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ADRIANI glared at my reflection in the mirror, fury and hurt etched on my face. My hands clenched into tight fists as I gazed down at the damage the wine had done to my shirt. The crimson stains spread across the fabric like a map of chaos, a constant reminder of my life at Great Fisher.A wave of loathing washed over me. I hated this city, its suffocating grip choking the life out of me. My own life was a sham, a never-ending cycle of disappointment. My family, a constant source of frustration. And this job... I hated every minute spent at the Great Fisher, the pretentious boss, the backstabbing colleagues, the suffocating routine and the damned horny bastards that patronise this place.I hated how every client in this bar only see me as a means of entertainment. To them, I was nothing more than a distraction, a plaything to be used for their amusement. My role as a server was constantly diminished, reduced to mere eye candy.It wasn't their fault, it was my damn family's fault for
ADRIAN It took me a minute to remember breathing was a thing people were supposed to be doing. I stood still, mouth parted open in shock as I stared into his eyes. Piercing silver eyes, ones I vowed never to gaze upon again, locked onto mine with piercing intensity. Their burning stare sent a shiver down my spine, and my throat constricted, making swallowing an impossible task. Giovanni Marino, the boss and the leader of the Marino's family was right here in the bathroom stall with me, gazing at me with a dangerous grin on his face. My heart skipped a beat and my mind went blank, unable to think of why Giovanni Marino would be in Great Fisher. My workplace. As the police chief's son, what would people think if they saw me in the same room with the leader of New York City's most notorious Italian Mafia family, the same organisation my father was working to take down? I had tried it once, hooking up with this same man just to get back at my father for disowning me because I was gay
ADRIAN When I suggested the idea, I half-expected Giovanni to dismiss it. To call me out on my shit. Instead, he shocked me by forcefully hauling the bastard to the bar, beating him while vociferously declaring that I belonged to him and threatening severe consequences to anyone who dared to bother me again. I watched as Giovanni grabbed the back of the manâs neck and slammed his face into the bar. Everyone cleared out, moving away as quickly as possible as he babbled and tried to speak. I should be happy that someone was finally putting a stop to this, but instead, guilt washed over me like a blanket as I watched from the corner of the now-empty bar, which had once been full of customers. My chest tightened until I could barely draw in a breath. What was I supposed to do now? Every time I raised my head to look in the direction of my boss, he would plead with me with his eyes that I should put a stop to this. I straightened up before I walked down the bar, to the man who was caus
GIOVANNI The sound of my baseball bat cracking against the skull was loud. Bones broke, and bits of brain and blood stuck to my weapon, my favorite one. I turned it around towards me and wrinkled my nose at the sight of the mess of hair and skull fragments clumped onto the metal. My phone's ringtone pierced the air, drowning out the groans and grunts of the man at my feet. I paused to take a look at the mess of bodies that littered the floor, and I couldn't be more proud of myself for knowing it was all my doing. I was fucking proud of myself. âYou stay right here,â I said to the man at my feet with a groan. Walking over him to pick up the call. There was no point telling the man to wait, he couldn't get up even if he wanted to. I had already separated both his legs from his body and his body was already a mess. Walking over to the window on the third floor of the uncompleted building, I propped my elbow on the windowsill, staring down at my bloodied hand as I fetched my
ADRIANAfter the phone call with my brother, I felt increasingly restless, unable to shake off the unease that kept me awake and made bedtime impossible.Aston's disturbing revelation about the Marinos' near-miss shooting had already unsettled me, but his hasty goodbye without elaborating on the cryptic 'something happened' comment sent my imagination racing. Now, the deafening silence from my brother had me sick with worry. When I left home three years ago, my sole concern was avoiding any actions that might worry my family.Ironically, I now find myself consumed by worries about their well-being.As I stood frozen in the middle of my living room, phone clutched in my hand, my mind raced with a flurry of questions while I awaited my brother's call, my gaze drifting blankly into space.One question I kept asking myself was, "what have I done?"A sudden knock at the door sent me recoiling in terror, my heart racing and eyes wide with alarm. I froze, paralyzed by fear, my gaze fixed on
GIOVANNI "It's definitely his place," Dominic confirmed, his voice booming from the other end. I nodded my head, with the phone still pressed gently against my ear. I brought the cigarette closer to my lips and took a long drag before blowing the smoke out of the window. "Good. Leave the Russell's boy to me and just keep your eyes on the fed." I ordered, my voice was as husky as ever. "Yes, boss." I ended the call and tossed my phone on the stack of papers on my passenger seat. With the internal threats neutralized and the turncoats held accountable, the calm that followed left me feeling uncharacteristically idle. I craved action, my instincts itching for the next adrenaline rush. I had to change order of everything overnight. I had wanted this shit with Price Russell to be over with, but dealing with paper works after that made me want to drag this out for however long I want. I could have fun with this while I shove that bastard fed in his place. That was what bro
