Chapter 13Stacy°° °° °° °°Years of following my dad into these kinds of meetings had trained me to spot the boss from a mile away. In this room filled with four stout men with smart tailored suits, I couldn’t find a single one with that quiet confidence that comes from knowing that everyone else in the room would jump at your command like the one Vincenzo has. None of them even resembled a Clyde Cummiskey.Vincenzo must know that too because he wasn’t being nice to any of the guys who were trying a little too hard to make him believe they were in charge. He simply brushed them off with curt nods and dismissive glances. Well, even if Vincenzo doesn’t know it, I’d made my mind to avoid saying anything that would draw attention to me more than this damn collar and cuffs were already doing. These men might as well carve out my captor’s eyes and hold it up in a stake for all I care. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a guy leaning against the far wall, his gaze fixed on us with
Chapter 14Vincenzo°° °° °° °°This was the kind of place that thrived on secrets and the power of men who operated outside the law—dimly lit corridors with a labyrinth of peeling paint and grime, many exits for emergencies and scattered weapons. I had always found a twisted sense of belonging in these places, a perverse comfort in the shadows. But not right now. Now, I was hunting.I moved through the narrow passage quietly, the scent of dampness clinging to the air, mingling with the acrid stench of gunpowder from the recent firefight. The bastard had escaped through a hidden door—a clever trick, but not clever enough. I had ways of finding people, even in the most rundown and crude places.As I approached the end of the corridor, faint voices and hurried footsteps reached my ears.Good. They hadn’t gotten far.I reached the end of the hallway where the passage split into two. I took the left without hesitation, trusting my instincts. The voices grew louder, more distinct. I cou
Chapter 15Vincenzo °° °° °° °°“Vincenzo,” he drawled, his Irish accent thick, more pronounced now, as if he were savoring every syllable. “You know, I’ve heard a lot about you, Mancini. Crawling between women’s thighs like a fucking snake.” He grinned, flashing teeth that seemed too white for a man of his nature. “You cleaned up nicely, I must confess I could use your charms with women.”I snorted, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. The flame from the match briefly illuminated his face, casting shadows that danced in his eyes. They were sharp, glinting with amusement, as if he found this entire situation entertaining.This fucker’s enjoying himself.I took a deep drag, letting the smoke fill my lungs before blowing it out slowly. The wind, cold and biting, whipped the smoke away into the night, leaving the scent of burning tobacco mingling with the stench of blood and death.“Funny,” I said in an emotionless tone, the words burning my lips. “You must know so much about me, ye
Chapter 16Stacy°° °° °° °°There’s nothing quite like that post-period horniness—a ravenous itch you just can’t scratch, especially when you’re lying in bed with your bones still aching like a 90-year-old grandma who fell down the stairs. It’s been a week since that damn incident with Vincenzo and his Irish bastards, a week since I thought I’d die thrice in the same day, a week since I survived that damn crash— and my body still feels like it was wrung out and left to dry. Aurelio might as well have smirked at me while driving us into that wreck; I’m still convinced the bastard did it on purpose. A little “oops” to keep me in line, silenced and out of the way.Well, mission accomplished. By the time I woke up that day, I was back in Vincenzo’s little slice of hell—a room so perfect it makes me want to scream. The bandage on my head was tight enough to make my brain throb, but what really got under my skin was the collar still around my neck, his name etched into it like I’m som
Chapter 17 Stacy °° °° °° °° “Looking for something, little mouse?” His voice was a low purr, laced with an edge of suspicion. I swallowed hard, slipping my hands into my pockets to hide the trembling. “Just putting away some clothes,” I lied smoothly, but I could almost hear the doubt in the way his eyebrows lifted suspiciously. “What clothes?” “None of your business.” I returned in irritation. “Why, are you afraid I’m going to escape through the fucking closet?” I scoffed, “Then you must have such little faith in your henchmen.” His gaze lingered on me for a moment longer, as if he could see straight through the flimsy walls of the closet, straight into the depths of my thoughts and right through the ruse. And for a split second, I wondered if he knew. But instead of pressing further, he merely nodded, a tight smile playing at the corners of his lips. “Alright,” he said, turning away to pour himself a drink. “Finish up your food.” As he moved across the room, I slipped my
Chapter 18 Stacy °° °° °° °° Fifteen minutes after Vincenzo stormed out, I was still holding the note in my hand. I hadn’t moved from where he left me, too stirred up to. My fingers trembled as I felt the crumpled paper seeming to throb with its own kind of energy. A part of me wanted to tear it to shreds, to forget it existed, but the other part—the part that had been desperate for freedom—couldn’t resist. Unfolding it carefully, I scanned the words, my pulse quickening with each line: “Went to much trouble to get this to you, princess. What do you say about a mutually beneficial meeting at the alley tonight?” The words were scrawled hastily, as if the writer had been in a rush, or perhaps afraid of being caught. A mix of excitement and dread swirled within me, but it was quickly shut off by the voice in my mind. This is a trap. “Or it’s just someone genuinely trying to help me.” I countered. Yea, but who would want to? My thoughts immediately jumped to the ch
