Kathleen's life goes up in flames with the death of her parents, her dream to go to havard, fall in love with a decent man and live a normal life burning to ashes right before her eyes. And just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, she's sold off to a ruthless Mafia boss. Dario DeSantis is a terrifying man and Kat is completely at his whim, her body his to use as he pleases. But what happens when the Devil of Chicago begins to crave more than just her body and his revenge? Could Kat risk giving her heart to a man who is only capable of destruction or will forces much greater than the both of them succeed in ripping them apart?
"We'll be back in about three hours."
That was the first time in fifteen years that my father; Leonard Forrester, had ever lied to me, but at the time, I didn't know it was a lie.
"Okay," I glanced up from the novel I was reading to smile at him.
"Did you get the letter from Harvard yet?" My stepmother walked into the living room, clipping on her earrings distractedly.
I nodded, my smile increasing, "Yeah, but I haven't opened it yet. I don't know if I got accepted or rejected."
Mum laughed, "Don't be so modest. You'll surely get accepted. I trust your brain enough to know that this is a success. You know what? We can open the letter together when we get back. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Love you," she blew me a kiss and a moment later, I heard the door click shut behind them as they left the house for their anniversary date.
Even though my eyes were on the novel in front of me, I wasn't focusing on it. Instead I was a mixture of anticipation, anxiety and excitement over the letter from Harvard law I had received earlier today.
Becoming an attorney like my late grandpa had always been my dream and I was this close to finally achieving it.
While my mates partied and dated around, I kept my face buried in my books and being top of all my classes. After all, the only thing I have ever loved while growing up is books and the more I grew up, the more my fondness for books grew.
"Where's mum and dad?"
I was snapped out of my thoughts by the sound of my half brother's voice. When I raised my head, I found him standing at the doorway leading to the kitchen.
"They just left. Did you need something?" I asked.
Matteo's jaw clenched, "Yeah, but don't worry about it."
"Maybe I can help," I shrugged.
My elder brother just scoffed and then gulped down the bottle of whiskey I had just noticed. My forehead furrowed as I wondered what was making him drink.
"Unless you have seven figures lying around in your savings account, I don't think you can help me."
My jaw dropped open and I hurriedly sat up, "What do you need that kind of money for?"
"None of your business," he snapped, " But dad and mom won't lend it to me."
He dragged a hand through his hair and chuckled bitterly, "It's not fair. I never get what I want."
"What about your inheritance?"
My stepbrother's eyes narrowed at me and then he threw his head back and laughed, "Are you trying to mock me?"
My eyebrows shot up and just as I opened my mouth to voice out my confusion, his phone rang, cutting me off.
I watched him pull the phone out of his pants pocket and tense as he stared at the screen.
"What's going_"
But he pressed the phone to his ear and stormed out the living room, leaving me alone again and very confused.
As soon as he was gone, my anxiety over the college letter returned with full force, pushing the whole scene with Matteo to the back of my mind. I was sure he just wanted to buy a new car or something like that. He was a known spendthrift.
Unable to stand my own racing thoughts anymore, I decided to go bake to distract myself till my parents returned.
I walked into the kitchen and saw Lisa wiping down the counters.
"Hey, Lisa," I smiled at her.
She was the cook's daughter and we had grown up together, so she was kinda my best friend even though she was a maid.
"I'm sure that there's a good news behind this smile of yours" she said with a smile as she washed the dishes.
"What do you mean? I smile a lot, so what makes you think that there's a good news behind my smile?" I asked in confusion.
"Let me guess, you got accepted and you're about to become a fancy lawyer?" She squealed.
I chuckled, "I wish," I told her, "I'm going to wait for mum and dad to get back so we can open the letter together. I'm so nervous."
"It's going to be fine. You'll get in. And then you can leave this city. With your grandfather's former connections, you can get a job at a top law firm and you'll be swimming in money."
I rolled my eyes at her, "I don't want to use Grandpa's connections. I want to do it on my own."
She raised one dark brow, "You want to start scraping at a lowly job when you'll have over fifteen million of inheritance money in your account?"
"Something like that?"
"Ugh," she groaned, "You're so humble for someone who grew up with a whole house staff."
The thing was that my status as a bastard had always segregated me from the kids in school and the other wealthy kids. My upbringing up until age six when my mother had gotten diagnosed with cancer and brought me to the Forrester's house had been very humble.
It made me believe in hard work and paving a way for myself without having to depend on the Forrester's money even though I'm kinda part of them now.
"That's just me I guess."
"Go get some sleep," Lisa urged, "I'll come wake you up when your parents get home. You're just going to worry yourself into illness if you continue like this."
It was both a good and bad thing that Lisa could read me so well.
"I don't think I'll be able to sleep with that letter just sitting on my table and taunting me."
"Try," she ordered sternly, "You're making me nervous."
With a sigh, I nodded and decided to take her advice.
I climbed up the stairs slowly, trying not to think about the life ahead of me at the law school. I couldn't wait to start learning all about the justice system, fighting for good and being on the side of justice.
I would help to put evil guys behind bars forever, and then I would fall in love with a good, decent man, get married and grow old with him.
My future was literally at the tip of my fingers. I could almost feel it.
