Mistaken: Your Love Is Dangerous, #1

By Talia Ellison

When my father hires Seth Rovero as my bodyguard because of a few bruises on my arms, I'm confident that I can keep my underground fight club a secret.

But the devilishly handsome Seth tracks me down way too easily after I ditch him, and he has no problem complying with my club's most important rule: no entry without a fight.

Although I suspect he is here to spy on me rather than to protect me, I may not have a choice but to trust him when a gang leader makes a move to take over my club.

As the attraction between us grows, I have no idea if Seth will help me or if he is here for reasons of his own...

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This is the first installment in the three-book Your Love Is Dangerous series. It may contain potentially triggering situations, violence, strong language, sexual content, and a cliffhanger.

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Reading order:
MISTAKEN (Book 1)
FUGITIVE (Book 2)
STRONGER (Book 3)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Talia Ellison
• Release date: May 8, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386654179

Talia Ellison

Talia Ellison is the author of Hold Me, Unfold Me, the Loving Your Enemy series, the Your Love Is Dangerous series, Destroying the Billionaire, The Mafia Proposal series, the My Broken Hitman series, the Her Dark Mafia Heart duet, the Owned by the Mafia Queen series, the Never His duet, the Taking Revenge on Her Bully series, the Varano Mafia series, and Arranged: Cassaro Mafia. She loves to read and write all kinds of romance, and she has a thing for broken, tortured heroes and fierce heroines who aren't afraid to take what they want. When she’s not busy with a book, she likes to watch TV shows and listen to music. Never miss a new release! Sign up for Talia’s newsletter: https://taliaellison.weebly.com/newsletter.html

Book preview

Your Love Is Dangerous Series

Book One

MISTAKEN

Talia Ellison

Copyright © 2017 Talia Ellison

All rights reserved. No part of this novel may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior permission in writing from the author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

For more information about the author, go to: http://taliaellison.weebly.com

Never miss a new release! Sign up for Talia's newsletter: https://taliaellison.weebly.com/newsletter.html

Table of Contents

Copyright Page

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Fugitive (excerpt)

More books by Talia Ellison

Chapter 1

HELLO, MS. HAMPTON, my father’s secretary said the moment she saw me. I had no idea why my father wanted to see me so urgently, especially at his office.

Hello, Nicole, I said, my lips spreading into a fake smile. She had to be the third secretary my father had hired this year, and I knew the only reason he’d hired her was because she was dark-haired and dark-eyed. That was his new preferred type after my mother left.

Mr. Hampton is waiting for you in his office, she said.

My high heels clicked against the marble floor as I made my way to the office. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open. My father’s brown eyes—identical to mine—lifted up and the lines around his mouth became more prominent. His black suit was impeccable, and his graying dark hair was perfectly combed, except for a few strands rising awkwardly at the back of his head, which made me wonder just how recently the secretary had been in here.

Victoria, he said. You’re late.

No, I’m not. I crossed my arms. What do you want?

Sit down.

I reluctantly dragged myself to the leather chair and sat down, careful of my dark red cocktail dress. Are we going to talk in your office from now on and not at home? We still lived at the same house, but sometimes it was as if we weren’t. My father was always busy with work, and I... Well, I was busy too.

Depends. He picked up two photographs and tossed them across the desk. Usually when I get home after a hard day at work, you’re out and doing God knows what.

What’s this? I glanced at the photo and nearly groaned. It was an image of me with the daughter of one of my father’s business partners. The second one was a close-up of my bare arm, with a few dark bruises marring my skin that unfortunately looked way too much like needle marks. Shit.

Why don’t you tell me? he said through his teeth. This was posted all over social media!

So? What does it matter? I just bumped too hard into something. I twirled a strand of my long light brown hair around my finger, the corners of my lips quirking up.

You don’t understand how serious this is. People talk and after what...

Oh, I understand perfectly. I glared at him. You don’t want me to be seen with bruises again because you worry what everyone will think about that. Fine. I’ll be more careful. Instead of worrying about my safety, my father was more concerned with what people would think and what effect that would have on his multibillion dollar company and on his attempt to run for mayor again.

Yes, you will. But after this, I’m going to make sure you don’t cause me any more problems. He reached for his phone.

And how are you planning to do that? I arched an eyebrow at him.

He held up his phone. I hired a bodyguard for you. He won’t leave your side and will ensure there aren’t any more transgressions. His lip curled at the last word, which was also what he preferred to call what happened to me four years ago and that had nearly destroyed me.

I let out a disgusted sigh. A bodyguard? I don’t need one.

My father’s hand was poised over the button on his phone. Yes, you do. My decision’s final. There’s nothing you can say to change it.

It was usually impossible to change my father’s decisions. I knew that well by now, so I let my father press the button and make the call. A bodyguard. This wasn’t the first time my father had tried hiring one. The last one had quit because I’d ditched him so many times he could never stay around me for more than five minutes. I supposed I could get rid of the new one too. I had to.

