ALINA
We stepped out of the door to find Marco already turning away. Hehesitated, looking at me like I was in the way. Luca caught it and waved him on. “Spit it out.”
Marco cleared his throat. “Someone left us a message. Out back.”
My stomach twisted. A message? I wanted to ask what kind, but something in Luca’s face told me I wouldn’t like the answer.
There was an edge to him now. Something sharper. Dangerous.
I knew then he'd been playing with me before. I pressed my eyes closed and sighed. I remembered the blood spilling down the man's face. I'd nearly vomited my breakfast then.
We followed Marco out to the back of the property.
The air was heavy, the kind that settles in your chest when something terrible is about to happen. I followed Luca, my heart pumping in my chest.
Thirty or so men were there, all armed. They shifted as Luca walked through, their silence saying everything I needed to know about his authority.
My breath caught when I saw the body.
Blood pooled around the man, staining the dirt a deep red. A note was pinned to his chest. I forced myself not to look too closely, not to focus on the lifeless eyes staring at nothing.
Only an hour with Luca and I had already seen two dead bodies. Was this how our marriage would be?
Even though my father had been evil, he had made sure to protect his family, until his death, I'd known barely nothing about the Costa Mafia.
Luca bent beside the dead man, his fingers brushing the note pinned to the man’s chest. He read over the words, and something shifted in him.
It wasn’t anger. Not exactly.
It was colder than that. An icy fire that made his back tense.
When he stood, his jaw was tight, his eyes dark. He looked like he belonged to another world entirely.
Dangerous. Unstoppable.
Gone was the man who had calmly poured himself a drink in his office. This Luca was cold, calm, and his eyes burned with quiet rage.
This was The Monster.
For the first time, I truly understood why they called him that.
Marco stood nearby, waiting for orders. Luca didn’t speak at first, and when he did, his voice was low. “Marco, take her inside.”
I shook my head quickly. “No.”
Luca turned to me, his dark eyes locking on mine. “Alina.”
“If I’m going to be your wife,” I said, forcing my voice not to shake, “then this is the sort of thing I’ll have to get used to. Isn’t it?”
Something passed over his face—approval, maybe? Or amusement. “You think you’re ready for this life?”
I nodded, even though my heart was racing.
He studied me, and for a second, I thought he’d argue. Instead, he sighed and muttered something under his breath. “Have it your way.”
He turned back to his men. “Fan out,” he ordered. “Check the entire property. No one leaves until we know who did this.”
The men moved, splitting into groups, guns in hand. They were efficient and strong.
And I? I felt utterly useless. I didn’t have a gun. I didn’t know how to fight. What was I supposed to do?
I stood there, my hands at my sides, trying not to flinch at the sight of so many weapons. This wasn’t my world. But it would be soon.
Luca ran ahead of the men. “Marcel and Rock, you two stay there with her.”
He was gone for five minutes while I shook in place. When he came back, his face was calm like someone, one of his rivals I was certain had not just sent him a dead body.
A dead body with a note was a death threat. And they had thrown it over his wall.
Luca’s hand brushed against mine, pulling me from my thoughts. “Come with me,” he said.
I followed him back into the house, unsteadily. His hand was warm around mine, firm but not rough, and despite everything, I closed my fingers around his.
We entered his office, and he let go of me to grab a bottle from a shelf. He poured two glasses of whisky, handing one to me.
“Whisky, drink,” he said.
I took a sip, and the burn hit me immediately. I coughed, my eyes tearing as I tried to force the drink down my throat.
Luca patted my back, his dark brows lifting. “Never had whisky before?”
“No,” I admitted, wiping at my eyes.
“Then why didn’t you say something?”
“Because…” I lifted my shoulders, refusing to look weak. “Whatever you throw at me, I plan to handle it. I plan to win.”
“You’ve thought this through,” he said.
“Yes.”
“And you think this will work? Marrying me?”
“Yes.”
He swirled the whisky in his glass, his eyes never leaving mine. “What do I get out of it?”
