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A Finger on the Coffee Table
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Taken by the Mafia King King Of Philadelphia
KillianThe men in my office were all lower bosses of families that had enterprises between Philly, Boston, and New York. None of them had the kind of sway or business I’d acquired over the years, but they had enough power in their own territories that allying with them against the De Luca family would make an actual difference. The real work would be in the aftermath. The destruction of one of the most powerful families on the eastern seaboard would have a ripple effect, and we all knew it.Turf wars were common after a power struggle. Bosses would fight for the freed-up resources left behind in the wake, and I couldn’t let that happen. Chaos was bad for business.While they all stood to gain something from taking out Giuseppe, several of the men were still hesitant to work with me.Like they had the option.I had Sera to thank for the sudden shift in the dispositions of the outliers standing in the room when I returned to my office. The murmured whispering done while I was trying to
Taken by the Mafia King I Sold Her Out
Sera“Gorgeous,” Giuliana Ricci said as she lifted her chin and stared down the length of her sharp nose at me. She still blocked my way, perched at the top of the staircase. I stood two steps below, feeling small and caged. Killian resembled her in many ways. Her wide mouth and high cheekbones were striking, even in her old age. But it was her eyes that were most like his. Pale blue fanned by black lashes. They made her look young but soulless.There was no warmth in her expression as she stepped toward me with a cat-like grin that set my teeth on edge. “You look like your mother, darling. I never thought I’d see the new Bianchi princess in person. How lucky for me, and unlucky for you.”“Lovely to meet you,” I croaked, unease rippling over my skin. Something about her wasn’t right. There was nothing behind her ice-cold eyes. May as well patronize her.She drew in her breath behind her cigarette and blew it out in a puff of thick, minty smoke. “My son was supposed to kill you alrea
Taken by the Mafia King Your Weakness is Showing
Killian“Stupid bitch.”My mother’s voice was the only sound in the foyer when I rushed out of my office and looked up just in time to see her shove Sera from the top of the stairs.Sera’s arms shot out, but she didn’t manage to grab anything. Her body sailed through the air in slow motion, like a kite riding the breeze but quickly losing the current and heading to the ground in a rush.Instinctively, I dove with my arms out, reaching for her, praying I could cushion the fall. My knees bit into the cold, hard floor, cracking the mosaic marble. I gritted my teeth against the silent scream of pain radiating through my legs. Sera’s head landed on my shoulder, my arms beneath her back, holding her off the unforgiving floor.Pulling her to my chest, I looked up at my mother, who stood at top of the stairs with a fucking smug look on her face.A choked sob escaped Sera that cut me so deeply I found it hard to think rationally for a moment. I turned her in my arms to face me, still holding o
Taken by the Mafia King A Naughty Girl
SeraKillian released my neck before shoving me away, a dark, furious look behind his eyes.“You have no authority over me, Serafina. Your death will be my choice, not yours.”I balled my hands into fists. The veil of shock from my run-in with his mother and my fall lifted, and I could finally see and feel clearly.“You’re an asshole,” I hissed.“Glad to see the fire is back,” he snapped, towering over me.“I’ll do everything in my power to get out from under you, Killian, even if it kills me.”“Oh, please,” he taunted, taking a step toward me. “I would love to see you try. You’re nothing but collateral, Sera. A loose end. If you want to test me, you’ll only find out how little I care about you.”“I think that’s a lie,” I replied, my eyes dropping to his throat, then his chest before I met his gaze again. “You care a lot about whatever game you’re playing with me. Giving me freedom then taking it away!”“You act like you want freedom so badly, but you ruin every opportunity to prove y
Taken by the Mafia King I'll Behave
