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A Shred of Kindness From an Unlikely Source
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Taken by the Mafia King Coming In Hot
KillianNo one would assume anything about tonight was abnormal. My men moved between the crates stacked nearly to the ceiling while others mingled in small groups, the air thick with cigarette smoke.I moved toward the open bay of the main warehouse. It sat on a property I owned across the city from my house. Not too close, not too far. Alonzo had been right. Giuseppe’s revenge for his father’s death at my hands would happen tonight, right here, any minute now.I imagined his guys were already waiting somewhere in the tree line surrounding the trio of warehouses. I glanced up at the twinkling starlight and ripple of golden haze drifting up from Philadelphia in the distance before turning my back to the garage bay and walking toward the back of the warehouse, where Tommaso, Francesco, and Mikey were waiting.“Tonight might be the night for you, Mikey,” I said with little warmth as I checked my watch. “Get one of these fuckers alone and gut them, and I’ll make you a caporegime.”Mikey
Taken by the Mafia King Black and Red
SeraI dreamt of black lace and red velvet. Of a warm body gliding over mine. Everything about space and time was nothing but fragmented glimpses of a man I wasn’t sure I recognized, but his voice, full of smoke, want, and pure unadulterated longing, felt so out of place.Shouts broke through my slumber and I sat straight up in bed, the memory of the dream fading into nothing as a huge commotion rattled the house all around me.Gooseflesh rippled over my arms as I slowly crawled to the end of the bed and perched on my knees, the silk chemise and robe I was wearing bunched and wrinkled over the curves of my body as I strained to listen.More shouting broke through the silence. What was going on? Were we under attack? Given that I was in serious danger just being in the presence of the Mano Della Morte, why was I so calm and assured that that same man would protect me from whatever was happening downstairs?I went to the door and rattled the knob. Locked, of course. I banged on it, shou
Taken by the Mafia King I'm Free
SeraA young man named Mikey was tasked with escorting me back to my room. I trembled as we walked through the darkened house and my adrenaline crashed. It was still pitch black outside. I hadn’t bothered to find a clock during the last thirty minutes or so. Everything had been a blur. A blur of noise, a blur of activity. A blur of hot blood and frantic energy.Mikey wordlessly led me to my room but didn’t step inside. I went to the ensuite bathroom and closed myself in, choking on a sob as I turned and saw my reflection in the mirror. I was covered in Tommaso’s blood. If he died, it would be partially my fault. Even with the doctor here now, I’d been the one to stop the bleeding by picking out pieces of metal from his chest and sewing him back together. What if I’d made a mistake? What if I missed something?What if Killian never forgave me?I showered, forcing myself not to look at the crimson streaks curling around my feet as I scrubbed my skin until it burned.I stepped out of the
Taken by the Mafia King He Wanted Me to Leave
SeraKillian stared at me for a long moment, his body only inches from mine. Despite the fire in the hearth, the air between us felt chilled. He panted like he was holding back. I tilted my chin up to him and ran my fingertips over his jaw.He’d kissed me because he wanted to. He had no reason to seduce me other than desire. I had many reasons to seduce him—freedom, privileges, not getting killed.But there had been no reason for me to lean into his touch and accept that kiss, other than that I wanted to. And I hadn’t wanted it to stop.He grabbed my wrist and whirled me around, shoving me into the hallway before slamming the door shut behind me.Sudden fury swept over me, igniting the instincts I’d been ignoring.Again, I questioned why I’d come down here in the first place. Why hadn’t I put on some shoes, at least? It was fall, so it would be cold. And I was an idiot for using what I knew would be my only chance of escape in trying to comfort a beast like Killian. Comfort him! Like
Taken by the Mafia King Ricci vs. De Luca
KillianAnother glass of whiskey hadn’t washed the taste or feel of Sera’s lips from my own. A third glass hadn’t done much to ease the dull ache in my chest whenever my mind drifted from her to Tommaso and our ill-fated night.Ill-fated in so many ways. Sure, Giuseppe had been sent what I hoped he’d consider a valuable message. Fuck with me and get fucked. But it had cost me, too.Tommaso had almost paid the ultimate price. We’d already lost one of our men, his body now being prepared for burial. I ran my fingers through my hair as I thought of the funeral that would take place within the next week. He’d been young, as young as Mikey and just as green with a gun.His mother would be cared for, for the rest of her life, I’d make sure of it. But her heart would be forever broken.I sucked in a breath and stood, stumbling a bit until I found my footing. I left my office and walked through the dark house, lingering for a moment in front of Tommaso’s room.Instead of continuing to my own
Taken by the Mafia King What is He Waiting For?
SeraI’d lost track of time.I wasn’t sure what day it was when I woke from a restless, dreamless sleep the day after Killian kissed me in his office. My toes curled over the soft, creamy carpet as I got out of bed.It was early enough that no one had come into my room with breakfast yet, so I padded into the bathroom for a scalding shower.Pressing my hands to the dark tile, I closed my eyes as water beat down my neck and spine, my hair curling into thick, wet tendrils over my breasts.I tried to get him out of my head. I thought of Emma, of my students, of my friends back home. I even thought of Jim, but the content and safe space he once took up in my mind felt hollow now. Instead, it had been encroached upon by the sharp, prickly, uneasy need I felt for my captor. Everything with Jim had felt easy, if a little slow. Killian was everything but easy. He burned me every time I got too close. Cut me with just a look. Made a fool out of me with his wicked tongue. And yet I wanted him.
Taken by the Mafia King Let Her Go!
KillianEdoardo Lombardi wailed, his teeth stained with blood. “Just kill me, Ricci. For the love of God, shoot me in the head or the balls, I don’t care. Just let her go. Let Delaney go, please! She was never part of this!”He screamed as I grabbed him by the throat and bent his neck back over the metal edge of the chair. The single lightbulb flickering above his head illuminated the room, which was nothing more than a cement box covered in plastic stained with his blood.“Tell me who you sold the blueprints of my warehouse to.”That warehouse was a gold mine in a highly coveted location. A secret location, hidden in plain sight. It had been raided several weeks ago, before the Sera mess happened. Now I had a kingpin breathing down my neck and several bosses cowering at my feet, pleading their innocence.Everyone knew about the three warehouses only a few miles from here. Those were decoys, a distraction, mostly empty. Giuseppe thought he was slick trying to raid those and met my wra
Taken by the Mafia King Sera Escapes
SeraIt’s been hours now since Olivia brought me breakfast. An entire day had passed. I paced beside the windows overlooking the mist-covered garden two stories below me. Night was falling. Stars played peek-a-boo through breaks in the clouds, and I counted a handful of constellations before the cloud cover darkened the sky entirely. Down below, a guard paced back and forth across the patio, his shadow stretching out across the grass in front of him.I ground my teeth as I picked through what was left of the dinner that had been delivered, and not by Olivia. I hadn’t seen her since this morning, which was odd. The new maid bustled in and out so quickly I didn’t even get a look at her face.I sucked my lower lip between my teeth and let it go with a pop.This wouldn’t do. I was trapped up here while someone, possibly my father from the sound of it, was downstairs.Could he have left already? No, Killian wouldn’t have just let him walk out the door like that. If a deal had been made, I
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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
