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Caged Rat
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Taken by the Mafia King Ice Pick
SeraLying on my back, staring up at the ceiling, I pictured what Killian and the others were doing a few floors below me in the basement. A smile threatened to curl the corners of my mouth. I wasn’t proud of that. I didn’t like the notion that knowing a man was being beaten to death could make me happy.But this was different. Francesco had always been a prick to me. He’d tried to kidnap me, after all.And then there was the way he’d treated Killian. No one stabbed their boss in the back and lived to tell about it. No one.I’d changed. That was shockingly clear. But I was still pissed that Killian had used Delaney as a decoy. I needed to have a conversation with him about that. If he’d wanted to put someone in danger, it should’ve been me, not her. She had nothing to do with any of this.Early morning sunlight drifted through the hallways as I lay there letting my mind wander. I wasn’t able to sleep despite how fatigued I was. I had training with Tommaso in twenty minutes, if he even
Taken by the Mafia King This Changes Everything
KillianThe blood around Francesco’s lips was already starting to dry. As he spoke, it cracked and flaked off. If he wasn’t telling me the truth he’d be bleeding again soon.Pondering the information he’d just disclosed to me, I rolled it over in my mind. If what he was saying was true, I had an opportunity to make Sera very happy.I studied him. “You’re certain?”“I’m not lying to you.” His eyes never wavered from mine. Lately, whenever Francesco spoke to me, he had always been doing something else so he didn’t have to meet my gaze. Until today. Now, his broken body language told me he was telling me the truth.But it didn’t make any sense. “Why would Andre be so careless with that sort of information that it would leak through to you?”“He doesn’t know that I know.” Francesco’s voice was so hoarse, I could barely understand him. His jaw and right cheek were swollen and deformed, his splintered flesh a deep shade of red. “Everyone who knows ends up dead except one person who managed
Taken by the Mafia King Marble In Ruins
SeraCold air cut through the blood coating my hands as I dropped the knife I held and backed away from my father’s body. The plastic-lined room was stained crimson, the coppery tang of blood stinging my nose as I blinked to clear my vision.A dream. Just another dream. Right?“You little bitch,” Giuliana Ricci laughed from the chair she was now tied to, her frail form replacing my father’s limp body. “You think killing me is enough to get rid of me? Whose house do you think this is?”She lunged toward me, the ropes around her wrists dissolving into dust as the room shifted and swirled. I flinched, blinking into pale gray light, and felt the weight of baby Michael in my arms as I watched a priest preside over Mikey’s funeral.“Wake up,” I begged myself. “Please, wake up!”The weight in my arms disappeared, replaced by a heavy sense of nothingness. I looked around at the shadowy figures who’d replaced the family and friends gathered for Mikey’s funeral. Red roses were scattered at my f
Taken by the Mafia King Let Me Go
SeraKillian pressed me hard against the mattress and shoved my knees apart. The kiss turned desperate, just like every touch he traced over my skin while bunching the silk slip I’d put on after my shower over my waist.I gasped his name as he pressed into me without restraint. I gripped his shirt, raising my hips to meet his as he thrust with abandon.“You think I only want you to further my agenda, mia cara?” he growled into my neck, still fisting my hair as he fucked me. “Do you really believe I’d put you in danger just to get what I want?”“Killian,” I whimpered, trying in vain to unbutton his shirt. I gave up, ripping at the buttons until the popped open and pinged against the headboard, my hands grazing over his chest.“Tell me, Sera, what would you do if I gave you up? If I’d made you be the one to draw Francesco out of hiding?” He pressed into me, dragging out slow so I moaned and clawed his skin with my fingernails. His lips brushed over my neck, and he smiled wickedly as he
Taken by the Mafia King Facing Demons
KillianI couldn’t make Sera understand the gravity of the situation. There were no secrets I could spill to her that would change the outcome of our fates. No, those were sealed. And the dream she described were similar to the dreams I’d had since the night I’d torn her from under Gabriele De Luca’s dead body and brought her here.But I hadn’t ever been the one in the coffin. No, it was always her.And every night I replayed the scene in my dreams trying to find a way to stop what I believed was inevitable. In the beginning, I knew better. I knew not to let myself get tangled up in Seraphina. Now, I found myself wandering my house in the middle of the night, again, unable to sleep because of something she’d said or done.Sera had a way of ripping me to shreds. She was right. She was always right. Everything I did was to further my agenda, to stretch my empire and put my enemies in shallow graves.But I couldn’t tell her why, because that nagging ache in my chest every time I looked a
Taken by the Mafia King He Wanted This Life
SeraSunlight burned my eyes as I rolled over onto my side to stare out the window and the icy landscape beyond.I’d slept like the dead after Killian and I fought. The buttons of his shirt still littered my sheets. I picked one up and rolled it between my fingers, feeling like an idiot. A big, stupid idiot.I didn’t know how to be what Killian needed me to be. We brought out the worst in each other in a lot of ways. I’d never been as true to myself, though. I’d always leaned into the doting, praise-worthy, and obedient daughter my father raised me to be, even when I went off on my own and became a teacher. I always aimed to please. I always did what I was told. I never spoke up. I never acted out. I walked a straight line and kept my chin up when inside, I was falling apart.But with Killian, I couldn’t stop myself from being the Sera I’d so heavily guarded all these years. That was why it hurt so much, I surmised. I liked who I was with him. I liked how strong I’d become, and how co
Taken by the Mafia King I Can't Argue His Price
SeraMy father.What the fuck was my father doing here?He sat with one leg crossed over the other, a cigar hanging from his fingers as he looked me up and down, and then at the plate of cinnamon rolls I’d made as a peace offering to Killian.“Got her in the kitchen, huh? I never took you as a traditionalist, Ricci,” Andre Bianchi smirked as he lifted his cigar to his mouth, his golden rings gleaming. “Smells delicious.”I felt like a deer in headlights as I stared at him, unable to move. Unable to make my mouth work. My mouth was full of cotton as I finally stumbled back through the doorway.“Sera.” Killian’s voice held a hint of surprise at seeing me, as well as a warning, as if to say I didn’t need to run away. Hearing him say my name broke me out of the trance I’d fallen into. My eyes darted to him, noticing the guilt shadowing his usually icy features.“How’s my girl?” my father said, but he didn’t really sound like he cared. I never anticipated a loving reunion between us. It h
Taken by the Mafia King Tommaso's Betrayal
Killian“What the fuck is her problem?” Andre Bianchi laughed as he sat down in one of the leather armchairs in front of my desk. His cigar continued to stink up the room. “What’d you do to my sweet girl?”“Where were we?” I sat back down feeling like someone had punched me repeatedly in the gut. Maintaining my composure at the moment was nearly impossible, but it had to be done. I looked at Mattia, holding his gaze for a moment before I picked up where I’d left off when Sera came into the room and everything went to shit. “I want to know more about Seraphina’s childhood.”“Eh, she was a kid.”I eyed Andre dubiously. “Obviously.”“What do you want to know? What her Barbies’ names were? When she learned to ride a bike? Or how much I spent sending her and her fuckin’ mother to Italy every summer?”“Italy,” I replied flatly. “Sera was eight when her mother died, right?” I knew this information already. I’d been at Caterina Bianchi’s funeral, standing beside my mother and father while the
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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
