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Taken by the Mafia King Walking On Glass
TommasoI glanced at Paige out of the corner of my eye as we stepped into the elevator. Her shoulders were hunched, and her hand in mine was tense. She kept glancing around the matte black walls like something was going to jump out, but she wouldn’t look at me. Something had happened when we walked into the hotel, and I had no idea what.“Are you okay?” I asked.She nodded absently.I tapped my foot and wished I could pace. But I’d have to let go of her hand for that and there wasn’t much room. Did she want me to let go of her hand? She hadn’t released mine, but more often than not when she got tense like this, she wanted me to disappear.The elevator dinged, and a few other guests stepped on. Paige froze up. They hit a button for a few floors above and chatted amongst themselves until they departed. I expected her to melt once we were alone again, but nothing changed.“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked.She nodded again, still not looking at me. My heart sank. When we finally reache
Taken by the Mafia King Bunkmates
PaigeI blinked awake in the dark. My body ached from sleeping in an awkward position, and my hair was matted against my cheek. I sucked in a breath and didn’t recognize a single smell. I flipped onto my back, and there was no sign of the mural I’d grown used to on the ceiling. My chest squeezed. I’d let my guard down, and someone had taken me again. I should’ve known I’d never really escape.My breath began to race as my eyes adjusted, and I spotted a suitcase on the floor. My suitcase. The events of the last day, the trip to London and closing my eyes for a minute when we arrived, filtered back in. I swiped my hand over the silky soft comforter and tried to steady my breathing like Lauren had taught me. Not kidnapped. Just traveling.Once I could believe that, I sat up. Out my window, the lights of the city glowed, but not a shred of sunrise threatened the horizon. My stomach growled. I’d fallen asleep without dinner. Or lunch? This time change was really going to fuck me up.I chan
Taken by the Mafia King Warmth
TommasoI woke to my phone softly blaring a bombastic classical piece I used as an alarm most mornings. I groaned in the back of my throat and started to reach to shut it off, but a weight on my chest stopped me in my tracks. I opened my eyes, and my breath caught.In the night, Paige had draped herself across me. Her fiery hair spilled across the plain white of my pajama shirt, and the early morning sunlight illuminated the angles of her face. Though she’d started filling out, regaining some roundness in her cheeks and lips, her cheekbones still cut a sharp angle, and her Roman nose cast a shadow on the lower half of her face. In this light, I could even see a few faint freckles dusted across the middle of her face. My heart pounded unevenly, and I shut my alarm off as subtly as I could. She looked peaceful, an expression I saw so rarely, but it suited her just as well as her furrowed-brow determination. I ached to brush the hair out of her face, to press a kiss to her forehead, to f
Taken by the Mafia King Reunion
PaigeI clutched Tom’s hand like a lifeline as we walked up the path to the front door. Somehow, I hadn’t expected McKenna’s parents’ place to be so exactly like she described it. Just standing in the yard reminded me of lying on those awful bunkbeds, listening to her whisper details in the dark.Before we even reached the door, someone flung it open. A plump, older version of McKenna, with her blonde hair up in a wild ponytail, leapt down the stairs, and threw her arms around me. I stumbled back a step, choking on the feeling of unexpected contact.“Thank you,” the woman whispered before letting me go and wrapping Tom in the same overenthusiastic hug.I blinked.An older man stepped out onto the lawn. “Apologies for my Gail. She’s been a bit expressive since…” He swallowed like he couldn’t quite say it yet, and I saw tears glimmer in his eyes. “Well, I’d like to thank you as well.”Tom extricated himself from Gail and shook the man’s hand. “Tommaso Conti. I’m just glad I could help.”
Taken by the Mafia King The Reason Why
TommasoI climbed into the driver’s seat and glanced at the robotic Paige next to me. I needed to get her out of here, but I worried that if she spent the whole ride back to the hotel in this state, I’d lose her completely. On the other side of the ocean, away from her therapist, I couldn’t take that risk. On the drive, I’d spotted a park that reminded me of the little one near our place. I threw the car into drive and headed there.I pulled into a spot near a lush green lawn and shut the car off. The radio fell silent. Paige buried her face in her hands, and I immediately worried that she was crying. But her shoulders didn’t move. She wasn’t even breathing particularly fast. She was just covering her face.“I’m sorry,” I murmured, though I had no idea what I was sorry for this time.“None of this is your fault,” she said through her hands.“I drove the car.” I tried a smile even though she couldn’t see me.She pulled her face out of her hands and dropped her head back against the sea
Taken by the Mafia King In the Eye of London
PaigeWe dropped the rental car back at the hotel, and Tom stopped inside to get travel suggestions. When he popped out, he smiled at me.“I was right that it’s a waste of time to drive in the city. We should take the Underground to Piccadilly Circus.”I nodded.“Unless.” He grinned impishly, and I leaned in. “You were serious about liking art. This hotel is a quick walk from the National Gallery, and the walk from there to Piccadilly Circus is a dream.”“I’ll have you know I’m very serious.” I smiled. “But don’t think you can weasel out of the circus that easily.”“I would never.” He put out his arm.I stared at the bustling crowd. No way I was getting through there without someone touching me. But I’d faced McKenna. I’d slept in Tom’s bed. Hell, I’d listened to him tell me he loved me without having a complete and total meltdown. I could do this. I slipped my arm through his, and we walked off.As we went, he began pointing to random buildings along our path and making up nonsense h
Taken by the Mafia King Reservations
TommasoI stretched out on the big red couch Paige seemed to hate and glanced at her over my phone. She had her arm over her eyes, resting for a bit after our whirlwind day. After the morning she’d had, I was just pleased I’d gotten her to smile. I’d have stayed in London for a week if it meant seeing that.My phone vibrated in my hand, and I glanced at the notification. The restaurant Killian suggested had an opening at seven-thirty. I accepted it quickly.“I made a reservation for dinner,” I said casually.Paige uncovered her face. “Where?”“A place that came personally recommended from a friend.” I grimaced. “It is a little upscale. A lot upscale. Do you have clothes for that? I can always cancel, or we can buy something.”Paige exhaled sharply. “I actually do. I was just fiddling around online, and I found this dress with basically everything I’ve ever wanted in a dress and I just…bought it.” Her face colored. “With your credit card.”“Hey, I gave it to you to use it,” I said befo
Taken by the Mafia King City of Lights
PaigeI stared at Tom. “We’re not leaving yet. All my shit is still at the hotel.”“Correct.” He grinned and led me forward. “One night only. We might even be back before sunrise.”My heart pounded unevenly. “Hi, nice to meet you, I’m Paige. I hate being carted to new locations in the dead of night with no warning.”Tom winced. “Yeah. Yup. Should’ve seen that coming.” He smiled sheepishly. “I wanted to surprise you?”I blew out a long breath. “Good surprise?”“Really good,” he said. “I think.”“I don’t know how they put you in charge of a whole mafia family.” I shook my head and pulled my coat tighter around me. I’d said that I trusted him. I wanted to trust him. And I realized, as he fidgeted with the lapels of his jacket, that this surprise included him getting back on the plane he hated so much. If he was willing to put up with that, maybe I could get on board.“Okay,” I said.He grinned at me in delighted surprise. “Okay! Short flight, and I’ve been told looking out windows will b
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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