My secret had to be safe from my father or things could get really ugly. A part of me wondered just how my father would react if he found out I’d gotten the bruises at the underground fight club that I owned. Even if he somehow figured out that I’d secretly come in possession of it, all the files said only that a friend had left me his old, abandoned property, and there was no reason for him to suspect that anything was going on there at night.

Besides, from outside, it looked like a dilapidated one-story house. The façade was peeling off, and all the windows were covered with planks. On the inside, though, there was a big room with a fighting cage, a hallway, and a few smaller rooms. I even had an office, and everything was well-taken care of and as clean as possible.

My father would lose his mind if he found out, so I was doing everything in my power to make sure no one ever found the club or connected it with me. It was a good thing that most people thought I was just a rich party girl who wasn’t capable of keeping her alcohol down, let alone running a fight club.

A few moments later, my father lowered the phone and the door opened. I turned in my chair to greet the bulky bald guy who was probably going to be my bodyguard, but the guy who walked through the door was around my age. He was tall and lean, the muscles in his arms bulging against his black shirt. His short black hair was messy, and his blue eyes had an unusual spark in them. And the way those blue jeans fit him... It took me a moment to pick my jaw off the floor. Who was this hottie and what was he doing here?

Victoria, this is Seth Rovero, your bodyguard, my father said. Seth, this is my daughter, Victoria.

It’s a pleasure to meet you. Seth stopped in the middle of the room, his presence imposing, and gave me a long look, a small smile tilting his lips.

Him? I looked at my father, wondering if this was some kind of a joke.

Yes, he’ll be with you at all times, my father said. No exceptions and no excuses.

Well, I certainly wouldn’t be able to use the excuse that my bodyguard looked too old to go to a party with me. Okay. I flashed Seth a smile. I might even feel sorry for ditching this one, but I had no doubts that I could lose him eventually. If he really needed this job, then I might be able to reach an agreement with him so he wouldn’t watch over me at night. Or I could bribe him.

If you think you’re going to get away this time as you did before, think again, my father said, handing me a piece of paper. Seth comes highly recommended.

I took the paper and skimmed through it. Seriously? His past five employers had given him the best ratings, and he’d even gotten specially commended for saving the life a person who he hadn’t even been guarding. And he was only a year older than me. Was I supposed to believe any of that?

Except my father had probably verified all the info already. Not because he’d thought my life could be in danger if he hired a shady bodyguard but because if something went wrong, people would blame him for allowing the wrong guy to protect me. I set the paper down on the desk. This didn’t change anything. I’d just have to be really, really careful when sneaking off to the club at night.

Good. Is that all you wanted to talk to me about? I started to rise, but my father lifted his hand, so I sat back down.

Seth, wait outside, please, my father said. Seth inclined his head, then headed out. When we were alone again, my father focused on me. I want to remind you that everything you do reflects on me.

I leaned back in my seat. Maybe I should just move across the country and live my own life. I’m an adult. There’s no reason for me to keep living here. If people don’t see me here, they’ll forget about me, and then you’ll have nothing to worry about.

His face reddened as he bared his teeth. Absolutely not. These photos are proof you’re not capable of living on your own without me there to take care of you.

I pushed back the tears forming in the corners of my eyes. He didn’t even know what care meant. All he wanted was for me to stick around so he could pretend he still had a happy family and a beautiful relationship with me. My mom had gotten away, and he’d be damned if he let me leave him too. But the only thing that mattered to me now was my club, and as long as my father didn’t mess with that, I didn’t care.

I’d been furious with him for not letting me go to the college I wanted because it was in another town, but that was before I got the club. My attempt to get a job had been thwarted too, because he thought it was beneath his daughter to work for someone else, and he didn’t believe I was capable of working with him... or more likely, he didn’t want me to know his secrets. He’d rather just give me all the money I wanted as long as I didn’t do anything to tarnish his image.

Victoria. He raised his voice, and I realized I’d stopped listening to him at some point.

What? I snapped.

If Seth reports that you are obstructing his job, I’m going to take all of your credit cards away.

My eyebrows shot up. What was I? A teenager again? Fine, I said with all the indifference in the world that I could muster. All the shopping sprees I’d gone on had been purely to give him a headache when he saw the bill, not because I enjoyed doing that. But maybe it was a good thing my father thought he could control me with his money, just as he controlled everything else in his life.

His eyes were narrowed at me with suspicion for a long moment. I’m not joking, Victoria.

I didn’t like the way he said my name, as if I were a naughty child. I know. Can I go now? I saw this awesome dress I really want to get before someone else buys it, so are we done here or what?

His shoulders relaxed a little as he sat back in his chair. Of course. You may go. He thought he had me exactly where he wanted me, but I wasn’t about to tell him just how wrong he was. Getting to my feet, I flashed him a fake smile, then headed for the door.