"Kathleen," my brother's voice called from the end of the hallway, specifically from dad's office.
"Yeah?"
"Don't just stand there," he barked, glaring at me, "Do you expect me to shout from across the hallway?"
I jerked, startled by the irritation in his voice. Did I do something? Perhaps he's just irritated about that problem of his that needs to be resolved with a six figure money, whatever that problem is tho.
Hurrying to the office, I had just crossed the threshold when lightning flashed in the sky and a loud thunder boomed around the house.
I had always been deathly afraid of storms, and so my heart was already pounding in my chest when I faced Matteo.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"They're dead." He dropped the shell bomb and I staggered backwards .
Madison Lane's uncomplicated one night stand turns out to be anything but uncomplicated when the man she had been dreaming about since their explosive night together turns out to be her new, mean and ruthless English literature professor. Lucian Buford is out for her, constantly singling her out in the class. Maddie can say goodbye to having any friends in class or having any fun whatsoever. Nobody wants to come close to her and incurr Professor Buford's wrath and he keeps her too busy with assignments to even have time to breathe not to talk of going to get lunch with the cute boy who's interested in her. Maddie thinks Lucian hates her, but what she doesn't know is that he's doing everything in his power to not drag her into his office and kiss her senseless. What happens when the professor with dark secrets and the fiery red hair he's obsessed with clash in a battle of wills? Will they both come out unscathed or be torn apart by forces that are beyond their control?
How far is she willing to go to get her twin back in her life? London couldn't answer this question if her life depended on it. The limits to what she's willing to do for her twin doesn't exist. Pretending to be her sister for a dinner party? No big deal. That is, until she finds herself in the very complicated position of playing fiancee to a man she barely knows but is quickly falling for. She knows that when this ends, her heart is going to be left in pieces and yet, she's holding unto every second with a man that she has no right to. A man that doesn't know she exists.
Months ago, a case of mistaken identity set off a chain reaction that ended with Millicent Haworth pregnant with ruthless billionaire; Tommy Bradford's child. Her plan is to have his child and maybe, some day in the future tell him about it and let him decide if he wants to be a part of their life. All of a sudden, he's sweeping back into her life and making her feel things she shouldn't be feeling. Millie knows what they have is temporary and there's no future where someone like him ends up with someone like her, but it doesn't stop her from falling a little bit harder every day. She knows he's going to break her heart at the end and there's nothing she can do about it.
WARNING! This book is not suitable for young readers or sensitive minds. Some parts contain graphic sex scenes, adult language, and situations intended for mature readers only! BLURB She saved herself for the man she thought would be her forever. She believed in love, in promises, in happily ever after. Until she caught her fiancé tangled in another woman's arms. Betrayal burned through her veins, leaving behind only one desire. REVENGE. And what better way to break him than to seduce the one man who could shatter his pride-his powerful, dangerously handsome billionaire uncle? He's older, untouchable, and completely off-limits. But she's willing to play dirty, willing to risk everything, just to watch her ex suffer. But what happens when the game turns on her? Because the moment she steps into his world, she realizes he's not just a pawn in her twisted little plan. He's a man who dominates, consumes, and makes her feel things she's never felt before. And the worst part? She might not want to escape.
"Please trust me, I didn't do anything." "I don't believe you. I am rejecting you as my Queen and giving you the punishment of death." Alina was living outside her pack for five years. Her parents didn't try to contact her and always ignored her. Her best friend convinced her to go back to their pack and she agreed. But she had never imagined what was waiting there for her. She never thought she would meet her mate and had to face betrayal from everywhere. She had to pay for the crime which she never committed. Aaron Robertson is the king of Lycans. He is a very dominant and powerful King who not only rules Lycans but also rules other ranks of werewolves. Everyone is afraid of Lycans and he is the king of them. But who knew that he would get a mate who was just a simple Omega with no powers and strengths? He called her weak all the time but little did he know that his weak Omega would give him the biggest betrayal of his life for which he had to give her the sentence of death.
"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
Trigger warning!!! Intended for mature readers who enjoy morally complex, slow-burn, poseesive, forbidden, dark romance that pushes boundaries. ***EXCERPT*** Blood everywhere. Trembling hands. "No!" My eyes blurred. His lifeless eyes stared back at me, his blood pooling at my feet. The man I loved-dead. Killed by the one person I could never escape - my stepbrother. *** Kasmine's life was never hers to begin with. Kester, her stepbrother, controlled and monitored her every move. At first, it was all sweet and brotherly until it began to turn into an obsession. Kester was the Alpha, and his word was law. No close friends. No boyfriends. No freedom. The only consolation Kasmine had was her twenty-first birthday, which was supposed to change everything. She dreamt of finding her mate, escaping the sickening control of Kester, and finally claiming her own life. But fate had other plans for her. On the night of her birthday, not only was she disappointed that she wasn't mated to the love of her life, but she found out that her mate was none other than him - Her tormentor. Her stepbrother. She'd rather die than be mated to a man whom she had known as her big brother all her life. A man who would do just anything to make sure she was his. But when love turns to obsession, and obsession turns to blood, how far can one girl run before she realizes there is nowhere else to run to?