Mirabella's PovI am stuck alone.Words whispered through tears, one which forged an uncommon bond with my own self. A lifeline that has kept me anchored.I have lived alone.Strived alone.Survived alone.Me against me.Me for me.Wrong.I have a family, a complete family. My husband, my children, my mother in-law, my sister in-law, friends, well wishers, soldiers, business associates.I am constantly surrounded by love.Life is good.Do you want to know what else is good? The. . ."What might my beautiful wife be seriously thinking about?" Wet kisses meet my neck. I moan at the warmth of his tongue gliding down my neck line."Do you never get tired?"My husband hums, his teeth nibbling my skin. "Perhaps stay in bed for as long as seven months and tell me if it doesn't build your sexual stamina."Chuckling, I say, "You're unserious.""I'm seriously horny.""Crazy." I joke.My husband hums. "For you.""I'm busy. I have. . .we have a job to finish.""Let me finish inside you first."I
Matteo's PovI wake to heat.My wife’s body, perfectly molded into mine, her mass of dark hair cascading over my chest, warms my heart.But it warms somewhere else, a place that sends an ache down to my core, causing my briefs to tighten.I kiss the back of my wife’s head, my arms around her waist tightening protectively while I pull her further into me as though if I let go even for a second, I’d lose her.It wouldn’t be so far fetched, losing my wife that is. It seems something I am too perfect in—I either drive her away, or my baggages would do the job for me.Except, this time has to be different, I want to show her that we could always be a normal couple, a normal family.We can always wake up to a peaceful day, have a good laugh, and still be the wicked entities we are.My hands are now wandering, my fingers trailing the line that runs across her ribs to the curve of her waist.She stirs, a small cry of a whimper eliciting in her throat.I don’t stop moving my hands. The left on
Matteo's PovIt’s date night with my wife and I cannot begin to explain the tremendous joy it brings me, knowing that in a few hours, I’d be sitting alone with my very beautiful wife, doing something we never deemed possible.My lips stretch into a smile as I watch her glam herself. Tight on her skin, accentuating her curves is a pretty silky dress. The color lilac. It signifies our growing love.“You’re absolutely gorgeous, mama,” I whisper, striding towards her in gentle steps. Her smile widens at me through the mirror, her beautiful mismatched orbs shining with excitement.I move her hair to one side of her neck and trail my fingertips across the exposed skin of her back, reaching for her zipper. “Makes me think if this date is even worth it.”She chuckles, her face flaming up like a teenager with a crush.Our eyes meet and a thick feeling forms in my chest. She’s breathtaking. Jesus. How can anyone be so breathtaking?“You’re staring, Matteo.” She comments, smacking my thigh.“Wou
Matteo’s PovMy eyes flutter as I kiss up her skin, a feeling of satisfaction filling my heart so much so a small whimper escapes from my throat while I taste her skin.My wife, she does something to me, something extraordinary. She brings me to my knees at will, knowingly and unknowingly, literally and metaphorically.She’s all I’ve ever needed. All I’ve ever searched for. And when I gaze up at her while my tongue merges with her skin, I realize that this predicament is suffered by the both of us.I ruin her as much as she ruins me.It makes me smile.My hands slip underneath her dress and find the waist of her underwear, pulling the stretchy material over her thighs until it pools at her ankles.I suck in a breath.I have seen my wife many times and in many different ways, but each time, it seems as though I am a blind man awarded an opportunity of a clear eyesight the first time in his life.It excites me to see my wife. It excites me to know that such an amount of wetness pools ou
Mirabella's PovMy demands flood his eyes with desperation, causing the hazel orbs to darken. I don’t break his stare when I slowly slide off the bed on my feet and begin to slowly, seductively discard my dress.I slide the sleeves down my shoulders and drag the stretchy, tight material down until it’s pooled around my ankles.I reach for my bra next, smiling in mischief when my husband’s eyes tightens harder, a grunt escaping him.The lacy bra falls to the ground. And I am left in nothing but my thong.Yep, I pulled it back up earlier.My husband’s breathing grows erratic and unsteady. Two steps brings him extremely close to me, causing me to force in a sharp gasp at the close proximity of our bodies.“Turn around for me, baby.” He says, his voice hushed. I obey his demand. His body pushes me forward until my knees touch the edge of the bed. He whispers again, “lie down on your stomach and put your hands behind your back.”I don’t waste any time to obey. I lie on my stomach, my wrist
Matteo’s PovIt is not the early morning sun peeking through the blinds and into my eyes that wakes me from the most enjoyable sleep which I’m having with my wife wrapped around me. It is the vibration of my phone.Inhaling a deep breath, I let go of my wife’s body and turn to the side, sorting to reach for the device.Messages from Amir.Amir is a friend of mine who does certain kinds of favors for me. Deadly favors. He has no direct affiliation to the Mafia, but he makes certain to be here whenever I need him.Even Mirabella knows nothing of his existence and I intend to keep it that way.Marcelo was last seen boarding a private flight to Tesoro Azul. It is believed that he made a stop between Escalera and Chuparosa. He wasn’t traveling alone, but I’m yet to discover the identities of his companions. More information will be—The bed shifts, Mirabella’s small moan while she stretches herself awake flooding into my ears. “Matteo,” she murmurs wordlessly, her voice rough and tired. “W
