by Jax Hart
“Ugh, this so isn’t me. Besides, it’s not the same. Men don’t go around throwing underwear at me or asking me to have their babies!”
“No, it isn’t. Besides, I’d kill any man who asks you to have their baby and you know it. What’s going on, Red?”
He pulls me out into the hall after he turns on Molly’s nightlight.
“You. You put another baby in me. It’s fucking up my hormones.”
He grins. “It’s about time. Three is a good number.” Placing a hand on my still flat tummy, he gazes into my soul. “Love you Red. Only you. Forever.”
“I still want credit for my part of the story,” I pop a shoulder.
“We can always write the sequel.”
“What? That’d be boring. You already got the girl, put babies in her…”
“Are you saying being married to the me is boring?” His eyes turn darker. “Because I still haven’t punished you for ratting on me. Did you think I had forgotten?” He whispers in my ear, as strands of my hair fall through his fingers. A chill runs down my back. He knows I’ve been waiting for this. His lips trace a path down my neck and across my collarbone. “My next book signing is in Miami, I’ve already reserved a private room at Dimitri’s club.”
He pinches my hardened nipples through my shirt, then cups my sex. Just as I move my hips into his waiting hand, he pulls away.
“Roque?”
“Call me Master Roque.”
I roll my eyes. “Seriously?”
“Ewww. What are you, two doing?”
“Hi Chloe,” we both reply in unison.
“I can’t believe you are a sub, Romina. That goes against everything in the book.”
“I’m not his sub.”
“Are, too.” He pipes up.
“Ugh!” I throw my hands up in the air.”
Roque laughs all the way down the hall to his office.
“We all know he’d be lost without you. It’s okay if you are into that power thing…”
“I’m not discussing this with you.”
“Um, you kind of have too. I mean… you are like… my mom now.” Chloe bites her lip.
“I recognize that look on your face… Chloe?”
Her chin quivers. “Did… are you having sex… with a guy who ties you up?”
Her cheeks heat.
“Roque!” I yell so incensed, I forget my voice could wake Molly and Romeo. “Get my knives. We have a boy to kill!”
THE COLLECTION
By ROQUE SALVATORE
the SAVAGE POET
Blue
Lost on the deep sea of her, I sink to the bottom. She’s my ocean. Endless. In the deep, dark depths our souls meet, twining together for eternity. The siren’s kiss steals my breath, my heart, my life. Take it I tell her. I’d rather live in the dark depth with you then live a thousand lifetimes in the light
Red
Red is my passion, my anger, my pride. Tie me up in knots my bride. I’ve loved you, I’ve hated you… got lost in you. Your breath is mine. You’re pain my guide. In your eyes I saw the heavens in mine you saw your hell. I’ll chase you across the Milky Way, my love for you cannot escape the destiny written in your own stars.
Living Crypt
Buried in my own blood. Tears sustained me. I was a man turned into a monster, wondering if her love could turn me human again? Would I live to find out, or stay buried half alive? In the dark she always comes. She stays with me. Even death can’t part the vines growing from our dark love. For love it always was even when it was cloaked in death, in violence and old lies. I’ll find her, brand her with a new purpose, breathe life back into weary torn out hearts… but first I must resurface, claim what was stolen and exchange my half-life for his. Devil for a devil, is an even exchange. Oh, earth will you take him for me? Set me free to live with my dark star? Or will her fire blind me with its glory, pitching me back into the dark?
Wedded Bliss
The marks of your white lace are red on my skin. I pressed you down in the grass so hard, I’m not sure where I ended and you began. Fused together, finally mine, wrapped in bands of gold, I touched the divine.
Who Am I?
Monster of a man, feared but respected. Clothed in money spun threads from blood. Sometimes the savage is a savior. Ruling the underground with an iron fist or blinking as the camera’s flash, which man is on your wish list?
Copyright 2020 by Jax Hart.
All rights reserved.
Cover design by Heather DeVore
Created with Vellum
Blurb
I’m the number two guy.
The one who takes the hits. The one who cleans up the messes.
My hands get dirty.
Daily.
