Vasilios was just as quick, his hand gripping my arm and pulling me into his arms quicker than I could blink. “You ran away from me once, Cassandra, you won't be doing so again.” “What are you going to do? Chain me up? Stick me in a tower and throw away the key? I don't belong to you, Vasilios,” I raged, pushing against his chest. “You may not belong to me, but you're still my mate and my wife!” he threw back, anger burning in his ice blue eyes. ~~~ Three years ago, Cassie ran away from her family and her life as the newly married bride and future Luna of the ruthless Vasilios Kythira. Making a new life for herself wasn't easy, but she did it. Will this life be torn to pieces when Vasilios finds her? Or will she find that he was what had been missing all along... ~~~ This is the second book in the My Mafia series, and while it is a continuation of My Mafia Master, it can be read as a standalone book.
Voir plusCassie POV
“Show me your tits!”The creepy middle-aged guy shouted again at me as I swung around on the pole. He picked up a shot and downed it before he slammed the glass down on the table, running his hand over his shiny bald head.I ignored him, like I always did. The more wasted Gerald was, the more he'd shout and the quicker he'd get kicked out.“Come on, sexy! I came to see your tits!” He shouted again, and I hid a smile when I watched Ms. Ho summon the bouncer.Cue the shouting in three, two, one.I flipped upside-down into the “Russian Layback” pose and held it as Gerald started shouting about the lack of flesh in the club.“Third time this week. I don't know how many times the guy has to be told that he's got the wrong place,” Glitter said as she passed my podium with a tray of drinks for a corner table.She was right about that. What he was needing was a hooker, not a stripper - especially not a stripper in a bikini bar where flesh was served tastily clad in barely there lingerie.I flipped back over and landed in the splits, pouting provocatively as one of my regulars put $50 on the podium and winked at me. I blew him a kiss and picked up the money, bending over so he could watch me tuck it into my bejewelled bra.He'd most likely jerk off thinking about me later, but he wouldn't be the first so what did I care? His tip just helped me pay my rent.I slid off the podium, swinging my hips as I walked between the tables and smiled at the few patrons as I made my way to the change rooms.“Hey, Crystal!” One of the other dancers called to me, using my stage name, as I sat down at the dressing table. “Your phone has been ringing non stop. I think someone is desperate to talk to you.”I thanked her and grabbed my phone, seeing the twenty six missed calls from my best friend, Eliana.“I'll call you back as soon as I can,” I said to the phone as I set it back down.I was late for my weekly check in with her and she would probably be stressing. Motherhood had made her worry for nothing. It had been three years since I'd left my old life behind, running away from my past, my family and the man I'd been forced to marry. Only two people in the world knew that I'd gone to New York - my two best friends from university. The rest… well… fuck the rest.Ms. Ho walked into the changing room as I was pulling on my black tank top, concern shining in her almond shaped eyes.“That rude man is outside. He's waiting by the cars, drinking tequila straight from the bottle,” she started removing the clip-in blonde and pink extensions from my dyed black hair, her frown lost amongst the wrinkles on her face. “I asked security to chase him, but I don't think you should leave yet.”I patted her weathered hand gently as she lay my extensions on the dressing table. She was like a mother to all the girls who worked for her - we all came into her strip club lost, without hope, and she made sure we got back onto our feet.“I've got to, Ms. Ho. My shift at the nightclub starts in half an hour,” I smiled and shoved my sparkly outfit into my backpack along with my makeup.“Let one of the boys walk you out, then,” she insisted, and I nodded at her suggestion.It was probably a better idea than being attacked by a drunk.Ms. Ho waved one of her grandsons over and, after a rapid spate of mandarin, the man bowed to her and took my bag from me, leading the way to my motorbike.“I'll watch until you've driven off,” he mumbled, not very impressed that he had been taken away from his hobby of watching other men get hard-ons.Thanking him, I put on my leather jacket and helmet before I took my backpack and threw it on. Mounting the motorbike, I revved a few times before I roared out of the parking lot, no sign of the creepy drunk in sight.The city was chaotic, and dirty, and I hated it. It was worlds away from my hometown, the quiet Greek village in the middle of nowhere, where everyone knew everyone, and their whole lives’ stories. It was a great place to live - well, for the most part. The fact was that, no matter how much I tried to fit in, I would always be the outsider.Hybrids always were.You see, my dad is a werewolf who made a stupid, drunken decision and screwed a human woman who he had met at some bar. Nine months later, I was born… and quickly dumped on the doorstep of the packhouse.No human would want to raise a halfbreed like me, so I didn't really blame the woman. Hybrids were unpredictable in their genetics - either mostly human or mostly werewolf. I liked to say that I was the best of both worlds, the heightened senses and improved immune system minus a crazy wolf hanging out in my head. Either way, I grew up as the only hybrid in the pack and was seen as a complete and utter freak.The fact that my dad was actually the Beta of the pack and therefore basically second in command didn't help things. If anything, it made the other kids even more scared to talk to me. My only friend had been Alpha Dimitri Kythira's only son - and even that had dissolved like ice in a volcano when he turned eighteen. I was just fourteen at the time, and his abandonment had been my first and most lasting heartbreak.