Mirabella's PovSuch a dutiful wife I am. It’s laughable how I just said yes to that very difficult demand when my gut and my mind were screaming at me to say no.I wanted to refuse him, yet, I couldn’t. Because he was so close to me, so much so the warmth of his body invaded my senses and took control of my mind.I let him go out there. I let him go on a hunt for a deadly criminal whose only life’s purpose is to end his life. Our lives. I let him put his life at risk knowing how impulsive he gets when things don’t go his way.I nodded my head to his request and now, I am drowning in paranoia.“Mamà,” my daughter’s voice slices through my ears, startling me back into reality. I smile at her, ruffling her hair. “Are you okay?” She asks further, her lips forming a pout.“I’m alright, baby. Did you need something?”She grumbles. “We were playing a game and you just stopped.”A sigh resounds. It's my son, Mariano. And he looks so laid back, almost bored and uninterested. “Stop bothering h
Matteo's PovI have come to a conclusion that spending months away from doing the job I was trained to do has somehow contributed to the drift of my mind.I was born with a purpose. To head my family, to be a dangerous man, to keep feelings aside and deal without mercy. All through the course of my life, I have tried to stay focused on my duty and follow the path which was curated for me by the people who were before me.It was easy to spill blood and ruin people until Mirabella, my wife came along. From the moment she warmed her way into my heart, It has become as though this world of blood and chaos holds no water in my life anymore. As though I continuously seek out the peace and quiet.And ever since discovering about my kids and surviving multiple gunshot wounds, I have become more desperate for that peace and quiet.Which is why now, twenty four hours after leaving Italy for Mexico in search of another blood to spill, my mind has gone far far away from here. Instead of preparing
Alejandro’s PovThis anxiety—I’ve never felt anything like it before. My nerves are all over the place, my skin trembling. I kiss Mariana again for the millionth time in a handful of hours.She smiles at me. The smile is distant, almost like it doesn’t reach her eyes. I smile back and pull her closer, holding her as tight as I can, fearful that this might be the last chance I get at holding her this close to me.And no, this has nothing to do with her winning the fight or dying in that cage because as long as I breathe, Mariana will walk out of that cage alive and well.But I’m afraid of the responsibilities that come with the position she’ll occupy. I’m afraid that she might forget our love and become intoxicated with power.All of this might just happen in a few hours.“The way you’re holding me, Alejandro, one might think I’m about to die from a terminal disease.”She says.Is she trying to make a joke? Does this seem like a joke to her?I open my mouth to speak but a knock on the
Mariana’s Pov“I will fight in her place. . .”The world around me goes completely silent the moment Alejandro blurts those words. When I planned to use him as my human shield in chaotic times like this, I didn’t expect to fall for him so ridiculously hard that I’m unable to imagine him getting hurt for my sake.Love is a strange and terrifying thing. I never imagined feeling it this deeply, this intensely. Not for Alejandro. Not for a man who was supposed to be my shield, my weapon. And now, the very thought of him stepping into that cage for me… it’s unbearable.The second reason?It’s pride. It’s survival. These men already think I’m weak. They see me as nothing but a woman—Radimr’s wife and mother of his son. If Alejandro steps into that cage in my stead, I will be proving them right, I will become that which they think I am.Weak.Unworthy.And then, everything I’ve clawed my way toward will crumble before my eyes. I can’t let that happen. I won’t let that happen. So, no. Aleja
Mariana’s PovOne word.Fuckers.No, let’s make it two words.Misogynistic fuckers.They’ve kept me in here for hours, scrutinizing me, digging into my soul in their fruitless attempt at finding the truth of what truly happened to my husband.Alejandro too is seated here as a high ranking made man and a member of this family. Surprisingly, my father, mother and brother are here too. Not inside the parliament room, but they’re right outside the door, waiting for when the chaos escalates so they can stand in for me.It warms my heart.“Let’s go through it again,” one of the elders says, “what did you say happen to your husband? Tell us that story again, in detail.”“I. . .” I open my mouth to speak but Alejandro’s thick, aggravated voice resounds, cutting me short. “I believe she has told that story more times than we all can count.”“Yes, we know that,” another elder says, his russian accent thick. “But we need to hear it again.”“Why?” Alejandro asks, “why are you poking a woman wh