I used to be number uno. Primed to take over my own kingdom in the city that never sleeps. But I broke the number one rule: don’t fall in love.
I lost everything a made man works for. My kingdom. Almost my life. All for a slice of that girl’s heart. Look out little Christine. I thought you had gone from this life, out of my reach but now that I’ve found out your heart beats… I’m going to stamp the shit out of it. My name will be burned into it. Charring it. Destroying it. Just like you’ve destroyed me.
Prologue
Johnny
The two of them make me sick. I wanna puke at the stars I see in Roque’s gaze. He is the deadliest Don there ever was. Before he met her, there was nothing but death in the black irises of his eyes. But now all he sees is her. Feeling the ugliness churn in my gut, I turn away from Roque and Romina.
“You hate her, don’t you?”
I feel Chloe’s eyes on me. The little shit is young but old. She’s seen too much for a girl of her age. “Nah, I don’t hate Blue. But she is annoying as fuck.”
Chloe laughs. “Sometimes she is. I’m so lucky to have them.”
I turn to the girl. “You are.”
“So, what’s your story? I’ve read theirs’s…” Her chin nods over to the couple lost in their own world. Roque and Romina, a modern-day Romeo and Juliet story. At least that’s what Hollywood’s dubbed them. But if you missed their story, this is the wrong book. You need to rewind to Savage Poet…
I shrug. “Mine’s better. I can’t believe he’s a bestseller when my story has more angst, more drama, more utter heartbreak. Not to mention the sex is off the hook,” I wiggle my brows.
“Ugh, gross. TMI, Uncle Johnny.”
“Good. Stay away from boys. They’re nothing but bad news. Keep your head in the books, the ones that will teach you shit.” I snap a flower from the garden, shredding the petals then reach inside the pocket of my suit jacket for my smokes.
She rolls her eyes. “That shit will kill you.”
I shrug, “So will a broken heart.” The words tumble from my lips before I can stop them. There’s something spooky about the girl, no wonder Roque spilled all his secrets to her. Her wide innocent eyes make you want to just blurt your shit out loud, as if somehow, someway this slip of a girl could help you. My eyes scan the edges of the garden looking for threats, finding none. How did I miss the biggest threat was her? Christine? My eyes squeeze shut. Just saying her name in my mind is enough to feel a slash to my soul. “I thought Roque had her eliminated. But he saved her for me.”
“Where is she? This woman who hurt my Uncle Johnny. Maybe Romina and I will have a go at her?”
I snort, looking down at the sun shining down at the top of her golden head. “I have first dibs.”
“Are you telling me this tale of angsty, juicy heartbreak or what?” Roque and Romina are still lost in each other, necking under an arbor of roses.
“Sure. Walk down to the beach with me? I can’t stand still for long. If I do, my body starts twitching. I wouldn’t want to freak you out.”
“It’s okay, Johnny. I’ve always known you were kind of a freak…,” she grins, putting her arm through the crook of my elbow. We stroll through the garden until we reach stone steps leading down to the beac
h. It’s not the med but the Atlantic side of the Hamptons is nothing to sneeze at. Roque still has a safehouse out here but these days he and Romina have converted it to a beach home, complete with its own artillery room.
“Don’t ever fall in love, Chloe. It sucks balls.”
She rolls her eyes. “Was it love at first sight?”
“No. But it sure was lust. We were at a club in New York. Roque, me and Rafe. We were in our usual VIP area above the fray. The hostess let in about five girls a cut above the rest. One was straddling me, already DTF. My hands were all over the broad when suddenly she was ripped off my lap and replaced. The woman was spiting sparks and her mouth was bold and sassy just like the eyeliner and smoky eye she was sporting. Her hair smelled like wildflowers after a spring rain and her skin was smooth to the touch. I wanted her on sight. She wrapped her hands around the back of my head and kissed me. It was hard. Thorough. We made out in the club, drank pink champagne as we grinded on the dance floor. I took her home. She rocked my world and trust me—I thought it couldn’t be rocked any harder. We went all night. She was insatiable. So was I. When I woke up, I thought she had gone. The bed was cold, but the sheets still smelled of her. Of us. I took a shower and padded out to my kitchen, following the smell of frying bacon and coffee. She was cooking, naked. I took her hard. Right then. Right there. Fuck. Sorry. Sometimes I forget you’re still young and I probably shouldn’t say this shit to you.”