I set my glass down, my hands steady even though I felt anything but. “You can sell your product in my family’s territory. No one else. Just you.”
His eyes darkened with greed. He wanted it. Everyone wanted it.
and I knew I had his attention.
“The Costa family controls the largest territory in New York,” I said. “It’s worth millions. You’d have exclusive access.”
“You think you can trust me with that much power?” he asked.
“No,” I said honestly. “But I don’t have a choice.”
His lips twitched again, but this time, it wasn’t almost a smile. It was the real thing. A small, sharp smile that made my stomach flip.
“You’re smarter than you look,” he said.
I didn’t take the bait. “So, do we have a deal?”
He didn’t answer right away. He drained the rest of his whisky, setting the glass down with a soft clink.
“I’ll think about it,” he said finally. “You’ll have my answer in three days.”
Then he opened the door and nodded for me to leave.
As I stepped out into the hallway, my heart was pounding, my mind racing. Three days. That’s all I had. Three days to secure the deal that could save my family—or destroy me.
ALINA“They’re waiting for you in the living room,” Pietro said.The Costa mansion was huge like a giant, bigger even than Luca’s home. Big and cold. It had always felt that way to me. More a place of power than a home. I walked up the steps with my father's right hand man, Pietro at my side.He was sixty years old. Strong and stocky. “I didn't ask to see them today.” I snapped, pressing a finger into my forehead. I had a headache “They didn't ask for your permission, Al.” Pietro had called me Al as long as I could remember. “They don't need your permission to visit their brother's house.”I had told him everything in the car. About the two dead men and my fear of Luca. He had told me my uncles were waiting inside the house. I nodded, my chest tightening. No, they didn't. The house was quiet as I hurried to the living room.I stepped into the living room and stopped to pull in a deep breathe. I needed patience for this. Either of these men could have killed my father. I suspecte
ALINAMy maid arranged the lace sleeves of my wedding gown for the third time. She put string of pearls around my neck, the coolness of the beads heavy against my skin. "You look beautiful, signorina," she whispered.I gave her a weak smile, my heart hammering too loudly to say thank you. My reflection in the mirror looked like someone else. The dress was beautiful, a classic white gown that tight around my waist and flared out at my hips.The door was pushed open and Valentina burst through the door. She looked stunning in her red dress, but her face was white with worry.She had tried to convince me to cancel the wedding for two days now. I had refused. “Out,” she said, waving a hand at the maid.The girl stopped, but I nodded, and she ran out. “Alina, are you serious about this?” Valentina grabbed my shoulders, shaking me lightly. “Do you know what you’re doing?”“I’m walking down that aisle and marrying Luca,” I said, though my heart was racing. Luca and I had settled on a dat
ALINA“I'm the one who packed your bags.” Mother said. My tears dried up at once. Why would she do that to me? “I didn't agree to move in with Luca, Mother.” She shook her head, smiling sadly. “In the Mafia, it doesn't matter, Alina. You will obey Luca. Whatever he says is the law to you.” “But I have so much to do here. I must organize my father's estate. The men are already feeling restless for some direction.” “The men will not listen to you, Alina. Not without Luca backing you. And Luca will not back you if you do not obey him. Don't you understand? He owns you now.” I backed away from my mother, lifted my wedding dress and ran away. Her words “he owns you now” went around and around my head. I hadn't thought this far ahead. I really hadn't expected any of this. My idea of it had been that with Luca’s name, no one would dare command me around. But now, it seemed Luca would be giving all the commands. I need to find Pietro. If I am moving into Luca’s mansion, then he is goin
LUCALuca stepped into the room, tearing his suit off. He couldn't remember the last time he had worn one. He snapped a finger at Demetrius, one of his men. “Pour me a drink. Make it a strong one.” Marco waved Demetrius away, and poured the drink himself. He squeezed half a lemon inside the gin, and brought it over. “Don't get drunk. You still have to bed your wife.” Luca grunted and gulped down half of the drink. He grunted, faking a groan. Marco laughed, tipping back half his drink too. “To your marriage. May it give us healthy sons and daughters. Sons especially.”Luca closed his eyes, remembering Alina's wide eyes as she stared up at him, her teeth biting into her lower lip. Oh definitely, they would make children. Lots of them if she kept staring at him like that. “She's going to be a wild one.” Marco said, sitting across from Luca. They had a meeting in three minutes. Someone had thrown a body over his wall, Luca wanted to find out who it was. He was at his small house. A s
