ALINA
My 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 date the same day he'd made the decision.
The wedding had been easy enough to arrange. Only his family were coming. We wanted it to be a surprise to the world even though I was sure by now that a lot of people knew.
“Do you have any idea what people call him? The Monster. And you’re marrying him.“You don’t have to do this.” She gripped my hands tighter. “We’ll figure something else out. We always do.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “We don’t. This is the only way to protect you, Adriano, and Mama. You know that.”
She groaned and threw her hands in the air. “You’re unbelievable. You always have to play the hero.”
“I’m not the hero,” I said, looking at her sharply. “I’m the survivor.”
Valentina was married. To a man she loved with no ties to the Mafia. Father had been mad as hell. But what that meant was that she really couldn't help me, or us. She was just as much in danger as the rest of us.
Her face softened, and she hugged me tight. “You make a beautiful bride, sorellina,” she whispered, kissing my cheek. Then she stepped back, fixing a stray curl. “Even if you’re marrying a lunatic. You’re so brave, but I hate that you have to be.”
I almost laughed, but the knock on the door stopped me.
“Alina,” Angelo’s voice came through the wood, smooth and sharp. “It’s time.”
Valentina gave me a look, half worried, half proud, before slipping out. Angelo stepped in, all polished charm in his tailored suit.
He was walking me down the aisle. After Roberto had slapped me, I had refused him to stand in for my father.
“You’re stunning,” he said, offering his arm. His smile was warm, but his eyes were sharp and dark. They reminded me of my father's.
I slid my hand into the crook of his arm. “Thank you, zio.”
He chuckled as we walked, his hold on my arm firm. “Don’t thank me, ragazza. I’m just here to see you off.”
His words hurt, but I kept my eyes ahead. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he got to me.
The garden was breathtaking. Rows of white chairs, a canopy of flowers, and soft music filled the air. But I hardly noticed. All I could see was Luca, standing at the end of the aisle.
He was too handsome in his black suit. His dark hair was gelled back, and his sharp jaw was set like stone. But his eyes were what held me.
Dark, intense. Beautiful
Behind him stood Marco, grinning like he’d just won a bet. Having the Costa wealth at his disposal would make anyone grin like that. Greedy bastard.
“Smile,” Angelo hissed under his breath.
I forced a smile, my heart pounding. Every step down the aisle felt doomed. The guests were mostly strangers—Luca’s people. They watched me, their whispers audible over the music.
When we reached Luca, Angelo placed my hand in his. Luca’s hands were rough and warm. Firm like he owned me.
“Take care of her,” Angelo said. “Watch her back.”
I wondered why he cared.
Luca smiled, a sharp, almost cruel curve of his lips. “Always.”
The priest began the vows at once. We didn't want to waste a lot of time. This was not a marriage of love. This was a contract. One I had signed myself into.
“Do you, Alina Costa, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
I swallowed hard, looking into Luca’s dark eyes. “I do.”
“And do you, Luca Romano, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
Luca’s lips curved into the faintest smile. “I do.”
The priest nodded. “Exchange your vows.”
Luca went first. “I vow to protect you. To give you my loyalty and my strength. To stand by you, no matter what.”
My throat tightened as I spoke. “I vow to be by your side. To honor our union and to face whatever comes with you.”
The moment the priest called us husband and wife, Luca leaned in, brushing his lips against my cheek. It wasn’t a kiss of love. It was possession. I felt owned.
And just like that, I was scared. Fearful of this man I had handed my life into.
The clapping was polite, and stopped immediately we turned to walk back down the aisle. Luca’s hand rested on my back, guiding me like he already owned me.
As soon as we were out of sight of the crowd, Luca turned to me. “You’ll be moving into my house tonight.”
I blinked, taken aback. I hadn't even thought that far ahead. “What?”
“Your bags are already packed,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Who the hell had packed my bags? I hadn't given that order. I scowled angrily up at him.
I opened my mouth to protest, but he raised a hand. “This isn’t going to be an argument, Alina. If you’re my wife, you live under my roof.”
My chest tightened. “I won't.”
He laughed, a wicked sound. “You don't have a choice, My Little Sunshine. You're my property now.”
Before I could say another word, he walked away, leaving me standing there.
Behind me, I heard footsteps. My mother’s voice followed. “Alina.”
I turned to face her, tears pooling in my eyes.
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
LUCAAlina’s look of shocked confusion was almost funny.Her face was burning, and she looked stunning, standing there with her hair around her shoulders, her eyes hot enough to burn.She rolled her neck. “I suspect he did. Why? What do you know?”I shrugged, pulling my jacket off my shoulder. “Nothing.”Alina came over to me. She lifted her large eyes to mine. Her pupils were wide and dilated like they had been that morning. “I'm sorry, I told Pietro not to call you.”“It wasn't Pietro who called me.” I dropped the jacket on the floor, and she picked it up at once, folding it carefully and dropping it on the bed.I sat on the bed, and she sat beside me. I lifted her, dumping her on my lap. She was still shaking. I kissed her ear. “Hey, relax. Your uncle can't do a thing to you.”She nodded, her shoulders relaxing slowly. She exhaled. “Trust me, I know that.”I turned her so her legs went around my waist. She snuggled into me. “I was asking about your father. Do you suspect that Rober
ALINAI shuddered. I'd never had my lips savaged like that. Luca lifted me into his arms like I was a doll, folding my legs around his waist. His hands cupped my ass, pushing his hardness right into the space between my legs. I moaned when he climbed onto the bed and laid me down carefully. His eyes were full of hunger when they ran over my body. “Damn it, Alina. You're too beautiful for your own good.” He unbuttoned his shirt and removed it, dropping it on the floor. I bit my lip, watching greedily as he stepped out of his pants too. His shorts was left hugging his thighs just right. He looked like an Adonis. A handsome Greek god. “Have you had your fill?” He murmured nastily.He had been watching me stare at him. I looked into his eyes. “I don't think I ever could. You look damned near perfect.” He climbed onto the bed and turned me onto my stomach. I felt his fingers around my waist, so large they almost encircled me completely. He untied the belt of my dress, dragging it
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