Maya Alvani made a promise to herself at sixteen: leave the life she had and never ever look back. But promises are easy to make when you’re young - much harder to keep them when you’re approaching thirty, recently evicted, and down to your last few dollars.

The Kings have a problem. The three men had grown up like brothers, rising to the top of the city’s criminal underground. Now they’re ready to take out the competition and they need the Alvani family distracted.

The solution seems simple - make Maya an offer she can’t refuse. Join them as their mistress, keep her father distracted. In return they’ll pay her more money than she’d see in a year.

Maya accepts immediately, but she has a condition of her own - only if it’s all fake.

Fake she understands. Fake is what she left behind, what these men live everyday.

But fake isn’t how she feels when they touch her. And there is nothing fake about the way her heart beats faster when they’re near.

Maya always wanted love, she wanted support, she wanted a family. Was it possible the Kings had room in theirs for her?

Excerpt

"Good morning."

Maya froze. Maybe if she didn’t move the owner of the voice wouldn’t see her.

"I can see you."

She eyed the man a few feet away dubiously, it was the guy she’d kissed, with the scruffy beard. So not the worst possible scenario. But as she got closer she saw it wasn’t just him, but all three men who had tried their shot.

All three, Maya? Really? she thought, trying not to blush. That was… new. For her. Even if they hadn’t actually done anything the idea that she might have sent a thrill down her spine. She wouldn’t, of course, she wasn’t the type. But it was an electrifying possibility to ponder.

They were just as handsome in the daylight, posing in various positions around the kitchen. She’d like to give them the benefit of the doubt but who read their tablet with their ass stuck out like that? Posing, definitely.

"Hi."

"Bagel?" Ass-out stood up, running a hand down his chin and reaching for a plate, sliding it her direction. In the light of day her kissing partner had tattoos, a lot of them. Wrapping up his arms and barely visible at the base of his neck. Maybe other places? She wracked her mind, trying to remember if she’d seen his other places.

"No thank you," she declined politely, edging towards the door. "I think I’ll just… go. It’s been great, I’m sure."

"Stay," the order came from the man who had approached her first. Had he given her a name? At the bar or while they… had they? He looked almost exactly the same as at the bar, perfectly put together in a slightly different suit, expensive wrist watch catching the light. How could he look so good this early in the morning?

"No, really," she demurred, holding her hands up and backing away. "It’s all good. Thank you for what was probably a good time and-"

"You’re not going anywhere," the last man said, the one sitting at the table with his feet propped up. It was shaved head, looking nearly as smug in the kitchen as he had at the bar. "We kidnapped you."

Maya blinked.

"For fuck’s sake Daniel," beard groaned, pushing away from the kitchen island. "We’ve gotta teach you some tact."

"What for?" the man, Daniel, asked with a scowl. "She’s gonna figure it out eventually. What’s the point in fucking about?"

"We agreed to present it gently," Beard retorted, knocking the man’s feet off the table with one hand and settling into the chair across from him. "Do you want to deal with some hysterical girl in the apartment?"

"I’m not dealing with shit," Daniel grunted, dropping his eyes to his phone.

Expensive watch ignored them, watching her as she struggled to process what was going on.

"Excuse me?" The two at the table went silent, both looking up at her. "Can you say that again?"

"Think of it as an involuntary vacation," Watch said in complete seriousness.

"An involun-" Maya trailed off, darting her eyes between each of them. She could run. The door was right there, only fifteen feet away. She might make it before they caught her. But what if it was locked? And this was not a small building, there’d probably be an elevator to wait for or stairs to find. That would take time.

And not for nothing, she was technically homeless right now. Kidnapping wasn’t the best solution to her problems, but it was a solution. And it was a nice apartment. Certainly nicer than the last place she’d been kidnapped to. Fourteen years old and a day into her first period. She’d have personally given her captors anything they wanted for ten minutes indoors with an A/C unit and a tampon. Compared to it this place felt like a vacation.

"Okay." All three gaped when she slid onto a bar stool, reaching for the plate of bagels Beard had offered her. She carefully spread cream cheese across it before looking up to meet Watch’s eyes. "For how long?"

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "At least a couple of weeks."

Shrugging, she took a bite of the bagel, humming softly. It was good. "Do you have tea?"

Beard responded, walking to a cabinet and pulling down a box, setting it in front of her cautiously. With one hand he flipped the button on an electric kettle. "You’re taking this better than I thought you would."

Maya shrugged again. "It’s not the first time. You’re looking for money I assume? I hate to tell you, it won’t be a lot."

The corner of Watch’s lips quirked and he studied her with something new in his eyes. "For his only daughter? I think Alvani will find some cash."

She laughed, she couldn’t help it, then choked when a piece of bagel went wrong. Pressing the heel of one hand to her chest she coughed until she could breathe again, tears welling in her eyes. "That’s… that’s funny. You might be able to get a couple grand out of my brother, as long as Dad doesn’t find out. But Eric Alvani himself?" She snorted, pulling an empty mug towards her and dropping the tea bag into it, "Not a chance."

"Sounds like something a kidnap victim would say," Daniel pointed out, teeth flashing white when he gave her a shark-like smile.

Pouring the hot water Maya smiled back at him. "Just don’t take it out on me when it goes sideways. Do you have any milk?"

She sipped her tea and watched them exchange glances. Expensive Watch pulled a small pitcher out and handed it to her, studying her face.

"What if something happened to you?"

"If you killed me, you mean?" Maya snorted. "He’d be mad, for sure, and there would be retaliation. But short of that…" Sighing, she deepened her voice, "You’re not my problem anymore."

"Sounds like a peach."

A shrug. "He’s who he is. I haven’t spoken to him in over a decade. If you wanted a hostage you’d have been better off with Nico." Maya cocked her head and laughed, "Not sure he’d have gone for that whole kissing ruse though."

"You barely did," Goatee pointed out, "I was nearly offended."

"Needed the money," Maya didn’t look at him as she said it, stirring her tea absently. "Sounds like we’ve got the same problem."

"We’re not looking for money, we just need him distracted," Goatee corrected.

She stared at him, pursing her lips. "Who are you?"

"Stefan," Beard pointed at himself. He glanced to the right and Expensive Watch lifted an eyebrow. "Diego. Short, dark, and scowly over there is Daniel."

She smiled back and frowned when Daniel only stared and then turned his nose up at her. "You can call me sir."

Maya rolled her eyes, "Stefan, Diego and Dorkus, got it."

Stefan laughed and even Diego’s lips twitched into half a smile while Daniel glared.

"I’m… well I guess you know who I am." She narrowed her eyes at Stefan, "That’s your names, but who are you?"

"The Kings."

Oh, she’d been hoping they would say anything but that. Even as far as she’d removed herself from her old life, she’d heard the name. They’d risen in the area a few years back and quickly become major players in the underground. She thought they mainly dealt in weapons, but maybe drugs too? Human trafficking?

Suddenly she didn’t feel quite so amused at the situation.