Summary
Who said prison was going to stop me from getting what I wanted?
I thought breaking out of there was going to be the hardest thing I ever did. I should have known. Being the leader of The Black Widows is never that easy. Someone should have warned me that the woman I was about to kidnap was going to bring me to my knees.
She knows I’m coming for her, and this time, she won’t be slipping through my fingers.
I’m going to destroy her, and only then will I make her mine.
Excerpt
“BREAKING NEWS; at 4:38 pm this afternoon, Dominic Garcia, head of the Breakers Flats Black Widows escaped Longview Maximum Penitentiary for Men. He was last seen heading west towards Bellevue Springs.”
A mug shot appears on the television and I stare at it with wide eyes, my heart racing a million beats an hour as I strain to hear the reporter over the loud pulsing in my ears. “Dominic is responsible for the gang war that hit the streets between Breakers Flats and Blaxlands Grove nearly seven years ago, resulting in multiple deaths, one being the leader of the West Side Wolves, Mikhail Russo. Along with charges of theft, possession of a deadly weapon, and assault. It is safe to assume that Dominic is armed and dangerous.”
My hand covers my mouth as I try not to scream. This can’t be happening. I was supposed to be safe. I still had three and a half years before he was out. Three and a half years before I had to run. This wasn’t part of my plan.
What am I supposed to do?
He’s coming for me. There’s no doubt about it. I know it right down in my soul.
The reporter continues, her face draining of color, almost as though the thought of Nic being out of prison is the scariest thing she’s ever encountered. She’d be right. She should be terrified. The whole fucking city should be. “Tonight, police are searching far and wide to get this dangerous criminal back behind bars where he belongs. This is a public service announcement. If you see him, do not approach, do not communicate, and do not allow him into your homes. I repeat, do not engage with this man. Flee to safety and call your local police department as soon as possible.”
The screen flashes to footage of a white transport van leaving the prison, merging onto the highway, and speeding through traffic to get away. His mug shot appears again, and I suck in a breath. It’s as though I’m staring straight into his eyes. I find myself hitting pause, unable to look away from his face. It’s the face of my nightmares, the face that has held me captive for nearly twelve years.
I was a different person at sixteen, naive and stubborn. If I knew the hell that Dominic Garcia would rain down over me, I’d have stayed far, far away. But I was a girl and he was more than just a boy … so much more.
The minutes tick by with me sitting on my couch, staring at the screen, and taking in his face. It’s just as I’ve always remembered. He hasn’t aged a day in the seven long years since I saw him last. Though, there’s a very real possibility that this is an old mug shot. I’m sure he’s taken his fair share of mug shots over the years.
I go over everything that the reporter just said.
He was last seen heading west towards Bellevue Springs.
My heart races faster.
Bellevue Springs has been my home for the past nine years. I’ve worked here, thrived here, started a new life here. I live just outside of Bellevue Springs as only the rich and famous can afford to live there, but it doesn’t mean this isn’t my home.
And now he’s coming.
Review
(audiobook) To be honest, I hadn’t read or listened to the previous books in this series, so I was a bit nervous. I didn’t have to. Though I’m sure knowing what happened before is a real bonus, this novella can be enjoyed as a standalone.
Maybe not knowing Dominic’s backgroung is actually a plus. As I understand it, he had a passionate relationship with the main female character in the series, so I’d have been peeved if he suddenly was ‘always in love’ with another woman. As it is, I could totally buy that the love of his life was Roni all along.
Their love story is a bit a Romeo & Juliet type, with both of them part of rival gangs when they were young. Now, they’re out of the gangs–Dominic was in prison, and Veronica ran away a long time ago–but they still have enough connections to kill any idea of getting back together in her mind. That, and the fact that Dominic kidnapped her.
They’re very different. Roni separated herself from gang life early in her life, while Dominic thrives in violence and power trips. What I loved the most is that Dominic pulls her into the dark side, bit by bit. He helps her discovering who she really is. Hint: she isn’t the good girl she thought she was.
It’s short, so the feelings come quick and they don’t need much incentive. Veronica and Dominic’s past together–that isn’t detailed enough in my opinion–is reason enough for them to fall in love again. I missed the seduction part. It was quite hot though.
Gang life pulls them in again, but that isn’t even the most violent part. I won’t spoil anything though. Just know that it could be triggering.
Narration was good. There were emotions, a good pace, talented voices.
Quickie
- Series: Rejects paradise #4.5 (can be read as a standalone)
- Hashtags: #dark romance #second chance romance #gangs #enemies to lovers #novella
- Triggers: violence, deaths, kidnapping, mention of rape
- Main couple: Veronica Russo & Dominic Garcia
- Hotness: 5/5
- Romance: 3/5
- + short and to the point
- – I’d have loved to have more background of the two of them together as teens
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