Share
Perspective Shift
Related chapters
Taken by the Mafia King February Sun
TommasoI trailed after Paige to my car and unlocked it as she grabbed the handle. She seemed different after therapy today. I’d seen a lot of versions of her walk out of that office, but this one seemed the most at peace. I slid into the leather front seat of my car and turned it on.“How was it?” I asked.She snorted. “You know, that’s really not how therapy works.”I couldn’t help it. I laughed. She looked up at me in surprise.“So, after a week and a half, you’re the expert?” I said.“More than you. You’ve never even been to a session.” She shook her head, still smiling, and stared out the window. The February sun cast her features in sharp relief. “If you’re gonna make me tell you, it was good.”“Good,” I said.She laughed then began adjusting settings on the radio.“What are you doing?” I asked.“You said I was in charge of the music.” She found an old rock-’n-roll station blaring a screaming guitar and turned it up. “I’m tired of pop.”I laughed and pulled out of the parking lo
Taken by the Mafia King On The Trail
TommasoI pulled my coat a little tighter around myself to ward off the early spring chill wafting in through the open bay door of my main warehouse and watched my men load wooden crates of guns onto the back of an eighteen-wheeler. For the first time since I’d returned from Egypt, I was happy with the number of subordinates I was sure were loyal to me. Carp, Stan, and I had been working hard on weeding out the motherfuckers who’d turn a second time, and damn near everyone nodded at me when they noticed me standing against a shelf now.Not that I’d shown up for the nods. No, I’d dragged myself out of bed in the middle of the goddamn night because Tony was doing another fucking pickup. And because, in the handful of weeks since Paige drunkenly kissed me, any and all nighttime visits had stopped. Part of me missed it. Another part of me was glad my own willpower wasn’t being tested like that. I couldn’t stop dreaming about the taste of her lips.Tony wandered out of the cab of the truck
Taken by the Mafia King Bad Moods
PaigeI picked at my waffles and listened half-heartedly to Miranda chatter about some new reality dating show she couldn’t stop watching. I had a virtual lunch meeting today, so a morning therapy session. They always made it easier to wake up earlier and spend more time on breakfast, which didn’t exactly help my workflow, but made empty small talk about television easier.“…and then Amanda kissed him. Can you believe that sh—oh! Tommaso!” Miranda said. “Omelet?”I glanced up as Tom walked in wearing his shirt-half buttoned and his tie slung loosely around his collar, with his jacket draped over one arm. His curly hair looked rumpled, and dark bags sagged under his eyes. I almost gaped at him. I’d seen him in a lot of different outfits now, but I’d almost never seen him look disheveled.He dropped into the seat next to me. “Yeah.”Miranda whirled for the stove and the egg mixture she had ready next to it.“What’s up?” I said.“Late night.” He shook his head.After living with the man
Taken by the Mafia King Why, Though?
