Betrayal Series by Penelope Sky – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

Betrayal Series by Penelope Sky – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com Thu, 22 Aug 2024 20:06:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 http://www.books2020.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Betrayal Series by Penelope Sky – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com 32 32 It Destroys Me (Betrayal #6) Read Online Penelope Sky http://www.books2020.com/it-destroys-me-betrayal-6-read-online-penelope-sky Thu, 22 Aug 2024 20:06:08 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/it-destroys-me-betrayal-6-read-online-penelope-sky Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Dark, Erotic, Mafia Authors: Penelope Sky Series: Betrayal Series by Penelope Sky
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Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)

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I chose the wrong man…and I chose him for the wrong reasons.
Now all I want to do is repair the broken relationship with the man I’ve always wanted.
But he’s wounded by my rejection and it’ll take time to heal what I’ve broken.
But I know there’s hope…otherwise he wouldn’t have come for me.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter 1

Theo

I was in the study on the couch, staring at the fire in the hearth with my feet on the coffee table. My arm hung over the back of the couch as I held my cool glass on my thigh. It’d been a couple days since Astrid and I had spoken. Talking about Shayla had forced me onto a trip down memory lane that left me bitter. It would pass, but it passed quicker in silence with a scotch in hand.

My butler George came into the room. “Axel and Scarlett are here to see you.”

“Why?” I didn’t take my eyes off the fire.

“They’re taking Astrid to dinner. Wanted to say hello before they left.”

“What?” I blurted out the question on instinct because it made no sense.

“Shall I tell them you’re unavailable?”

“No.” I set the glass on the coffee table and rose to my feet. “I’ll handle this.” I walked past him into the entryway, seeing Axel in a button-up shirt with his sleeves pushed to his elbows. Scarlett was in a black dress with her hair back, gold earrings in her lobes.

Axel grinned when he saw me. “You want to join us?”

“Join you for what?”

“Dinner. Astrid and Scarlett made plans, and I decided to tag along. You know, just in case.”

My eyes flicked back and forth between them, detecting deceit but unable to pinpoint it. “And why was none of this mentioned to me?”

Axel gave a shrug. “I don’t know, man. All I care about is paying for dinner and getting a blow job afterward.”

Scarlett rolled her eyes, but she wore a smirk she couldn’t hide.

“You want to come?”

I looked at the stairs and expected to see Astrid standing there. “I’d rather Astrid stay here, under the circumstances.”

“You think I’d let anything happen to her?”

“She’s not your responsibility, Axel.”

“Then come to dinner with us,” he said. “Problem solved.”

I heard footsteps on the stairs and turned to see Astrid holding the banister as she made her way down in heels. She wore a skintight black dress. Her cleavage was on display, given the low-cut of the neckline. Her long hair was in curls and a lot thicker than it normally was. Along with the dark makeup around her eyes and the pink shine to her lips, she looked like she was begging to be fucked.

I watched her as she came closer, my eyes locked on her sexy-as-fuck appearance. If this was all a ploy to get my attention, then she succeeded—with flying colors. I watched her green eyes meet mine, her confidence mixed with that same vulnerability she showed me during our intimate conversations. It’d been a rough couple of weeks, and I’d felt no desire. But seeing her like that made me remember what I had under my roof.

“I would have invited you, but I figured you’d pass.”

I wasn’t sure where she’d gotten that dress. It fit her so well, it looked like it had been tailored to her exact proportions. She had nice, perky tits, so that dress was made to display her unbelievable rack. I felt everyone’s stares on me, a veil of invisible pressure that smothered my senses.

“Come along,” Axel said. “So we can talk about guns and tits while the girls talk about makeup and whatever else women talk about.”

“We don’t talk about guns and tits.” I looked at him.

“Well, now we have a topic of conversation.”

“Why do I feel like this is a setup?” I looked at Scarlett next, knowing she wouldn’t lie to me.

“We’re going to be late for our reservations,” she said. “So if you want to come, get dressed.” She spoke to me in her mom voice, manipulating me to get me to behave the way she wanted.

I looked at Astrid next, a goddamn smokeshow. “Just give me a minute.”

