A knock on her office door had Isadora looking up and frowning. It was past five pm and her employees had gone home half an hour earlier. “Come in,” she said and regretted it instantly.Agents Haverley and Halden stepped into her office and she swallowed nervously. Dominic wasn’t even in the country and there was literally no one else she could call. She didn’t even know who Dominic’s lawyer was.“Good afternoon, Isadora,” Haverley said with a smirk and made himself comfortable in the visitor chair.“What do you want?” She skipped the pleasantries already knowing that it would take Haverley only seconds to become a different person.“Where’s Dominic Vittori?”“Why is that any of your business?” she asked him and leaned back in her seat.“Between him and his brother they made quite the statement by leaving pig heads in our beds,” Halden said with irritation.“I wouldn’t know anything about that,” Isadora said.“We already know Dominic left for Italy eleven days ago and a flight plan ha
Dominic lounged back in his seat, Rafaella now sitting next to him with her head on his chest as she slept. His arm was still around her even though she’d been sleeping for three hours. The past two weeks had been enlightening and life changing.He was married to a woman he could actually love. She was intelligent and caring and he liked that she didn’t take any of their bullshit. They ribbed her and she ribbed them right back, sometimes shocking even him.He shifted in his seat and he felt the first pangs of trepidation as they got closer to their destination. He hadn’t bargained on liking her or the feelings she’d awoken in him. Isadora had done the same but it had taken longer.“Are we going to the city or the house?”Dominic looked up at Ethan and sighed. “The house. Rafi needs to get settled there. We’ll go into the city on Monday after my meeting.”The jet landed an hour later and Rafaella smiled as they drove to Dominic’s country estate. He’d planned on giving her quarters of h
Dominic left for the city just before lunch time on Monday. He’d spent two days with Rafaella at the house and this morning she’d surprised him in the shower when she’d taken him in her mouth and with a little guidance from him had brought him to an explosive orgasm.He’d promised to take her to the city over the weekend so she could do the shopping she wanted and had left her with Faro and Eris. He hadn’t seen Gage over the weekend and wondered what he was up to.“Have you spoken to Isadora?” Hudson asked as they neared the city.“Not yet.”“It’s going to be a long ass day,” Cooper mumbled from the front.Dominic arrived at the penthouse just before two pm and he was surprised at the loud music playing when the elevator doors opened.“Isadora?” Dominic called.“We’ll be upstairs if you need us,” Ethan said with a grin and stepped back inside the elevator.“Pussies,” Dominic said as the four men chuckled and the doors slid closed.Dominic walked down the hall towards the main bedroom
“Vittori.” Dominic answered his phone.“You might want to make a stop at Club Nero,” Gage said.“Why?” Dominic tapped Ethan on the shoulder and he pulled off onto the side of the road.“Unless you don’t mind a wasted Isadora being dry humped on the dance floor,” Gage said and ended the call.“Fuck!” Dominic growled. “Club Nero.”Ethan turned the SUV around and sped down the street back to the city. Cooper checked his 9mm and put it back in its holster. “What’s going on?”“Isadora’s at the club, alone and wasted,” Dominic said. He hadn’t seen her in a week, had given her the time she’d asked for and now he was pissed off.Hudson cracked his knuckles and a grim expression settled on his face. “Step on it, Ethan.”Twelve minutes later Ethan stopped the SUV right in front of the club and Dominic didn’t even wait for Hudson to scan the area. He stormed up the steps and into his club. He scanned the dancefloor and he spotted Isadora immediately.“Easy, Dominic,” Hudson said but he backed of
“What reason does he have to lie?” Danil asked.They were seated in Lev Volkov’s office in the downtown district controlled primarily by the Russians. His territory bordered that of the Italians but they had an alliance agreement in place, one Lev wasn’t sure was going to last.“We both know the man had dealings with the Bratva before we moved in,” Lev said stoically.“And he’s been loyal for the past five years. We would be idiots not to take this seriously,” Danil argued.Lev could feel the bass from the nightclub pulsing through the floors under his feet and he sighed. Going to war with the Italians wouldn’t be the worst thing but keeping the alliance alive would be more beneficial for all of them.“We can’t lose this alliance. That fucking Albanian has been inching into our territory and either the Italians take care of him or I do,” Lev said as his clear blue eyes flashed in anger.“It would be a financial loss, I agree. The sooner you meet with Dominic Vittori, the better,” Dani
Austin appeared as if from nowhere and leaned in closer to Dominic. “Lev Volkov is asking to speak with you.”“He’s here?” Austin nodded his head and waited for Dominic’s reply. “Take him up to my office in ten minutes.”“Who am I killing?” Gage asked with a cold glint in his eyes.“Nobody yet. I’ll meet you outside my office in fifteen minutes.” Dominic straightened the cuffs of his shirt and looked at Hudson. “You’re with Gage. Ethan and Cooper with me.”“I don’t need a babysitter,” Gage said loudly.“He’s not for you, he’s for the rest of the population.” Gage laughed and shook his head as Dominic walked back inside the private room of Club Nero. He’d met with distributors earlier in the day and he’d been about to leave.Dominic remained in the private room and finished his drink. Too much had been happening lately and his fight with Isadora had nearly ripped his heart from his chest. They’d talked and had sex and she stayed. It had been a good month and he’d managed to spend time
