Fredrick_Udele

The hottest man I’ve ever seen is now my new boss—
and I’m stuck in a house with him…
Until one of us cracks.

I’ve got debt—yeah, I know, so does everyone else on Planet Earth.
But the bills I’m paying keep my dad and my grandma alive.
So it’s pretty messed-up for Timofey Viktorov to use them as a threat to keep me under control.

Not that he cares.
As a billionaire CEO, he takes no prisoners in the boardroom.
And as the don of the Viktorov Bratva, he takes no prisoners in real life, either.

Which is why he has no qualms about extorting me into taking his deal.
Live in my mansion…
Care for my baby…
Or suffer the consequences.

But he’s not the only one with an agenda.
Timofey has skeletons in his closet—and I’m determined to dig them out.
He’s just as determined to keep me far away from the secrets of his past.

The longer I’m in his house, the tenser things get.
Every time we brush past each other in the hallway, something sparks.
Every time we cross paths in the night, the ice grows thinner.

Sooner or later, it’s going to crack.

Whiskey Poison

I lunge to my feet so suddenly that Ashley and Gram collapse in on each other. As they right themselves, I move down the steps, throwing myself as a barrier between Timofey and the only family I have left.

"You're both here?" Ashley balks. "That would've been nice to know, Pipe. What is happening? Is this some kind of wild west stand-off?"

Timofey pats his hip where I know he has a weapon concealed. "Am I supposed to say, 'This town ain't big enough for the both of us?'"

Ashley laughs a bit behind me, but it's only because she doesn't understand the very real threat behind the joke. She's right. I should have told them the moment I walked through the gates that Timofey was in the city. I should have told them they were in danger and forced them into a car.

"Timofey." I inject as much meaning into his name as I can.

He's looking down at me, a silhouette in the morning sun.

CHAPTER 98