Axel drove while I sat in the passenger seat.

The girls talked in the back. Scarlett showed her pictures of the kids while Astrid said how cute they were at least a million times.

Like a cow in a herd, I had been corralled right into the pen. This had been a setup to get me out of the house, and I suspected Scarlett was the mastermind of the entire thing. Astrid went along with it because she’d shown me her cards the other night—that she still wanted me even though I was a fucking train wreck.

We arrived at the restaurant and were guided straight to our table. It was a nice place with candles and white tablecloths. It was midweek, but the place was still packed like it was a Saturday night.

Astrid was about to take the seat beside me, but Axel grabbed the back of the chair. “I’d like to sit across from my wife, if that’s okay. You know, because of the view.” He gave her a playful wink.

Astrid smiled. “I don’t blame you. She’s a hot piece of ass.” She went back around the table.

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Advertisement It Pains Me (Betrayal #5) Read Online Penelope Sky http://www.books2020.com/it-pains-me-betrayal-5-read-online-penelope-sky Mon, 08 Jul 2024 20:39:10 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/it-pains-me-betrayal-5-read-online-penelope-sky Genre: Alpha Male, Angst, Contemporary, Crime, Dark Authors: Penelope Sky Series: Betrayal Series by Penelope Sky
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Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 67905 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >70

When Bolton asked for the open marriage I was revolted by it.

But then I met Theo…and I didn’t know men like him could exist.

Now he wants me all to himself.

Do I forgive him…or do I stay?

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

1

ASTRID

My apartment was small—but it was mine.

I’d chosen a one-bedroom with a small kitchen and a sitting room that could only fit a couch. It was furnished because I’d rented it that way. I had a month-to-month lease, so it was just a placeholder until I found something worth the investment of my time. Staying at a hotel was way too expensive for the long-term.

It took me a couple days to prepare myself to return to what was now only Bolton’s house to retrieve the rest of my stuff. Not because I wanted to avoid him, but I was just too broken to muster up the energy. A part of me hoped a text from Theo would come through with an apology. Or he would call to check on me. Something.

But he never did.

I wasn’t sure what devastated me more. Bolton’s betrayal or Theo’s departure.

How did two men break my heart in such a short amount of time?

Now that I wasn’t living with Bolton, I didn’t know his schedule. Grabbing my things while he was out on a contract was the best decision, but I had no idea when he had his assignments anymore.

I suspected he’d stopped taking them—and just waited for me to come back.

I pulled up to the house instead of parking in my usual spot because I didn’t live there anymore. It was a foggy night, the cold heavy in the air, the light gone before five. The rain had finally let up, so I thought now was the best time to retrieve a load of my things.

I walked up to the front door and put my key in the lock, but then I quickly withdrew it and knocked.

Footsteps sounded a moment later.

My heart dropped to my stomach in disappointment.

Bolton opened the door, wearing his sweatpants and one of his black tees. With his hand on the doorknob, he stared at me with those eyes that were so blue they looked unnatural. He absorbed my appearance, his eyes trying to pull me in hard, like he wanted me right next to him.

“I just came to get a load of my things.”

He continued to stand there.

“I can come by when you aren’t home⁠—”

“I’m always home—waiting for you.”

When his stare became too much, I broke contact first. “Then let me get my things.”

He stepped aside and shut the door behind me.

The warmth of home surrounded me. It smelled the same. This had been his place when we got together, and I moved in a few months after we met. I’d been love-sick, and everything had happened so quickly, a rush that hadn’t stopped until he told me he wanted to fuck other people.

I took off my coat and hung it on the rack.

“Are you hungry?” he asked from behind me. “I made dinner.”

“No. I’m just here for my stuff.” I approached the hallway and the staircase.

“Astrid—”

“Bolton, don’t make this harder than it needs to be.” I stilled, feeling him behind me, picturing his stare.

After a pause, he spoke. “I’m just worried about you. It seems like something is wrong. Something besides our problems.”

I continued to look at the stairs and the photographs that hung on the walls on either side. Pictures of us on our wedding day. Vacations to Positano—our favorite place. Was my sorrow for Theo so obvious that Bolton could see it? Did I wear my broken heart on my sleeve?