The folder containing Lev Volkov’s business proposal sat on Dominic’s desk. It was like a homing beacon and Dominic had thought of little else the entire night. He read through it carefully and then he read Eris’s notes. The deal would be a lucrative one, especially with the imports. Taxes were ridiculously high on imports and it would help with the vineyard they owned in Italy.From a business perspective, it made a hell of a lot of sense to agree to Lev’s terms but Dominic didn’t necessarily like having the power to give his sister away. It was unfortunately the way of their lives. If he wanted to keep up the supply of their gun trades, profits from the imports and have a say in the drug trade, then he really didn’t have much choice in the matter.Lev Volkov had a firm grip on Dominic’s balls.The study’s door opened and Eris and Faro walked inside. Gage appeared from behind the secret doorway of the bookcase with a stoic look on his face. He prepared coffee for himself while ignori
Dominic stood up from behind his desk as Rocco Vittori and Alejandro Esposito walked inside. They were considered middle-aged but Dominic had regarded them as his elders and the role they’d played in his life weren’t lost on him.“Rocco, Alejandro, good morning,” Dominic said.“Good morning, Dominic,” Alejandro replied.Dominic nodded his head and Ethan busied himself making coffee for everyone. Dominic didn’t miss the fact that Rocco didn’t greet him and neither did his brothers. Neither of them had the official title of godfather and this was Dominic’s house, he deserved that respect.Gage’s eyes darkened and Dominic knew it was too late. “You don’t acknowledge Dominic’s presence? In his own fucking house?”“I do not have to acknowledge Dominic. He is not the godfather of the Vittori family,” Rocco said and Dominic got a glimpse of his uncle’s other side.Dominic stared at his uncle, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Rocco’s attitude was uncalled for and the realizati
The sniper teams had dealt with the men sent to the house so swiftly that Rafaella hadn’t even known it had happened. Hudson had given them the all clear and she’d asked about Dominic first.“He’s fine, Rafi, I spoke to Cooper, they’re all fine,” Hudson said.“Then this is the perfect time for us to leave,” she said.“You got what you need?” Hudson asked her.“Yes. Let’s go before they know we’re gone,” Rafaella said.Hudson led Rafaella out of the house and into the garage. He took the smaller SUV and they sped away from the house. The other men were busy dealing with the dead bodies and the women were all safely in their quarters.“You did everything I asked?”Hudson looked at Rafaella in the rearview mirror. “I did.” She nodded her head. “Are you sure you want to do this, Rafi?”“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life, Hudson,” she said as her hands cradled her pregnant stomach.“Dominic’s not going to be happy about this.” She knew Hudson was right. Dominic’s temper was lege
Twenty minutes later, Cooper slowed the SUV down and Gage looked at Dominic. “See you soon, brother.” The door opened and Gage was out of the car. Cooper sped up again the moment the door closed and Dominic could feel everything inside him settle.Tonight everything would end, one way or another.Cooper pulled the SUV up at the specified warehouse. Three men stood outside the door and watched them warily. Their hands reached for their weapons as the doors opened and Dominic climbed out.“Mr. Vittori is waiting inside,” one man said.The other two men stepped closer to them and started patting them down. Dominic had expected it and neither he nor Cooper were armed. Ethan had been somewhere on a rooftop since the sun set with his sniper rifle and he’d start taking the men out when Gage gave him the signal.Dominic walked into the warehouse first, Cooper following close behind him. He hadn’t liked the idea of bringing any of his men with him, but they’d argued and Cooper had told him tha
Sniper teams were waiting at the compound, Agron’s house and Dominic’s country house. Each woman had three men with her and security at Dominic’s house had been doubled. Austin and Hudson were in strategic places on the ground floor of the house.Dominic sat in the rear while Cooper drove the SUV and Gage sat next to Dominic. He had his head resting on the headrest with his eyes closed and Dominic had no idea how he remained so impassive.The trip to the warehouse took them forty-five minutes and Dominic was itching for a fight. He wanted to feel his knuckles split open on Rocco’s face and see the fucking bastard bleed. He could even feel it in the tightening of his groin.“I get it now,” Dominic said.Gage opened his eyes and turned to look at him. “Get what?”Dominic chuckled. “I get why Hudson gets aroused by blood.”“Fuck,” Cooper muttered from the front and Gage laughed.“I’ve always been aroused by it. I just hide it better than Hudson,” Gage said.“There’s a difference between
