MARCOI stood there, feeling the cold steel of Marcel’s gun pressed on me, the weight of the situation sinking in. My mind raced, but I couldn’t see a way out. This was it. I could feel the darkness closing in, could almost taste the bitterness of defeat.But then, like a beacon in the storm, an image of Sarah flashed through my mind. Her face, her smile—everything I had fought for, everything I was about to lose. I had to stay alive. Not for me, but for her. I wasn’t going to let Marcel take me out, not yet.Just as I was about to give in to despair, I heard Petrov’s voice crackle through the wire in my ear. “Marco, Carlos and Luis are almost in position. Hold on, just a little longer. Do whatever it takes to stay alive.”A surge of hope rushed through me, giving me a renewed sense of purpose. I couldn’t let Marcel or Cain see the shift in my resolve, though. I had to play this smart, drag this out long enough for Carlos and the boys to make their move.I took a deep breath, forcing
MARCO“What do you mean by ‘a girl you loved’?” I asked, my voice laced with confusion and frustration. None of this was making any sense. Who was this girl he was talking about? Why did he seem to think I had anything to do with her?Marcel’s face twisted in anger as he snapped, “Of course, you wouldn’t know! All you do is trample on people, Marco. It’s in your blood. It runs in your damn family.”His words hit me like a punch to the gut, but I couldn’t make sense of them. I stared at him, trying to piece together the fragments of information he was throwing at me. “What the hell are you talking about, Marcel?” I demanded. “Who is this girl?”For a moment, Marcel just looked at me, his eyes filled with a mix of hatred and something deeper, something I couldn’t quite place. Then, he sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly as if the weight of what he was about to say was too much for him to bear.“Noelle,” he said quietly, almost as if the name itself was a burden.The world seemed to t
SARAH I was curled up on the couch in the upstairs living room, a blanket draped over my legs as I watched some light-hearted comedy flick. The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from the TV screen. It was one of those rare, peaceful nights where everything seemed to fall into place, where I could just relax and not think about the chaos that usually surrounded me.“Wow, things have been pretty chill lately,” I muttered to myself, my eyes still glued to the screen. “Almost like a miracle.”A small smile tugged at my lips as I watched the characters on the screen bumble through their silly antics. It was nice, being able to laugh at something so trivial, something that didn’t involve the twisted reality I’d been thrown into. I snuggled deeper into the couch, letting out a content sigh. If I was being honest with myself, I didn’t entirely hate my life. Not all of it, at least. Sure, there were parts that made me want to scream, but there were also these quiet moments of calm, li
SARAH I had no idea how long I sat there on the couch after Carlos hung up. Time seemed to lose all meaning as I tried to process the fact that Marco had been shot. And Tony too. It didn’t seem real. It was like something out of one of those crime dramas I used to watch to pass the time. But this wasn’t a show. This was my life.When I finally forced myself to get up, I felt like I was moving in slow motion. My legs were shaky, my hands trembling as I made my way upstairs to my room. I didn’t even know what I was doing, just that I needed to do something, anything, to keep myself from falling apart.I opened my closet and stared at the rows of clothes, my mind completely blank. What was I supposed to wear to a hospital? It wasn’t like I’d ever been in this situation before. But then again, nothing about my life had been normal ever since Marco walked into it.Finally, I grabbed a simple black dress and threw it on, not caring how it looked. Black felt appropriate somehow. It matched
SARAH Walking into the hospital room, I was immediately hit by the sterile smell of antiseptic, mixed with the faint scent of something metallic, maybe blood. The fluorescent lights overhead buzzed softly, casting a harsh, white glow on everything. My eyes darted around the room, taking in the scene like I was moving in slow motion.And then I saw him.Marco was lying in the hospital bed, his body nearly obscured by the mass of wires, tubes, and machines surrounding him. An IV drip was hooked into his arm, delivering what I assumed was pain medication, while another tube fed oxygen through his nose. Bandages were wrapped tightly around his chest, where I knew the bullet had hit, and a heart monitor beeped steadily at his side, each sound reminding me that he was still alive—barely. His skin was pale, almost ghostly, and the sight of him like this made my stomach twist painfully.It felt like the ground beneath me was giving way. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. The tears came befo
SARAHI stepped out of Marco’s hospital room, my mind swirling with a thousand thoughts. The door clicked shut behind me, and I leaned against the wall, trying to make sense of everything. How was I supposed to feel about Marco telling me he loved me? It wasn’t like I’d been expecting it, not in a million years. And yet, when he said it, there was a part of me—a small, traitorous part—that liked hearing those words from him.But I hated that I felt that way. Marco literally abducted me, pulled me into his dangerous world without a second thought. He was reckless, controlling, and had caused me more pain than I cared to admit. How could I possibly feel anything for him other than anger and resentment?And yet… there it was. That stupid, fluttering feeling in my chest that made me want to believe him. To believe that maybe, just maybe, he did love me. But that was absurd, wasn’t it? How could I ever trust him, let alone allow myself to care for him? It didn’t make sense, and the conflic
