CLAIMED BY THE DEVIL DON.

I sigh while walking to my car, feeling exhausted after a long day of work. The stress of a new project is already hitting me and I haven't even started the assignment yet. The lack of sleep and the absence of my best friend are silently taking a toll on me.

I had an entire presentation to get ready, plus all the scheduling calls and emails I had to send out by the end of the week. On top of everything else, there were stacks of files I needed to read over and organize.

I start my car, ready to pull out of the parking lot, when I get a call.

"What, Caro?" I picked it up and placed it on the speaker.

"I fucked up," she sniffles

"No, you stupid bitch" I scoff, shaking my head, shutting down the whole crybaby thing she did.

"I don't care how fucking heartbroken you are right now because I told you to stop doubting your girl. You don't listen to me, and you get your heart broken, again, and you guys break up, again, for what? The 7th time already?"

"9th," she mumbles, and her voice cracked

"I told you, caro, I fucking told you, but no, you just enjoy making your relationship toxic, and if I had known this was the reason you have been moping around and calling in sick for work, I would have whooped your ass."

"Now i know if i keep on saying it continuously it will start to become an anthem to you but this is the last time i will advice you on this, give your girl a chance, sophia is a wonderful soul, honestly speaking i wonder how she accepts you back after all the shit you put her through, don't let your past relationships define your present one"

I take a deep breath, I wanna drown this bitch sometimes, and I seriously question why out of everyone in this damn world, she turned out to be my best friend. At least I was never the cause of all the toxic exes I had, but she is the cause, the real threat, and I know she loves Sophia too much, but she is one stubborn woman.

"You're supposed to comfort me," she sniffles, and I could hear the annoyance in her tone

"I comforted you the first four times, I ain't doing shit this time because your ass is too stubborn to understand when to back down and give your girl a listening ear and not go all hulk on her when you don't know the full truth if what you saw on her phone means she cheating on you or not. Don't even dare act surprised about how I have a clue about what happened because it is always the same damn reason." I sighed deeply. I'm too tired for this whole conversation.

"Get your ass up, get in the damn shower, and get dressed because i got hella work to do this week and i'm trying to get some relieve from the whole stress i've been put through without you, I don't wanna hear anything about what happened because i swear on my Nonna's grave i'm going to throw you out the damn window, I'll be damn if i come home and your there crying and eating chocolate that i fucking kept" i don't give her time to say anything before hanging up.

I need a new best friend. We need to make this a trio with someone else who will listen to my advice and hold me back when I'm trying to stab Caro. The truth was I love Caro too damn much I can't fathom a life without even with how strong-headed she is

The drive wasn't long, pulling into my parking stall, walking to the elevator and pressing the button to the 16th floor.

When I got out, I started to walk to my apartment. I grabbed my keys, unlocked the door, and headed straight inside. The shower was running, and there was chocolate and a wine glass on the kitchen island.

I wanna break that shit on her head, maybe she might lose the brain cells that support her stubbornness

I walk to my room and walk straight to my closet, rummaging around for a good outfit, looking at all the dresses I had bought just last week, but knowing that with all the work stacking up, only one of them would be worn this month.

I settled on a red dress that stops just above my knees and paired it with some black stilettos. I quickly pull on my outfit and shoes before walking to my mirror and fixing my lipstick.

Always be ready to go to a club by just changing your outfit.

I smile at myself in the mirror, then spray some perfume on myself before grabbing a short black strapless dress that I threw on my bed earlier and a pair of heels.

"CUT THE SHOWER, UNLESS YOU'RE PLANNING ON STAYING IN THERE ALL NIGHT!

HURRY UP AND GET THE HELL OUT!" I yell, waking up out of my room, down the hall and throwing the bathroom door open

Caro turns and looks at me with a blank expression. " I don't even want to go out," she states

" I don't care," I say in a sarcastically happy voice

" Put that on, put some makeup on to cover them puffy ass eyes, and hurry the fuck up, kk?" I nod my head with a sarcastic smile that matches my sarcastic, happy tone

Walking out after shoving the shoes and dress in her hands and shutting the door, walking to the kitchen, I put the wine back into its designated cabinet and started to eat the chocolate on the counter before it melts, while waiting for Caro.

