<Blurb>
He’s the ruthless king of the New York Bratva. She’s a lethal assassin sent to end him.
He rules with blood-stained hands and an unforgiving heart.
She’s fueled by vengeance, trained to strike without mercy.
He’s untouchable.
She’s the chaos he never saw coming.
He’s her target.
She’s his obsession.
Their worlds collide in a storm of blood, betrayal, and forbidden desire.
When enemies become lovers, the line between passion and destruction blurs.
Will their fire consume them—or will they burn the world down together?
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Chapter 1: Busted
[Enora] “You’ll be dead in two minutes.” The man, whose time of death I’d just pronounced, pulled his face from a stripper’s cleavage and looked at me with eyes full of disgust, as the disco lights flashed green, red, and blue on him. “Who the fuck are you?” he asked, his Russian accent thick. “Me?” I smiled, because I thought it was only fair for a soon-to-be corpse to be surrounded by cheerful faces. “Enora, but some call me Portatore di morte.” (Bringer of death). His eyes widened, fear coating his features at the name. “Morte?!” “Some call me that too,” I nodded, glancing at my black watch. “You’ll be dead in thirty seconds.” He shoved the stripper aside, causing her to crash into another clubber. “Suka!”(Bitch!) he roared, jumping to his feet. He reached for something in his pocket when a loud bang silenced the room. Warm liquid splattered on my face, and a body hit the floor. The club erupted in chaos as people scrambled to flee. But this wasn’t a normal crime scene—it was a mafia war. The body would vanish in minutes. I looked down at him, his dark eyes wide open as blood leaked from the bullet hole in his forehead. “Rest in peace.” I didn’t need his name, only his face. It somehow made the burden of taking so many lives—or at least, delivering the news of one’s death to them—easier. And to be honest, none of the people I’d delivered their deaths to since I was fourteen were innocent. Most were traffickers, drug dealers, rapists, and murderers. They all deserved it in one way or another. I wasn’t much different from them either. This is the world I was born into, where shedding human blood was no different from slaughtering animals during Thanksgiving. A world where I was nothing but the bringer of death, seducer of men, and someday, a bargaining prospect for my papa, Carlos Patrizio. He was the bloodthirsty leader of the Italian crime family in New York, and I was his only daughter. I took a bottle of whiskey off the table beside this man’s lifeless body, poured myself a shot, and said a silent prayer for his soul. Another bang came from outside. I gulped my shot, enjoying the burning sensation as it trailed down my throat. “Enora!” I heard Ricco, my father’s right-hand man, call out to me. There was urgency in his voice, and with the repeated screams and gunshots outside, things were about to get messy. I poured another shot of whiskey, made the sign of the cross, and shut the man’s eyes. Then I turned—and froze. Piercing blue eyes locked onto me, sharp and murderous. My breath hitched. Nikolai Lantsov stood just twelve steps away, his dark scowl cutting through the air like a blade. Both his hands rested casually in his pockets, but the threat in his gaze was unmistakable. His height was intimidating from afar, and I was certain he would tower over me if we stood close. My eyes strayed to his chest, then to his shoulders. He was so muscular it made me wonder if he was really forty-two. And his face—there was no way I could forget it, the face of my family’s sworn enemy. I hadn’t met him before, but my papa had several pictures of him in his office. He had appeared on the news several times for his famous whiskey brand—the one I drank three minutes ago. He was also famous for having the largest clubs in New York. A laugh almost escaped my lips because only those born in this world knew Nikolai Lantsov for who he really was; dark, evil, vile, and a bloodsucker. Not very different from my father and me. I pulled out my Glock from where it was strapped between my thighs, being sensual to distract Nikolai while keeping my gaze steady on him. A wicked smirk found its way to my lips as I raised the metal, pointing it at Nikolai. One of his guys entered just then, removing his own gun and pointing it at me, but dropped it when Nikolai raised a dismissive hand with a slight smirk. Was he daring me? What the fuck was he thinking? That I wouldn’t have the balls to shoot him? I cocked my gun to warn him, but that only had a negative effect as he started toward me. My hand started quivering, my gun suddenly felt too heavy to carry. Cold blood rushed to my brain, and I could hear the drumming of my pulse in my ears with every step he took as he closed the distance between us. This isn’t good. Why wasn’t I pulling the trigger? His presence was intimidating, his dark aura possessing everything around him, including me. My legs itched to pace backward as he neared me, but I forced myself not to move an inch away. There was no way I’d let him see the effect he had on me. Fuck, I hated how the presence of this ruthless crime lord was