“...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
I’m slowly making my way downstairs with Giovanni’s help, when I spot a dark-haired woman sitting in the living room. She has her head downcast and appears to be writing in a journal or notebook while not even taking in her surroundings. “Nikki Baranova,” Giovanni says. “She’s Frankie’s fiancee.”Oh, she’s the Bratva Princess Dom spoke about, the timid and quiet one. Wow, now that I know Frankie better, I must admit that I don’t see how this will work out between them, since Frankie is the complete opposite of her.“You’ll meet Julia Devlin as well, but I must warn you about her. She’s a spitfire and speaks without thinking. Don’t take whatever she says at face value. She means well but has no fucking filter,” he says. “Just like her brother.”Ah, the one Dom is worried about. Well, I suppose we’ll see when we meet today.We reach the living room and Nikki finally looks up. Her mouth falls open when she sees Giovanni and me and she gets to her feet. “I am so sorry, I didn’t even hear
“She’ll be safe with you, yeah?” Dev asks as he grabs his helmet, then he turns to me with an expression devoid of his usual snark. “This is my little sister, G.”I place a hand on his shoulder and nod. “I promise you, on my life, that I will do my best to keep her safe here. Now please fuck off and get back to Dublin.”He shakes his head while chuckling. “See you on the blessed wedding day, bruv.” With that, he drives away and I walk back inside.I have to admit, it’s been a fucked up few hours. When Lucia fell asleep last night, I went down to my office and had a look at the files Kaz sent me. He told me to be prepared for what I was about to see, but that warning alone didn’t help.Alberto Moretti killed my father and took over the role of a snitch for the FBI, but he took over this role two years before he even went missing. He has listening devices planted in the homes of various mob bosses and this is the reason Andrei was helping him.He had some damning evidence on the Romania
What do the Bratva, Cosa Nostra, and Irish mob have in common? Three leaders who happen to be best friends and solidify their bonds through arranged marriages. It’s been three months since Nikki and Julia arrived in town, and right now I’m watching them as they say their vows to Dom and Frankie. Yes, it’s a double wedding, so it was double the problems.The wedding has been postponed twice now because Julia wasn’t happy with a few things, but it all died down after Devin came to have a talk with her. Everyone was getting antsy, Giovanni even more so, but she eventually settled on what she wanted.It was worth it, though; both of them look radiant and even though they never asked for this, they all look happy — even if it is put on and fake. Both Frankie and Dom are turning up the charms, which is odd to see.I scan the packed church again and the crowd still sends an uncomfortable shiver down my spine. There are a lot of powerful people here; people who wanted to witness this arrange