Entering the club, the music was loud, you could almost taste the lingering smell of sweat and liquor, and you could feel the sexual tension in the room. Not fastening anything, though, that would just be weird.

Caro groaned as I pulled her towards the bar; she wanted to turn into a little hermit and hide in her shell, in the dark, wrapped in blankets, diving into junk food and sad romantic movies. I mean, I'm down for that, but I'm just trying to make her have fun here, then later we can be all sad and full of tears if she wants

" Six shots," I say to the bartender after waving him over

He nodded slightly, looking at my cleavage, and I gave him an irritated look because I'm not planning on going down that level for fun.

Placing them in front of me, Caro sits on the stool, looking around, all bored. The bartender goes to say something when he is saved over from the opposite side of the bar, walking away, sighing. Thank God

I shoot down three without a break, shit, this stuff tastes like trash, I need to manage for Caro, but I'm not a fan of alcohol, especially not this type. I turn towards Caro, holding one towards her.

" But I wanna go home," she whined

" One shot, the faster you get drunk with me, is the faster we get on the dance floor and the faster we get you a taxi to take you home, " I say, glancing between her and the shot

Reluctantly, she shoots one down, and reaches for the second one, groaning when she looks at the third one, but then looking at me, she shoots it down, shaking her head at the strong taste.

I laugh, pulling her off to the dance floor. I could feel the alcohol affecting me immediately

I was letting loose, just moving with the beat, looking up to Caro, who was just standing there looking bored.

"Come on, dance with me," I shout over the music. She shakes her head at me with a smile, moving to sway a little

" I know you got more than that, or do I have to sing for you?" I say before I start to sing

" Throw that ass in a circle, Throw that ass in a circle. Shake that ass girl shake, shake that ass girl shake it, pop it out, bitch pop it out, pop it out"

Her small smile turns into a grin as she watches me be weird, her body starts getting into it, and she just moves however she feels.

Aye, there you go," I laugh, losing myself back into the music

Caro was so carefree when she wasn't worrying about her relationship. I lost myself on the dance floor too, losing all sense of time and I didn't know how long I was out there, but all I know is the whiskey kicked in hard. I was laughing for no reason with Caro as we stumbled back to the bar.

When we get there, I try to get on the bar stool and I completely miss it. Caro laughs with me as she pulls me up. This time getting on, I sit and start staring at the mirror wall in front of me, catching a reflection of a man on the second floor watching me from the VIP lounge, smirking as his eyes fixed on the back of my head. For some reason, I like the feeling of his eyes on me.

At least that's what it looked like.

" I'm going to go, I have something really important to do," she started to get off the chair

" Please tell me you're not going to cause more problems with Sophia," I groan, throwing my head back

" No I'm feeling spontaneous and your right I have the best girl in the world and I'm acting like shit because of past experiences, I want to go fight back for my love and explain everything to her" her smile spread from ear to ear bust she shrugged as if no big deal, she wasn't kidding anyone.

" Finally fuckingly" I pat her on the side of the head.

" Bitch, after years of this bullshit, all I had to do was yell at you on the phone and drag you out of the house and get drunk and twerking. I should have thought of this shit earlier."

She looks at me with an offended look until she just laughs and starts walking towards the exit, drinking the rest of the Cosmopolitan. I walk to the bathroom

I did my business, and there was no line. Everyone was walking out when I came around, a wall blocking the rest of the club from seeing the bathroom doors.

Washing my hands, I walked toward the door and opened it, walking out, but before I could get out, Mr. VIP man was walking around the corner towards me

I bit my lip at the sight of him.

His jawline was prominent, sharp and well defined, along with his high cheekbones, his eyebrows thick and looked naturally well shaped, his lips a nice shade of pink on his pale skin.

Like a fairytale romance novel kind of perfect.

I smirk as he stalks closer to me, my back pushing up against the wall as he leans down from what I would estimate a 6'4 height to my 5'3 height I had inherited from my mother, and stares into my eyes.

Glancing down at my lips and then back to my eyes a couple of times before I pulled him in, He didn't ask for permission past my lips, he just went for it.

And I loved when a man just took what he wanted, something about it just turned me on, personally. My hands wrapped around his neck and went to his hair, his hair was black and short, but just long enough to run your hands through and pull at.

