Kingpin Bride (Bride of the Billionaire Book 5)

by Jenna Rose

  “Thirty-five.”

  That might turn some girls off, but not me.

  “Don’t be stupid,” I tell him. “That’s not old. Now, if you had said sixty-five…”

  “And you have daddy issues,” he growls, more to himself than me. “It just wouldn’t be fair to you.”

  An anger flares inside me, and this time I step closer to him. “That’s not for you to decide. I’m not a child, Sasha.”

  That gets his attention. My breath leaves my lungs as he holds my gaze with a new intensity. My thighs are warm, and my feet are tingling. I feel like I should sit down.

  “You’re right. You are not a child, Ella. But I could still make you Daddy’s little girl, and I don’t know if I can stop myself now.”

  “As long as it isn’t in some random room in the Lakers’ stadium, I’m okay with that,” I reply.

  He glances behind him. I’m not sure why. Maybe a byproduct of the life he leads. But when he turns back to me, there’s nothing but intensity in his eyes.

  “Fine,” he tells me. “But listen, gorgeous. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I’m a bad, bad man.”

  3

  Sasha

  I call in more men for the ride home, and Ella and I ride in my bulletproof SUV. The windows are completely blacked out. I don’t want anyone to see her.

  This type of possessive feeling is not typical of me. Not at all.

  I glance over at her, and although she looks adorably sexy in her cheerleader’s outfit, her plump tits shaking slightly with each bump in the road, I ask myself: What’s an innocent, barely-legal teen doing in the back of my truck with me?

  She may look out of place, but she feels so right. And I’ve barely even scratched the surface.

  But what am I doing? Corrupting her? This girl has a bright future ahead of her. She’s gorgeous, obviously popular, smart. She should be off to college in the fall, not hanging around with a monster like me.

  This is wrong.

  But at the same time, I can already feel myself changing around her. Simply her presence, her innocence, her beauty—they’re all like an invading army of warmth intent on capturing my heart, and that scares me. I closed my heart off for a reason.

  Weakness.

  I can’t afford to be weak. Not in this lifestyle. Not in this town. Weakness, warmth, love—those things get you killed. And I have too many enemies to let myself slip.

  But then again, what if I wasn’t in this life? What if I wasn’t in this town? What if I wasn’t Sasha the Ice Man Kumarin?

  Jesus, am I already thinking about changing my life? Who is this girl and how is she doing this to me?

  I should get rid of her right now. Have the driver pull over, drop her on the corner with enough cash for an Uber back to the stadium, and then forget about her. But then what? Leave her for some other man to claim? Some jock, frat boy who doesn’t know how to handle a woman like her?

  I’m supposed to let him spread her open for the first time and claim her sweet cherry? Fuck, I’d be lying awake every night thinking about it and regretting my decision to let her go.

  No way in hell. She has to be mine.

  But then what? Bring her into this dangerous life with me? Put a target on her back? My enemies would be after her in a second. That’s just another reason why I’ve been single all this time. I’d have to shuttle her around with bodyguards and bulletproof trucks. Or confine her to my home like a treasure. That’s no kind of life for a girl.

  “So this is what it’s like to be a kingpin,” she says beside me. “Watching the world through tinted windows?”

  I want to tell her the world is dark, just like the tint, but that would be cruel. She’s young and still believes in good, and I’m a jaded monster whose cynicism could poison her.

  “I prefer the view inside,” I counter. And it’s true. Her thighs peeking out from beneath that skirt have my cock pulsing. It’s Los Angeles, with all its light pollution, but I could swear to God I can see the stars in her eyes.

  The plump mounds of her teenage tits have me gasping. I wonder what her nipples look like and how my cock would feel sliding back in forth in her cleavage.

  “Are we going to your house?” she asks me.

  “My club,” I reply. It seems natural, but when I see her expression, I realize I’ve made the wrong decision. This isn’t some 20-year-old who’s been around the block. This is a fresh, untainted girl. She doesn’t want to be impressed by bottle service at a kingpin’s club.

