Throughout the week there were people in and out of the penthouse and Kaius ordered me not to leave my bedroom. I wasn’t going to argue with him because he looked serious when he said this, not cocky as he usually does.It left me wondering what the hell is going on outside there; there’s no way he’ll up and leave for a safer spot just because of me. It also left me questioning what the actual fuck Andrei did when those people see me as collateral damage.I’m sitting on my bed the night before we’re supposed to leave and thinking about my years with Andrei. We were the same age when he came to St Leonard's after my stint in the hospital, and we became closer. He knew I didn’t want to marry for convenience and respected that.After Gio made me his enforcer, he was so proud of me too. We were in a secret relationship for years, even after we found out what his father did to my cousin. He was adamant Gio would forgive me and we’d unite our families if I fell pregnant and became his wife.
The cabin comes into view, and I breathe out a sigh of relief. The hours driving were nerve-wracking to say the least, not knowing if we’ll be ambushed or not. But I have concluded that the people after me aren’t just the ones my brother owed. There’s something else going on and it’s pissing me off not knowing what it is.After my men report the boundaries are clear, I turn to Emilia and remove her blindfold. She squints into the afternoon sun, blinks a few times, and then turns to face me. “We’re here?”“We are,” I say as I open my side of the door and walk over to her side. She looks surprised when I open her side and hold out my hand for her. “Any day now, Angel.”“Ugh,” she says and rolls her eyes at me, but she still takes my hand, anyway. Stepping away from the car, she takes a look around and her eyes widen. “Wow, there’s nothing for miles,” she says and I nod.“Hiding in plain sight, and since there aren’t even trees, snipers can’t hide anywhere,” I say, thinking back to the
I’ve just woken up but I’m refusing to get up from this bed after the embarrassing stint with Kaius last night. Why did I think egging him on like that would work when he simply proved me wrong with the stroke of his fingers?Oh, god those fingers. How the hell did he work me up to an orgasm within a few seconds? How did he know just what to do to get me to that point and then, frustratingly, stop when I was about to fall over?I groan and turn on my belly, feeling pissed off at myself for not being able to get this out of my head. Last night I played with fire and got horribly burned, now I have to suffer with sex thoughts about Kaius.“Man the fuck up, Emilia,” I grumble and sit up in bed. There’s no way I can hide in here all day, not in this tiny as fuck cabin with his room right across from mine. I’m going to have to deal with this and face it, no matter how uncomfortable I may feel.Sighing, I get up and walk to the bathroom but nearly fucking piss myself when I see Kaius stand
It’s 5 pm and Kaius hasn’t even returned yet. I whipped up some bacon carbonara for an early supper and now I’m sitting in the living room with two bottles of red wine in front of me. I’m dressed in a silk pajama dress already since I told this day to go fuck itself. I’ve already had half a bottle of wine anyway, and for the first time in a long time, I feel happy.I know it’s the alcohol, but fuck it.“Hey, Ivan, why don’t you join me for a glass?” I gesture to my favorite knucklehead standing at the kitchen counter. “Come on, take a load off!”He looks at me and raises his eyebrow, then grunts out a ‘no’ and continues to look everywhere but my way. Well, I guess Fun isn’t his middle name, then.I lay down on the couch and sigh just as the front door opens and a sweaty Kaius saunters inside the cabin. He doesn’t look at me, just heads straight to his bedroom where I can faintly hear the shower running soon after.I wonder where he’s been all this time. Did he run straight back to civ
KaiusI hold the receiver to my ear and pinch the bridge of my nose. “He knew we were coming? How the fuck did that happen?”“Looks like a leak from the inside, Boss. No one should have known about this but you and us. Don’t worry, we’ve killed them all over here but the last family head will be on high alert now.”“Fuck sakes,” I growl and punch the wall in front of me. This was the last thing I wanted. I wanted them all taken out at the same time so they don’t see us coming but now the element of surprise has been ruined. “Kill them anyway and tell me when I can get the fuck home.”I hate not being on the front lines and killing them myself, but I have so much hanging in the air right now that I cannot afford to die. So this team will have to make do until my plans come to fruition; until I've taken what's mine.“We’re outside the last head’s house now. Give us another forty-eight hours, then you can return,” he says with confidence.“Check in then, I won’t fucking risk this,” I say
Today is a warm day, so I’m lazing by the pool in a bikini and not giving a damn. Maybe it’s the four Old Fashioned's talking, but I’m ignoring everyone around me right now. If I’m going to be Kaius’ captive, I might as well enjoy the perks that come with it. Before I escape, that is. It’s just me on the terrace with Ivan standing a watchful guard over me. Kaius seems to have lessened the security when it comes to me being alone here, with only two guards at a time. I wonder if he trusts that I won’t try to escape now. Well, either way, it’s a win for me. I groan as I stretch out on the sunlounger, then I turn on my stomach. “Hey, Ivan, do you mind putting some sunscreen on my back?” The knucklehead blanches at my request, his face reddening slightly. “No, I don’t think I should,” he says and pushes up his black sunnies. “Oh, come on, it’s not like I’m going to bite you. You saw Kaius going down on me, we’re practically family now,” I murmur, pulling the string on the back of m
One look at Ivan and I know something’s up. He gestures for me to join him outside the entertainment section, and I excuse myself from the other heads before joining him.“You know this is an important meeting with the heads, so this better be—”“She’s not in her bedroom, Boss,” he cuts in, shaking his head. “I went to do my rounds after leaving a few minutes ago, but when I walked past her bedroom, I noticed the door was open.”A wave of anger so fierce has me in his grip when I grab Ivan and slam him against the wall. “Did you just say Emilia is gone?” I say through clenched teeth. “Please tell me that is not what I am hearing.”Ivan swallows deeply and nods. “I found it strange that she left her bedroom door open, so I went inside to check on her. She wasn’t anywhere in there, so I looked around the penthouse before coming to you about this.”“The cameras?”“Wiped clean, except for the elevator one,” he answers quickly, and as much I want to rip his fucking throat out, I know he wa
I’ve been staring up at the ceiling since Kaius left the bedroom, my bladder full and my soul completely drained. My heart is shattered and my mind is numb; I have no idea what to think right now. Kaius dropped a bomb on me before leaving earlier and left me here not knowing what’s real and what’s not.Andrei was drugging me for years. This would be a preposterous notion if it didn’t make so much sense to me. Why I don’t even miss him right now, why I can’t remember most of our time together, and why I have been doubting my feelings for him all this time.The first day I arrived here I wasn’t feeling like myself at all, and the way I was vomiting and aching all over… it makes sense that it would be withdrawal and not just nerves or my blood pressure dropping dangerously low.I went through all that not knowing, and Kaius took care of me because he knew what was wrong with me. Why did Andrei drug me, though? Why keep me compliant all those years if he didn’t even love me?I know the a
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