Noel stared at his reflection in the mirror, his fingers gripping the cool edge of the sink. His breath came slow and controlled, but inside, his chest tightened painfully.Vincenzo couldn’t claim him. Wouldn’t.He should have expected it.Still, the way Vincenzo had stood there, silent in the face of Matteo’s proposition, had cut deeper than he wanted to admit."Who is he to you?""It’s none of your business."Noel let out a humorless chuckle, shaking his head.Of course.Of course, he was nothing to Vincenzo De Luca.Just a distraction.Just some college student who got swept up in a world he didn’t belong in.But what scared him the most..what made his stomach knot…was the way Don Ramon De Luca had looked at him.That man could kill him.Easily.Noel had seen enough of the De Lucas to know they didn’t make empty threats.He exhaled sharply and turned on the faucet, splashing cold water onto his face, willing himself to push it all aside. He needed to get back to work, finish his sh
Vincenzo was losing control.His vision blurred with rage as he slammed his glass down, the sound of it hitting the table barely satisfying the storm raging inside him.Noel had left.With Matteo fucking Romano.His archenemy.His fingers tightened around the whiskey bottle before he hurled it at the far wall. Glass exploded, amber liquid dripping down like blood.He couldn’t breathe.Couldn’t think."What the fuck did my father mean when he said he was going to ‘take care of him’?"Vincenzo had never feared anyone in his life. Not the men he tortured. Not the enemies he buried. But Don Ramon De Luca? His father?He was a man whose word was law. And when he spoke of taking care of someone, it didn’t mean keeping them safe. It meant removing them from existence.Oh, hell no.Not Noel.He’d burn the whole fucking world down first.His teeth clenched, hands balling into fists as he barked, “Lucas!”His second-in-command appeared almost instantly, standing at attention.Vincenzo’s breath
Noel sat on Matteo’s massive bed, fingers gripping the edge of the sheets. His heart pounded in his chest, each beat louder than the last. His mind was stuck on the way Vincenzo’s eyes had burned with fury when he had left the club with Matteo.That look…dark, unreadable, deadly.Something had snapped in him. Noel had felt it.He swallowed hard, glancing at the clock. Matteo had brought him here, told him to stay put, then left for some business hours ago.He hadn’t returned.Noel’s stomach churned.Something was wrong.Then his phone buzzed.His fingers trembled as he grabbed it."Hello?"“Noel, baby…where are you? Have you heard?” Aria’s voice was rushed, frantic.“Heard what?” Noel sat up straighter, his pulse spiking.“Vincenzo has Julian. And rumor is…” Aria hesitated, then her voice dropped. “He beat him up. Badly. Before they took him away.”Noel froze.His breath hitched in his throat, fingers going numb around the phone.No. No, no, no.He shot to his feet. “Beat him up?” His
*Somewhere Unknown*Noel woke up to the sharp sting of his own cheek.Someone had slapped him.His head lolled to the side, his vision swimming as the burning sensation settled in. His limbs felt heavy…numb. His mouth was dry, and when he tried to move, he realized..He was tied to a chair.The room was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of cigarettes and expensive cologne. Shadows danced along the walls, blurred figures standing around him, watching.A voice..smooth, condescending..cut through the haze."Well, well. Look who’s finally awake."Noel’s heart lurched. He recognized that voice.Elene.A slow clap echoed through the room as Elene stepped into the light, her red lips curled into a wicked smirk. She was dressed immaculately as always, her heels clicking against the marble floor."You’re a real pain in the ass, you know that?" she mused, crouching in front of him. "I keep thinking Vincenzo will finally throw you away, but no. He just keeps coming back."Noel’s breathing
