It takes us about ten minutes to get back to the SUV and as soon as I’m inside, he follows me and slams the door shut. I don’t even have to look into his eyes to know he’s completely livid, but I glance up anyway.“You were raised in a fucking convent your entire life, how do you know how to shoot a gun?” he growls, then his eyes widen. “Don’t tell me Vito had you trained?”“What? No!” I exclaim, holding my hands up in surrender. “It was Emilia… She’s been teaching me a few things!”As soon as I mention his sister, the fury seems to slip out of his cold blue eyes. Emilia didn’t say she wanted me to keep this a secret even if she taught me while her brother was away. I hope I don’t get her into trouble, but I don’t want him to think the worst of me.Giovanni scoffs and leans back in his seat shaking his head. “Fucking Emilia,” he says, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What else has she taught you?”I place my hands in my lap and don’t waver with my eye contact. That was one of the fir
If they wanted a fucking war, I’m giving it to them.To not only disrespect me on my wedding day but at my father’s funeral as well? Andrei Tulvan is a dead man walking. I expected something like this to happen today, that’s why I left early with Lucia, I just didn’t expect them to be so fucking brazen about it, either. Now I’m here carrying my trembling wife inside our home after being shot at.She stopped crying after I pulled her into my lap, and immediately sunk into me when she saw what was left of the armored SUV. The fact that she’s scared shouldn’t be at the forefront of my mind, so why do I feel so worried about her?“Tell the others I want a full sweep of the entire fucking estate,” I tell Laz and Ricky. My left shoulder is screaming out in pain, but I swallow that shit down as I continue to carry her upstairs to our bedroom. I spot Anna out of the corner of my eye just as her hand goes to her chest. “Get her something for pain and to calm her down,” I say as I continue to
I watch the blood as it swirls down the drain, my mind still blank after what happened an hour ago. Two weeks ago, I was nothing but an orphaned virgin girl who grew up in a convent; now I’m the wife of the most powerful man in the criminal underworld.It didn’t hit me until I stepped underneath the hot spray; this is my life now, and I’ll always have a bright red target on my back.Anna helped me remove the splintered glass from my face and arms, then she gently brushed the splinters from my hair before I got into a hot shower. I thought it would be a simple act of washing the blood away, but the more I stand here, the more I wish I could curl up into a tiny ball.Every time I close my eyes I can see what was left of the SUV; cracked windows and bullet holes all over the body. If it wasn’t armored, as Giovanni had said, then we would both be dead right now. I was that close to dying, and I never suspected a thing.I won’t lie; I am terrified. I sat on the edge of the bathtub, stari
It’s been two weeks since the attacks, and now I find myself sitting in a hotel bar and waiting to meet with the man I suspect is behind everything. Andrei Tulvan has been quiet, not even agreeing to meet with any of his suppliers. That alone should be a warning sign but I have a feeling there’s more to it than that. Why suddenly agree to meet with me? What is his angle right now? Dom managed to track Tulvan’s last meeting with Alberto Moretti to a week before the latter’s disappearance. When two and two suddenly get me six, I have a shit load to be worried about. I am aware that this could be a set up, but there’s no way I’m going to back out when I’ve been dying to see the fucker face-to-face. There has to be a reason he wants to see me, so here I fucking am. “Cunt just pulled up,” Frankie’s voice comes through the earpiece and I raise my glass to my lips, about to respond when Frankie says something that nearly makes me lose it. “What the fuck? Emilia is with him.” The audacit
The drive back to my estate is filled with stony silence as I am uncertain how to process what just happened in the last hour. Emilia cannot meet my eye and Frankie looks like he’s close to bursting with questions. But how do I tell my second in command that our sister might be a rat and if not, it could be him? How do I tell him that I can’t trust anyone, not even him, the one person who would die for me? Things are so fucked up right now and I don’t know which way is up. The wheels hit the cobblestone and a sense of trepidation sets deep in my heart. I have never felt this way before, never felt like I couldn’t trust anyone close to me. Maybe this is what Kaius wanted, for me not to trust anyone? Wait, could that be his fucking angle? Divide and conquer? “Gio, you need to tell me what the fuck is going on, man,” Frankie says as soon as we get out of the SUV. “Why are you guys covered in blood? What went down in there?” I look at my brother and shake my head. “We’ll speak once w
Giovanni is being kind to me. I don’t know why or how this started, but he’s even started joining me for dinner in the evenings. Of course, he would leave straight after, but even as we sat there, he would ask me questions about myself. Like he wants to know me. I am probably being delusional about things, but how can I not feel optimistic about things when they’re looking up? Even when I had my panic attacks, he would be right there, breathing with me through it. They’ve stopped now, so I don’t know if he comes to bed at night anymore. But it doesn’t bother me; my husband is showing my kindness for some or other reason. When I walk out of the bathroom, my heart leaps into my throat when I see the burgundy and yellow bouquet of flowers on my nightstand. Unable to keep the smile on my face as I approach the flowers, my hands shake as I pick them up, I see a note left and open it. “I won’t be able to join you for Cena tonight, I hope this makes up for it. -G” That little burst of ho
