They say nuns are off-limits. I call that a challenge. They say obsession is a sin. I stopped counting sins when blood became my business. She says I’m a sinner. She’s not wrong. But when I have her whispering confessions against my skin that would make Lucifer himself blush, what does that make her? A firecracker wrapped in a habit. All rosaries and rebellion, thinking she can drive me away with Scripture and that ice-cold stare. Amusing. Her holy water won't wash away what I do to those round tits. She's not a bride of Christ yet. And the harder she prays for salvation, the more determined I am to show her what real worship feels like. They say God answers all prayers. But in my city, prayers come to me first. Her vows or my empire. Heaven or my hell. The choice was never really hers to make. God may forgive me, but she won’t.
View MorePROLOGUE
NIKOLAI ⟿❂⟾ New York, 7 Years Ago ⟿❂⟾ “Kill him.” Matteo fucking Gianni, my father, didn’t believe in wasting words, and I didn’t believe in saying them either. He slid the manila folder across like it held nothing more interesting than the lunch menu at his favorite restaurant. Dino Donatello. Mid-40s. Ran weapons and girls out of Staten Island, made deals with anyone who waved a dollar in his face, and skimmed more than his share off our shipments. He’d successfully worked his way into my father’s bad books, and now he’d have to be burned with those books. It was a simple job. Walk in, handle it, walk out. A routine. “Don’t think,” my father added, not even looking at me as he poured himself a glass of scotch. “Just get it done.” I’d learned not to argue with him by the time I turned 15. At 22, I wasn’t stupid enough to start now. So I nodded, took the file, and headed out without another word. The Donatello house was a two-story dump at the edge of a rundown neighborhood. In places like this, screaming didn’t raise eyebrows and police sirens were just background noise, which made tonight perfect. I parked a block away and walked the rest of the distance. Tonight, I was slipping into this guy’s life to wreck it like I’d done to others a thousand times before. I heard the commotion before I even reached the house. “You can’t do this, please!” The sound of a palm cracking against skin cut off that whimpering voice, replaced by a shrill cry. The muffled thud of something heavy hitting a wall, followed by the sharp sound of a girl’s voice desperately trying to reason with whoever was onto her. I paused at the back door, hand on my gun. There wasn’t supposed to be anyone else here tonight. Dino Donatello was supposed to be alone, drunk, and oblivious, a quick, easy job. But judging by the shouting coming from the kitchen, someone had decided to complicate things. “How dare you tell me when I can have you?” Dino’s voice, slurred and venomous, echoed through the small house. “You’re nothing! Just like your mother was nothing!” I leaned against the wall just outside the kitchen, peering through the doorway. Dino was towering over a girl, dark-haired, maybe 17 or 18, who looked like she was one shove away from breaking. “Please, don’t talk about her!” She whimpered regardless. Her face was streaked with tears, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Her hands were up, palms out, like she could ward him off with sheer desperation. “You ungrateful brat!” Dino snarled, slamming his hand down on the rickety kitchen table. It cracked under the force, which made the girl flinch. “You think you’re too good for me now? You’re nothing without me. You’d be dead in the gutter without me!” She wiped her face with the back of her hand, her breath hitched as she tried to speak. “I’m not like her. I won’t be like her.” He lunged, grabbed her by the throat, and slammed her into the fridge. The old appliance groaned under the force, magnets and a faded photo falling to the floor. “Ah, she thinks she has a choice!” Dino roared, spittle flying as his hand squeezed her neck. “You’ll do whatever the fuck I tell you to do. I own you!” I pulled out my phone and hit record. Family drama, episode one. She clawed at his hand, her eyes wide and watering as he tightened his grip. “You’re… choking me,” she gasped. “I can make you enjoy it,” Dino hissed. He pulled her away from the fridge and threw her onto the floor like she weighed nothing. She hit the ground hard, a pained cry escaping her lips. Dino stalked over to her, kicking her in the ribs. “Get up,” he sneered, delivering another kick. “Get up, you little bitch.” The sound of his boot meeting her side so hard she curled in on herself, shielding her head with her arms, but he didn’t stop. Blood smeared the floor beneath her, dark and shiny in the fluorescent light. Behind her, a small boy peeked out from behind a chair. Wide eyes, trembling lips, clutching a stuffed bear so tight its seams were splitting. He was maybe five or six, and every time Dino’s boot connected with the girl, the kid flinched. