Ignite My Passion

  The Vegas Men Series Book 3

  Mia Ford

  Copyright © 2018 by Mia Ford

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Blurb

  1. Nova

  2. Zane

  3. Nova

  4. Zane

  5. Nova

  6. Zane

  7. Nova

  8. Zane

  9. Nova

  10. Zane

  11. Nova

  12. Zane

  13. Nova

  14. Zane

  15. Nova

  16. Zane

  17. Nova

  18. Zane

  19. Nova

  20. Zane

  21. Nova

  22. Zane

  23. Nova

  24. Zane

  Epilogue – Nova

  25. Sneak Peak: City of Sin

  26. Sneak Peak: Burning with Lust

  About the Author

  Also by Mia Ford

  Blurb

  I knew to take her as my client was playing with fire!

  But the moment she walks into my office,

  And I lock my eyes with her;

  She ignites that passion and then there is no turning back.

  Nova’s been through a lot,

  An abusive marriage that’s scared her to death.

  But she has a hidden fiery side that makes me WILD,

  And then my worst fears come true,

  The trouble that once only affected her, starts coming for both of us.

  Her husband who would do anything to possess her.

  He might be a hunter, but I'm a f*cking beast.

  I'll do everything to protect her

  I’ll fight for her and bring her back home.

  1

  Nova

  I stare up at the building where I spent my childhood, my heart racing with all sorts of emotions as I do. Much as this place holds some good memories, such as meeting my best friend, Clara, it also holds a lot of sadness too. But I suppose every orphanarium does that. No one goes there without some sadness in their lives. You don’t end up an orphan if you have parents, so of course, it’s a roller coaster to be looking at it.

  “It’s weird, isn’t it, Nova?” Clara asks with a pensive smile on her lips. “I don’t know if I like being back here. It makes me feel all strange… like I’m back being a young, scared child again.”

  “I know, it is strange. I usually avoid this part of Las Vegas on purpose! That’s why I live over the other side.”

  Clara narrows her eyes at me. “No, that isn’t why. You live on the other side because that’s the rich part.”

  I laugh, but the sound is hollow. Maybe I have moved far in life, from the parentless, poor side to the massive mansions that everyone aspires to live in, but not everything is perfect. It’s definitely been a ‘be careful what you wish for’ deal where I have learned that the lives which seem perfect, are more than often not.

  I thought Jeremy was going to be my knight in shining armor, the person to save me from the sadness of my life so far. I assumed that we would run off into the sunset and live a happy ever after.

  How wrong I was. Now, when I look back at that naïve nineteen-year-old getting hitched, I want to slap her in the face and tell her to run away. That if it seems too good to be true, that’s because it is.

  “Anyway, I think the pilgrimage is over, don’t you?” Clara asks. “Unless you want to go inside?”

  “No, definitely not.” I shake my head determinedly. “Let’s go and have a coffee and cake instead.”

  As Clara links her arm through mine and we walk away, I felt overwhelmed by the feeling that I shouldn’t have been back. It always stirs everything up and leaves me into a mess. Reminds me how lonely it was out there, all by myself. Wishing I could just have a family to love me. I made a family in there, but it isn’t the same as the real thing. But I know, me and Clara will still come back every year because it’s been a tradition for the last five years, ever since we hit eighteen and escaped. It’s just a little reminder that whatever is going on in our lives, this is where we came from. It might freak me out and make me feel all raw, but I do need it and Clara does too. I guess we will always keep on coming. It’s an experience that we will always share, that no one else will ever be able to understand. At least we will always have each other.

  “So, how are you and Kem?” I ask Clara with a grin. “Is he still a dream come true?”

  Clara and Kem are a real love story, nothing like me and Jeremy. They met only eighteen months ago on a random night out and got married only four months later. Other people criticized them and said that it was too quick, but I know Clara. I know for a fact that she wouldn’t do anything she wasn’t sure about.

  Kem works as a security officer for one of the casinos. He doesn’t have loads of money, not so much to offer materialistically but makes up for everything in love. She finally has her real family around her.

  “Oh, he’s so sweet. He made me breakfast in bed this morning to give me some rest because he knew that we were coming here today. Kem didn’t want me to have anything else to stress about.”

  I smile thinly, thinking about my morning, which was more stressful than anything else in the world. Something went wrong in Jeremy’s business, I don’t even know what, but it doesn’t matter to me. I get the shit anyway. I have it in the neck even though it’s nothing to do with me.

  Jeremy won’t remember my pilgrimage because the truth is he doesn’t really care.

  “Oh, that’s so nice, Clara. It’s nice that he cares so much about you.”