  “That’s your idea of romance?” she replies. Her question startles me, not just because of how brazen it is, but because of how quickly it makes me realize I don’t know shit about romance.

  “I haven’t romanced a girl in a long time, Ella.”

  What an admission. I never let my feelings known, not to anyone, and here I am spilling my guts for this girl. If not for the bulletproof SUV and my driver, I could almost convince myself I wasn’t a wicked man.

  “I’m sure it’ll come back to you.”

  “What are your plans?” I ask her.

  “For right now?”

  “For your life.”

  She sort of half-smiles at my question, almost like she’s surprised I’ve asked it.

  “Well, I want to go to school for marine biology,” she says softly. “But I’ll probably end up working at Reg’s for the rest of my life.”

  “Reg’s? Reg’s the diner?”

  She nods. “That’s the one.”

  “What are you talking about?” I reply angrily. “Why would a girl like you be working at Reg’s?”

  Ella doesn’t reply right away. I’ve touched on something uncomfortable and almost change the topic, but I can’t. I need to know everything about her.

  “My mom,” she says softly. “She’s…she’s a drug addict. My father left me a college fund before he died, and she spent it all. Now I’m kind of supporting her, I guess.”

  “Christ…” I mutter. “Well, we can’t have that now, Ella, can we?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’ll pay your tuition,” I tell her. “And whatever it costs to get your mom into the best rehab in Los Angeles.”

  Ella shakes her head and frowns. “No. No, why would you do that?”

  “Is that supposed to be a serious question? Why wouldn’t I? I’m sitting on a mountain of money, Ella. A mountain of money that took the bodies of many men to build. What better way to put it to use than to use it for something good for once?”

  “I—but you don’t even know me.”

  “I know enough,” I tell her. I place a hand on her knee and feel its softness. Warmth is radiating out from between her thighs, calling to me. I have to own her. I have to take her. “And I don’t want to hear any more argument about it, all right?”

  “I—all right…”

  “Reg’s,” I scoff as I devour her with my eyes. Thinking of all the men who would fantasize about her while she served them bacon and eggs makes me want to smash something. I clench my fist and bite the inside of my cheek and focus on the moment.

  She’s here with me now. Not them.

  “You must like animals.”

  “I love them.” She smiles.

  I’m actually interested in her. It’s been a long time since I was interested in anyone. For some reason, I want to tell her everything about my life. I want to volunteer information. Jesus, is this what falling in love feels like? Because if so, that’s what’s happening to me. And fast.

  “You know…there’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” she says slowly, her eyes lifting to mine. “If you’re up for it.”

  She’s a virgin, so she can’t be talking about something sexual. But that doesn’t matter to me. Whatever it is, I’m intrigued.

  “Okay.”

  “Driver?” she says with the authority of a businesswoman. “Can you take us to this address please?”

  Ella flashes the driver her phone and then turns back to smile at me.

  “Oh, so
you’re in control now, are you?” I ask, oddly aroused by her actions.

  She gives me a flirtatious shrug.

  “Don’t worry. You can be in control later.”

  We arrive at the Violet Vine ten minutes later, and I glance over at Ella, who’s smiling devilishly at me from her seat.

  “Really? The Vine on a Friday night? This place is booked months in advance.”

  The Vine is the most popular new restaurant in the city, frequented by celebrities, athletes and the ultra-wealthy who flock in from Beverly Hills to sample the three-star Michelin cuisine.

  Ella’s perfect lips twist into a smile, and she crosses her arms under her bountiful breasts.

  “Shouldn’t be a problem for the Ice Man, should it?”

  Ah, now I see her game. It’s a test—a shit-test as they call them in the dating world. She’s trying to see what I’m made of. If I’m all talk or if the rumors about me have been greatly exaggerated.

  And she’s about to see that they aren’t.

  I grab my phone, keeping my eyes on her. “It won’t.” I make a quick call to one of my men and hang up.