Chapter 19 Vincenzo °° °° °° °° “We’re not looking to play Shoot First Or Die First with you, because trust me, you’ll lose.” Aurelio warned. Feeling slow myself, I walked over to the bar, shoved the wide eyed waiter who out, then helped myself to a glass of the most expensive scotch. “You’ll pay for that,” The waiter blurted out. I reached into my pocket and handed him my credit card. “Sorry for my manners,” I teased. The guy collected it with eager hands, but one looked at the card and his eyes bulged in their sockets. He opened his mouth to pronounce the name but I put a finger to my lips, shushing him with a flirty wink. He must like that because I could see the visible tent beginning to form in his pants. I smirked, “Am I your type?” He swallowed, then flushed, obviously unsure how to answer that. “I— I don’t want to get involved in whatever this is.” I gave him a disappointed look, “Why? You don’t want my cock in your tight little ass?” Before he cou
Chapter 20Stacy°° °° °° °°I’d never really believed in luck, especially the good kind.But whatever made the two guards at the door leave by the time I creaked it open the third time—well, it was too early to reach a conclusion as to what it was. Maybe luck, maybe something else entirely that was slowly pushing me to an inevitable end.Either way, I wasn’t about to question it.I quietly slipped out, the adrenaline thrumming through my veins like a drumbeat. I raced down the heavily lit hallway, my heart racing faster than my legs. It pounded against my chest as if it could tear free from my body and lead the way. Every step felt like I was defying fate, but fear sharpened my senses.I knew Vincenzo would find out soon enough that I was gone, but my only chance was to make it to the alley before anyone realized I was gone.Halfway down the hall, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up when I realized I wasn’t alone.Whispers came from around the corner, guards, or worse, one of
Chapter 81Vincenzo⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼She was fuming, but that served me well. I returned to the sitting room where Vito and Aurelio were waiting once again, their postures stiff. I settled back into the chair, the leather groaning under my weight as I poured myself another glass of whiskey. The warmth slid down my throat, but it did nothing to calm the fire burning through me.My mind stayed in that room upstairs, where Stacy was no doubt pacing like a caged animal, spitting curses that couldn’t touch me. The memory of her glare—sharp enough to flay a man alive—made the corner of my mouth twitch.She wanted to act bold, sauntering around half-dressed like she owned the place. By the time I was done with her, she’d understand that I owned her.Aurelio cleared his throat, snapping me back to the moment. He and Vito sat across from me, the look on their faces confirming that something was very wrong, but they didn’t seem to know how to put it into words. Aurelio’s elbows rested on his knees, hi
Chapter 80Stacy⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼Vincenzo was very mad at me, again. He let Luca drive Allesia, let Vito ride with them, but he insisted I ride with him, and worse, sit in the passenger seat. The disapproving look of anger, disappointment and maybe hatred he constantly gave me was practically a living, breathing thing. He didn’t say a word to me since we left the mall, even through the ride, his brooding silence and the occasional suspicious looks he gave me were as loud as any argument. Not that I cared.Okay, I cared a little.Fine—a lot.But I wasn’t about to let him know that.If Vincenzo suspected I had something up my sleeve—and knowing him, he already did—he wouldn’t rest until he tore apart every thread of my lies. God help me if he demanded the security footage from the mall. If he saw even a glimpse of my meeting with Elixir, it would be over. Not just for me, but for everything I’d been working toward.The man didn’t trust me as far as he could throw me—well, not without a plan
Chapter 79 Stacy ⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼ I’ve had near death encounters in the past, today felt like the worst. The mirror bit into my back, cold and unforgiving, but it was nothing compared to the heat of his body pressed against mine. His hand was tangled in my hair, the sharp pull forcing my head back until my eyes met his in the reflection. “Look at yourself,” Vincenzo growled, his voice low and edged with something primal. “See what you do to me.” His eyes burned into mine, dark and unrelenting, and I hated the way he knew just how that made me feel, my breaths coming quick and shallow. I tried to push against him, to claw back even an inch of control, but his grip tightened, and I froze as the sting shot through my scalp. “Fighting me again?” His smirk twisted cruelly, his other hand sliding up my thigh, dragging the hem of my dress higher. “You don’t learn, do you,? Maybe that’s why I enjoy this so damn much.” I hated him. Hated how he could strip me bare, even when I was fully clothed