ADRIAN A low grunt rumbled through my chest as Giovanni Marino shoved me into the passenger seat of his lousy car.I curled my fingers into a tight ball as I glared hard at him. Giovanni inched closer, his neck hovering over my face and I held my breath so I won't be able to inhale him. "The fuck you think you're doing?"Giovanni chuckled, I could tell he did because I saw his chest vibrated against my arm as he tugged my seat forward, fastening my seatbelt for me. He moved back a little so I could see the smirk on his face. "Driving my boyfriend to work.""This is literally kidnapping." I flared up, throwing my head back against the headrest and let out a harsh groan. "And please stop calling me your boyfriend.""Why? Aren't we, like, boyfriends?" He said, eyebrows drew together as if he was surprised by my remark."We are no boyfriends, okay? Just please stop already." I hissed, watching him as he shut the passenger door and rounded the car.He got into the driver's seat and turne
GIOVANNIThere are two types of people I hate in this life: those who think they can fuck with my business, and people like Adrian.I hated myself more for admiring the stupid mole under his eyes, and his stupid freckles. I hated the fact that I found his big brown eyes fascinating, and the way the corner of his eyes wrinkled up whenever he attempted a smile that he would never let out.I hated the fact that I was drawn to the way his nose crinkled when he was frustrated, and even more, I hated that I couldn't help but notice these insignificant details about him.I watched Adrian disappear into the smoothie shop, and I had to physically hold back from clenching my fists in frustration, tempted to punch my own jaw in exasperation."What the fuck is wrong with me?" I groaned out in frustration, slipping quietly back into the car. I let my eyes dropped to my crotch and I snickered when I saw the tent in my pants. "Fucking hell!"I groaned out, letting my head dropped to the headrest of
ADRIAN Tears streamed down my face as I sprinted out of the living room, desperate to escape the suffocating atmosphere. My mind reeled with the conversation I had just overheard. Dad couldn't be talking about me and my brother. He couldn't be implying that we weren't his biological sons. The thought sent a wave of pain and hurt crashing through me, and I desperately wished the last eighteen hours had never happened.I stumbled out into the hallway, panting and gasping for breath. I pressed my back against the wall, trying to calm my racing heart. Benedetto's voice echoed through the building, his words dripping with venom. "Get out, Price Russell! And don't ever show your face to me or my sons again, or I'll kill you!"My father's response was a hissed "Fuck you!" as he stormed out of the living room. He seemed furious, his face twisted in a scowl.He was so mad that he didn't notice me standing there.Benedetto called out from inside after a few minutes had passed, his voice sti
ADRIAN The words echoed in my mind like a mantra.This is not my father. The man in front of me, kneeling between Benedetto's legs, was an imposter. I felt a wave of confusion wash over me as I stared at him.My father's face was contorted in shock, saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth as he remained frozen in a kneeling position. His eyes were wide with terror, and his skin had paled to a sickly shade.How could this man, this broken, submissive shell of a person, be my father? The man I knew, the man who had raised me, was a tyrant, a monster who had sought to break me and remake me in his own image.He had hated me for being gay, had sought to "fix" me, to mold me into a straight man. But this...this person in front of me was not that man. He was weak, submissive, and terrified.I felt a shiver run down my spine as I gazed at him, my mind reeling with questions. Who was this imposter? And what had happened to my real father?Words kept getting stuck, and it angered me eve
ADRIAN "What are you doing here?" I demanded, my mind reeling as I closed the distance between us. My breath hitched as I took in the toxic smoke from his cigarette, the acrid smell burning my lungs.Benedetto Marino casually shrugged one shoulder, his fingers scratching behind Peaches' ear. "To see you," he replied, his tone nonchalant."Let go of those cats, now!" I gritted out, my eyes narrowing as I watched him touch my pets. His hands seemed to be lingering on their fur, and I felt a surge of possessiveness.Benedetto raised an eyebrow, slowly releasing the cats. They darted away, seeking refuge in the kitchen. It was as if the cats could also sense the danger emanating from him, their instincts warning them to flee from his presence."What?" he scoffed. "I'm not going to hurt them.""I don't trust you," I hissed, my fingers pinching my nose shut to block out the foul smell of the cigarette smoke.Benedetto smirked, leaning backward as he planted his arms on the armrests of th
