RUTHLESS DEVOTION:THE EMPIRE BETWEEN US

her bare feet sinking into the carpet, su

had tried on f

city's apex predators, billionaires who bought and sold lives before breakfast, super

ue out of a tiny spare room. Her only ticket into the den was a single dress she had designed i

the silence. She didn't want to answer

ine, breathless and dizzy with exciteme

breaking out across her collarbone.

you mean

est, raw and fragile. "I'm going to walk into that room, and they are goi

idn't invite you out of charity. That means something. And you know how many calls we've gotten to

quietly. "I'll ta

Amilah alone with the quiet

enter of the room, bathed in the pale moonlight

the wh

unzipped the heavy s

ite body, tracing the slope of her hips with agonizing perfection. Every time she inhaled, the deep

she too

ling a breathtaking flash of fair skin against the pooling white silk. It was a m

the look. A touch of minimal makeup, a pair of matching heels that made her stride feel deliberate, and

-

lack Maybach cut through the n

cabin, the silen

he was somewhere his mind had not entirely agreed to be. He radiated a cold, lethal authority, the kind born from a lifetime of be

ping of long acrylic nails against a

s checking her phon

's voice wasn't loud, but it possessed a low, dangerou

ice into her designer purse. "No, it's not

ment. He couldn't afford the PR circus of publicizing them, at least, not yet. Tonight was a transaction, a calculated peace offering to quiet her complaints after he had casually skipped her biggest milestone

able. "We cannot be seen arriving together. The driver will drop you at

d, offering a practiced smile t

their camera flashes exploding like lightning strikes against the dark sky. The driver stepped out, opening the door f

into darkness. As the Maybach began to roll toward the

ering, opulent hotel as if she were looking at a executioner's block. She wasn't moving. Her small hands were white, clutching a sil

a single, hesit

part. The high slit sliced open, revealing a fla

the corner of his lips. He had spent his entire life studying prey, and he could read her i

edictable gala tonight becam

cal weight against her chest. Her heart was beating so violently against her ribs she was

r broke through the velvet ropes, a

said, microphone extended, clearly meaning it. "Are

said, and her voice came out steadier than she'd expecte

d this?" A genuine beat of surprise. "That's

said it clearly. Pl

e most talked-about look of

al chandeliers hung from the ceilings, casting a golden glow over a sea of tuxedos and haute couture. A live orchestra played a slow, haunting waltz that seeme

a pocket of silence, she turned away from the grand b

y, her head down,

h

ashed into them. It was like hitting a wa

from her throat as she recoiled from the impact. He

s. It clamped around her waist with terrifying speed and absolut

The tone was smooth, laced with a dangerous amusement that made

ll perfectly across his forehead, casting shadows over a pair of piercing, predatory eyes. He wore a tailored Armani suit that framed his broad, imposing shoulders, and the top two bu

lightly parted as she felt the heat of his pa

wice, right in front of her eyes. The sharp sound broke the spell. Amilah gasped,

her voice shaking as she tried to pull bac

int in her neck, before mapping the dangerous, plunging neckline of her white dress. A rare, dark smile crept onto hi

straight through her core. His hand finally slid off her waist, his fingers lingering

nd her, his towering silhouette melting effort

rantic rhythm against her ribs. Her skin was tingling where he h

ckson stepped out. She had seen everything. Her eyes were wide, burning with a toxic, venomous ra

e from her clutch. She aggressively typed a message, her

re malice as she slipped silently back into t