Born into Obsession (Devils Will Rise: Melnikov Legacy #8)

Prologue

Cupid

The woman across the room is an obsession I can’t seem to overcome. She was supposed to already be mine, and she would have been if my plans hadn’t been fucked to hell and back by Sasha Melnikov. One tiny mistake meant the wrong girl was kidnapped.

That’s why I don’t allow mistakes. Big or small. Sasha’s girl was taken, and he destroyed one of my safe houses to get her back. Now they’re aware of my operation, and I’ve had to scale back.

I can tolerate all of that, even though it’s a pain in the ass and a temporary loss of income. Setbacks are a part of life. I’ve had my fair share, and I know I’ll bounce back from this one.

What I can’t tolerate is seeing the woman who should already be mine walking around, free and happy and completely untouched by me.

When she lifts her head and our eyes meet, she gives me one of her big smiles, the kind that’s full and uninhibited and manages to make her pouty mouth look even more fuckable than usual.

My returning smile isn’t quite as exuberant, but it’s hard to look cheerful when your cock is straining at your pants and you’re using all your willpower to keep your ass in your chair.

She looks away, but for the next hour I keep discreetly staring, and by the time class is over, I’m more than a little on edge.

I watch her pack up her laptop and books before brushing back her long, blonde hair and slinging her backpack over one slender shoulder.

My eyes rake over her body, slowly taking in the long legs and all those perfectly rounded curves.

My mind is full of all the wicked things I’m going to do to her as I watch her walk away.

Grabbing my phone I use the untraceable chat I’ve set up and check in with a few of my top guys.

The responses are immediate because no one ever wants to put me in a bad mood.

Terrible things happen when I’m angry, and they’ve all learned that the hard way.

My pulse slows a little when I read that everything is going as planned and we’ve already made a bigger profit this month than last. Never doubt the power of drugs on a college campus.

It’s not a question of if they’ll want it.

It’s a question of if I can keep the supply high enough to meet the demand.

Even with the constraints the Melnikovs have put on me, the money is still coming in.

Drugs have always been the core of my income, but when I started dealing in women, well, that’s when the numbers really soared.

Overseas buyers are willing to pay a lot of money for young women, and even with one of my safe houses no longer in operation, I’m still bringing in more money than I ever thought possible.

Whoever said crime doesn’t pay was full of shit. My bank account is proof of that, and that balance is only going to rise. I have other safe houses, and they’re slowly being filled, but one room will remain vacant until my beautiful Savanna can fill it.

She’s not for sale, though. No, that perfect ass is mine, and I won’t stop until I get it.

Savanna Monroe is my obsession, and as soon as the Melnikov family backs off, I’m taking her.

This may be their city, but they can’t be everywhere at once.

They can’t know everything that’s taking place on their streets.

They killed a few of my men and momentarily hurt my profit, but they’ll eventually grow bored when they can’t find me and give up.

Even their legendary hacker hasn’t been able to track me down, and once I convince him I’ve gone to ground, he’ll give up the chase, and I’ll make my move.

The mere thought has me mirroring Savanna’s earlier full smile.

When my eyes accidentally land on another blonde who’s been watching me from the corner of the room, I quickly decide she’s a very welcome distraction.

I need to get rid of some of this frustration, and the flirty look she’s giving me makes it clear she’s up for some fun.

Standing, I grab my books and slowly make my way over to her. She’s not nearly as beautiful as my Savanna, but when I have her face down and I’m taking her from behind, all I’ll be able to see is pretty blonde hair. My imagination can do the rest.

My smile grows when I remind myself that soon I won’t need to imagine anymore. Soon enough I’ll have the real thing beneath me while her throaty screams fill the room.

It’s almost enough to make me forget about my hatred for the Melnikovs.

Almost.