He leaned so close to me that I could see every pore, every line on his face. "Thirty two-" he growled in my face, "thirty two of my men. That's how many your Don has taken from me. I intend to return the favour, Bianca. Let's hope killing you will send the right message that for every member of the Braterstwo the Italians kill off, their Don is going to receive a piece of your flesh. I will cut you up piece by piece until they get the message that we are not to be fucked with."While what he plans to do will most definitely incure Andre's wrath and most probably get him killed, I knew that I'd be long gone by the time Andre makes his way back to Chicago. He'll need to spend time looking for me and even if he finds where they're keeping me, there's no telling how heavily guarded this place is. Even if he breaks in, there's no stopping them from shooting me in the head before he ever gets to me. I was done for.The tears came before I could stop myself. My heart was squeezing painfull
Pov: AndreThe moment I laid eyes on Bianca and registered all the cuts on and bruises on her body, seeing her surrounded by my enemies... I'd been running on nothing but pure rage and anguish ever since.The way she had looked at me like she was so relieved to see me, like I was her savior, when I was the one that had gotten her into this mess in the first place. That shit ate me alive.And then, I had killed that man in front of her, the one responsible for her stab wounds and she had looked at me with an expression I have never really seen on her. An expression of fear.I had tried to pick her up and she had flinched from at first. As if... As if fuck! As of I was going to hurt her.She had clung to my suit jacket and sobbed into my chest, making the most agonizing sounds that made my insides crawl with vengeful rage.But as the battle raged around us and the last of the Polish were rounded up to be tortured later, Bianca grew increasingly quiet and reserved. She was barely breathi
Pov: BiancaEveryday was more confusing than the last. I had lost track of the exact dates and I slept more than I was conscious.I roused awake to an unfamiliar room that smelled like antiseptic and menthol.Someone was wiping the hair off my temple... It was Andre. I'd recognize his touch anywhere."Christ, baby," he whispered in that anguished voice he uses these days, "please be okay."I struggled to keep my eyes open. My body felt like it had been run over by a truck and stuffed with painkillers. I was sluggish and groggy, numb and slower than usual. The painkillers must have knocked me out because I wasn't aware of what day or time it was."Go back to sleep, micetta."I shook my head slowly, trying to look up at him. Trying to see his face, and when his tired face swam into focus, my heart did a sad little skip.He looked like he had aged ten years since I last saw him. The scruff on his jaw was dark and he looked like he hadn't slept in days... I knew for sure that he hadn't be
Pov: AndreI had gone out to the verandah on the second floor for a smoke and to think when I stopped dead in my tracks.My entire body tightened with apprehension and revolting anger when I saw who it was that was there with me."I thought I told you to leave?""You did." He beamed, "I didn't listen." He shrugged. "Figured you were just trying to look tough in front your new girlfrie- Oh." he pretended to correct himself, "I mean, stepsister.""How did you even sneak into the building." Knowing him, he probably slithered in through the sewers like the fucking rat he was."I don't need to sneak in. In case it isn't obvious, Andre, your father still thinks the world of me and welcomes me into his home when I come visiting. You're the only one in the family who can't stomach my presence."The only one in my family with some common sense is more like it.Lucas was a weasel and a snake, as slimy as they come. I wouldn't trust him even if he came to me in a dream with angel wings and a fuc
Pov: AndreI watched as she walked slowly into house, her eyes wide in amazement. She dropped her overnight backpack in the foyer (the overnight bag I had asked to carry but she insisted on lugging behind her) and looked around. Taking it all in.She turned to look at me, a skeptical look replacing her look of amazement. I slid my hands in my pockets and held her gaze."You said you were taking me to my apartment.""This is your new apartment," I told her. "The other one got compromised.""This is a whole ass mansion.""With better security," I explained. "There's a safe room installed, in case anything happens." Because I sure as hell won't be taking any more chances.I didn't want Bianca stepping foot in the penthouse because I didn't want the memories of her ordeals to come crashing back."I expect this is coming out of my monthly stipend." She raised an accusing eyebrow at me."Yes," I lied. "It's a big house," I said quickly to avoid more conversations down that part. "Come, I'l
Pov: BiancaWith a LOT of difficulty, I was able to convince Andre to let me spend the evening with InΓ©s and Delilah.I refused to let him see me in my dress before the party. Something about it was considered bad luck in a relationship and I didn't want to risk it.We were currently in InΓ©s' penthouse, preparing for the party and having a little much needed girl time."I'll admit, I've never seen Andre this affectionate with another woman since... Well, since our mama." InΓ©s admitted, her face sobering up a little."Tell me about it," Delilah chirped. She was sitting cross legged in the middle of InΓ©s' huge queen sized bed in only her pyjamas, hogging an entire tub of ice cream. "He wanted to bathe you and feed you and keep you. He wouldn't let anyone near you. Why do I find that sweet and romantic and not possessive and scary?"I rolled my eyes, trying to fight the fact that I was blushing hard.I was well and truly gone. I used to believe that Made Men had no hearts. That they coul