SeraKillian towered over me, his fingertips brushing over my skin as he tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. Naked from the waist down, I felt exposed, but his eyes were on mine as he stepped forward and took my face in his hands.“I’ll behave.” My voice was a raspy whisper.“I find that unlikely.” His nose brushed against mine before he kissed me.All the ugliness of the world melted away. My mind became consumed by him and his touch upon my skin. But I needed to keep my head on straight if I were ever going make it out of this situation alive. I could have a little fun, though. Right? Balance.“I want freedom, at least in the house.”“No.”I pulled away slightly, looking up into his eyes as I spoke. “I want to be able to walk around, to go outside. I want to drink my coffee in the morning on the back terrace and read books in the library.” I grazed my fingertips over his arm, where his skin was exposed below his cuffed sleeves. I traced tendons and muscles that rippled beneath the
Taken by the Mafia King Another Day, Another Raid
KillianSera’s scent suffused each breath I took, dragging my thoughts back to her instead of the business at hand. I frowned, looking over the message that had just been sent over from the port. Dropping it on my desk, I looked over at Mikey and Tommaso. “Francesco sent this?”“He did.” Mikey stood up a bit straighter with my attention on him.“The data in this report is concerning.” I licked my lips and tasted Sera.Leaning back in my chair, I laced my fingers behind my head. Giuseppe had made enemies at every turn but some bosses were still in his pockets, one of which was planning to raid one of the shipping containers I had at the port waiting to be loaded onto a barge. I needed to make sure my decisions were solid and well thought out.“Who is it?” Tommaso asked, looking more than concerned as he glanced from me to Mikey. “Who the fuck is allying with this kid?”“Probably the Rizzos,” I said. “The Rizzo boss is only twenty-five and let his father’s dynasty crumble when he took o
Taken by the Mafia King Now We're Cooking
SeraI fell back asleep after Killian left my room. It wasn’t surprising, considering I’d woken up that morning with a hellish hangover after getting only a few hours of sleep the night before. Then there was the fact that I’d spent my morning fighting with Killian, being pushed down the stairs by his mother, and then fucking him.So, when I got out of bed hours later, it was nearly dark. My body groaned in protest as I dragged myself to the bathroom and showered. Dark bruises dotted my back and the side of my face. I inspected them in the mirror, and I knew if I compared the spaces between the bruises, they would match the marble stairs I’d fallen down.I’d cheated death a few times over the last several weeks, but then, I was living with death incarnate.I dressed in a pair of jeans and a sweater. A knock sounded on my door just as I finished putting on my socks.“Come in,” I sang, expecting Olivia with a dinner tray, but Mikey stood nervously in my doorway. My eyes widened as I tri
Taken by the Mafia King All Hell Breaks Loose
KillianShots rang out through the night as Tommaso and I pulled into the lot. A bullet went right through the windshield of my car, shattering the glass.“Fuck!” Tommaso shielded his face from the falling tempered glass. We both got out of the car, ducking behind the door with our pistols ready in our hands.“What the fuck is going on?” I rasped into my earpiece as bullets rained down, putting an infuriating amount of holes in my Mercedes G-Class. No one answered the line that was meant to be kept open at all times. “Fuck! Tommaso, get the fuck down!”Tommaso grunted painfully, and I glanced under the car to see him crouched on his knees, firing from under the door at a trio of men running toward us.I broke out the glass in my window and started firing.“Get to the warehouse!” I shouted at Tommaso as the last men fell.I got up and ran, my gun aimed at every man I saw. Bodies slumped to the ground in the wake of bullets fired by both me and Tommaso. Darkness swallowed the usually qu
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Taken by the Mafia King Epilogue
