SeraThe day after desk sex, I was still rattled by my behavior. I had no idea what came over me when I woke up and my core started to pulse when my first thoughts were about Killian.Maybe I needed a bigger buffer between normalcy and the chaos of Niccolò’s death. Maybe it was because I promised he could lick me anywhere. Maybe it was because I wanted to explore less “vanilla” acts. Maybe it was because I wanted to butter him up to ask him if I could throw a Christmas party.Well, I didn’t get to ask him because Riccardo Marino just had to throw a wrench in the mood. I had no idea what was in that email, but once Killian received it, he went straight back to work, and I could do nothing to draw him away.And whether he allowed one or not, I was going to do it anyway, starting with one of the best Christmas traditions: baking cookies. But the best part of that was being able to do it with my mother.Considering I was seven years old the last time we’d spoken, I never got the sex talk
KillianUsually, when a family member dies and their relatives go through their belongings, they don’t find human trafficking records. But that was normal families. In mafia dynasties, this uncovering wasn’t surprising.Riccardo went through all the shit Niccolò left behind and found more records of his illegal dealings. More sales, lists of girls he traded, sold, and bought, and lists of girls who never made it to the auction.The numbers were goddamn repugnant.Tommaso, Patrick, and Adrian pored over the records with me. I knew Tommaso was searching for information or evidence of Paige Bruno, and he didn’t hide the disappointment on his face, but the gritting of his teeth proved he wasn’t going to give up. He was willing to fly all the damn way to Egypt to follow breadcrumbs.“This is similar to the shit Leo Bianchi was running,” Patrick noted grimly.I huffed in agreement. “No doubt.” If killing my father wasn’t justification enough to kill Leo, what he had been up to was. It was h
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
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
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
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
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
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