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Black And Gold
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Taken by the Mafia King A Perfect Night
SeraWhen I finally surfaced from my trance, I made sure to take stock of all my friends.Patrick was slow-dancing with Olivia with a look of disbelief, like he couldn’t believe he was dancing with a beautiful woman who couldn’t stop blushing.Penny and Adrian were a pair, too. Adrian was too shy to keep his hands on her hips even though she kept placing them there.Pepper and Rosemary were dancing as if an Irish jig was playing. Rosemary’s joyous laugh echoed through the ballroom.Dustin had mustered the courage to ask Callie to partner up, and she had happily agreed, but my brother was still too self-conscious to initiate touch. Like Penny with Adrian, Callie had to put Dustin’s hands on her waist and guide him along the dance floor. He flushed redder than a tomato.Meanwhile, Joyce and her husband watched from afar, protective of their daughter even though Dustin was no sort of threat.No person was left out. Killian’s guys paired up with other staff, and even Mom found a fun partn
Taken by the Mafia King Without Armor
KillianI would have felt less vulnerable on an open battlefield without armor.One knee on the wet concrete of the back patio, dampness seeping through my expensive slacks, my entire staff gaping, their wide-eyed stares burning holes in my skin—it was all scarier than a shootout on my last leg.Kneeling before the woman who removed my armor in the first place, I knew I wouldn’t want to put it on again. I liked who I had become thanks to Sera. She trimmed the thorns I’d grown over my heart to shield it from both bullets and emotions. Through her defiance and kindness, she found my humanity—and made me want to keep it until the day I died.My mother would be horrified. It didn’t matter if she and Caterina used to be close friends. There was too much bad blood between them, between the Riccis and Bianchis, for Mother to ever come to accept Sera as my wife.My wife. My heart skipped like a schoolboy with a crush. Serafina Ricci. It had a ring to it.She would officially become the new, t
Taken by the Mafia King We're Engaged
Sera“I love you more than I thought I could ever love someone. You are more than I’ll ever deserve.”I thought men who spoke like that could only be found in romance books. Real-life men were hardly poetic, especially the ones in my vicinity. More often than not, romance was not in their wheelhouse.I never thought I would be so lucky to find the man who did.The Sera from a few months ago—kidnapped and sold like breeding stock, trapped inside a mansion with no help or even a shred of sympathy to be spared, wondering if I was going to live past twenty-two—could never have imagined where the current Sera would be. She was an entirely new person, and for the better. I went from having nothing to everything.But I was only twenty-two. I had my entire life ahead of me. One of freedom to do whatever I wanted. My mother was forced into a marriage this young, and it had turned out to be her ruination. Killian was different. I knew that he would never treat me like my father had treated my m
Taken by the Mafia King Mother's Approval
SeraI woke up because my new ring did some damage.It matched my great-grandmother’s wedding ring, which was a gold set with a stunning round diamond with three smaller ones on either side. The style was simple and classy for a rich mob boss, but it was still a big ol’ real diamond, so it was quite the flex.The engagement ring was more minimal and was shaped to conform around the wedding band’s stones. I couldn’t wait to fit them together. However and whenever the hell Killian got it made so quickly, I was fine not knowing.But it also nicked Killian’s cheek when I flung out my arm to stretch.Killian flinched awake as a bead of blood appeared from the scratch. “What the hell?”I jerked up, running my hand through my hair to push it out of my face, where it immediately got caught in the ring. I yelped in pain when I ripped out a few strands pulling it free. Skull throbbing, I gasped, “I’m so sorry, amore! Are you okay?”Killian sat up, too, not bothering to wipe the blood away so he
Taken by the Mafia King Conditions
KillianTommaso wouldn’t stop bouncing his leg, and it was vibrating through my desk.We were poring over stacks of records, using one of Adrian’s laptops to search for Mattia’s whereabouts, and sorting through Andre’s assets simultaneously. Half of my attention was still on Sera. I hated to leave her, especially when her expression was almost heartbroken. But she had to understand that she and the family’s safety was a priority—at least during work hours.Damn. I should have told her that. But my concentration on this work was disrupted by the faint rattling sound.“Something on your mind, Conti?”Tommaso jerked his head up. “What?”“You’re shaking my desk.”He stopped his leg. “Shit. Sorry. Didn’t realize I was doing that.”“What are you thinking about?” I asked my friend.“Egypt,” Tommaso admitted, tossing a paper on the stack. “I’ve had a lot of leads, but now I’ve hit a dead end.”“Then go,” I urged. “Our biggest threat is dead, the holidays are over, and you’ve fulfilled all
Taken by the Mafia King Doubt Sets In
SeraI’d barely talked to Mom while we baked. I’d stared at Olivia when she wasn’t looking.Olivia had given him a nudge, too. Why would she do such a thing?Olivia and Penny had heard my conversation with Mom at the dress shop about mafia wives. She’d thought it her place to tell Killian?The feeling of betrayal after being on such a high of joy was like a crushing weight. Maybe I was stupid to believe it was purely Killian’s idea. The thought of him being directly influenced by my own mother, of all people, or one of my friends made me nauseous. And why would they say anything in the first place? Who were they to play matchmaker?As soon as we’d finished baking, I’d stormed to Killian’s office and demanded answers, but my anger was too much to truly consider them. They made sense, and deep down, I believed him, but I’d been tricked and lied to before by the people closest to me, and that was what it felt like—like my friends betrayed my trust.It was stupid and childish and I loathe
Taken by the Mafia King Blood And Guts
KillianI’d continued to work with Tommaso and Adrian, who came in shortly after Sera stormed out, but my attention was even more divided.My priorities were shifting, and it seemed to happen when I wasn’t looking, because now I couldn’t decide what came first—mafia work or my new fiancée. The former was my lifeblood. I was so deeply rooted in it that I knew nothing else. Maybe that was why the latter was occupying my mind? Because Sera and the life and light she brought was like a taste of the forbidden fruit that showed me that there was a better, less bloody, less violent and lonely world beyond the one I knew?“Killian.”I didn’t hear my guys repeating my name before Tommaso slammed his hand down on my desk. I jerked out of my own thoughts and snapped out of embarrassment, “The fuck?”Tommaso’s look was wry. “Something on your mind, Ricci?”I scowled. “I can’t fucking focus. I’m done for the day. You two can keep combing through or take the rest of the week off.”They were baffled
Taken by the Mafia King Breached
SeraIf I wasn’t a fan of rodents before, I sure the hell wasn’t now.Mom helped me wash the mouse’s blood off my hand, and Olivia brought me clothes to change into. She knew me well; she chose an oversized sweater and leggings. Killian gave us space as I took my time in the bathroom getting dressed and recomposing myself. My mother hovered, and I couldn’t blame her. If my child was traumatized, I’d hover, too.I didn’t see who took care of the mouse because by the time I came out of the bathroom, it and the pillows were gone, and the bed was completely stripped.“We’ll figure this out,” Killian promised.I opened my mouth to say thank you, but Mom interrupted with a bark. “What is ‘this,’ Killian? Did someone break in and put that there?”The thought crossed my mind and terrified my heart. It had happened before. Briggs’ raid planted a seed of doubt that we were safe here. But most of the men had been gone then. What about the security system? Was it faulty? No, I highly doubted Kill
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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