affecting me. My father would spit curses to the devil if he had any idea how much of a failure I was right now. I hadn’t finished handling the turmoil in my head when my gun came in contact with a certain hardness. The only thing between me and Nikolai right now was my stretched arm and the .45 it was holding. Nikolai’s jaw twitched. His eyes had flames in them, and I could see the veins in his neck swell. “What is it, malysh?” (little one?) His voice was terribly thick with a Russian accent to spice it up—just like the man whose blood splattered on me minutes ago—only, the man’s voice had no spice that made my blood rush. What the hell was I thinking? I was standing in front of the most notorious mafia boss in New York, yet I was thinking of spice and deep-voice-effects. Get a hold of yourself, Enora. “I’ll shoot you if you fucking move one more time.” I meant it, and although I’d rather never have blood directly on my hands, it was better to kill than to be killed. And knowing the men in our gruesome world, death would be mercy after being kidnapped, drugged, and fucked without your consent several times. And from everything I’d heard, a man like Nikolai Lantsov could do a lot more than that. He opened his mouth as if to say something but was interrupted when someone shot in our direction, missing bursting his brains by only an inch. We both ducked. I looked in the direction of the shooter and saw it was Ricco. Nikolai attempted to take something out from his suit vest. I kicked his hand and tried to make a run for it, but strong warm hands gripped my legs. Panic set in, I tried to kick him with my other leg, but he gripped it too, dragging me to himself with such speed that my Glock fell out of my hand. Ricco and the other guys stopped shooting when they saw I’d been captured. Nikolai’s hand wrapped me steadily to himself. This wasn’t the moment, but the warmness of his body was ridding me of my senses. His earthy scent filled my nose; my brain started to dissect the ingredients his perfume was made of. Sandalwood, patchouli, and rosewood. “Let the girl go,” Ricco’s grumpy voice demanded. He was a large, tall guy with a fittingly large muscular belly and curly raven hair. “Pochemu ya dolzhen?” (Why should I?) Nikolai asked. His voice possessed a calmness that sent chills down my spine. “You’re the ones who crossed my territory.” “Take me, let the girl go.” “No!” I shook my head at Ricco. “Don’t—” “You are mine now, malysh (Little one),” Nikolai growled. “You do not speak unless I ask you to.” His grip tightened on my neck. “Drop your weapon,” he ordered, eyes on Ricco. I shook my head again, notifying Ricco not to drop his weapon. He looked hesitant for a while before stretching his gun out on the floor. “Good. Now, who do you work for, malysh? Patrizio?” “I haven’t heard of that name before,” I lied. My father had once said it was best to be discrete in an attack like this. In his own words, it didn’t matter if I was dying, as long as it was not an open war between the two mafia families in New York. I’d rather die in the attack than betray him. There was no mercy for anyone who did that, even if that person was his daughter. “Do understand, milyy(darling). I cannot let both of you walk out here alive.” Nothing in the world could have prepared me for what happened next. There was no warning, no bang. But there was a thud, and there was blood, spreading on Ricco’s chest, and life faded away from his face. I’d always thought Ricco was immortal, just like my father and the devil who had his arms wrapped firmly around my neck. I wanted to scream, shout, but it felt as if watching Ricco’s blood paint the ground seeped away every ounce of energy I had left. “Keep this in mind, malysh,” Nikolai said in a rough tone. “The next time I see you will be the day you die.” I nodded, holding back tears that were meant for Ricco, and making my own promise to Nikolai. ‘The next time I see you will be the day you die, Nikolai’[Nikolai]I have no issue killing women for one reason: my enemies have no gender. But no woman had ever had the balls to point a damn gun at me—until now. This tiny woman standing in front of me with her ass pressing against my dick was the first one. And she hadn’t just pointed a gun; she’d dared to try and kick me in the balls. The thought sent adrenaline through my veins as I tightened my arms around her small neck, threatening to squeeze the life out of her if she moved the wrong way. Her white hair reeked of strawberry and lavender, masking the stench of alcohol, death, and nitroglycerin. I wrapped the length of it twice in my hands, yanking her head back painfully. She stiffened, her trembling legs betraying the fear she tried to hide. I wondered if she was cursing me or swearing to kill me. Not that it mattered. The chances of me fucking her life out of her were far greater than her taking mine. “Go, malysh (Little one),” I whispered hoarsely in her ear. “Tell him
