in a hotel.”
My lips curved up. “Not exactly sure you’ll want my kind
of photos.”
“Why not?”
“Most of them are more… ummm– “ I searched for the
right words, but failed. “Some are to raise awareness.
Others are a bit dark. There are a few photos of some of
the amazing places on this planet I’ve been able to visit.”
Aurora’s eyes lit up.
“I’d like to see all of them.”
Grace dug out her phone and started flipping through
her photos. “I snapped pictures during the exhibit in New
York. She has some on her website, too.”
I didn’t need to look through them. I knew them all. I
never forgot a single photograph I took. All the women
looked at Grace’s phone and my attention wandered.
My eyes lifted up to the television that showed the news
and I stiffened. The chaos in Afghanistan played out across
the screen. I spotted a face or two of friends I’d made. I
shot up to my feet and found myself in front of the
television.
“Can you turn up the volume?” I asked the bartender.
No sooner than he had, my phone, still back at the table,
started ringing. I ignored it. It rang again. And again.
Áine brought it over to me. “It could be important.”
“Thank you.” I smiled gratefully, then answered the call.
“Are you seeing it?” It was Loren.
“Yeah.”
“Do you want in?”
“Yeah.”
“If we do this, we’re on our own,” Loren grumbled. “The
editor doesn’t want to approve it.”
I frowned. The screaming. People. Children. Crying.
 “Why not?”
“It came from above.” I shook my head. Someone always
had an agenda. It couldn't just be simple - report, snap the
pictures, and make a difference.
“Okay, let me know.” I ended the call, my eyes glued on
the television.
Goddamn it, humans could be so damn cruel. I didn’t
care what race, continent, language they spoke - it was
always the innocent ones that paid the price.
“Is everything okay?” Alessio came up behind me,
wrapping his hands around me.
“Yeah, the crew wants to go in,” I muttered, keeping my
eyes on the screen. “But they won’t get the clearance to
go.”
I thought he let out a relieved breath, but Nico took my
attention. “Probably for the best. Shit will turn nasty
there.”
“It doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be reported on.”
Nico tilted his chin to it. “It’s being reported on.”
I narrowed my eyes on him. “No, it’s not. Look at it.” My
hand shot out towards the television. “It’s reporting only
the area around the airport. What about the whole
goddamn country? The innocent people that will be left at
the mercy of the dictators. The boys they’ll put in to fight.”
“That’s one way to get your hands on a weapon,” Sasha
remarked. My fingers curled into my palms and I fought the
urge to smack him, right across his face. His hands shot up.
“I’m joking.”
“Are you?” I snapped. “Do you know what happens to
boys that get their hands on those weapons? They are
usually dead before they even reach adulthood.”
“We better hope none of our guns make it to that
general area,” Sasha grumbled. “Alessio’s woman might kill
us.”
“Your guns?” I hissed. “You think you control where your
illegal guns go?”
 “We always check our buyers.” Vasili came to his
brother’s defense.
I scoffed. “What? You have them sign an NDA? A
resellers agreement?” I took a step towards Vasili, my
finger pointing at his chest. “Admit it. You have absolutely
no control where your guns go. They go to desperate
countries like that. To the highest bidder.” I flicked my chin
towards the television. “To little boys’ hands. Or adult
criminals. I don’t know which is worse.”
My anger rose with each second, so many words
bubbling inside me. “Next time you sell a gun, Mr.
Nikolaev, imagine your own child holding it.” Vasili
growled, his whole expression darkening. “Yeah, you don’t
like that, do you? Well, neither do the parents of those
boys,” I said, pointing over my shoulder, back to the TV.
“Jesus, this girl is worse than the tree huggers,” Sasha
muttered. “She’s going to save the world.”
“Sasha–” Vasili and Alessio uttered at the same time, but
I was so far gone, I couldn’t hold my tongue back.
I took a threatening step towards the scary tattooed man
who watched me like I was an annoying fly on the wall.
“One day, Sasha Nikolaev,” I shoved my hand against his
chest but the guy was like a pile of big rocks, “ – someone’s
going to stab that black heart of yours,” I told him, reining
in my anger. “And I’m going to have a front row seat to it.
And fucking popcorn.”
I almost let it slip that Branka would carve her initials
into his heart. And fuck it, I will definitely help her. Two
heads were better than one.
“Are we still talking about gun distributions or
something else?” Luciano grumbled. “I feel like something
else is cooking.”
“Well, we know Isabella’s not cooking,” Sasha drawled,
blowing a kiss to his sister-in-law who just flipped him the
bird. Then his eyes returned to me, those pale blues
making me want to squirm.
 “I really like the girl, Alessio,” Alexei deadpanned and I
waved my hands exasperated.
“Thanks,” I smiled sweetly. Poor Alessio, I probably
threw him off. I returned my attention to the troublemaker.
“Sasha, get some coaching from your brother. Because
you’re a major ass,” I grumbled, seeing there was no point
in arguing. Besides, I didn’t want anyone speculating.
“Where is your reinforcement, Autumn?” Sasha drawled
lazily. “Did she leave you, the girl who wants to save the
world, all alone for the wolves to eat?”
Truly. A. Dick. Donkey ass.
I couldn’t think of another adequate name for him. But
then I saw it. Restlessness behind that pale gaze. The
constant way his eyes flickered to the entrance. I glanced
around me, but men were discussing their gun
distributions, Alessio’s hand still at the small of my back,
and women were muttering something among each other.
Returning my attention to Sasha, my lips curved into a
smug smile. Not so fast, Sasha-boy. Okay, maybe not a boy.
Sasha-man? Sasha-asshole? Yeah, whatever.
I took a small step forward and lowered my voice.
“Actually, Branka and her boyfriend are spending some
time alone.” The murderous expression that flashed on
Sasha’s face would have me shitting my pants if Alessio’s
hand wasn’t protectively around me. Thankfully, it was.
“They are getting acquainted,” I added sweetly.
I didn’t say she planned on joining us soon. But it did
cause Sasha to storm out of there.
“What happened?” Vasili asked, eyeing me suspiciously.
I blinked innocently, keeping my expression blank. “No
idea. I said I’d carve his heart out and he got upset.”
Snickers traveled across the room.
But I didn’t fool the Nikolaev brothers. Both of them
kept an eye on me for the rest of the night.
Too bad they got it all wrong.
OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 36

OceanofPDF.com
 Autumn

T he dinner was actually a lot of fun once Branka got

there.
I finally got to meet Killian Brennan, and he was a
freaking hottie. With a capital H. Oh my gosh, those eyes.
That hair. That tan. If I wasn’t so smitten with Alessio, I
would have drooled.
Then Branka brought up our travel pictures. And videos.
The one where we danced in Paris, including my mother,
to Katy Perry’s song about kissing a girl.
The whole table laughed. “Oh, that’s nothing,” Branka
grinned, ready to dish more dirt out. I knew exactly what
was coming.
“Don’t do it,” I warned her.
“Ah, now I want to do it even more,” she beamed.
“We want to see it,” Áine announced. “You two would be
trouble if you teamed up with my cousin, Margaret.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know if that’s good. Let’s say,
Paris won’t welcome us again.” The table chuckled, even
the two Nikolaev men. “Where does your cousin live?
Please don’t say Paris.”
She laughed. “She’s currently in Ireland.”
Branka and I shared a glance. “We haven’t done
anything embarrassing there, yet.”
 She threw her head back and laughed. “Maman
threatened she won’t travel with us anymore.”
I shrugged, a mischievous smile on my face. “Well, we
won’t tell her our plans. Dancing in the middle of Dublin
sounds charming.”
“We can get people to throw some money in a hat for us.
We’ll be like traveling gypsies.”
Alessio grumbled. “No traveling gypsies in this family,”
he warned.
“Too late,” we both said at the same time and burst into
giggles.
“Okay, here is Maman’s favorite song,” Branka
announced, connecting her phone to the television
projecting her video clip.
The end of Katy Perry’s song showed Maman, Branka,
and me dancing. Kol was still a baby, in my arms.
“Look at Kol,” Branka mused. “That look right there. He
still has it. That ‘oh, shit, where the hell did I end up’ look.
Poor kid realized early on he ended up with crazy women in
his family.”
Kol’s eyes were wide watching Maman dancing who
kept trying to drag dad into the dance circle. He was
recording so it’d jerk the camera every time.
“Your mom seems to love Paris,” Aurora remarked.
My eyes were glued to the screen. Every so often I’d get
a glimpse of dad. We were all happy. Yes, my heart was
broken. And yes, it seems maybe Branka’s was too. But we
all had each other and my parents.
“Yeah, she said Paris will always have a special place in
her heart,” I answered, my eyes still glued to the screen.
God, that love on my mother’s face. The very same one I
could see on dad’s face when the camera would
accidentally flick to him. He called himself an expert
cameraman. “She convinced Dad she’d follow wherever he
went.”
 The song switched over to “Die For Me,” and the very
moment it started playing Branka and I shared a glance.
“I know that look,” Alessio noted. “Trouble.”
“Us? Never!” Branka and I answered.
Maman’s confused look on the screen was unmistakable.
Her lips moved but you couldn’t hear her voice because
Branka turned the music up to the max. Then both of us
screamed the words while Maman chased us.
“Don’t say bad words,” she warned. Okay, she screamed
while glancing around frantically. “The French already
don’t like Americans.”
Branka and I sang our hearts out that day. Now I
wondered if she was singing it for Sasha. Or was it only
recently that she realized he was lying to her.
“We’re not Americans.” We both rapped our comment
like it was part of the song.
“Mon Dieu!” Maman exclaimed, throwing her hands up
in the air along with a few French curses. “Cover Kol’s ears
so he doesn’t hear the bad words. You two are worse
examples now than when you were teenagers.”
Father caught both of our feigned shattered expressions.
But Branka and I couldn’t keep it up for long. We burst into
a fit of giggles, then pulled Maman into our circle and
danced.
“Autumn Michelle Corbin!” she exclaimed. “Same goes
for you Branka.”
The rain drops started. I could still smell the spring air
in Paris. It was like fresh autumn air with a floral
fragrance. Of course, Maman said I got it all wrong.
We laughed so much. Even Kol as I covered his head
with the little hoodie, while he tried to stick his tongue out
and catch rain drops. All four of us tilted our faces up to
the rain and darted our tongues out to catch the rain.
Maman had that picture hung up in the living room.
“That was a good day.” Branka’s hand came around me.
I nodded, watching my parents on the screen. Somewhere
along the way, either Branka or I took over the camera.
Maman and dad danced together. And that love, that
fucking devotion, it was on their face. Like they’d tear the
whole world down for each other.
And I knew they would. Father had done it once already.
He’d do it again in a heartbeat.
“Is that what a normal life looks like?” Aurora
murmured.
“Probably,” Byron grumbled. “Not that we would know.”
My curious gaze flicked over the table. “I think the
closest thing to a normal childhood was experienced by
Bianca,” Grace remarked.
My eyes shot to Nico’s wife.
“If you count not having a mother around because she
was busy paying off a debt,” Bianca noted softly. “But yes, I
was lucky to have my grandmother and father.”
It was then that I could see it on every single face at this
table. Every single man and woman carried a bit of tragedy
and brokenness in their eyes. Much like Alessio’s.
“You’re a lucky girl,” Vasili remarked.
“Yes,” his wife agreed. “I had my mother but even she
had her issues.”
“I’m sorry you didn’t have that,” I said. I meant it too.
Maybe we’d have a better world if we started with our
children. I knew my parents fought to raise me away from
all the cruelty they’d seen in their lives. “Everyone
deserves a happy and safe childhood.”
And as I said those words, Alessio’s hand squeezed mine
underneath the table. We didn’t need words, because I
knew exactly what he was thinking about. I brushed my
thumb over his thumb, hoping that he understood how
much I loved him.
“That’s what I want,” Branka uttered, shattering the
moment. We all glanced in the direction of her finger,
pointing to the screen that was frozen on the faces of my
parents. “The way he’s watching her, it’s like they just met.
Like she’s his sun. Even though her cooking sucks and she
put him in the hospital a few times.”
My lips curved. Chuckles filled the room. But my eyes
were locked on the screen.
My parents happily-ever-after stared back at us.

W e were on our way back home. Home.

