*Unedited* Enjoy the update! 💕 QOTD: If you were to have dinner with one of the characters from this chapter, who would it be and why? What questions would you ask them? DROP A COMMENT AND A VOTE! 💕 Xoxo! 💕
Claire⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅I finished buttoning up the last two buttons, then turned to find him standing there, only in his pants. He had this extra suit we both agreed to share. I wore the shirt, and he took on the pants.The toll of the recent fight was evident – he had numerous bruises, cuts, and wounds that cried out for medical attention.I observed him methodically arranging various knives of all sizes on his person and securing the gun in its holster. The same perfectly organized and choreographed routine. We hadn't talked afterward, he practically showered me before taking his turn. I was too weak and disoriented from what had just happened to process much of anything.One thought nagged at the back of my mind consistently. Did I enjoy sex like this? My whole life had been spent looking over my shoulder, making sure no one got this close, not even Scott but Vincenzo, I couldn't push him away even if I wanted to. "And I love you... I love you, Claire Parker, I love you so much." T
Claire⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅He sighed, setting his laptop aside. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his knees. "Just tell me what you did with it. I need to find it, buy it back, whatever it takes," his intense gaze locked onto mine, a mix of frustration and desperation in his eyes. "I can't lose it. Just give me anything to track it down and bring it back to where it belongs."My heart raced, his father had it. Panic set in; I had to keep him from knowing, and stall as much as I could. Thoughts spiraled through my mind like a storm - stall, distract, don't let him dig deeper. I couldn't let the truth surface; at least for now. If Vincenzo finds out the truth, he could unleash a murderous fury. None of us can afford that chaos. Salvatore's authority is firm; the Outfit always stands by the reigning Capo, always."I... your mother's ring," I stammered, searching my memory. "I don't really remember..."He nodded, his eyes holding mine. "Three-stone diamond, blue Tiffany box. Do you have i
Claire⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅Adriano shook his head and sighed, "We were just talking, Dad."Salvatore mocked, "Why? What could you possibly have to talk about with a whore?" His disdainful tone emphasized the contempt he held. "Dad, come on..." Adriano said through clenched teeth.Salvatore chuckled, "You know what this means? Vincenzo will find out about this, and when he does, he'll take care of the whore personally."Adriano added with a grave tone, "And me, he won't spare me either." Salvatore nodded with a sinister glint in his eyes. "He wouldn't but you're his brother, you both share the same blood. I'm sure he'll find it in him to let you go. If he doesn't, then I'm still the Capo."Adriano took a step closer to his father, his gaze firm. "You're not going to tell him anything."Salvatore made a mocking face, his tone dripping with arrogance, "And why wouldn't I?"Adriano smiled slightly, but there was a steely edge in his words, "Because, Dad, if you tell him about this, I'll tell hi
Vincenzo⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅"Open it," I ordered. One of my soldiers knelt down and quickly fiddled with the lock. With a click, it opened, and three others hurried over to help lift the heavy metal lid off the pit. Antonio looked up, his hands reaching out for something, anything to help him climb out of the pit. But there was nothing, just emptiness, leaving him confused after spending two nights trapped below in complete darkness. A few years back, I had the pit constructed. I had intended to use it on Nikolai Costello. It stretched ten feet deep, devoid of any natural light or fresh air. To make sure the captive's survival, a pipe was installed to supply fresh oxygen. Every five hours, a soldier would open a small window above the cover to drop in food and a water bottle to keep him alive. "Boss, I didn't do anything. If anyone said anything to you, they lied, they lied, Boss. I have always been loyal to you," his panicked and desperate voice reverberated off the pit walls.I remaine
Claire⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅"Are you sure you can pull that off?" I asked, my voice tinged with uncertainty."Of course, I'll make sure he notices me. It's not that difficult. Capo is here every single night," she replied confidently."The mansion, Gigi, you have to make sure he brings you here, nowhere else. If he suggests a hotel or an apartment, you have to convince him to bring you to the mansion," I whispered urgently, crouched behind the racks in our closet."I understand, Claire. I'll make sure he takes me to the mansion," she whispered back, her voice resolute.I chewed my nails nervously, unable to shake the feeling of apprehension that coiled in the pit of my stomach. "How long will it take before he decides to..." I trailed off, my voice barely above a whisper."We're the only women in his life," Gigi reassured me, her tone calm and steady. "He always comes here when he wants to relieve some of the stress of the job."I nodded, though she couldn't see me. "Okay, yeah, right..." my w
Claire⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅Everyone had retired to their rooms, and Vincenzo typically returned home around two in the morning. This afforded me ample opportunity to slip back to my own room unnoticed, pretending as though I had never left.Believe it or not, at that moment, I was hiding under Salvatore's bed, waiting for him to return. Gigi was on her way with him, and surprisingly, she didn't even have to convince him to take her home; this was where he brought all his nightstands.I lay in wait, the minutes stretched into eternity, each one punctuated by the erratic beat of my heart. There were numerous potential outcomes, and many of them had the potential to do more harm than good. However, if I played my cards wisely, there was a chance, I might just succeed.All I can do is hope and pray that everything falls into place—that Vincenzo doesn't arrive home sooner than expected and discover my absence from our room. Let's also hope none of his brothers decide to venture into his wing in s
Claire⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅With my cell phone in hand—the one Alessandro had given to me—I dialed Alessandro's number, all the while keeping a watchful eye on Salvatore, the blade of my knife still pressed against his throat. "But before I finish you off," I said with a cold smile, "let's have a few parting words with your most formidable adversary."I wasn't entirely sure about the extent of the technology used by the Chicago Outfit, but I had every confidence that Alessandro's expertise surpassed anything they could muster. After all, he had proven himself time and again to be one step ahead, his mastery of technology unmatched in our world. With Alessandro's skills at my disposal, there was little doubt in my mind that Salvatore's downfall was all but assured.He had developed a deep fake technology that could imitate a person's voice and face flawlessly. With just a handful of images of Salvatore, Alessandro could concoct a video of him engaging in... let's say, some rather compromising a
Vincenzo⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅Greg had been disturbingly silent ever since he stormed out of my office. Not a word, not even a message. It was as if he had vanished into thin air. His sudden disappearance grated on my nerves, leaving a sour taste in my mouth. Outside of my inner circle, trust was a rare commodity, but Greg had always been one of the few I could rely on. I hesitated to involve my men in the search for Greg. His murky dealings with the CIA posed a significant risk—if they caught wind that I was on his trail, they'd exploit it to bring me down. The last thing I needed was to draw unwanted attention to myself and my operations.Today had already been a rough day, and to top it off, my wife decided to start some kind of strip-teasing exercise right there on our bed, just to push my buttons even further.Every provocative sway of her hips, and every teasing glance she threw my way only served to fuel my irritation. My cock stirred in my pants as I drowned myself in whiskey. Was s