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PROLOGUE
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2025-03-07 02:27:43Pain.
It wasn't the kind that faded with time. It was a deep, raw and utterly ripping kind. The type that seeped so deep into your skin then settled in your bones. The kind that alters your brain chemistry and makes you question your own sanity. That was how I felt right now, shackled in the cold, hard dimly lit basement. I had expected this, planned for this. But nothing had prepared me for them. The door creaked open and the thick scent of colony and gunpowder that could only belong to one man filtered into the room. Slow deliberate footsteps echoed against the stone floor. I didn't lift my head, I didn't need to because I already knew who it was.. Luca Rossi. The man I had been sent to destroy. The man who now owned me. “Still breathing?” His voice was as smooth as silk yet as sharp as steel as it carried authority. The metal cuffs dug into my wrists, it kept digging further into my already raw wrist, blood dripping lazily down my arm. My shirt was gone as well— it had been ripped off my body hours ago leaving my bare chest exposed to the cold. My knees ache from kneeling on the concrete floor for so long. I was so close to snapping. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. I clenched my jaw, tilting my head slightly, taking a deep breath then exhaling.I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of an answer. The sound of another pair of footsteps filled the air, this time heavier and filled with confidence. It could only be one cruel person, Matteo Marino. Luca’s best friend and right hand man. The man that has broken me and continues to break me. I felt him before I saw him, the heat radiated off him in waves as he crochet in front of me. He reached out, tracing a calloused finger over the bruise forming on my ribs. I didn't flinch, even when he pressed down so hard that it made me groan. “Fuck, I love that sound,” Matteo murmured, voice as sharp as predator and filled with lust. “Don’t you, Luca?” Luca hummed in agreement. “It's fantastic. Such a sweet sound from a brat.” Matteo’s finger began to trail down until it got to the waistband of my slacks. He rubbed his finger lightly above my happy trail, teasing me. I stiffened at the touch, my breath seizing. This made me lift my head. He smirked. “You tense up like that every time I touch you. I’m starting to think you like it.” I drew in a sharp breath, meeting his gaze with fury blazing in mine. “Go to hell.” His smirk widened. “Darling, I’ve lived there my whole life. You? You’re just getting started.” I felt Luca walk up behind me, his aura dark and commanding. Then, his long, strong slender fingers weaved through my sweat damp hair and yanked it back. Pain exploded through my scalp, making me hiss but his grip didn't loosen. “You were sent to infiltrate my family,” Luca said, his tone almost sounding bored, like my betrayal was merely an inconvenience rather than a personal offense. “You lied, schemed, pretended to be one of us. And yet, here you are.” His grip tightened to the point where I felt like he was going to rip my scalp from my skull but it felt oddly… pleasuring. I knew what they wanted. Submission. They wouldn’t get it. “You can kill me,” I said. “But I won’t break.” Matteo laughed, a low feline sound. He sounded like I had just given him the most pleasing challenge of his life. “Oh, sweet pretty boy,” he purred, tracing his fingers along the edge of my jaw, forcing me to look at him. “You’re not here to die, certainty not. That would be far too easy.” Luca's hold on my hair loosened then he did something I never expected. He tilted my head to the side, granting him access to my exposed throat. The air shifted to someone more… sensual. Then, he pressed a slow, deliberate kiss on my pulse sending a violent shiver through my body. Not from fear. Not from pain. But from something else. Something far more dangerous. Something forbidden. I bit the inside of my cheek so hard that I drew blood. Matteo chuckled again. “See, Luca? He’s already learning.” Luca pulled away, his face finally coming into view. His lips curved slightly, a ghost of a smile. “You’re going to be a good boy for us, Elias.” Not a request. A demand. His tone held a promise— a promise of something dark and twisted if I don't comply. Finally, for the first time since I stepped foot in their territory, I felt fear. It slithered down my spine, colder than the basement itself. I was scared because I wasn't sure if I was more afraid of what they would do to me— Or the part of me that wanted to let them. This was a game of control. A game I wasn't sure I was winning anymore. A game I wasn't sure I wanted to win.