I groan when he pulls my waist against his hard body, the bulge in his pants rubbing against my pelvic bone, a groan coming from him when I reach down with one hand to rub him. He pulls away, his hands moving from my waist to my thighs, and I moan, his bulge now rubbing against my genitals and his lips sucking and nipping at my neck.

I could feel more wet as he grinned into me, my body pinned against the wall, his mouth leaving hickeys and his hands groping and exploring every curve.

I smile and lightly moan, tilting my head back with my hands pulling at his hair, making him groan.

He stops and holds my thighs still, taking deep breaths with his eyes closed, as if he were trying to calm himself and relax. Placing me down so I was standing on my own two feet, his eyes opened and stayed focused on me.

"Let's go," he spoke, his accent husky and deep, sending shivers down my spine

"I'm going to need more than a quick bathroom fuck from you, let's go to my hotel," he held me and walked me out.

Something about him just gave this dangerous aura, but I'm too lost in whatever is happening between us now to care. Fuck the rules, let's see where this leads.

Stretching and groaning, I opened my eyes. Sunlight streamed onto my face from the large floor-to-ceiling window. I looked around, more aware than last night. The room had that modern, luxurious look: everything black, gray, or white.

I sat up, the blanket falling from my chest, but I paid no attention to it. I was still trying to wrap my head around what exactly happened last night. I looked around, trying to get every little bit of information. I could hear the shower running, and I saw some fog in the mirror with the door slightly cracked open. I squinted to see, and then heard a deep groan from inside.

SHIT! I mentally cursed at myself. That sound from that stranger brought the memories of last night rushing rapidly into my head, from how his dick had been buried deep inside me to my cries for release. Damn, I don't think I'd ever experienced that amount of pleasure with anyone. I'd had like five orgasms in minutes.

I shook my head to distract my thoughts from reminiscing about everything before I made another mistake. Getting up from the bed, I searched around for my dress, finding it under a chair sitting in the corner of the room. Rushing over, I quickly pulled it over my body, grabbed my shoes, and hurried to put them on. I grabbed my phone, almost forgetting it along with my entire clutch, before rushing out of the room, speed walking towards the elevator, trying to hurry before the stranger got out of the shower.

The elevator opened, and I got in, repeatedly pressing the 'L' button, then hammering the door-close button, but it didn't help. Just as the doors closed, I caught a glimpse of the guy from last night. He was walking towards the kitchen, a towel wrapped around his waist, an empty plate in his hand. He stopped in his tracks, looking at the elevator, but just in time, the doors closed, shielding me from those dark blue eyes I distinctly remembered.

I walked out of the hotel, getting the same looks people give girls whenever they leave a building in a skimpy dress, messed up hair, heels, and smudged makeup.

But I left with a smile.

Despite their looks, filled with either disgust, disrespect, or lust, some people held neutral faces.

But those were only the people who knew how to mind their business, and nowadays, not a lot of people know how not to.

I ignored it. I walked outside, hailed a taxi, and headed home, where I hoped to find out what happened with Caro and Sophia and tell her about my experience with that sexy, blue-eyed man who could make my panties wet with just a glance.

The taxi ride home was a blur of morning traffic and the insistent throbbing behind my eyes. I leaned my head against the cool window, the smile still plastered on my face, defying the disapproving glares from passersby. Let them stare. They didn't know what it felt like to break free, even for a few stolen hours, from a mountain of work and a best friend's perpetual melodrama.

Pulling up to my building, I paid the driver, feeling a strange mix of exhaustion and exhilaration.

My apartment key felt heavy in my hand as I approached the door. I half-expected to find Caro still cocooned in a blanket fort, surrounded by chocolate wrappers and tear-stained tissues. Instead, the apartment was quiet. Too quiet.

"Caro?" I called out, pushing the door open, my voice raspy. The scent of coffee, not stale heartbreak, filled the air. My brow furrowed. Had she listened?

I walked into the kitchen to find her perched on a stool, nursing a mug, looking surprisingly... put together. Her usually puffy eyes were still a little red, but her hair was brushed, and she was wearing actual clothes, not sweatpants. On the counter lay a half-eaten croissant and her phone, open to a messaging app.