Strangely, the penthouse was home. Alessio was home.
It was when I saw my parents’ happiness staring back at
me from Branka's clip that I realized he was my happily-
ever-after. All his broken pieces, his darkness. All of it.
I just wanted him.
“You better not be fantasizing about Killian goddamn
Brennan,” Alessio grunted.
Killian Brennan was mouthwatering, that was for sure.
But he didn’t make time stand still, nor did the world fade
when I looked at him. He didn’t take my breath away.
That was all Alessio.
My lips curved. “Alessandro Russo, are you jealous?”
“No.” Sharp. Clipped.
I put my hand on his thigh. “Nobody compares to you,” I
told him seriously. “Not for me.”
The moonlight highlighted his sharp features. Unlike the
Nikolaev or even the King brothers, Alessio was more clean
cut. Kind of like Nico Morrelli. And Byron Ashford.
Although I knew they were all just as ruthless.
Alessio was more my type. I liked his clean cut look but
also the bad boy ruthlessness underneath it all. There
wasn’t a single piece of him I didn’t love.
“I love you,” I murmured softly.
I only had one glass of wine when Branka arrived, but I
found it relaxed me. In barely a week, I had become
accustomed to living in his penthouse. But more than that, I
grew used to our routine. I loved waking up in his arms. I
loved seeing him with Kol. Then the kiss as he dropped us
off at my parents’ house. And most of all I loved our dinners
and what followed once we tucked Kol in.
His eyes grew dark, then reached out his hand and took
mine. “I love you more.”
My heart fluttered. He loves me. Alessandro Russo loves
me.
“Even if the Nikolaev men are pissed off at me?” I
jabbed playfully.
His eyes flicked my way and then back to the road.
“They are not, but they think you’re hiding something,” he
stated. “With Sasha.” I scoffed, but I didn’t answer.
“Whatever it is, it will come out.”
“And when it does?” I asked curiously. I’d never rat out
Branka, but I happened to agree with Alessio. Things would
eventually come out. It’d be hard to hide Branka carving
out Sasha Nikolaev’s heart.
I’d still watch it, I thought to myself amused.
He just shrugged. “I guess we’ll see. But you’re my
woman and you’ll always come first. You and Kol.”
My chest warmed. “You’ll always come first too,” I
whispered. “You and Kol.” A moment of silence passed
between us.
“Alessio?” Hesitation slithered through me.
“Hmmm.”
“I hope your friends didn’t get offended,” I muttered.
“When I lost my shit about gun smuggling and all that.”
He shrugged. “I’m sure they’ve heard it before.”
“And you?” I questioned. “I know you distribute stuff.” I
couldn’t even say the word. Guns and drugs. “Does it irk
you that I disagree with it?”
“No, I love your morals and hope for a better world,” he
responded with a hint of dry amusement. “I’ve always loved
them. Your eagerness to see the best this world has to offer.
To save it.”
 “You want to save it, too,” I whispered. “If you didn’t,
you wouldn’t have ended human trafficking. You wouldn’t
have saved your sisters.”
His eyes darted my way with a flicker of dry humor.
“Maybe you give me too much credit? You’ll realize who I
truly am and regret us.”
I shook my head. “Don’t do that, Alessio,” I told him in a
soft voice. “I’m staying. Everything else will work itself out.
Yes, we have disagreements but everyone does.”
“On distribution of illegal guns?” he retorted dryly. “Or
my need to kill anyone who touches you? Hunt down any
man who has touched what was mine in the past four
years?”
I swallowed.
“I won’t let anyone touch me,” I vowed. “And maybe
you’re not okay with your side businesses either. You were
forced into it. First by your father, then as a form of
survival to become stronger than him. But no matter what,
I’m staying with you.”
I let the words fill the silence.
“I should punish you for being so good,” he finally said
dryly. “And for corrupting me.”
I chuckled. “I’ll take the punishment.”
“Good girl.” My thighs clenched at his praise. It didn’t
matter what Alessio said or did, my body just responded.
“When we get home– “
He let the meaning linger and heat blossomed between
my thighs, pulsing and throbbing. My fingers itched to
touch his slight stubble and start kissing him now. My
nipples tightened painfully and Alessio’s gaze lowered to
them as if he could read my body.
I glanced at the dashboard noting the time. “Should we
get Kol tomorrow?” I breathed. “I don’t want to wake him
up.” And I wanted Alessio inside me the moment we got
home.
 His right hand reached out, while his left one remained
on the wheel.
“Will your parents be okay with it?”
I chuckled. “Are you kidding me? They’d keep him day
and night, then give me visitation rights if they could.”
Reaching for my phone, I typed a quick message to my
parents. We’d had a group chat for years. Just as I
suspected, the reply was instant.
“They’ll keep him and are headed to bed as we speak,” I
told him. My phone beeped again and a picture of a
sleeping Kol came through.
I showed it to Alessio. His features softened as he
watched it for a moment. “You are a good mother.” I stilled.
“Don’t be surprised, you know you are.”
“Thanks,” I murmured. “My parents and Branka helped
a lot. I don’t know what I would have done without them.”
He nodded and I couldn’t shake off the feeling he was
waiting for something. I just didn’t know what. His thumb
rubbed my bottom lip and my lips parted.
“Have you dated many men over the last few years?“ His
question was casual, his tone lazy but my spine stiffened.
There has been nobody for me. Once Kol was born, it was
all about him and my career. There was little time for
anything else.
“No.” I wanted to ask him the same question but I
worried finding out the answer would break me. Dinner
dates here and there didn’t count in my book.
“What are their names?”
I sighed.
“Alessio, I don’t think we should talk about that,” I told
him quietly. His shoulders visibly tensed and I hated it. This
dark cloud full of ghosts lurking over us. “I’m here. With
you. I want to be with you.”
His hand slid down my throat, squeezed tightly, almost
painfully. He didn’t even realize he was doing it. I didn’t
whimper. I wasn’t scared. After our past week together, I
trusted him. He shared big parts of himself and I wanted us
to be like this for the rest of our lives.
I didn’t want to worry about the four years we spent
apart. I didn’t want to be jealous.
“Have you set the date?” he demanded to know.
I was his already. I have always been his. Saying ‘I do’
wasn’t going to change that.
“I don’t want to rush it,” I murmured. His jaw tightened
and worry swarmed my mind. “Do you still want to marry
me?” I rasped.
Surprise coasted through his eyes. I hadn’t realized we
were home until he pulled into the underground garage. He
parked the car and turned to face me. His palm still cupped
my face. He raked his thumb over my bottom lip again.
My tongue darted out to lick the pad of his thumb and
he groaned his approval.
“You are the only woman I want to marry, Autumn.”
A soft smile crept on my face. “Ditto.”
“You could have better,” he said it so slowly, like it
pained him to even utter those words. “You want to save
the world. I’ve been destroying it for years.” His voice was
gravel and the vulnerability in his eyes could destroy me.
“You’re the only one I want,” I said softly, nipping his
thumb. “The only one I’ll ever want.”
He took my jaw between his fingers, nearly swallowing
it with the size of his palm.
“I don’t like it when you watch other men,” he
grumbled. “Makes me want to spank you.” A soft gasp filled
the space of his car. My heart hammered at the dark note
in his voice and my thighs throbbed.
I squeezed them, hoping to ease the throbbing and
Alessio’s eyes flicked down.
“Fuck.” One word. “You like the sound of a spanking?”
My body temperature spiked about twenty degrees.
“I…” I could lie but the fact was that I wanted to try it. With
him. “Yes,” I breathed.
 He exited the car, came around to open the door for me
and we rushed to the penthouse. The distance seemed too
long. The two of us held hands, our hearts thundering.
If someone would have asked me how we got to our
bedroom or stripped naked, I wouldn’t be able to answer.
My body and mind was zeroed on him and only him.
“Bend over the bed, open palms on the mattress,”
Alessio ordered in a hoarse voice. “Legs open wide.”
I obeyed without a second thought, eager for the
pleasure his eyes promised. His naked chest covered my
back. His hands came to my shoulders, then traveled down
my arms. Goosebumps followed and shivers rolled down my
spine.
“If you want me to stop,” he rasped, his voice full of dark
promises, “just say Kyoto.”
“What?” I stammered.
“Kyoto,” he grunted. I flicked him a glance over my
shoulder. “I was already in love with you when we were
there.”
God, was it possible to feel so much happiness? The
intensity in his eyes had my emotions on high alert.
Slowly, his hands traveled over my breasts, his fingers
brushing over my nipples. His other hand continued the
path lower and lower, until reaching my wet folds. My skin
tingled, buzzing with anticipation.
“I’m going to play with you.” His voice was husky, full of
lust. He thrust two fingers inside me at the same time he
tugged on my nipples. “I’m going to make you beg. Scream.
Fall apart for me.” I arched my back, rubbing against him
as my moan rippled through the air. “You’ll be my little toy.”
“Y-yes… “
Every ounce of me came alive under his touch. His
fingers curled inside me, making my toes curl with the
thrumming sensation at the bottom of my stomach.
His mouth latched onto my throat from behind, sucking
the sensitive skin. Nipping and marking my skin. The
friction between our bodies was enough to set the whole
damn penthouse on fire.
He bit the skin on my throat and a zap of pleasure shot
through every cell of me. He pulled his fingers out and my
walls clenched, eager for more. Before a protest could
leave my mouth, he thrust them back in.
“You’re mine.” His hoarse whisper was hot against the
shell of my ear. I tilted my head back and Alessio captured
my lips with possessive brutality. His tongue dominated
every single inch of my mouth.
He thrust his fingers in and out, his thumb stroking my
clit.
Slap.
My heart lunged forward, just as my body did. My pussy
clenched.
Slap.
The sound reverberated through the air as my ass
burned. It felt like fires licked against my ass cheeks. Heck,
my entire body was on fire.
“A-Alessio… “ My voice was throaty. My legs quivered.
His palm came down to my ass and he soothed the sting,
rubbing my skin in circular motions. My eyes fluttered
closed and my heated ass pushed eagerly against his touch.
“Do you like that?” He landed another slap on my heated
skin and my breathy moan was his answer. “My woman
likes this,” he purred, sliding his finger up my slippery
folds.
“Y-yes,” I breathed. He thrust two fingers back inside me
and slapped my ass cheek at the same time. Once. Twice.
The orgasm slammed into me. It felt like electricity
bolted through my veins, shocking every single cell in my
entire body. I screamed his name. My eyes rolled in the
back of my head and stars swam behind my eyelids.
My breaths heaved in and out, like I had just ran a
marathon.
 He pushed his chest against my back, his mouth on my
ear. “Remember that, love.” My pussy throbbed, his fingers
still buried deep inside my drenched core. “No other man
can do this. No other man could ever make you come like
this.” His voice was filled with possessiveness. “If I catch
any of those men, I’ll cut off their dicks. Make them
disappear. You’re mine. You’ve always been mine.”
I turned my head to see him. Those beautiful silver eyes
had my heart drumming faster and faster. For me.
“There was nobody.” The confession came easily. His
breathing stilled. I put my lips on his and murmured,
“There has been nobody else for me. You were my first and
last. My only.”
The rawness of these emotions felt like sandpaper on my
skin. It left me feeling exposed, but I trusted him not to let
me fall. Not this time. Not after everything.
“I haven’t touched another woman since you.” For a
moment, maybe more, we stared at each other. Our
vulnerabilities, pain and past danced in the air. “It was
always you, Autumn.”
Tears welled in my eyes. From the emotions. From the
orgasm. He was part of me, a key piece that my heart
needed to feel whole.
“Always you,” I rasped, repeating his words.
Placing his hand on my lower belly, he adjusted my
position and my ass thrust higher in the air.
“I’m going to fuck you. Hard and fast. Just the way you
like it.”
The rasp of his voice sent a shudder traveling down my
spine. Then the head of his cock was at my slick entrance
and he slammed into me in one quick thrust. I moaned. He
grunted. And then his hand gripped my hip while his other
fisted my hair.
He dominated me, thrusting into me hard and fast. Just
as he promised. The coiled pleasure burned hotter and
hotter. His grip in my hair tightened. He tilted my head
back and his mouth slammed over mine.
His tongue invaded my mouth with the same intensity as
his cock assaulted my pussy. The tempo of our kiss
increased as did his thrusting. His kiss dominated my
mouth. His thrusts dominated my pussy. Alessio dominated
my body.
His hand came around my front and cupped my pussy.
“This is mine,” he grunted through harsh breathing. “All of
this is mine.”
He slammed deep inside me, filling me to the hilt. His
rhythm was so relentless, it slid my body on the mattress. I
felt him everywhere, greedy for every hard thrust and
every jerk of his hips.
“I own you,” he groaned into my ear. “And you own me.”
I was delirious as the pleasure built higher and higher.
His thrusts turned rougher and harder. His cock pounded
into me and the pleasure crashed into me. The orgasm was
immediate and so violent it had my teeth chattering.
Flames pulsed in my lower stomach and spread outward.
Alessio’s grunts vibrated through the air with the last
thrust and his hot cum spurted inside me, filling me until it
trickled down my inner thighs.
We were both panting, sweat slicked bodies joined and
throbbing with the most exhilarating sensation.
Just as I was about to shift, he pulled me by my hair and
his voice, dark as sin, whispered into my ear, “We have only
just gotten started.”
And my inner walls clenched with eagerness.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 37

OceanofPDF.com
 Alessio

S he surprised me.
She unraveled around me, always meeting my needs
head on. Always giving me everything.
She was always meant to be mine. Kol, she, and I.
Hopefully more kids. A lot of little girls that looked like her.
Kol would be a protective big brother.
Yet, fear that my fucked up childhood would impact my
skills as a father plagued me. That I wasn’t worthy to be a
father. That I’d ruin our son. That I’d transfer my nightmare
onto my son.
A mixture of fury, regret, and animosity burned in my
chest.
Not at her. Never at her.
At this shitty thing called destiny that had damaged me.
I meant it when I said she deserved better. She could have
had better. Instead, she got me. But God help me, there
was no giving her up. I hated feeling a twinge of regret for
attempting to be decent.
I wasn’t. Decency was fucked right out of me.
I stroked a stray strand of her hair off her sweaty face.
She was fast asleep, naked in our bed. Her soft curves had
my handprints from where I gripped her hips and fucked
her raw. Her ass was marked by me too. And still she
looked like innocence, sprawled for the filthy scum I was.
 Pulling a sheet over her naked body, a soft moan left
through her parted lips and my cock instantly hardened.
I straightened up to my full length and adjusted my
cufflinks, rather than touch her again. If I touched her
again, I’d wake her up and take her all over again. If I
stripped my clothes off and fucked her, I’d be late.
And I had a fucking DiLustro to meet.
Dante DiLustro.

O f course , Lake Ontario in November wasn’t the best idea.

Meeting a fucking kingpin of Chicago in the middle of the
lake even less so.
But I wanted to get rid of the last shipment of guns and
then I was out.
For Autumn. For our son. For our family.
Our future. I’d marry my woman, get her pregnant and
we’d have a big family. We’d see the world together. Fuck,
I’d even sing and dance in the rain to some obnoxious song,
as long as she smiled happily like she had in that video.
Was there another man that put that smile on her face
back then?
She glowed in that video. And when her eyes lowered to
our little Kol, there was so much love on her face. The
unconditional kind that said she’d burn down the world for
him.
And I’d burn down the world for them.
The temperatures had plummeted overnight, and I
swore my balls froze the moment I stepped out of the cabin
of my yacht. It would have been so much better to stay in
bed and wake up with morning sex, then cook Autumn and
Kol breakfast.
I might even become a stay home dad, I snickered to
myself. Hmm. Not such a bad idea.
 I watched the rays of the sun flicker across the surface
of the lake and a calmness washed over me. Going fully
legal was the right move, I felt it deep in my bones. I’d still
keep us safe. I’d still have men watching my family. I’ve
built enough businesses over the years to support us for
many lifetimes.
Last night, I gave my friends a heads up. They weren’t
surprised. It wouldn’t change our friendship and I still
planned on keeping human trafficking through the
territories at bay.
“Russo.”
Dante stepped off his yacht onto mine. “DiLustro.”
Much like his cousin who wreaked havoc in New York
City, Dante created chaos in Chicago while his brother,
Priest, did the same in Philly. It was comical really, because
Dante and Basilio looked more like brothers and Priest
should be the cousin.
The Russian cousin, I sneered.
What. The. Fuck. Ever.
Their family clusterfuck wasn’t my problem.
I crossed my arms over my chest and watched him. The
young prick was alright, but anything that remotely
touched the Ashford connection had always irritated me.
Not that the DiLustros and I were connected. Their
connection came from Byron’s mother's side.
He handed me a large suitcase that I passed to Ricardo.
“Next time, I’d rather do a wire transfer,” Dante retorted
dryly.
Ignoring his comment, I tilted my chin towards the steps
that lead under the deck. “There won’t be a next time,” I
said coldly. “Have your guys get the guns off my ship.”
He issued a wordless order to his men who started
moving. My men were all over the boat so there was no
chance of them getting lost.
“What do you mean there won’t be a next time?” Dante
questioned, while I shared a look with Ricardo. I told him
on the way here, I was getting out. It had been on my mind
for a while, but Autumn was right. While my father was
alive, it was about survival and power. And the only way to
accomplish it was by surpassing him.
The fucker was dead. I’d work with Ricardo and slowly
transfer the illegal side of the business to him. He’d been
loyal and stood by me through all those years.
“It means I’m getting out,” I said dryly. “Or do you need
further clarification?”
“Goddamn it,” Dante spat out. “I just shook on a whole
year’s worth of supplies and you’re fucking bailing.”
“Didn’t know.” Didn’t care, either.
The moment the guns were off my ship, so was Dante.
The prick flipped me the bird while standing on the deck
of his yacht.
I laughed, lighter than I’ve felt in a long time.
If only I knew, I wouldn’t be the last one laughing.