I didn’t turn around, and he reached for my elbow. “Astrid.” When I didn’t yank my arm away, he gently turned me toward him, inch by inch, until our eyes met. “Talk to me. You’re my favorite person in the world to speak to…and I miss you. This time apart has only shown me how little life I have without you.” His fingers remained on my elbow, like I might fly away at any moment. His eyes continued to drill into my face with a hint of desperation, and he wore his heart on his sleeve in a way he never had before. “Talk to me.”

I was heartbroken over another man, and that made me feel guilty. Thinking of someone else when he poured his heart out to me like that. “It’s okay, Bolton. I’ll just get my things and be on my way⁠—”

“Astrid.” He tightened his fingers on my arm. “You can tell me anything.”

“I’m not your problem anymore⁠—”

“You’re my wife. You will always be my problem. I want you to always be my problem.” He moved closer to me, sliding his hand up my arm as he drew close. He stepped into my space, close enough that I could catch a whiff of his scent, the smell that was on my sheets, in the bathroom after he took a shower. “Have dinner with me. You can get your stuff afterward.”

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Advertisement It Hurts Me (Betrayal #4) Read Online Penelope Sky http://www.books2020.com/it-hurts-me-betrayal-4-read-online-penelope-sky Mon, 27 May 2024 20:58:22 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/it-hurts-me-betrayal-4-read-online-penelope-sky Genre: Alpha Male, Angst, Dark, Mafia Authors: Penelope Sky Series: Betrayal Series by Penelope Sky
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Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 71911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >76

My husband of two years tells me he wants an open marriage.

I'm stunned. I'm hurt. And I'm livid. I don't want to be married to a man that wants to open our bed to other people.

But then I get a flat tire in the pouring rain and a sexy-as-hell gentleman helps me out.

My husband is in the game, so one look at the skull ring on this gentleman's left hand tells me exactly who he is.

The Skull King.

I didn't want an open marriage...but I definitely want this man.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

1

ASTRID

It was pouring rain when I drove down the narrow streets of Florence. A storm had just swept through the beautiful city, but the rain lingered, pounding into the cobblestones and making them shine in the moonlight. It was so heavy the raindrops thudded like rocks on the rooftop.

I heard a loud pop, my steering wheel lurched to the right, and I slammed on my brakes as I landed on the curb. Thankfully, there weren’t any cars parked there. Otherwise, I would have sideswiped them as I lost control of the vehicle.

The car came to a harsh stop, and my face almost hit the steering wheel. “Jesus…” I could barely see through the windshield, the downpour was so extreme. There were no other cars on the road because everyone was smart enough to stay home on a night like this. But I’d had an event at work, so I didn’t have a choice.

The screen on my dashboard told me what the problem was.

I blew out a tire. Must have run over a rock or a nail that I couldn’t see in the downpour.

I reached for my phone in the cupholder and tapped the screen, but it stayed black. I tapped it again, but it remained black.

It had been low on battery at the gala because I’d forgotten to charge it that morning. Looked like it had died in the meantime. I pulled out the charger from the glove compartment and plugged it into my phone. It was so dead that it still didn’t turn on. It would need a few minutes before it had enough juice to make a call.

Headlights were visible from an SUV, and then it pulled up in front of me, the red taillights in circles instead of squares, telling me it was a Range Rover. The lights went dark when they released the brakes, and the car was shut off.

I continued to watch, wondering if this person had pulled over for me.

A man left the driver’s seat and stepped into the pouring rain, just a silhouette at first, a tall man with thick arms that were visible because he didn’t wear a jacket. When he came closer to my car, he was displayed in my headlights.

And wow…he was fiiiiinnne.

Dark hair and eyes, a hard jawline, a very distinct and unmistakable “I don’t give a fuck about a damn thing” attitude. When he came to my window, he tapped his big knuckles against the glass, standing in the rain like it was a warm shower.

I hesitated before I rolled down the window, taking a second to snap out of the reverie. The second the window was down, the sound of the rain became amplified, a cacophony we had to yell over to hear each other.

