Ghost POV“Fuck,” I gasp, my voice raw. “Prince, I—”“Say it,” he demands, his tone razor-sharp, each word punctuated by another relentless thrust. “Say you were wrong.”I bite down hard on my lip, torn apart by conflicting emotions—my pride and my desperate, aching need for release. “I—I was wrong,” I finally choke out, the words barely audible over the pounding of my heartbeat and the sound of skin against skin.Prince’s hips falter, his movements growing erratic, and with a guttural groan, he spills inside me. His hand tightens around my cock, and the combination of sensations sends me careening over the edge. My vision blurs as I shudder violently, waves of pleasure crashing through me and leaving me breathless.We collapse together, tangled on the cold floor, our bodies heaving with exhaustion. For a long, drawn-out moment, neither of us speaks. The weight of what just happened settles over us like a suffocating blanket, impossible to ignore or push away.Finally, Prince rolls of
Prince POVTime seems to stretch and warp in this place. Ghost and I have tried to piece together how long we’ve been here, basing it on the number of times we’ve slept or when they bring food, but it’s impossible to be sure. Ghost thinks we’ve been here two weeks, while I feel like it’s been just a week. Then again, with everything going on, I can’t seem to focus long enough to figure it out. My mind won’t let me. I’m too wound up, too mentally wrecked to think straight.Meanwhile, Ghost is grinning like a damn cat who got the cream as he places his cards down, triumphant once again. I groan loudly. I’ve lost, again! There’s no way he’s not cheating. I mean, come on—how the hell is he winning this much? It defies all logic.At one point, I was so sure he was hiding cards somewhere that I actually told him to strip down so I could check. He kept his hands firmly in front of him the entire time and, of course, there was nothing. Still, I’m not entirely convinced. There has to be someth
Prince POVI join in the search, my pulse pounding as I frantically check every door, every corner. Finally, I find a door that leads to a narrow staircase. “Here!” I shout, the word bursting from me like a lifeline. Ghost appears immediately, his pace urgent as he rushes forward, overtaking me to take the lead. He reaches the door first but stops abruptly, his body tensing.“We’re going back, Prince. Stay in touch, let me know you’re okay, but I will stay away,” he says quietly, his tone devoid of the intensity I’d expected. His words land heavily, and before I can respond, he starts climbing the stairs, his movements brisk but mechanical. At the top, he shoves a hatch open, flooding the space with blinding light. I groan, shielding my eyes as the brightness stings and distorts my vision.Ghost climbs out first, pausing at the top to extend his hand toward me. I stand at the bottom, my eyes flickering back to the rooms behind me. A hesitation grips me, rooting me in place.“Prince, c
Prince POVMy father’s voice breaks through my spiraling thoughts. “Myself and Salvatore have worked to ensure these stay private! Only he and I know. Everyone else thinks we never got anything.”I don’t let my expression falter as I respond coldly, “Keep it that way. I don’t want them out.”His face hardens as he stands abruptly, glaring at me with the full force of his authority. “Are you really giving me orders?”“You just said I’m officially the boss,” I snap, meeting his glare without flinching. “So yes, I fucking am! Delete every single fucking copy.” I stand, the tension between us thick and suffocating. “If they get out, people will know we have weak spots, and others will try to take me again. Not to mention they had fucking Josie! Using her to make us do shit, so delete it.”He tilts his head, studying me, as if weighing his next move. “They never had her! When you two didn’t return, we locked down everything. It was fake!”Fake? My fists clench at my sides as I fight to kee
Ghost POVAs soon as I’m in the car, Josie throws her arms around me, clinging like I’m the only thing grounding her. My father’s glare is like a dagger, sharp and unyielding, but he stays silent. The drive back is heavy with unspoken words, the kind that fills every corner of the car, pressing down like a weight. I know he has things he wants to say, demands he’ll make, but I have something else on my mind—something I need to do.When we finally reach the estate, I follow him straight to his office. The moment the door closes behind us, I walk to his desk but refuse to sit. My body is tense, charged with the anger and purpose bubbling beneath the surface.“You’ll want to sit for this,” he grits out, his tone low and biting.I let out a sigh but comply, sitting down reluctantly. “I have something I need to do,” I say, my tone firm. “I need a team of men.”His eyes narrow as he studies me, suspicion etched into every line of his face. “We’ll get to that, after we talk about what happen
Ghost POVI can’t fucking breathe. The rage burns so hot it threatens to consume me. I slam the laptop shut, the sound echoing through the room.When I return to the front, the staff are still lined up against the wall. The woman who spoke earlier trembles, her eyes darting to me in fear. I hold up a file, my hand shaking with fury.“This,” I growl, my voice dripping with venom. “This is what you’ve been doing? Torturing kids? Breaking them?” My gaze sweeps over the staff. “Who gave the orders? Who carried them out?”The man with glasses finally speaks. “We… we just followed the guidelines. It wasn’t personal!”“Not personal?” I laugh bitterly. “It was personal to the kids you destroyed. It was fucking personal to Prince.”My finger tightens on the trigger, but I stop myself. Not yet. Instead, I step back and motion to my men. “Shoot the ones who didn’t show up in the footage against Prince. Leave the rest.”Gunfire erupts, deafening and final. The staff scream as bodies drop to the f
