Page 1 of Forbidden Love

Chapter 1

Maya

Thesunisbrutaltoday, but I don’t mind. It fuels me. The desert heat is like a challenge, one I’m more than ready to face. I stand on top of an old pickup truck, waving my handmade sign high above my face, the words “SAVE OUR LAND” scrawled in bold red letters. Around me, the crowd is buzzing, a mix of locals and fellow activists, all united by a single cause: to stop The Oasis Hotel.

Lena, my best friend and fellow troublemaker, sidles up next to me, her wild curls bouncing as she jumps onto the truck bed. Her hazel eyes gleam in the bright Nevada sun. “This is gonna be epic. We’ve got the media here, the locals are fired up, and I heard there’s a chance Devin Wolfe himself might show up.”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, right. Devin Wolfe doesn’t do protests. He sends his minions to do the dirty work.”

Lena smirks, nudging me with her elbow. “Well, whoever shows up, we’ll be ready. This is our turf.”

Adrenaline pulses through my veins. “Damn right it is.”

This is where I thrive—in the middle of the action, fighting for what I believe in. It’s not only about the land. It’s about standing up to billionaires like Wolfe, who think they can buy their way through anything.

As the chants grow louder, I spot a group of men watching us with curiosity and disdain. They’re dressed in dusty work clothes, blending in with the construction site behind them.

One of them catches my eye. A towering figure stands before me, his rugged features chiseled in stone. His intense gaze looks deep into me, making my skin tingle.

The way he carries himself, with a confident stance and broad shoulders, sets him apart from the other workers. He seems almost out of place, but there’s something utterly magnetizing about him, something dangerous that attracts me despite my better judgment.

I nod toward him. “Who’s that?”

Lena follows my gaze and focuses her attention on him. “No idea, but he’s sure is a delightful piece of eye candy. He’s got that sexy ‘I’m in charge’ vibe, doesn’t he?”

I hop down from the truck. “Definitely. Let’s find out.”

Lena yanks my arm. “Maya, be careful. He’s hot, but he looks like trouble.”

While pushing my shoulders back, I thrust out my chest. “I live for trouble.”

I weave through the crowd, making my way toward the guy who’s now watching me with an unreadable expression. As I get closer, the air charges. I stop a few feet away from him, planting my feet firmly on the ground.

After tossing my hair back with a flick of my wrist, I put a hand on my hip. “Are you here to watch or to work?”

He traces my curves slowly with his feverish amber eyes. “Depends. What are you here to do?”

I tilt my chin, crossing my arms. “I’m here to stop this monstrosity from destroying everything. What about you?”

He smiles, but it’s more of a smirk, like he knows something I don’t. “I’m here to ensure things go smoothly.”

My temper flares. “Smoothly? You mean smoothly for the people who intend to bulldoze this place into oblivion?”

He shrugs, not the least bit intimidated by my fire. “Sure. Something like that.”

I step closer, getting right into his statuesque face. “You realize this land is more than dirt and rocks, right? It’s a home, a sanctuary. You can’t just come in and rip it apart.”

His gaze sharpens, and a flicker of interest appears, but it’s gone as quickly as it arrived. “And you think you can stop it?”

While squaring my shoulders, I lift my chin. “I do. People like you believe they can steamroll over everyone, but you’re wrong.”

He raises an eyebrow and one corner of his male lips rise. “People like me?”

I nod, refusing to back down. “Yeah. People who think money and power give them the right to do whatever the hell they want.”

He chuckles. It’s a low, rich sound that makes my skin prickle. “You’re feisty. I like that.”

As I glare at him, my nails bite into my fists. “I didn’t come here to be liked.”

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