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 Chapter 38

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 Autumn

I woke up to an incessant buzzing.

The moment I moved, the stinging pain exploded
through my whole body. A dull ache pulsed between my
thighs and my ass hurt.
Buzz. Buzz.
“Alessio, get that,” I murmured sleepily as I rolled to my
side, only to wince. My whole body was sore.
Then memories from last night rushed to the front of my
mind and my pussy throbbed like it was ready for another
round. Holy shit.
I needed a few days to recover from that.
Buzz. Buzz.
I barely peeled my eyelids open.
“Empty,” I rasped. That was odd. Alessio usually woke
me up before he left for work.
Buzz. Buzz.
I finally recognized the vibration. It was my cell phone.
Reaching for it on the nightstand, I answered without
looking at the caller ID.
“Hello?”
Oh God, it hurt to move my mouth too. Maybe last
night’s activities required a lot of practice to build up
strength.
A soft snort escaped me.
 “Autumn?”
“Yeah?” My brain was too tired to distinguish the voice.
“Why are you snorting?” Loren! That was who the voice
belonged to.
“Why are you calling so early?” I asked instead.
“Aren’t you usually an early bird?” he retorted dryly.
“I had a late night. Why are you calling?”
“I got us a flight,” he answered and I shot up into a
sitting position, the sheet sliding off my body. A memory,
maybe a dream, flickered. Alessio covering me up.
“When?”
“Leaving LaGuardia tonight.”
“Shit,” I muttered. “That means I’d have to leave now. I
have to check flights for New York City from Montréal.”
Loren chuckled. “I already did, and I got you a ticket.
You have to be at the airport in two hours. I know, you love
me.”
“Two hours!” I exclaimed and jumped out of bed. I was
butt naked and he expected me to be at the airport in two
hours?
Goosebumps broke through my skin. Brrr.
“Get your ass to the Air Canada counter. They’ll have
your boarding pass.”
I called my parents. Kol was set. Not that I gave them all
the details. I got called on a job and have to fly out right
away. Alessio was out but he’d come and get Kol.
I called Branka next. That conversation didn’t go so well.
“I have to get to the airport.” I got straight to business.
“Can you take me please?”
I heard her yawn. “Sure thing. When?”
“Like right now.”
“Jesus, talk about notice. Where is this job taking you?”
“Afghanistan.”
“Are you fucking nuts?” she screeched. “And Alessio is
okay with it?”
 I pushed my hand through my hair. I was still naked,
running around looking for some clothes. I didn’t bring
much here.
“Can you come and get me?” I begged. “All my stuff’s at
my parents. I can’t pack the stuff that Alessio bought me.”
“So he’s not letting you go?”
“Branka!” I exclaimed. “He’s not here. I don’t know
where he is. I have to be at the airport in less than two
hours.”
“Jesus, Autumn, you’re going to get me on my brother’s
shit list.” Her voice sounded a tad bit whiney. Lack of sleep
always made her cranky. Super cranky.
“Please, Branka. This is important,” I begged. “I’ll call
Alessio and explain.”
“Want me to come along?” she offered.
“No, you stay here. I’ll be back in less than a week. Just
be here for Kol, Alessio, and my parents.” When she
remained quiet, I added softly, “Please.”
“Fine, fine,” she caved. “I’m coming to get you.”
Then a thought slammed into my mind. “Remember
when you mentioned Sasha said you’re not ready yet for
what he had to give you?”
I could hear her bitter laugh. “Yes, I remember every
goddamn lie that fucker uttered.”
I cleared my throat. “I’m not defending him but what if
he–” I didn’t know how to say it delicately. I cleared my
throat one more time. “What if he was into, like rough stuff
and didn't want to scare you?”
“Huh?”
“What if he was–”
“I heard you, but where in the hell did that come from?
Did you and–” She couldn’t finish the sentence, but I knew
where it was going. “Oh my gosh, don’t tell me. There are
certain things nobody wants to know about their own
brother and best friend.”
 “Ummm, it was just a thought,” I muttered, my cheeks
burning like I was in hell. “It’s possible. You were young
when you first met him.”
“And that Olympic skater is the same age I was, and it
doesn’t seem like he’s keeping his hands to himself,” she
grumbled. “Call my brother,” she added coldly. Yeah, Sasha
Nikolaev was history in Branka’s book. “Or he’ll have my
head.”
I tried to call him. I really did.
I just never got through to him. So I left him a voicemail.

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 Chapter 39

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 Alessio

T he moment my yacht docked, my phone signaled a

voicemail.
I keyed in my code and listened.
“Alessio, it’s me. The crew is doing a quick job. I’m going
to be back in less than a week. Kol is still with my parents.
Will you keep him with you? He’s gotten used to you and
our routine. My parents offered to watch him whenever you
have to go to work. Branka said she’ll help too.” She
cleared her throat. “Keep my baby safe. Okay? Love you.”
I dialed her immediately. She hadn’t exactly told me
where she was going.
The dread formed a crease on my forehead. My sixth
sense flashed a warning. Yesterday’s news rushed to my
mind. Except, she said the trip wasn’t approved.
I dialed up Nico. “Alessio.”
“I need a big favor,” I started. “Check if National
Geographic approved an expedition to the Middle East.
Afghanistan specifically.”
“Shit, don’t tell me–”
“She left while I was out,” I grumbled. “She didn’t say
where.”
“Did she take Kol?”
“No, she asked me to keep him.” Goddamn it, why was
my phone off?
 “That’s good,” Nico retorted. “She’ll be back. Ah, here
we go. National Geographic halted all their articles and
expeditions to the Middle East.”
“Good.” Except, this dread in the pit of my stomach
refused to recede.
“I’m happy for you, Alessio,” Nico drawled. “It turns out
that young forbidden thing was exactly what you needed.”
“You don’t say.”
But he was right.
Autumn was exactly what I needed.
After decades of beatings, screams, and scars, she had
given me the best life had to offer. Her soft touch healed
my scars.

T hat night , Kol and I worked on our dinner together. My

son threw veggies into a bowl with a big smile, while I read
the recipe.
“It says we mix peas, corn, and carrots,” I told him. Both
of us scrunched our noses at the mention of carrots. “Yeah,
I don’t like carrots either.”
“Purée,” Kol murmured.
I chuckled. “You want mashed potatoes?” He nodded
eagerly. “You got it. Mashed potatoes with peas and corn,
maybe a side of chicken confit.” Another nod. “How about
we order in, buddy? I asked. “Daddy has only recently
started cooking. I can make eggs but dinner will need some
practice.”
“Daddy.”
I froze.
The word ‘daddy’ slipped from me, but I couldn’t find it
in me to regret it. Not now that I heard it repeated.
Nothing had ever sounded as sweet as hearing Kol call me
daddy.
 My chest grew full and a tremble started in my hand. I
had never in all my life thought I’d want kids. Not until
Autumn came back into my life.
The love and protectiveness, unlike anything ever
before, grew fast and strong. This feeling entered my heart
the moment I learned of Kol but the strength of these
emotions snuck up on me.
Fast. Invisible. Tugging at the strings in my blood. A
protective urge welled in my chest.
Kol was the most beautiful and pure thing that could
have happened to me. He and Autumn were a precious gift
to me.
My blood. My life. My reason.
Let anyone try to keep either one of them from me and
I’d destroy them

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 Chapter 40

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 Alessio

T hree fucking days.