"You look like you wrestled a bear," Caro said, a slight smile playing on her lips as she took in my disheveled dress and tangled hair.

"You look like you're not planning your funeral," I shot back, dropping my clutch on the island.

My eyes narrowed at the phone. "Did you, for once, not double down on the crazy?"

She sighed, but it was a softer sound than her usual self-pitying groans. "I called her."

"Sophia?" I leaned against the counter, suddenly intrigued despite myself.

Caro nodded slowly. "Yeah. I was still mad, still scared, but... I don't know. After you dragged me out and forced me to drink whiskey and told me to twerk, something just clicked. It's like my brain cells finally started working again." She paused, then looked at me. "So, what about you? You were practically glowing when I left. Did the dance floor treat you well, or did someone else?"

A smirk tugged at my lips. "Oh, the dance floor was just the warm-up, honey." I walked over to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water. "Remember that hot guy I saw watching me from the VIP section?"

Caro's eyes widened. "The one with the 'stare that could melt steel'?"

"That's him," I said, taking a long swig of water. "Turns out, his stare can do more than melt steel. It can make you forget your name, your job, and apparently, all your plans for a chaste, single life." I recounted the bathroom encounter, leaving out none of the deliciously explicit details. Her jaw dropped further with each word.

"You... you seriously went there?" Caro finally managed, her voice a mix of shock and admiration. "Without even knowing his name?"

I shrugged, a fresh wave of adrenaline hitting me. "He didn't ask for mine, and I didn't care to ask for his. It was... intense. And damn, Caro, the man knows what he's doing." I grinned, the memory sending a shiver down my spine. "I had like five orgasms in minutes, bitch. Five."

Caro let out a delighted, albeit scandalized, laugh. "Only you. Seriously, I question our friendship sometimes."

"Says the woman who just had her ninth breakup," I retorted, but there was no real venom. I loved Caro, despite her self-sabotage, and in that moment, seeing her trying felt like a small victory. Besides, she was the only one I could ever tell this kind of crazy to.

The afterglow was still strong, but the looming shadow of my project and the stacks of files quickly began to creep back into my thoughts. I groaned internally. I had to shower, find some clean clothes that didn't scream "one-night stand," and tackle that mountain of work. But now, at least, I had a hell of a story to tell, and a new, intriguing distraction to ponder. That man with the dark blue eyes... he was going to be a problem. A very, very good problem.

I left Caro and went to have that shower that I so badly needed. As I removed my clothes, the memories just came, hitting me.

"Please," I begged.

"Please, what?" he teased my entrance with his cock, pushing it slightly and then pulling out.

"Tell me what you want."

"Please," I gasped as he did it again.

"I want you to fuck me."

He wasted no time after that, one hard thrust to get inside of me, pulling out and pushing back in at a hard and fast speed. I moaned at the top of my lungs, his hands on the side of my body, tightly gripping the sheets, making his veins more noticeable than they already were. His face was just above mine, keeping a close eye on my facial expressions while he pounded into me.

My loud moans seemed to encourage him more. Pulling my legs to wrap around his waist, he sat up, no longer hovering over me. One of his hands gripped the sheets near my neck, firm but still gentle.

My eyes rolled back at the sight in front of me. He looked so hot, his face hard, releasing small, barely noticeable grunts. His hard abs were dimly lit, and his eyes kept glancing down, watching his dick disappear into me and reappear with each thrust.

I could feel myself tightening at that moment on him, and he somehow went incredibly harder, pushing me closer to yet another orgasm and pulling out before I could.

I groaned in frustration, but he flipped me over onto my stomach, grabbing my hips and pulling them right back into him.

Fucking me from behind with the same hard plunge as before, the sound of our raw skin clapping together made everything seem so erotic. One of his hands pushed down on my lower back, and the other pulled my hair, wrapping it up in his fist, causing my back to arch down, my ass sticking far out.

"Fuck!" I groaned deeply, "Harder!" I moaned.

His hands let go of my hair and roughly slapped my ass, a grunt and groan coming from his lips as I spasmed around his length.

"Красавица," he rasped. "I want you to ask for permission before you come." I felt myself tighten, his voice turning me on more. I was so close again, and he moved his hips faster, the sounds of my juices squishing around my ass, and I could only imagine it reddening.

