LOGINDante Russo doesn't forgive. He doesn't forget. And when the President of the United States has the nerve to double-cross him, Dante doesn't go for blood—he goes for the man's heart. By kidnapping his son. Marco Powell never asked to be part of his father's shadowy world of corruption and backroom deals. But when masked assailants drag him from a glittering Washington soiree and into the ruthless grasp of Dante Russo, Marco's existence is distilled to the final bargaining chip. Kidnapped. Held captive. Compelled to kneel at the feet of Italy's most lethal man. Dante Russo doesn't just want ransom—he wants humiliation. He wants the President to hurt. And to make the whole world feel it, Dante does the unthinkable: he marries Marco in a ceremony as legal as it is lethal. An altar of a wedding shrouded in blood. A kiss meant to destroy. A war between two men who should hate each other but can't keep their hands off each other. Marco is everything Dante isn't used to. sarcastic, idealistic, infuriatingly beautiful and Dante is everything Marco should fear: fire, danger, sin, and temptation in a designer suit. Their arranged marriage sparks a deadly obsession. Every touch is a battle. Every kiss is war on their lips. And every night, Marco has to ask himself the question he fears most Does he hate Dante enough to fight him? Or does he want him badly enough to burn? Because in this game, seduction and revenge ignite and the line between love and hate doesn't just blur. It burns.
View More『異人』
人間と同じ姿形をしていながら、人間とは明らかに異なった体質や性質を持ち合わせた、異端の存在。この物語の主軸であり、中心であり、中枢を担っているこの言葉を、僕(荒木 誠)はこの春に、故郷である九州から、大学がある神奈川の横浜に来て、初めて知った。
『人間とは異なる』というのだから、この言葉が、人間ではない何かに対して誂われた言葉であることは、なんとなく、初めて知る人にも、理解できるかもしれない。
実際、僕自身も、最初のうちはこの言葉の字面だけを理解していた。
字面だけを理解して、全てを理解した気になっていた。
そう、たったこれだけの説明では、どうしたってこれを理解するには......
完全に理解するには、あまりにも短すぎるのだ。
そしてそうなると、やはりどうしても、字面だけの、上辺だけを救い上げて理解するような、そういうモノになってしまう。
いや......これでは『理解した』ではなく、ただ『知った』だけなのだろう。
ただ見聞を広めて、言葉を知った。
まるで小さな幼子が、はじめてその言葉を覚える様な......
まだ意味も真意も意図さえも知らぬまま、言葉だけを覚えてしまっている様な......
そういう感覚になってしまうのだ。
けれどもし、この『異人』という言葉の意味が、本当にあの短い説明だけで理解できてしまえるようなモノならば、これから語られるこの物語は、そもそも語り始める前に終わってしまう。
それでは物語として、成立しない。
語らずして終わる物語など、成立する筈がないのだ。
それにこれは、その人間とは明らかに異なった異端の者達が、人間だった筈の僕を巻き込んだ、僕が語り部となって語る御話で......だからこれは、僕が大学生になった、この一年を通して起きた出来事の、謂わば経験談のようなモノだ。
いや、もっと端的に、『思い出』とでも言ってしまおうか......
それにもしも、これから語る、この数十万の文字で紡がれる思い出を、例えばたった数十文字に要約したならば、きっとこうだろう......
『最初は吸血鬼に奪われて、次は殺人鬼と過ごした後に、旅人と追い求めて、その後は狼に悪戯をされて、結局のところ、雪女に損失させられる』
そういう御話なのだ。
やっぱり、これではあまりにも、要領を得ない......
わかってはいたけれど......だからまぁ、退屈しのぎに触れてくれ。
異人というモノが居ることを、この横浜という場所で初めて知って、初めて理解する青年が、化け物に囲まれながら、ただ青年然としようとする、そんな滑稽な物語を......
