GhostThis has to be a fucking joke. There’s no way my father would agree to this, let alone want it. Prince marrying my sister? It’s sick. We’re supposed to be families at war, for God’s sake. No one will believe that they just magically met, fell in love, and decided to unite the families.Sure, I’ve met up with Prince in secret, but that was before we knew who we were. This? This is different. This is betrayal.“This is wrong,” I whisper, my voice tight with restrained anger as I stare at my father.“It’s a good way to end the feud,” he replies coldly, his eyes piercing through me. “The families will unite, not battle.”“At Josie’s expense? You cannot let him marry her!” My head shakes, the words flying out before I can stop them.“It’s too late, Ghost,” he says, his tone final. “We’ve already agreed. We shook on it. You will support this decision, and you will show your support for this wedding and engagement.”“Did you even ask Josie?” I snap, my voice rising.“No,” he bites out,
Ghost POVHe laughs again, leaning closer, his lips curling into a wicked smirk. “Don’t worry,” he says. “Your dad made it very clear—no touching her until after the wedding. I guess all the fun waits until our wedding night.”“There won’t be a fucking wedding!” I spit, the words loud and venomous.“Oh, really?” His grin widens, his eyes gleaming with triumph. “What are you going to do, Ghost? Go up against your father and mine? Let me know how that works out for you. From what I heard after you stormed out, your dad’s done with you. He’s had enough of your childish games.”The words hit harder than any punch. My father? Giving up on me? No. That’s not true. It can’t be true. I shake my head, refusing to believe it. But the smirk on Prince’s face doesn’t waver, his words echoing in my mind.I release him abruptly, shoving him back as I turn on my heel and start to walk away. I don’t care what it takes—I’m going to stop this. There’s no way in hell this wedding is happening.“Only one
Ghost POVThe club’s pounding bass vibrates through my chest, but it does little to drown out the fury coursing through me. Each sip of my drink is a desperate attempt to smother the storm in my mind, to quiet the relentless barrage of self-loathing and doubt. Did I bring this all on myself? Sure, I pushed Prince, but did I set the entire chain of events in motion?Tonight was supposed to be simple—drink, forget, and leave. But as the tension coils tighter in my gut, I realize that won’t cut it. I need release. I need to take back control. My gaze sweeps the crowd, scanning for something—someone—to help me exorcise the chaos inside. That’s when I see him, his eyes locked on me from across the room.The thing about being me? No one dares breathe a word of what happens in the shadows. Fear is a powerful silencer, and my reputation ensures their silence.I stand, giving him a slight nod before making my way through the crowd. This is my domain, my playground, and I know every inch of it.
GhostWhen I wake, I stay still for a long time, staring at the ceiling, my mind a storm of chaos. Ideas, plans, and schemes churn, each more desperate than the last. How the hell do I stop this wedding?I know why Josie agreed to it. Her current marriage—another one of my father’s brilliant ideas—was arranged and miserable from the start. It served its purpose for a few months before her husband disappeared, leaving her with nothing but bad memories. The divorce is nearly final, so I get it. Prince is charming, smooth, and nothing like the monsters our father could push her toward next.But that doesn’t make this right. It doesn’t make him right.Because Prince isn’t straight. He wouldn’t keep kissing me if he was. The fire in his eyes when we’re close, the way his smirk falters when I push back—it’s undeniable. But how the hell do I prove it without exposing myself in
Ghost POVHis fingers clutch at my shoulders, nails biting into my skin, and I welcome the sting. It grounds me, keeps me tethered to the raw physicality of this. Each thrust is a declaration, a way to silence the noise in my head. My frustration, my rage, my obsession—all of it dissipates with every groan, every gasp he lets out.“Fuck, Ghost,” he breathes, his voice raspy and broken. “Don’t stop.”I wouldn’t if I could. My hips move with urgency now, slamming into him as I find that spot that makes his body jerk and his breath hitch. I hit it again and again, watching as his head falls back, exposing the line of his throat. His skin glistens with sweat, his chest rising and falling in rapid rhythm with our movements.The room is hot, the air heavy, filled with the sounds of our bodies colliding and the creak of the couch beneath us. Max’s moans grow louder, almost desperate, and I press ha
The PrinceI watch as the news crew packs up getting ready to leave. Josie smiles and leans into me, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel guilty—or bad—about all of this. Usually, I’m honest with the women I date, but I can’t be with Josie.To Ghost, I'm a liar, I hide who I am and what I am. He’s wrong about me. I have no issue with women. Sure, I don’t feel as strongly about them as I do about men, but I still like them. I’m not like Ghost, who finds the idea of touching a woman a complete turn-off.I’d say I’m bisexual, though I lean more toward men. But admitting that in this world? It’s utterly foolish—not that Ghost cares. That’s why I’ve always told the women I’ve slept with that I like men too.But Josie? I can’t tell her that. She’s the daughter of our rival. If she tells her father, Salvatore, this whole deal goes up i
Prince POVSuddenly, he leans forward, his lips meeting mine. For a moment, I forget everything. I forget who we are. I forget the consequences. And I kiss him back. My hand tangles in his hair as he groans into my mouth. His body presses me harder against the wall, his hips buck against mine, and I groan. Shit.“Ghost,” I growl, feeling my cock harden, but he only deepens the kiss, grinding against me harder.Forcing myself to take control, I push him back and step away from the wall, freeing myself from being caged in. We stand there, facing each other, our breathing ragged and heavy.“See? If you honestly felt nothing, that wouldn’t have happened. You fought Josie off harder than you did me.”He’s right, and I have nothing to argue with. There’s only one thing I can do now.“No one in our worlds is ready to accept that their heir—their future Boss—is gay and fuck
Prince POVI look to my father, wanting to reassure him that nothing bad will happen, that Ghost won't be trouble, I know that's his fear. “He won’t be trouble,” I state firmly.“You say that a lot, but he always is,” my father replies. “Ghost has issues, and we need to figure out what they are. There’s a reason he’s so against this wedding. Surely it’s not simply because he wants to keep our families at war?”He looks at me expectantly, and I shrug. Of course that's not why, but I can't let him know that.“It’s Ghost. He doesn’t like change,” I argue, trying to deflect. My mind races for something to say to stop him from digging any deeper. While no one knows about me and Ghost, I can’t risk him stumbling across the truth.“Whether he likes change or not, he needs to accept that this is happening. Tonight is the start,” my father
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