“Move it!” some dickhead taxi driver shouted at an elderly woman as she crossed the street, pulling me from my thoughts. I had to remind myself why I'd even come to this hell-hole.“It's harder to find you in a big city, Cass. So toughen up,” I told myself, holding my middle finger up to the taxi driver as I positioned my bike in front of the taxi and smiled encouragingly to the woman.He hooted, shouting obscenities out of his window while I ignored him, moving only when the woman was safely on the other side of the road. Then, with a triumphant grin at the prick-driver, I weaved between the cars until I parked outside of Poison Nightclub in the gated staff parking.“You're late, Cassie,” One of the bouncers, Greg, called to me as he carried a keg toward the bar.“I know, I know,” I called back, heading straight to the staff bathrooms to change into the black minidress which was the general uniform for the women working at the club.“The Boss has an announcement before we open so move your ass,” Greg returned without giving me a second glance.I dressed quickly, rushing to join the rest of the staff who stood in a circle around Mr. Maretti - aka The Boss. He was just the manager, but we had never met the real owner and everyone just followed The Boss's orders.“As you may know, the owner has been approached by someone wanting to buy this club. The man will be visiting this evening, so I want things to run smoothly. You hear me?” The Boss ordered in his raspy New Jersey accent.There were echoes of “yes Boss” before we all went to our separate stations.“I saw The Boss chatting to the potential buyer yesterday,” Jessie told me as we checked our side of the bar. “The guy is fucking hot!”I giggled, tying my long black hair into a high ponytail. “You have pretty low standards when it comes to guys, Jess,” I teased.She stuck her tongue out at me and I laughed.“I'll point him out to you if I see him when he comes in, but I swear he's a ten on the hot-o-metre,” she swore, her big blue eyes widening as she spoke. “Maybe even an eleven. He looks like a golden god, I swear.”I didn't say anything more, merely nodding as the DJ put on the opening music and Greg opened the doors to let the first group of patrons in.By midnight, the place was packed, a mass of writhing bodies on the dance floor, drinking and dancing their troubles from the week away. Jessie, myself and two other bartenders were serving the waves of people crowding around the bar, not daring to take a break in the chaos - just the usual situation every Friday night.I'd just passed a tispy patron her drinks when I felt his eyes on me. A tingle ran down my spine and I knew without looking up that I'd been found.Vasilios Kythira had found me.Chapter 2Kat POVI pressed my ear to the door of the suite on the third floor of the Palazzo Hotel, hearing the steady breathing of the occupant inside. He must be fast asleep - just how I wanted him.“This should be easy,” I whispered to myself as I pulled the lock picks from where I had hidden them in my hair.The hotel had been deserted as I had made my way through the foyer and hallways, as it should be at 3am. Only a sleepy looking desk clerk had possibly seen me, but I think the man was too busy scrolling through reels on his phone to even realise that I had snuck in.Not exactly the kind of service you would expect to find at a five star hotel, but I was glad for it. Within a few seconds, I had the door unlocked. With a slightly proud smile, I slipped off my shoes and pushed the door quietly open before I snuck inside. The room was lavishly decorated and my bare feet sunk into the thick carpet. Exquisite paintings hung on almost every wall and I had to stop myself from pullin
Chapter 1Kat POVI was drowning. The water flooded my lungs as I tried to scream, my clothing dragging me down into the dark depths as shadows hovered above the water. Bright lights flashed across my vision like fireworks as my lungs burned, and then it all went black.“Wake up, Kat, it’s just a nightmare.” I felt a hand press against my mouth and my arms flew out to ward off my attacker. “Stop screaming before you wake up the others!”Giulia’s face was barely visible in the dark room, her warm brown eyes filled with sisterly concern.I nodded my head and she removed her hand, brushing my hair from my face just like a real big sister would do. “Was it the same nightmare again?” she whispered, careful not to wake up the four children who slept on mattresses on the floor.“Yeah,” I whispered back, shivering as the cool night air cut through my pyjamas which were drenched with my own sweat. Giulia tugged the thin blanket up under my chin, looking after me just as she had done ever sin
Cassie POVI stood watching the ceremony with tears in my eyes as Aleko took over the Alpha title amidst cheers from the pack. Once the shock of Vasilios stepping down had worn off, the elders of the pack were elated to have Aleko back again. The giant man had begun helping with training the younger wolves, and had even gone as far as to redo the roof of one of the ancient widow’s homes that Vasilios and I hadn’t even known was leaking. All in all, he was far more suited to the role than Vasilios ever had been. And we had come to the conclusion that Vasilios had just wanted to be Alpha because that is what had been expected of him his whole life. Vasilios had formed a strong bond with Aleko in just a few short months, and the man had quickly become like a father figure to him. In fact, no one was surprised when we named our own son Niklos Aleko after his great uncle. The baby boy had launched himself into our lives a month early, but according to Luna Delia it was probably a good th