He put one hand on the roof of the car and leaned down to speak to me, already soaked to the skin. There was a shadow on his jawline, popping tendons up his neck, veins down his muscular arms. “You alright?” A deep and masculine voice released into the night air, authoritative without aggression.

There were no words on my tongue because I was paralyzed by the sight of him.

“I saw your tire blow out when you ran over that scrap metal.”

“Oh, I didn’t see it.” I felt dwarfed by his confidence, felt hideous even though I’d looked my best for the art gala I’d just attended.

“You shouldn’t be driving in these weather conditions.”

“I-I had work.” I had a tough time just stringing a couple words together. All of my confidence was gone, and I didn’t like it.

“Pop the trunk. I’ll change it for you.”

“What?” I asked in disbelief.

He reached inside my car, and that was when I saw the ring on one of his fingers, a large diamond carved into the shape of a skull. He hit the button, and the mechanism clicked in the trunk to provide access to the spare tire.

“You don’t have to do that. If I could just borrow your phone⁠—”

“It’ll only take me five minutes.”

“It’s pouring down rain⁠—”

“Trust me, sweetheart. You don’t want to be on this street in the next fifteen minutes.” He walked to the back of the car, and the vehicle shifted as he pulled out what he needed to get to work. The car tilted sideways as he used the jack to lift it and the tire iron to loosen the lug nuts.

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Advertisement It Ruins Me (Betrayal #3) Read Online Penelope Sky http://www.books2020.com/it-ruins-me-betrayal-3-read-online-penelope-sky Sat, 11 May 2024 14:57:48 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/it-ruins-me-betrayal-3-read-online-penelope-sky Genre: Alpha Male, Angst, Contemporary, Dark, Erotic, Mafia Authors: Penelope Sky Series: Betrayal Series by Penelope Sky
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Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >81

I married you because I was in love with you.

Those words have echoed in my mind ever since he said them, and despite the way my heart races for him every time he steps into the same room, I can't say it back. Not after he hurt me. Not after he betrayed me.

Every time I feel us come close together, my heart pulls away. Every time I fantasize about our future children and growing old together, or just living in the moment during a romantic evening, I picture Cassandra walking by...replacing me.

Axel wants to repair our broken relationship and be what we once were, but my resentment is constantly in the way. He says he has something to tell me, a secret I must take to the grave, a secret that could change my life forever...

He says my father forced his hand, forced him to hurt me, forced him to march in there with Cassandra just so he could break us apart. Then he gives me an ultimatum. Believe him and give this marriage a real chance.

Or don't believe him...and leave.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter 1

Axel

It was a cold night, the fog flooding the cities and the streets. It pressed up against my window and masked the views of the Duomo lit up in the distance. The fire was in the hearth, hot like a summer desert that was unwelcome when my temperature already ran so high. My elbow was propped on the armrest, and I stared at nothing in particular, ignoring both my cigar and the drink on the table.

Theo sat with me, his cheek against his closed knuckles, his eyes on the fire.

I wasn’t in the mood for conversation, so silence was fine by me.

Several days had passed, and Scarlett’s bruising had started to fade. It had been the worst the next day, all the signs of trauma amplified in the morning. It was hard to look at her, not because she wasn’t beautiful, but because I knew how hard they’d hit her.

If she hadn’t been smart enough to drop her location, she’d be dead right now.

I’d be a fucking widower.

Theo turned his head slightly and looked at me.

My eyes shifted to meet his.

“We can cancel.”

I gave a slight shake of my head. “No. Life goes on.”

“I can just meet with him.”

“I’m not going to kill him.”

“You sure?”

My stare hardened. “Why do you think you’re here?”

“I’ll keep you on your best behavior.” The corner of his mouth rose in a smile. “How is she?”

“She’s fine.” She didn’t complain about the pain. Did her best to cover it with makeup for my benefit—so I wouldn’t have to look at it. But the air between us had been tense, not just because of the shit that had gone down, but because I’d told her I loved her and forced her to acknowledge it. “She’s a tough woman.”

“I’m sure it gave her a reality check.”