  The lights of Los Angeles bathe her beauty, causing her to glow like an angel. For a man with a heart as cold as mine, I sure am going through a hell of a lot just to spend time with this girl. But why aren’t I just taking her right here and right now? Why am I hesitant? Being delicate with her?

  “How’s a girl like you, with a body like that, end up a virgin at eighteen?”

  I expect her to be taken aback—to scowl or glare at me. Instead, she looks away like she’s embarrassed.

  “No one was interested, I guess.”

  “Bullshit,” I scoff. “If we’re going to spend time together, Ella, I have a rule. Don’t lie to me.”

  “I’m not lying!” she protests.

  “You’re a goddamn cheerleader, for fuck’s sake!” I laugh. “Every big-swinging-dick from here to Texas must have been fighting for a chance with you.”

  “I only joined the team to try and fit in…” she says quietly. “To try and fit in. Guys don’t seem to be into tomboys who would rather spend time at the ocean or the aquarium than a party with the cool kids.”

  My phone buzzes, and my driver gets out and holds the door for me. I go around to Ella’s side and take her hand. “Our table’s ready.”

  If I wasn’t so used to being recognized, I might feel awkward as we walk into the restaurant and every eye in the place is on me. Some of the men try to play off their insecurity, probably reminding themselves of just how much money they made this month, but I see right through them. Lawyers, bankers, agents, producers. I don’t give a shit. I’m the big dog here tonight.

  They’re probably wondering who the sexy cheerleading girl with me is and whether or not they can sign her or put her in a movie. Sorry, fellas. She’s mine.

  The waiter seats us, brings us sparkling water and takes our drink orders. I get us a bottle of champagne. He doesn’t ask for IDs. Smart guy. I also order for both of us, which Ella seems to like.

  Damn, this is like a real date. I haven’t been on one of these since I was a teenager—back when I was still just Sasha, not the Ice Man. Many of the diners have their eyes on my men, standing guard out on the sidewalk. It’s routine for me, but not for Ella, and she looks anxious.

  It’s then that I realize I may have made a huge mistake.

  “You’re scared.”

  “I—maybe a little,” she admits.

  The waiter pours our champagne, and I shake my head. “I shouldn’t have brought you here.”

  Ella’s face drops. “I can go…”

  “I don’t mean it like that,” I tell her quickly. “I want you here, Ella. You can’t even possibly know how much I want you here, but…it’s dangerous. For you.”

  I reach beneath the table and take her hand in mine. So soft. No calluses. Nothing rough about it—the opposite of mine. Just touching her sets a fire ablaze inside of me, but also sends a chill down my already cold spine as I get a glimpse of what life could be with her—outside the depraved life I’ve carved out for myself.

  I could be normal. I could be happy.

  But at what cost?

  “I am the king of this town, but that also makes me a target,” I tell her. “A target for men looking to be me. They never could, but they think they could. They’d do anything they can to get to me, and that includes hurting you.”

  She takes longer than I expect to respond, which makes things all the more difficult. Christ, she’s so innocent. I can see her formulating her words; she doesn’t want to hurt me. Even though she knows who I am. What I am.

  “Your life must be so lonely.”

  Her words all but knock me on my ass. This time, I’m the one stammering. “I—I mean…it’s the life I made for myself. No one did this to me.”

  “No,” she agrees. “You did it to yourself. That means you can undo it too.”

  Suddenly I feel like I’m on a therapist’s couch. “Undo it how?”

  “Stop being the king.”

  “Kings don’t give up their power,” I tell her. “They die, either of old age or some other violent means.”

  “Bad kings maybe,” she replies, her eyes intent. “But good men know when to quit, when to come down from their castle and make a new life for themselves.”

  “Good men.” I chuckle softly. “Who says I’m a good man, Ella?”

  “I do. I can see it in your eyes, Sasha. The way you are with me. A bad man wouldn’t do what you’re doing now. You may have bad men after you, but you’re not one of them.”

