Krista

Alison Wright's eyes flickered open, and she winced from the strange pain radiating throughout her body. This wasn't a dream. She groggily took in her surroundings – a luxurious hotel suite bathed in soft morning light. Her gaze darted to the floor where her clothes lay crumpled and abandoned. Sh*t. She was f*ck*d last night. Literally. "God d*mn it," she muttered under her breath. Clutching her throbbing head, Alison tried to piece together the events that led to this less-than-ideal morning after. Flashbacks of her part-time job at an underground club played in her mind. She remembered being responsible for selling wine to customers, and one particularly annoying old creep who wouldn't stop pestering her. "Come on, sweetheart, just one drink," he had insisted, his greasy smile making her stomach turn. "Fine, but you're paying for it," she snapped. After downing the tainted glass of wine, her gut told her something was off. She hastily made her escape, stumbling out of the elevator and into the first empty room she found. And then...nothing. Her memory fractured like shattered glass.

"Stay away, stay away from me, stay away!" she shouted repeatedly. Despite having nothing left to throw, she kept yelling. Zane was more than a little curious about what was happening, but the woman's ruckus made it hard to concentrate. "Will you shut the fck up!" he roared at her. She fell silent, and he saw tears filling her eyes, her lips trembling. Oh fck, he thought. Like most men, a crying woman scared him shitless. He'd rather face a hundred of his worst enemies in a gunfight than deal with a crying woman. "And your name is?" he asked. "Ava," she replied in a thin voice. "Ava Cobler?" he inquired. Her name had never sounded so beautiful before, surprising her. She almost forgot to nod. "My name is Zane Velky," he introduced himself, extending a hand. Ava’s eyes widened when she heard the name. Oh no, not that, anything but that, she thought. "You've heard of me," he smiled, sounding satisfied. Ava nodded. Everyone in the city knew the name Velky; it was the largest mafia group in the state, based in the city. And Zane Velky was the head of the family—the don, the big boss, the Al Capone of the modern world. Ava felt her panicked mind spinning out of control. Ava is kidnapped and forced to realize her uncle has sold her to the Velky family to settle his gambling debts. Zane, the head of the Velky family cartel, is hard, brutal, dangerous, and deadly. His life has no room for love or relationships, but he has needs like any hot-blooded man.