Cassie POV“I wonder why Damian is being so secretive about who he wants us to meet,” I mused aloud as we drove to Damian’s house. Vaslios was driving at a snail’s pace, and I had to resist the urge to take over. The man had been driving me insane over the last few days with how over protective he was being - “No Cassandra, you can’t lift that. You’ll hurt yourself.”, “No agapití mou gynaíka. You shouldn’t be straining yourself. You need to rest.”I was seconds away from murdering the man. I guess it was cute that he was trying to protect me, but I was made of tougher stuff and I didn’t feel like being imprisoned in my own apartment because the man thought the stairs were too dangerous. “I guess it won’t matter since I will die of old age before we get there,” I muttered under my breath. Vasilios snorted and rolled his eyes before he increased the speed by a fraction. Luckily we weren’t far from Damian’s house and as we drove up the driveway we could see another car parked. “Well
Vasilios POVI watched the screen as the doctor slid what looked like a product scanner across Cassandra’s stomach, not entirely sure what to expect. I’d always heard that foetuses look like little aliens, but to me it looked like perfection. “There’s the spine, and there you can see baby’s heart beating,” the doctor pointed out bodyparts on the screen which I could barely make out. It was a bit like those black blobs shrinks use to determine if you’re insane or not - only in this case I was trying to figure out my kid’s anatomy. My child. The thought was still so strange and yet so welcoming. “Are you wanting to know the gender?” the doctor asked. Before I could respond, Cassandra shook her head. “No. I want it to be a surprise.” As if having the kid in the first place wasn’t enough of a surprise, but I let her have her way. Either way the child was going to be loved beyond measure. If it was a girl, she would be my princess. I would treat her in a way that she would know what
Cassie POVVasilios and I collapsed onto the bed in the honeymoon suite of the hotel - the same one where I had lost my virginity to him. I chuckled when we had pulled up outside the Aman and he had shot me a strange look before he took my hand and guided me into the gigantic, minimalistic monstrosity.The honeymoon suite was on the top floor, and Vasilios lifted me into his arms and carried me through the door into the candle lit room, laying me gently on the petal covered bed before he collapsed beside me.Our wedding reception had been a blast, even with the very few guests attending. By the end of the night, Laryssa had pulled out a handy pair of scissors and had styled a fashionable knee-length dress out of my gown, and we had all danced to music played by Benny while Terry poured drinks into any glass that seemed slightly empty. The pair had celebrated my pregnancy and my nuptials in style, insisting that they be part of the celebration.Vasilios and I had been slightly surprise
Cassie POVIf someone ever tells you that you can’t organise a wedding in twenty-four hours, tell them that they’re wrong. By the time the sun rose the next morning, I was relaxing in my apartment with Elle and Laryssa, sipping mocktails and gushing about the gorgeous dress Laryssa had managed to get for me for an absolute steal. “So, Amy is on her way to pick up the bouquets we ordered and then she will come and dress here. Luca says the decor is already set up and that Damian’s chef friend is preparing what seems to be a twenty-course meal. We are all sorted,” Elle ticked off the to-do list on her fingers, smiling brightly. I took her and Laryssa’s hands and squeezed them slightly, “thank you for everything you have done for me. I really don’t think I could have pulled this off without you both.”Elle kissed my cheek and winked before she snuck off to call her mother-in-law so that she could check in with Gia - the kid was probably having the time of her life without her mother c
Cassie POVI’m pretty sure that the nurses held a party the moment I walked out of the hospital. Not because I was a terrible patient, but because Vasilios was probably the most non-compliant family member the ward had ever experienced. He refused to leave my side, and only my father was able to make him leave for an hour, although he complained about that too and made my dad stay while he was away. Vasilios broke all the hospital rules; climbing into bed beside me, reading my medical chart, getting food delivered because he said hospital food didn’t have enough nutrition to feed both me and his baby. The guy was overbearing to put it mildly. But I didn’t mind in the least. Vasilios drove carefully through the city, and we spoke about our wedding plans. I was determined to be able to have a relaxed ceremony with just our close friends and family, where we could actually say our vows and mean it. Yes, I know that we weren’t technically divorced, but this ceremony was going to be the
Cassie POVI felt as if I was burning alive, the fire clawing at my chest as restraints held me down. I tugged on the rope which seemed to be emerging from my own arm, but that only caused screaming from the depths of the dark cave I was locked in. “Someone, help!” I thought I heard Vasilios’s voice, but then a sharp pain radiated from my arm and my world went dark once again. It seemed like just a few moments later that I woke up again, the pain in my chest more of a dull throb than the fire it had been. The room was dimly lit, but my eyes seemed to take a while to adjust to the light as I slowly became aware of my surroundings. The clinical environment and the drip poking out of my arm seemed to be enough clues to point to the fact that I was in hospital. The highly flattering hospital gown and catheter removed all doubts that remained. I tried to sit up and groaned as the fire burned through my chest again, and I was forced to remember that I had been shot. The last thing I re
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