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As You Wish
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Taken by the Mafia King Monsters
SeraWith nothing else to focus on, I had plenty of time to plan a party before Christmas Eve. Killian had plenty of time to plan the cull of a syndicate.The staff was thrilled to be allowed to add joy and color to the old mansion. Even though it was already decorated, Killian gave the green light (aka his black card) to go and buy whatever we needed. A few days after that, snowflakes hung from the ceiling, mistletoe from doorframes, wreaths on every door, fake snow tucked into corners, hallway tables had diorama scenes, and every single stair railing was coiled with garland. It looked like something out of a Hallmark movie.The only one complaining was Giuliana. “Too many lights! That’s not where that goes! That Santa looks gouache!” But no one listened to Giuliana because there was magic in the house, for the first time in a long time.Late one night, after everyone had gone to bed, I was still wired from the hard work of the day, so I convinced Killian to cuddle and make out in my
Taken by the Mafia King Three Words
Sera“What are you thinking about?” Killian asked softly.I blinked out of my daze. “Have you ever thought of being something else? Besides a racecar driver. In a different life, what could you be?”His brow creased in confusion, rightfully feeling like he missed the first half of a conversation, but answered, “I’ve never thought about it. What is, is. There’s no point in trying to be someone I could never be.”It was a bleak response, and maybe I’d been expecting the secret romantic to answer, not the mafia king. But I didn’t press it if I would only get the blunt realist.“So you…want to be a Don until the day you die?” I whispered, suddenly overcome with desperation.Real worry entered his gray-blue gaze, and he gripped my waist as if to ground me from drifting away. “What’s come over you, Sera?”“I don’t know,” I croaked. “I’m a little afraid, I guess.”“Of?”My mother’s well-intended but misconstrued words of warning echoed in my mind. Her stories, too. Love was rare in these fam
Taken by the Mafia King Bustling for the Ball
SeraI groggily opened my eyes, blinking sleep away as I stretched out luxuriously and rolled onto my side. “Tesoro?”Killian was gone. But that was okay. He needed to review the last few details of the Andre mission, and I needed to focus on preparing the last few details for tonight’s party.I danced across the room with an invisible partner, humming “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”, fizzy with excitement. A party! A ball! It was any girl’s dream to have a princess-movie celebration with big dresses and upbeat music, imagining the perfect man falling instantly in love with you and waltzing you to your happily ever after.Princess movies didn’t have mobsters, but everything else was mostly obtainable.I got ready to go downstairs and start preparing, not putting too much effort into my hair since I would be running around half the day, and hurried to the kitchen.I skidded to a halt when I saw what a raging storm it was. Pepper and Rosemary were forces of nature as they cooked and plate
Taken by the Mafia King Better Off
KillianFidanzato. Fidanzata.Boyfriend. Girlfriend.Sera and I were an official couple, just as she had wanted for a while now. And it didn’t feel different between us, which was one of my irrational fears. If we had new titles, there would be new commitments and unspoken rules set by society. Was I expected to bring her flowers and remember first dates and hold her hand at certain times? Sera, with a secret taste for luxury, was otherwise simple to please. But it was already established that she liked sentimental gifts that had more personal touches behind them. She liked memories.And damn, would I make the best ones for her.Including indulging her pleas for friends.I wasn’t a fan of her “comfy” clothes, which made her look like a college student with barely enough money to buy groceries. I wanted to rip them off and take her on my desk. I’d had a taste of her last night and it had satiated me, but now I was hungry for more.I shook my head and scrubbed at my face. Get a grip, Ri
Taken by the Mafia King Smitten
SeraPenny and I walked the length of the mall with our arms laden with bags. Behind us, Alonzo and Reggie carried a few more, looking like they’d rather be in the middle of a gunfight. But at least they didn’t complain like Patrick had.“It’s so nice to be out of maternity clothes.” Penny sighed in relief as we tried on dresses for the party. She stepped out of the changing room to twirl for me. “What do you think?”“Stunning, mama!” She did look amazing; her olive skin offset the rich emerald green of a sexy but modest green dress. “I think that’s the one.”“Really?” She swished the fabric in the mirror. Then she stopped. My smile faded before she asked softly, “Do you think Mikey would have liked it?”I wanted to tell her that I didn’t know Mikey well enough to know, but that wasn’t the right thing to say at all. I went over to her and took her hand until she looked at me, her eyes glossy with tears she was trying hard to hold back. “He’d say you look absolutely beautiful, Penelope
Taken by the Mafia King Looking Nice
KillianTommaso got a kick out of my “lost puppy look” when Olivia told me Sera had just left with Penelope (and Alonzo and Reggie; at least she honored my protective wishes sometimes) to go shopping.“What does the king do when his queen’s not here?” He chuckled.Olivia scowled at both of us like we were misbehaving teenagers. “Kings and their royal advisors follow their queen’s orders to look nice for the ball.”Tommaso scoffed in offense. “I look nice!”Olivia’s gaze raked him up and down. I had no idea where she got the gall to treat us like this, but I was too impressed to pull her off her pedestal. Sera’s stubbornness and impetuousness must have brought out the maid’s.“Yes, but not party-ready. Mr. Ricci, lend him one of your silk suits. Sera’s orders.”“Are they now?” Tommaso mused, only half believing her.Olivia’s eyes narrowed. “Yes.” Then she slammed the double doors in our faces.“Why,” Tommaso said as headed to my room, “did that hurt more than a knife to the gut?”I rol
Taken by the Mafia King When You Know, You Know
SeraTears sprang to my eyes at the sight of my best friend.“Emma!” I shrieked, forgetting about my party getup, and flung my arms around her neck. “Emma, you’re here. Oh my! I can’t believe you’re here.” I pulled away. “You look amazing!”Emma Burns, my best friend for years and roommate during college and our first year teaching together, stood before me looking out of place but happy to see me. She was tall and willowy, with cornsilk hair in bouncy ringlets just above her shoulders, green eyes also shiny with tears, and lips curved in a huge smile. She wore a pretty light blue dress with fluffy white trim on the neckline and sleeves.“No, you look amazing! You look like a rich trophy wife. I can’t believe you’re here in front of me.”I squealed and crushed her in another hug. I thought I’d let go of my past life after saying goodbye to Jim, but as it turned out, as of this moment, I had only let go of him and my position at Jefferson. I hadn’t said goodbye to Emma. And now, I refu
Taken by the Mafia King Most Beautiful in the Room
KillianSera’s near-comical reaction to her best friend’s appearance was well worth her disappointment in thinking I was denying her that happiness. I thought I’d seen her happy before, but this was so much more compared to that. She was on cloud nine.Selfishly, I wanted to steal her away from Emma after a good hour of them chatting it up over Rosemary’s desserts. It hadn’t been difficult to get Emma here, but she’d had a lot of questions I refused to answer. I needed to make sure she was safe once this was all over. I’d taken out a lot of our enemies, but Sera was still a wanted woman.I wanted to dance with her in that form-fitting dress and stare at her ample bosom.I set my glass of wine down. Why did it feel like I’d drunk twice past my limit?“Is someone jealous?”I started at Caterina’s voice but didn’t let it show. Like all of the other women, she was a vision. We hadn’t spoken yet today, and part of me was hoping I wouldn’t have to. “Ridiculous.”“Look,” she said without pre
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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