Autumn’s parents were worried too. She usually
checked in. She hadn’t called them once. She hadn’t
called me either.
They said it only happened once before. When she got
stuck in the Central African Republic Civil War.
Nico hadn’t been able to track her. There was only one
ticket in her name that took her to New York City. After
that, the trail went cold. Branka claimed she hadn’t heard
from her either. She couldn’t have disappeared into thin air.
Why in the fuck hadn’t she said where she was going?
Anguish bit at my chest. I ran my hands through my hair,
while the steady worry radiated in my core.
I was fucking scared. Scared that I’d lose her. Scared
that it’d be one more thing taken away from me.
But I kept it together. For our son.
I brought Kol to my manor. Autumn’s parents spent a lot
of time here, right along with Branka. The penthouse would
have been easier for Mr. and Mrs. Corbin, but I didn’t want
them nor Branka there. It was ridiculous, but it was the
space for Autumn, Kol, and me. Nobody else.
“Are you going to keep the drug distribution business?”
Vasili asked.
I shook my head. “No, I’m out.”
 “DiLustro is pissed off,” Alexei stated in his cold voice.
“I don’t give a shit.” Autumn and Kol were the only thing
that mattered. “Ricardo will take over the illegal business
side of things. I’ll help him with the transition but I’m out.”
“You know whatever you need, we’re always here,” Nico
offered. “Byron offered his security agency. The Ashfords
will always stand behind you.”
“You can always count on us,” Cassio repeated the same
words from before. When I first told him, he didn’t try to
dissuade me. He supported my decision.
I shook my head. “Thank you. Likewise.”
They were friends but also family. They’ve had my back
and I’d have theirs.
“Ricardo is a good choice,” Cassio switched subjects.
“His values are similar to ours.”
“That's the reason I chose him.”
“Have you heard from Autumn?” Nico asked. I shook my
head and pushed my hand through my hair. Again. I itched
to light up a cigarette. But I didn’t. I didn’t want Kol
smelling it on me. “She sure knows how to cover her
tracks, huh?”
Either that or she traveled under a different name. Or
her crew rented a private–
I never got to finish the thought because Branka barged
into my home office, ignoring that I had a room full of men.
Cassio, Luca, Nico, Alexei, and Vasili raised their
eyebrows. Our women knew better than to barge into a
meeting. Not that they weren’t welcomed, but they usually
preferred to stay out of the illegal side of the businesses.
My sister’s disheveled hair combined with the frantic
look in her eyes had me straightening up in my chair. Kol
was in her arms, screaming at the top of his lungs. She had
to be freaking him out with her panic.
“Alessio, turn on the news.”
It was hardly the time for news. I shot to my feet and
strode towards her. She was supposed to be babysitting
Kol, not fucking scaring him.
“Branka– ”
“Turn on the fucking news,” she screamed.
Kol let out another high-pitched wail, and I took him
from her and went back to sit back down in my seat.
“Alessio– ”
I tilted my chin towards the remote that sat on the little
coffee table. I rarely turned on the TV in my office but liked
to have it handy in case I had to track any critical news.
“Here, buddy,” I said softly, handing him a crayon. Yes,
suddenly my office desk was stocked with crayons and toys.
I had a lot of catching up to do. “Your aunt is a bit nuts.”
His chubby hands reached for it and he instantly calmed
down. He started to kick his hands and feet. The kid loved
to draw. Autumn said it always calmed him down.
“Fatherhood suits you,” Nico drawled. I thought so too.
In fact, I couldn’t wait to have more kids with Autumn. A
houseful. But first I had to marry her. If only her damn job
wouldn’t have called her.
I’d have to look into buying National Geographic to
ensure all Autumn’s assignments were within driving
distance from our home.
“Daddy.” I’d never tire of hearing that word. Nothing,
fucking nothing compared to it.
The news came on. Middle East. Afghanistan. Crowds of
people, chaos.
“When did you start caring about the situation in the
Middle East?” Luca asked dryly. “Aren’t you a matchmaker
or a blogger? Some weird shit like that.”
A few soft snickers traveled around the table. My friends
might have not seen Branka grow up but they’ve heard me
talk about her plenty. It was probably why they knew her so
well.
“Autumn is in trouble.” My eyes snapped to my little
sister. “I told her not to go,” she muttered, her hand with
the remote visibly shaking.
 “What are you talking about?” I demanded, dread
pooling in the pit of my stomach. Branka usually didn’t get
so frazzled.
“Where is Autumn?” I asked, although in my heart I
knew.
Before Branka had a chance to answer, the beauty that
had been my obsession since her eighteenth birthday
showed up on the screen.
The screaming crowds, shots fired, dead bodies covered
with filthy sheets. Crying. Misery. A war and my woman
was there.
“You knew she was going to Afghanistan?” I roared,
glaring at my little sister.
Kol startled on my lap, his gray eyes with the freckles of
hazel green, shot up to me. I forced myself to calm down
and smiled at the boy.
“It’s okay,” I assured him, keeping my tone leveled,
though something heavy settled in my chest. Fear.
This was worse than waking up after being drugged and
knowing what had been done to me. This was so much
worse. I’d take a hundred more episodes of that, if only
Autumn was here. Safe. Protected.
Not on the screen, in the middle of a fucking war.
Autumn’s camera hung heavy around her neck. Heavy
exhaustion lingered on her face.
“How is she there if the trip wasn’t approved?” I
demanded to know, keeping fury at bay.
“They went as freelancers,” Branka mumbled. “They are
good and tend to snap footage and photos that nobody else
does. Sometimes they get pulled into interviews.”
“Maman.” Kol’s both hands banged on the desk, seeing
his mother on the screen. “Maman.”
“Yes, it’s Maman.” The words choked my throat. My
fucking heart ached like someone had taken it and
hammered it to pieces.
 Autumn seemed calm. Someone was interviewing her.
Her words and compassion resonated in her eyes along
with the glistening of unshed tears.
And terror.
Sheer terror shone in her hazel eyes that now looked
more brown than ever before. It might not be evident to
others but it was clear as day to me. My ears buzzed, her
words barely registering.
She wore plain black cargo pants and a white t-shirt,
which wasn’t so white. There were smudges of dirt and
blood on it. Her jet-black hair was pulled up in a high
ponytail. She looked younger than her twenty-six. Too
young to save a goddamn world. Her chest had blotches of
red, her knuckles gripping the microphone were chalk
white.
She was scared shitless.
“How could you not tell me that she’d headed for
Afghanistan?” I hissed in a low voice, glaring at my little
sister. “There’s a fucking war going on there. She can’t be
there.”
“She’s been there before,” she justified. “Yes, it’s
dangerous but the troops are there. I thought she’d be safe.
She always kept a security escort with her.”
“Well, where in the fuck is the security escort now?” I
gritted. Kol’s eyes darted between Branka and me. The last
thing I wanted to do was frighten him.
“I don’t know, Alessio,” she snapped. “I’m not her
babysitter, you know. She’s a grown woman and she wants
to save the fucking world. So instead of preaching at me for
not fucking snitching on her, do something about her
situation.”
“Sasha has military experience,” Vasili offered. It didn’t
escape me how Branka stiffened. “Not sure if he has
connections to anyone in the Middle East though.”
He already started typing a message.
 “Sasha has been busy stirring up trouble,” Luca chimed
in, rolling his eyes. “I think he’s aiming to wipe out the
DiLustros.”
“Don’t you fucking dare even give him that idea,” Cassio
gritted, warning clear in his voice. “Sasha can be a nutcase
when he’s pissed off.”
“You don’t say,” Vasili muttered begrudgingly. “I’m
terrified of Luca and Sasha in the same room in Portugal.
I’m praying one of them doesn’t show up.”
Ignoring the Sasha and DiLustros' topic, the wheels in
my brain started churning. Logistics of getting to
Afghanistan.
“My plane could take me there.” I’d have to get my pilot
to prepare the plane right away.
“They are not allowing any flights in,” Nico responded.
“They’ve even shot down a military flight. They’d shoot
down your plane for sure. It’s a fucking disaster over there.
The worst time for anyone to be stuck in that clusterfuck.”
Cassio turned to look at me. “How about Byron? He
might have a way to get there.”
My biological father would have connections to get me
there. Senator Ashford. The guy I hated with every
goddamn fiber of my being. But to get Autumn out, I’d get
down on my knees and beg that fucker to get me into
Afghanistan. Or get my woman out.
I snatched my phone and started typing a message. One
to Byron.
One to Dante DiLustro. *I need the name of your
Afghan contact. Need a way into the country. Name
your price.*
Dante DiLustro was one of the rare guys to deal directly
with Afghanis. He thought he was sneaky with that shit, but
I had my own resources. He bought their drugs and traded
them with guns. My guns. And I had plenty of those. Yes, I
was out, but if it meant saving Autumn, I’d give him more
fucking guns.
 The door swung open. Autumn’s mother and father
walked in. And by the looks of it, they didn’t know she was
going to Afghanistan either. Her mother’s face darted to
the television and her hand flew to her mouth, covering it,
stopping a sob from coming out.
“I’ve sent messages to my contacts.” Her father’s voice
was hoarse. “They are all in an official capacity and can’t
help.”
“What was she thinking?” Mrs. Corbin choked out. “She
promised after Central Africa she wouldn’t take risks.”
“I don’t think she thought it’d get bad so fast,” Branka
whispered.
“Did she tell you?” Mrs. Corbin demanded to know. The
answer was on Branka’s face. “Oh, Branka. Why didn’t you
say something?” Mrs. Corbin’s hand came to her forehead.
“Why did she have to inherit her father’s tendencies to save
the world?”
“I’m right here, you know,” her father retorted dryly.
“Autumn is stubborn like her mother.”
“The worst combination,” Mrs. Corbin said, her eyes
glued to the television. “Alessio, do you have contacts? I
could reach out to my parents–”
Who I intended to kill.
“Absolutely not!” Her father cut in. I agreed. “They’d
never bring her back.”
“I could reach out to some of my old contacts,” Mrs.
Corbin suggested. “They’ll remember me.”
“Let’s keep them as a last resort,” I remarked. “I’m
reaching out to all my resources.”
The meaning behind it wasn’t missed on either one of
them. They were illegal resources.
My phone beeped and I slid the message open, but
before I got to read it, screams and gunfire came from the
television.
Autumn was being interviewed, a microphone in her
hand and a camera hung around her neck.
 “Behind you,” someone shouted to her and her body
twisted to glance behind her. A gun pointed at a woman
holding a child.
In horror, I watched Autumn drop the microphone and
shove her body through the crowd of frantic, screaming
people. Her goal was the woman with the child.
“Jesus Christ, baby,” I rasped. “Run the other way. Don’t
save the world today. Fuck, not today.”
I should have stayed in bed that morning. Fuck the gun
distribution. Fuck it all. I should have stayed in bed. Kept
her from leaving, even if it meant locking her up.
“Hey. Hey. Heeey!” Her normally soft voice screamed so
loud, penetrating the air even through the television, it
almost felt like she was here. The air in my office stilled,
the silence was thick with tension. Not even Kol dared to
move. We all held our breaths, or maybe it was just me.
“What are you doing?” Autumn scolded the soldier. “You
can’t do that! Get that gun away from her and the baby.”
“Stay back, woman. Or you’re next.” The man with a
thick accent shifted his attention to Autumn, his gun now
pointed at her slim frame. I watched as more guns shifted
her way - from both sides. The U.S. military behind her and
the local rebel forces in front of her.
Through the fog, I could hear gasps in the office. Mrs.
Corbin’s whimpers. Kol calling for his maman.
Amidst all the death and chaos on screen and muttering
in my office, the only thing I could focus on was my woman.
She was a light among the blackness of the world. Whoever
was recording the whole scene zoomed in on the gun and
my heart froze. It fucking froze right in my chest.
Those were my guns. The symbol of the letter ‘A’ with
the skull.
I closed my eyes, hoping I was seeing it wrong. It
couldn’t be. My own guns. I knew they were going to
Afghanistan. I didn’t care.
Until now.
 And for the first time in my whole fucked up life, I
prayed.

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 Autumn

I hadn’t imagined in a million years that I’d be staring at

the barrel of a gun.
And true to the phrase, my life flashed right in front
of my eyes. The first day I saw Alessio. The image of me
staring at him upside down. First time he drove me home
and we never made it to my parents’ house. Instead, we
spent the wildest night of my life in his penthouse. The
days and nights we spent together all over the world. The
birth of our son. That feeling of loneliness as I held Kol for
the first time and the regret of not sharing it with Alessio.
All the way to the last morning when I left without seeing
him, three days ago.
Three days of one disaster after next. My phone was
stolen. Then the flight dropped us off at the wrong airport.
We were supposed to be dropped off at Bagram. We were
dropped off in Kabul. The center of the disaster.
The AK-47 pointed at me. My heart hammered against
my ribs. Click. Click.
My eyes locked on the end of the gun. It felt like staring
at the dark tunnel and there was no light at the end of this
road. I held my breath.
Alessio. Kol. My happily-ever-after. My parents.
I wasn’t ready to die. I couldn’t die.
My hands shot up into the air.
 “Don’t shoot,” I yelled. “Please, don’t shoot.” My voice
shook, sounding far away to my own ears. Like I was
underwater and there was all this commotion going on
around me.
I blinked, then blinked again. The crying baby and
whimpering voice of a mother registered behind me.
Shouting in the distance. Begging. I heard soldiers, from
both sides, shouting for the other to lower the guns.
Neither did.
I glanced over my shoulder to the crying mother. A very
young mother.
“Shhh. It’s going to be okay.” Every single word scraped
through my chest, tangling with a fear that made it hard to
breathe.
I had no idea if the woman understood me. I had no
fucking idea if we would be okay. But I had to believe it. It
was the only thing keeping me on my feet right now while
my knees trembled.
But I stood firm. I met the dark eyes of the soldier who
trained his gun on me. One of Alessio’s guns. He was
young, even younger than me. And yet, all I saw was hate
in his eyes. My heart clenched.
I wanted to beg him to spare us. I wanted to tell him I
had a family to go back home to. But the words got stuck in
my throat. I didn’t think it would have worked anyhow. The
bitterness in those dark eyes was too deep.
And still I wondered what drove this man here. To point
a gun at a mere stranger. In my entire life, I had never
physically hurt another being. I never understood how one
human could hurt another. And yet, at this moment, I
wondered. If it came down to him or us, could I kill him?
Could I pull the trigger if I had a gun?
The answer was terrifying. It was self-preservation mode
that made the world turn. We all wanted to survive, one
way or another. But some humans were just crueler than
others. Like this guy who had no issues shooting a woman
with a small child nor me, for that matter.
“You don’t want to do that.” I found my voice. Maybe the
right words. “The camera is still rolling.” I flicked my eyes
at the cameramen that were situated behind the wall that
meant safety. Just one wall dividing chaos from some
semblance of safety. “Let us go.”
I couldn’t die. Not like this. Not by the gun stamped with
Alessio’s symbol.
Destiny wouldn’t be so cruel to let me die by the very
same gun that Alessio sold. Right? Though if I made it back,
I’d have a heart-to-heart with him. My frustration and fear
mounted by the second.
His finger tightened on the trigger and I held my breath.
This was it.
I closed my eyes. Smiling faces of Alessio and Kol
flashed in my mind. The hot Afghan air kissed my skin. Men
and women speaking unfamiliar tongues drifted through
the air. Cries. Gunfire. Warnings. Somewhere in the
distance, a familiar ritual melody rolled through the air.
A prayer.
Taking a deep breath, I let the soothing words I couldn’t
understand fill my lungs. It was calming, regardless of the
type of prayer it was. And I didn’t give a shit which religion
it was, but I took it as a good sign.
Any prayer was welcomed, because I firmly believed not
a single religion on Earth would wish for anyone’s death.
Humans were the ones that caused hurt and killed.
And as if whoever was listening to my thoughts up above
wanted to prove a point, a round of gunfire blazed through
the air.
A hard body slammed into mine. My eyes shot open. The
world moved too quickly. All I could see was a silver gray
beard as a masculine scent flooded my lungs.
And the dumbest thought lingered.
At least I’d die with a nice smelling guy on top of me.
OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 42

OceanofPDF.com
 Alessio

T he elevator door parted, stopping at the top floor of

the hotel.
The door to the large ballroom opened up,
revealing a room full of politicians and people who believed
in them. Or more likely, people who could benefit from
them.
These events were full of fake smiles and handshakes.
The entire room was wide open. One side of the room
held a glass sliding door that led to the rooftop deck. The
glass doors were closed, the early December temperatures
too bitter cold to mingle outside.
A waiter immediately approached me with a tray full of
drinks. I had no intention of drinking tonight, but I grabbed
a glass filled with brownish hued liquid.
I scanned the crowd, looking for my target. Senator
Ashford.
It took me a bit to spot him. With some blonde bimbo
who looked younger than his daughter. Once a player,
always a goddamn player.
Three weeks and three days.
The world had gone quiet on the situation in
Afghanistan. I’d been getting bits and pieces of information
on a group hiding in the mountains. Noshaq mountain
scaled the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
 I found my way to Pakistan. I searched the mountains
covered in snow. But each time I tried to get into
Afghanistan, I ran into a roadblock.
Byron went through all his resources and friends from
his military days. It seemed the entire world was cut off
from entering the country.
“Alessio,” Byron greeted me.
“Byron.”
“Anything?” He’d been helping. Trying to, anyhow. But
we kept running into dead ends.
“Nothing new,” I gritted, my eyes on Senator Ashford
who was laughing, carefree, most likely drinking his
cognac. “Just rumors about mercenaries that got stuck in
the country and are hiding in the mountains. They say
there are foreign women with them.”
Except there were absolutely no details on the women.
Nor the mercenaries. Who were they working for?
I watched my father take a cigar out of his pocket and
someone was already shoving their hand to light it up.
Apparently, the no smoking rule didn’t apply to the bastard.
He inhaled, then released, creating a whirlwind of smoke
around him.
“Has he said anything?” I asked Byron, who was
watching his father.
“No, just that if you want to know, you’ll come directly to
him.”
The only reason I came was for Autumn and our son. I’d
burn the world for them. Crawl on my knees for them.
Bottom line, there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for them.
So if Senator Ashford wanted me to come directly to him -
for them, I would.
As if sensing my gaze on him, Senator Ashford turned
his head and our eyes met. It was the second time I’d been
in the same room with him. The last time was ten years ago
when he sought me out.
For fucking money for his campaign.
 He excused himself, leaving the young bimbo behind,
and made his way over. The closer he got, the tighter my
grip was on the glass I held.
I was a fucking forty-two-year-old man and I still
couldn’t move past the fact that the fucker left my mother
when she needed him the most. Left me to be raised by a
sadistic bastard.
“Alessio,” he greeted me.
“Senator Ashford.” His bushy brows furrowed. He
despised that I refused to call him by his first name. “I
won’t waste your time,” I started. “Nor mine. My wife– ”
“She’s not your wife,” he stopped me.
My teeth clenched so hard that it felt like my molars
were about to crack in half.
“Not yet. But she's the mother of my child,” I gritted. “If
she wasn’t stuck in Afghanistan, she’d be my wife right
now. So you’ll forgive me if I don’t turn my back on a
woman as easily as some other people.”
His jaw ticked. Ah, finally! I hit a nerve. “I didn’t turn my
back on your mother.”
My eyes roamed the room, seemingly casual. “Is that
what you tell yourself to sleep better? I imagine lying to
yourself is probably even easier than lying to everyone
else.”
“Alessio, your mother was better off without me.”
I took a step forward, standing up straighter. My frame
towering over him. “Yeah, my mother was so much better
getting beaten by a sadistic bastard. She was so much
better getting whipped and raped. She was so much better
seeing her own children being terrorized and being so
beaten down that she couldn’t even gather enough strength
to defend them.”
“If I knew– “
“Don’t,” I hissed, my muscles rigid. I was ready to snap
and that wouldn’t help Autumn. “Spare us all your lies. I
want to know if you can help me or not,” I continued in a
cold tone. “Other than that, I’m not interested in anything
else from you.”
The icy silence followed and permeated the air along
with an understanding crossing Senator Ashford’s
expression. There could have also been some pain that
crossed his face, but I didn’t care. It was too late. Forty-two
years too late.
There would be no repairing this relationship.
“I’ve kept tabs on you,” he said, his voice suddenly
tainted with fatigue. “You and Autumn Corbin.” I tensed,
and Senator Ashford’s lips tugged up. Barely. “When I got
news of her departing for Afghanistan, I reached out to an
old friend who owes me a favor. He owns a security
protection agency. They kept tabs on her. Unfortunately,
when all the chaos broke loose there, so did all my
communications with them. But the last report I had from
him indicated he had her and she was safe.”
“When?” I croaked.
“Two weeks ago.”
“Where were they headed?” I demanded to know.
“For the mountains,” my father answered. “With all the
technology left behind, the new regime has a way of
monitoring all communications. My guy said he wouldn’t be
able to call again until they could find a safe spot.”
My heart sank.
If he hadn’t heard from him again, it meant they weren’t
safe.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 43

