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The Ambush
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS Sealing the Deal
Camilla's POVI did the hundredth lap up and down the living room, shaking fingers and clasping my phone. Guards outside whispering among themselves. Of some attack and someone getting shot. My heart had its own rhythm in my chest. Again, no call from Dante. Not a single word. The more I waited, the worse my dread grew inside me.It was the creak of the front door that pulled me from my reverie. I spun around, my heart jumping to my throat. He entered with his face tensed, shirt bloodstained. I caught my breath."Dante?" I whispered, shaking. "What happened?"He said nothing at first, just shut the door behind him with a heavy sigh. He looked exhausted as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. And maybe it did."I overheard the guards," I said, pushing another step in on him. "They were saying something about an attack. Your Dad… is he-?""He's alive," Dante interrupted, his voice low, even, firm. "The bullet missed anything vital. He's going to be fine.”Relief washed o
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS Heavy Name
Dante's POVThe only sound in the room was the steady beeping of Luca's heart monitor. He seemed so much smaller in his bed, pale and fragile.It was weird to see him that way, the man that built an empire off of nothing lying at the mercy of tubes and machines. He had been my rock, my whole life; he was the only one I could never afford to disappoint.I relaxed in the chair beside his bed and watched him slowly wake up. His eyes fluttered open and when they alighted on me, they were as stern as ever. Weakened, but Luca was still the same, unbreakable."Dante," he croaked, his voice hoarse, "How long are you going to sit there and brood?"I smirked, leaning back in the chair. "Old habits, I guess."He laughed tiredly, the sound dissolving into a cough almost immediately. I leaned forward and took the water off the bedside table, and handed it to him. He sipped it very slowly and very carefully."Doctor says you're recovering well," I said in another moment, trying to keep the conversa
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS Tension Mounts
Dante's POVI haven't returned Rocco's call for a few days now. It was a little risky, the way I sent him on his merry, but seriously enough was enough. So long as Luca remained hospitalized, there was simply no time to take a meeting with him.The time came to start spending all my hours and energy on damage control, making sure Draven LTD wasn't affected in response to the ruckus Rocco had managed to kick up so far.With Luca's improving condition but still shaky, the mantle of leadership rested squarely on my shoulders. I had no time for Rocco's threats or any more of his twisted games. Today, the estate weighed heavier, thick with unspoken tensions. I had work to get down to. I went into the war room where my men congregated."Listen up," I called, yelling. "We put up increased security now. I want eyes on every movement out of the Italian mafia. Nobody gets in and out without us knowing about it."The men nodded off, all serious with the expression on their faces. Alex stepped fo
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS Approval
DANTE'S POVI watched Camilla cradle Jasper in her arms, the softness on her face a sight to which I had seldom witnessed. My son, our son, had no idea about the antagonism surrounding him. He blinked up at the sterile white walls of the hospital; his tiny fingers curled and clutched at the edge of Camilla's shirt. It was a sight against which something twisted inside my chest, an emotion now so hard to avoid.The moment Luca saw Jasper, his frail body moved in the hospital bed, a light turning on in his eyes. The heart monitor beeping beside him evened out into a rhythm, reminding me that while he looked better, still he wasn't out of the woods just yet. But softening on his face, that rare gentleness overrunning the usual hardened expression, was worth us coming today."Look at him," Luca whispered, his arms reaching toward Camilla. "Bring him here."Camilla turned to me, a flicker of trepidation in her eyes, and I nodded. She handed Jasper over to Luca, who cuddled the baby with an
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS Unwelcome Rivalry
CAMILLA'S POVThe moment we stepped into the conference room, I saw Ella Stonefield, and her eyes met mine. The smile that had been playing on her lips just that very second, made of pure warmth and admiration no doubt for Dante, chilled the instant it met mine. It took no great intuition to know animosity was flowing from her end. I'd seen that look before, too many times when I still worked as a maid in Dante's house. But this time the stakes were so much higher."Good morning, Mr. Draven," Ella said, her voice sweet and sugary. "So good to see you." And she didn't even spare a glance for me, like I wasn't standing right next to him.It was as if Dante's hand was at my back again; the light touch steadied me and he nodded. "Ella, let's sit down; we really do have quite a bit to get through today."Ella's eyes again snapped back to mine; this time, it did nothing to mask the distaste. "I wasn't aware we had… extra company." Her lips twisted in a tight, strained smile; her gaze regard
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS Strength in Numbers
ELLA'S POV.The last of the allies had sat, and my stomach twisted as Dante stood to speak. Mesmerized, I watched him work the room without ever raising a finger. That strength, that confidence, was one of many reasons I'd hustled so hard to stay near him, build something with him. And now, this maid, this nobody, stood beside him, trying to play like a part of our world.I forced a smile, but he launched into a speech about the big of a threat Rocco was and how united we had to be against him. But my eyes kept darting back to Camilla. There she sat, just so composed, just so smug. It really grated on my nerves. How could Dante even think of marrying her? Years of being with him through thick and thin, and she, who came no more than a maid, was to take over now?Dante grumbled in the room. "Rocco will keep on undermining our business if we are not united. Your presence provides us with the surety of the strength needed to face him."I scanned the table. The allies seemed noncommittal.
