Empire of Lust (Empire, #4)

by Rina Kent

“Earth to Aspen, hello?”

We’re sitting in my apartment with her two huskies on either side of her like guardian angels—or devils, considering their names—Lucifer and Cain.

The excuse Caroline came up with is that her giant house is too cold and lonely and she needs a warm body to hug.

The victim has been me for a week now. I tried kicking her out the first few days, ...

Part of her freeloading bribe is bringing alcohol and putting on a rerun of Friends every night.

her rabbit pajamas and with her hair pulled into a bun, she looks creepily young. Especially when she scowls at me.

“How good Mateo is in bed.” I roll my eyes. “For the millionth time. Are you sure divorce is what you’re after at this point?”

“Don’t worry. I told Mateo you’re like my sister from another mister. He’s an asshole, but he’s honorable enough and has stupid codes he abides by—that

“Listen. Are you sure he cheated? He denied it in front of me and again in front of you the other day when you had an epic fight. In my apartment, mind you.”

“That hard evidence is suspicious.”

“The day you had a fight, Mateo said his memories are hazy about that night. He went to see a business associate and had a drink, yet he’s well aware he slept alone and didn’t touch another woman.”

“He doesn’t seem like the type who sugarcoats anything, Callie. If he’d cheated, he would’ve flat out said it and used force to make you go back to him.

But he’s been visiting like a reserved Victorian era duke who’s courting a lady. Not to mention his goons’ black cars that keep following you everywhere so that no scum like Della Roma can put his hands on you.”

the only gifts our families gave us were traumas.

“Oh my God, look at our little hellion catching feelings for me.” “Don’t push it, Callie.”

She laughs and jumps up from the sofa to snuggle into my side, on a freaking chair.

It barely fits us, but she wraps herself around me like a koala. As if that isn’t enough, her dogs also...

We had a rocky start, but Cain and Lucifer have take...

Caroline hugs my waist like a needy toddl...

“I’m trying to drink m...

“Just call it tequila already. Also, it’s not good to drink coffee in the evening. You’...

“Did anyone ever tell you that you’re a workaholic?”

“You. Every day.”

“Someone else needs to say it. Is your baby daddy exploiting you? Want me to...

But then again, she’s worse than her own dogs with a bone. “Yeah, but you’re always in each other’s vicinity doing Nicolo’s legal work and even having meetings

I narrow my eyes at her. “Why the hell did you emphasize meetings?”

“Shut up.” I slam a hand to her face to block her gleeful expression, but she just pokes my side and continues grinning as if she’s high on weed.

She escapes my clutches and adopts a narrative tone, pretending to hold an imaginary mic.

“Dear diary, I found the man who flipped my world upside down on Devil’s Night twenty-one years ago, and I want a redo on S...

“Callie, I swear to fuck, either you shut up or I’m throwing ...

“Sounds kinky and would be more action than I’ve had in weeks. The other day, I accidentally set the shower spray...

“And you’re telling me...

“Uh…I don’t know, you might need the tip, considering your own lack of action. That, coupled with tension,...

“Thanks for the c...

“Anyt...

“I can’t believe he won two cases in one damn day. I swear he gets his energy from sacrificing poor souls at the devil’s altar.”

“Aspen, honey, you’re not supposed to admire him when we’re planning to cut off his dick and feed it to my dogs.

What do you guys call it? Right, conflict...

but I guess that means discarding my newly found heart, and I kind of need that.”

“Yeah, no discarding hearts. That shit will leave you empty. Besides, maybe the fact that he’s rich, hot as sin, and successful is all a façade to hide his hollow insides.”

Your Kingsley ranks high on the bullshit scale.”

“He is not my Kingsley.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Your baby daddy and the man who stole your four...

Maybe we should add villain of your soul...

Before I can smack her and risk being bitten by her dogs, ...

Caroline pales and it’s my tu...

“Your own villain is finally here, so you can stop obsessing over s...

“Don’t open the door,” she says, but I’m already up. “I swear to God I’ll send Kingsley your actual d...

“Joke’s on you, already burned them, bitch, so unless you’re up for a vacation in hell, that won’t be happening. Oh, also, you have mascara on...

I’m smiling as she curses and runs to the bedroom to make herse...