Chapter 1 She's Back

• “I know you can take care of things for the family, Hunter, even though you have much to do. I'll be beside you to ensure you don't mess anything up.”
• As the strong smell of lilies enters Hunter’s lungs, his chest gets tight. As he tries to hold back a sneeze, tears start to appear in his eyes.
• He looked around at all the overflowing boxes and standing flower arrangements. There were almost as many as the people who were sad in this huge viewing room.
• You can just barely make out the gray walls. All he can see are the falling leaves and flowers whose pollen attacks his eyes, nose, and throat.
• Some might think it makes him look weaker...but he likes his signature, stern front. No one can reach the inside. Not any longer. Not ever—
• He clenches his teeth as the name comes back to him from somewhere it should have been buried a long time ago.
• No one.
• There are what looks like miles of people lined up, going from the door of the viewing room out into the hallway and past the front door of the funeral home. They are all dressed in black from head to toe.
• Many people loved his Grandpa Victor. Feared. Hated. But most of all? Respected.
• It didn't happen all at once, though. That respect was gained a long time ago when he lived in Mykonos with his mother and two older brothers.
• The money wasn't great after his dad died, but his older brothers started a restaurant that became one of the most popular for miles. They did their best to make ends meet. But that got the attention of Don Diego, the "boss" of the neighborhood, who wanted to join in.
• That jerk Diego was greedy and sick, and he would send his crew to rape the wives and daughters of any men who wouldn't pay him a fee to work in his area. And when Diego's men came after Victor’s mother, he slaughtered them all. But Hunter’s grandfather didn't stop with the goons. This was the first time anyone had ever had to pay for something.
• After that, all the men in the neighborhood swore allegiance to Victor, and he began to build his kingdom by doing people good things in exchange for their loyalty.
• Victor never wanted another monster like Diego to be able to hurt his family. He knew the only way to keep them safe was to make people afraid and run his group.
• Following Diego's death, he went after the scum of the planet who tried to take over the neighborhood. He killed many motherfuckers who wanted to cross him and hurt his people. After that, no one messed with Victor.
• People knew Victor would keep them and their businesses safe because he cared about them. He had always been that strong and determined in his beliefs, words, and ideals. He never went off of them, and that's something he taught Hunter since he was a child.
• "Hunter, life isn't easy. There are times when you might feel scared and not know what to do. But show how strong you are inside. If you believe in yourself, you can do anything. Believe in yourself, and others will too.”
• Hunter looks at his face. He is still in the fancy coffin his dad chose, which he would have hated because it cost a lot of money for nothing.
• He told his father that he would have liked a pine box a lot more. More importantly, though, he knows he's back with his grandmother Lula. That makes Hunter feel better. Not a huge amount, but some.
• Victor was someone Hunter could trust, and he was his right hand and apprentice. During the years, he taught him a lot, often put his behind in its place, and gave him more wise words than he can ever remember. He can feel his eyes stinging, but he won't put his hand to them. People shouldn't think this is a sign of sadness. Fucking pollen. He needed a medicine.
• Hunter has given himself weak times, and now they're bottled up and buried deep. He needs to be strong, even though the sadness and loss are making him feel like he would rather die every day.
• He still can't believe his grandpa Victor is not here. He had been sitting next to Hunter just a few days before, playing cards and stealing Hunter’s father’s money after Christmas dinner.
• Victor was pounding his chest and saying he had heartburn after the huge holiday meal Hunter’s mom made for them. He then laughed and claimed that Hunter’s mom's food was worth all the pain, pulling his eight-year-old sister Maria onto his lap. Maria was the whoops baby who came on the scene sixteen years after Hunter did.
• After that, Victor said good night to everyone and left. He took the car home by himself. He broke into his own house, and was the only sound inside that was his breathing. He got ready for a night of sleeping alone by changing into bed clothes. When he got to the top of the stairs, he had a heart attack and died. He was by himself.
• And that's where Hunter found him the next day when he picked him up to take him to the doctor. And that was the only thing he let Hunter do for him.
• He was always bad at telling people what to do, so he invited Hunter along so that he could hear the doctors' evaluations. But take him home when it was very dark, and the roads were icy? No way! He wanted to be on his own. As his body got weaker, it gave his mind strength.
• Merry fucking Christmas.
• As soon as someone touches his arm, the awful smell of funeral flowers is replaced by another dreadful smell. It makes his stomach roll, but he can't put his finger on it. He takes a quick sniff and turns away from the coffin.
• Huge tits rub against Hunter’s suit jacket as Anna Maqui creeps closer. Her breath is hot on his neck as she whispers her condolences and other things that he was sure to make Victor smile from above the Golden Gates.
• Thank God Hunter’s parents have Maria and are chatting with other people while not paying attention to Anna’s moving hands in the worst possible place.
• Jesus, this woman won't stop—a total sex addict who can't stop, no matter what. Hunter could have her stomping her behind against the trench coats in the coat room right now if he had just said the word.
• "Honey, I've never seen you so sad." Anna puts her hand behind his back, under his jacket, and over his behind, where it stays. Thank goodness his back was against the wall, and he was not facing the people moving around the room. "Do you still want me to come over? I can help you feel better."
• Abby, her twin sister, approaches Hunter’s side and whispers in his ear. "I'm sorry, honey. Please tell us what you need. We can help you get through this."
• Okay, Grandpa Victor is laughing up there. This must be his method of calming the issue. He was always a little unconventional, but this is ridiculous. It's disgusting to be standing next to Hunter’s dead grandfather while being propositioned for a threesome. He needed to sneak a peek inside the casket to ensure Grandpa wasn't laughing in his grave.
• Not that threesomes are unusual for Hunter. He fucked three-quarters of the women in this room, frequently two at a time. His gaze wanders through the crowd, and he suppresses a groan.
• Why does he keep looking for her? She had her, and then she was gone. So, why—?
• When she walks through the doors, his throat tightens. Her blue eyes are welling up with tears, and her pouty pink lips are quivering. But no matter how hard he tries to focus on her sun-kissed face, his gaze wanders to her tight figure.
• She's back.
• Hunter pushed her away like the jerk he was, and he regretted his decision every day since. He attempted to protect her, to protect both of them, but at what cost? And now she's here, precisely as he predicted, and he has no idea what to do about it.
• He swallows forcefully, fighting the recollection of her lips on his, but he fails. Miserably.
• Hunter can still feel her pressing against him, her hungry tongue coiling with his, so full of hope...I hope that he effectively smashed. He suppresses a groan as his cock jerks.
• Add it to the list of things he never expected to go through under these circumstances. The twins are still all over him, and his gaze meshes with hers for a split second before she returns her sight to them.
• Then Hunter sees something that makes him as limp as an overdone thread of spaghetti. Romano Nikolov enters from the corner of the room and wraps his arm around her tiny waist, kissing her on the cheek.
• A highly chilly sensation surrounds Hunter’s heart. ‘Fuck it! He’s back, too.’