Chapter 39Stacy ⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼It was dark. I was running.“Don’t… don’t come near me,” I muttered under my breath, though I knew it was useless. My legs pumped harder, my shoes skidding against the dirt and roots. But it didn’t matter. Every second, he gained on me. I felt him—his eyes on me like I was prey.I glanced over my shoulder, and there he was, a dark silhouette moving faster than any man should. My heart slammed against my ribs, fear rising, but there was something else, deep in my stomach. It was almost… electric, stirring up a heat that shouldn’t have been there.I tripped over a branch, crashing down hard. My palms slapped against the ground, dirt and leaves sticking to my skin. Before I could even scramble up, a hand wrapped around my ankle, yanking me back“No—” I screamed, kicking, but he was too strong. His grip burned, and even though I fought, the heat inside me surged. His shadow loomed over me, and I knew I should have been terrified.Part of me was— just not my va
Chapter 40 Stacy ⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼ New York City, the place I once called home. The streets were the same, the skyline unchanged, but everything about it felt… alien, like a distant memory. I kept my eyes fixed out the window as Vincenzo drove out of the airport, taking in the lively scenery. The cold wind bit at my skin, reminding me of all the nights I had once walked these streets freely. Now, I was just a captive— Vincenzo’s captive, literally shackled by his twisted sense of revenge. My wrists ached under the weight of the cuffs, and the cold metal collar around my neck made every breath feel heavier. Whatever small flicker of humanity or compassion I thought I saw in him these last days was gone, had vanished right before we boarded his jet, replaced by the cold, detached aura he had when he first dragged me to Chicago as his new slave. It was like flipping a switch. One moment, that morning, he was somewhat tolerable, teasing me and being all cocky and the next, he was ruthless a
Chapter 41Vincenzo⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼I never liked Nikolai, and he never liked me either.I knew the feeling was mutual because I’d heard him say it once, not to my face, of course—but he said it to Russel. I hardly gave a damn about what people thought, but that one line stuck with me.My reason was simple: he’s one of the very few things my brother has that I truly envy—a true friend.I do have people, of course. I mean, there’s Aurelio and Vito, for example. But that was just duty and loyalty to their boss and nothing more. They’d kill for me, and I’d kill for them, because that’s what we do in our world. We have each other’s backs. But it’s work loyalty. It’s transactional.Nikolai was different. He was the kind of man who’d burn the world down for my brother. The kind of loyalty no one gives me. Not willingly, anyway.I hated the bastard for it.He’d do anything for Russel, just like his other best friend, Kegan, would. And that was exactly why he was helping me now.If Russel didn’t get
Chapter 42Stacy⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼“Go ahead without us,” Vincenzo said, waving Nikolai off like he hadn’t just dragged me through their little discussion like I was some fucking handbag. “Perfect.” Nikolai responded with a low sigh of relief, then he stood up and left. They acted like I didn’t even exist. No surprise there—Vincenzo was always a step away from treating me like furniture.But the worst part was, this time, his grip felt different—like something else was going on. His hand around my wrist was iron, pulling me toward the car like a damn leash. My skin burned under his touch, and not in the way I’d ever admit out loud.He yanked the car door so hard that you’d think he had a beef with it. “Get in.”I glared at him, but he didn’t bother waiting for me to finish sulking or do what he just asked—just shoved me inside with the usual roughness and shut the door behind him. A damn dictator, that’s what he was. I wasn’t a person to him. I was a plaything. His possession.He entered too
Chapter 43Stacy⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼I’ve never been one to possess self control.It’s almost amusing to think of that now, standing here under the scorching sky, next to Vincenzo’s mother’s tombstone of all places. What did it say about me that I had more issues with the dirt under my nails than the fact that he might just snap my neck before dinner?“You’re quiet,” he observed, his voice like a slow, dangerous melody. “What’s going on in that head of yours, little devil?”I gave him a sweet smile, feeling the tension rising between us like a hot current. “Oh, you know. Just thinking about how you remind me of a cheap cologne—overpowering and leaves a lingering headache.”His dark eyes gleamed with amusement, as he invaded every inch of my personal space. “Funny.” His hand suddenly snaked up behind my throat, fingers wrapping around my neck with a grip that was tight enough to make my pulse quicken but not enough to stop my breathing. “But you’re wrong about the ‘cheap’ part.”My heart did a ri
Chapter 44 Stacy ⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING⚠️ ⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼ “What the fuck are you?” I roared. If my wrists weren’t cuffed, I would have slapped him so hard he’d have my palm prints branded on his face for years. “A sick psycho? A fucking ritualist? Were you dropped on your head as a kid?” He said nothing, his expression unchanging as he continued to drag me out of the now almost dark woods. My wrist ached from his grip, and from the barbaric cut he’d given me. As much as I tried resisting the constant pull, he wouldn’t let go and so the cut wouldn’t stop bleeding. “Were you raised by some halfwit cavemen?” I continued to rant, because it was all I could do to keep me from going insane. Although it did nothing to stop me from thinking about the fact that I’d practically just been made to bleed for some dead woman. “I wouldn’t call my stepmom and a bunch of Tristiano’s men cavemen,” he responded nonchalantly, his voice laced with exasperation, as if dealing with a petulant child. I glared a