SARAHA soft tap on my shoulder pulled me out of a dreamless sleep. At first, I thought I imagined it, but then it came again, more insistent this time. I blinked my eyes open, feeling disoriented and groggy. My body ached as if I had run a marathon, and my head throbbed with a dull pain that made it hard to focus. When my vision finally cleared, I saw Carlos standing in front of me, his expression a mix of concern and impatience.“Sarah,” he said, his voice gentle but firm, “how are you feeling?”I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. “I’m fine… just a headache and… I guess I’m a little out of it.” My voice came out hoarse, and I realized how dry my throat was.Carlos handed me a bottle of water. “Here, drink this. You need to stay hydrated after everything.”I took the bottle from him and sipped slowly, letting the cool water soothe my dry throat. As I drank, the events of the past few hours came rushing back—the blood donation, Marco’s condition, the whirlwind
SARAHI had tried everything—reasoning with him, pleading, even resorting to silent treatment—but nothing worked. Marco was as stubborn as ever, determined to leave the hospital against all logic. Hours had passed, and I’d eventually given up. There was no point in trying to convince him anymore. The man was impossible.I sat in a chair by the window, staring blankly outside, lost in my thoughts. The steady rhythm of the hospital’s machinery hummed in the background, a constant reminder that we were still in this sterile, suffocating place. But Marco didn’t seem to notice. He was focused on something else entirely—something I couldn’t quite understand.My mind kept drifting back to the conversation we had earlier. His determination to leave, the way he had dismissed my concerns, and that strange, serious look in his eyes. I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was hiding something, something important. But what could it be? What was so urgent that he couldn’t stay here and recover like
ISABELLAThe room was drowning in silence — the kind that made your own thoughts feel louder than they should. The only sound cutting through was the faint ticking of the clock on the wall.I paced from one end of the room to the other, heels clicking against the marble floor. My cigarette had burned out in the ashtray a long time ago, smoke still faintly curling from the filter. I hadn’t even realized I’d left it there.My eyes kept flicking to the phone on the table — screen black, still no calls. Every second that passed without a word from La Paloma only twisted the knife deeper in my chest.They should’ve called by now.I could feel it… that tight pull in my stomach. Something was happening.Marco was out there.Looking for her.I poured myself a glass of wine, but it barely made it halfway to my lips before I set it back down. My fingers tapped restlessly against the glass, my mind circling the same dark corner over and over again.If Marco found Aisha… if he got to her before w
MARCOThe city lights blurred through the tinted windows as we cruised down the highway. The engine hummed low, steady. Nobody was talking much, just the faint sound of the radio playing some old blues song under the noise of the tires slicing through wet road.I sat in the backseat, window cracked just enough to let the night air slip in. The blunt burned slow between my fingers — smoke curling up against the roof. I took a long drag, letting the smoke sit heavy in my chest before passing it forward.“Here… calm your nerves.”Tony snorted from the passenger seat, taking it without missing a beat.“Come on, Marco… what the fuck you think this is? First rodeo?” He puffed out a cloud, passing it straight to Petrov in the driver’s seat.Petrov grabbed it with a grin, eyes fixed on the road.“The man’s treating us like fresh meat.” He glanced at me through the rearview mirror, that crooked smirk tugging at his lips. “I ain’t been nervous since Danzo’s funeral.”I couldn’t help the faint s
MARCOI sat back in my office, the glass swirling slow in my hand. The whiskey tasted bitter tonight — or maybe it was just me. The window stretched wide in front of me, showing the whole city flickering under the night. New York always looked peaceful from up here… but I knew better.The whole place was a ticking bomb.I watched the headlights crawling along the streets, the faint horns echoing through the night. Somewhere down there… someone was dying. Someone was making money. Someone was getting betrayed.This city doesn’t sleep.I let out a slow breath, tapping my finger against the rim of the glass. My chest felt heavier with every second ticking by. Tonight was going to change everything — one way or the other.I wasn’t scared.I’ve been in worse situations. Buried men with my own hands. Watched bodies bleed out inches away from me. I’ve done shit that still wakes me up at night.But tonight… it was different.Aisha.Her name had been drilling through my skull ever since Tony m