Pov: BiancaI nodded gratefully. Turning to Delilah, I smiled carefully at her. "I'm sorry if all of this came as a shock. I never wanted to include you into this life but you're dating Leon now and I'm guessing he told you everything.""He told me enough and I made my choice, Bianca. I went into this with my head and my heart. After you got hurt and Leon told me everything, I knew there was no going back."I smiled at her, "at least I have you here with me. Can you imagine how boring it would have been if I didn't?""You have InΓ©s.""InΓ©s isn't you. I love InΓ©s but I'm glad you're here with me."Her face softened into a watery smile, "oh, kotek," she sniffed, pulling me into a hug.It was a short and graceful ride to the DiMarco mansion and guards were all around the place with their guns and ear pieces out as well as fancy dressed criminals I'm sure with even more guns and weapons under all that cashmere and silk.Andre wasn't taking any chances. The walls, the roofs, the gates, beh
Pov: Bianca"Here, hold my wine," I shoved my wine glass into Delilah's waiting hands."Uh... Bia? Promise you won't do anything stupid," she leaned in to whisper, "the president is here."The president could suck my dick. I turned to Delilah with a straight fucking face, "when have I ever done anything stupid in posh public?"Delilah brightened up with an answer."Don't answer that!" I snapped. To InΓ©s, I asked, "please tell me you didn't invite her?"InΓ©s raised her hands in surrender, "what? Don't bring me into this. I never invited her. Andre cut ties with the Caruso family, remember? I have no idea what she's even doing here, maybe papa invited them or-" she suddenly froze.My eyes widened as realization hit me hard in the gut."Lucas." We both said at the same time.First, he insisted on Delilah coming and now, he's probably behind Andre's nasty ex showing up.My eyes narrowed as I searched the entire room for Lucas and sure as hell, I saw him standing in the shadows like a vil
Optional, but if you decide to read, I'll really appreciate it. Guys, I'm done. It's over and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to share my story with you all. Thank you for following me on this journey. Every gem, every coin, every nice review was seen by me and I love each and every one of you for the support. I can even name some of you off the top of my head because reading your comments brought me so much joy. I hope you all stick with me for future projects. I'd like to know more about books you would probably like to read from me: The genre, trope, all that. Do you prefer Werewolf? Billionaire? Or Mafia?... Or a combination? Rich boy poor girl? Enemies to lovers? Rejected trope? How do you like you male leads? Strong, controlling? Nice? Cold? Ruthless? Cruel? Over the top? How do you like your female leads? Feisty? Demure? Kick ass? Soft? The power is in your hands, I'll try to write future books, of course with loads of creativity but also keeping in mind what my read
EpiloguePov: Andre(Four years later)I roused awake in the middle of the night with a starts and looked around the room, peace settling over my heart when I saw that Bianca was right beside me.Very much asleep and very much round with my baby in her.A beautiful little girl I was going to love and cherish with my whole heart.The years had been fairly peaceful with no more intruders trying to close in on my territory. Business was better than ever and Bianca was an active member of the mafia, asserting her place as my wife and equal.Thr room was dark except for the sliver of light that reflected from the night lamp by her bedside.She had never really gotten over her fear but she was better at controlling it now.I reached out and rubbed her swollen belly and she roused awake and looked at me with sleepy eyes."Andre?" She murmured, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Can't sleep?"I shook my head, "just worried." I murmured, rubbing her bare stomach.Even after all this while, I st
Pov: Andre"You're sure you don't want our help with this?" Alistair asked one last time before I jumped into the Jeep and the rest of my men got ready to get the fuck out of here."In the Cosa Nostra, we deal with our own famiglia," I said gruffly, my knuckles turning white as I clenched my fists hard around the steering wheel and started the car. Usually, Oscar takes the wheels but I was prepared to fuck up the speed limit and drive like a mad man until I got to Bianca.That slimy bastard is fucking dead. Nothing will stop me from tearing open his gut with my bare hands and stringing out his intestines. Excitement thrummed in my blood, the idea of having a reason to finally kill him was too good an opportunity to pass up."Found his location," Leon chirped behind me in the back seat. "He's back at the old townhouse."Good. I had one of my men link a tracker to him after the fiasco at the party cleared up. He had fled back to Sicily where I didn't have to see his face and contempla
