Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 66980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Jordan has. So have I.
And when it comes to Kai and Valen, they’re the same. Their fathers both run enormous organisations, and my friends are the spitting images of their parents, both in looks and how they live their lives.
I have tried to change some aspects of how I live my life. My father focused solely on work, whereas I have allowed myself to care for both Kai and Val. And since the day we took that last leap into our unconventional relationship, I haven’t looked back.
Slumping in my chair, I blow out a long, deep breath, and even though I don’t want to admit it, I know Jordan’s right. Our father was far more focused on the university, making sure the students graduated with honours, than loving his family as a father should.
When my mother died, I think perhaps dad was almost relieved. Their fighting only got worse over the years. When she married him, she didn’t realise he would always love Black Hollow more than he loved her.
The mafia came first. That was his life.
And if I have to be honest, as much as I want my father to look down and be proud of me, I don’t want to turn out like he did—focused and alone. Sighing, I push to my feet, leaving the contract open for when I return. I’m caught between wanting more from life, but also not wanting to open my mind to more.
However, it seems my father was determined to force me to think about a family. There’s no doubt in my mind he expected me to have children, and since he knew my views on women and matrimony, he took the decision out of my hands and ensured I would obey his wishes and marry. It rattles me, somewhat, that he’s still ruling my life from the grave.
I make my way down the hallway towards Brielle’s room. Her room is in my wing of the house, overlooking the university in the distance. Even though Black hollow is an island, it’s a vast expanse of land that allows us to enjoy our games.
I grew up in Calabria, and when my father agreed to allow me to come to the island, I couldn’t have been happier. I wanted to experience the reality of this life I grew up in, and I needed to know what my future entailed. When I first moved here at sixteen, I didn’t attend classes like the rest of the students, I had personal tutors until the time came for me to go to Black Hollow University.
I matured, I focused, and I found I enjoyed the danger that comes from his life. There was no doubt in my mind, this is where I needed to be.
As wealthy students, we could afford fast cars, and that gave us the opportunity to amuse ourselves by speed racing through the streets and up the high cliffs, only stopping short of falling over the edge.
Every Sunday we would convene in the centre of town, and like clockwork, every student, new and old, would arrive in their sleek sports cars. But I, along with my friends, would always win. It’s one of the reasons we became known as the Lawless Princes. We’d do anything to finish first.
The small town, sitting between the Venier manor and the university, provides accommodation for the faculty members and the security guards and enforcers who are here to ensure a mutiny doesn’t take place on the island.
And that’s where the fun came in for us. We loved the chase and being able to escape with a quick shift in gear. We still compete in the races, whenever we get the chance, but that’s not as often as we’d like.
I stop for a moment by the windows that overlook the garden and I’m close to where I know Brielle is in her bedroom. I take in my domain, as a king would his kingdom. The title is one I have never truly wanted because I didn’t need to be bowed down to, but over the years of being here, I’ve found my need to be King instead of a prince has grown. But I take the title of a Lawless Prince seriously. I don’t obey the rules, I certainly don’t listen to the law, and I make sure those who follow me are free to do as they please.
By the time I get to Brielle’s bedroom and push open the door, without knocking, I’m calm. But what I find inside the room knocks the breath from my lungs.
As I stand in the doorway, Brielle screams, shock painting her pretty face crimson, and her mouth pops into an O. Her eyes are wide as she glares daggers at me and demands, “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
It’s not her words that have my blood heating, though, it’s her near naked body. She’s only wearing a pair of black lace panties, her one hand covering her ample tits, and her long legs are bare, showing off smooth, tanned skin.