Saved By the Billionaire (The Billionaires of Manhattan #1)

Prologue

Twenty years ago

“Hush, Gracie, it’s okay.”

The trailer shook as their father threw another punch. Not aimed at their mother, Roman could tell, because the walls had vibrated with the force of his old man’s knuckles slamming into the cheap, degrading material.

“It’s so loud,” eight-year-old Grace whispered, her dark brown eyes huge, her features strained.

“You know they wear out. Sing for me,” he suggested, crouching in front of his sister and holding her gaze.

It was something they’d done for as long as he could remember.

It didn’t matter which shit-hole city his parents had dragged their crumbling van to, and set up on the promise of a ‘fresh start’, there’d always been this.

Drugs, alcohol, shouting matches and violence, and then, silence as they slept it off.

And in the back of it all, Grace’s music. As a girl, she’d hum to block it out. Then, as she grew up, she’d sing whatever she could think of, fudging the words she didn’t know, eyes developing an eerily absent look, as though she were almost burrowing into the songs to escape this reality.

He couldn’t blame her. How many times had he sworn he’d get away from this hellhole life just as soon as he could?

At fourteen, and already six feet tall, he knew he could hit the road now and make something of his life.

He was strong, smart, knew how to get by if he had to.

But there was Grace to think about, and her best friend Tia.

Two skinny young kids who deserved more than this.

Who needed a protector.

Who needed him.

“We’re gonna be okay, Gracie. You’ll see. One day, I’m going to take us away from all this. I’m going to take us far away, and give you everything in life you deserve. I’m gonna save you, just you wait.”