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Mile High
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Taken by the Mafia King Top of the World
TommasoI stumbled off the plane in New York City, legs a little wobbly from the slightly more than a quickie we’d had on the plane until the pilot announced we needed to put our seatbelts back on.“So,” I said, “how would you feel about a couple of surprises?”She pouted playfully. “You know I love to know what’s going on.”I wrapped my arms around her waist. I knew Paige blamed herself for having been distant recently, too busy trying to get her shelter set up, but I also knew that I’d been busy, too. We split the blame.“What’s going on is that I love you.” I kissed her. “And I want to show it. I promise, almost nothing you’ve never done before. New places, same experiences.”She kissed me back. “One condition. I change before you take me anywhere fancy.”“Already in the plans.” I grabbed her hand and led her to a car I’d hired for the evening. “First stop is a designer who owes me a favor.”She smacked me. “If you’re not careful, I’m going to end up spoiled.”“Oh no.” I kissed the
Taken by the Mafia King Taking a Bite of the Big Apple
PaigeDespite all my flirting—and the real intention I had behind it—when we got to the spectacular hotel room, I couldn’t do anything but strip out of the beautiful dress Tom bought me and topple into the massive bed. He stripped out of his suit and fell asleep next to me, equally naked. I cuddled into his cinnamon-scented chest, blinked, and when I opened my eyes again, the sun had risen. Tom’s warm skin clung to mine where the thin sheet didn’t separate us, and I stretched. Maybe I could wake him up with a little surprise before—Before the raid. The raid that I didn’t know the start time of. I sat bolt-upright in bed, my heart suddenly racing. What the hell was I thinking? This wasn’t just a vacation; this was a rescue mission, and one with a fickle Russian on the team.Tom yawned and wrapped an arm around my waist. “What’s going on?”“The raid’s today.” I stared out the window. “When is it? And you never took me shooting like you promised. I’m not good enough yet.”He kissed my b
Taken by the Mafia King Deal with the Devil
TommasoI crossed my arms and leaned against the wall of the warehouse. “Where the fuck is he?”“Late.” Stan shook his head.“We should take him out for being a bad operator, if nothing else.” Carp kicked a rock between two of his feet. “It’s been a fucking hour.”Headlights cut through the darkness, and a car pulled up with a spray of gravel. A slim man climbed out but left it running. “Conti?”I stepped forward with my hand out to shake. “Dan. Than—”Another man climbed out of the car and marched over to me, then began patting me down without a word.“Gun,” the man grunted.Dan eyed me. “Leave it. For now.”“Good to meet you, too,” I muttered as his bruiser stepped aside. “If weapons are allowed, what are you looking for?”“Wires.” Dan crossed his arms. “I’ve heard Italians are rats.”I gritted my teeth. “Not this Italian.”His bruiser patted down the rest of my men, and when they passed, Dan finally let us inside. When he opened the door, BO and the reek of human waste wafted out.
Taken by the Mafia King On the Job
PaigeI tapped my foot on the tarmac in front of the private jet and fiddled with my phone. I should’ve insisted on going with Tom, Morozov or no Morozov. Waiting here was like torture. I didn’t know what was happening to Tom, or the women, or anything. I didn’t even have anyone to goddamn talk to. If Tom didn’t make time in his schedule soon, I’d take myself to the shooting range to brush up. Maybe if Lauren and I went together, he’d trust her assessment of my skills. And it wouldn’t be bad to have someone living at the Haven who could use a gun.My phone vibrated, and I tapped on the notification immediately.A text from Tom: More women than expected. Gonna need a few trips with the cars.I frowned and started typing out a response. I couldn’t even remember how many cars he’d rented anymore, but I needed to make sure we had room at the Haven. Before I could reply, he texted again.Tom: And probably a few with the jet.My mouth fell open.Me: How many are there?Tom: Thirty-two.My s
Taken by the Mafia King Close Call
PaigeI yawned as we taxied up to the Philly airport in the pale, pre-sunrise light. I’d texted Lauren before we took off, and she had everything ready. The door opened, and I stood.“Okay, ladies, we’re going to get into a few cars and head for the shelter. Your beds are all ready, but there’ll be a little bit of intake before we’re all allowed to pass out.” I smiled.A few of the women laughed weakly, but most of them just stared at me or clung to each other.Tom squeezed my hand as they started to pile off. “I have to head home,” he said. “Syndicate stuff.”I nodded. He wouldn’t be much help at the shelter right now anyway, and I didn’t know what he had to clean up after the raid. “Talk later?”He smiled and kissed my hand.I joined the women in the fleet of black cars waiting outside the plane. In the small space, as on the plane, the smell of them was inescapable. I hadn’t asked any questions about how they’d been kept, of Tom or of the women, but I could imagine from that alone.
Taken by the Mafia King Business as Usual
TommasoWhen Paige still hadn’t arrived home after lunch, I climbed in my car. I knew it was stupid. I’d been meeting with my men all morning, talking over the information Lyle had already scraped from Dan’s computers and anything Stan heard in New York, and my eyelids dragged, but I just couldn’t fall asleep until she returned. I knew she’d be safe at the shelter, but I’d grown used to her presence snuggled against my side.I drove around to each of my warehouses. Business had been good over these last few months, but it had been good because I kept an eye on it. That was one piece of information I picked up from Killian that I was happy to take. My staff would work better for an attentive boss, and I’d be less likely to miss shit in general. Everything seemed to be running smoothly, and none of my foremen reported any trouble.Finally, I headed out of the city to check on what used to be Tony’s base of operations. I’d posted Teddy out there to keep a handle on the situation, and he
Taken by the Mafia King Ups and Downs
PaigeI slept through most of the day after the raid, but I returned to the shelter the day after that. I straightened my T-shirt and glanced at the blazer I’d thrown in the back of the car on a whim. Normally, I didn’t bother trying to look professional, but Lauren said a few of the families would be arriving to pick up the women we’d rescued from New York today. Part of me wanted to make a good impression, to actually seem like I knew what I was doing here. I grabbed it but didn’t put it on. I could always decide when I saw the families.The shelter was in chaos when I walked in. Staff and volunteers ran in every direction. I managed to grab Sera out of the flow.“What’s going on?” I asked.She shrugged a little helplessly. “Some kind of printer problem. Not all of the resource pamphlets are printed, and we don’t have enough for all the women that are leaving.”I grimaced. I knew we should’ve sprung for a new printer, not the secondhand one I found online. Sera bustled off, and I sp
Taken by the Mafia King The First Shoe Drops
TommasoI yawned and stretched back in my office chair. Just a few more loose ends to tie up, and I’d be done for the night. We’d been home for a couple of days now, and I promised Paige, even though I had to do a little work after dinner, that I’d finish up before bed, and we’d watch some movie she’d been talking about for weeks. I was excited. I just needed to be certain the New York job went all right. I rubbed my face and leaned back toward my computer.My phone rang, and I grabbed it with a sigh. “Yes?”“Tommaso,” Stan said. “I’m at Tony’s old stomping ground. You know those loiterers Teddy mentioned?”I sat up. “Yeah?”Someone yelped on the other end of the line.“Get over here as soon as you can.” Stan hung up without another word.“Motherfucker.” I dropped my phone onto my desk. Never any rest for the wicked, but I was starting to get too old for this shit.No, I couldn’t think like that. I’d just gotten my own syndicate. I tightened my tie, pulled my favorite gun out of a des
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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