“Yes…it did.” A single moment had changed her attitude about this world, given her a bitter taste of reality. While I was relieved she took it seriously, it also hurt to see the defeated look in her eyes. Her ambition was snuffed out like a low-burning candle…and now all that remained was the smoke.

Aldo entered the parlor. “Dante is here to see you, sir.”

I sucked in a slow breath. “Show him in.”

Aldo left to fetch my favorite person.

Theo grabbed his glass, shook the ice, and took a drink.

Dante entered a moment later, his face still discolored from the hits he’d taken. I hit him the hardest, making him slam against the wall and crumple to the floor like a rag doll. We hadn’t gotten along since the night he’d threatened me to stay away from his daughter, but that dislike had intensified into the strongest form of hate. He’d be dead right now if I didn’t love his daughter.

He looked at Theo longer than necessary as he took a seat. He unbuttoned his jacket before his eyes shifted to me. It was a simple look across the table, but the moment our eyes locked, there was a fiery exchange of rage.

Silence stretched, and so did the stare.

Theo broke the tension. “There will be no bloodshed tonight.” He grabbed a cigar and lit up. “Not when we have too much shit to do.” He puffed on the end a couple seconds, getting the ashes to burn at the tip and start to produce the flavorful smoke. “I’ve halted upcoming orders because production has stopped, so we need to mitigate this before it turns into a serious problem. You know how upset people get when they’re denied what they want.” He shifted his look back and forth between us.

I was slumped in the armchair, wearing my sweatpants and a long-sleeved tee, my wife upstairs and unaware that her father had come for a visit. These meetings used to take place on his turf, but now that he was my bitch, they took place on mine.

Dante finally withdrew his gaze. “We’ll need to find another supplier. The Colombians won’t do business with us after we killed their men.”

I wanted to wring his fucking neck for what he’d done, for nearly getting my baby killed. It was hard to sit in the same room with him, even if we were only discussing business. “You don’t know that.”

His eyes came back to me. “In fact, we should prepare for retaliation.”

“The Colombians are going to come all the way over here to start shit?” Theo asked incredulously. “I find that unlikely.”

“You never heard of hit men?” Dante asked. “We should have just given them what they wanted.” His accusation turned back to me, potent and throbbing. “But you had to have a fucking ego⁠—”

“I’d rather have an ego than be a fucking liar and a fucking psychopath.”

Dante moved both of his arms to the armrests as he stared at me.

“She’ll see your true colors.” I relished the day he was no longer in our lives, either because he was dead or ostracized. “You’ll learn.”

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Advertisement It Breaks Me (Betrayal #2) Read Online Penelope Sky http://www.books2020.com/it-breaks-me-betrayal-2-read-online-penelope-sky Sat, 30 Mar 2024 18:34:12 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/it-breaks-me-betrayal-2-read-online-penelope-sky Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Dark, Erotic, Mafia, Suspense Authors: Penelope Sky Series: Betrayal Series by Penelope Sky
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Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 72658 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >75

Axel betrayed me.

As hard as I tried to keep him out of my heart, he broke through it like shattered glass. Even though my father didn't approve and our relationship would always be a secret, I didn't care. He was worth it...until he wasn't.

Six months have passed, and that's exactly how long it's taken me to get over what he's done. I never see him at my father's estate. My father never mentions him. Like he never existed at all, he's wiped from the face of the earth.

Until my father tells me he's going to stab Axel in the back and replace him with someone new. I know what a mistake that will be, but my warning falls on deaf ears.

We finally come face to face for the first time. His ingenious plan knocks my father off his feet and he takes the business for his own. If my father wants it back, it's going to come at a price. A price that he won't have to pay--but I will.

And that's to marry him.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

1

AXEL

SIX MONTHS LATER

I hadn’t seen my parents in six months.

They’d blocked my number, so I couldn’t text or call, and whenever I showed up to their residence, the guards barred my entry. Trust meetings took place in their absence, their lawyers acting as their puppets. The message was quite clear—I would never speak to them again.

But I knew they would be at the art auction this year, a social event they’d attended every year for the last thirty years, and while it wasn’t the best place to provoke them, I needed a chance to say my piece.