OceanofPDF.com
 Autumn

S ix weeks away from my son. Six weeks away from

Alessio.
Another cave. We’ve been hiding in caves, moving
every few days. I was sick and tired of caves and
mountains. And this cold that seeped into my bones.
My muscles ached. My heart hurt even worse. And I was
so fucking hungry. I had no idea what time it was. Night. It
was dark outside. My teeth chattered from the cold.
A sniffle. Then another sniffle. I wiped my nose with the
back of my hand.
There were people that lived like this their entire lives.
We’d been at it for six weeks and I was falling apart. It
didn’t take long, about a week. But I was too proud to let it
show. The young woman with the child didn’t cry. She was
grateful, smiling even, that she had protection from these
men. I was thankful too. The moment all hell broke loose in
Kabul, it was only thanks to this group of four men that
we’d escaped. They’d surrounded us and shuffled us out of
the area, while bullets flew all around us.
I squeezed my eyes shut, the backs of my eyes burning
and threatening to let the tears flow. I knew once they let
loose, there’d be nothing holding them back. I brought my
knees to my chest, laying on the hard cave floor and
wrapped my arms around me for some heat.
 The burka and the clothes I wore underneath it offered
barely any warmth. One of the security guys gave me one
of his shirts. All our stuff was left behind. I had my camera,
they had their guns, and all of us had the clothes on our
backs.
That was it.
As we traveled on foot, through the villages in the dead
of the night running from the group of men that had put a
price on our heads and threatened any local who’d help us.
And still we found kindness in the most unlikely places.
In one of the villages, a woman offered me her burka.
They had barely anything and she still offered me her best
burka so I could pass as a local. Another man gave us food
to go. We didn’t dare stay in anyone’s home and bring
trouble to their doorstep.
The first tear rolled down my face. It was Christmas Eve
back home. It was Christmas day here.
It would be my first Christmas away from my family.
First Christmas without Kol. A lump formed in my throat. It
squeezed and squeezed, until I couldn’t breathe. A wheeze
escaped me and I quickly swallowed the sob forming on my
lips.
But another followed.
And my body started to shake as each new sob rolled
through me. My hands covered my mouth, my fingers
trembling. I squeezed my eyes hard, hoping to get myself
together before someone woke up.
And Salma’s baby needed sleep.
That was the name of the woman with the baby. Salma
and her little girl, Azaia.
She was an Afghani up and coming female reporter. And
when the shit hit the fan, they came after her. She never
made it to the gate that would have secured her and her
baby’s safety.
I didn’t regret jumping to her rescue. I really didn’t.
 But never in a million years had I thought we’d end up
here. Cut off from the world. Cut off from safety.
“We’ll get out of here.” The deep, raspy voice came from
behind me.
Kian. No last names.
The fifty-something-year-old man that had saved my life.
Why? I had no fucking idea. I guess kind of like I had no
idea why I jumped in front of Salma. Kian barely talked. He
was one of those silent, mysterious types.
Six weeks together and I only knew his name.
“It’s Christmas,” I whispered, glancing over my shoulder
and meeting his dark gaze. His eyes were the colors of the
darkest, starless night. I could see the silver grays in his
hair and stubble, making me wonder again what he was
doing here.
He was a well off guy. Call it intuition, but I’d stake my
life on it. Or it could be the quality of his clothes, guns, and
watch around his wrist.
“You celebrate Christmas?”
“Yes.” But it wasn’t that which made this hard. “Do
you?”
“It’s been a while.”
I turned back around and stared at the wall of the cave
as a shiver rolled down my spine. It was damp and so
fucking cold, even with the fire going. “It’s the longest I’ve
ever been away from my son,” I croaked, my voice barely
above whisper.
“Hmmm.”
A long pause followed.
“You have kids?” I asked. I should get some rest, we
both needed it. We’d probably have to hike again tomorrow.
Though where in the fuck we were hiking to, I had no idea.
Kian refused to share his plans.
“No.” I felt like there was a story to his answer but I
knew he wouldn’t share it. It took me a whole week to get
his name out of him. Kian was the one who stuck to me, like
he was my personal bodyguard. But conversations were
non-existent. Another shiver rolled down my spine. “Are you
cold?”
“No,” I lied.
He sighed and pulled me over. “You’re not my type,” I
grunted, though his body heat felt so fucking good. “And
I’m in love with someone else,” I added. “I was going to
marry him. I’m not even sure why I didn’t drag him to the
courthouse right away. It was all stupid. Four years apart, I
finally get him back and then I can’t set the date. The best
part was me rushing here and now this.”
The vibration of his chest pressed against my back had
me turning my head over. He was laughing. “What’s so
funny?”
“Don’t worry, Autumn,” he said, closing his eyes. “You’re
not my type either. We’re just sharing our body heat. Go to
sleep.”
My body relaxed, enveloped in his warmth.
The last thought lingering in my mind before I drifted off
to sleep was that neither one of us smelled that great
anymore.

Oh my G od .
This couldn’t be my life. Another fucking month. Maybe
more. I couldn’t keep track of days. The local military was
on our tail. We had to backtrack, go down the mountain,
then back up. If I never saw another damn mountain in my
life, it would be too soon.
“What month is it?” I asked Salma. “January?”
“February, I think,” she grumbled. “The Olympics were
scheduled for February,” she remarked for no good reason.
I glanced over at her, wondering where that even came
from. She just shrugged. “My parents love watching ice
skating.” I blinked. Okay, that was bizarre. “And I just
finished my period. Yeah, definitely February.”
Period. I haven’t had my period since–
I blinked. It had to be all the stress. And lack of food. My
stomach growled.
“Do you want my bread?” she offered, but I immediately
shook my head. She was nursing her baby. She needed food
more than me. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, thank you,” I muttered, though my mouth
salivated.
If we ever make it back, I’d beg Maman to bake me
some fresh bread. Nothing on it, just bread. On second
thought, maybe it’d be wiser to go to a bakery. I couldn’t
risk food poisoning.
“Are your parents in the States?” I asked her.
She nodded. “They left thirty years ago. I was born in
the States, but five years ago, I got the bright idea to move
back here. My roots and all that. I thought it’d be safe. I
guess the joke’s on me.”
“I don’t think anyone thought it’d end like this,” I
muttered. “I’d kill for a nice warm bath right now though.”
“And a five course meal,” she added wistfully.
Both of us laughed but there was no humor in it.
Her baby slept peacefully in her arms. I brushed my
fingers through her dark hair. We were lucky the baby
slept. In a few instances where we had to take cover and
hide, I could feel the tension from the men, flickering
anxious looks the baby’s way. One wail and we would have
died. But little Azaia never woke up.
“What are you going to do when you get back?” Salma
asked. The men barely talked to us so it left only the two of
us to get acquainted. I felt like there were no secrets left
between us, not that I had many. Only one.
The sound of gunfire resumed somewhere in the
distance. Neither Salma nor I flinched. We were used to it
by now. We could recognize when it was too close or when
it was safe enough in the distance not to worry about it.
It only took us a few days to get used to those sounds.
I looked over the horizon. The valley and city of Bagram
stretched in front of us. I guess you could call it a city. It
was once an ancient city located at the junction of the
Ghorband and Panjshir Valley. Salma was good at history
too. The view would be breathtaking if not for the constant
fear looming over our heads.
The camera still hung around my neck. I hadn’t taken a
single picture since that day in Kabul. But as I stared at the
horizon and mountains on the other side of the valley, I
picked up my camera and looked through the lens.
“I’m going to marry Alessio,” I murmured, staring at the
view. “If he’ll still have me.”
Salma chuckled. “He’ll have you.”
I pushed the button to snap the pictures and for the first
time in months, the clicking of the camera soothed.
Both Salma and I heard the steps behind us at the same
time and we jumped to our feet.
A swish of air left my lungs. “Kian, you scared us to
death.”
He handed me a device. A bulky device that looked like
an ancient telephone. Without cords.
“What’s that?”
“Satellite phone. Call your son.”
My eyes snapped to him, meeting his dark gaze.
“Why haven’t we used it before?” I hissed. “We could
have been out of this hellhole.”
“We had to reach the area where it’s safe and I could
connect to an untraceable satellite. The local regime is
tracking all calls out of the country.”
It sounded all fucking Greek to me. “But now it’s safe?”
“I sent our location coordinates to someone who will
hopefully come and get us.” He didn’t look very certain
about it. “There are a few minutes left. Call your son.”
 He didn’t have to say it twice. I snatched the phone and
turned it over in my hand. There were numbered keys
there.
Without wasting any time, I punched in Alessio’s number
with trembling fingers.
Gunfire sounded in the distance, filling the air. My eyes
locked on the horizon and I waited, holding my breath.
Each ring made my heart sink a bit. What if Alessio didn’t
answer?
My heart clenched in my chest. Weeks without Kol and
Alessio felt like a lifetime.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 44

OceanofPDF.com
 Alessio

T wo months without her.

Fear and fury at my failure rolled through me with
ice and fire. I should have been able to secure a way
into that goddamn country. I should have gotten her out by
now.
Instead nothing.
Dante DiLustro was fucking refusing to provide me a
direct contact for his Afghanistan supplier who could get
me in.
I guess he was paranoid that I’d take him out of the
equation and make a deal directly with them. It didn’t even
cross my fucking mind. I just needed a way into
Afghanistan, so I could get my woman out.
The Olympic reports on gold medals played on the
screens. The U.S. won the pair figure skating gold and the
whole country raved about the female ice skater. Annoying
as fuck.
Byron wanted to meet. He had news and was on his way
back from visiting one of the DiLustros. I hoped it was
Dante. I needed a way in.
So here I was, at a small coffee shop in downtown D.C.
ready to hear the news. It better be good news, because
the next step was kidnapping the little fucker and torturing
the information out of him. I regretted not starting with
that method. I hoped to go about it the right way and not
earn more enemies.
“Cookie?” Kol eyed the assortment of croissants,
chocolate chip and sugar cookies.
“How about a croissant?” I suggested softly.
I should have left him with Branka or Autumn’s parents,
but I couldn’t stand to leave him all day. A few hours here
and there were fine. Besides, my little guy loved airplanes,
and I took the opportunity to take him on my private jet.
It was the first time since Autumn was gone that I’d seen
him so excited. He couldn’t decide which window to look
out of. And then when I took him to the front of the plane
where the pilot was, his eyes lit up like the brightest star
and he smiled so happily, he reminded me of his mother.
“Daddy, cookie.” Kol pushed his palms against the glass
separating him from the cookies. “Please, please, please.
Daddy, cookie.”
I lowered down to my knees. “Okay, cookie. But first we
eat lunch. Okay?”
He grinned, nodding eagerly. I worried maybe he didn’t
hear a single word after okay.
“He has you wrapped around his little finger.” Byron’s
amused voice came from behind me. Kol and I shifted our
eyes to him. Just like me, my brother wore his suit.
My son’s hands came around my neck. I rose up, lifting
him up with me and the whole time Kol’s eyes never
wavered from Byron.
“It’s okay, buddy,” I assured him. “This is Uncle Byron.”
Surprise flickered in Byron’s eyes. Truthfully, it
surprised me too. The words came out without a second
thought and considering what he and Royce had done for
me, I owed him that much.
“Hello, Kol,” Byron greeted him. “You look like your
daddy.”
Kol grinned. “My daddy.”
A chuckle escaped me. “You got that right.”
 “Maman?” I knew he’d bring her up. He missed her. We
both did.
“Maman is yours too,” I rasped. “We’ll get her back.”
“We will,” Byron agreed, smiling at his nephew. “We
Ashfords might not always agree but we always bring
family home.”
Kol nodded seriously and it had me choking up. It turned
out having a kid did that to a man. Years of beatings and
misery didn’t choke me up, but hearing my son calling me
daddy was enough to have me choking on emotions.
Jesus Christ, I had to toughen up before I brought
Autumn home and we had more babies.
“Can you find us a table please? I’ll get Kol lunch and a
cookie,” I told Byron.
He nodded. “Get me a cookie too,” he retorted, winking
at Kol.
Five minutes later, we were seated at the window table,
the busy city life passing us by. Kol dug into his food, intent
on eating his lunch so he could get his cookie. Byron and I
nursed black cups of coffee.
“What do you have for me?” I asked him, getting
straight to business.
“I got you a way into Afghanistan,” he replied.
My heart stilled for a second then started thundering
with hope. “When?”
“You might not be happy when you hear what it cost,”
Byron remarked dryly.
“I don’t give a f–” I stopped myself from cursing. I didn’t
want Kol to pick it up. “I’ll pay any price. Give everything I
have.”
Byron’s face darkened slightly. “That’s the problem,” he
grumbled. “This is something you don’t have. Not yet. I
tried to bribe him but the little pricks are stubborn.”
“Little pricks?” I had a feeling who he was talking about.
“My cousins, the little prick kingpins. Their unhinged
ways will bring on the next world war.”
 “That might be an understatement,” I snickered. It
didn’t matter though, whatever they wanted, I’d give it. If I
didn’t have it, I’d get it. For Autumn, I’d crawl on my knees,
lie, cheat and kill. “Now tell me what they want and I don’t
have.”
“Once you marry Autumn and the Corsican organization
is turned over to her, hence you, they want you to get them
out of Philly.”
“Done.” It was a no brainer. I was getting out anyhow.
“Just like that?” Byron eyed me suspiciously.
“Just like that,” I confirmed. “I’m getting out of that kind
of life. Autumn was raised differently. She wants to save the
world. For Kol to have a normal and safe childhood, like
hers. And so do I.”
“So it will be black and white from now on?”
A sardonic breath left me. “It’s never just black and
white. There are so many damn shades of gray, and I’ll
always do whatever it takes to protect my family. But I
don’t need the illegal business nor the Corsican
organization. So if he wants them out of Philly, they’ll be
out of Philly.”
“Okay, then,” he mused. “This went easier than I
thought. I’ll send Dante a message and let’s wait for the
information while we enjoy the cookie. What do you say,
Kol?”
“Maman. Cookie,” Kol mumbled with food in his mouth
as if he understood a deal was just made to get his Maman
back.
I’m coming for you, Autumn. Just hold on a bit longer.
For Kol. For me. For us.