Prince POVIt was in the car that my father made me aware I would be dealing with Ghost. I didn’t expect that. His father, Salvatore, is still in charge, so why am I dealing with Ghost?This meeting is going to be torture. My father is watching my every move, and I know I need to push against Ghost just to show that I feel nothing for him. When we step into the room, Ghost doesn’t even look at me. His gaze is fixed on the table.Grinding my teeth, I lean forward. “We need to discuss this. If you can’t look at me long enough to do it, then you may as well let your father handle it.” My words are cold, and Ghost finally looks up.His glare is sharp and distant, and it unsettles me in a way I wasn’t prepared for. It’s the same look he uses on people he despises—on his father, on enemies. It’s a stark reminder of how much things have changed between us. The chill in his gaze makes me falter, but only for a
Prince POVThe moment stretches in silence before his phone rings. He glances at the screen and answers briskly.“Giovanni!” he barks, his tone immediately hostile. He listens for a moment, his frown deepening. “Why do you need my son?” His voice hardens further. “If it’s business, you should be calling him. Piero, come on—you know he’s taken over.” He suddenly thrusts the phone toward me, his expression sharp and impatient. “Here. Deal with it.”Sighing, I take the phone and press it to my ear. “Piero,” I say, keeping my voice even. “What’s the issue?”“Well, we were notified that one of your properties was burned down,” Piero says calmly, though there’s a hint of unease in his tone.A chill runs through me as my grip on the phone tightens. “What property?” I ask sharply.“Whitewood Hall,&rdquo
Ghost’s POVThe estate hums with a quiet, controlled energy. It’s not like before, not the constant shifting of power, the tension of men waiting for orders, unsure of where their loyalty should fall. No, this is different. This is stability, control. The kind of power that comes when every loose end has been tied, every move made with precision.Six months ago, the chaos of merging two families under one name seemed impossible, but here we are. There was bloodshed, betrayal, battles fought in the dark, but in the end, the Moretti name swallowed everything whole.And Lorenzo stands at the center of it all, like he was always meant to.It still feels strange sometimes, calling him that. For so long, he was Prince—an untouchable force of nature that crashed through my life and ruined me in the best fucking way. But he doesn’t go by that anymore. He stripped that name from himself the same way he burned away everything tied to his past.Prince was the name his father put on him, and it t
Prince POVThe hum of the jet is steady, almost soothing, and for the first time in a long time, my body doesn’t feel weighed down by expectation or responsibility. I should be thinking about everything we left behind, the work waiting for us when we return, but all I can focus on is Ghost’s warmth pressed against my side.I swirl the whiskey in my glass, watching the amber liquid catch the soft lighting. My head is clearer than it’s been in weeks, and maybe it’s the altitude or the silence between us, but I know this is the moment to say what’s been lingering in my mind.“I forgive you.”Ghost stills beside me. His arm, draped lazily over my shoulders, tenses. He doesn’t speak right away, just tilts his head slightly to look at me.“You forgive me,” he repeats, as if testing the words, trying to make sense of them.I nod, setting my glass down. “Yeah. For the kidnapping, for everything. I hated you for it, Ghost. I wanted to fucking kill you for it, and I won’t pretend I didn’t. But
Ghost POVThe past few weeks have been hell. Chaos, tension, and the never-ending grind of fixing what was broken. Prince has spent every second of the last week since we married solidifying his hold, making sure his men follow him, and reclaiming what was his. At the same time, my father has been preparing to hand everything over to me.There’s one thing we haven’t spoken about, though. Something I’ve already discussed with my father. Even though I’ll be taking over soon, his opinion still holds weight.Running two separate families, keeping our business dealings apart like we’re enemies, seems fucking stupid. We’re married, we live together, and our men are already working alongside each other. Keeping it divided is like clinging to something outdated, something that doesn’t fit the reality of what we are now.It’s a conversation I need to have with Prince, and now, with the meal winding down and everyone moving into the other room to drink, it’s time.I place a hand on his arm, sto