I didn’t inform anyone that I was attending, because if I did, they were certain not to show up. And sneaking into a hoity-toity party like that was easy. Security only watched the main entrance, but no one hit the main entrance when they snuck into a party anyway.

I walked down the alley and used the back entrance, waiting for one of the workers to step out and carry the trash to the dumpster against the adjacent building. He didn’t notice me, so before the door closed and would require his keycard to unlock it, I slipped inside. In my tux with my hair slicked back, I moved down the hall and encountered one of the workers. “Bathroom?”

“Down the hall to the right,” he said.

“Thanks.” I ignored the directions I didn’t need and stepped into the ballroom where the party was being held. Art pieces were on display, from both new and old artists, and champagne and hors d’oeuvres were being served by waiters. A small symphony played music in the corner, clichéd musical entertainment, and everyone there was rich and intent on showing everyone else just how rich they were.

I scanned the crowd and spotted my parents. My mother was in a black gown with sleeves and diamonds in her earlobes, and my father wore a tux identical to mine. They spoke with a couple I didn’t recognize. As I stared, I wondered if anyone ever asked them about me, and if they did, how did they react. Did they just ignore the question? Did they really pretend they didn’t have a son?

Someone appeared at my side. “You made it.”

I kept my eyes on my parents. “The back entrance is more my style these days.”

“So I’ve heard.” He cocked a smile.

I hadn’t smiled in six months.

Theo took a drink from his glass. “How do you want to play this?”

“Tell them you have a special piece you’re only showing a certain clientele. Their egos will diminish all suspicion.”

“Alright.”

“And then make sure they don’t leave until I’m finished.”

“Easy enough.”

“But no guns.”

His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at me. “What if they try to call the police?”

“Then take their phones.”

“What if they scream?”

“Then tell them to stop.”

“Just showing a gun gets a lot more done⁠—”

“No guns.” I stared Theo down.

He stared me down in return. “You know, family reunions aren’t really in my job description.”

“But I am.”

He stared at me before he took another drink. “Ready for this?”

“Yeah. See you in a minute.” I headed down the long hallway and into the empty room that we’d already selected. It was far enough away from the party that a commotion would be inaudible. I moved to the other side of the door, so they wouldn’t see I was there until they were fully inside and the door was closed.

I waited for several moments, my heart pounding in my chest, a drum against my ribs. The sight of me standing there would be unwelcome, would probably cause a panic, but I was left with no other choice.

The door opened a moment later, and Theo let my parents enter first before he shut the door.

My father looked around the empty room, which only held a table and six chairs. There was no artwork on the walls either, so there was nothing for them to examine. “Where is the painting?” He turned around to face Theo, and he froze when he saw me leaning against the wall. He didn’t gasp, but the breath he sucked inside was audible like the wind on a stormy night.

My mother turned next, and she was the one who gave a gasp. “Alexander…”

My father looked at Theo again like he wanted to make a break for it, but when he saw the way Theo leaned against the door with his arms crossed over his chest, he didn’t try. He swallowed before he grabbed my mother and tugged her close. “Get behind me, Dorace.”

I started to approach them, my hands in my pockets. “I just want to talk.”

He continued to back up, keeping my mother behind him, his hands up like I had him at gunpoint.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Theo snapped. “He’s not going to hurt you.”

My father glanced at him before he started to move away from him too.

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Advertisement It Kills Me (Betrayal #1) Read Online Penelope Sky http://www.books2020.com/it-kills-me-betrayal-1-read-online-penelope-sky Fri, 15 Mar 2024 06:57:51 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/it-kills-me-betrayal-1-read-online-penelope-sky Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Dark, Forbidden, Mafia Authors: Penelope Sky Series: Betrayal Series by Penelope Sky
Advertisement

Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >80

My father has chosen me to succeed him in the family business.

But if I want the job, it comes with stipulations. And one of those stipulations is to never mix business with pleasure. AKA, don't sleep with anyone on the job. My father leads by example, and not once have I ever seen him get involved with anyone, not even his beautiful assistant. That was an easy rule to follow...until Axel.

Axel is an expert distributor, someone who knows how to get our product past the ruthless regulations mandated by the government. My father has never had a partner, but he makes an exception for Axel because he's good at what he does.