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS Tying the Knots
DANTE'S POV.Today was the day Luca got discharged, and though his road to complete recovery was slow, he was getting there. He held himself tall, but the weight of the last couple of weeks hung in his eyes. I helped him into the car while Camilla climbed into the car from the other side“You're ready for this?" I asked her once we were in the car headed to court.She nodded, eyes steady yet, far away. "As ready as I'll ever be."Luca chuckled lightly from the backseat. "Marriage isn't that frightening according to how you two are making it seem. You'll get used to it soon enough.”I forced a smile. He had no idea. This wasn't a marriage, not in the sense he thought it was. It was just a means of benefit for the both of us. But he doesn't need to know all that. Today was about sealing our public image. Was about securing the Draven name.We trodded our way back to the courthouse, and as we emerged into it, I felt Camilla falter just a bit. I leaned into her and whispered low, so only
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS Brewing Storm
Ella's POVI stood at the edge of the room, champagne flute in hand, staring at them. Dante and Camilla. The perfect picture everybody was abuzz about. It was almost impossible not to look at them, she snuggled in closer to him, her eyes gleaming as she whispered something in his ear. He smiled and a wave of anger boiled up inside me.How does this happen? How can he choose her over me?Camilla caught my gaze across the room, and to my utter disgust, she smiled, a knowing taunting smile, as though she knew the anger moving through my veins. And to rub salt into the wound, she waved, a small condescending wave that had my hands tightening around the glass until my knuckles went white.I stood there, silently seething, as Dante wrapped his arm around her waist, tugging her close as they turned to greet yet another guest. She leaned into him, her head coming to rest on his shoulder like it was the most natural thing in the world. And the worst part? Dante didn't even flinch. He allowed i
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SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS 99: A Proposal of Peace
DANTE'S POVThe door softly shut behind us, nestling us into the silence of the hotel room. There was still friction from tonight hanging in the air, but at least some of the weight was off my shoulders at any rate. It was huge, and Rocco agreeing to go to Chicago was just a major first hurdle of many different obstacles going forward. Twenty years of hate and all the reasons that it had created were never going to get solved overnight.Camilla stood at the window, staring out at the Italian city below, where the lights sparked on like diamonds in a polished velvet case. That soft glow came alive in her silhouette, and for a moment, I simply looked at her. There was something about Camilla where convoluted situations seemed doable.She muttered to herself, in the otherwise silent room: "I just can't believe it. Rocco actually agreed to meet your father. It is not real."I crossed the room, leaning against the edge of the bed and folding my arms as I watched her. "Wouldn't have happene
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS 98: Vengeance in the Shadows
CAMILLA'S POVI heard the sharp shatter of glass as the room froze in place; it was as if the air formed into ice. My pulse thundered in my chest as instinctively, I pulled Annie's arm back from this stumbling man and his predicted random movements. He sneered, his frame unsteadily swaying, but a dangerous mixture of arrogance and intoxication gleamed in his eyes.The scrape of a chair leg across the floor cut through the silence before I could get another word out. I whirled to see Dante storming toward us, an expression blacker than I'd ever seen on his face. Every step he took was deliberate, as if some sort of predator closing in on his prey."Dante…" I started, but the words died in my throat.In an instant, he was beside us, his towering figure completely blocking me from the man's line of vision. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" Dante said in a low, controlled voice full of threat.The man was either utterly unaware of the serious peril he found himself in or simply
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS 97: FRIENDSHIP AND ALLIANCE
CAMILLA'S POVThe bar was in twilight, heavy with the smell of ages of whiskey and cigar smoke. The low murmurs of conversations and clinking glasses alike seemed to fade into the background, my attention was on Dante and Rocco - they sat at a corner table, but a single lamp cast sharp shadows across their faces. The tension between them was palpable from my seat: Dante hunched forward, his knuckles grazing the table; Rocco leaned back, his face impassive, save for the gleam of ice in his eyes.I sipped my wine slowly, the coolness of the glass a balm against the palm of my hand, but doing little to settle the queasy twist of my belly. Next to me, Annie seemed placid, but I noticed how her fingers gripped the stem of her glass just that little bit too tightly.“Why do they always look like they're about to kill each other?" I asked, trying to sound light.Annie smirked. "You're witnessing history in the making. Rocco doesn't listen to anyone-except me, sometimes. If he's even conside
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS 96: SEEKING CLOSURE
CAMILLA'S POVThe moment the door to our room clicked shut, I blew out a very long, deep breath that I didn't realize I was holding. Dante sprawled across the room, yanking off his jacket to toss it onto the armchair in a spiky movement. His silence was deafening; the tension crackled between us in the air."Dante—" I began, but he sliced the word off.He whirled on me now, his eyes seething with anger and disbelief. "So you're saying she's the same woman" he snarled. "The Annie you practically threw yourself in front of a bullet for.” I crossed my arms over my chest and met his glare. "I didn't know who she was. She was just a woman in danger. I did what anybody with a conscience would have done."Dante snorted, passing a hand through his hair. "Anyone with a conscience wouldn't have flung themselves in front of a bullet!"The memory of that night tumbled back into my mind in a rush. "I didn't think," I whispered. "I just acted." Those words, like a threat of a storm, seemed to set
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS 95: UNPLEASANT WEDDING GUEST
CAMILLA'S POVBefore us was the stretched Italian countryside-endless rolling hills of vineyards bathed in shades of gold by the afternoon sun. If anything, the villa where the wedding was held wasn't less than magnificent, a true melting pot of old-world charm and modern-day elegance. Marble columns framed the entrance, while a string quartet floated its music across the open courtyard.I really should have been utterly mesmerized by the view, but Dante's tense attitude was impossible to overlook."Relax," I whispered, tugging at the hem of my silk dress as I leaned in toward him. "Why are you so tense over a wedding?"Dante's jaw clenched, his sharp features lit for a moment by a flash of annoyance. "This isn't just some random wedding.""What do you mean?" I pressed, my curiosity getting the better of me as far as letting him stew in silence went.He said nothing for a second or two, his dark eyes scouring the crowd ahead of us. "This is Rocco Cafaro's domain." he finally said; his
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS 94: MIND GAMES.
