 by Alta Hensley.jpg)
Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 53880 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53880 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
I had her. She was mine. They took her away.
Lyriope Morelli is the dream I’ve been chasing. My obsession isn't gone, my hunger’s not satiated. I won't rest until I find her and claim her again. I won't rest until I've dragged her safely back to Wonderland.
Villains don’t get the happily ever after written for them in the story. And I'm the villain of this story--vicious and calculating, terrifying in my whims. Which is why, when it comes to my queen of hearts…
The game has just begun.
Welcome to the Midnight Dynasty... The warring Morelli and Constantine families have enough bad blood to fill an ocean, and their brand new stories will be told by your favorite dangerous romance authors.
WARNING: This book is intended for readers eighteen years old and over. It contains material that some readers could find disturbing. Enter at your own risk..
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Chapter One
Nick
“Please tell me you aren’t sitting outside Morelli’s house like a crazy stalker.”
I decide to not answer Harrison rather than lie by telling him I’m not crazy and that I’m not a stalker. And considering the degree of madness pumping through my veins right now, being called a crazy stalker is a compliment.
Madness is heavy. It floods my core with an intensity that is almost blinding, with bursts of red, colors reminiscent of death. Crimson, black, gray, and a bright light that beckons me to run to the only person who has the ability to not only engage the madness but also soothe it.
“This is like some sick Groundhog Day,” Harrison adds. “We’ve been here before. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to talk you off this exact ledge.”
I remain silent which I know is filling him with a mixture of rage and frustration. He’s not a man used to being ignored. I hired him for that reason alone. When Harrison demands, people listen.
Except me.
I know I should. Though I am the face of Wonderland, Harrison is the spine that keeps us upright, steady, strong on our feet. The man is my compass in a sea of turmoil, and I know I should listen, but the need to fight against all reason to have her is strong.
It’s so fucking strong.
“Nick—” He cuts himself off and then sighs. “This won’t end well. You know this, right? You keep trying to change things but only making the same damn mistakes over and over.”
“She doesn’t belong here,” I finally say, watching the caravan of cars pull up to the property and circle the driveway of the mansion.
I beat them back from Italy, but I knew I would. I had my private jet gassed and ready to go the minute Lyriope was taken from me. I know she’s in one of the cars arriving, and I itch to charge in her direction, claiming her as mine once again. But though I may be mad, I’m not a fool.
Currently, the security and surveillance on the property is weak. It’s easy to see where the cameras are—or more importantly where they aren’t. Bryant Morelli should know better. His arrogance, however, makes him feel invincible and I’m going to use this to my advantage.
Click click pop is all it’ll take to put a bullet between his eyes.
His incompetent staff wouldn’t see it coming and wouldn’t see me going.
Bye-bye, motherfucker. You may be used to dancing with the devil in your life, but you’ve never tangoed with a madman. The devil has nothing on me.
If I was in charge of keeping Lyriope safe, I’d beef up my security for sure. I already made the same mistake once—correction… twice. Harrison is correct when he says I keep making the same mistakes. This much is true.
This isn’t the first time I’ve sat in a car stalking my prey, and here I am doing it again.
This isn’t the first time I’ve let Lyriope slip between my fingers, and here I am trying to take hold again.
Round and round I go on this merry-go-round of insanity.
This time, I let Lyriope go. Even though I’ve never let anything go in my life before… especially when it’s mine.
It’s what she wanted, however. It’s what she needed. But never was I prepared to truly let her leave me forever. It’s not something I can simply stand by and allow to happen. I made a mistake and it’s one I need to rectify.
“Come home,” Harrison says softly. “At least for now. You can’t do anything solo and without a plan. You don’t need me to tell you this. Come home. Regroup. Plan.”
“There’s nothing to plan. Morelli is going to sell her off like she’s cattle, and I’m not going to allow that to happen. I’m not going to let another man, let alone a lowlife Sidorov, lay a single finger on her. I’ll chop off every digit of that entire family if I have to.”
I hear Harrison release a heavy breath. “Come home,” he repeats. “Just tonight. Give yourself a little space, a little breathing room. If after you still want to then charge the house with guns blazing, I’ll stand by your side prepared for battle. But not like this. Nick… use your head right now. Not your fucking heart.”
“She cut off my head the minute she left with Morelli,” I state, hating that the image of Lyriope walking away is seared in my memories forever. It was all I could see as I traveled home from Italy. “Off with my head as she walked out that door.”
“You need sleep. We all do.”
Sleep. I never slept until I was with Lyriope. Without her, I’ll never sleep again. I know this.
The doors of the SUVs and cars open, and I watch Lyriope exit a black sedan, following Bryant Morelli. The bastard doesn’t even turn around and offer his hand to help her out of the back seat. Either he has zero gentlemanly manners, or the man doesn’t care. My guess is both are true.