Noel woke with a sharp gasp.The ceiling above him was unfamiliar…pristine white with intricate gold detailing. The air smelled of expensive cologne, leather, and something faintly citrusy. Silk sheets clung to his bare skin, cool and luxurious, nothing like the rough, bloodstained clothes he last remembered.Panic coiled in his stomach.His body ached all over, muscles protesting as he pushed himself up. A sharp sting shot through his ribs. His mind snapped to the events of the previous night.Elene. Silvio. The gunfire.Vincenzo.Had he really just declared war against the Riccis because of him?A cold shudder ran down Noel’s spine.Shit.Don Ramon was going to be pissed.Like, really pissed.And for the first time in his life, Noel felt genuine fear. He had spent years playing with fire, weaving through danger, but this… this was something else.He had run from the mouth of one beast straight into another.He let out a shaky breath, running a hand through his messy hair. Why the fu
"It’s even more beautiful in person," Noel whispered, taking in the stunning view before him. Santorini. The sky burned with streaks of pink and gold, melting into the endless blue sea. The waves crashed against the shore, a steady rhythm that should have been calming. But Noel wasn’t calm. He stood beside Vincenzo, nerves coiling in his stomach. The private beach house was breathtaking…modern, luxurious, and already prepped for their arrival. Gianni was inside, making final arrangements, but outside, under the open sky, there was tension thick enough to suffocate Noel. Vincenzo stood a few feet away, arms folded, staring at the ocean like it held all the answers. He hadn’t spoken much since the plane. Noel hesitated, biting his lip. Then, slowly, he reached out. His fingers were just inches from Vincenzo’s arm… Then a phone rang. Noel flinched. Vincenzo pulled his phone from his pocket. The screen lit up. Papa. Noel’s breath hitched. Oh, shit. Don Ramon. He swallowed,
The sun hung high in the Santorini sky, casting streaks of gold through the open balcony doors. The morning breeze carried the scent of the sea into the room, the sound of crashing waves mixing with the lingering tension between them.Noel stood in front of Vincenzo, chest rising and falling rapidly. His lips tingled from the rough, unexpected kiss Vincenzo had stolen earlier, and his wrists still burned from the way he'd been dragged into this room.Vincenzo towered over him, his dark gaze sharp, his arms crossed over his chest."You pissed me off," Vincenzo muttered.Noel scoffed. "Oh? But it's totally fine for you to let your ex grope you in front of me?"A flicker of something dangerous passed through Vincenzo’s eyes. "So, you were jealous."Noel clenched his fists. "And what if I was?"Vincenzo’s lips curled, but there was no humor in his smirk..just raw, unfiltered possession. "Then I’ll have to remind you who you belong to."Before Noel could snap back, he was yanked forward…on
The scent of sex and saltwater still clung to the air, thick and intoxicating. Sunlight streamed through the open balcony doors, casting golden streaks over tangled sheets and bare skin.Noel was boneless, completely spent, his body draped over Vincenzo’s like he belonged there. His cheek rested against the warm plane of Vincenzo’s chest, the steady rise and fall of it lulling him into something dangerously close to comfort.Then….A knock at the door.Noel stiffened.Vincenzo’s bored, lazy hum vibrated against his ear, but he didn’t move an inch.Then Luca’s voice cut through the morning stillness.“Boss, Mr. Laurent’s friends have arrived.”Noel went rigid.Shit.His heart slammed against his ribs as the weight of reality came crashing back. His friends. Here.After everything that just happened.A sharp wave of embarrassment surged through him, and before he could think…he dove under the covers.Vincenzo’s deep, amused chuckle rumbled through his chest.“Seriously?” he drawled, pul