Chapter 45Stacy ⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼The drive back to Nikolai’s place was awkward, to say the least.Thankfully, Vincenzo left me alone with my thoughts, his usual unreadable self. He didn’t so much as glance in my direction, which was another bonus, because how do I look at him after what he’d just shoved his dick down my throat and then swiftly reminded me how miserable he intends to make my life?The heavy door to Nikolai’s place clicked shut behind us, and that familiar sense of dread washed over me. It wasn’t just the grand, sterile hallways or the coldness in the air—it was the unsettling feeling of being trapped with two of them.I followed Vincenzo, my stomach churning with unease. My mind was still buzzing from everything that had happened, while he moved with his usual air of indifference.The moment we stepped into the foyer, Nikolai appeared at the top of the staircase, his eyes sweeping over us. His gaze lingered on me for a second longer than I liked before he focused on Vincenzo,
Chapter 46Vincenzo⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼She didn’t come down for dinner. Or any meals, for that matter, over the next three days.I wasn’t exactly losing sleep over her silent treatment. Hell, if anything, it gave me space to think and work. I had bigger issues on my plate, and I was still pissed at myself for letting my temper get the best of me the other day. I’d taken advantage of the moment, of her, and made her suck me off. The memory made me smirk, but the second that thought crossed my mind, I slapped a hand to my head, scowling.I should probably apologize to her.But I’d have to kill her after.A grin tugged at my lips again. My little mouse might be quick-witted, sassy as hell, and unapologetically wicked, but one thing she wasn’t good at? Sucking cock. And for some damn reason, that made me proud. Proud that my dick was the first one shoved down her throat, that she nearly choked on it.And I plan to teach her.I wasn’t apologizing because, deep down, I knew I had every intention of d
Chapter 107Vincenzo⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼“The hair does match, but she’s too overdressed, which is unlike her.” The cigar in my hand burned steadily, wisps of smoke curling into the dim air of my study as Vito leaned over the desk, pointing to a grainy photo on my laptop screen. His voice was calm but edged with urgency.“Outside of Palermo,” he said. “We’ve had reports of her moving with a small group of Irish men who were trying a little too hard to blend in. No confirmation yet, but the timing matches. They might be keeping it low, but she’s alive.”I exhaled slowly, and watched the smoke drift toward the ceiling as my mind worked through the implications. Alive. That could mean a lot of things, it could mean I still had to kill her with my own hands. It could mean Russel would find her first and do it anyway. It could mean Dante might get her first and withdraw from whatever agreement we had. Or it could be a direct contradiction to everything Valente told me, which would mean I’d still hav
Chapter 106Vincenzo⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼The villa reeked of her.I never liked her, not even as a kid when she’d parade around in her silk dresses, pretending to play the perfect wife while twisting knives into my father’s back. Hell, she’d never liked anything concerning me either. Maybe that was the one thing we had in common.The men in this place went down like dominoes, pathetic to the last. She always surrounded herself with men who looked the part but crumbled the moment you applied pressure. A quick choke, a snap of the wrist, and they folded. I didn’t bother watching them hit the ground, I was already halfway up the stairs.She was working with the Irish. Against her own blood. Against her own children. And for what? A scrap of power she’d never actually hold? A seat at a table where no one respected her? Revenge on me? It would’ve been laughable if it wasn’t so goddamn infuriating. My men had already fanned out, securing the lower levels of the house. I made my way upstairs with V
Chapter 104Stacy⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼He murdered her.The thought circled endlessly in my mind, like a cruel pendulum swinging back and forth, slamming into me every time. He murdered her.I was still sat in that cold, damp cell, my legs still strapped in unforgiving metal chains. My tears had dried hours ago, leaving my cheeks stiff and raw. Nisca’s head rested in my lap, her lifeless body sprawled awkwardly, her once-bright eyes now dull and glassy. My hands were covered in blood, either hers or mine, I wasn’t sure.When Clyde dragged her in last night, limp and wrapped in a sack, I thought I might’ve been hallucinating. It wouldn’t have been the first time my mind played tricks on me. But then they ripped the sack off her head and tossed her at my feet like garbage.“You must be lonely,” Clyde had said, his voice dripping with smug satisfaction. “I brought you a companion.”That companion was Nisca. But it was not the smiling, love sick girl who’d tried to protect us when they barged into