  “He really does, you know.” She smiles to herself. “And he likes to listen as well. I spent all last night telling him stories of when we were in there. The good and the bad stuff, and he really listened to it all.”

  I gulp down the thick ball of emotion that lodges in my throat. “Yeah… I told Jeremy once too.”

  He wasn’t interested, even in the early stages of our relationship when he was trying to woo me, but back then I just assumed that’s because I’m boring and he’s fascinating. I came out of the orphanarium at eighteen, got a job in an office as a secretary, and have just tried to survive ever since. Jeremy graduated high school at sixteen years old and spent time traveling the world and building up his business. He’s seen so many things, been to so many places, experiencing the world. Of course, I’m boring to him.

  “How are things… with Jeremy?” Clara asks cautiously. “Have things improved?”

  “Yeah, things are much better now. It’s really on the up…”

  Clara cocks her head to me, knowing that I’m lying. I can fool anyone in the world, and often I must, but with her, I can’t. She can see right through me. “You can tell me the truth you know?”

  We head into the café and take our seats before I say anything else. I need coffee and cake before I can get the truth out because, if I’m honest, things are getting worse every single day.

  “Right, come on, you have your food now, spill the beans.”

  I sigh loudly and nod. “Okay, I’ll tell you the truth. Things aren’t good.”

  “No, I know, I can tell.” Clara shakes her head sadly. “You don’t look happy.”

  That stuns me, I feel like I’m wearing my mask quite well, but clearly not. I guess with Clara, there is no mask.

  “Oh, right well… yeah, it isn’t good. Jeremy has been cheating on me again, I don’t know with whom this time. Probably the new woman working in his office. Someone who wears Chanel Number Fiver perfume anyway.”

  “Urgh, he’s an asshole.” Clara shakes her head angrily. “You need to get away from him. Not only does he cheat on you, his temper is horrible. The way he treats you is disgusting. I want you to get rid of him.”

  “I wish I could.” Actually, that’s the first time that I’ve ever said that aloud. “I really wish I could. I don’t want to be stuck in this marriage forever. But how can I get away from him? Jeremy has already told me that he has absolutely no intention of ever letting me go. You know he has the money and power to back that up.”

  “He can’t force you to stay married to him forever, that’s just crazy.”

  “I don’t know. I think he can. He’s one of those people who always gets what he wants.”

  Clara grabs my hands and stares into my eyes. “There is always a way out of these things.”

  “You look like you have something in mind, Clara. You’re freaking me out.”

  “I have been thinking about it a lot and I’ve also done some research.”

  I lean forward in my chair and stare intently at her. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean there are people who can help you with this. No matter who Jeremy is and how much money he has.”

  “What do you mean? Like… to divorce him?”

  The idea is liberating and terrifying all at once. I’ve talked about it in casual terms before, hypothetically, but this feels much more real. I want it so bad it hurts, but it just feels so impossible.

  “There is a women’s charity that helps people get out of abusive relationships.”

  “I

t isn’t abusive with Jeremy…”

  “It’s emotionally abusive. Also, he’s grabbed you on the wrists a couple of times and shaken you.”

  He’s also pushed me once too, not that I would ever tell about that to Clara. It would destroy her. She might kill him.

  “So, what do they do?” My voice sounds really weird. All strained and stressed. “How do they help?”

  “They have access to the best lawyers in the city, who help to get the divorce that you need.”

  “I can’t afford a lawyer. I don’t have anything that’s mine.”

  Jeremy won’t let me work. At first, I thought it was quite sweet that he wanted to take care of me. I assumed I might like being a lady of leisure, but now I see it as a control thing. He doesn’t want me to be able to look after myself. He wants me completely helpless to him, at his whim, unable to leave.

  “You don’t need to. It’s a charity for a reason. They cover the costs for you, or the lawyer does it for free.”

  “So, you just don’t have to pay?”

  “No, and they provide you with shelter and stuff if you need it as well.”

  “But why would they do that? I don’t understand, that seems too helpful.”

  “To help people like you!” Clara throws her hands up in the air in frustration. “People who are stuck in horrible marriages who can’t get out. This is what you need to do.”

  “I don’t know.” My head spins, this is all moving too quickly. “I need to think about it. This is a bit much.”

  “Look, your marriage isn’t going to get any better. It will only get worse if anything. You need to do this.”

  All I can do is nod, I don’t have any choice. I guess Clara is right. I really do need to get out.

  “Okay, let’s go now then. Let’s get the ball rolling. I want you to be happy again, so why not start?”

  “What?” My heart stops beating for a moment. “Right now?”

  “We have time. We’re together. Let’s do it. Why the hell not?”