Meeting up with a rival family to iron things out may seem like a good idea, but meeting the head with no guards or weapons is another thing altogether. To show our trust, we’re meeting alone at the docks at midnight with no men and no weapons. Just the two of us uninterrupted. Both Frankie and Dom tried to talk me out of it, saying it will be an ambush, but why should I back away from this if it’ll gain me access to ports and routes no Famiglia member has touched?Kaius Tulvan may be a scary bastard, but I have a feeling I can trust him. I suppose we’ll see how good my gut feelings are today.I get out of my Bugatti and straighten my suit before walking over to where I see the hulking figure of Kaius; hands in the pockets of his black jeans and staring into the dark, frigid water below.“You know, most mafioso wouldn’t meet with Brigăzi unarmed,” he says without looking at me. “You’re either stupid or have complete trust in what I have to say.”Chuckling, I walk up to him. “I give a
“Bella,”My eyes flutter open as I feel soft lips trailing over my collarbone and caressing their way up my neck and behind my ear. I gasp at the sensation, a shiver rippling up my spine and my eyes widen.Giovanni’s body bears over me, hard, naked, and gorgeous while smelling like fresh shampoo and body wash. I close my eyes and mold into him, wrapping my arms around his still-damp waist without even thinking.“Are you awake now?” he murmurs against my skin as he trails his lips toward my chest and moves lower. He slips my breasts out of the silky nightie I am wearing and covers one taut nipple with his mouth. “Giovanni… What are… you-”“Shhh, I need you,” he says while running his tongue between the valley of my breasts. “Fuck, I need you so badly, Lucia.”There’s a flutter in my stomach as he calls me by my name and not Micetta. I’ve noticed that whenever we’re intimate like this, he calls me Lucia…. and gosh, it makes me so happy.“You… need me?” I gasp.“You have no idea,” he gr
Every little girl dreams about her wedding day, but only a few live to see the day. Girls born into mafia families don’t have the luxury of choosing who they spend the rest of their lives with. We’re traded like livestock to ensure we kept alliances, and some don’t even live to see it past five years. I suppose I can be lucky; well, it depends on how you look at it I guess. “Getting married in all black and red. Yeah, you’re definitely still Amaretto under that baby bump.” I roll my eyes when I hear Gio behind me and I turn around to face him. “I’m a Vittori; I’ll die if I’m not dramatic,” I say and twirl around in my wedding dress. “So, what do you think?” I had this dress specially made for me since I’m nearly ready to pop. It’s a stunning crimson silk dress with a black lace lining and off the shoulder neckline. My heels are custom-made black Louboutin pumps with a black lace design over the red bottom and the stilettos are made to look like silver daggers. Our wedding is small
The dreaded day has fucking arrived.As Emilia lead me into the dimly lit club, I can feel the buzz of excitement in the air. Tonight is my 34th birthday, and in usual Emilia fashion, she went all out.She rented out the entire venue just for this, and just told me to get dressed in this suit that I’m in right now. The scent of fresh flowers and candlelight ambiance filled the room, setting the stage for what could be an unforgettable evening.“Did you have to do all this for me, Angel? I would have been perfectly fine spending an evening alone with you,” I say as we get out of the SUV and she scoffs.“Don’t be silly, this is something to celebrate!” she says and places a hand on her hips. “It’s not every day a mob boss turns 34 years old.”I roll my eyes but still marvel at her beauty. Being pregnant really looks good on her; the more her belly grows, the more radiant she looks. “Fine, anything for my woman,” I say, and she chuckles as she slips her arm into mine. One of my men ope
“What about this one?”“It’s cute,”“And this one?” I ask, holding up nothing at all.“Yes, that’s adorable, Angel.”I place my hands on my hips and raise my eyebrow as I watch Kaius scroll through his phone and not look at me at all. We’re currently out baby and maternity clothes shopping as well as buying some things for the nursery. Yes, he may be a big, bad mob boss but that doesn’t mean he gets off easy when it comes to shopping for these things. “Kaius,” I say his name but all he does is say ‘hmm?’ without looking up from his cell phone. When I don’t respond to this and keep quiet, he eventually looks up at me with a frown. “Seriously?!”“What?” he asks, looking genuinely confused. “I answered you, didn’t I?”I breathe out a sigh and push the shopping cart away. “You know what, fuck this,” I say and walk away from him. My patience is already paper thin with everything that’s been going on, and now he can’t even help me with this.“Wait, Emilia,” he calls after me, but I ignore