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.” I muttered under my breath, zooming in on the kid with my phone. “Who brings a kid to a beating?” The girl must’ve noticed the kid because she twisted her body to shield him as best as she could. “Please, Dino,” she rasped, blood dripping from her mouth. “Not in front of him. He’s just a kid.” Dino grabbed her by the hair and yanked her head back so hard she cried out. “Shut up!” He started fighting with his belt. That’s when the kid made a sound—a little whimper, barely audible, but it stopped Dino in his tracks. He turned, his bloodshot eyes narrowing. “Get the fuck out of here,” he barked at the boy. The kid didn’t move. “I said go!” Dino roared, taking a step toward him. The girl scrambled to her knees, throwing herself between them. “No! Please, Dino, leave him alone!” This is better than cable. I was already pissed and so disgusted, but I kept recording. Dino turned his rage back on the girl, punching her across the face so hard she crumpled. Blood sprayed the wall behind her, and she hit the floor with a dull thud. “Get up,” He growled, nudging her with his foot. “I’m not done with you.” She didn’t move. The kid let out a sob, and Dino rounded on him again. Shit. Time to give this fucker a free pass to hell. But just as I was about to do that, the girl, who I feared was dead a few minutes ago, made a swift move. It would’ve been funny if it wasn’t so pathetic. The kid had no chance. Dino was twice her size, and drunk or not, he had the advantage. I should’ve ended it right there. One clean shot. Instead, I stayed put, lowering my gun slightly. Watching. Somehow, I found it… entertaining. She grabbed the first thing within reach, a cast-iron skillet, and swung it at his head. The impact sent him stumbling back, swearing and clutching his temple. “Not bad,” I murmured, holding my phone for a better view. The girl pressed her advantage and crashed out, she screamed at him, calling him every name under the sun. Dino shook his head, dazed, and then lunged at her again. This time, he grabbed her by the arm and shoved her into the counter. “You little bitch!” he snarled, his face inches from hers. That’s when she saw the knife. It was lying on the counter, gleaming under the flickering fluorescent light. Her hand darted out, and before Dino could react, she stabbed him. The first stab hit his shoulder. He roared in pain, releasing her. The second plunged into his stomach. By the third, Dino was on his knees, clutching the handle still embedded in his chest, choking on his own blood. The girl staggered back, her hands trembling. The knife slipped from her fingers and clattered to the ground. She stared at her bloodied hands, then at Dino, and then at nothing, then she was staring at the door where the kid had been standing earlier. She shook her repeatedly and started mumbling. “No, no, no…” I clicked my tongue. “Beginner’s guilt,” I thought, smirking behind my mask. “You’ll get over it.” She turned suddenly and bolted upstairs, her bare feet pounding against the wooden steps. This was my cue. I stepped into the kitchen, gun drawn. Dino was alive. Barely. His blood was almost drained, his breathing labored, but he wasn’t dead. My father wouldn’t be too happy about that. When his eyes met mine, they widened. “Gianni… please…” he gasped. I crouched beside him, inspecting his wounds like I was a chef checking the doneness of a steak. “Oof, that’s bad,” I said, pointing at the knife sticking out of his chest. “You really should’ve gone to a doctor for that.” Dino gurgled something incoherent. I leaned over him. “So aside from being a thief, you’re also an abuser.” I shook my head in disgust, “You’re lucky she got creative, though. If it were me, I’d have