"If you wanted to kill me," Avgust said softly, his voice smooth like velvet, "you would've done it long ago." His blue eyes gleamed with something dangerous, something daring. "Now that I've given you the chance, you hesitate."
Assad's chest tighte...
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In the brutal, lawless badlands of the American South, Trey Johnson, a Black cowboy and gangster, controls the most dangerous smuggling routes along the border. Life is simple: power is earned, loyalty is everything, and weakness is fatal. But when Italian mafia leader Alessandro Ricci arrives, seeking to use Trey's territory for his own empire, their worlds collide in a storm of passion, violence, and betrayal.
Drawn into a dangerous and forbidden romance, Trey and Alessandro engage in a deadly power struggle where neither man is willing to give an inch. With their empires hanging in the balance, their toxic obsession could either unite them against their enemies-or destroy everything they've built.
In Gangsta's Paradise, loyalty, love, and survival blur as two ruthless men fight to control the only thing neither of them can: each other.
If you like Big Gangsta then you'll like Gangsta's Paradise
✦┈⋆┈⋆┈ ⋞ 〈 Ｐｒｅｖｉｅｗ 〉 ⋟ ┈⋆┈⋆┈✦
TREY
"You ever seen real power, Ricci?" I asked, smirkin' as I stepped through the iron gate that led to the private part of my compound. "I ain't talkin' 'bout money or guns. I mean somethin' pure, somethin' primal."
Alessandro's eyes flicked around, cautious as a cat in a room full of rockin' chairs. The boy tried to hide it, but I could see he was uneasy. Maybe it was the way the fence rattled in the breeze or how the air got quieter back here. Too quiet.
"You'll get a kick outta this," I said, swingin' the gate open.
The moment the heavy metal door groaned wide, Annabelle and Abigail moved like ghosts in the grass. Their sleek white bodies, all muscle and grace, slid through the shadows toward me. Their diamond collars caught the last light of the day, glitterin' like they was royalty. Which, hell, they were.
"These here are Annabelle and Abigail," I drawled, grinnin' wide as the tigers circled us. "My girls."
Ricci's expression stayed stony, but I could see his gaze shift, tryin' not to stare too hard at the tigers. Those diamond collars weren't just for show; they meant somethin'. A mark of ownership. And anyone that knew me understood, my pets were as much a part of my business as my men.
"You keep tigers," he said, his tone flat but I could hear the question underneath.
I chuckled, walkin' over to one of the cages lined up along the back wall. "Ain't 'bout keepin' 'em, Ricci. It's about respect. Control. These girls—they could tear a man apart in seconds. But they don't. Not unless I tell 'em to."
I reached into the cage and pulled out a rabbit, squirmy little thing, twitchin' like it knew its time was up. I held it out in front of me, lettin' it dangle from my grip as I looked over at Ricci. He watched me, but I could tell his eyes kept slidin' to the tigers.
"Hungry, Annabelle?" I cooed, tossin' the rabbit towards her. In a blink, she was on it, jaws snappin', the sound of bones crackin' echoing through the yard. Abigail sat nearby, waitin' her turn, but watchin' Ricci just the same.
The man stepped back—just a hair, but enough for me to notice. He was tryin' to keep his composure, but it was clear he wasn't used to this kind of wild.
I grinned. "Ain't gotta be scared, Ricci," I said, my voice low, drippin' with amusement. "They only attack if I tell 'em to."
I laughed then, loud and deep, watchin' him try to hide the flash of discomfort that crossed his face. It was a sight. The cool, collected mafia boss, gettin' rattled by a couple of well-fed kitties.
"Here," I said, grabbin' another rabbit, this one a little bigger. I held it out to him. "Wanna feed Abigail?"
Alessandro's eyes narrowed, but I saw it—the flicker of hesitation. He didn't want to back down, not in front of me. But he also wasn't stupid enough to get too close to Abigail while she was hungry. Smart man.
He shook his head, a tight smile on his lips. "I'll pass."
I raised an eyebrow, takin' a slow step closer, still holdin' the rabbit. "Don't be shy. She's real gentle. As long as you ain't the main course."
Ricci didn't move, but I caught the slight shift of his foot as he stepped back just a little further. Annabelle had finished with her meal, her eyes now trained on Ricci, and I could see the tension ripplin' through him.
"If you ain't too careful," I said, tossin' the second rabbit towards Abigail, who snapped it up like it was nothin', "you might just become the next meal."