I sat around the table with Nico, Byron, and Sasha

Nikolaev in Nico’s office. His kids screamed, some cried,
others played. Nico’s entire manor was a zoo - but a good
kind of zoo. Kol was here too, currently under Bianca’s
cookie spell. He’d probably be full of sugar thanks to her
constant baking.
I finally made a deal with Dante DiLustro. Thanks to
Byron. Basilio DiLustro kidnapped Wynter, Liam Brennan’s
niece. To secure this passage to the Afghanistan mountains,
Byron backed the DiLustros rather than his half-sister’s
family… my half-sister, Davina. And I promised the Corsican
mafia would be out of Philly once I married Autumn.
Needless to say, I owed him. Fucking big time.
I finally held Dante’s contact in my hand. I sent my pilot
a note to be ready - day or night. We had a way in, the
problem was where do we start.
We had no idea where to start the search and at this
point, we could use all of the help we could get. Time was
of the essence.
“If I had to guess, they’d make their way to the
mountains.” Byron pointed to the border between
Afghanistan and Pakistan on the map. It was the same way
I tried to get into Afghanistan a few months back.
“That was my thought too,” I grumbled. “That mountain
goes for almost a hundred miles. Or if they are trying to
cross into Pakistan, that is an additional sixteen hundred
miles. It’s the proverbial needle in a haystack. It won’t be
in and out.”
My eyes traveled over the map. “Mountains are where
I’d wager they are hiding.”
“I think that’s our best bet,” Nico agreed. “The satellite
surveillance shows a lot of activity in the mountains from
the local military. They’ve been circling it like vultures.”
Just the thought of Autumn hiding, being chased like a
dog made me want to go on a murder spree. Punish every
single person that dared to even think about hurting her.
The door to Nico’s office opened and Bianca strode in
with a tray full of cookies. Nico’s eyes darted to his wife
and instantly his expression softened.
“Any luck?” she asked.
“We have a way in,” Byron told her. “If we could only get
fucking coordinates narrowed down.”
“I’ll come with you,” Sasha offered. “I have nothing
better to do. At least not for the foreseeable future.”
“What? No more DiLustro hunting?” Byron asked dryly.
Sasha just shrugged, but a gleam in his eyes promised
trouble. So much fucking trouble that I was glad he wasn’t
related to me.
“Nah, I moved on. I have a more enticing target,” Sasha
answered, the shark grin on his face not boding well for
whoever he had in mind.
I’d need Sasha’s skills, but fuck if I had energy to
decipher his cryptic messages. Or his psychotic ways.
“I’ll need your sniper skills,” I told him reluctantly. “Just
sniper skills.”
“Fine, sniper skills it is.” He shrugged. “But your
goddamn loss. I’m more fun in hand-to-hand combat.”
God help me, I didn’t know how Sasha’s siblings dealt
with this crazy motherfucker. But before I could say
anything else my phone rang. I answered it without
glancing at the caller ID.
“Russo.”
“Alessio.” The soft voice I’d recognize anywhere.
“Autumn, are you back?” Silence. “Autumn?”
“No,” she croaked. “I don’t have much time. I wanted to
hear your voice. And K-Kol’s.” Her voice broke on our son’s
name.
“Everything will be fine,” I told her. “I’m coming to get
you.”
“No. Promise me you’ll stay away.” Her voice grew
smaller with each word.
Byron’s phone rang at the same time, but I ignored it all.
I locked eyes with Nico and mouthed, “Track my phone.”
 I put the call on speakerphone and had the number
displayed. Without prompting, Byron typed it into his phone
too.
“Whose phone is this?” I asked her.
“It’s a satellite phone,” she mumbled. “I have no idea
where Kian found it. Please, Alessio. Promise me you won’t
come.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “For Kol.”
“It is for Kol that I’m coming for you,” I rasped. “I’m no
good without you.”
I didn’t give a shit who heard my admission. It was true.
I needed her back in my home, my life, my bed.
“No. Stay home. Be safe.”
My heart clenched. It sounded too much like goodbye. I
didn’t like it.
“C-can I hear Kol’s voice?” Her voice broke. “I miss him
so much. I want to hear him, just in case I don’t– “
“Don’t you fucking say it,” I growled. “Don’t you dare
think it, Autumn. I’m coming for you. I have a way in. Tell
me where you are.”
“We’re hiding in the mountains.” I locked gazes with
Byron. Mountain was the right call.
“Drop me your location pin.”
“It’s a satellite phone,” she explained. “I don’t think it
has a pin. Alessio, I need you to listen to me; I don’t have
much time. Just in case I don’t make it back, promise me
you’ll keep Kol out of the underworld. Please.”
“You’re going to make it back,” I vowed, my voice
trembling. For fuck sake, my voice was shaking and cold
sweat formed on my skin. This fear was like ice in my chest.
“I’m coming to get you. We’ll keep him out of the
underworld together.”
I could hear gunfire in the background. It sounded like it
was getting closer. The sounds of bullets were louder than
when I first answered the phone.
“Please take care of Kol,” she whispered, her voice hard
to hear. “I should have–” A long pause. “Four years and
then this.”
“We’ll have the next forty years. You stay safe until I get
there,” I ordered stubbornly. “You’ll be home before the
week is out.”
Sobs followed. “I-I don’t know–” Her voice broke.
I needed to see her. Protect her. “You will come home.
You can even break my heart and I won’t be an asshole.
Ever again. We’ll fight and make up. But you will come
home.”
Her whimpers were my answer. She lost faith. She was
scared. And it was tearing my soul to shreds. I could
tolerate anyone’s pain but hers.
“P-please, can I hear Kol’s voice?” she choked out. More
soft sobs followed. “Just in case– ”
Bianca was in front of me, Kol in her arms. She chewed
on her bottom lip, her eyes shining with tears. Fuck, I
wanted to cry too. But I couldn’t break down now.
“Hey, buddy,” I murmured softly. “Maman is on the
phone. Can you say hi to her?”
“Maman,” Kol’s eyes stared at my phone.
“Oh, baby. Yes, it’s me,” she cried. “I miss you so much.
D-did you have a nice Christmas?”
“Daddy can go on the plane,” Kol babbled. “Bring
Maman home?”
“I-I don’t know, baby.” Her voice trembled and it gutted
me. It twisted an invisible knife in my heart and made me
bleed.
“You’re going to come home,” I growled. “I’ll come for
you. Just hang in there. I’m coming for you. You just stay
alive. Be strong, just a bit longer.”
Shouting and screams filled the background.
“Autumn, we have to run.” A woman’s voice. Baby
crying. Men shouting. “The Taliban found us.”
My heart froze. It fucking froze. I’d gone through my
share of things but this fear was unlike anything else I
experienced.
 I could hear her deep inhale, like she needed courage.
“Kol, Mommy loves you,” she whispered. “O-okay?”
“Okay, Maman.”
“Good boy,” she croaked. “I have to talk to your daddy.”
I nodded at Bianca and she took him out of the room.
“Please take care of Kol. My parents… please keep them
in Kol’s life. Keep him safe. Not a part of crime. Make him
feel l-loved, and if he f-forgets me,” her voice broke and a
hiccup escaped her, “ –tell him I’ll always love him.”
Her last word broke on a choked sob. “You’ll tell him
yourself,” I said firmly. “We are going to raise him together.
The right way.”
She whimpered while explosions sounded in the
background. “I-I’m scared, Alessio,” she admitted with a
soft sob. “I never thought it’d end– “
“This is not the end,” I growled. “Just the beginning. You
are mine. You’ve always been mine. And I’ll be damned if I
let this be it. I’ll come and get you,” I vowed. “I’ll get you
and God help me, Autumn, I’m never letting you go. And
wherever you go, I’ll go.” She whimpered. “Don’t cry, love.
I’m coming for you.”
A high-pitched scream sounded in the background. Blaze
of gunfire, shots, more screams.
“Autumn?” I roared.
More screams.
“Head down.” A man’s voice barked at her. Her voice
was distant, shaky. I could feel her fear in my own bones.
A loud blast echoed through the line. Another explosion.
“Autumn, listen to me,” I shouted, getting her attention.
“Stay on the line. We need to trace the call. So we can get
the location.”
Another roar of an explosion sounded through the
receiver. And then dreaded silence followed.
“Autumn?” I rasped. No answer. “Autumn?” I roared.
My eyes frantically turned to search out Nico. Dread
pooled in my stomach at his expression.
 “Did you get the location?” The voice didn’t sound like
mine, it was too calm. Too distant. But my mouth moved,
the question was mine.
“I have the general area,” Nico answered. “It should be
enough to scan. Something to start with.”
“We should head out today,” Sasha grumbled. “The
longer they’re there, the less chance of their survival.” I
nodded. “If the Taliban captures them, they’ll r–”
“Don’t you fucking say it,” I warned, my control fraying.
“Don’t you dare.”
Sasha gave me a somber look. “Just be prepared. She
might not be the same.”
He’d know. He saw my sister’s face right before she took
her own life.

A lmost three months .

It has been ten weeks and three days since I last held
her. At the same time I talked to Autumn, Byron received
coordinates from Senator Ashford. That was three days
ago. The Senator’s mercenary sent him the information,
although thanks to Nico we knew they were on the move.
Because they were under attack.
My woman who wanted to save the world was under
attack. Despite the cold temperatures, sweat rolled down
my spine. I exhaled slowly, calming my pulse.
I just had to get my woman home. To our son.
The air in the helicopter was heavy, the tension thick.
Sasha, Byron, and I were armed to the teeth. Nico was
better suited to surveilling the area and being our eyes and
ears from back home.
Conversation was impossible, the helicopter motor too
loud. I didn’t have it in me to utter a single sentence. There
was only one word, one name to be exact, that played in my
mind. Over and over again. Autumn.
When I get her back, I’d hug her for days. Then insert a
microchip into her so I’d always be able to track her.
I lowered my eyes to my phone. Our target was a green
dot on our phone screen. Nico’s tracking device was on all
our devices. Moving higher and higher up the mountain.
According to Nico, there were six people to rescue,
including Autumn. It matched information Byron received
from Senator Ashford. We’d save them, and failing wasn’t
an option.
I promised my son. I promised my sister. And Autumn’s
parents.
“Five minutes to landing.” The pilot’s voice was low in
my ear. Sasha checked the ammunition on his sniper rifle.
He called it his baby. Fucking weird but as long as he
ended each fucker threatening Autumn, he could call it his
mistress. I didn’t give a fuck.
Byron ran through his weapons too, checked each one of
them. The helicopter landed. A wordless nod. I was front,
Byron checking our left and Sasha being our eyes from up
there and eliminating anyone with their eyes on us.
My heart thundered against my ribs. To be so close to
my woman, yet be so far away. We hoped to be in and out.
Once we get to Autumn and the mercenaries, we should
have a decent chance at getting out of here.
Byron and Sasha trained for this. Sasha served with my
dead sister, and his skills were well sought after. Byron
served a good number of years in special ops. We were
dressed in tan cargo pants and black Kevlar vests under
our jackets. We’ve traveled for the past two days and all of
us sported stubble.
The helicopter landed, my breath stilled, and we were
on the move. With our guns ready to shoot, our fingers on
the trigger, the three of us exited the helicopter and were
on the move.
 Sasha’s eyes scanned the area for the best spot to watch
our backs. I knew the moment he found it. He was ready to
cover us.
“Get your woman,” Sasha said coolly. I started to think
Nikolaev was an adrenaline junkie. “Get back. No detours.”
A terse nod.
We made our way down the mountain, following the
green dot Nico was tracking. Thank God Nico was able to
pin the satellite phone after getting coordinates from
Senator Ashford.
“Hurry up.” Nico’s voice projected in my ear. Byron and
Sasha could hear the same. “They are surrounded.”
“I can start eliminating now,” Sasha growled, his tone
dark in my earpiece.
“Do it,” I said. “It’ll give them a chance to fight them
off.”
Byron’s finger was on the trigger. So was mine. If only
we were already there so I could start killing those
motherfuckers. The mountain rocks slowed our movements.
The snow slowed our movements.
Another steep mountain cliff and it was then that I saw
it. A group of thirty militants surrounding two women and
four men. Autumn. I’d recognize her anywhere. She wore a
burka but her headpiece was off.
The fear on her face was gut wrenching. Her eyes were
stark brown, tears wetting her thin face. Fuck, she was so
fucking thin.
Two heartbeats, Two silent breaths. A shared look with
my brother. A nod and we rushed, snow crunching under
our boots. Sasha’s bullets flew through the air. One by one,
the men started dropping.
My rage mixed with adrenaline, The mercenaries fought
against the men. One stuck to Autumn, and for the first
time in my life, I actually hoped the fucking guy would
remained glued to her.
 With each step closer, I could see it. The fucking young
boys using guns to attack my woman and her group. Those
teenagers shouldn’t be here on this mountain, fighting in
combat. They should be plucked off this godforsaken place
and put somewhere where guns were out of their reach.
But I couldn’t think about that now. I couldn’t second
guess it now. I couldn’t save them. It was down to them or
my woman.
Byron and I ran towards them. Aimed. Pulled the trigger.
Bang. Repeat.
My jaw was tight. My brow was set with determination. I
had to get to my woman. Get her out of this hellhole. She
still hadn’t seen me. Her eyes were trained on a gun
pointed at her while her bodyguard fought off three men.
“Sasha, kill the fucker pointing the gun at her,” I issued
a gruff order. Thank fuck Sasha listened. He might have a
way to agitate people out in the normal society, but here he
was efficient and deadly.
I heard the bullet fly through the air. The whizzing sound
that had the man falling to the ground. Another man went
after Autumn. She threw herself onto the ground, reaching
for the gun that lay on the mountain snow.
A baby screamed from somewhere. I scanned the
surroundings but couldn’t see it. I returned my gaze to
Autumn who now had trained a gun on one of the men.
My gun. Even from here I could see the logo on it.
Another ten steps and I’d reach her. It was too far away.
The enemy was slowly dwindling down. Sasha was a good
shot. So was Byron. The three of us managed to reduce the
number of them from thirty to ten.
Someone slammed into me. My body went tumbling
down onto the snow, softening my fall. We tumbled over
each other, my head slamming against one of the rocks.
I gritted my teeth, ignoring the pain in my skull.
“Alessio.” A woman’s scream. My woman’s scream.
 I turned my head to see Autumn covered by some fucker,
his gun pointed at her skull.
“Sasha,” I hissed, punching the fucker above me in his
ribs.
“She’s fighting him too much.” His voice was dead calm,
so opposite of my erratic heartbeat. “One wrong move and
the bullet will hit her skull instead of his.”
The fucker on top of me refused to stop fighting too. I
reached for the knife in my calf holster and stabbed him in
his temple.
A howl filled the cold mountain air. It vibrated through
my skull causing a buzzing in my ears. I jumped to my feet
and saw Byron fighting men, trying to get to Autumn.
I raised my gun. Aimed. Pulled the trigger. Sasha did the
same, clearing my path towards my woman. No wonder the
guy was cocky as shit. His sniper skills were incomparable.
It seemed like it took forever to get to her. Fighting
underneath the body too big for her to shove off her. My
fingers gripped the guy’s hair and I jerked him off her.
Without sparing him a glance, I pointed the gun to his
temple and pulled the trigger.
Autumn’s high-pitched scream traveled over the
mountain. Blood splattered all around us and the wide eyes
full of fear darted to me. Recognition flickered in them. Her
face had blood splattered on it. I didn’t care. She was still
the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.
“Alessandro?” She kept blinking, as if she thought she
lost her mind.
The whizzing sounds around me told me Sasha was in
turbo mode, eliminating the enemy around us. I fell down
to my knees and cradled her into my arms.
“I told you I’d come for you,” I rasped, my voice hoarse.
“You owe me a wedding.”