Tommaso“I don’t want to eat inside,” Paige declared as we pulled up to the cheesesteak place.I glanced at her. She seemed good today, strong, and her statement about leaning on her wouldn’t leave my mind. If I had a normal problem, sure, but would she really want to know about a bunch of girls locked up somewhere in the city when I only had a ghost of a lead? Wouldn’t that just set her back?“What are you thinking?” I said.She buzzed down the window and stuck her hand out. “It’s not totally freezing anymore. You know a park or something near your place?”The chilly air stung my face, but I had a thicker coat in the back. “Tiny little spot. More like a patch of green than a park.”She grinned. “Perfect.”***I led her to a picnic table surrounded by trees, clutching my warm, foil-wrapped sandwich close. The wind tousled her hair, exposing the way her cheeks were finally beginning to fill out a little, and she shivered.“Maybe this wasn’t my best idea,” she admitted as she sat. “I ju
Taken by the Mafia King Long-Term
PaigeI crossed my legs in one of the leather armchairs in Tom’s office and watched a small parade of men in suits file into the room. The older guy, Stan, I’d seen around, and I’d needed Lyle’s help a few times with my computer, but the rest were all strangers to me. I twisted my hands together in my lap and glanced at Tom, who sat behind his huge desk looking every inch the sort of guy who could pull together the sort of operation we were talking about. The exhaustion and frustration had drained away the second I tried the same tough-love thing on him Lauren had used on me. I bit my lip and tried not to think about the kiss that had followed. I’d never pay attention in the meeting if I did.“All right, gentlemen,” Tom said. “For those of you who don’t know her, I’d like to introduce you to Paige Bruno. She’ll be consulting on this job and all other jobs like this.”A small thrill traveled down my spine. Consulting sounded so official, not like I was Tom’s charity case or a girl he k
Taken by the Mafia King Punching Bag
TommasoI slammed my fists into the speedbag attached to the ceiling of my home gym, imagining Zahur’s face on the leather. I had him in my fucking sights now. I could feel it. This plan might not work, maybe the next one wouldn’t, but I’d have him. Maybe I’d swallow up his two-bit operation and take mine properly international. If only anybody would fucking get back to me. I knew it had only been twenty-four hours, but I was ready to feel his piece-of-shit nose crunch under my fists.The door to the gym opened, and I stopped. Paige stood in the doorway, wearing a pair of leggings and a sweatshirt like usual, but this time, she’d added sneakers. I caught the speedbag before it could swing into my face.“Miranda said you were down here.” She stepped in and closed the door behind her. “I, uh, have a favor to ask.”“Anything.” Despite the sweatshirt, I could see her legs had started to fill out a little to match her face, and her cheeks actually had some color.“My dad taught me to fight
Taken by the Mafia King Can't Put the Lid Back On
PaigeThe scalding hot shower spray pounded down on my shoulders, and I sank my teeth into my lower lip until I tasted blood to keep from crying. Dark memories, dark rooms full of angry men with all the power over me they could want, fought for my attention. Dozens of them, hundreds, maybe more. In the end, I didn’t even know how many bastards there were.I forced myself to grab and open the bottle of rosemary, mint, and lavender-scented body wash I’d ordered a few weeks ago. It was so sharp and herbal that it was the only thing I’d found that could keep my mind off my body while I showered. I poured a dollop onto a loofah and began scrubbing myself.Tom hadn’t done anything I didn’t want him to do. I initiated the kiss. He barely touched my fucking side, and God help me, it felt good until he hit one of my scars. I had just remembered the bastard who gave it to me, the shine of the knife as he did, and I couldn’t see Tom anymore. When I thought about that moment in the gym, I couldn’
Taken by the Mafia King A Break in the Case
TommasoOne of these days, I’d stop expecting everything to change at the drop of a hat. Nearly a week had passed since the training incident, and Paige wasn’t avoiding me by any means, but she hadn’t sought me out again. Since I had my own place now, I tried to work out once a day in my home gym, even if only for a little while, and I always made sure to tell Miranda I was going. No sign of Paige. We ate dinner together every night, and breakfast most mornings, and she’d been perfectly pleasant, but she didn’t even tiptoe up to that line again. She just worked and went to therapy, and I kept finding her journaling in the evenings, a new habit she’d picked up. I wasn’t disappointed, exactly, just a little confused. But I’d give her whatever space she needed.Plus, it wasn’t like I wasn’t busy. I ran my hand though my curls and knocked back the remainder of a glass of scotch I’d been refilling since dinner. Lyle had gotten me some information, and so had Stan and Carp. I flicked on the
Latest chapter
Taken by the Mafia King Epilogue
Taken by the Mafia King Old Time's Sake
Taken by the Mafia King Big News
Taken by the Mafia King Checking Up
Taken by the Mafia King Humdrum Excitement
Taken by the Mafia King Perfect Fit
Taken by the Mafia King Beginning of Forever
Taken by the Mafia King The Only Ones
Taken by the Mafia King Peace Time