“Um… I’ve read Roque’s diaries, remember? He was quite detailed on how and when he lost his V-Card…”
I smirk, “TMI, Chloe. Besides, men don’t have V- Cards.” I ruffle the top of her head. Her face turns red as our feet touch sand. I bend down to remove my socks and shoes. She does the same as we make our way down to the surf.
“What made her so different? What was it about Christine that made her stick to your soul?”
My eyes cut to the thunder of the pounding surf. “A million different things, many you can’t physically see. Who knows why your soul cries for some and not others? Maybe there is something to that destiny shit. Anyway, she crawled into my heart and made a home. It was more than the sex. We cooked together. Worked out together. She was all woman but had crazy jitsu moves. That should’ve been my first clue she was law. We had the same taste in TV shows… classic cars… but now I don’t know. Maybe it was all a lie. Maybe we had no common interests, and she was just acting—playing me so she could worm her way in and gather intel. Anyway, I’ve known since before the trial that she lives. Like a fuckin’ chickenshit, I’ve left her where Roque has her stashed away. I want her but I hate her. Truthfully, I’m scared shitless I’ll see her and realize I loved a fake persona… the longer I stay away, it allows me to love the girl I thought she was… I’m a dumb fuck. Right?”
“I don’t know, Uncle Johnny. But I do know the only way you’ll get closure is by asking her. Go get her and get the truth out of her by any means necessary. It’s the only way you’ll ever have peace.”
My eyes meet hers. “You are a little minx, eh? Any means necessary?”
Her cheeks turn as red as a Maine Lobster. “It’s what Roque would do.”
I pick up a rock, hurtling it sideways, watching as it skips over the waves until it drops. “Yep. It’s exactly what he would do…”
Prologue
Christine
Days turn to nights and I don’t even know the difference. Locked up in a storage room for months or years; I have no clue what is going on above me. I’m buried alive. Living in a cellar. My captor is kind at least. I half hope he’ll take me in his arms and tell me it’ll be alright… that someday he’ll set me free.
He wears a ring but clams up whenever I bring it up. I hate the fact that I am totally crushing on the gentle giant with his full beard and shaggy hair streaked with silver. He’s husky and big. Wears flannel shirts and jeans. He’s gentle and yet I see his edge. But all my years of training in the FBI could never prepare me for this life of endless solitude, spent living underground.
Sighing, my fingers trace over the rough edges of stone making up the wall next to my bed. Why did he keep me alive? Does he hate me? I hated him. No, loathed him with every fiber of my being. Until I didn’t. Until somehow the feel of his hands on me was all I cared about. I don’t even know if he got out alive or if the mob put a bullet in that thick skull of his. Guilt eats at me. I loved him, I loved him not. Definitely lusted. There’s no doubt Johnny and I could let the world burn while we were in bed. Sometimes I wake up covered in sweat, slick with need between my thighs after dreaming about my ex-lover. Forced, to touch myself to sate the throbbing need that never seems to dissipate.
I’m awake but have no idea if it’s morning yet. My captor does his best to keep me awake during the day and tells me when to sleep at night. He says it’s to keep my circadian rhythm in line…. Says it’s “good for my heart.”
My heart.
My heart is a mysterious place. Sometimes even a stranger to me. Did I love him or hate him? I wish it would answer. Alone in the dark, the only movie I see is the one in my mind…playing all over again. Like the memory of my brother, Jack, taking me back to how this all started.