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 Chapter 45

OceanofPDF.com
 Autumn

“Y ou owe me a wedding.”
A choked sob burst from my lips. Of all the things
to say.
“Anything you want,” I cried, throwing my hands around
him and showering kisses all over his stubble chin and
neck. “I stink. I’m sorry.”
He inhaled deeply and embarrassment washed over me.
“You smell like my woman,” he murmured, then brought
his lips against mine. Another wretched sob escaped me.
“Don’t cry, love. Let’s go home to our son.”
I swallowed, blinking the tears lingering on my lashes.
He pulled me up, then shoved me behind him. I heard a
faint voice, but couldn’t place it.
Alessio nodded, then turned to face me. “We have to run
back to the chopper and get out of here. There are more
soldiers coming this way.”
My eyes darted to the companions that stayed with me
for the past four months. “We can’t leave them behind.”
“We’re not leaving anyone behind,” he reassured me. I
followed his gaze and stared in shock at Byron.
Kian came back to me, his breathing heavy. “You good?”
I took his hand into mine and squeezed. “Yes, you?” I
sensed more than saw both Kian and Alessio stiffened. Kian
nodded. “Let’s go home.”
 Another man was already shuffling Salma our way. “Is
the baby okay?” I asked her.
“Baby?” Alessio asked.
Salma moved her burka, hiding her baby girl underneath
it.
“Jesus Christ, they had a baby with them this entire
time?” It was Sasha’s voice that came through someone’s
radio. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Not with Autumn. I
don’t know whether to be impressed or not.”
“Be impressed,” Alessio gritted. I buried my face into his
chest, then inhaled deeply. Sandalwood and spice. God, I
fucking missed him.
“Is Kol okay? Safe?” I murmured.
“Always.” Alessio’s mouth pressed against my forehead.
“Okay, let’s go,” he ordered, his breathing hard. All the
men breathed hard. “There are more soldiers on their way.”
He didn’t have to say it again. Alessio’s hand in mine, we
all ran. I ignored the burning of my tired muscles, the ache
in my bones.
Despite the cold air and lack of winter clothes, sweat
trickled down my spine. But Alessio’s hand in mine poured
his strength into me and kept me going.
I had no idea how long we ran when I finally saw the
helicopter. The moment the pilot saw us, he started it. The
blades ran in circles. Faster and faster.
A figure jumped onto the ground from our right,
startling Kian. His hand shot up, aiming at…
“Sasha?” I blurted out, shockingly.
“He’s a friend,” Byron told Kian. “A crazy one but still a
friend.”
Sasha grinned, not sparing Kian a glance. That Nikolaev
was fearless.
“Not bad for a man you’d watch having his heart carved
out,” he drawled. “Huh?”
I didn’t have a lot of energy left but my cheeks heated
nonetheless. I closed the distance between us and hugged
him. Alessio followed, his towering frame right behind me,
comforting and protective.
“Thank you,” I whimpered, sniffling. “Thank you so
much, Sasha.” His big arms wrapped around me. “I’m
sorry, I’m stinky,” I murmured my apology, all the while
sniffing. Then hugging him again. “Thank you for– “
My voice choked, trembling. The words failed me. So
many emotions shuddered in my chest. I swallowed. “I- I…”
I wiped my face with the trembling hands. “I owe you big
time.”
He nodded. “Maybe one day I’ll collect.”
I turned my head to Byron. “And thank you too,” I
murmured, hugging him.
His one hand came around and he pecked my cheek.
“Anytime. You’re family.” I offered him a shaky smile. “Now
let’s get out of this place, my soon to be sister-in-law.”
We all hustled into the helicopter, Alessio’s hand never
letting go of mine. I wanted to ask about Kol. My parents.
Branka. But there was no way of making conversation. So I
just held his hand and enjoyed his warmth.
Two hours in the helicopter.
We arrived at a private airport in Pakistan. Alessio
instructed us to remain inside, leaving us with Sasha while
he and Byron stepped out.
“Is everything okay?” I asked as I straightened up in my
chair, my eyes flickering to Sasha, then back to Alessio.
There were soldiers waiting for them in front of the large
airplane, blocking our way out.
“Yeah, it better be,” Sasha said. He didn’t sound
worried. “Or Byron’s cousin will be a fucking dead
DiLustro.”
“Huh?” I didn’t follow what Sasha was trying to say. I
had no fucking idea what he meant. I kept my gaze on the
empty airport, a row of soldiers armed to the teeth as they
stood at attention. Byron and Alessio only had handguns
tucked in the back of their pants.
 “Byron made a deal with one of the kingpins,” Sasha
explained seeing my confusion. “Let’s say the little pricks
came out very well.”
“Oh.”
I held my breath, worried that something would go awry
right as the light at the end of the tunnel flickered.
Alessio turned, nodded and Sasha stood up.
“Okay, ladies and gentlemen. Let’s get the fuck out of
here.”
Sasha and Kian followed close behind me, the other men
surrounding Salma and her baby, as all of us rushed from
the helicopter and towards the airplane. I climbed up the
stairs of the airplane, my knees shaking with each step.
“It’s okay.” Alessio’s voice was right behind me, his palm
comforting on the small of my back. “Just get into the cabin
and we’re out of this shithole.”
I took a step up. And another.
It seemed to take forever but finally we were inside the
cabin. The moment we were in, Alessio shut the cabin door.
“Let’s go,” he issued the order to the pilot.
Ten minutes and we were high up in the air. It wasn’t
until I could see the clouds all around us that a shuddering
breath finally left me and tears welled in my eyes.
Lifting me up into his arms, Alessio took me to the back
of the plane and shut the door with his foot.
It was then that I fell apart.

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 Chapter 46

OceanofPDF.com
 Alessio

A utumn’s sobs shook her body, her face buried in my

chest. Right above the heart that belonged to her. She
had owned my heart from the moment we locked eyes
eight years ago on her eighteenth birthday.
“Shhh.” I murmured into her jet black hair. She still
smelled of fall and apples to me. Like my home. “I’m here
now. I’ll always be here.”
Her raven hair fell down her slim body. It had lost its
shine and her face was so pale, the contrast to her dark
hair stark. Dark circles dimmed her beautiful hazel eyes
that seemed more brown than ever. Almost lifeless, but I’d
bring her back to life. She’d live happy and carefree, with
Kol and me.
Because the alternative wasn’t an option. I’d commit
murder, crawl on my knees, and go through fire to ensure
her eyes would never be brown again.
Her body trembled in my arms. Fuck, she was a rack of
bones. Her burka was bunched at the middle of her thighs.
She was still wearing jeans, every visible inch of her
covered with dirt and blood.
Jesus, blood.
Even her hands had blood on them. Her lip was busted
and there were dark shadows under her eyes. Those
bruises looked even starker against her raven hair and pale
skin.
Fucking fuck.
I was too late. I was too fucking late.
“I’m sorry, love,” I whispered. “I’m sorry for taking so
long to get to you. Nobody will ever hurt you again.”
I ran my fingers softly over her face. The fury pulsed
inside me, at myself. At the world who dared to hurt her.
I held her trembling body close to me, thanking all the
saints for finally having her in my arms.
“You came for me,” she rumbled into my chest. “You
came for me.”
“I’ll always come for you. I’ll burn this world to ashes to
find you and Kol. Always.”
“I thought– “ she croaked, her voice trembling. “I
thought I’d never see you again. Or Kol.” Her slim fingers
clutched my shirt. “I missed all those days with him.” She
raised her eyes, her hazels shimmering brown. “D-does he
still remember me?”
I took her chin between my fingers and held her gaze.
“We talked about you every day. He’ll never forget you. And
he’s waiting for you. Your parents, Branka, Kol. We have all
waited for you.”
Little specks of green appeared in her eyes. “I was so
stupid,” she murmured. “Reckless. I could have lost–”
“No,” I murmured, pressing my mouth to her forehead.
“Kind-hearted. There is a difference.”
She shuddered in my arms. “God, I’d kill for a bath,” she
murmured.
“Let’s make it happen.” My private plane had a full
luxury bathroom so I swooped her up and carried her into
my bathroom. I sat her on the cushioned seat, then turned
on the bathtub faucets. I opened a bottle of bubble bath
and poured it into the water.
The scent of apple and mint filled the air. Her tear
stained face watched my every move as I moved to retrieve
the plush towels as well as the clothes I had packed for her.
Then I came back to her and kneeled in front of her.
“Shall I help you take your clothes off?” I offered softly.
A pause. Insecurity I wasn’t accustomed to seeing
flashed across her face. It fucking gutted me. If those men
touched her, I’d go back and fucking kill them all.
“Did someone–” Fuck, I couldn’t even say the words. I’d
endure millions of years of abuse, if it’d only spare her.
She shook her head and relief flooded through me like
cool spring water. “No, Kian kept me safe.” Her hands
wrapped around herself. “You might not like what you see.”
Her small voice and vulnerability in her eyes sliced my
heart. It fucking made my heart bleed.
“Impossible,” I told her. “When you're a hundred-years-
old, frail, with silver hair and covered in wrinkles, you’ll
still be the most beautiful woman to me. The only woman
for me.”
The red rimmed her eyes, fighting her tears, and it made
my heart ache. “Let me help you,” I offered gently.
I watched her slim neck move as she swallowed, then
gave me a small nod. Slowly, I pulled off her burka. Then I
bent down and slipped her black Tory Burch combat boots
off. Jeans followed. Then socks. Her shirt was next. A man’s
shirt.
When my eyes flickered to hers, she explained, “Kian
gave it to me because it was cold.”
I nodded, then discarded it. Next was a white t-shirt. I
recognized it. It was the same one she wore during the
snippet that played on television. It had become a widely
broadcasted clip. We had to keep the television off the new
channels so Kol wouldn’t see his mother in the midst of
gunfire.
A shiver wracked her body. My eyes traveled over her
pale skin. Her rib bones were prominent against her skin.
Her hip bones showed. But there was a tiny bump on her
lower belly.
 My eyes flicked to hers, then to her belly. “Are you– “
I swallowed. It couldn’t be. Men like me didn’t get so
lucky. Men like me didn’t deserve it, not after all I had
done.
“I think so,” she murmured softly. Slowly, I placed my
trembling hand on her stomach and hers came to rest on
top of mine. “I’m not sure though. It could be just stress.
Maybe? I don’t know.”
“It’s okay,” I assured her. “We’ll find out together. We’ll
get through everything together.” Her shuddering breath
filled the space between us. “Together,” I repeated.
She nodded. “Together.”
I unclasped her bra, then helped with her panties.
She was naked in front of me. She was still the most
beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on. But it was the look
on her face that shattered me.
“Ready to soak and relax?”
“Yes.” A hint of a small, soft smile. The one that I
remembered.
I held her hand and helped her in, unwilling to let her
go. Not yet. The water splashed softly as her body slowly
lowered into the bath.
“Ahhh.” Her soft sigh came from her lips.
“Good?”
“Perfect. Thank you.”
Her cheeks flushed under the warm water and my eyes
studied the way her skin glistened, the bubbles hiding her
body from me. She looked so small in the tub, her eyes
slowly turning greener with each passing second.
I reached for the shampoo, then sat on the edge of the
tub. I uncapped the shampoo and washed her hair. The jet
black hair reflected the light. I kept my movements
meticulous, massaging her scalp with firm, deep strokes.
Her eyes fluttered shut, her long dark lashes stark against
her cheeks. Her breaths were even and steady, and I found
that even if she told me to stop touching her, I wouldn’t be
able to.
Months of tension and the fear of losing her to the
fucking war seeped out of me with each second. I savored
her every soft sigh. Months without her just about killed
me. Each second touching her brought me back to life.
I started shampooing her hair at the roots and scrubbed
her scalp, then slowly rinsed the shampoo out of her hair.
Next I worked the conditioner into her strands. After I
finished lathering it up into her hair, I rinsed it out with
fresh water.
“We have a long flight. Want to soak longer?” She shook
her head.
I helped her out of the tub, then softly patted her dry
with a towel. I dried her hair next after carefully getting all
the knots out.. It soothed me to finally be able to touch her.
The pain in my chest slowly loosening with each inhale of
her scent.
“Yoga pants or jeans?” I asked her. I’d had a bag packed
with her clothes for weeks, dragging it with me anywhere I
went. Byron was the only one that dared to comment on it.
And it was only because he reminded me to pack
comfortable clothes, socks and handed me a pair of new
Ugg boots in her size that I didn’t punch him.
“Yoga pants, please,” she murmured, watching my every
move. “Do you have an extra sweatshirt of yours that I can
wear?”
I nodded and then helped her with yoga pants, my
sweatshirt followed. The pants hung loosely on her and it
broke my heart. Socks followed, then the Uggs. Her eyes
closed and a small exhale left her lips. My shirt swallowed
her small frame but it looked right on her. It made it clear
to anyone with two eyes that she was mine.
Silence stretched. It wasn’t uncomfortable but there
were so many things I wanted to say to her. I wanted to
start a new life with a clean slate.
 “I ended all my illegal business details,” I started softly.
Her eyes opened and found my gaze. Green, then brown,
back to green. “Seeing one of my guns pointed at you, it
was a wakeup call. I didn’t care where those went, until I
saw that footage. I ended it all. I’m done with it all.”
Her tongue darted out, sweeping over the bruised lip.
Our gazes held, the eyes that have captured me from the
moment we met. And in them I saw all I needed to.
“I love you.” Three simple words that held so much
power. But only when she said them.
“I didn’t know what love was,” I rasped. “You taught me
the meaning of it. You gave me hope for it. I have loved you
from the first word you uttered. First smile and I was
deeper under your spell. First kiss and I was all yours.”
“Ditto,” she choked. “You were the hottest, and only guy,
to ever step foot in my bedroom.”
My lips tipped up. “I better be. Or there’ll be some
spanking going on.”
This time she smiled too. “Promise, old man?”
There was my girl. She might not be a killer or ruthless,
but she was strong nonetheless.
“I promise.” If she’d ask for stars, I’d find a way to bring
them down for her. My hands smoothed over her shoulders
and down her spine, and I didn’t miss the way she shivered
under my touch. My cock instantly hardened, ready to
pounce. “But first we’ll feed you,” I added, the need to take
care of her trumping my own needs.
“Can you hold me?” she murmured, her face pressed
against my chest. “Just for a bit longer.”
As I held her, as our hearts beat as one.