ALINAI felt my heart climb up my stomach and into my chest. I ran over to Luca, throwing my arms around his shoulder. He winced, and I jerked my hands away.They were stained with blood.Oh God.I had Luca’s blood on my hands. The thought made me stumble as my heart started racing. “What happened?” I hurried to the bed and pulled the sheets off, throwing them on the floor. Luca sat on the edge of the bed.He grunted, gritting his teeth as he looked up at me with angry eyes. “Someone shot at me and Marco.”I inhaled and exhaled. Luca was the King of the Mafia. The Monster. This was normal to him, probably. I wouldn’t lose my cool.I knelt in front of him and started unbuttoning his shirt. “Damn it, Luca. This is our wedding night. The least you could have done was return to me in one piece.”He groaned when I peeled the bloody shirt off his shoulders. “I fucking tried. What do you think I was doing? Waiting there for them to shoot at me like a living target?”I could tell he was in pa
LUCAMy hands were shaking, all the blood rushing from my head down to my cock. I could feel how hard it was pressing against my pants.Alina’s eyes were closed tight, her chest rising and falling hard.I growled. “Go on.”She opened her eyes. “Marco is outside the door.”I rolled my eyes. “To hell with Marco.”As if he had heard my words, Marco banged on the door again. For fuck’s sake!I closed my eyes and forced my hands to stay steady. I took a large step away from Alina. “Stay in bed. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”I stepped into her and kissed her long and hard. She was too shocked to kiss me back, but I liked her soft lips against mine.I pulled her gently from the door, stepped outside, and closed it. Marco was covered in blood too.He also looked very sorry, which didn’t make me feel any better. “Marco. You could have given me a few minutes before banging on my door like that.”Marco grinned. “Did I interrupt something?”I walked by him, fists at my side, begging my cock to
ALINAI opened my eyes, moaning softly as the light coming from the window stabbed my eyes.It was morning already. I closed my eyes again, deciding I really had signed up for more than I could take.I remembered Luca standing in front of that man, his cock falling to the floor like it had never been attached to a human body.“Alina?”I opened my eyes again. Luca was sitting beside my bed. I watched him silently for a second. How could someone so handsome be so devious?Luca was dressed in a black shirt that stretched tight across his shoulders and highlighted his hard stomach.His thighs were thick in his black pants.His thick hair fell over his eyes like he had been running his hand through it all night.I looked away, swallowing hard to clear my throat. My mouth felt too thick, same as my throat. “Did you really cut off his…”Luca stood and came to the bed. He took my hand in his. “Yes, Alina. Sometimes, we have to be evil to stay alive. They almost killed me.”I swallowed again,
ALINAI took a shower, dressed, and left my room in less than ten minutes.Pietro was standing outside my door. "He's in the living room."I nodded, dragging my hair into a ponytail. "Does Luca know he's here?""No. I believe he left for his meeting before your uncle arrived. Would you like me to inform him of the guest in his house?"I shook my head. I could deal with my uncle myself. He wasn't the kind of enemy I needed Luca's help with.When I reached the dining room, I found Uncle Roberto seated at the table, eating the breakfast one of the housekeepers had prepared for him. He took small, precise bites, like he was a gentleman, and not someone who had blood on his hands.I inhaled deeply. The last time I had spoken to him, he had slapped me.He wouldn't dare today. I knew that, but my heart still beat too fast.And it wasn’t with the excitement I had felt earlier this morning when Luca’s head was between my breasts."Uncle Roberto," I greeted, bending to kiss both his cheeks.He