Marco’s POVI watched the blood pool around Liam’s body and thought, this can’t be happening.But it was.Liam was on the floor, gasping, his hands pressed to a wound in his stomach that was staining his shirt red.“Liam!” I shouted, fighting against the men holding me. “Liam, look at me!”He didn’t respond. His eyes were closed, his face pale.“You shot him,” I screamed at Fahd, struggling wildly. “You fucking shot him!”Fahd stepped closer, his expression impassive. “Calm down, Marco. It’s just a flesh wound. He’ll be fine.”“Like hell he will,” I snarled. “You killed him. You fucking killed him.”Fahd raised an eyebrow. “Don’t be dramatic. I aimed to wound, not to kill. But if you don’t behave yourself, I might change my mind.”I glared at him, hatred burning through me. But I knew I had to keep a cool head if I had any chance of getting us out of this alive.“Let him go,” I said quietly. “Please. He has nothing to do with this.”Fahd laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. “Oh, but he d
Liam's POV “Where’s Marco?” I tried to ask, but it came out as a weak croak. “Where am I?” I tried again. My voice was raw, my throat like sandpaper.“Calm down,” the same voice said. A woman’s voice. “You’re in the hospital. You were shot.”“Where’s Marco?”“I don’t know who Marco is,” the woman said gently. “But you need to stay still. You’ve lost a lot of blood.”I tried to sit up again, but a wave of pain crashed over me, making me groan.“Mr. Connor, please,” the woman urged. “You need to rest.”I forced my eyes open, squinting against the fluorescent lights.A nurse stood beside my bed, her face lined with concern. Monitors beeped around me. Wires snaked across my chest. My abdomen was wrapped in thick bandages, stained with spots of blood.“How long have I been here?” I managed to ask.“A few hours,” she replied. “The surgery went well. You’re lucky to be alive.”Lucky. The word felt hollow.“Please,” I begged. “I need to know about Marco. He was with me. He…”I broke off as
Liam’s POV I rubbed my temples. “I can’t believe you’re saying this.” “I can’t believe you’re surprised.” Marco’s tone was steady. “You now know who I am. You know where I come from. This isn’t my first rodeo.” He stepped closer, his hand on my arm. I looked at him, really looked, and saw that he was being brave. Terrified, maybe. But brave. And I loved him for it. “Okay,” I said finally. “We’ll do it your way. But we do this smartly. We do this safely. And we do this together.” Marco smiled, that little smirk that made my heart race. “That’s all I ask.” We planned the details carefully, methodically. The location was a private villa on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by barren land and guarded by Fahd’s men. We would arrive after midnight, when the streets were empty. Marco would contact his father, who would send guards to rescue him. He had a protective chip at all times, a small device embedded in his watch that would allow his bodyguards to locate him if things w
Liam’s POVI glanced at the bedroom door.Marco was in there, sleeping peacefully. He didn’t deserve any of this. He’d already been through so much before now; he didn’t need more danger and chaos in his life.But could I really hand him over to the Emirati? Could I live with myself if I did?No. No, I couldn’t. I had to find another way.I took a deep breath and walked back into the bedroom. Marco stirred as I climbed back into bed, wrapping my arms around him.“Who was that?”“A friend,” I lied, pressing a kiss to the back of his neck. “Everything’s fine. Go back to sleep.”He sighed, relaxing into me.“You worry too much.”If he only knew.I lay there, listening to his breathing even out, my mind spinning with possibilities. None of them good.The Emirati’s words kept echoing in my head: Things will get very messy.I knew he wasn’t bluffing. I’d seen what he was capable of, and the thought of Marco getting caught in the crossfire made me sick to my stomach.I had to think, to come
Dante’s POVIt was nearly midnight when I finally found something. A small notation in the corner of one of the manifestos. It was easy to miss, but something about it caught my eye.“Guys,” I said, my voice tight with excitement. “I think I found something.”Rico looked up from his phone, Elena an
Dante’s POVI sank down onto the floor, feeling defeated. How was I going to get out of here?But then I remembered the nail in my pocket. It was a small thing, but it was something.I took the nail out and began to work on the lock. It was slow going, but I was determined to escape. No matter how
Dante’s POVThe door shut behind us with a soft click. The townhouse smelled of rain and gun oil. Maria set her weapon on the table and poured herself a drink with a steady hand.“You shouldn’t have come,” she said. “If you found me, others will too.”Rico scanned the room. “We needed answers.”Mar
Lorenzo’s POVOn the phone with Powell.“You said Victor took care of the woman,” I continued, “How is it possible they still have access to that information?”He cleared his throat. “From what I gather, she gave them a copy before Victor’s team reached them. But it’s encrypted. They won’t be able






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