PaigeI stood in the vestibule outside of the chapel, clutching my flowers, my heart hammering in my chest. Organ music belted through the doors, and I was just waiting for my cue.We all were. My two bridesmaids, in simple maroon dresses, stood ahead of me. Like she could feel my eyes, Lauren turned back and winked. I smiled. The dress looked spectacular on her, and I’d promised up and down that Tom would invite enough handsome men for her to go home with a date. This, of course, had been complicated by Tom choosing Killian and Stan as his two groomsmen. While I liked the older man, and he kept Lauren laughing, I didn’t exactly see the two of them as a couple.Mom stepped up next to me with a smile. Her mother-of-the-bride dress, a deep burgundy gown with gold accents, caught the light and sent it dancing. “Are you excited?”I inhaled sharply. “I kind of can’t stop thinking about the seating chart for the reception. Who have I become?”She laughed. “Your father.”Tears beaded in my e
Taken by the Mafia King Old Time's Sake
KillianI sat behind my desk and looked out over my men. Tommaso took his usual seat. Adrian hovered in the corner like he wasn’t quite sure what to do with himself yet, just like he had at the beginning. Patrick was still laughing about spilling his wine. Just like old times. I stood and started pouring everyone drinks.“So,” I said, “do you have an update on the warehouses, Adrian?”He started toward my desk, then paused. An odd moment passed. It wasn’t really my desk anymore. I’d left the hunk of wood behind because I had no need for it on the island, and he’d loaded it down with computers in my absence. Despite that, I’d never seen anyone sit behind it but my father besides me.I offered Adrian a drink. “Sit.”He nodded. “Didn’t want to step on your toes. The situation is pretty simple, all told, but I can tell there’s a certain amount of grace I’m supposed to be handling this foreman with, and I don’t—”Tommaso joined me at the bar to pour. “Do you remember that foreman in the so
Taken by the Mafia King Big News
PaigeI tucked my arm through Tom’s and straightened my long, floral romper. He kissed me on the cheek, then knocked on the door. Joyce swung it open.“Hello!” She welcomed us both in with hugs. “Mr. and Mrs. Ricci are in the drawing room. Please, come in.”We let ourselves be bustled through the door, the wine we’d brought carried off to the kitchen, and our coats taken to some closet somewhere in the mansion. Adrian used it as a base of operations when Killian and Sera weren’t home, so I’d been here a few times since the wedding, but I’d never felt comfortable here. Finally, we were led to the closed doors of the drawing room, and Tom opened them with a smile.Inside, we found not only “Mr. and Mrs. Ricci,” but also Olivia and Patrick, Adrian and Penny—who still wouldn’t even talk about their dance at the wedding—and Sera’s mother and brother, as well as Lauren. Sera leapt up to greet us, and Killian followed a few paces behind. I threw myself into the hug just as much as Sera did—I
Taken by the Mafia King Checking Up
SeraI folded a T-shirt and put it into Killian’s suitcase. “Are you sure we need to leave so soon?”He chuckled and took the T-shirt back out, then replaced it with a suit shirt. “Very, unfortunately. Adrian is in the middle of a difficult situation with one of the warehouses, and he needs a steady hand to guide him through.”My stomach churned at the thought of leaving the villa. We’d only been here for a couple of months, and we’d promised everyone we’d return, but dammit, I wasn’t ready yet. Lazing around the villa and having sex whenever the mood took us was way too fun to stop after only a few months.“But we’ll be back soon, right?” I asked like I didn’t already know.“Cara mia.” Killian took my hands. “What is happening in that head of yours?”I sighed. “I don’t know. The thought of leaving just make me kind of sick. We just got away from all that. I don’t want to be scared again.”He studied me for a long moment. “You do look a little pale. How sick is this making you exactly
Taken by the Mafia King Humdrum Excitement
PaigeI squeezed Tom’s hand in the car on the way to the airport.“Sad to be leaving?” he asked.I smiled. “Always. It’s so magical here.”He laughed. “Not just saying that because we’ve spent most of the vacation in bed?”I ran my free hand up his leg. “No, we have weekends for that at home.”“Fair enough.” He kissed the back of my hand. “I do like going on these little vacations, though. It’s a nice escape for a few days.”I nodded. I really was going to miss Paris, but I wouldn’t have wanted to stay much longer anyway. Lauren had been texting me updates about the shelter, especially the new one as women settled in. I kept thinking about how much I was missing, how much they needed me there. And I knew Tom was feeling the same. Apparently, Lyle had his sights set on someone new, and Tom was itching to pull the trigger. Anybody else would probably think we were freaks, desperate to leave a luxury vacation to get back to our grueling jobs. But those people didn’t realize just how much