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Blood.The smell of blood and sweat was thick in the air. I was at the underground auction house which was hot due to the packed bodies. Low murmurs could be heard coming from the dimly lit chamber outside as their victims were being paraded to be auctioned off.I was one of them.Standing there, bruised, shackled, thirsty and shirtless.My wrists were bound in thick iron cuffs that dug into my skin. There was a cut on my lip that bled and made it painful for me to lick it, a victory mark from the handler I had fought because he thought he could try to break me before that auction.A slow smirk crept up my face but I quickly wiped it away, casting my eyes down as I focused on the mission. The crowd outside were cheering. Predators, all of them.My heart pounded as it got to my turn. The auctioneer silenced the crowd with a wave of his hand then began, "Up next, we have something...special." He grinned. "Eli. He's ex-military. Disgraced, abandoned, left to rot by his own family after p
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I knew a test when I saw one.And right now? I was being tested.The underground auction was successful but Luca and Matteo weren't fools. They might have bought me but they sure as hell didn't trust me.Not yet.Matteo leaves against the wall of the indoor gym, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, revealing his toned, tattooed muscular arm and a silver bracelet that gleamed under the light.“Like what you see?” He asked, teasing.I ignored him, my eyes sliding over to Luca who sat on a sleek leather chair at the aft end of the room, watching us like a king on his throne. A glass of whiskey held in his hand as he swirled it lazily, he acted like he wasn't interested in what we were doing but I wasn't stupid.He was studying me.They both were."Fight me," Matteo said simply, cracking his knuckles.I didn’t rise to the bait. I knew what this was. A way to gauge my strength, to see if I was as dangerous as my fake backstory claimed.They thought I was a former soldier—a man who had been
Last Updated : 2025-03-07Bound by blood and lies CHAPTER TWO (ELI'S POV)
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One thing I have come to learn in my story time at the Rossi mansion is that the hallways had ears. If your loyalty is doubted even for a second, you will join the blood of the people used to build the empire.The first step of my mission was to get in, the second was to gain their trust dn from the look of things, I was on the right track.So here I was, standing in front of the dinning table, my body still sore from my training session with Matteo. Bruises had become a part of me now, he always made sure to leave a mark like the masochist that he was. He left marks that wouldn't fade for days and always made sure to add new ones. I caught him staring at them with a sick, twisted smile on his face on several occasions.Luca and Matteo were like fire and ice. One made calculated cold moves while the other ripped things apart.And now, they were both watching me keenly.“You’ve proven yourself,” Luca finally said, his deep, soft voice echoing in the dining room. “You’re an excellent fi
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I stayed in the car until my heart calmed down and my body didn't feel like a burning inferno.Fuck them. I won't let them get me caught and tangled in their web of lies and manipulation.By the time I stepped out of the car, I saw Luca talking to his men that were stationed around the building we had come to. It looked like an old, repurposed factory— such types of buildings were commonly known to be neutral ground for Mafia businesses. No camera, no recording devices. Nothing but blood and business.I could already tell that this was no small meeting.Luca motioned for me to follow them inside with a tilt of his head. Inside, I saw a lot of high ranking Mafia members of the Rossi Mafia that I had been investigating for months. They were all seated around a long, black table under the dim lights.I watched as their eyes flickered over to me, scanning me, sizing me up.I ignored them, playing my role as the perfect bodyguard.“Sir.” A man whom I had never seen before, spoke up.“Yes,
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The gun felt like it weighed a ton. I could see the impatience beginning to crawl into Luca's eyes. Matteo on the other hand was happy about the position I had been put in, he found it entertaining.The man was pushed to his knees before me. He shook violently, his breathing becoming panicked and frantic. He knew that he was going to die either way but the question was whether or not I was going to be the one to pull the trigger.I had killed before but not like this. Not in cold blood.Not to prove loyalty to men that I had vowed to destroy.My mission. That's what I had to focus on.My grip on the gun tightened, time was ticking. My heart raced in my chest so fast that I thought it would burst out. My instincts screamed at me to do something — to move, to run.But I didn't move. I couldn't.Matteo let out a slow airy laugh then walked behind me. He was way too close for comfort as he pressed his chest against my back, letting his heat seep into my bones. His fingers trailed from m