The house was eerie silent.Olivia tiptoed across Carlton’s velvet-carpeted study, her heels long discarded in the hallway. Her pulse was a silent drumbeat in her throat.She had five minutes. Maybe less.She opened the drawer she’d memorized during one of his drunken rants. Bottom right, third file in.Her fingers brushed past forged deeds, bank routing numbers, old court records..and then..“Bingo,” she whispered.The black envelope was thick. Sealed in wax. Labeled: Transfer of Ownership – Laurent Holdings.Olivia smiled. “Oh, baby, you just bought me that Santorini yacht.”She stuffed the file into her large purse and glanced around.“Maybe I’ll even learn how to mix cocktails and dance barefoot. Far, far away from this old, greedy bastard.”She turned.And froze.Carlton was standing in the doorway, shirt half-unbuttoned, a vein pulsing in his temple.His voice was low and venomous. “What the fuck are you doing?”Olivia blinked. “Darling, I was just…”He stormed forward.She tuck
The city hadn’t slept since the Ricci ambush failed.Vincenzo hadn’t slept since Noel was taken.He stood shirtless on the De Luca balcony, wind clawing at his back, a storm pressing against the sky like a held breath. The city lights blinked below, but his eyes didn’t move from the distant hills.“Boss,” Lucas said behind him, voice tight.Vincenzo didn’t turn.“They’ve confirmed it. The Saturns took Noel.”“And his mother?”Lucas nodded slowly. “She’s the one who ordered it. Not a scratch on him. It was surgical.”Vincenzo’s knuckles whitened on the railing. “Where?”“We’re narrowing it down. Five possible estates. No known layout. No confirmed guards. Total ghost territory.”“I’m going in.”“You can’t.”“I will.”Lucas sighed. “I’ve already sent men. But boss…this isn’t like Ricci. The Saturns don’t play loud. They make you bleed in silence.”“I’m not afraid of silence. I’m afraid of losing him.”Inside a black Rolls Royce weaving through the outskirts of the city, Noel sat in sile
The sky over the De Luca estate was a brooding slate of ash and violet.Thunder threatened. The kind of weather that promised something was about to break.Vincenzo stood in the center of the war room with Lucas, Gianni, and three of his top captains. A map of the city lit up beneath their hands.“The Riccis are moving fast. Elene’s taken command and she’s already rerouting the surviving factions to close in by dawn,” Gianni said, his voice tight.Lucas added, “The Saturns are ghosting. Not a single movement. Which makes them even more dangerous.”“She’s planning something,” Vincenzo muttered.“Smart woman,” one of the men scoffed.“She’s my problem,” Vincenzo said sharply. “You worry about the Riccis.”The room fell silent.Vincenzo turned away, his fingers twitching toward the gun strapped beneath his blazer.Outside, Noel stood in the hallway, listening through the slightly cracked door.He wasn’t supposed to hear.But he needed to.He needed to know what kind of monster he’d falle
Noel woke up alone.The sheets were soft. The pillows cold. The room was luxurious…too quiet, too untouched. Not the De Luca estate. A private hotel suite, high above the city.His throat burned. His ribs ached.And Vincenzo was nowhere in sight.He sat up slowly, hand clutching the sheets. Dried blood still clung to the side of his neck, his wrists ached from the rope burns.He walked barefoot to the tall windows. Outside, the city looked too peaceful.But peace never lasted in his world.At the De Luca estate, Don Ramon’s phone rang. Private line. One of only three people had the number.He picked up, silent.The voice on the other end was cold silk.“I warned your son, Don Ramon.”His jaw tensed.“That boy he stole from me... you should’ve told him to stay out of Saturn affairs. But now, blood will answer blood.”“You dare threaten my family?”“I don’t threaten. I vow. Your empire is crumbling, and you’re too old to rebuild it. When I’m done, Vincenzo will have nothing left to blee
The city wasn’t quiet.It breathed under the weight of chaos…gunmetal skies bleeding into high-rises, smoke from a dozen fires coiling over rooftops like promises.And Vincenzo couldn’t sleep.He was perched on the edge of his mattress in the De Luca estate, gun in one hand, Noel’s scent still on his skin. But the sheets were cold.Noel wasn’t beside him.He hadn’t been for two days.Lucas entered, silent as ever, but even he didn’t try to mask the tension tonight.“They moved him again.”Vincenzo’s hand tightened around the Glock. “Where?”“The Saturns are ghosts. But there’s talk. A private estate north of the valley.”“You’re sure?”Lucas shook his head. “I’m never sure when it comes to them.”Vincenzo stood. Shirtless. Bruised. Hair loose, shadowing his face.“I’m going.”“Alone?”“You think they’ll let me bring an army?”Lucas said nothing. Just walked forward and slipped something into his pocket.A photo.Noel. Barely 17. Eyes too wide. Smile too small.“I found this in his thi