just shot you.” He made a choking sound, and I straightened, pulling out my knife for effect. “I’ll be back in five minutes. If you’re still breathing by then, I’ll consider it a personal insult.” I turned my attention to the stairs. The girl had run up there. Part of me wanted to leave it alone, but my father’s order was simple. Don’t think. Just get it done. That didn’t mean leaving loose ends. Holstering my gun, I stepped lightly, avoiding the blood trail as I followed her path. She was in a small bedroom at the end of the hall, crouched protectively in front of the kid who clung to her, burying his face in her side, they were both crying. When she heard my footsteps, her arms spread even wider to shield the boy. Her eyes locked on the gun in my hand, and her face crumpled. “Please,” she whispered in a broken voice. “Don’t hurt him.” I raised a brow even if she could not see it, she added hastily. “I didn’t mean to kill him, please!” She wasn’t begging for herself. She was begging for the kid. I didn’t respond. I stepped closer, keeping the gun steady on her forehead. Her head was bowed, so her jet black hair made it impossible to see her face properly. I reached out and grabbed the cheap necklace dangling around her neck. She flinched, raising her hands to shield her face. “It’s all I have left of her,” she said in a trembling voice. I yanked the necklace free, ignoring her words, and tucked it into my pocket. She didn’t move, didn’t fight, just stood there shaking as the kid whimpered behind her. I stepped back, then lowered my gun slightly. My eyes flicked between her and the little boy. For a moment, I considered finishing it. The job was already messy, and leaving witnesses wasn’t exactly my style. But the kid… and something about the way she fought that idiot downstairs. This could be the only chance to freedom she’d be getting in her pathetic life. If the guilt of killing a man doesn’t kill her later on, I’ll come back and do it if she ever becomes a problem. I turned without a word, and headed back to the kitchen. By the time I got there, Dino was gone. “Shit,” I muttered, scanning the blood trail that led out the back door. I stepped outside, following the trail into the narrow alley behind the house. The bastard was still alive, and he was bleeding out somewhere in the darkness. “Fucking dick,” I muttered, pulling out my phone to check the recording. At least I had proof. wouldn’t make it far in his condition, and even if he did, I could track him down and finish the job. Tucking my phone away, I adjusted my gloves and started back where I’d come when I heard a soft sound. “Take us with you.” I stopped, turned and frowned. “Uh?” “He’ll come back and kill us,” She said quietly. “Please take us with you.”Chapter 140⟿❂⟾Sylvia⟿❂⟾I felt like a boy mum dragging her stubborn son to get cleaned after a rough day playing outside. “Watch the stairs,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “Don’t lean too far to the side…”Nikolai looked at me with those dark eyes, and I could see the wariness there. The careful way he held himself, like he was afraid one wrong move might send me running. Again.“You don’t have to be so—”“I know I don’t have to.” I cut him off, then softened my tone. “But I want to. Please.”He nodded slowly, and I led him upstairs, hyperaware of every step, every breath. The house felt different with him hurt like this. More fragile somehow.In the bathroom, I flicked on the lights and gestured toward the counter. “Sit.”He perched on the edge of the marble countertop, and I could see the exhaustion in the way his shoulders sagged. Blood had soaked through his makeshift bandage, staining his shirt a dark rust color.“Let me see,” I said, moving closer.He lifted his arm
Chapter 139⟿❂⟾Nikolai⟿❂⟾We moved fast, kicking in the door and flooding the room with our glorious presence.“Surprise,” I said pleasantly.There were four of them, just as Vincenzo had said. Three men and a woman, all armed, all turning toward us with expressions of shock and fear.“Drop your toys,” Vincenzo commanded.For a moment, nobody moved. Then the woman—blonde, pretty, cold-eyed, matching the description from earlier—smiled.“Nikolai Gianni,” she said. “We’ve been expecting you.”“Have you now?”“My employer is very interested in meeting you.”“Your employer can make an appointment.”“I’m afraid it’s not that simple.”“It never is.” I kept my gun trained on her. “You’re the one who hired those idiots at Leandro’s.”“I hire a lot of people. Not all of them are particularly bright.”“But you all work for Giancarlo.”Her smile widened. “Very good. Yes, we work for Mr. Giancarlo.”“And what does Mr. Giancarlo want with me?”“Not you. The girl.”“Sylvia’s not available.”“She