He gave my ass a few slaps, not even slowing down his inhumane speed. His moans and grunts filled my ears.

"Beg me, Красавица."

"Let me hear your cries of pleas before I let you come like the slut you are, only for me," his words added more pleasure to me.

With no shame left in me, "Please, let me cum," my voice barely above a whisper as it was knocked out of me immediately by the angle he was hitting, harder than before.

"Cum, baby," I let loose immediately, my eyes rolling back as we both rode our high together.

"ISABELLA!" The sound of my name brought me back, as I noticed I was foolishly staring at the mirror with my naked body. I turned and heard knocking coming from the door. Guess Caro wanted to break down my door, or I just got lost in my head.

"Isabella, I'm heading to the grocery store. Do you need anything?" I thought for a second, and I guess I just needed a shower and sleep after all.

"I'm good, girl, just do what you need to do."

"Okay." With that, I heard her retreating steps fading from the door. Now I needed to stop thinking about a night I had with someone I will never see again. I needed that shower to clear my thoughts, damnit!

Two weeks later

I stood in front of my mirror, checking out my outfit and making sure no hairs were sticking out from my slicked-back sock bun.

I placed my wallet, phone, and keys in my pocket before walking out of the room. Stopping in the middle of the kitchen and living room, I noted the dining room was full of takeout boxes. I'd told Caroline countless times to clean up after herself, but she never listened. That girl was tempting me, but I didn't have time for that now; I had a doctor's appointment in the next hour.

The ringing of my phone stopped me from walking out the door of my apartment. I looked and saw the caller ID: Mr. Mason. Oh, that's my boss.

"Hello, Isabella, how are you doing?" I heard his gruff voice as I instantly picked up the call.

"I'm fine, boss. Is there a problem at the office? Because I requested this day off," I said, a hint of steel in my voice. I'd be damned if he made me come all the way there.

"No, that's not it. I just want to let you know that you will be reporting for the meeting with the Davison brothers in LA."

"Okay," I replied, forcing a tight-lipped smile he definitely couldn't see.

"Have a nice day."

As the call ended, I let out a deep sigh. I liked my boss; he was kind and a good family man, but a trip to LA was not what I was up for now.

I locked the door of my apartment, walking to the elevator to head downstairs to my packed car, my regular bitch face already set. I needed to get this whole thing done and fast so that I could just come back home and do nothing.

************

"So, Miss Romano, I'm going to need a urine sample." My doctor walked in with a cup.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, grabbing the cup from her hand and finishing the rest of my bottle of water.

"Oh, I just want you to do that before I say anything else, just in case it's a false alarm." She shook her head.

Nodding, I walked over to the bathroom, not wanting to question the woman, just doing as told.

But I couldn't help but ask myself what type of false alarm she could raise.

Finishing up, I washed my hands and flushed the toilet before walking out and passing the cup to her. She nodded and smiled at me as she walked away towards another room, while I just sat down.

Just give me my damn fucking shot, it doesn't take this long, I thought, a flicker of irritation rising in me.

After a good twenty minutes of waiting, the doctor came back in, writing on her clipboard.

"So, it looks like you won't be getting your birth control shot today, Isabella." She clicked her pen and smiled up at me.

"And why not?" I asked, tilting my head at her, my anger starting to simmer.

What the hell is happening? I just want my goddamn shot!

"Well, instead, you will be getting these. It seems that you missed your last shot, and these are your options to deal with your pregnancy." She passed me a pamphlet, all of them holding babies on the cover.

"Pregnant? I'm pregnant?" I looked up at her, hoping that she was reading someone else's file by accident and not mine.

"Yes, Miss Romano, congratulations. There are other options if you don't want to keep the baby-abortion or adoption-but I think it's important you take the time to think about it before you make a decision," she said, leaning against a table and looking at me.

"No, I'm going to keep the baby," I said, rubbing my face, feeling a wave of stress wash over me.

I didn't have the heart to abort a child. Even if it wasn't technically alive yet, it was still a growing human being. It was my human being, and I wasn't about to put him or her up for adoption. If you're going to do dirty, then you've got to take responsibility for the aftermath. That's something I always told myself, and I don't give a damn what everyone else does, but this is what I'm doing.