ADRIAN It had been over eight agonizing hours since I received that frantic call from my brother. The sound of his panicked voice still echoed in my mind, followed by the deafening silence that had left me shattered. I had been desperately trying to call him back, my fingers flying across the keypad as I dialed his number repeatedly, but my calls had been met with the impersonal automated voice of his voicemail. Each failed attempt had escalated my anxiety, my heart racing with every passing minute.I'm not insane. I'm not fucking insane. That was the mantra I'd been repeating since I left home, the words echoing in my mind like a desperate prayer. I'd chanted them to myself like a lifeline, clinging to sanity as the world around me spiraled out of control. But as the hours ticked by, the words began to lose their potency. The silence was suffocating, and the darkness closing in around me was starting to seep into my soul.For real, I think I'm losing my grip on reality now. Th
GIOVANNI Nikola's voice thundered through the empty hall, his phone pressed firmly against his ear. "Where the fuck are you?" He paced in circles, his heavy boots pounding against the concrete floor. His finger bit into his lip, a mixture of anxiety and frustration etched on his face. "These fucking calls keep going straight to voicemail. What the hell is going on with that stupid boy?" He barked, glaring at me. "Got anything yet?""No," I said, groaning. I pulled my phone away from my ear, and let out a frustrated sigh. "The boys can't get a lock on his location."Nikola's anger boiled over. "What about his phone? They should be able to track the damn thing!" He kicked a table, his foot stomping down on it as he unleashed his rage. I watched him, hesitant to intervene. If I stood up, I would be tempted to find something to punch too. But I knew I had to stay in control. Both Nikola and I couldn't afford to lose our cool at the same time."They can't track his phone," I grumbled,
ADRIAN It had been a week since my encounter with my father, and surprisingly, he hadn't done as much as sending me a message or calling my phone since then.I was partly happy, knowing I had finally put him in his place. But somehow, I couldn't shake off the uneasiness that was eating away at me deep inside. Something didn't feel right. My father wouldn't have given up on his threat that easily unless he was up to something. I wondered what he was planning.I should have informed Giovanni about how my father tracked me down to find me at Grace's apartment. I shouldn't have kept it a secret from him.I still had no idea how my father discovered my location that night, and it worried me. What if he had put a tail on me? What if... What if he had been watching me all along and I had been oblivious to my surroundings? What if, because of me, Giovanni ended up in danger?"I can't let that happen. I should call Giovanni." I breathed out and reached for my phone. My finger hovered over
Hi! I'm excited to share my new M/M romance novel with you. Please take a look! â¤ď¸Title: Steaming the RoseGenre: MM Mafia romance Forced Proximity Childhood sweetheart BLURB "I can't do this anymore!" Easton cried, trying to break free from the man who had him pinned to the bed by his throat. ''It's been six years, Ilya! Six fucking years of abuse. When am I going to be free from you?""Does it look like you have any choice?" Ilay smirked coldly. He produced his knife, wanting to carve his name into Easton's heart, so that every time Easton looked in the mirror, he'd know who he belonged to."You either obey my every command, or watch as I ruin every last bit of the reputation you've toiled tirelessly to build. Don't push me too hard, East, or I'll unleash a storm that will render you breathless and begging for mercy and it won't be cute."As a pop star, Easton Reese had everything he had always hoped for: money, luxurious lifestyle, fame, and fans all across the globe wh
ADRIAN It had been over three weeks since my mother was laid to rest, and I was surprised to find that life was slowly healing. The ache in my heart still lingered, but glimpses of happiness began to peek through the cracks. It wouldn't have been possible to get through it all alone without Giovanni in my life.Giovanni had taken it upon himself to be my happiness guardian, and he excelled at it. He went out of his way to do the most thoughtful, random things that would catch me off guard and leave me beaming. Like surprising me with my favorite smoothie in the morning, or leaving sweet notes around the penthouse for me to find. It was as if he had a sixth sense for knowing exactly what I needed to brighten my day.As I thought about all the little things he did for me, my heart swelled with gratitude. I wished I knew how to repay him for everything he'd done, for being my rock, my safe haven. But Giovanni never asked for anything in return; he just smiled and told me that seeing m
GIOVANNI Adrian was awfully quiet as I drove off the property. Although it was already getting dark and the moon was rising, Adrian gazed out the window, his eyes fixed on the passing trees and bushes. He didn't pay me any attention, his silence a heavy presence in the car.Although he had just lost his mother and was likely preoccupied with grief, I was selfishly consumed by thoughts of our relationship. I couldn't help but wonder if I had damaged our relationship by giving in to his request earlier.Should I have refused? Should I have simply said no and taken him home instead? My head was reeling with conflicting thoughts and doubts running through my mind. I was unaware that Adrian had been staring at me, his gaze fixed on my clenched fist gripping the steering wheel, until he spoke up. "Relax your grip on that thing, or you're going to break it.""Oh," I let out a nervous laugh as I relaxed my grip on the steering wheel, stealing a quick glance at him. When our eyes met, I has