Chapter 78Vincenzo⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼I hate being played for a fool. The phone nearly slipped from my hand, but I tightened my grip, my body freezing before it erupted with raw fury. “Jesus, Vito,” I dragged a hand down my face, “A fucking mall! She could be anywhere, for fucks sake, she could be halfway across the country by now!” Vito stammered on the other end, his fear palpable even through the static. “She… she slipped away, boss. One minute she was in front of me, and the next—gone.”My blood ran cold, then boiled just as fast. “And you’re telling me this so I can call for you? How long has she been missing?”There was a pause, heavy with hesitation. “About thirty minutes, maybe less. We thought she—”I cut him off, my patience gone. “You thought? You thought wrong, Vito. I don’t pay you to think—I pay you to act. If she isn’t found in the next ten minutes, you’d better hope you disappear too.” Before he could say something else, I added, “Have that fucking mall locked down until I ge
Chapter 77Vincenzo⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼The scent of saltwater and diesel hit me first—a deeply unpleasant reminder that I wasn’t in bed where I belonged. Instead, I was standing on the docks at an ungodly hour. Well, maybe not so ungodly if I were following Russel’s logic, but still.The cold wind sliced through my coat and bit at my neck, making me curse every life choice that had led me here.Declan had picked this fucking spot well. Neutral territory, or so he thought. A place where neither side had the upper hand, but I couldn’t care less. Neutrality meant nothing when my brothers and I didn’t play by the same rules as the Irish.Russel walked ahead of me, his posture tense but calm, the perfect diplomat. I knew he’d been rehearsing his speech for hours, carefully piecing together whatever excuses he thought would smooth things over after my little… mishap with Dante’s cargo.Too bad I had no intention of apologizing.“You’re late,” a gravelly voice greeted us as we stepped onto the dock. Th
Chapter 76Stacy ⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼By the time we left the boutique, Vito and Luca had to make three trips to the car with bags full of clothes, shoes, baby stuff and accessories.“Now that we’ve got the essentials,” Allesia said with an exaggerated stretch, “let’s go to the mall. It’s a perfect time to really stock up, that house has everything but food in it.” Vito’s hands gripped the steering wheel even tighter, but there was no escaping it. He barely muttered a response, only the occasional grunt of resignation. Luca, ever the silent observer, let his body language do the talking. He looked tense, but that wasn’t going to stop Allesia.We drove for another mile, the city sprawling out in front of us. And then—bam—there it was. A giant billboard plastered with a photo of none other than Allesia Mancini herself.“Ahhh!” Allesia squealed. “That’s me! That’s me! Oh my God, I look amazing!” She was practically vibrating with excitement, and I couldn’t suppress my eye roll. The sound of her voi
Chapter 75 Stacy ⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼ By the time I woke up again that morning, Vincenzo had left with Marcel and Russel to handle some business. Perfect. I’d half-expected him to leave me with some ridiculous restriction, his little promise last night forgotten, but he actually surprised me by making good on his promise and informing Vito to pick up all the things I’d need for me. Restless energy coursed through me. Waiting around for Vito to bring back his idea of ‘stuff Stacy needs’ wasn’t exactly thrilling. If he got his way, I’d end up with plain, functional dresses that wouldn’t inspire a single spark of joy. No, I didn’t survive nearly being turned into a tomboy only to end up in nun girl dresses. I needed to get out myself, to feel some semblance of normalcy. Now I just had to figure out how. I found Vito in the kitchen, munching on a sandwich and sipping his coffee, his eyes downcast and his usual brooding aura in full force. He barely acknowledged me as I slid onto the bars
Chapter 74 Vincenzo ⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼ Several groggy steps later and I found myself outside my door. My waist hurts from all the work it did last night, Fuck separate rooms, I’ve got to rid this house of all of my brothers so I wouldn’t have to worry about sneaking back into my own room at 4 AM like a rebel teenager. In my own fucking house. Pfft. I pushed the door open, rubbing my temple, and flipped on the light, only to freeze in shock. Marcel was sprawled out on my bed, one leg hanging off the side, looking like he’d been waiting up for me all night. “What the fuck are you doing here?” I snapped, my voice low but laced with irritation. Marcel propped himself up on one elbow, smirking like he’d been waiting for this moment his entire life. “I think the question is where the fuck are you sneaking in from—and, what happened to your clothes?” He pointed to the gym shorts I had on, clearly a size too small, barely hanging onto my hips. “Wait, isn’t that a female’s…?” Before h
Chapter 73Stacy⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼By the time we staggered out of the shower, I was beyond spent— weak, sore, my entire body shaking like I’d run a marathon. It was nearly four in the morning, and he was still here. My heart still beat lazily from the countless times he’d had me, again and again, like his appetite was a bottomless well. What was supposed to be a sneaky sex had somehow spiraled into Vincenzo spending the entire night in my room, our bodies tangled like we were all that existed in the world.I’d never had this much sex in my life, and he made sure there wasn’t an inch of me he hadn’t explored, claimed, and left tingling with satisfaction.I tried to roll over, but his arm clamped around me like a bear trap, pressing me to his bare chest. We’d swapped positions so many times, I wasn’t even sure which way was up anymore. Right now, he was spooning me, but not even half an hour ago, he’d done a full 180, grabbing my arm and pulling it over himself like he was starved for a cuddl