My hand goes to my chest and I look at Giovanni, trying to find amusement in his eyes but all I see is sincerity. There’s no way he… After everything that happened to me, knowing what they did to me while I was unconscious, knowing what happened, he still— “You love me?” I ask, my breath catching in my throat. “Are you sure? You’re not just saying that because we just had sex, or because you have to?” He chuckles and kisses me hard. “I think I know the difference between love and lust, Amoruccio; and yes, I do love you. The second I laid my eyes on you, I knew I’d be falling hard; you had my heart the moment you stepped out of that church.” I shake my head, focusing extremely hard on his chest tattoo. “I just didn’t… I didn’t think you’d feel the same as me—” “So say it,” he challenges, placing his finger under my chin and tilting my head so I’m looking right at him. “Say the words.” I swallow hard, looking into those blue eyes that pulled me in the first time I saw him…and then I
I’m watching Giovanni pace the floor as we’re waiting for the two women to arrive. I’m extremely nervous about meeting them, to be honest. There was a delay with their flight and Giovanni suspected something might be up, so now he’s calling in guards to make sure the women get here safely. They come from powerful families, so he needs to be careful. “They just touched down? Fuck, okay. Eyes on them, don’t let them out of your sight for even one second,” he says before killing the call, pinching the bridge of his nose and breathing out a long sigh. “Women will be the end of me.” I chuckle when he says the last bit. “Oh, is that so? All women?” He sits down next to me and raises his eyebrow while shooting me an amused look. “Women in this family, yes; even the new ones. I swear we’re having a girl, I’ll be gray before I reach forty.” Just thinking about Giovanni with flecks of silver in his hair brings a smile to my face. This man will continue to be handsome even in his old age.
I strap the two Berettas in my holster, slip in four KA Bar knives and check my ammo before getting out of my armored SUV. Frankie called a few minutes ago to say gunfire broke out as soon as the women stepped off the private jet.No one should know these women are arriving here today, in fact, the only people who know the location of the airstrip are me and my brothers, Kaz and Dev. When we bring soldiers with us, they’re fucking blindfolded, for God’s sake.“You better fucking say you’re close, man,” Frankie’s voice comes through my earpiece. “They got me in the shoulder, Julia was hit before I could get her inside, and I can’t fucking leave her here.”Fuck! “I’m five minutes out, hang tight. Where are you?”“We went back inside the jet the second the guards went down. They’re trying to shoot their way in here and I’m a fucking sitting duck, Gio,” Frankie answers. He’s pissed off because he can’t do a damn thing, and I understand.“Is Nikki okay?”“She’s busy getting this bullet ou
“...No! She’s…. You didn’t…!” I can hear someone shouting in Italian, but it feels like my head is being held underwater. My mouth feels dry and my head hurts and as I try to open my eyes, the sunshine blinds me. Groaning, I brace myself up on my elbows and wait for my vision to adjust to everything. Did I fall asleep on the sofa again? But who would be shouting in my home, though? Wait, didn’t it sound like Nonna Lola? God, I am feeling so awful… “Nonna…?” I grumble and hear footsteps approaching me just as my vision clears. Nonna Lola is looking down at me with wide, worried eyes and I allow my eyes to wander at the room I am in…then I frown. I don’t recognize the surroundings at all. The decor reminds me of a cabin in the woods, and from the pine smell, I realize I must be somewhere in the wilderness. My heart leaps into my chest and I sit up too quickly, earning me a throbbing head “Where am I? What’s—” “Shh, it’s okay, Tesoro. You’re okay,” Nonna Lola tries to assure me whil
“Explain it to me as if I’m stupid,” I say, shaking my head. “How the fuck is Catalina alive?” Kaz sits back and sighs. “I think you should go speak to them first so they can explain it better,” he says before standing up. “I’m going to see Nikki before leaving, and I believe Dev is arriving soon.” “Christ, Kaz, how long have you known about this?” I ask as I get to my feet. Kazimir, like his grandfather before him, is amazing at finding anyone and anything. Don’t ask me how he does it, it’s scary as shit the intel he has. “As soon as you called me and told me what happened, I had all airports and harbors kept under strict surveillance. I expected to find the old woman, but Catalina herself was a shock to me,” he says, shaking his head. “The funniest thing about this entire thing, though, is the fact that they were both heading to you, anyway.” “What?” I ask, blinking. “Why would they come here and risk death after what they’ve done?” Kaz sighs and shoots me a look. “Ask them th
My father hasn’t been back to see me since he left. Well, I’m not even sure because he locked the bedroom door after he left and the only people I see are the ones who bring me food. All I’ve done for the last two days is lay on this bed and think. Think about what my father said, about Giovanni and how he potentially killed my mother and lied to me about loving me. Then again, this man has been missing and had no qualms about striking me when I asked a question. He’s completely different from the man I saw in the pictures, smitten with my mother; so what happened?I know there are collaterals when it comes to this life, I’m sure my father knew this too, but keeping this grudge and then using me as bait? He seems, and looks, like a man hellbent on revenge and yet he couldn’t even muster an ounce of sympathy for me.Sighing, I lay back on the bed and place a hand on my belly. I don’t know what Nonna Lola gave me, but I remember her freaking out when I mentioned the baby. Could it hav
Giovanni My eyes fall on Kaz crouching down next to a body and rifling through their pockets. He sees me and shakes his head. “They’re Romanians,” he says. “What?” I ask, looking at the two men who don’t look familiar. Then Kaz moves the lapel of one of their shirts to show me the B tattoo below his collarbone. “Fucking Brigăzi. Either Andrei’s men or-” “No, Kaius wouldn’t betray me; not with Emilia with him,” I say as I pull out my cell phone and dial the Romanian Mob Boss’ number. There’s no way he would’ve helped Moretti after what we spoke about; this must be Andrei’s work. Kaius answers on the fourth ring, but as he does so, I hear a loud crash in the background. “Fucking hell, calm your ass down or I’ll calm it down for you.” He growls to someone in the back, and when I hear my sister’s voice telling him to try her, I can’t help but chuckle. “Things are going well, I see,” I say, amused, and listen to him breathing out a sigh on the other side. “Your sister is having some
Giovanni refuses to let me clean up myself, instead he washes me and dried me off, replacing my ankle brace but he won’t allow me to get dressed. Instead, he takes me to bed and lays me down naked, while settling in between my legs. “I know we have a lot to talk about, but please let me show you how much I missed you, amore mio,” he says as he leans over me and captures my mouth in a kiss.His lips against mine feels like heaven, something I wasn’t sure if I’ll ever experience again. The way his tongue plays against mine, leading me to submission without needing to force me. This man has a hold on me and he knows just how to play it the right way.“Did you miss me, Lucia?” he asks as he works kisses down my neck towards my chest. I let out a moan as an answer to it, and he chuckles. “Use your words. I want to hear you say it.”“Yes,” I breathe. “My heart longed for you, Mio Re. I didn’t think I would ever see you again.”God, I’ve missed this man so much, just feeling him close to me
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