Prince POVIf I’m going to lead, if I’m going to secure my place, I need to make sure there’s no doubt about where I stand. And I need to make damn sure everyone else knows it too.The man shifts in his seat, trying to keep his posture straight despite the way his arms are bound behind the chair. His lip is swollen, blood smeared across his jaw, but his eyes—they’re what piss me off the most. He isn’t scared. He should be.I exhale slowly, my fingers flexing at my sides. “Let’s skip the bullshit. You don’t like me. I get it. You wanted someone else to take over, and now you’re sitting here bleeding while I stand in front of you.” I tilt my head. “Tell me, how do you think this ends?”His jaw tightens, but he doesn’t answer.Ghost leans against the wall, arms crossed, watching. He’s letting me handle this, letting me take the lead. I can feel his gaze on me, assessing, waiting to see what I’ll do.I crouch down in front of the man, resting my elbows on my knees. “Loyalty,” I say, watch
Prince POVA week has passed since the meeting where the men accepted me as their boss. The tension that had been thick in the air that day has finally settled, and everything seems to be running smoothly. No one is openly challenging my authority anymore, and while there are still some lingering doubts in certain circles, no one dares to act on them. Not yet, at least.Ash has been on top of things, making sure operations are running like clockwork. The businesses are stable, the money is flowing, and the ports are secure. The men who had hesitated before have either fallen in line or disappeared quietly, knowing that their loyalty isn’t up for debate.I should feel accomplished. I should feel like I’ve won. But the truth is, I don’t feel much of anything.My mind is still scattered, still tangled in everything that’s happened. I haven’t touched alcohol since the poisoning, though the urge is there. Not because I need it to function, but because I need something to dull the thoughts
Ghost POVPrince stands at the head of the table, his face unreadable, his hands resting lightly against the dark wood. He’s composed, but I can see the way his fingers tighten slightly, the only sign of the exhaustion clinging to him. This isn’t about cigars. It’s about control. Power. The future of his leadership.I stay just behind him, watching, listening. This is his moment. I won’t interfere unless I have to.“You all know why we’re here,” Prince starts, his voice steady, controlled. “Giovanni is dead. I’ve taken over, and I have no interest in forcing anyone to stay who doesn’t want to. But if you do stay, things will be different.”Some of them exchange glances, but no one speaks yet. They’re waiting, listening.“I’m offering each of you more than you had under Giovanni. Five percent of the profits from the territories you oversee. It’s not just a paycheck—it’s a direct stake in what you build, a reason to keep this family strong. That is what I’m offering.”His words settle o
Ghost POVPrince is useless right now, as bad as it sounds. He stuck around, tried to help, but every time he spoke, he made things worse. His Capo kept looking at him like he had lost his damn mind, caught between respecting him as their boss and questioning if he was in any state to be leading them.So now, he’s asleep again. And honestly, it’s for the best. He needs to be sharp when he meets with the men later. I’m trying not to overstep, just handling the basics and making sure everything runs smoothly. Any requests for meetings, deals, or negotiations have been pushed back a few days.His men were standing around like they had no fucking clue what to do. It makes me wonder how Giovanni handled them. If this happened on my side, my Capo would have been quick to clean up the mess, eliminate any threats, and get everything back in order before anyone even had a chance to notice.The De Luca Capo, on the other hand, just stood there dumbfounded. It took me outright ordering them to g
Prince POVMind is useless as I scramble for an answer.“The arms dealer,” I continue, my voice flat. “He’s got direct supply lines to some of the best weapons in the country. Losing him doesn’t just mean weaker defenses, it means weaker offense. If a war starts and he’s not backing me, I’m going in blind while the other side is stocked.”Ghost nods again, like he already expected that answer.“Then the street boss,” I mutter, rubbing my forehead. “He manages all the foot soldiers. If he doesn’t pledge to me, I lose bodies. Numbers. Without him, I’ll have the higher-ups but no one left to actually enforce my rule.”I exhale, my fingers pressing against my temples. “And then there’s the club owner. He’s the one who controls the places where all these deals go down. The meetings, the payments, the contracts. If he refuses to align with me, I lose neutral ground. I lose the space to negotiate, to work things out before they turn bloody.”Ghost watches me, waiting for more, but my mind is
Prince POVWaking up feels disorienting, my body lighter than before, but my mind sluggish, struggling to piece together how I even got here. The last thing I remember was leaning into Ghost, his warmth steady against mine. Did I really fall asleep on him? That doesn’t feel like something I’d let myself do, not after everything. Yet, here I am, lying in bed with no memory of moving.Sitting up, I drag a hand down my face, trying to shake off the remnants of exhaustion. My limbs feel less like dead weight, but there’s still a heaviness in my chest, an ache deep in my muscles that refuses to fade completely. The poison may be wearing off, but the effects still linger beneath my skin.I push the blankets back and move to the bathroom, needing something to ground me. The hot water pelts against my skin, steam curling around me as I let the shower rinse away the last dregs of weakness. By the time I step out and dress, the fog in my mind has lifted slightly, but the weight of everything st