[Enora]Nikolai Lantsov was killable, and that was all I needed to know. He was like every other egotistical man in the mafia world, looking down on women and feeling impenetrable. Too bad his death would be at the hands of a woman—me.I’d probably thank him before I killed him; I’d always hated my long hair because my papa had a weird obsession with it. When drunk, he’d call me Isabella. Was that my mother’s name? If he loved her, why ensure I had nothing to remember her by?Nikolai’s pale blue eyes and large frame filled my mind. I’d sworn never to get blood on my own hands, but if it meant ridding New York of a tyrant, I’d have a blood bath. My father was just as bad, but I couldn’t kill him—not yet. First, I’d use his power to destroy Nikolai. Ricco’s death confirmed Nikolai wasn’t immortal. Loyal to papa for 27 years, Ricco deserved more than a simple *okay* before papa sent me a second job: a mother and her son, Pedro. As the breeze carried the scent of roses, I imagined a
[Enora]The laughter from the foyer was poison to my ears. Papa had told me he’d signed me off like property, but not who my soon-to-be husband was.I glanced at the ice bucket arranged with unopened whiskey, swallowing my saliva to keep from grabbing a bottle and gulping it down. I was curious—desperate—to meet my new owner. Knowing Papa, I’d be surprised if my groom was a prospect, but the deep, old voice from the foyer suggested otherwise.A whirlwind swept my thoughts to Nikolai. Not that I liked him—he was forty-two, almost twice my age. Yet, with dark gelled hair and toned muscles beneath his suit, he didn’t look his age.My God, what was I thinking?The voices drew closer, spiders creeping up my spine. My jaw dropped as Mario Luigi, Papa’s underboss, entered. Older than Papa by six years, he even had a son ten years my senior. Maybe I’d marry the son, not him.“Enora,” Papa called. Mario kissed my hand disgustingly. “You’re just as beautiful as always,” he said, eyes on my
[Nikolai]The first thing I noticed was the way the tips of her hair made contact with her shoulder. Most men liked women with long hair, but I liked mine to be distinct—short hair with smoky eyes was my kink. And that was exactly how she looked when she walked into my club, fearlessly.Enora Patrizio didn’t strike me as a woman who would be stupid enough to walk into a den of vipers, so there could be only two reasons she would do so.One: this was a fucking trap, probably set up by Carlos Patrizio.Two: she was actually stupid.I preferred to go with the first option because the second wasn’t only very unlikely, but it was safer never to underestimate your enemies. And as it seemed, I had more enemies than friends.Our gazes were locked on each other, hers cautious, mine observing. Her gray eyes glittered something sad in the disco lights, her lashes were wet, her black mascara smeared beneath her eyes. She looked nothing like she did when I first met her a week ago. I supposed th
Enora paused when she reached the couch and spun to face me. “It’s nothing.” She sat down and stared at the walls that were the color of her eyes. I knew she was lying by the way she avoided my gaze.“Do not lie to me, malysh.” My voice was harsh with rage and this strange thirst for blood—blood of the one who hurt her. I stood from my swivel chair, went to her, and dragged her up from the cushion before examining her back. Red and purple lines crossed each other countless times, and the skin around them was crimson, darker than red.I ran my finger on them, causing goosebumps to appear on her skin. “Who did this to you, malysh?” I asked again, hearing the roar in my voice.Enora swallowed. “It’s nothing.” It was something, and it all made sense. Her entering my territory even after I’d threatened to kill her the next time we meet, her bare feet, her pale face, and misty eyes.“Listen, malysh.” I tilted her chin up and peered straight into her gray eyes. “The day I find out who di
ENORATonight, I made a deal with the devil against my will, and I had a feeling it would cost me my life.When I walked into the Lantsov club an hour ago, I had no idea what the heck I was doing or why I was even there. But after I met Nikolai, an idea flashed through my brain. Killing two birds with one stone, that’s exactly what I was going to do.I was between two devils I needed to destroy: my papa and Nikolai. Nikolai was notorious and ruthless, so I’d heard, but he appeared a saint compared to my papa. For instance, my papa would have shot me on sight if I’d launched an attack on his club, but Nikolai didn’t.I’d use him to bring my papa down since I’d rather not have his blood in my hands. Then I’d kill Nikolai and burn this fucking underworld to the ground—it didn’t matter if I burned along with it.The problem was, Nikolai wanted me to marry him, and I would rot six feet under before I dared to marry someone like him. “You’re crazy.”His lips curled into a crooked smile,
ENORAI’d never thought heaven would smell like cigarettes and alcohol, unless of course I wasn’t in heaven. I was in hell.I tried to flick my eyes open, but they felt too heavy, as if they weren’t my own. I could hear voices in the background, thick masculine voices that spoke Russian. I should have taken my Russian classes more seriously than I did, but that was a regret for another day.A wet towel dabbed my neck, and that was when one of my eyes gave in, briefly allowing me to open it for two seconds. A blurred face was close to mine, I couldn’t make out the color of his eyes, but I could feel them touch my face curiously before I heard him mutter something I couldn’t make out in Russian. I knew who it was as soon as I heard his voice. Nikolai.My eyes closed and darkness took over.Cold soft hands were rubbing something on my back when I woke up again. I was laying on my stomach with my back facing the ceiling, cuddling the unfamiliar bed I lay on. It was cozy, warmer than t
