Kylie Kent

Love and hate. Sometimes it’s hard to see the difference. And right now, it’s love that wins out. Love that has me hunting them down like the animals they are. It’s the driving force that keeps me going. Keeps me fighting. She’s the reason I’m going against everything I’ve been taught.

My mother taught me one valuable lesson that I’ve used to get to where I am today. And where am I? Las Vegas. Who am I? Well, that depends on who you are. To some, I’m the king.

My whole life was mapped out, designed for me, before I was even a twinkle in my old man’s eye. I am the heir to the Valentino throne. A kingdom built with blood and dirty money. But one I’ll rule all the same....

Work, sleep, and sometimes eat. Rinse and repeat. That’s been my life for the past two years. One struggle after another. Fighting to keep my sister alive. Fighting to maintain the strength to not give up. I had everything under control. I had a routine. Order.

Hockey has always been my sole focus, getting to the playoffs, winning the Stanley Cup—that’s my number one goal. I won’t let the fact that I’ve just been traded to a new team derail my future. Nor will the daughter of the so-called King of Canada, aka my new boss....

Have you ever loved someone so much it physically hurts? That’s how much I love my best friend, Matteo Valentino. It’s also the reason I’ve done everything I can to make sure he’s firmly rooted in the friend zone.

The moment I see Alyssa enter my club, I knew I wanted her. Even as she sat across the bar with another man—I knew I’d make her mine. The moment our skin connected every cell in my body exploded like fireworks. That moment sealed her fate....

I’d endure the fiery pits of hell if it meant I could be with Connor. Although the sandy beaches and blue oceans surrounding us are far from that.

Everything we’ve built is crashing down around me. I’m consumed by the darkness, my blood boiling with the need for revenge. My wife is the only light in my life; she’s the very reason I keep on fighting. They’re coming after me. And worse yet, they’re coming after her. But let them come....

I never thought I would be seeking shelter here of all places. I’m out of options though. I needed a place to hide out. Somewhere I could get my bearings and develop a plan to get myself out of the mess I’ve landed in. It was a fail-proof plan. Then he found me.

Blood. Pain. Tears. Despair. Hate. All words I associate with those around me. But it’s true what they say. You can’t choose your family. And mine? Well, I don’t think anyone would choose them.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. This isn’t the happily ever after I was promised. He was meant to be here. He was meant to be sitting on this throne. Not me....

Emmanuel. Love is a weakness. You either kill it or it will kill you. I’ve been in love once, and that’s what I did. I killed it. I’ve managed to avoid the weakness throughout my entire life. And then I saw her. A ghost from my past, very much alive and right in front of me.

Romeo: fictional, someone who can fall in love with his whole heart, without a shred of doubt. The thing about fictional characters is just that; they’re not real. That kind of love doesn’t exist outside of the pages of books. At least, that’s what I thought… Until I saw her.

Five years ago, my life was turned upside down. I’ve avoided any kind of emotional connections with men. The walls I built up around my heart have a foundation no man has been able to crack. That is until Bray freaking Williamson came crashing down on me....

Emily came crashing back into my life, bringing with her everything I was missing. But she’s not the same girl I knew years ago. Gone is the girl who was always happy and eager to please everyone. The one who didn’t let life get her down.

Aurora. Prey or be prey. It’s the way of life. Me? I prefer option one. Hunting those down who hurt the people I love is my life’s mission. I’ve never allowed myself to be caught in someone else’s sights. At least until now. Love makes you do crazy shit.

Most men I date are scared away as soon as they meet my family. Travis isn’t most men. He’s stared down the barrel of my father’s gun without flinching. He should have run, though. If he had, he wouldn’t be lying in a hospital bed right now.

Some things are off-limits. My best friend’s little sister has always been one of those things. Years later, I can still hear his voice in my head telling me not to go there. The fact those warnings are coming from beyond the grave doesn’t help matters either.

Being judged isn’t something foreign to me. I’m used to the whispers, the stares, the way people scatter or cross the road when they see me walking their way. It comes with the territory when your last name is De Bellis.