IN THE CAPO'S BED

LILITH'S POV I gasped as a hand gripped me, stopping me from moving further. A relieved sigh pierced through me as I saw it was Marco. I couldn't be any happier to see his annoying face; at least he had stopped me from making a terrible mistake. He pulled me towards the room's corner, where it was quieter. Many people do not come to this part of La Notte; you only come here when you want privacy. I frown, staring at Marco, wondering what he wanted. "How are you?" His toffee-brown eyes moved over my body. "Um, fine, I guess," I laughed. Even as I was anything but that. My body ached from exerting too much pressure on it. You'd think doing this for three years would make me an expert in the field, but I was far from that. Also, the fact that Marco was asking about my well-being when he had never indeed cared made it even more laughable. "Good," he nodded. "Do you remember the deal from earlier?" Tilting my head, I tried to remember the exact deal he was talking about.

GIOVANNI POVBeing made in the family—it was more than a title. It was a damn oath written in blood. I'd earned my bones long ago, proving to Don Massimo that I had the stomach for what The Life demanded.As a capo in La Famiglia Ricci, it was my job to run my crew with a tight fist to make sure no one got any ideas about stepping out of line. To keep the family's interest protected, to settle debts, to enforce loyalty—I did what was needed to do. And in return? I had the family's backing. Respect, fear.But it wasn't all power and luxury. Being a made man meant you didn't get to quit, didn't get to retire. You either did the work, or you were sleeping with the fishes. That was how it was, how it always would be."Capo." Jacques, one of my muscles said.I stopped walking to stare at him. He was standing by Luca. Jacques and Luca were my muscles, always two steps behind and ready to handle any trouble that came my way. Loyalty was everything in this line of work; they were the only one

GIOVANNI POVMarcella was hurt because of me. I was her big brother and protector. I should have been watching over her!Instead, I had been with a woman. A woman I could not stop thinking about now!Although Marcella had her personal bodyguard, whom Don Massimo had placed close to her school, I still made it my primary objective to look after her.Don Massimo had been good to me, picked me from the damned gutters, and brushed me up. I wouldn't have gotten to this stage of my life if it weren't for him. He had treated me like a son.Honestly, anyone who didn't know the relationship between us would assume I was his child. However, Don Massimo himself had never treated me anything lesser than that.Marcella had gotten hurt under my watch because I was fucking some unknown woman. Yet, I was here thinking of the same woman instead of looking for those who had hurt her and giving them a taste of their medicine.Grimacing, I stared at the boner forming on my pants. The dent was noticeable,