ENORANikolai left the room and returned with a pile of neatly folded clothes, all black and white. “Wear these.”Are those his clothes? They smelt just like him. Was I going to wear Nikolai-freaking-Lantsov’s clothes? I was getting more excited than I needed to be—which was probably zero excitement because who gets excited just wearing their captor’s clothes?“Will these do?”“I will manage with them for now,” I replied as I unfolded them, seeing that they were all designer clothes, just the way I liked my clothes to be. Turned out Nikolai and I had something in common other than the New York dark underworld we were both involved in.Nikolai leaned on the wall, watching me as I put on a pair of black baggy shorts and an oversized sleeveless shirt from the pile he brought in. “You didn’t thank me, malysh.”Truth, I hadn’t even had time to address the way he called me “malysh.” I was not a child, especially not his, and I hated how he somehow had fun calling me that. “I suppose you kn
AriaIt was a beautiful day as we ventured through the city. It was warm enough to wear a dress and I found a midi-length one from the collection of clothes he had bought for me that I didn't mind. It was strappy and airy, made of a dark fabric that felt almost like butter against my skin.It was a bit out of my comfort zone, but the vague smile Roman wore once he spotted me made it worth it.Designer shades covered his eyes as we walked, hands in the pockets of his trousers. His clothes were neat as per usual, but he’d left two buttons casually undone. The watch on his wrist caught the sunlight, and everything about him seemed so put together.For someone involved in a ruthless lifestyle, he knew how to clean himself up. Damn.Roman held the door open for me, and a bell rang as we walked inside.The baby boutique didn't look like some basic store. It was far nicer than anything I had seen before, with shining wood floors and large windows to let more than enough sunlight in.Everythi
AriaTwo days had passed since Roman and I had sex. Two days since I lost my virginity to the hottest man on the planet.It still made my cheeks burn to think about it, and I couldn't help but wonder how I had managed to pull someone like Roman.He was so intense and intimidating, yet there was this softer side to him that I didn't think very many people got to see. He was calculated and otherwise focused on his family's dealings, but when he was spontaneous, he was intoxicating.I wondered if he knew how glad I was to know my kidnapper wasn't the worst person ever. And that despite the strange way we were brought together, there was already a special place for him in my mind and heart.No matter how many times I told myself to pull back, to not get my hopes up, I couldn't seem to help it. It felt like there was something between us, and if the other night had proven anything, it was that we had passion. A passion that I wanted to explore.The smell of coffee and bacon filled the kitc
RomanMy hands were pressed against the round table while my feet were on the carpeted floor. My brothers were with me, talking as they normally did during our meetings. I was physically there with them, but not mentally present in the slightest.Nikolai had ordered us there at nine in the morning. While I had no problem rising early or making it to things when I was expected, I noticed how it weighed on Valentin and Dimitri. Watching their alternating yawns was the most focus I could muster at that moment.We were meant to brainstorm—to strategize our next moves—but I couldn’t stop thinking about Aria.I’d surprised even myself by giving in and sleeping with her. I knew I wasn’t supposed to get attached. It was harmless fun and I kept reminding myself of that.While I was somewhat annoyed with myself for it, especially while drunk, I didn’t entirely regret it...except for the sneaking suspicion I had that it wasn’t quite so innocent. The way my mind effortlessly floated back to her w
AriaI couldn’t take the mortification any longer and brought my lips to his, wanting to get the hard part over with. Our lips melded eagerly as he inhaled sharply, gliding his palms up and down my back.Wiggling my hips above his, I tried to find that rhythm from before, grinding against his cock. But my hips were stilled by his strong hands.With a rush of movement, I was scooped up and laid out across the couch, left confused as he moved down my body, pressing kisses down my stomach.I took in a sharp breath as his tongue glided down my skin, fingers hooking into my panties. In one sweep, they were removed, and nothing was left between the two of us.Roman kept going until he was level with my core, and that teasing tongue continued.Black rimmed my vision once he flicked it against my clit, immediately making me arch away from the couch. His hands secured my hips down, making sure I didn’t move too much.A throaty moan fell from my lips, overcome by his impeccable skill. He focuse
