Title: Alexius Author: Bella J. Series: Dark Sovereign #1 Genre: Dark, Mafia Romance
I’ve never met him. Never even seen him.
But I’ve heard the whispers. The rumors. The stories about him being as cruel as his father. Maybe even worse.
They say his presence wraps around your throat whenever he enters a room. And that’s exactly what I feel the moment he walks into the diner where I work, and I hear people breathe out his name.
Alexius Del Rossa.
They call him the crown prince of the Dark Sovereign—a society of men who own everything but the weather in this town.
Men say he has ice in his veins, and women talk about the corrupted heart in his chest. He’s the kind of man you pray never to cross paths with. The kind of man a girl like me has no chance of surviving.
But while his eyes trap mine, and his magnetism touches my skin, I’m unable to move when he forces me into a corner and hands me an envelope.
It’s an offer.
One I can’t refuse.
See, I have nothing. No family. No friends. No home.
Ivy Smoak is the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Amazon #1 bestselling author of The Hunted Series. Her books have sold over 2 million copies worldwide.
When she’s not writing, you can find Ivy binge watching too many TV shows, taking long walks, playing outside, and generally refusing to act like an adult. She lives with her husband in Delaware.
I’m the youngest but that doesn’t mean I’m naive. That I can’t take care of myself.
Or go after what I want.
Which is exactly what I plan to do, no matter how many times my brother tries to stand in my way. This is my life, not his. He may be afraid to let me go, but I’m not scared of spreading my wings and flying.
Of rising from the ashes.
I’m tired of mourning. I’m tired of being treated as fragile. And I’m ready to start living my life again.
First thing on my list… sex.
So what if it’s my first time? Who cares if it’s supposed to be special?
I’m not looking for a relationship, I just want to lose my virginity.
I’ve even set my sights on the person I want to give it to.
His messy hair falls in his honey brown eyes, making me weak in the knees. His touch lights a fire inside me I didn’t know existed and I find myself begging to get burned. Best of all, he says he likes to fix broken things.
I’m still a little broken, and I have a few ideas how he can fix me.
The only problem… my brother’s forbidden him to come near me.
Because if I had been paying attention, I would have seen him approach. Would have felt the hostility radiating off him in waves. Seen the look on his face and would have known to run.
But nope. That wasn’t my luck.
Instead, I was hauled away by the back of my shirt into the bathroom. Thrown against the wall. And Max was in my face, growling at me.
“Keep your eyes off my sister.” His voice is low, deep, and his eyes are wild as he takes me in.
“Your sister?” I’m not playing dumb. I honestly have no idea who his sister is unless… Fuck. “Evie’s your sister.”
It’s a statement, not a question. Realization smacks me across the face when his grip on the front of my shirt tightens. There’s a knock at the door, but Max doesn’t move to answer it, and I’m in no position to.
Another knock, this time louder, and it’s accompanied by a voice. “Max, let the poor kid go. He wasn’t doing anything.”
“He. Was. Looking. At. My. Sister.”
“And I’m sleeping with your sister.” Max’s head whips around, his eyes locking on the door as he growls, cursing under his breath. “Open the damn door, Max.”
Releasing me, Max walks over and unlocks the handle, the door opening before he can step back.
If I thought Max towering over me was scary, this guy has him beat. Max has at least five inches on me, maybe twenty pounds of muscle. This guy is huge compared to him. At least an inch taller, with broader shoulders, and bigger muscles.
And now I’m trapped in this tiny ass bathroom that smells like piss with both of them.
All because I looked at a girl. The wrong girl.
“You really want to bring that up right now?” Max asks, staring down our visitor.
I know he’s Max’s friend, but I honestly can’t tell right now. Max looks like he wants to hit him. His fists are clenched at his sides, and he’s glaring at him the same way he was glaring at me. He definitely wanted to hit me a minute ago.
I know for sure he’s not my friend. Though, he did just save my ass from Max’s wrath. And it doesn’t appear he’s scared of the death glare.
“Why not? You gave me your blessing.” So casual. As if it’s not a big deal that this guy is sleeping with his sister.
Wait!
Please tell me Max has more than one sister because if this guy is sleeping with Evie, there’s no way I stand a chance with her.
I’ve seen him before. He was in the kitchen earlier with Max. There were a bunch of guys, but I remember him being pulled away by a girl. She wasn’t Evie.
“That doesn’t mean I want to hear about it. Jesus, Finn!”
“But you heard it happening last night.” His first mistake. “I know you did. You left the ear plugs Lo bought you on the counter. And let’s face it, your sister is not quiet.” Throwing his head back and laughing is his second mistake because Max clocks him in the jaw.
Rachael Brownell is an International Bestselling author of new adult romance.
She lives in Michigan with her husband, son, snuggly dog, and hateful cat. She moonlights a few days a week (her excuse to get out of the house and socialize) and writes almost full time. Her first book was published way back in 2013 and since she’s released more than 30 additional titles.
When she’s not writing her next novel, you can find her hanging out with her family, watching her son play baseball, or running on the treadmill at the gym (though she skips more days than she goes). She also enjoys golfing but is still learning, so if you see her on the course… stand back.