Gage’s eyes snapped open as a door opened on the far side of the building. He’d been in the ceiling for two days, waiting for the perfect moment. The plan was a fucking good one, even he could admit it.They’d spent three weeks going over the details. For the first time in their history, three crime families were working together to take out the godfather of la famiglia. Rocco Vittori had surrounded himself with soldiers.It was a good thing that he was afraid, because Gage was pissed off and his patience was wearing thin. He wanted Rocco’s blood so much that he could taste and smell it. The women were at the country house, being watched by their men.Dominic would take Cooper with him, Lev would take Sasha and Agron would have Granit with him. Gage worked alone, he didn’t need back-up, he was first in line, back-up and the middle man.Gage closed his eyes again and listened intently as footsteps neared the office. “All I’m saying is, tonight’s meeting with Dominic will end in blood.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Dominic growled. The documents in front of him told the same story Faro just did, but he didn’t want to believe it. He was pissed that Eris kept his problems to himself.Dominic would have helped him, he’d always help all of them, blood was blood and they were bound by it. They all had the middle name ‘Rose’ for a reason. It was their mother’s maiden name and for them it was as strong as the blood that made them family.Faro sat in the chair in front of his desk, the proof spread out over his desk. Fucking Eris. “Sihana found it. She said he was broke, Dominic. He had a few grand in his account, the others were empty.”“Drugs. That’s the only explanation,” Dominic said, sounding a lot calmer. No matter how angry he felt now, Eris would always remain his brother, even in death. He should’ve seen the signs of Eris’s freefalling earlier, but he hadn’t, Faro had.He also blamed himself. If his relationship with Eris had been better, he might have bee
Sihana woke up to light kisses on her bare shoulder. She shifted onto her back and looked at Faro’s face. His hair was tousled and she could see it was still dark out. “What’s wrong?” Her voice was thick from sleep and she cleared her throat.“Why did you leave?” Faro’s voice was soft but he sounded wide awake.“Because you were being an asshole and I wanted to sleep peacefully,” Sihana said and turned away from him.Faro moved up right against her. “You know how I feel about waking up without you. It’s our bed for a reason.”“Then don’t be an asshole to me right before you go to sleep,” she said.“I wasn’t being an asshole. I just disagreed with you,” Faro said.“The truth is still the truth, you’re not a bookkeeper, I am. Eris was skimming money from the strip clubs. I showed you the proof,” Sihana said. “You have to tell Dominic.”“Fuck, Sihana. Do you have any idea what that’s going to do to him?”Faro’s arm snaked over her hip and his hand cradled her stomach. She felt sorry for
Inara clamped her hand over her mouth and retreated away from the kitchen. Her heart was thudding loudly in her chest. She’d woken up half an hour earlier and pulled on her robe, wondering where Agron was.He never left without waking her and she’d gone downstairs for some water when she’d overheard something that might get her killed. She took a deep breath and quietly made her way upstairs again and slid back into bed.By the time Agron joined her, she had her eyes closed and her heart had stopped betraying her. She tried not to stiffen when his arm encircled her waist and his mouth nuzzled her neck. She felt like an idiot. Agron had played her, had played her whole family and it was all her fault.She must have fallen asleep at some point because the sun’s rays woke her and Agron was still wrapped around her. She hated the fact that she’d given herself to him willingly. Hated that she’d fallen in love with him.She understood the saying better now, there really was a fine line betw
The trial had dragged on for two more weeks and Dominic was glad that the end was in sight. The jury was deliberating the outcome but he wasn’t focused on that anymore. They were back in the city and headed to Rafaella’s gynecologist.Hudson had accompanied her to her other appointments while he was stuck in court and they’d decided to wait until he could be with her to find out the genders of their babies. Dominic couldn’t remember a time he’d been more excited about something.“Mrs. Vittori?” The nurse called out their name, and Dominic stood up to help Rafaella to her feet.Dominic had his hand on the small of Rafaella’s back as the nurse led them down a hallway and into an examination room. She took Rafaella’s blood pressure and made notes on the chart for the doctor.“You can get comfortable on the examination bed with your shirt up. Dr. Rehmeyer will be in shortly,” the nurse said and left the room.“After this trial, I think we should go away for a bit, someplace you can relax,
Isadora had taken the stand and sworn to tell the whole truth. Dominic’s rage flared up again the moment she opened her mouth and started lying. He knew Halden had coached her. The things she was testifying to hadn’t been made public knowledge and he’d never said a word to her about it.It took all his self-control not to lash out at her or call her a lying whore in front of the whole courtroom. She was a woman scorned but Dominic could see himself wrapping his hands around her neck and choking the life out of her. He could almost understand Hudson’s fascination with it.Mitchelson stood up with a stoic look on his face. “Miss Watkins, would you say that you were close to Mr. Vittori during your relationship?”“Yes,” Isadora said. “We were very close.”“Mr. Vittori shared things with you, personal things?”Isadora shifted in her seat. “Yes.”“Can you tell the court what the name of Vittori Ads’ sister company in Japan is named?”Isadora blinked and Dominic’s lips twitched but he fough