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I took a deep breath, running my palm down my face.Luca.The way he looked at me. The way he touched me—deliberate, calculated.His words still echoed in my mind. Congratulations, Eli. Like I had passed some twisted test. Like I belonged here.I didn’t.But fuck if my body wasn’t betraying me. I reached up, brushing my fingers against the spot on my neck where his breath had fanned over. It was still warm. My skin still tingled.I should be thinking about my mission, about how I was closer than ever to bringing these men down. Instead I was thinking about Luca.His touch. His scent.His dominance.I ran a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling inside me. I needed to shake this off. I needed a cold shower.Taking off my clothes, I carelessly tossed them in a corner of the bedroom, trying my best to ignore my lower region which throbbed with need.My member stood erect as the cold breeze touched my naked body, making me shiver. I walked into the bathroom, turning on the shower befor
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The night's air was filled with the smell of rain and gunpowder. Outside, the wind howled, rattling the windows of the mansion.Something seemed different tonight. The air seemed charged, dark and twisted. It was coming from Luca. Ever since we got back from the warehouse, I noticed something different in the way he looked at Eli.I exhaled slowly, swirling the whiskey in my glass, watching as the amber liquid glowed under the dim light of the chandelier up above. The ice clinked softly against the glass, but it did nothing to cool the lessen curiosity burning beneath my skin.Luca had been gone for a while.Too long.I leaned back against the bar, rolling my shoulders back, forcing myself to remain still as all I wanted to do was run upstairs and see what was going on.A moment later, the door creaked up, breaking the silence. I didn't turn— I didn't need to. I knew it was him due to the way the air shifted.He always carried a dangerous aura that filled rooms when he walked it.I to
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Bound by blood and lies CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR (DON RICCI'S POV)
The amber liquid in my glass swirled as I tilted it absentmindedly, my gaze fixed on the monitor before me. Eli sat on the edge of his bed, his body tense, his fingers digging into the plush fabric of the sheets. He hadn't moved much since returned there hours ago, after I left him on the balcony. I could see the big storm in his eyes.He was thinking—scheming, perhaps—but there was no escape from me. Not anymore.I took a slow sip of my whiskey, letting the burn settle in my chest as I leaned back in my chair. The dim glow of his bedside lamp in his room could be seen through the monitor as it highlighted the sharp angles of his face, the stubborn tightness of his jaw. Even in captivity, even after everything, he still held onto that defiant fire in his eyes.And fuck, I wanted to break him.Not in the way I broke my enemies. Not with pain or cruelty. No, the need I had for Eli ran far deeper than that, and I hated it almost as much as I swam in
Bound by blood and lies CHAPTER FIFTY THREE (ELI'S POV)
The air inside Don Ricci’s estate was suffocating, thick smoke, perfume, wealth and power. The party was a twisted version of the last one I attended, darker, more unhinged.I stood at the edge of the grand hall, watching as people moved around like predators in silk and velvet. Shadows stretched across the room, candlelight flickering over faces filled with secrets. It was a masquerade of pleasure, a place where power wasn’t just spoken of but tasted, felt,l and owned.Masked men and women were involved in a lot of activities around the ballroom that I was both intrigued and disgusted by.The scent of expensive cigars and aged whiskey curled in the air, mingling with something more sinister—lust and seduction.And I was standing in the lion’s den, right beside the devil himself.Ricci stood beside me, always close but never touching. Not yet. He let me feel his presence, let it sink under my skin like a slow poison. Every once in a whil
Bound by blood and lies CHAPTER FIFTY TWO (LUCA'S POV)
It had been a few days since Ricci called, sending me into a rampage. Now, here I was in my office, drowning myself in alcohol as I was on the verge of going mad and this was the only thing keeping me sane. The Sharon sound of a phone ringing pierced through my thoughts making me sigh and run a hand through my hair before picking it up and answering. The moment Ricci’s voice came through the speaker, something inside me snapped. “Eli looks good here, you know. Maybe I should keep him.” My grip on the phone tightened until my knuckles turned white. Matteo was watching me carefully, his jaw tense, but he didn’t say anything. He knew. He could see the rage pouring out of me in waves. The kind of rage that burned everything in its path. “You’re a dead man, Ricci” I growled into the phone. My voice was low, steady, but filled with a lot of venom that I wished I could flood into his veins,
Bound by blood and lies CHAPTER FIFTY ONE (ELI'S POV)