AriaHis lips were hasty in their movements, devouring mine like he was trying to get nectar from them. His palm traveled around, resting on my hip as he poured everything he had into the embrace.I did nothing but comply, so overcome by how amazing it felt. He moved with such precision that I was rendered useless, silently begging for more of him.There were other men I had kissed before, but never like that. Never with such fiery passion that it was almost tangible. The whiskey made it easier to stomach just how overwhelming it was to be so close to him, to feel him, and to taste that electricity between us.Roman was intimidating in many ways, but from how he kissed me, there was nothing left to fear. It was a side of him I had yet to discover, and it was unbelievably worth it.His tongue flicked against my lower lip, sparking pleasure through my sensitive skin. I shivered, caught off-guard by it, yet eager to part my mouth for him.Our tongues clashed as I gripped his black tee a
Aria Color flooded my cheeks upon hearing that he could so easily recall what was in my notes after having read them, but I pushed it down and nodded, paying close attention.Roman ran me through it, showing me parts of the weapon and how it worked. He did so with expert precision, letting me know that he clearly had a lifetime of experience with it all.His fingers did nimble work, somewhat splicing my attention away from the demonstration. I swallowed hard and silently told myself to focus, even if my mind began to wander, thinking about how close we were standing to one another, or how I could feel his arm brush against me from time to time.I felt depraved for even noticing it.Remembering myself, I followed along as Roman showed me more of the armory, picking up the occasional weapon and going on to describe it for me. It seemed like second nature for him to ramble on about the family business while pride gleamed in his eyes.It was clear that he loved his family, and he cared d
AriaSomething was eating at Roman, but I didn’t know what.Everything seemed to be going well between us, and I couldn’t help but wonder where things had gone wrong.Did I say something I shouldn’t have? Did he regret telling me more about the mafia?Unable to keep it to myself, I peered over at him and watched how indescribable thoughts moved through his eyes.“Is everything alright?”He met my gaze once more and swallowed, looking like he’d rather not say. But he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s just…family business things. My screw-up was a big problem that landed me in some hot water. How I fix this will determine what my brothers think of me.”My face softened at his words. “That sounds like a lot of pressure.”“That is correct,” he managed, staring off into some part of the room. It seemed to be bugging him, and it made me feel bad.I didn’t know how he managed to make me sympathize with him so easily, yet I just couldn’t help it. Despite how strange our circumsta
Something flickered in her eyes as she waited for an answer, seemingly vibrating with anticipation.For some unknown reason, a part of me didn’t want to tell her the truth lest she think I was some sort of monster, someone who couldn’t wait to shoot at any given time.I wasn’t some bloodthirsty goon, but I had taken my fair share of lives for my family. I couldn’t hide from that fact.“Yes,” I managed to get out, gauging Aria’s expression. “None were senseless. Everything I’ve ever done has been to protect my family, and if anyone gets in the way of that, we have our means of dealing with it.”Aria swallowed hard, studying my face closely. While she had tensed at my answer, she eased back into place. “That sounds like a difficult thing to stomach.”“It can be,” I said with a sigh, thinking back to the lives I had claimed, and the ones my brothers had taken as well. “But in the moment, when your brothers’ lives are on the line, it’s easy to forget you’re all human and fighting that sam
RomanTwo Weeks LaterIt had been a long day of work, and all I wanted was to become one with the couch.Having swapped my usual attire for comfortable joggers and a black tee, I was more than ready to forget about everything else. I walked into the living room, not surprised to see Aria already curled up on the couch and balancing the laptop on the side of her propped leg. She was completely focused on the screen, lost in her writing.She had come out of her shell a bit more in the few weeks that had passed, straying from the guest bedroom to linger in the living room. The laptop was never far, which was a relief. I was glad to see her getting good use out of it, even if she had been reluctant to at first.My attention went straight to the lavender sleep set that clung to her curves and accentuated her skin beautifully. The thin straps left little to the imagination, but I wasn’t prepared to complain about it. Half of her dark hair was held up with a clip, leaving her looking comfor