Damn me and my heart.

I collected my things and got the prenatal pills from the doctor, talking more before I left, heading out front to schedule my next appointment.

After all the baby talk with the doctor and making the appointment, I was feeling kind of excited now. I'd always wanted a kid, and even though it wasn't planned and I would be a single mom, it didn't matter to me how it happened.

Before heading home, I stopped at the pharmacy and grabbed a pregnancy test. I would need to show my mom this, but the problem was how I would tell her about all this. The worst would be my father and brothers; it would be a hell of a drama.

Walking out of the pharmacy, I had the same feeling of being watched. I didn't know why, but for the past few weeks, I'd been feeling eyes on me too much. I brushed it off and hurried to get some ice cream and go to a park to digest this whole information, because it was a lot.

After my whole wandering about, I arrived at my apartment at night. Walking in, I saw that the whole mess Caroline had left had been cleared. Damn right! Because she wouldn't want an angry pregnant woman on her ass.

I walked down to the kitchen, going to grab something to eat. I opened the fridge and saw the salad and spicy tuna that I'd left. Walking to my room, I opened the door and placed the food on my nightstand, pulling my bra off and throwing it in the laundry basket in the corner.

Before I could get comfortable in my bed, start eating my food, and watch some Friends, I heard a knock.

Groaning and standing up, I pushed myself to the door, thoroughly annoyed. I didn't know many people, and I sure as hell knew that wasn't Caro. Who the hell could be at my door at this time?

Opening the door, I froze. This was not what I expected.

"Hello, Bella," he spoke, his Russian accent thick and, in my personal opinion, totally hot.

"How do you know my name? How do you know where I live? And what are you doing here?" I asked calmly, hoping he wouldn't see my foot moving to go towards the back of the door so it couldn't open any further than it already was. Just my luck, he did.

This had happened before a few times, where one of my random one-night stands came back to my apartment, and sometimes a stalker. But I guess you could say it was something normalized for me. At least with the family I grew up with, creepy was not so weird.

"I know people, Krasotka,( beautiful)" he stated instead.

" I believe you have something to tell me lybuov (love)"

Pretending to think, I shook my head. Honestly, the whole pregnancy thing hadn't even fully sunk in, and he expected me to look for him and tell him, a person I had no idea who he was.

He had me pinned against the wall within seconds, the door closed and locked.

"I don't like liars, Krasotka (beautiful). I'll ask again: Do you have something to tell me?" His hand was on my neck, and his body was pressed up against mine.

He looked scary, but I felt like that was why I was attracted to him in the first place. He was super hot. If I weren't into guys who looked like him and owned an accent, then I would be terrified of him. But right now, I was more turned on than anything.

I opened my mouth to talk, but I just whispered when a shiver ran up my spine.

With a smirk and a shake of his head, he let go of my neck and caged me in, a hand on both sides of my head.

"So you're not going to tell me that you're pregnant, or that it's my child?" He shook his head in disappointment.

"I just found out I was pregnant a few hours ago, and do you have any idea that I'm not even sure if the baby is yours? It could be someone else's for all you know," I raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, how the hell do you even know about the baby?" I asked.

"I have men watching where you go and who you are with for a while now. Then I heard you went to get a pregnancy test after going to the doctor. I made my way to the hospital. The doctor gave your information more easily than I thought she would. I thought you would have gone home, but I hear you were roaming from one place to another, then my men couldn't find you again."

His expression was hard, his face didn't show any emotion.

"I don't like not knowing where you are, lyubov," he stated, a growl in his voice.

I felt his English wasn't perfect, but it was better than most. I mean, he didn't make full sentences, but he made sense.

"Of course you had people spy on me," I scoffed.

"What is your name? The least you can do is tell me who you are, since you know all about me."

"Vladimir," he answered, but I didn't need his help to know that his last name was Volkov.

My father and brothers had made me look at pictures and memorize the names of those I should never get near, and I could remember that he was one of them.

Russian mob boss. The one time I get knocked up, it couldn't be with a normal guy, with a normal job and a normal family.

I sighed and shook my head, a mix of feelings churning inside me, unsure how I should react right now. But I knew I'd messed up so much.