“We don’t have to do this, you know,” Kaius says as we approach Gio’s home, and I shake my head. “I haven’t seen my brothers in months and the only one who I have a problem with is Frankie anyway,” I say, shrugging. “Dom is the youngest and I’ve always doted on him, we used to be close once.” Until he started getting secretive for no reason. Kaius sighs as he takes my hand and kisses it. “As long as you’re okay, Angel,” he says. It still warms my heart with how much he cares for me, and always makes sure I’m comfortable above all else. “I promise,” I say, then I lean over the center console to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.” “You don’t ever have to thank me for looking after you, it’s my job,” he says, before capturing my mouth is a kiss that makes me wish we were alone. The gates open for us yet again, but I don’t see Gio waiting for us this time. When we get out, one of the guards escorts us inside and towards the dining room where everyone is waiting. I used to love having dinn
God, I am so nervous.We’re on the jet right now, on our way to meet up with Gio, and I don’t know what to feel. The last time I saw him I vowed that I’d never forgive him for trading me to Kaius. Now I kind of have to thank him for it. I look down at my tiny swollen belly and wonder how the heck I didn’t notice it before I got a test. Now that I know I’m pregnant, it’s like every other symptom decided to make itself known. Morning sickness feels like pure death, and don’t even get me started on my moodiness.Poor Kaius gets the brunt of it, but I usually make it up to him in a way he appreciates.“Are you still nervous?” he squeezes my hand as he asks me and I nod.“I never wanted to see him again and now we’re going to tell him about us,” I say with a nervous chuckle. “He’ll probably call it Stockholm Syndrome.”No, that’s not even a probability. He will definitely say that.“Well, I suppose we’ll find out in the next few minutes,” Kaius says, and the pilot lets us know we’re about
Emilia has been odd the entire day, and now that I’ve offered to take her out to dinner for the first time, she seems even more anxious. It’s been nearly three months since we eliminated Ivan and his threat and I have slowly started integrating Emilia into the daily life of a Romanian crime boss. She’s taken to it with surprisingly good ease and my men seem to love her spunky attitude.So why is she being so odd right now?“You look fine, Angel,” I say and take her hand over the center console. “Stop fidgeting with your dress, you look beautiful.”She finally offers me a smile and nods. “Thank you.”Okay, wait, something is definitely wrong. She would normally give me more attitude than that, but now she’s just…docile and Emilia is everything but not docile.When we reach the restaurant, I get out and open the door for her. She looks beautiful no matter what she does. Even stepping out of a car makes her seem regal; my woman, and I feel proud to say it out loud.The soft glow of the
I help Kaius get into a pair of black boxers and sweatpants, while I get into a tank top and shorts. His hair is hanging loose in damp threads and the smell of his smoky cologne is tingling my lady bits just a little bit.This man is a wall of rippling muscle, and just looking at him feels like I’m staring at a work of art. The way he’s built wasn’t just honed by hours in a gym, he’s been in active combat and it shows by the scars littering his body.The tattoos on his tanned skin just add to the allure of the man who has just professed his feelings for me. I knew I was starting to fall in love with Kaius, but I never expected him to feel that way about me so soon.We’re in the early stages, so this feels immense right now. Not only is he in love with me, but he wants me to rule alongside him in the Brigăzi. He doesn’t just want me as a trophy wife, as normal mafia men do.He doesn’t realize it, but he’s just handed me the keys to the proverbial gilded cage mafia princesses are locked
The intel Alexius sent through to me when Emilia was getting ready, put everything into perspective. I now know why Ivan got close to me, and it’s not just because he’s working for someone else.He’s a disgraced Bratva heir who altered his appearance, and his sister just so happens to be a woman who cared too much for me…. Or rather, the woman who grew to have an obsession with me and what we never had.Now Emilia is heading up here, guns blazing, thinking I’ve lied to her about something. She’s going to be a wolf with a sore tooth when she comes in here, so I have to be honest about everything.I hear the faint ding of the elevator and breathe out a sigh when the clicking of her heels draws nearer. Removing the headset, I throw it to the side and close the laptop while bracing myself for a confrontation I didn’t want to even deal with.Not because I’m a coward, but because it’s not even anything Emilia needs to be worried about.The bedroom door opens and she saunters inside, strippi
“They’re close to the parking garage; if you want to give them the element of surprise now is a good fucking time,” Kaius’ voice comes through my earpiece just as I get to the elevator, and Alexius nods silently.“Ready to dance, Emilia?” he asks as we get inside and I chuckle.“I was born covered in someone else’s blood and will leave this world covered in it as well,” I say, recalling how my mother said I literally tore her in two when she gave birth to me. Alexius chuckles and shakes his head. “Fuck, you’re the perfect woman for him,” he murmurs and the elevator doors open without a sound.The parking garage is dimly lit, its concrete walls casting long shadows that danced in the flickering overhead lights. Kaius' other men are here, sounding off their positions through the earpiece and setting me at ease. The tension in the air was palpable as Alexius and I positioned ourselves behind a row of expensive cars, preparing to face off against Ivan and his bunch of fuckers.I pull out