T en hours later , the plane landed and the cabin door

opened. Hand in hand, we stepped outside and her steps
halted.
Kol stood with Autumn’s parents, waiting for his maman.
Autumn’s eyes darted my way. Green. Glistening with
happy tears. The only ones I’d ever tolerate.
“I didn’t want you to wait a second longer than you had
to,” I whispered.
“I love you,” she murmured. “So damn much.”
“Let’s go to Kol.”
Rushing down the steps, Autumn ran towards our son.
He met her half way and my heart squeezed in my chest
watching my family. She showered Kol’s face with kisses,
hugging him tightly and tears glistened on her lashes. But
she kept her gaze on him, then back to me, and again to
our son. As if she was scared it would all go away.
“It was all worth it.” Sasha slapped me lightly on the
back. “Remember this feeling right now when shit goes to
hell.”
I had no idea what the fuck he was talking about.
All I could focus on was my family. My future.
The future that would be worth every smile, tear and
sorrow.
Because I had her by my side. Because they were mine.

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 Chapter 47

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 Autumn

I shot up in the bed, gripping the covers to my chest and

my heart racing.
I blinked, then blinked again. It was dark. Too dark. I
couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t hear anything. No guns.
No whispers in an unfamiliar tongue. Whether Arabic,
Spanish, or Italian. It was quiet.
I took a deep breath in, the familiar scent instantly
soothing my erratic heartbeat.
“Alessio?” I called out, my eyes still trying to adjust to
the dark.
“I’m here.”
I followed the direction of the voice and found him
sitting in the same chair he sat in the night I lost my
virginity to him. The flicker of the red brim of the lit
cigarette lit his face.
Tired. Worried. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
I shifted on the bed, bringing my feet up to my chest.
“Why are you smoking then?”
He seemed to smoke only when he was stressed out.
“I’m scared if I fall asleep, I’ll wake up to realize you’re
a dream. That you’re still gone.”
I understood the feeling. Ever since the rescue, I was
terrified I’d wake up and still be in one of those caves.
 “I’m here,” I murmured.
“Come here,” he rasped and without a second thought, I
slid off the bed and padded across the floor to him.
I wore his t-shirt that hung low. I needed his scent on me
to sleep peacefully. His hands came to my waist and pulled
me onto his lap and my arms wrapped around him.
“Thank you for coming for me,” I whispered for the
hundredth time. My hand came to rest on my belly. “For
both of us.”
First thing I did when we arrived home was take a
pregnancy test. With him. We sat on the tiled floor in the
bathroom, waiting for the result. Together. The first pink
plus had both of our hearts fluttering. So we took another
test. And then I cried happy tears as he held me and
whispered soft words.
“Always,” he vowed and I believed him. “Don’t you ever
leave again. Not without me.”
I ran my fingers through his hair. “I promise.”
His eyes watched me, steady pools of gray. I used to
think it was a cold color, but now it was the most beautiful
color in the world.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” I demanded softly. My eyes
flickered down my body. “I lost too much weight.”
“You’re still beautiful.” His free hand took my nape and
he pressed his lips against mine. “I don’t care what you
look like. I love you. Your soul. Your heart. Your strength.
Your convictions about saving the world, even when they
drive me nuts.“
“I love you too.” My forehead came to rest against his.
There was peace in his arms. The feeling of completeness.
“Tell me what’s bothering you.”
He extinguished the cigarette.
“I made a deal to get into Afghanistan,” he retorted.
“Yes?” I urged.
“I promised to get the Corsican mafia out of Philly.” The
meaning of it sank in.
 “So we need to get married?” My lips curved into a
smile. “I’m on board. Unless you’re not.”
A sardonic breath left him. “I am so fucking on board.
I’ve been on board for the past eight years.”
“Stalker,” I teased.
“Getting married is the easy part,” he continued. “The
hard part is that I have to eliminate your grandfather.”
“Oh.” Silence followed. A tense, yet almost comfortable
silence. “We visit them and just tell them that’s how it’s
going to be.”
“And how is it going to be, love?”
“You signed a contract. You got me. The deal was their
business comes to you. To us. So we get to do whatever we
want with it.”
“So you’re okay giving it away?”
My hands cupped Alessio’s cheeks. “Am I okay with it?” I
rasped. “I thought I’d never see you or Kol again. I thought
I’d have this baby,” he put his hand on my lower belly,
“alone. So fuck yes, I’m okay with it. I don’t want it. And
you’ve put that behind you. So let’s do what needs to be
done and just live our lives.”
His nose brushed against mine. “We earned it; didn’t we
baby?” he murmured.
“You earned it even more than me.”

T wo days later , we sat in an obnoxiously blue, sixteenth

century styled parlor. Or maybe it was an office. I couldn’t
quite tell.
Marcel Blanchet watched me, those weary eyes on his
wrinkled face. The guy was the head of the Corsican mafia
but he looked to almost have both feet in the grave. He was
almost ninety for Pete’s sake.
 “I could teach you like I taught your mother,” the old
man grumbled, his voice hard to hear. Or maybe it was the
fact that I was nervous to be here.
“I’m not interested,” I answered. “Alessio will handle
that business.”
“Righteous like her father,” the old man spat. “But
stubborn and strong like her mother, I see.”
My eyes flicked to Alessio, wondering if the old man
complimented me or insulted me but his face was an
unmoving mask. This was the ruthless man that people
feared.
My grandfather, it was so strange to call him that,
looked at Alessio. “So what are your plans?”
“We’re pushing out of Philly,” Alessio said, his tone cold.
Almost bored.
My grandfather shot to his feet, and I had to blink twice
to make sure my eyes were not deceiving me. Was someone
so old supposed to move so fast?
“Never,” my grandfather bellowed, his face turning red.
He was about to have a heart attack on our account. “As
long as there is breath in my body, that will never happen.”
“That deal saved Autumn’s life,” Alessio continued like
my grandfather hadn’t spoken. “And it will ensure Autumn
and our children are safe. A broken deal means death. For
someone.”
Grandfather waved his hands, muttering curses in
French. Some I understood. They were the same ones my
own mother had a tendency to repeat. Others, I had no clue
what they meant.
“You should have let her die there,” he hissed. I
understood that one and so did Alessio. “We had your son.
He could have taken over.”
The tension was so thick, I could easily suffocate if I took
a deep breath. Yet, Alessio seemed relaxed. Happy almost.
“Autumn.”
“Yes?” My voice sounded small.
 “Tell me does the window look to the gardens or the
river?”
I blinked. My mind must be still hazy. Jet lag or
something. “W-what?”
The air was so thick, it could be cut with a knife. It was
cold outside, yet the temperature in this room spiked up
thirty degrees. Easily.
“Please check the view from the window,” Alessio
repeated calmly. Our eyes met and he tilted his head to the
large window behind me.
A heartbeat. Then another. I did as he asked. I made my
way to the large ceiling-to-floor window, each step
somehow heavier than the last. My palm came to the
window and I sighed in relief against its cold surface. I was
tempted to push my cheek against it.
Who knew after all those cold nights in Afghanistan that
I’d need a cool window to cool off the palpable tension in
this room!
I swallowed. “It looks to the river and– “
Crunch. Snap.
The sound of bones cracking came from behind me. My
breaths paused, my heartbeat lingered in between the two
beats.
“Leave the office.” Alessio’s voice was smooth. Calming.
“Don’t turn around and go out that door. Wait for me
outside.”
Without question or temptation to turn my head, I made
my way to the door and stepped outside.
But that was where I remained until Alessio came out.
“You good?” The tranquility in his voice, on his face was
all I needed to know, it would be okay.
“With you, always.”

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Epilogue

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 THREE MONTHS LATER

M ountains surrounded us. The soft rush of the river

traveled through the air, mixing with the rustle of the
leaves and the scent of cherry blossoms.
Kyoto in spring was magnificent.
The last time Alessio and I were here was in the fall. I
loved it then. I loved it even more now.
Sunshine replaced the rain. Empty streets were now full.
Cherry blossom petals made the streets colorful. Temples
full of worshipers.
It has been three months since Afghanistan.
The world kept turning. I have learned to move on.
The faint music drifted through the air, along with the
soft pink petals of the cherry blossoms.
All eyes turned to me as the tunes changed from the
local, traditional soft music to the bridal chorus.
Dad walked me down the aisle, where at the end of it
Alessio waited for me along with our son. Both in matching
suits. Both looking at me like I was their world.
Happy tears stung my eyes.
Alessio’s brothers and sisters were with us. All of them.
Even Senator Ashford. Alessio came to a reluctant peace
with him and even legally changed his last name. There
was no longer room for the dark ghost of the man who hurt
him, his mother, his sisters, and his son.
 All that mattered to me was that Alessio was happy and
came to terms with it all. Everything else we’d figure out
together.
My parents were here. Alessio’s friends and their
spouses. Everyone we loved and cared about came to
celebrate with us.
Soon there’d be a new member to welcome to our family.
My hand came to my lower belly. I wore a simple white
wedding dress that didn’t do much to cover the baby bump.
I didn’t care. I was proud of it. She survived. We survived.
Six months pregnant.
Despite the hunger and hardship during the first
trimester, the baby was healthy and growing fine. I was
lucky. We were lucky.
Like a magnet, my eyes pulled back to the man standing
at the end of the aisle, dressed in a sharp black tux. He has
been waiting for me. Eight years.
The love and obsession in his eyes were all the
confirmation I needed. Not that I had doubted my decision.
With each step I took closer to him, the world faded
further into the background, leaving me alone with him.
The moment I came to stand in front of him, my father
smiled. “Mrs. Corbin wants me to relay a message.” A soft
groan escaped me as I rolled my eyes. “Welcome to the
family.”
“Thank you,” Alessio answered, his eyes never wavering
from me as he took my hand. Our fingers interlaced and my
heart blossomed like the cherry blossoms all around us.
As we said our vows in the midst of family and friends,
neither one of us hesitated.
After all, eight years was a long time to wait.
He pulled me closer. “My heart beats in tune to a song
only your heart can play. Your breath gives me life. Your
cure to my scars. I’m forever yours, Autumn Ashford.”
My lip quivered and my eyes shimmered with the love
and happiness I felt for this man.
 He lifted the veil, those molten silvers darkening to the
most beautiful storms. His hands cupped my face, then he
bent his head, his mouth hovering over mine.
“Your eyes are green,” he murmured.
“I’m happy.” My nose brushed against his. “Because
you’re mine now.”
“I’ve always been yours. The lion will always worship his
lioness.”

THE END

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 Acknowledgments

I want to thank my friends and family for their continued

support. 
To my alpha and beta readers - you are all amazing. You
put up with my crazy deadlines and even crazier
organization. 
Thank you to Susan C.H. and Beth H. who always have
my back. I don’t know how I’d get through some of these
without you! And a big thank you Susan for giving it several
reads. 
To Christine S., Denise R. and Jill H. - you ladies
rock! And to a countless number of others - THANK YOU! 
My books wouldn’t be what they are without each one of
you. 
To my editor, Rachel at MW Editing. 
To my amazeballs cover designer Eve Graphics
Designs, LLC. 
To the bloggers and reviewers who helped spread the
word about this book. I appreciate you so much and
hearing you love my work, makes it that much more
enjoyable! 
And last but not least, to all my readers! This wouldn’t
be possible without you. Thank you for believing in me.
Thank you for your amazing and supportive messages.
Simply, THANK YOU.
I get to do this because all of you.
XOXO
Eva Winners

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