Nora P.O.V I tossed and turned on the bed, my body restless, but sleep never came. Every time I closed my eyes, my mind betrayed me, wandering back to that night in the hotel room the night I tried so hard to forget. My eyes snapped open, heart racing. Why is it always like this? Why does the memory of him always come rushing back, uninvited, every time I think I’m moving on?That night was a mistake. A delicious, sinful mistake. And yet...why do I want to relive it? The thought made my pulse quicken, an undeniable heat building low in my stomach. I shook my head, forcing myself to push the feelings away. Where were these urges coming from all of a sudden? Maybe it was just because I had not been with anyone for so long.Frustration gnawed at me. I sat up, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, my bare feet cold against the floor. Sleep clearly was not happening tonight. I walked to the cupboard, my fingers brushing the door as I opened it and pulled out my duffle bag. Something
Nora P.O.VI was heading towards the history department. Lily had her next class there according to her schedule, and after my latest conversation with Robert, I had been reassigned to keep an eye on her. He allowed me to continue as her bodyguard, but now I had an additional task. I had to attend his events and business gatherings as his companion.I will pretend to be his plus one in order to guard him closely. The idea of playing this role made my stomach churn. I was his girlfriend, or pretending to be one was almost laughable considering that I wanted to stab him myself every time I saw his arrogant face.When he had told me I would be his "plus one," I had to fight the urge not to rip off one of my heels and stab him right between the eyes or myself. How did I end up in this position ? I know he told me I was going to be his bodyguard from now on but I never thought I have to protect him like this and something tells me he is not going to make this easy for me.Do not even get me
Nora POV:I crouched low on the stairs, the cold metal railing pressing against my side as I watched Brent and his accomplice exit through the back route of the campus. My heart pounded in rhythm with my breath, shallow and controlled. I could not afford to make a sound. They moved quickly, clearly in a hurry, and I followed silently, my feet barely making a noise against the ground.They were heading toward a black van parked near the edge of the campus. As I peeked from behind the wall, I saw them climb inside. The doors slammed shut, and in seconds, the engine roared to life. I have to get them before they go too far . Without wasting a moment, I bolted from my hiding spot and sprinted after the van, but it was speeding away too quickly for me to catch up on foot.My gaze darted around in search of an alternative.There was no vehicle here on the road.That’s when I saw a man leaning against a building, casually puffing on a cigarette, his motorcycle parked just a few feet away. Desp
Nora P.O.VFirst, I needed a plan and second I needed something to distract them.I glanced at the factory, scanning the perimeter. The place was heavily guarded, with armed men stationed at every entrance. There was no way I could just walk in. But there had to be another way inside ,somewhere they were not watching as closely.An idea started forming in my brain.It was an old school trick but I think this will.I hope this will help me to distract them .I placed the spectacle that I was wearing in an angle where the sunlight was falling directly on the dried grass. At first nothing happened. God please, let this work. Just then light smoke started coming out of the heap of grass no to far from the factory. A small fire lit up on the grass . I removed the glass and fanned the flame with my hand. Burning smell started to spread in the air. I know it is risky but it would not be long before they notice.I grabbed my backpack and ran in the other direction staying close to the factory wh
Nora s P.O.V."I have never seen you before," the man beside Hulk said, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. His gaze darted over me as if trying to catch any telltale signs of a lie. "What are you doing here? No one is allowed to go back there."“I am a new recruit. I was just trying to find my earpiece which I might have dropped here. Somewhere.When I came. I am just trying to find it .” I said, falling down on my knees and began to pat the ground as if searching the area to find the bluetooth earpiece . Bending forward I patted the dark corner where I had kicked the bluetooth earphone . I acted like I was trying to find it. My fingers touched the earphone .“Funny, because I am the one who recruits newbies here and did not see you ever.” I felt something cold touch the side of my head. The man had trained the nozzle of the gun against the head . I lifted my hands in surrender with the earphone in my fist. Shit. I began to slowly stand up . My back was facing them. I slowly began to tu
Nora P.O.VI pulled my gun from its holster and pressed the nozzle against the lock. The sharp crack of two bullets echoed down the empty hallway as the lock clattered to the floor. Quickly, I put the gun back in its holster, pulled off the lock, and pushed the door open. As we stepped inside, all the eyes turned toward us,wide, terrified, and filled with desperation from inside the cage. The cages were small, barely giving the girls room to move. Each girl sat huddled against the bars, some covered in dirt, others with bruises that showed the marks of their suffering. The sight ignited a fierce anger within me, making it hard to keep my emotions in check. The girls that were there seemed to be between fourteen to twenty three. They are so young. At this age when they are supposed to be studying they are being dragged into this world that some of them hardly understand.“Don’t worry, we are here to get you out,” I whispered to them, as Lily followed close behind. The girls watched us
