Buttons

I owe him a debt. A big one. The payment can't be settled with money or favors. He only wants one thing. Me. Every action gets a reward. A button. Once I fill his jar with 365 buttons, he'll let me go. He'll let me walk away. But I have to earn every single one. By submitting to the darkest, cruelest, and most beautiful man I've ever known.

I'm working off my buttons. But I'm also giving them away. The more I fall for Crow, the more I want him to do the things that I want. Dinners, dates, and evenings at the beach. Everything comes at a price, and quickly the hoard of buttons I worked hard to earn are depleted. Will this go back and forth forever? Or will someone run out of their buttons first?

When I saw my escape, I took it. Now I'm in New York City and trying to get my life back on track. Despite the tracker in my ankle, Crow hasn't come for me. He hasn't even called me. I told him the depth of my feelings but he cruelly rejected them. Maybe he's forgotten about me. One day, I walk into my apartment and spot the pile of buttons on the counter. I never left them there, and there's only one explanation for their presence. Maybe Crow hasn't forgotten me after all.

Tristan is one of my biggest clients. He always pays on time, and he always keeps his word. But this time, he's short on cash. He needs the shipment now, so he offers me collateral. He loans me his slave, Adelina. Now that Pearl and I are so close, I can't condone this type of exchange. It's wrong. Inhumane. But she wants me. I can tell. And I definitely want her.

I'm supposed to return her to Tristan to finish the deal. But now I'm dreading the day when I have to drop her off. Can I really do it? I'm not supposed to care about this woman. I'm not supposed to care about anyone, actually. But I care about Bellissimo.

I started a blood war. I've made a terrifying enemy. Over a single woman. It was a stupid decision, but I don't have any regrets. Because Bellissimo is finally mine.