Chapter 138 ⟿❂⟾ Nikolai ⟿❂⟾ I stood up, wiping my hands on my jeans. The blood from my arm was starting to make me feel cold. Man, I fucking hate the sight of my own blood. “Where were you supposed to bring us?” “There’s an address.” He gestured weakly toward his jacket pocket. “In my wallet.” Vincenzo retrieved it, pulling out a piece of paper. “Looks like an address upstate. About two hours from here.” “Perfect.” I looked down at the wounded man. “You know what? I’m feeling generous today. Your friends are going to live, and so are you. But you’re going to give them a message for me.” “What message?” “Tell your boss that if he wants Sylvia, he’s going to have to come through me. And tell him that I’m not nearly as nice as I was today.” “That’s… that’s your idea of nice?” “Trust me, you don’t want to see me on a bad day.” I turned to Vincenzo. “We need to get out of here. Those sirens are getting closer.” “What about Leandro?” I looked at the old man, who was still slu
Chapter 137 ⟿❂⟾ Nikolai ⟿❂⟾ The lead man’s smile widened, and I felt that familiar surge of adrenaline I’d been craving for days. Finally. Something to sink my teeth into. “You know what?” I said, my hand steady on my gun. “That's a very nasty smile you have there, buddy.” Vincenzo snorted beside me. “About fucking time. I was starting to think I’d died and gone to heaven.” “Gentlemen,” Leandro tried again, his voice taking on that mystical bullshit tone he used when he was nervous. “Perhaps we can—” “Shut up, Leandro.” I kept my eyes on the lead man. “So, what exactly do you think I have that belongs to your boss?” “You know what we want,” he said, taking a step closer. “The girl. And the jewelry.” Interesting. So they knew about both. But which one was the priority? “The girl’s not here,” I said truthfully. “Then you’ll take us to her.” “Will I?” I tilted my head. “And if I refuse?” The man by the door shifted, and I caught the glint of metal under his jacket. The one
Chapter 136⟿❂⟾Nikolai⟿❂⟾The house was too fucking peaceful.I stood at the kitchen window, watching Maeve chase butterflies in the backyard while Sylvia read on the patio. Manuel was teaching her some card game at the outdoor table, their laughter drifting through the open door. Luigi hummed while he prepared a snack, and I could hear the faint sound of Stacy and Vincenzo talking upstairs.Domestic bliss.It made my skin crawl.Not because I didn’t want it—Christ, part of me wanted it so badly it physically hurt. But because I knew better. Peace like this didn’t last in this world. It was the calm before the storm, and the longer it stretched, the worse the storm would be when it finally hit.I’d been in this too long to believe in fairy tale endings.“With that look, I’m guessing you’re as fucked as I am,” Vincenzo said, appearing in the kitchen doorway. He looked as restless as I felt, his latest easy demeanor replaced by the same coiled tension that had been eating at me for
Chapter 135 ⟿❂⟾ Sylvia ⟿❂⟾ We spent the next twenty minutes arranging plates and napkins. Maeve chattered the entire time about the proper way to fold napkins (which Manuel had apparently taught her) and how important it was that everyone had the right utensils. “Daddy doesn’t like his food to touch on his plate,” she informed me seriously. “So I always make sure there’s enough space between everything.” “That’s very thoughtful of you.” “Manuel says paying attention to what people like is how you show them you care.” Such wisdom from such a small person. I glanced toward the kitchen, where Nikolai was reluctantly helping Luigi with something involving the stove, and felt a pang of gratitude so strong it was almost painful. By the time we all sat down to eat, the sun was setting and the house was filled with the warm smell of home-cooked food and the sound of contentment. I found myself seated between Maeve and Manuel, with Nikolai directly across from me. “This is nice,” Mae
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