Nora P.O.VI parked just outside the cemetery, the car’s engine cutting out with a low rumble, leaving only silence. Ahead of me, the iron gate stood rigid and weathered, vines creeping up its frame as if trying to reclaim it. Rust chipped away at its hinges, and the weight of time seemed embedded in every worn down bar. I looked over to the passenger seat, where a delicate bouquet of white lilies rested, stark against the faded leather. Taking a deep breath, I reached over, gently wrapping my fingers around the stems before unfastening my seatbelt and opening the door.After what happened to the other day, it brought back the past painful memories that I thought I had buried long time ago.I knew I have to finally come here. This has been a long awaited visit that I need to make, an unfinished chapter I needed to face, a wound that had scarred over but never fully healed and still as new as the day they were buried.Standing before the cemetery gates, I paused, letting the cool air wa
Nora P.O.VLeaning my head on Cyber’s shoulder, I let out a long, weary sigh. The weight of memories settled heavily, like a dark cloud that had been gathering in my heart for years. My eyes grew misty, and I squeezed them shut, as scenes of the past started playing like a movie reel I could never escape from.Layson was forced to take a leave to recover. He moved into the neighbourhood when I was sixteen, almost seventeen, and even back then, I was captivated by him but my past experience with men forced me not to let him get too close. He had this effortless charm, the kind that teenage dreams are built around. At first, I had no clue how he felt about me. There were always lingering touches , looks , I tried not to read too much into the situation. He was this big successful army who could have anyone he wanted .What a barely legal teenager with a bad past could give him? Cyber’s father, whom I had come to love like my own father, often invited Layson over, which did not do any goo
Riccardo P.O.V Dinner with Callandria was a quiet affair. We were both locked in our own thoughts, wrestling with our own minds. When she said she will do it I thought her agreement would satisfy me, yet victory feels hollow and empty. "Here." I slid my phone across the table to her once we had both finished eating. "You should call your grandfather, bella. He wants to know you are safe and that you are here because you want to be." She eyed the phone for a long, silent moment and then reluctantly picks it up. "2008 is the lock code." "The year I was born," she murmured. And the year Nico left the family. "You trust me with your lock code." "I offered you freedom, Callandria. It wasn't a lie," I said ,holding her gaze. "Until things are settled, you are not to leave the house or have contact with your family. Those rules are for your safety as much as for theirs. But I am not your captor. You are not my prisoner. You are going to be the mother of my child." "My grandfather wo
Callandria P.O.V "I am ready," I told Alessio less than a minute later, stepping out of the bedroom. He led me down the hallway. Unlike my father's house, Riccardo's was not built like a museum to wealth. It was timeless and beautiful. Dark wood panels line the walls, with ornately carved banisters and balustrades. Instead of a chandelier, a crystal dome over the staircase floods the foyer with natural light. We passed through the living room, decorated more for comfort than to impress. A large fireplace and sectional dominate the room, with bookcases lining one wall. Massive doors lead out to a patio and a rolling green lawn. "Kitchen," Alessio said, standing to the side to let me pass. I stepped inside and then stopped to stare. The entire kitchen was made from stone, with a cobblestone floor and gorgeous dark wood cabinets. Appliances rest in arched alcoves. Windows look out over the lawn. It was breathtaking, like stepping straight into Tuscany. "Wow," I whispered. No won
Riccardo P.O.V By the time we pulled up by the dock at the harbor, Dant was already there. He leans against the side of his Harley, skipping pebbles across the water. He did not even glance over his shoulder to see who pulled up. I did not think my youngest brother gave a fuck anymore. He tried for years to keep us together, but this way of life wears on you. By the time he had his accident a few years ago, he was not the same kid who spoke the vow. He is harder. Darker. We rarely see him unless he has no choice. I think he would have walked away from all of it if he could. Hell, which of us wouldn't? This life only brought us misery . We lost those we have loved and lived with our enemies. "You are early," I observed, striding across the dock toward him. "You are late." He lets another rock fly. It skipped three times before sinking, dragged to the bottom to rest alongside decades worth of evidence of La Cosa Nostra crimes. Merda. Ours were not the only secrets this harbor keeps