“It’s time. We’ve prepped years for this moment, I’m proud of you sis.” My brother, Jack clasped me on both shoulders. He was assigned to the crime unit trying to take down Roque Salvatore and was able to get me on as well. But Although Salvatore was the FBI’s target—Johnny was ours. It was some stroke of twisted luck that the two men were tight in both business and life. I read the file on him and Roque. Rented an apartment in Manhattan and played the part of just another girl living in New York hoping to make it in the city of dreams. Fate has a sick sense of humor because while I was angling how to catch Johnny’s eye somehow, my roommate, Selina caught Rafael Vásquez Edwards eye. Rafe, Roque and Johnny went to Princeton together and forged fucked-up brother hood. The three of them were the princes of Manhattan. But one by one, they would fall.
Rafe was the first. I’m not sure about Roque but Johnny—he fell but in taking him down, I took myself with him. “Get Them both, Christine. I’m counting on you.” But I didn’t get them. They got me and now I’m lost somehwere. Somewhere in the dark. All sense of space and time has left me. The door creaks open.
The smell of the food coming off the tray is tomato soup with… grilled cheese?
“Ah it must be lunch time, then?”
I sit up, crossing my legs on the bed. He doesn’t comment but offers a small smile instead. “I brought you a new Sudoko and some magazines.” He tosses them on the bed then turns to leave.
“Wait.” I grab his big hand, holding it. His cheeks turn red. He isn’t rude but he pulls his hand away. “Stay. Please? I’m going insane. Losing my mind. Can I please see the sun? Just for a moment….”
“No.” He’s firm. I feel myself crack. I’m strong but I let him finally see me cry.
“There now, girl.” He puts his bulky arms around me. I sob into his chest. His strong, low voice soothes me as he strokes my hair. “It’ll be okay. No one is gonna hurt ya’. I swear to ya’ that.” And he is right. Sometimes another man brings me food and supplies, but none ever lay a hand on me. None ever made me feel the need to defend.
“Why? Who? Who is keeping me here? Is Johnny dead? In jail?”
“I can’t answer your questions. But you know what you did and who you betrayed. You’re lucky this is your sentence.”
“Where do you fit in all this? Who are you?”
He moves away from me. “Eat. Do your puzzles. I’ll come visit later.”
“Please don’t leave me alone in the dark. I’d rather die than slowly go insane.”
He sighs deeply. “I like you. I do. But I can’t betray them.”
“Who?”
But he’s gone, leaving me with the memories playing like a movie in my mind again. This time I’m at the club, watching Johnny as another woman gyrates on his lap. Being in his physical presence was a punch to
the gut. He was a magnet, sucking me in, drawing me closer. An unexpected surge of jealousy coursed through me when I saw the skank on his lap. I yanked that bitch right off and when I straddled him, my eyes almost rolled back in my head as I felt what he was working with. He smelled good. Like cinnamon cloves and whiskey. His kiss tasted the same. It was too easy to forget who he was. Who I was. And what I had made an oath to do. I had to keep reminding myself he was a ruthless killer and thug. Sometimes when I was feeling weak, after he held me all night, I’d go home and pop the floorboard where I kept my parent’s crime scene photos. The gruesome reminder of the justice that needed serving. I was that justice. Jack was depending on me to get it for my parents. Taking Johnny and Roque down was the plan. But that plan backfired. Somehow, they made me. The last thing I remember was opening my fridge for a bottle of water. Someone grabbed me from behind. The sting of a syringe plunging into my neck as I screamed is all I can recall. When I woke up, I was here. In the blackness. Over the course of days, a blanket appeared, then a bottle of water. Slowly, I earned my keeper’s trust and as I did, more comforts of a home appeared.
But I still need to escape. I need to get out of here. I spent the rest of what I believe to be afternoon doing Sudoku, yoga and perusing through magazines. It must be sometime near fall if the ads for pumpkin spice drinks are any indication. But then again, part of psychological warfare is to make your captive believe what you wish. It could be spring for all I know. These could be old magazines. Who the fuck knows? My keeper blacks out any mention of dates in print. Keeping me lost in space and time. After I contort my body into as many positions as possible, I do planks, sumo squats and try like hell to remember my old routine, the one I did with my former roommate Selina. I wonder what became of her? Her relationship with Rafe seemed like the real deal. Guilt eats at me. I betrayed her as well. Lied to her about who I was. They might’ve thought that she was in on the sting with me and snapped her neck.
