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Long Road Ahead
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Taken by the Mafia King No Place Like... Home?
PaigeI sat on the end of a queen-sized bed in a room I was told was mine. The lingering scent of fresh paint in the air reminded me this room was new like the rest of the house. Instead of one big window, it had a lot of tall, thin windows with arched tops separated by pieces of metal that looked almost like the columns outside. A mural of the sky at different times of the day covered the ceiling, and the light slanted in right on the afternoon section, like the ceiling itself was some kind of clock. The sheets under my fingers were softer than I’d felt in months, maybe ever, and clean. I changed into a long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans from a duffel bag Mom had brought from home, though I had to belt the jeans, and the shirt hung loose. And still, I couldn’t stop looking at those thin windows and wondering if I could wriggle out of them.I stood up and walked over to the windows. From here, I had a spectacular view of the huge, meticulously landscaped yard. It even looked like Tommaso
Taken by the Mafia King Just Like Mom Made
PaigeThe kitchen, like every other room in Tommaso’s house, looked nothing like anything I’d seen before. High, light-wood ceilings with exposed beams loomed over a terracotta floor and butcherblock countertops of the same wood as the ceiling. Glass French doors showed a terracotta porch. I sucked in a deep breath and got a lungful of rich, buttery caramel and chocolate.Memories washed over me, but for the first time in a long time, they were happy ones. Saturday mornings, making my favorite caramel-chocolate chip cookies with my mom to the tune of Dad’s old Rat Pack records. She would croon along with Sinatra over the whirring of the hand mixer, and I would try to hit the lowest notes I could hear until both of us collapsed in giggles. Dad would always take advantage of our distraction to steal a spoonful of dough or a cookie from the cooling rack, so hot he puffed little dragon-breaths to keep from burning himself while Mom and I only laughed harder.I sagged against the wall, tea
Taken by the Mafia King Tallying Up
TommasoI blinked and walked around the bench to sit on the other end. I’d debated the pond for a long time, thinking it might be hard to maintain, but the breeze and the wildlife made Paige’s question feel a little less lonely in the quiet.“What do you mean, why?” I asked.She threw her hands up then pulled the coat close again. “I mean, you’re in the mafia. A new crime lord, or Killian’s new crime lord, or what the hell ever.”“Yeah.” I frowned at her. “So?”“So flying halfway around the world to”—she glanced away—“find a girl you’ve never met isn’t exactly traditional setting-up-shop behavior.”I stared out over the water. I’d taken the Polaroid I’d carried for so long out of my pocket before I went to her room, too scared of what she’d think if she found it on me, but I could still picture it. Her bright hair, her fiery eyes. I’d looked at it a million times. I’d never forget the look on her face.“I mean, what about the other girls?” She crossed her arms. “There were five of us
Taken by the Mafia King Waking Up in Purgatory
PaigeThe bastard loomed over me. Something in his hand caught the light and shone with the sharpness of a well-honed blade. My body ached and burned.“You stupid bitch,” he growled. “I can’t believe you thought you could get away.”If this one didn’t kill me, the next one would, or the next one. Tears spilled down my cheeks in tracks of fire. For every tear I shed, another part of my body lit up with pain.“Stop fucking crying,” he hissed. “You’re having the time of your life.”I sobbed, and I burned.Then, out of nowhere, another man entered the room, knocking off my attacker. Panic continued to wash over me as he carried me away.***I gasped in a breath and shot up. Where the fuck was I? Tall, thin windows showed a view of the night sky which matched a painting on the ceiling. Soft, cream-colored sheets slid under my legs. My legs were clothed in sweatpants I’d gotten out of a catalogue in high school.The events of the last few days snapped back into place. Tommaso. The plane rid
Taken by the Mafia King Sleepless in Philly
TommasoI stared up at the mural on the ceiling until Paige’s breathing evened out, and I figured she’d fallen asleep. Then, I sighed and turned over a dozen more times. If I’d been smart, I’d have made sure every couch in this house fit me. Ever since my growth spurt as a teen, I’d known the bumping and bruising of attempting to sleep on even a regular couch, and this stupid fainting piece of shit was even smaller than most. Plus, the throw blanket was a light quilt, and it wasn’t really cutting the night chill.There was no way I was going back to sleep tonight, but that was okay. Working with Killian, I’d gotten used to sleeping less than six hours a night most of the time. With a little extra coffee, I’d be able to start constructing my empire tomorrow.That was, if I could pull myself away from Paige long enough.Her breathing hitched, and I sat up to stare at her. The first sign of another nightmare? No, she just turned and fell back to sleep.I took a deep breath and stared up
Taken by the Mafia King The New Normal
PaigeI opened my eyes to find the sun well over the horizon, much later than I usually slept when I’d had a choice about when to get up. I blinked, feeling sleep crusted in the corners of my eyes. My mouth was dry, and my thoughts fogged. What happened last night? Was the medicine messing me up? I remembered having the dream, Tom coming in, and then…nothing. No more dreams, at least.I sat up and stretched. All my muscles burned, and as I rubbed my eyes, I spotted a throw blanket spread across the biggest of the tiny couches in the room.My face heated as the rest of the night clicked into place. I’d grabbed him, on purpose, and begged him to stay. After I’d pushed him away a thousand times, I’d relied on him to be here so I could go back to sleep. What had I been thinking?Had he stayed the whole night?I didn’t care. I got up, ignoring the aches, and headed for the massive ensuite bathroom I’d discovered the day before. The bathroom was full of girly-smelling soaps and shampoos, it
Taken by the Mafia King Empire Building
TommasoFor all my talk, it took three more days for me to actually find a moment to sit down in my office and begin looking through potential staff. I stretched my legs out behind my wide, mahogany desk, a genuine antique salvaged from an advertisement office in the 1920s to match the overall Art Deco inspiration for the room. Philly would always be my home, but I’d never forgotten going to the top of the Empire State Building as a kid, looking out all those Art Deco windows, and thinking that was what being in charge really felt like.Of course, I never expected being in charge to feel like exhaustion from nights of sleeping on a tiny couch, my eyes blurring as I looked over another list of potential recruits. I clicked onto the sheet of guys Killian offered to loan me in the short-term, the ones currently patrolling the grounds of my house. I had to replace every goddamn one before my old friend’s patience ran out.Time to focus. I’d be better off starting with the top, guys Killia
Taken by the Mafia King Accepting Visitors
PaigeI curled my knees into my chest and stared out through the narrow windows at the yard. Now that I knew it was there, I could just make out the shine of afternoon sun on the duck pond, hidden amongst the trees. My days had begun passing in a cycle of sleeping, staring out the window, and trudging down to the kitchen at mealtimes to eat some of the best food I’d ever had in my life. It was dead boring, but after the last few months, I wouldn’t mind never being excited again.Someone knocked on the door, and my heart stuttered. He almost never visited in the middle of the day.God, what was I thinking? Tom was just the latest bastard. He’d made that clear over the last few days. Sure, he slept on my couch at night, but other than that, I barely saw him outside of the kitchen. Not that I wanted to see him, anyway. It was just a big change from the constant contact of Cairo.And anyway, Tom didn’t knock like that.“Mom?” I called.The door opened, and Sera Bianchi stepped in wearing
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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
