Chapter 24Vincenzo °° °° °° °°Why does the devil look good?I’m guessing the fourteen men I killed at that gay club would have asked God the same thing right before I fired those bullets into their kneecaps.I’m pretty sure every single person who’d had the misfortune of meeting their end at the my hand had the same questions too.Personally, I’d never had to ask that question myself. I mean, I know I look good; every one of my siblings does. It would’ve been pretty odd if I were the ugly one, even though I was the bastard.Take away Don Cosimo’s genes, my mama was an angel in a human body, so these looks came from God himself—or the devil—whoever was in charge of making psycho devils like me.But Eustacia Salvatore? Her father wasn’t exactly the best-looking man I’d seen. I wouldn’t know about her mother, but it had to be illegal for all these good genes to come from just one woman. It was sick, really, how a woman like her could look so… perfect.Even now as she glared at me wi
Chapter 25Stacy~~~~~I was still trembling from that damn tiger.The bastard thought it was funny—taunting me with his oversized pet like I was some helpless child. Was it even normal to keep a man-eating animal as pet? God knows how many humans he’d fed to that thing. The fact that he was currently dragging me through his hellish maze like a strict father about to go punish his privileged kid who stole a homeless kid’s toy wasn’t making me feel better.The door swung open and I stumbled in behind Vincenzo, his grip still tight on my arm, like he thought I might run. Once inside, we passed by people and more doors, the scent and sound of booze, and God knows what else, coming and going. I kept my head down, not wanting to meet anyone’s gaze.But I could feel their stares.Eyes followed us as we walked, whispers trailing in our wake like poison. I felt their judgment burning into my skin, their looks like knives carving into me.Well, hello motherfuckers, this isn’t the first time
Chapter 26 Vincenzo ~~~~~~ Fiorella loves mothering me, which is ironic because kids don’t fuck their mothers and she only had six years on me. Well, she also had that ability to make me want to put everything in place— just for her, on me. So I’d spent the entire night trying to put things in place In anticipation for her arrival among other things. You never really know how to host a mourning Fiorella, especially if the person she was mourning was her personal cuntsucker. “Keep your eyes on that new info,” I instructed Liam over the phone. “Did you talk to her about the kiss?” The curiosity in his voice was unmistaken. He’d fallen deeper in love with that Irish bastard after he breached the security and nearly stole my little mouse. The fact that Liam was still unable to trace him was beginning to grate on my nerves, even I was beginning to wonder whether he was not a real ghost. I paused at the door, “Not yet.” “Why? Surely they must know each other—“ “I
Chapter 27 Vincenzo ~~~~~ The soft light filtering through the curtains was what woke me—well, that and the fact that I had actually slept, for once. My body felt heavier than usual, reminding me how much I’d needed this. Stacy shifted beside me, her breathing steady but slightly strained. She was still out cold. I let out a breath as I slowly turned on my side, taking a moment to study her, I noted the slight furrow in her brow and realized with alarm that the fever from last night hadn’t passed. I shifted carefully and pulled back the blanket just enough to check her injury. It wasn’t bleeding, but the heat radiating from her skin told me enough—she was burning up even more now. I was about to slide out of bed, call someone to look at it, when her eyes blinked open, wide and startled. She looked around the room in a panic before her gaze landed on me… then the blanket… then us… Her face froze in horror. “What the hell?” she squeaked, pulling the blanket up to her
Chapter 28 Stacy ~~~~~ You know how a mentally ill patient in a psych ward tries so hard to convince everyone he’s not crazy, only to end up looking even crazier? Yeah, that’s exactly why I didn’t bother arguing with Vincenzo. Seriously, I couldn’t believe this guy. Whatever gave him the impression that I was the unhinged one in this situation? People break things when they get too pissed all the time. It’s called rage therapy, his fancy grey room just happened to serve as the rage room when I needed it. He might need lessons on that. I mean, not all of us are currently in the position to torture or kill someone to get a bad day off our chest like he is. Humph! The door swung open before I could finish that thought, and in walked a woman who looked like she could break bones without smudging her lipstick. She was breathtaking—hot, sexy with a sharp jawline, dark sleek hair, piercing eyes, and a toned body. Well, seeing her reminded me just how miserable
Chapter 29Stacy~~~~~When Vincenzo said his words would be enough to keep my pretty mouth shut for the rest of the day, he was wrong.The only thing was I didn’t have anyone to lash out on, not him anyway and Vito wasn’t someone I wanted to count as human. So the rest of the day passed without so much as a shadow of Vincenzo. Typical. He drops bombs, watches the fallout, then leaves you to stew in it.Instead, Vito was the lucky contestant forced to deal with me, which I’m sure was Vincenzo’s idea of punishment. The guy was a walking brick wall, and that’s on a good day. If Vincenzo wanted to drive me insane, he’d achieved it by sending Vito to babysit me. I ate as little as I could, then slept off and woke up with a fever ten times hotter than hell. Vincenzo must have forgotten about the medicine he promised to send, or he’d simply decided I wasn’t worth the trouble. Either way, fuck him. Waking up the next morning was like crawling out of a pit of vipers who’d taken turns bit
Chapter 30Vincenzo ~~~~~~If there was anyone who understood that torture wasn’t just about breaking bones or tearing flesh—it was about timing, waiting until the mind was fractured enough to spill the truth, Fiorella was that person.I stared at the guy dangling from the ceiling, his arms stretched above him, tied to a thick chain that rattled with every jolt of his body. Fi had been working on him since yesterday, she insisted she needed the adrenaline rush and the satisfaction that came with seeing a man whimper with every move she made. The man— Benito—let out a weak groan, a pathetic sound that grated on my nerves. His face was swollen beyond recognition, if I didn’t bring him here myself, I would have assumed he’d been bitten by a poisonous snake.I was getting tired of his whiningBlood dripped steadily from the deep gash over his brow, pooling on the cold cement beneath his feet, yet he was still lying through his broken teeth. The sound of my boots echoing off the stone
Chapter 31Vincenzo °° °° °° °°I didn’t need light to see her— she lay sprawled across the bed, her face pale, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. She looked tortured—forehead glistening with sweat, lips cracked and dry. Vito stood by the window, arms crossed, his face etched with concern. “She hasn’t eaten in nearly two days,” he said quietly, keeping his voice low, maybe not to wake her. “I’ve tried, but she barely gets in a spoonful before clamping those stubborn lips shut.”I found myself almost smiling, “Shouldn’t you be glad she’s finally giving your ear a break?” “I should,” Vito conceded, “But she’s out of it most of the time. Between constantly checking if she still has a pulse and jumping in joy, I don’t know which is more tedious.” The smile faded just as soon as it appeared, “Any improvement since the call?”“Sleeping now, but that won’t last.” I glanced at Stacy, her body limp, small and fragile against the massive bed. Her breathing was uneven, lik
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