“Take him. The others are disposable.”The Saturns didn’t waste bullets. They fired with precision…one, two, three of Vittorio’s guards dropped like broken dolls. Blood sprayed across the gravel. Vittorio lunged, dragging himself behind a rusted barrel, breath wheezing, pain biting through his shoulder.He gritted his teeth. The boy had been taken.Good riddance.Let the Saturns deal with him now. He’d served his purpose.Vittorio clutched his bleeding shoulder, dragged himself across the gravel toward the treeline, heart pounding, rage boiling in his gut.Silvio was dead.His legacy, gone.But he wasn’t. Not yet. He’d claw his way back, and when he did, every single De Luca…and that bastard Noel…would drown in it.Inside the Saturn vehicle, silence hummed like electricity.Noel sat pressed against the window, jaw clenched, trying to control the shaking in his hands. His ears still rang with gunfire.The man in the passenger seat was large, immaculately dressed, quiet.The divider low
The De Luca estate lit up under the veil of midnight like a beast prepared for slaughter.12:03 AM.The first gunshot tore through the silence.Lucas was already in position, crouched by the north wing balcony, a sniper rifle balanced on his shoulder. His comms crackled."Contact. North gate.""Copy that," Vincenzo’s voice came sharp in his ear. "Initiate lockdown."Security alarms buzzed in short, silent pulses. Hidden gates slammed shut. Armed men moved into position. This wasn’t a defense. This was an ambush.Inside, Vincenzo snapped a magazine into place and turned to Noel."You stay in the master study. Don’t come out unless I come get you."Noel’s jaw tightened. "I’m not hiding.""You’re not dying either.""Vincenzo—"He kissed him hard, then shoved a handgun into his palm. "One in the chamber. You only shoot if it’s not one of us."Lucas’s voice cut in again. "They're breaching the south wall.""Let them in."---The estate's outer garden exploded in a flash of light as mines l
The De Luca estate gates creaked open like an ancient beast awakening.Vincenzo stepped out of the black SUV first, one hand on his gun, the other gripping Noel's wrist like a tether. Lucas followed behind them, face hard, steps steady.They didn’t even make it through the marble foyer before Don Ramon stormed in from the hallway, flanked by three of his trusted guards."Where the hell have you been?!"Vincenzo didn’t flinch."Handling things you apparently weren’t equipped to."Don Ramon’s eyes burned as they landed on Noel."And dragging that boy around like some goddamn trophy again? Are you really going to burn down this empire over him?!"Vincenzo’s jaw flexed. "Noel stays with me. And if you think I’d burn this empire down for him, you’re wrong. I’d burn the world."Noel squeezed his hand, silent.Don Ramon looked to Lucas. "You. You lied to me. You let me think you didn’t know anything, when all along you were just shielding my son."Lucas met his eyes. "I serve your son, sir.
Chains clinked.Julian’s eyes blinked open, groggy from whatever the hell had knocked him out.His arms ached. His ankles, too.He looked down…tied to a chair. Wrists bound. Ankles fastened to the legs. Shirtless. Shoes gone."What the…"The room was dark, single overhead bulb swinging, casting shifting shadows on the cracked cement walls. Two large men stood by the door…silent, unmoving, dressed in black.Julian’s lips curled."If this is a kinky fantasy, I usually prefer silk cuffs."Neither man blinked.Then the door opened.He straightened…or tried to.A woman stepped in.She wore tailored navy, heels that echoed like gunshots, and her jet-black hair was twisted into a sleek chignon. Her eyes were cold. Regal. She moved like she ruled the world.Julian raised a brow. "Didn’t realize we were throwing a fashion gala."She stopped in front of him, silent. Then reached out and tilted his chin upward with two manicured fingers."So you're the boy who's made life hell for my son..."Jul