Alejandro’s PovDon’t sleep tonight.I’ve thought about those words in every way possible, imagined every possible scenario that’ll make Mariana ask me to stay awake tonight, and yet, I’ve found none.Or maybe I haven’t thought about it as deeply as I should.I wanted to hold her, to ask her more, but the presence of her husband made that impossible. And now, hours have ticked by, and I’m still unable to get my answers.Wait—is tonight the night? Is her plan unfolding tonight?Truth is, I don’t even know what her plan is, but I strongly suspect it has everything to do with ending Radimr. So, if she’s asked me to stay awake tonight, it might mean she needs me close.I pull open my room’s door and step out into the hallway. The manor is too quiet. Everyone is asleep, and those who aren’t are standing guard outside of the house.My stomach twists with a warning that chaos is brewing tonight, but I push it aside and start walking. I make a turn towards the stairs and start moving up the s
Mariana’s PovTime flies when happiness fills your days.It’s been two months since I gave birth to my Angel. Two months since my heart swelled with love so pure and overwhelming, I thought I might drown in it.I love my son.I love him for coming into my life and unraveling a part of me I never knew existed. For being my light in the darkness.But most of all, I love him for arriving exactly when I needed him—as though sent by the universe itself to give me a way out.Because today, after weeks of persuasion, my husband has finally done what I’ve been waiting for. He has presented my son to the elders of his family, naming him as his successor should anything happen to him.It’s tradition, a ritual of power. To the outside world, it’s a declaration of legacy. To me, it’s the final piece of the puzzle.I know Angel is too young to be entangled in this messy, bloody business, but I had to secure his place in this world before setting my plans into motion.Plans that have been months in
Alejandro’s PovThis is the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. For the first time, it feels like I have a complete family—no, I know I have a complete family.In the last three months, the universe has granted me a gift I never expected: uninterrupted time with the woman I love and the child she carries. Our son. Every morning, I wake up beside her, wrapped in the warmth of her presence. I feel my son’s first kick as the sun rises, and his tiny, eager movements as the night falls. I’ve stayed awake with them, laughed with them, cried with them, fallen sick with them, and loved them. I’ve been a father and a lover in every way that matters.Why? Because Radimr’s travels somehow stretched from days into weeks, and weeks into months.“Something else has come up, and I’ll need to stay another week. . .” That’s been his excuse for three months.On the phone, Mariana plays the part of the concerned wife. She sighs and murmurs her disappointment, as though his absence truly pains her. But
Mariana’s PovWhen my eyes open, I’m met with the most beautiful sight I’ve seen in days. Alejandro, sleeping peacefully, his lashes fluttering, arms still wrapped around me.Wow!How did we fall asleep?I lean in and smack a kiss on his lips, causing him to stir a bit, groaning, his arms tightening firmer around me. I kiss him again, this time longer.It doesn’t take seconds before his mouth parts, his lips fusing with mine. I moan just as a groan vibrates throughout his body.His eyes flutter open, just a tiny slit, the lazy gaze holding mine. It’s like realization dawns on him and he retrieves his lips from mine in a swift motion. “Mariana. . .” He whispers groggily.“Make love to me,” I declare.His brows pull into a furrow, lips formed into a pout. “I. . .” He starts and I cut him off.“Please,” I hush, my lips ghosting over his.His resolve falters. And he’s staring at me with adoration as well as restraint.Then there’s the feral desire burning in his eyes. In mine too. The ris
Mariana’s PovTime seems to slow down when things aren’t really going your way.Maybe I pushed too hard, too far the other night. Far enough that Alejandro has been completely ignoring me for days now. Far enough that Radimr has become ware of me, always staring at me with suspicious eyes. Far enough that the maids in this house seem to avoid me as often as they can.To simply put, I’ve been living an isolated life for the past seven days.Just me, and my heavy fucking stomach. It’s dreadful just as much as it is comforting.I’m pulled out of the daze when a towering figure stands in front of me and wraps his hand around me. “Don’t look so sad, I’m just going to be away for just a few weeks, my love,” Radimr whispers as he hugs me. I thin my lips into a smile. “I’ll miss you.”His smile is radiant when he replies, “I’ll miss you too. Please don’t over work yourself. . .or get to upset while I’m gone. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to my son.” Stupid fucker.I scoff. “I’m a big g
Mariana’s Pov“Look at that,” Alejandro says, his voice low, the smirk on his lips sharp enough to cut. “How easy it is to lure you out here and break your heart into a million pieces.”The words land like a blow. He doesn’t even try to soften them. And I know exactly what he means. When he came into my room, kneeling by my bed, whispering the words I had been desperate to hear for months, he knew. He knew I was awake, knew I’d hear every word and cling to the hope they offered.It wasn’t an accident. He said them to draw me here. To break me just as much as I’ve broken him.Petty bastard.But it’s not the cruelty of his intention that stings the most—it’s how he chose to do it. By humiliating me in front of someone else. Bringing her into a room that should have been our sanctuary, our safe haven.My lips tremble as I force out the question. “What is that supposed to mean?”Alejandro steps forward, his movements slow and deliberate, his smirk twisting with mockery. “What are you doin