ALINAI hated this.I hated that we had to do it. I hated that we couldn’t tell her the plan. I hated that I had to be the one to sit in front of Valerie and ask her if she was willing to walk back into hell.But there was no other way. Luca and I had come up with a plan while driving back home. And we knew it would work. We hoped it would.She sat across from me, her hands fisted on the armrests of the chair like she was preparing for an impact. She looked like she had that moment before Riot slapped her outside the club.I didn’t waste time. It was better to quickly rip the band aid off. “What do you think about getting your son back if you go back home?”Her lips clenched painfully as she bit it. “I want him back.” Her voice was shaking with fear. “But if I go back there, Riot will kill me.”I swallowed. “You don’t know that for sure.”She laughed dryly, looking away. “Yes, I do.”Luca stood against the wall, silent. Watching. He looked like an angel of war. I liked having him beh
LUCAI parked outside and waited for Alina.I was picking her up after her meeting. The door opened but it was Alberto who came outside. He walked past me toward his car, his eyes burning with so much hatred, it was almost laughable. If looks could kill, I’d be dead a thousand times over and he wouldn't have been my killer either. I didn’t react. Didn’t even spare him a second look as I pulled open the passenger door just as Alina stepped outside.She pulled her coat tighter, her hair shifting against her shoulders as the wind picked up. She looked tired and majestic at the same time. When I stepped into the car, the driver pulled out, my security detail in front and behind us. After being shot at, I was more careful with security. I watched Alina's face. She looked calm, but I could tell she was worried. “How did the meeting go? Any problems?” She shrugged. “The meeting went fine enough.” Then, after a second, she added, “Alberto threatened to kill you.”I laughed quietly. Why
ALINAI stopped outside the door, my pulse steady, my thoughts sharp. I was angry, but I kept my cool.I couldn't afford to let emotions rule me. Not now.Beside me, Pietro stood still like a statue, watching the entrance with narrowed eyes.“Do they have any idea what I’m about to tell them?” I asked, keeping my voice low so the men gathered inside the safe house wouldn't hear me. I had called a meeting like Luca had advised me. I wanted my men to be prepared and ready in case the Alvarados decided to strike.Pietro shook his head “I don’t think so. Which is why we need to get ahead of it and control it. We want them to support us.” I nodded. That was the plan. That had always been the plan; to control the story before anyone else could twist it against me.I started walking again and Lorenzo followed behind me. I turned to him, frowning. Was he trying to follow me into a personal meeting with my men? “Stay out here.”He didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Just shook his head no. I clench
LUCAI handed Maya to Valerie and stood. So both of her children were not Riot's? That made more sense. Now I understood why she was so worried.“Maya isn't his daughter too?” I asked, leaning forward with my hands on the table. “No, I already had them before I married Riot. When I couldn't give him a child after a year, he started hating me.” Valerie cried, cleaning her face. If Valerie's son was not Riot's child, then he was very unsafe. They could kill him.We had to find him, and we had to save him.Alina followed me to the door. Immediately we stepped outside, she stopped and her eyes filled with bright tears. “What have I done, Luca? That kid will die, won't he?” I stepped towards her, shaking my head. “He won't die. We won't let him. Go in for work. Call a meeting with your men, and ask them to be careful, we're not sure yet how they will react, but we need to be ready.” Alina gulped and nodded, turned and walked inside. Marco was already standing beside my car. A minute
ALINAI woke up suddenly, my heart pounding. The day had already begun, because light was pouring in through my curtains.I groaned and sat up. I never woke up this late. I must have been very tired. Little wonder why Luca had forced me to sleep.I threw off the covers, got out of bed, and quickly showered and dressed. Luca hadn’t woken me up. That meant something was wrong or he was just being a pain in the ass by trying to protect me.Either way, I didn’t like it.When I opened the door, I nearly ran into a wall of muscle.I blinked. Took a step back.The man standing outside my door was huge. He was built like a damn mountain. He had broad shoulders, thick arms, and an expression that looked like he hadn't smiled in years.An eye patch covered his left eye, making him look even more intimidating.I stared at him. Why was he standing outside my door? “Who the hell are you?”He smiled, but on his face, it looked more like a grimace. “Lorenzo. Your new bodyguard.”I laughed. “What?”