Dant P.O.V“You live here?" Genesis eyed me skeptically, her arms crossed over her chest and her brows furrowed as she glanced around my living room."Yes. Surprised?" I arched a brow, already knowing the answer to that question. Unlike my brothers and sister, I did not live in a house large enough to fit an army. My place was an old greystone in Bridgeport...as fucking far from Robert as I can get without encroaching on territory that did not belong to the DiFronzo family.Once upon a time, the house belonged to my mom's parents. I was not sure any of my brothers knew that. I never told them. Did not see a point when they had lived with our mom's ghost for so long already. Sometimes, ignorance is preferable to pain.Me though? I barely remember her. Not the color of her eyes, or the way she smiled. Not the sound of her laugh, or the warmth of her hugs. I was four and Lily was three when she died, barely old enough to spell out our own goddamn name. Any memories I had of her were eras
Genesis P.O.V"Not yet." His smile did not reach his eyes. I did not think he had smiled in a long time. But they glint with some emotion that makes me shiver. I did not know what it was. "You will.”"Never."His smile widened. "You are coming to work for me." Is he insane? He found me taking out his cash and nowhere wanted me to come and work for him."I have a job.""Not anymore. As of this moment, you work for me, tesoro. Or..." He lets the threat linger unspoken. I know what he meant though. Or he would call the police and we let the chips fall where they may. I think he knew I could not take that risk, though. The bastard knows he was not really giving me a choice here.I think he loves knowing I have no choice and no say. I am his to command, his to control and I hated it but I have no other choice.He was a six-foot-three lion. And I think I may be the little lamb to the slaughter."Fine," I growled, giving in about as gracefully as a bull in a china shop."But I am not for sal
Genesis P.O.VThe elevator glided to a stop on the top floor. The doors slid open, revealing the sort of ostentatious wealth that made my stomach hurt. You know, the kind that could feed half the world, but is spent building glass castles like this for despotic kings instead.The kings who worked from this glass castle are rumored to be some of the worst. They are mafia, Made men. The entire city loses sleep over them and their whims. Yet I never have. When you are trying to survive the devil you know, it was hard to care about the devils you did not.I dragged my bucket off the elevator and set to work emptying the trash. It took all of five minutes to clean up after the reception staff. Two of the executive offices are spotless, as if they were rarely used. The desks held no personal items, nothing to give any hint about the men who worked within.I finished straightening them quickly and moved to the third.A masculine, woodsy scent wafted through the open doors, enveloping me in i
Callandria P.O.V "What do you want from me?" I cried out, my stomach clenching at the look in his eyes, as if he has never been more serious in his life. He meant every word. I might be here for a reason, but he wants me for and that scared me and did not scare me nearly enough at the same time. I expected him to give me the same no-answers he had been giving me, but he did not. He surprised me this time. He gave me the truth. At least, some version of it. "I want you to help me stop a war, Callandria," he said, sitting back in his chair. "Your father started something that may very well destroy us all. I need you to help me stop it." My stomach trembles as the pieces begin to connect in my mind. I did not need him to spell it out for me. I know exactly what he was asking of me. And yet...and yet I wanted to hear him say it anyway. "Tell me," I said. "I want you to give me an heir." He held my gaze, unflinching. "In exchange, you will have your freedom. Whatever marriage con
Callandria P.O.V Everyone has it wrong. Robert DiFronzo was not the devil. Riccardo is. I paced around the luxurious bathroom, muttering under my breath like a crazy person as I made the same circuit across the stone tile. I had already used the bathroom, checked the window, and scoured the shelves for a weapon. There was not anything of use. There was not even a bottle of cologne I could spray in his eyes to blind him. I was in no hurry to return to captivity. I even took a quick shower and stole a toothbrush from beneath the sink to delay the inevitable. My heart still races. Dio. No one has ever spoken to me the way he does or touched me as if I belong to him. It infuriates me and makes my blood run hot at the exact same time. I was so caught up in cursing him out that I didn't hear him approaching. The sharp rapping against the bathroom door made me jump, and my heart thudded against my ribcage, rattling my nerves. "I brought you something to wear," he said. "Would you like
Riccardo P.O.V My phone rings,vibrating across the countertop. I dipped my head under the water to rinse the soap out of it, turn the water off, and stepped from the shower to grab a towel. Steam swirls around me, fogging up the bathroom. "Merda," (Shit) I muttered under my breath when Robert's name flashed across the display. Whatever he has to say, I am almost positive I do not want to hear it, but I swipe to answer anyway. "You have Callandria Castellano chained to your bed?" he growled. "What the fuck are you and Mattia thinking?" "You are the one who decided to deliver a pile of bodies to Emilio Castellano's doorstep," I reminded him. "Mattia could not just leave her there after she spotted them.” "So you chained her to your bed?" he growled, his voice deadly quiet. Robert does not yell. He rarely ever raised his voice. When you are the king, you do not have to shout to be heard. People listen even if you fucking whisper. "God, Riccardo. Think! She is a principessa, not some