Taken by the Mafia King Perfect Fit
TommasoWhen I told Paige I’d set everything up for another two days in Paris, she’d immediately insisted we spend a day shopping. I put up a cursory front of complaints, but in truth, I was perfectly happy following her from store to store and carrying her bags. Even better, she loved it when I made jokes about some of the worst, frilliest, most French things we came across. She laughed and joined in. For years, I’d heard men complaining about shopping with their girlfriends—fiancées—saying it was the most boring thing in the world, but even if we weren’t laughing up a storm as we paid our way through the most expensive boutiques in Paris, I still would’ve been having a ball. The sun was shining, she kept looking at the ring I’d put on her finger with a soft wonderment I’d never seen in her eyes anymore, and my face hurt from smiling. Paige and I could’ve made a hell of an afternoon out of reading the phone book.“Stop!” she said.I froze, my free hand twitching toward the gun I’d hi
Taken by the Mafia King Beginning of Forever
PaigeI didn’t know how long Tom and I lay there, listening to the fireworks and seeing the very top of their arcs through the sliver of windows accessible from the floor. I pillowed my head on his chest and enjoyed the steady beat of his heart. Engaged. The last time I was here, I’d been on the cusp of recovery, just starting to make strides toward the person I was today. Now, I wasn’t done—I didn’t know if there was a done for traumatized people or people in general—but I was so much better, stronger, happier than I had been.The last time Tom and I were in Paris, I’d thrown myself at him and chickened out. As much as I could stay at a private view of the Eiffel Tower, I wanted to show him just how much had changed. Just how much I meant the “yes” that had fallen so easily from my lips. I rolled on top of him.“What do you say we take this back to that hotel room you picked out?”Tom grinned and pulled me down for a kiss. I pressed myself against him, feeling every line of his body.
Taken by the Mafia King The Only Ones
PaigeI sat across from Tom in an empty, stunning restaurant in the middle of the Eiffel Tower with my head spinning like the three sips of wine I’d had with the appetizer were enough to make me drunk. He’d really rented out the Eiffel Tower. And not one floor, the whole thing. We’d ridden an empty elevator, the two-Michelin-star chef kept coming out to tell us why he’d selected particular dishes based on the information Tom had given him about our preferences, and I couldn’t hear anything but the soft classical music over the speakers. It felt like a dream.Tom took my hand. “So?”“So what?” I asked.“Was the surprise worth it?” He grinned.I looked over his suit, a forest green that brought out his eyes, worn without a tie. His dark curls tumbled into his face. I’d never seen him look so perfectly put together and so casual. He looked…well, he looked exactly like the man I’d fallen in love with. Nothing like the one who’d scared me so badly all those months ago in Cairo.“I get the
Taken by the Mafia King Peace Time
TommasoDespite how much I wanted Paige to keep that little black dress on, we had a few hours before the Tower officially emptied out for our use. I talked her into putting on something a little more walkable and keeping the lingerie on. As if to punish me for my restraint, she picked a pair of tiny, wide-legged shorts that showed the tops of the garters attached to her stockings every time she moved and a fitted blouse. I changed and somehow convinced myself to leave the hotel room instead of stripping everything off her and spending the hours in bed.She took my hand as we stepped into the lobby. “I should’ve known. When you plan a surprise, it’s never just one thing. Where are we off to first?”“So nosy.” I smiled.“You’re right, I’ll stop asking.” She slid the room key out of her pocket and fiddled with it for a second, then dropped it. With a small smile, she bent at the waist to pick it up, exposing those garter straps again.I grabbed her waist and hurried her the final few st