But the second our eyes meet...there's fire. He's by far the most handsome man I've ever seen, and his I couldn't care less attitude makes me weak. But I put up boundaries and reject his advances.

But this man doesn't stop until he gets what he wants.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

SCARLETT

After a long, dark winter, spring arrived. When I opened my windows that morning and saw the cloudless blue sky, I knew the warmer season I craved had arrived. Instead of wearing a sweater and jeans, I opted for a springtime dress. It was a little premature for that, but I didn’t care.

I left my apartment and drove down the quiet streets to my father’s home, a large estate that took up an entire corner of the block. It was one of the few properties that had spacious outdoor terraces, shielded by high gates with fine greenery. I pulled up to the gate, and the guards let me pass without a single glance.

It was the place where I’d grown up, the historic Duomo in sight, the markets just blocks away, the streets heavy with the past that was still a part of our present. I walked by the large fountain in the center of the courtyard, the shadows long across the ground because the sun was already setting when it had only risen to its full height hours ago.

I entered the house, finding my father sitting in the parlor, comfortable couches across rugs, an enormous hearth against one wall that was already lit. He sat at one of the small tables, wearing a navy-blue suit with a shiny watch on his wrist. He was on his phone, his thumbs typing against the screen like he was writing an email. On the surface, it was a relaxing scene, but his men lingered in opposite corners of the room, blending into the gray-wallpapered walls and the artwork that hung there, always hovering over the man they served.

He must have heard the sound of my heels on the hardwood because he immediately slipped his phone into the inside pocket of his jacket and stood up to greet me, a nice smile on his face, a dimple in each cheek. Whenever he saw me, he had this brilliance in his eyes, this unspoken affection that he reserved for only me. “Sweetheart.” He circled his arms around me and hugged me hard before pressing a kiss on my forehead. “You look lovely.” He pulled out the chair for me like he always did.

I sat at the table on his right and hung my purse over the back of the chair. “Thank you. I like your suit.”

He looked down at himself as he brushed away a nonexistent piece of dust. “I can’t take credit for any of this. If Hannah didn’t dress me, I’d probably be in sweatpants.” He grinned as he smoothed out his jacket.

Hannah was his assistant, but I wondered if she was more than that. He kept his personal life a secret from me. I’d never met one of his lovers, and he never acknowledged if he ever had a girlfriend. I was a grown woman, but he still hid that part of his life from me. My father was fit and very good-looking, having become a father when he was very young, so he was still young now that I was an adult. My friends always told me how hot they thought he was…which disgusted me.

“Ramon.” My father didn’t turn his head to address him. “A bottle of red for the table. Barsetti Vineyards.” He looked at me again. “Are you hungry, sweetheart?”

“Maybe for something small…”

He gave more orders. “A charcuterie board.”

His men immediately got to work and, a moment later, brought everything he requested and disappeared as quickly as possible once the job was done.

My father poured the wine for us and took a drink.

I did the same.

“So, how’d it go?”

I reached into my purse and withdrew the ring. It was a glorious white diamond, one of the rarest in the world, flawless and whole. Historic and old, it was a one-of-a-kind piece, and I wasn’t sure the owner even realized it was missing yet.

My father smiled, pride in his eyes, and then took the ring to examine it himself. “Good work, sweetheart.”

I took another drink of the wine.

He dropped the ring into the pocket that held his phone. “I’m expecting company for dinner.”

“Yeah?”

“The new prime minister isn’t exactly agreeable to our line of work, so he’s implemented all these nonsense regulations at every border. It’s becoming harder to get our product where it needs to go.”

“Are you going to kill him?”

He took a drink as he considered the suggestion. “He has two young kids… I’d rather avoid that.”

I’d rarely seen the violent side of my father because he purposely hid it from me, but I knew he ran his operation with an iron fist. He must because all his men ran around him like terrified rats about to get stepped on. When I was young and he’d assumed I was asleep, I’d seen him do horrifying things…stuff I would never forget. But whenever I was there, he was eloquent and soft-spoken, a permanent smile on his face, a completely different man.

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