  She grabs my hand and drags me with her, leaving me with no choice. I just hope this isn’t something I go on to regret later on. I have too many regrets already…

  * * *

  “How did it go?” Clara gushes as soon as I leave my appointment. “Did they help you?”

  I nod, silently blown away by how amazing this charity was. They really do just want to help people. “Yeah, it was amazing, I have the name of a lawyer who is willing to work with me for free.”

  “What’s his name?” Clara grabs the card off me. “Zane Black. Wow, even I’ve heard of him. He’s got an amazing reputation. You are lucky, he will help you out of this horrible marriage.”

  “You think?” I shake all over, anxious and excited all at once. “This is the first time I’ve ever felt like escape was possible. I’m just so scared to get the ball rolling.”

  “Did they make an appointment for you?”

  “No, not yet. I told them that I need a moment to think about it.”

  “No.” Clara shakes her head hard. “No, I can’t let you talk yourself out of it. You at least need to meet this Zane, to see what he can do for you. You have to give him a chance. I’m going to call him for you right now.”

  I guess I don’t have a choice, Clara has taken control of the situation, but maybe that’s what I need…

  2

  Zane

  “A new charity case,” I mutter to myself, happiness blooming in my chest. “Bring it on.”

  I know a lot of other lawyers in the city don’t understand why I work for free for certain people, particularly my best friend, Dan, but I have my reasons, and nothing will change my mind.

  “I’m doing this for you, Mom.” I smile at her picture on my desk. “I won’t let you down.”

  My father is the biggest asshole in the world, absolute scum. Thankfully, I haven’t taken anything from him at all, none of my qualities come from him. I might look a bit like him with my extreme height and bright blue eyes. My high cheekbones also come from him, but that’s it. My personality is all my mom. I would never treat another human being like he treated my mom when they were together, ever.

  If I think about Mom and close my eyes, I can still hear her screaming as my dad threw her down the stairs. Maybe I was only five years old at the time and technically too young to make long-term memories, but it affected me so badly that it’s stuck with me forever. Same as when he punched her and broke her nose, just before she finally got rid of him for good. The best day of my freaking life. The air just lifted when he was out of my life, I didn’t quite realize how much I’d been living in a thick shadow up until that moment.

  But it isn’t the physical violence that affected either of us the most, it’s the way that he emotionally drained her, put her down and made her feel like crap about herself. For the first few years of my life, I just assumed that she was a quiet and shy person but then he left, and she blossomed. She became her true self. I love seeing her as her true self. She’s an incredible, wonderful person whose smile lights up a room and her laughter is infectious. It kills me to know that she locked this side of herself away for such a long time. She’s always deserved more.

  I don’t want anyone to ever feel like shit, which is why I do this. I want to assist people in escaping. That’s my way of giving back to the world, extending the love to others. Mom had help, not that I knew it at the time, but I know without people like me offering their services, there aren’t many choices.

  I know Mom is proud of me as well. She doesn’t live here anymore to see me in my brand-new venture, but we talk enough for me to know that she respects me immensely. I don’t know why I shouldn’t do it either. I have made my money. I’m not a money hungry bastard who always needs more, I’m happy with what I have. I still take paid work, but these are my favorite type of jobs, where I’m helping.

  Knock, knock.

  The knock is quiet, shy sounding which I’m used to. Occasionally, the women sent to me from the charity are fierce and angry, ready to get out of their situation, but more often than not, they are scared. The woman who called me, Clara, I think her name was, said that her friend is very unsure about her decision.

  I will help her. If she needs to get out, I will make sure that she does, no matter what.

  “Come in,” I cry out. “I’m ready for you.”

  The door swings open and I’m blown away by the woman on the other side of the door. Somehow, she manages to completely suck all the air out of my body without even speaking. There’s a real sweet softness to all her features. Her ashy blonde hair whips around her shoulders, surrounding her sweetheart face. She is wearing a blue dress which hangs from her slim frame in a way that makes her look like a model. Then, the closer she gets, the more I see the pale greenness to her eyes which is so unique and beautiful, like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

  “Hello.” My voice sounds weird as I greet her, like my typical overconfidence has slipped away. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, this isn’t like me at all! “It’s nice to meet you. Nova, is it? Like the car?”

  She smiles, her shoulders unfurling as my little joke helps her to relax a little bit. “Apparently, I am named after the car, yes. I think my dad used to drive one back in the day.”

  “You think?” I note her crestfallen face. “That isn’t something you know?”

  She takes a seat and clasps her hands together. “No, that isn’t something I know for sure. My parents both died when I was young, and I haven’t ever had any family around to tell me for certain.”

  “Oh wow… so, where did you grow up then?”

  “In the local orphanarium.”