Pov: Bianca(Two hours ago.)Things went wrong almost immediately Andre left."Where's Nico," I turned to Bernard as he led me up the stairs towards the safe room where half a dozen other men stood, alert, with their guns drawn."I sent some of the men to look for him. He probably snuck out to go with Andre. Right now, my job is to keep you safe.""You don't understand, Nico is also important to Andre, you have to find him. I don't want anything happening to him again."He huffed an exasperated breath and looked at me as if I was over-reacting. "Fine," he conceded, "get in the room and I'll go with the rest of the men to find Nico after you're safely locked inside.""How will you get it to open? Only Andre and Emilio knows the password.""Andre had you and Nico's fingerprints scanned and inputed into the house's control unit. The two of you can pretty much open any door in the house. We can let you in, but none of us can get out unless Emilio or Andre himself unlock the door from the
Pov: Andre"Get up," I told the girl, dropping my hand. "Lead us to the basement he was talking about."She sniffed and scurried to her feet while glaring at me with as much venom as she could. "You killed him!" She screamed at me."Careful," I narrowed my eyes into slits at her, "I'd hold my tongue if I were you, unless you wish to join him."She wisely clamped down on her lips as her body racked with sobs.My phone buzzed in my pocket and I ignored it, knowing that the men would reach out to me through the earpieces if they wanted to deliver a message."The south wing has been successfully breached," Alexei's voice came in through the receiver. "No sign of Grigori.""None here, either," Enzo murmured."He's probably hiding from in his basement. I'm heading there right now.""We'll cover you," Alistair said, sounding not too far away.I grabbed the girl's arm and pulled her along with me. She couldn't be of much importance considering the fact that she was dressed in a scruffy maid
Pov: AndreI grabbed strapped on my armoured vest and double checked my weapons.Roma voice suddenly blared through the receiver. "Incoming, in three, two..."I turned to see the mad man standing up in his jeep, his upper body poking through the space in the roof, a rocket launcher balanced on his shoulder.He grinned hard and wide and launched the weapon, the grenade flying past us at record speed and launching itself straight into Grigori's wall, exploding immediately on contact.The ground shook at the rumble as the grenade exploded and crumbled part of the wall to pieces.I looked at Roma and he nodded a you're welcome at me, strapping his own vest and jumping out of his car."It's a good thing law enforcements have been taken care of or we'd have a hell of a time explaining what the fuck that was," Alistair grumbled into his speaker.The explosion alerted Grigori's men and in no time, they were stumbling through the wreckage, confused and disoriented. As if they hadn't been ready
Pov: AndreMy living room is one of the biggest and most lavish in Chicago, yet it felt small and cramped as the respective mafia bosses I called my allies gathered there, armed to the teeth, their expressions lethal and serious.The entire energy seemed to cackle with the electric force each of us exuded and I had never been more grateful to be part of this alliance. Leon worked on passing around the guns and weapons, with earpiece devices that doubled as a microphone so that we could communicate when we seperated into our different rides.Bianca was perched on the armrest of a couch, chewing her lip pensively, her bright green eyes were worried as they found mine.I tucked my Glock I had been double checking into my pants hostler and walked over to her, her gaze beckoning me.She rose to her feet immediately, her lip trembling. I took her chin in my thumb and forefinger, stroking her jaw. "Tesoro," I whispered. "If I don't come backβ"She shook her head, a stubborn glint in her br
Pov: Andre"Nothing's going to happen to her. Benito knows what he's doing, we just have to let him do his job.""She saved me," she whispered, her voice detached and cold. "He aimed for my heart. She took the bullet for me."The least fucking thing she could have done in the situation, considering all the shit Bianca went through because of her negligence.But instead of ruining her train of thoughts, I pulled her close to me and pressed a lingering on her forehead.She sighed and relaxed against me, her arms going around her torso. She rested the side of her face against my chest, listening to my heartbeat. Her eyes were closed, her breathing even. I nuzzled her hair, loving how soft and sweet every inch of her felt.I had never felt peace like this even after such a dangerous situation."I'm glad it wasn't you," I said truthfully. "I don't know what I would have done if it had been you, Bianca.""Me too," she whispered after a few seconds. "I'm glad it wasn't either of us. I'd be d
Pov: AndreMΓ‘ria had rented out an entire high end Italian restaurant for the occasion, to ensure that we would be uninterrupted during the entire discussion.She was over the top like that, and I didn't mind, seeing as it was my papa's money and I hadn't wanted to accommodate her in my office where thoughts of bending Bianca over my desk and taking her from behind seemed to resurface everytime I blinked.She donned a white fur jacket and black jumpsuit with long diamond earrings and an equally large diamond set of rings on her fingers. Her dark hair was now dyed blonde, christian dior sunshades shielded her eyes and louboutin heels clad her feet.She had been nervous cracking her knuckles when we showed, her body movement anxious and antsy."Angelo mio," she whispered, rising to her feet when we walked through the doors. She wasted no time in leaving the table to come and throw her arms around Bianca, sobbing quietly.Bianca was stiff in her mother's arms but at least she hadn't bolt