The room was too quiet. Too luxurious. Too suffocating. I sat on the edge of the silk-covered bed, my fingers curling into a fist on the sheets, trying to ground myself. The chandelier above me cast golden light over the space, but it all felt artificial, like I was in a dollhouse—one where Don Ricci controlled every little piece. The door opened with a soft click. I didn’t look up. I didn’t have to. His presence was unmistakable, a slow-moving deadly force that filled the room, even when he hadn’t said a word. He looks too refined to be a monster. But I knew better. “You haven’t touched your dinner,” Ricci’s voice was soft but it sounded like he was still amused. “What a shame. My chef is world-class.” “I’m not hungry.” “Mm.” He walked closer, and I stiffened when he stopped just in front of me. “That’s a problem. I need you strong, Eli.” The way he said my name—low and seductive—sent an involuntary shi
Bound by blood and lies CHAPTER FIFTY (LUCA'S POV)
The city was drowning the noise of people going about their daily lives but all I could hear was the pounding in my skull. My temples throbbed in sync with my racing heart, a steady rhythm of rage and desperation. We had turned over every rock, checked every corner, tracked down every informant we had, and yet—nothing. It was like Eli had been taken by something we couldn't see. Matteo was doing his best to keep it together, but I saw the cracks forming. He barely spoke, his jaw locked so tight it could snap at any moment. The dark circles under his eyes mirrored my own, evidence of the sleepless nights we’d spent tearing this city apart. We weren’t just looking for Eli. We were hunting. And every second that passed without a lead, the animal in me grew wilder, more uncontrollable. “Anything?” I snapped, pacing in front of Matteo as he got off the phone with one of our guys. My voice was ra
Bound by blood and lies CHAPTER FORTY NINE (ELI'S POV)
The silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating. He opened my door and leaned against the body of the car. I looked between him and the black, tinted car blocking our path. I felt trapped and suffocated. My heart thundered in my eyes as I looked at Don Ricci who had such a calm aura that only a man who was in complete control could possess. He was watching me, his green eyes steady, assessing. There was no urgency in his movements, no aggression—just an unsettling, casual calm, as if kidnapping me off the street was no different than discussing the weather. “Now,” he finally said, voice as smooth as silk. “You have two options.” I forced myself to breathe, my muscles were pulled so tightly I thought I might snap. Ricci continued, his expression unreadable. “You come willingly, and no one gets hurt.”
Bound by blood and lies CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT (ELI'S POV)
When I run, I don't run blindly. From the moment I woke up in that suffocating mansion being pressed down by the memories of that dungeon, the weight of their regret and the torment of everything, I knew that I had to run. I was silent, waiting, watching and calculating. Luca and Matteo thought I was broken, and maybe I was, but not in the way they had imagined. I wasn’t a broken doll waiting to be put back together. I was a man who had been trapped too long, who had spent sleepless nights trying to figure out how to break free without ending up dead. So, when Matteo suggested we go out, I saw my chance. The restaurant was perfect—crowded, noisy, full of distractions. It gave me just the opening I needed. I had made out exits from the moment we arrived, but my stomach sank when I checked the bathroom. The moment I stepped into the bathroom, I knew this w
Bound by blood and lies CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN (LUCA'S POV)
The world felt like it was slipping from my grasp, and I was powerless to stop it. I hated that, I haven't felt this feeling for a long time. It was a nightmare during the day that I couldn't wake up from. Eli was gone. Every muscle in my body was locked, my jaw aching from how hard I was clenching my teeth. I had been in life-or-death situations before. I had stared down a rival who pointed a gun between my eyes, unflinching, I buried men alive, walked away from explosions without flinching. But nothing, nothing had ever made me feel this level of pure, unhinged terror. Eli had vanished. And I had no fucking clue how or why. Matteo and I tore the restaurant apart, questioning every employee, reviewing every second of security footage, demanding answers that no one seemed to have. The cameras were useless—Eli had somehow slipped through the cracks like a goddamn ghost.
Bound by blood and lies CHAPTER FORTY SIX (MATTEO'S POV)
The restaurant is in chaos. Luca is tearing through tables, chairs scraping against the floor as he shoves them aside in his blind desperation to find Eli. A waiter backed up against the wall, his eyes wide with fear as Luca grabbed him by the collar. "Where is he? Where the fuck is he?" The poor man stammered, his face draining of color. "I—I don't know, sir! He went to the restroom and—" Luca throws him aside before he can finish, raking his hands through his already disheveled hair. His breathing was ragged, and his entire body was rigid, he was like a volcano ready to erupt at any second. I can practically feel the heat of his fury radiating off him. My own stomach was twisted in knots, but I couldn’t let my emotions take over. One of us had to think rationally. I turned to the manager next to me who was trembling as he clutched a tablet in his hands. "Security cameras. Now."