TOM'S POV.I had been confined to a wheelchair for weeks, because of these symptoms. Whereas earlier I used to tower above all others because of my unbridled force, now I sat in this damned chair, legs useless weights, arms losing strength day by day. Irony indeed was bitter. People feared my dominance; now they pitied me. I hated it. Hated them.My fists knotted, my nails digging into my palms. The pain anchored me in the now. It wasn't some random event that had happened. My body hadn't betrayed me of its own volition. There'd been a puppet master yanking on strings, and I knew full well who was on the other side of them.That afternoon, My assistant wheeled me into my office, her soft footfalls barely audible over the dull roar in my head. Now she treated me as if I were glass, her voice perpetually soft, and guarded, as if some wrong word might shatter me."Anything else for you, Mr. Lockwood?" she asked, honey dripping with pity from her tone. She jerked at the blanket on my lap
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS 93: TOXIC ENCOUNTERS
TOM'S POVIt had started as no more than a whispered unease, a faint haze across my sight that cleaned itself a second later, and I'd been sure I'd just imagined it. But as days slid by, that haze grew darker, creeping into my mind, weaving itself into my body like a parasite.I sat in my office, staring down at the contract I'd spent the last hour trying to read; words on the page blurring and swimming before me until they finally dissolved into nonsense. Frustration prickled along my spine, and I closed my eyes, pressing my fingers into my temples. "Mr Lockwood?" I jerked my head up, to find my assistant, standing in the doorway with a look of concern."What?" I growled, sharper than I meant to, but I didn't care. There was just something wrong, off-the-charts disturbingly wrong-and I wasn't in the mood for questions.She stepped back, her hand releasing the door as she took a second to recompose herself. "You asked for the quarterly reports by this afternoon. I wanted to check to
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS 92: FAMILY'S PEACE
Camilla's POVSoft light from the chandelier bathed the sitting room in a warmth that casts a gold sheen over plush furniture and polished hardwood floors. Jasper sat center of it all, his tiny fingers digging into the edge of the coffee table for balance as his eyes locked onto Dante and me with that determined glint I was starting to recognize as pure Draven spirit. My heart swelled as I looked at him-my beautiful boy.“Come on, Jasper," I cooed, holding my hands out to him. "You can do it, baby. Just one step."Dante knelt beside me and set his gaze in the middle of our son. "Just one, little man," he said softly, filled with excitement and warmth. "One step, and your mom and I will give you the biggest cheer of your life.”Jasper wobbled, holding onto the edge of the table with chubby hands and a fierce grasp that spoke volumes to someone who was determined not to fall. His great big grey eyes, mirrors of his father's, stared at us with such concentration and excitement. He wanted
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS 91: CRACKS IN ALLIANCE
ELLA'S POVI slammed my glass down, the echo slicing through the silence of my apartment. Red wine splashed onto my fingers, but I didn't bother wiping it off. All that lined my vision was Tom's face, his smug expression, as if he held the upper hand—as if I was the one failing. As if I was the problem.How dare he.My phone buzzed on the coffee table, lighting up Tom's name. A single word text: "Meet me. Now!"I rolled my eyes and took another gulp of wine, reaching for my coat, the cabernet tasted bitter like the failure. If Tom wanted to talk, he better come prepared. Because I wasn't letting him brush off his failures on me.I found him waiting in the shaded corner booth of his favorite club, fingers drumming impatiently on the table. The sound of my footsteps made his head snap up. Dark eyes locked onto mine with that far-too-familiar spark of control he seemed to think he had over everybody. But tonight, I wasn't here to play nice."Ella," he greeted without preamble, the tensio