LUCAI lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.Sleep wouldn’t come. My body was heavy, exhausted, but my mind wouldn’t shut off.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Riot’s face.I heard the bastard’s voice.I thought about Valerie, about the boy, about how fast things were spiraling.I closed my eyes, forced my shoulders to relax, and tried to rest for an hour.I knew the Alvarado Cartel wouldn't kill the boy. They just couldn't.But I couldn't relax. I sat up and rubbed a hand down my face.Someone knocked on my door.I jumped out of bed like I had been waiting for that distraction.When I opened the door, Pietro and Leonard stood there. One look at their faces, and I knew I was in for a long night. Neither of them looked happy.“They’re here,” Pietro said.I nodded and turned back inside. I grabbed a shirt from the chair, pulled it on without buttoning it, and ran a hand through my hair.“Wait in my office,” I muttered as I stepped past them.They left in one direction, but I turned the
ALINALuca didn’t wait for me to follow, he just walked, his steps long and purposeful, expecting me to keep up. Marco was right beside him, and I trailed stiffly behind, my mind still trying to catch up with everything that had happened.Just before we stepped out of sight, Luca looked back at Sofia. “Go up and sleep, after the housekeeper has taken Valerie and Maya to their room.”Sofia nodded, her face still tense. I had no idea if she’d actually listen, but I didn’t have the energy to say anything else.I was suddenly tired. Maybe it was the thought of the boy dying because I had interfered where I shouldn't have. I pushed the tiredness away. I would have to live with the guilt forever if the boy died because of me. We entered Luca’s office, and he locked the door behind us. The moment he sat behind his desk, I asked, “Do you think they’d really kill the boy?”Luca exhaled, rubbing a hand down his face. “No.” He sounded sure. “The boy is still Riot’s son.”That should have ma
LUCA“Find my phone,” I yelled over the gunfire.Alina reached for it, her hands moving fast as I speeded out of the parking lot. The sound of bullets slamming against the armored windows was deafening, like hail against glass, but heavier, more violent.I clenched my jaw and pushed the gas pedal down harder. We needed to get the hell out of here before they found a way to stop us.Alina shoved the phone into my hand. I was about to dial when she grabbed it back.“I’ll call Sofia,” she said. “You focus on driving.”I didn’t argue. I needed both hands on the wheel.She pressed the phone to her ear. She tapped her finger impatiently against her seat until Sofia picked up. “Sofia, get one of the men to open the gates right now. We’re coming home.”Sofia’s voice was sleepy on the other end, but she answered immediately. “Okay.”Alina ended the call, sliding the phone back into its hold. The bullets kept coming, but I could tell we were pulling ahead. Their shots were landing less freque
ALINA I called the number again.Nothing.I stared at the screen, heart pounding.It rang five times, then cut off.I swallowed, hit redial, prayed someone would pick up. The man who had called sounded dangerous, the kind of man who wouldn't care about hurting the child if he could get what he wanted.Was that Riot's elder brother? Did it make a difference who it was?Still no answer.“What are you planning to do?” Luca asked when I almost ran over to the car.I barely looked up. I was glad he was beside me, with his intensity, but the man had asked me to come alone. “I’m going to get the boy.”Luca snapped. “Alone?”“Yes.”Luca stopped and the suddeness of the action made me stop too. “It’s a trap.”I nodded. I knew exactly what it was. “I know.”Luca looked exasperated. His eyes flashed at me. “And you’re still going?”My grip on my phone tightened. “Do you have a better idea?”Luca nodded, looking all sensible, like he needed me to be sensible too. How could I be sensible when t