Once I was in the hallway, I nearly jumped when I felt someone behind my back. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Seth giving me a smile. Right. My incredibly hot bodyguard. What on earth had my father been thinking? That I’d want to flaunt Seth around because he was good-looking? I wondered how he’d feel if I seduced my bodyguard, but I assumed that somewhere in Seth’s contract there was a clause that strictly forbade any unprofessional interaction between him and me.

I didn’t even want to think what the consequences would be if the contract was broken. My father was unbearable when things didn’t go the way he planned them. I swayed my hips as I strode to the elevator, giving Seth another look over my shoulder as I bit down on my lip. Maybe I could unnerve him enough to get him to quit. Surely, my father couldn’t force anyone to actually stay on the job against their will.

As we stepped into the elevator, a glimpse of a tattoo peeking from under the collar of Seth’s shirt made me frown. My father hiring someone with tattoos? That was new. He had to really think Seth was good. Shit.

Taking out my phone, I quickly texted my best friend Chiara, who was helping me with the club, to tell her that I might be coming later than usual tonight. Seth was quiet, but his eyes were constantly on me, as if they could see through me. I shifted my weight from foot to foot, wondering if I should just tell him to stop looking at me like that, but I kept my mouth shut, because somehow I had a feeling that me objecting would make him happy.

Guys like Seth needed excitement, and if my father had told him things about me, then he expected plenty of that. I knew exactly how to annoy him. If the longest shopping spree he’d even been on wouldn’t send him running, then a long coffee with my acquaintances surely would.

I smiled to myself as we exited the elevator. Seth was so done.

Chapter 2

IT WAS ALREADY 10 PM when Seth and I arrived home, and I was about to fall off my high heels. I’d been to enough shops that I needed two people to carry the bags, and a light headache was pressing on my temples.

Seth had taken the whole thing way too well, and he hadn’t said a word or showed he was annoyed because he’d had to follow me around. He hadn’t even reacted while my acquaintance, who my father had deemed an acceptable friend for me, was constantly yapping. I’d tried to drown myself in coffee to block out her voice, but ended up ordering two shots of tequila after she was gone.

As I was trudging toward my room, Seth was still right behind me and not showing a single sign of exhaustion.

Matilda, our housekeeper, who’d been with my family ever since I was born, offered me a wide smile when she saw me. Ms. Hampton, do you need anything?

My name’s Victoria, I said with a smile, even though I knew she’d never call me that because my father would never approve. Yeah, there’s something I need. I glanced at Seth, who had stopped in the middle of the hallway and was eyeing us carefully. He was probably going to report everything he saw to my father, so I had to be very careful about what I did in front of him. Stepping closer to Matilda, I lowered my voice, handing her the light blue bag I was holding in my hand.

Take all the things I bought today and donate them to some charity or something, I whispered.

Her lips parted, her hazel eyes going wide, as she tucked a gray strand of her hair that had slipped out of her bun behind her ear. Miss, but your father...

My father will never know, and he doesn’t care what I do with all the things I buy anyway. Just take it all away. I don’t want any of it.

She took the bag from me and peeked at the plain blue sweater that was inside. As you wish, miss.

Thank you. I turned on my heel and realized that for the first time today Seth’s expression wasn’t smiling or neutral. His brow was furrowed as he looked from Matilda to me, but then he followed me down the hallway.

When we were in front of the door to my room, I stopped to look at him. Where do you think you’re going?

I need to make sure there aren’t any threats to your safety, he said calmly.

In my room? My eyebrows shot up.

Yes. May I? He reached for the knob, his arm brushing my side, and my breath caught in my throat.

Fine. I pressed my lips into a tight line and stepped aside. A smile played on his lips, and I wondered just how much he was enjoying this. Well, he wouldn’t be smiling anymore once I got out of here without him even knowing about it. I waited as he turned on the lights and made a quick inspection of my room, checking every corner, including behind the curtains. Once he was done with my private bathroom, he came toward me.

Are you going to check my bed too? I asked, kicking off my high heels. The rich blue carpet felt like heaven under my feet.

Should I? He glanced at me over his shoulder.

I groaned. Was it even possible to unnerve this guy? Was that why my father had hired him? Because he was insufferable? No. Just get out. I need to take a shower. And I had to get the hell out of here and away from Seth’s watchful eyes. He was currently staring at the photos on my dressing table.

You can do whatever you want, miss. I’ll stay right here. He leaned against the wall, next to the terrace door.

I don’t think so. I placed my hand on my hip. You can wait outside my room. Not in here. Just what did he think he was doing? I wasn’t going to let him be my shadow in my own home.

I’m sorry, but I can’t leave you unprotected. There was no amusement in his eyes when he said it.

I’m not unprotected. I’m in my own room. I padded over to the closet and opened it.

Someone might try to come in through this door. He tilted his head toward the terrace. Don’t worry. I promise you won’t even notice I’m here. It’s only until your father’s guards arrive. Your father hired two more to prevent anyone from climbing up your terrace.

My father’s guards? Shit. I turned my back to Seth so he wouldn’t be able to see my face. Was I on some form of house arrest? My father must have realized I’d been sneaking out through the terrace