  I can feel myself starting to soften like clay submerged in warm water. This girl is sweet—almost too sweet for her own good. She’s in one of Los Angeles’ best restaurants wearing a cheerleading uniform, sitting with the town’s most notorious gangster, and all she cares about is making me feel good about myself.

  She’s a saint, and as a sinner, I don’t deserve her.

  “You don’t know me…” I mutter. “And I barely know you. But, baby, I don’t know if I can resist you any longer.”

  “Then don’t,” she replies. The waiter returns with our appetizers and sets them in front of us, but I’m not hungry anymore—at least not for what they’re serving here. I reach into my pocket and pull out five hundred dollars and hand it to him.

  “My compliments to the chef, but we’ve got to be somewhere.”

  As I rise, I take Ella’s hand like she’s my new bride and walk her to the door, which my men open for me. I lead her into the back of the truck, and as we head home, I realize that no matter what, there’s no way I can let her go now.

  She’s it.

  She’s the one.

  The one who will make a good man out of me.

  4

  Ella

  As the gates to Sasha’s Hollywood Hills mansion open to admit us, a revelation comes over me.

  I’m falling in love with him.

  Yes, Sasha Kumarin, kingpin, gangster, criminal, has seized my heart like a conqueror seizing new land for his kingdom. Every second that ticks by belongs to him, like I do now. And I’m not even afraid. I’m about to boil over with excitement.

  “All these men,” I say as I glance around his yard, which is littered with guards in black suits, most of them armed. “You really think anyone could get to me?”

  “Don’t talk about that now,” he whispers, tracing the lines of my leg as he moves dangerously close to the prize between my thighs. “Let me focus on you, gorgeous. How is it that you have no idea how sexy you are? The rest of the girls on your squad must hate you.”

  My body is sizzling with heat that begins at my core and radiates outward. I’ve never been so turned on in my entire life. His sheer presence is overwhelming. His scent, the hint of cologne and a smoked cigar, and the warmth of his touch…I’m melting like a candle beneath a roaring flame.

  I shift in my seat, feeling the wetness growing between my thighs. This is what it’s like to be
filled with desperate need. Like every girl, I’ve dreamt of losing my virginity, but I never thought it would happen like this.

  “I want to keep you,” he whispers. “But…I don’t know if I can.”

  “Sasha, what do you mean?”

  “My life. It’s dark and cruel. You’re bright and loving. To bring you into it would be the worst thing I’ve ever done.”

  He is a good man. This just confirms it. Men will lie to get into your pants, but Sasha is telling me the truth—so much so that he has to know it could bring the opposite result. But he doesn’t care. He’s opening up like a safe to which only I know the combination.

  “I want to take you swimming with dolphins,” I tell him.

  “What?”

  “You need to relax,” I tell him. “The king needs to come down from his castle sometimes. I feel like you haven’t been down in a while.”

  Sasha’s eyes flash briefly with a danger I would imagine only his enemies have seen. It should terrify me, but it doesn’t. A lurch of excitement rocks me to my core. He’s a lion. A fierce animal—maybe even a monster, but there’s a soft side to him that he’s buried deep within. Maybe he doesn’t even know it’s there, but I do.

  “Leaving the castle spells disaster for the kingdom,” he replies. “I could lose it all. And how would I protect you then?”

  “Sasha—”

  “No.” He shakes his head. He backs away from me, and even that simple motion causes a sinking feeling of loss in my stomach. “No, Ella. We can’t. It’s too dangerous for you. If anything happened to you, I’d never forgive myself.”

  “What?” I almost raise my voice at him. “After all this? You’re going to just…send me home?”

  “I have to. It’s the only way. If I don’t let you go now, I won’t ever be able to.”

  Before I can react, Sasha gets out of the car and walks toward the house. Instantly, I’m hot on his heels, my face burning. “That—that’s not fair! You can’t do this!”

  “It’s already done,” he growls without turning. This isn’t Sasha; this is the Ice Man talking. His phone is already in his hand as I slide in front of him, my heart pounding through my chest.