Hidden Empire (The Moretti Empire Book 1)

by K.L. Mann

Armani made up for his scene from the cafeteria by creating a little campfire for all of our siblings with s’mores and everything. That night on the black sand beach is going to be one of my fondest memories from Empire Academy.

Dmitri is a bit like a drug, and at the moment, I need another hit.

“Krasotka, if I see your soaked little pussy right now, I’ll devour her. Your legs will be in the air, and my mouth will be on you until you’re crying.”

“Tonight, while you’re tucked away in bed, rubbing your little clit to this memory, I’ll be fucking my fist thinking of your taste and how goddamn pretty you are when you come for me.”

“My. Girl,” I repeat. “My woman, the future mother of my children, my soon-to-be wife,” I trail on, growing angrier with every word. “She’s mine. Should have kept your mouth shut, Bosen. Now look at what you made me do.”

“You are a temptation beyond belief, Krasotka,” I reply honestly, openly checking her out. “I’m the luckiest bastard on this whole damn island just for the simple fact that you want me as much as I want you.”

If her father doesn’t find that bitch, I will. I’ll gut her like a fucking pig and make sure she knows that she didn’t break Jade, and now she never will. Scum like her deserves to rot, alone and cold, never to be loved or thought of ever again.

Fuck, I love this girl.

I’d suspected as much already, but I’m not just falling for her, I’m already gone. My heart feels like it’s triple the size when I’m near her, like it could burst through my chest from prolonged exposure to Jade. She makes every protective instinct inside of me light up with megawatt power, and I would never ask for it to change.

“God,” she whimpers. “Having a boyfriend is so cool.”

“Fix that sentence, Krasotka.”

“Having you as my boyfriend i...

“What the fuck did you just say about my brother?”

“I know enough to say what a fucking hypocrite you are,” I counter, stepping closer. She’s smart enough to stiffen as I do. “Do you think your status is even comparable to Matteo’s? You’re a nobody. An heir to a gang of assassins who’s never killed anyone. You’re not just a nobody; you’re a joke.”

“Apologize to him and I’ll consider not telling my father that there’s a girl I really don’t like here. One that might benefit from never being seen again.”

“I can threaten you all day long,” I disagree, clicking my tongue at her. “I can do so much worse than threats if you don’t apologize and quickly.”

“Get up,” I tell her, barking out the order. “If I hear you talking about him like that again, I won’t ask if he forgives you before I systematically destroy your entire existence. You’ll be running home screaming for God’s mercy because I won’t be giving you any.”

“Clench this needy little pussy around my cock for one more peak, baby. I want you coming for me when I fill you up. Come on, you can do it.”

Our lips meet and we kiss each other through it, panting for air while intertwining our tongues. His taste is almost as addictive as his touch.

“I love you, Jade. You have my entire heart and all of my strength. I’ll never stop being yours, no matter what.”

“No matter what,” I echo, the words like the biggest weight being lifted off of my shoulders. “I love you too, Dmitri. I’m yours too, always.”

I could die today...

I’ve got everything I’ve ever dr...

A family and an epic love that no one can...

“Like she has the right to gawk at you. Like she’s never been punched in the face before, and maybe she needs to be.”

“Fucking hell, you’re so pretty when you’re angry.”

I like that he doesn’t accuse me of being jealous. Being jealous means that she has something I want, and she very well fucking ...

How dare she look at him like she’s pulling off his sho...

I’m a slut for this man, who can blame me?

“Jade, you’re it for me. If you're not pregnant and you wanted to be, I’d knock you up right now.”

Ivan and I have a pact, he can’t die unless I’m there. And if I’m there, there’s no way in hell he’s dying. Ivan isn’t a Morozov second son to me, he’s my fucking brother.

Unfortunately for my desire to hate him, Dmitri made it impossible. He loves my daughter the way she deserves, even if she’s too perfect for anyone to deserve her.

Dmitri and I share a look, but he’s less interested in them and more interested in kissing me. When our lips part, I sigh happily.

This is everything I need.

“Never. You never need to thank me,” he finishes. “You’re my wife, Jade. My person.”

I thought my husband was mouthwatering before, but nothing compares to how he looks holding our two babies. It’s unfair, really. I can’t keep my hands off of the man even more now that I’ve been cleared for sex, but I am not ready for another pregnancy.

These three mean everything to me.

Dmitri put immense thought into my engagement ring too. It’s a sage green emerald, princess cut with tiny white diamonds along the band. Now I can carry my brother with me everywhere I go. I’ll never forget him, the color of my ring a permanent reminder.

Being a father is as miraculous as it is heartbreaking. I want to bundle them up and shield them from the big, bad world around us. Sometimes I want to protect them so badly that it hurts, and they couldn’t be more safe. It’s like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop because being this happy never seemed like a possibility in the past.

Jade did that for me, opening up my eyes to a whole new level of happiness. I love my wife so fucking much.

Being her husband and the father of her children, it’s my greatest fucking achievement and my every true purpose. My life has surpassed my every want, dream, and expectation. All because of Jade Moretti crashing into me while lost on a boat.

The best day of my whole fucking life that kick-started a string of increasingly better days.

And that string is still go...