MARCONight had swallowed the city whole. The air hung thick, heavy with something I hadn’t felt in a long time. That familiar tension before a job. The kind that made your blood move slower… made every second feel like it was stretching out.I stood in the armory, loading rounds into a Glock magazine, one click at a time. Tony was by the table, checking the sights on an SMG. Petrov leaned against the wall, spinning a knife between his fingers like he was playing with a toothpick.Petrov smirked.“Been a while since we went on a night like this.” He flipped the knife once, catching it clean. “Not since we took out Danzo.”I glanced up at him, the name stirring up old memories I buried deep. “Danzo…”I sighed, sliding the mag into the Glock with a cold snap.“Yeah… I wish the peace had lasted.”Tony looked up from the SMG, his face tired.“We all do.”The room fell quiet for a second. None of us were built for peace, but we learned how to live in it. Now… that was all gone.Petrov brok
MARCOMartha set the tray down gently on the dining table, arranging the cutlery without making a sound. The smell of fresh eggs and coffee filled the room, but I barely noticed.Three days.Three days since I set the plan into motion — putting Tony and Petrov out on the streets to flush Aisha out and hit back on every bastard who thought I was finished. Three days since I decided to stop sitting back and waiting for the walls to close in.The house had been quiet ever since.Too quiet.I picked up the fork, forcing myself to eat. The food tasted like nothing, but I kept chewing, bite after bite. I needed the strength. The plan had to work.Failure wasn’t an option.Martha lingered by the corner, wiping her hands on her apron. I caught her watching me from the corner of my eye, but she quickly looked away when I glanced up.I cleared my throat, cutting through the silence.“How’s Sarah?”Martha straightened up, clasping her hands in front of her.“She’s been eating better, sir. I made
MARCOThe evening was dragging — slow, heavy.The sun had dipped behind the skyline, leaving streaks of orange bleeding into the sky, but I was still here, trapped between four walls, waiting for the city to get darker before I moved.The vultures were still outside, media dogs camping at the gates like they were waiting to see me buried. The last thing I needed was another fucking scene. Not after the one I gave them earlier.Tony sat across from me, arms folded, eyes fixed on the glass of whiskey he’d barely touched. The whole room felt like it was holding its breath — silent, thick with smoke and tension.I leaned back in my chair, cigarette between my fingers, eyes pinned to the ceiling as I exhaled slowly.The door knocked twice.Sharp. Precise.Tony’s head turned, then the door cracked open. Petrov stepped in — tall, broad, cold-eyed like always.His heavy boots echoed against the marble floors as he shut the door behind him.The mood in the office shifted instantly — darker, he
CHAPTER 263MARCOTony stepped in, shutting the door quietly behind him. His eyes swept across the office, taking in the mess — broken glass scattered by the window, papers tossed across the desk, the whiskey bottle half-empty and lying on its side. The air was thick — like the whole room had been swallowing smoke for hours.He let out a low whistle under his breath.“Jesus…” His eyes flicked back to me. “Place looks like a fucking crime scene.”I didn’t respond. I just leaned further into the chair, fingers pressing into my temples, trying to push the pounding headache out of my skull.I felt Tony’s eyes lingering on me — sizing me up like he was trying to figure out just how bad the damage was.His voice dropped lower.“Boss… you okay?”I let out a slow breath, eyes still shut.“Do I look like I’m fucking okay, Tony?”He didn’t answer — because he knew there was no point.He knew I’d talk when I was ready, knew better than to push me when I was on edge like this.The room stretched
MARCO I walked out of the house, the sun already hitting hard against my face like it had a personal vendetta against me. The guards stood stiff by the gates, their faces blank — the same faces I’d been seeing every fucking day while my life burned down to ashes behind these walls. I was certain they didn’t see me. Not really. I could be bleeding out in front of them and they’d still stand there like statues, pretending they didn’t notice how I was breaking apart piece by piece. I stuffed my hands in my pockets, trying to bury the shaking in my fingers. “Get the car ready… the one with tinted windows.” The guard barely nodded before rushing off. None of them would even meet my eyes. Probably because they believed the headlines too — believed I was just another De Luca bastard who couldn’t keep his dick in his pants. I stood there waiting, the heat pressing down on my skin, but I barely felt it. All I could feel was the weight — the fucking pressure of everything closi
MARCOThe sound of my phone vibrating against the nightstand pulled me out of sleep. I groaned, rubbing my face as the buzzing continued, relentless. I blinked against the dim light in the room, reaching blindly for the phone. My fingers finally wrapped around it, and I lifted it to my face. The screen was flooded with notifications—calls, emails, and text messages, all demanding my attention.I sighed, unlocking the phone. The first few messages were from business associates, men who had stood by me when everything was stable, when my name was untouchable. Now, they all wanted answers.Giovanni Fabbri: Marco, what the hell is happening? Investors are pulling out. We need a statement ASAP.Emilio Rizzo: This scandal is making waves in the wrong places. The board is restless. Call me.Colonel Bianchi: The media pressure is mounting. This is dangerous. Handle it before it gets worse.Valentino Russo: The stock is plummeting. Your silence is making things worse. Damage control. Now.I cl