Chapter 104 Vincenzo ⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼ FEW WEEKS AGO Chains dangled from the ceiling, the metallic clang echoing every time Valente twitched, which was often. He was tied to a steel chair, wrists strapped so tightly that blood trickled down his arms in sluggish streams. His face was a mess….swollen, bloody, barely recognizable as human after the first round. I flexed my knuckles, the blood coating them sticky and warm. “You scream like a woman, Valente. Did your mother raise you that way, or is this just your natural state?” “Please,” he gasped, spitting blood onto the floor. One of his teeth clattered to the ground like a broken pearl. “Please, Vincenzo—” “Please?” I crouched in front of him, gripping his chin so tightly his jaw cracked under the pressure. “You think ‘please’ is a magic word? Jesus, what are you, a nun?” He whimpered, his bloodshot eyes darting toward the door like he thought salvation might walk through it. “Let me explain something to you,” I said, my voice dropping
Chapter 103Stacy⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼I’d worn cuffs too many times to not recognize the feel of them.The cold air stung my skin as I sat curled on the stone floor, hands trembling despite my effort to steady them. The dim light overhead flickered, barely enough to chase away the suffocating darkness that pressed against the walls of this room. No, it was a cell…my cell. Where the hell am I?Was I hallucinating? Oh yeah, my mind must be playing games, dating back to the time when I was shackled up in that tiny room in Russel’s warehouse, listening to my father scream while Russel took pieces off his skin. I’ve had those before. But why did it feel so real today? I had no idea how long I’d been here. Hours? Days? It was all a blur of rough voices outside the dark, chains scraping against cement when I moved, and the unmistakable sound of Irish men moving around like wolves waiting for the kill. Did Vincenzo capture me again? But Vincenzo is not Irish. Dante? Why would he want me chained up a
Chapter 102 Vincenzo⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼Russel asked Nikolai to babysit me. Well, not technically, but having him follow me around for the last two weeks could be considered babysitting at this point.He thought I was fucked.The chair beneath me groaned, probably in sympathy with my irritation. Meanwhile, Dante sprawled across from me like he owned the damn world, oozing arrogance. And maybe Russel was right, because the only reason the man was still breathing was Nikolai.“You must be losing your touch if it took this long to find me,” Dante drawled, casually reaching for the glass of water in front of him. He was mocking me with every second he wasted. “Perhaps I wasn’t hiding. Did you think of that, Vincenzo?”I didn’t respond.My patience was hanging by a thread. No, not even a thread. It was barely hanging by a single hair. My mind felt like it was on fire, fueled by two weeks of sleepless nights, numerous dead ends, and the glaring absence of activity in my life.I’d gotten too used to t
Chapter 101Stacy⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼TWO WEEKS LATERI’d escaped a physical prison only to end up in an emotional hell. There’s something uniquely pathetic about sitting cross-legged on the floor of a shoebox apartment, trying to piece your life back together. And by ‘life,’ I mean the sad collection of my father’s business files Elixir managed to stack away from the Mancinis.I shoved aside a cracked snow globe, its tiny Eiffel Tower missing, and yanked out the next item. A silk tie, flamingo pink. Flamingo. Pink.“Nisca!” I hollered, holding up the offending accessory like it was a dead rat. “What the hell is this?”Her voice floated in from the small kitchen. “Vintage Versace. You’re welcome.”“Vintage or not, it’s hideous.” I dropped it back into the box like it might bite me and leaned back against the wall, staring at the disaster surrounding me. Nisca, my former chief maid and Elixir’s sister, who was two years older than me, strolled into the room, a mug of coffee in one hand and a big
Chapter 100 Vincenzo ⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼ She was gone. Gone. And I felt like the biggest fool alive. I’d woken up this morning, expecting to see her tangled in the sheets beside me, maybe still asleep, looking as sinful as she had the night before when she curled up on my chest. I’d told her—like an idiot—how much I cherished her. How much I couldn’t bear to lose her. She never said it back. But I hadn’t noticed. Not then. The bed was empty, but I hadn’t panicked. Why would I? Stacy liked her showers long, her coffee black, and her hair styled perfectly. I convinced myself she was probably in the bathroom or out on the balcony. I spent the first thirty minutes on the phone with Russel, going over Valente’s latest tantrum. Then I made calls to my men about the shipment in the Englewood warehouse. Approved it. Sent a text. And then decided to join her in the bathroom, maybe drag her back to bed for another round. The bathroom was empty. Still, I hadn’t panicked. Not yet. I’d checked th
Chapter 99Stacy⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼I couldn’t sleep a wink. It wasn’t just the sex—though that was seared into my brain like some sort of branding iron. It was the way he’d looked at me after. Vulnerable, almost human. Like maybe, I was no longer the daughter of the man who murdered his mother. And then, of course, he had to ruin it by saying something ridiculous like, “My demons have fallen in love with your darkness.”What was that even supposed to mean? I’d spent the last hour staring at the ceiling, blushing like some lovesick idiot. Me. Blushing. Because of Vincenzo Mancini, the man who once dragged me kicking and screaming into his hell and cuffed me like a prized animal. And he was sleeping so peacefully beside me, nose buried deep in my air like he was taking in oxygen, hand sprawled possessively across my waist. I needed air.Sliding quietly out of bed, I grabbed the bloodied shirt Vincenzo had tossed on the chair earlier—it still smelled like him, damn it—and crept out onto the te