Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38723 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38723 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
Dante wants to be the Boss of our criminal organization, and he’ll do awful, dark things to make Luca bow to him.
He promises he’ll use me to break him.
As we both suffer in his hands, I find myself falling for Luca, bound to him by pain and fear.
But Dante is fiercely possessive, and in his own twisted way, he seems to care for me.
Outside of our gilded cage, a growing threat from the Bratva puts us all in danger.
Both men swear to protect me from their enemies, but who will protect me from them?
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Chapter 1
Dante
Nora’s delicate body shook in my arms, so I pulled her closer to my chest. A sour tang coated my tongue, but I swallowed it down.
“Don’t worry, little bird,” I murmured. “Remember what I told you in the woods? I promised that if I break you, I’ll always put you back together again.” No matter how deviant my games with her became, I would protect her.
She simply shuddered in silent response.
I firmed my resolve.
She would learn to love serving my darker needs. She would be happy with me.
“You don’t understand yet, but you will,” I said firmly. “You can trust me. I’ll prove it to you.”
We would be a family, and our children would have a safe, stable home. As the Boss of our organization, I could give them everything they could possibly desire. I wouldn’t settle for anything less in life. I’d earned this position of power and security with pain and blood. I’d spill a lot more if it meant getting what I wanted.
My victory wasn’t quite complete. Many of Luca’s allies had escaped from my estate, retreating from the firefight when he’d come to take Nora from me. I’d let most of them go; I would need their allegiance. The Russians were circling like sharks, and I intended to rally all the men I could command to defend our territory.
I just had to break Luca first, and then they would all be mine. He would order them to pledge their loyalty to me by the time I was finished with him.
Then my wife, my future family, would be safe, protected. The power to provide that mattered to me more than anything money could buy.
Nora was the key to his undoing. He cared for her. I’d seen the anguish in his eyes when he’d watched me touch my pretty wife. He’d torn his wrists bloody in his futile attempts to break his chains and save her from me.
But she didn’t need saving. She was safe with me, safer than she’d ever been with him. He was too weak to protect her. He’d never been worthy of controlling our organization. He’d never been worthy of pretending to be her husband.
My arms flexed around her. She pressed her hands tighter against her face, as though she could hide her pretty tears from me. I didn’t like the violent shudder that wracked her willowy frame. Ever since I’d known her—ever since the day I’d noticed that she’d matured into a stunning woman hiding in her father’s shadow—Nora had possessed a quiet strength and elegant poise. Now, she quivered and sobbed even though I held her with tender care.
I firmed my jaw and ignored the slight twist in the pit of my stomach. I’d given her my word: I would put her back together again. I always kept my promises, especially the vows I’d made to my wife.
I carried her away from Luca, back to our bedroom. I would make her forget all about him, flood her with so much pleasure that she had no room in her mind for thoughts of him.
Or fear of me.
She was still crying into her hands when I laid her gently on our bed. I stroked her tear-wet hair back from her cheek, and her teeth chattered. My gut twisted, and I pulled away with a frown.
I’d have to find a way to calm my wife. I wouldn’t leave her shivering and sobbing in our bedroom, even if I did have pressing matters to attend to.
“Stay here, darling.” I dropped a quick kiss to the top of her head and reluctantly pulled away.
I wanted to keep holding her, but I had other plans to soothe her. My base desires didn’t rule me, especially not when I had her wellbeing in mind.
Even now, lust was a low simmer in my veins: residual arousal from our powerplay in my dungeon. Nora was breathtaking when she surrendered to pleasure, and the high of humiliating my worst enemy was intoxicating in a way I’d never known before.
If I were a beast like Luca, I’d drive into her tight heat and take advantage of her for my own release.
But that wasn’t the way my marriage would work. She would welcome me into her body the first time I truly claimed her. There were so many other wicked ways to ensure my wife was pleasured. She would surrender fully soon enough. I could be patient.
Taking in a breath to tamp down my lust, I turned from the alluring sight of her naked body and went into our bathroom. The bathtub was enormous—big enough for both of us. Her skin was oddly chilled, so I would warm her back up.
I tested the water’s warmth and began to fill the bath with soothing lavender bubbles—a scent I hoped would please her. She always smelled delicately sweet and slightly floral, a delicious perfume. The lavender should suit her.