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Staring At Death
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Taken by the Mafia King Ghost From the Past
Sera“Sera Bianchi? What the hell are you doing here?”My mouth dropped open as I stared up at Jim Harrison, the blue-eyed, broad-shouldered gym teacher at Jefferson Middle School. Jim Harrison, the American Dream. My dream, when I had a crush on him just a few months ago. All of a sudden, it seemed like years had passed.Months or years, regardless, he was no less handsome. His face, looking as dumbfounded as I felt, had healed from all the wounds Killian had inflicted on him.My brain could muster no words as my past came rushing back.Then I noticed he was with a woman. Not just any woman, but Eva Jacobs, the pretty sixth grade reading teacher. I had always thought was beautiful and knew how to roll with the punches, which meant she was destined for whatever life she made for herself.They were holding hands.“Sera?” Eva looked me up and down as if trying to decide if I was a figment of her imagination. “Sera, I thought you were—” She clapped her free hand over her mouth to stop he
Taken by the Mafia King Point of No Return
KillianI was face to face with a woman who had died fifteen years ago.Allegedly.Somewhere along the way, all I’d learned about her had been tangled up in a web of lies. Tonight, I’d tugged on one of those threads, and there was no going back, assuming she didn’t unload that shotgun on me.Caterina Bianchi, the wife of Andre Bianchi, the mother of Leonardo and Serafina Bianchi.Her expression and body language suggested she was warring with herself about whether to shoot me for saying I was in love with her daughter—with an age difference of twenty-two years—or keep me alive long enough to get answers. I had killed her son, after all. She knew that much.Would Sera be thrilled when I told her that her mother was alive? Or would she be enraged that she had faked her death all those years ago?Caterina swallowed hard. “I should put a bullet through your heart.”“You could.” I gave her a look I would give one of my men who had stepped out of line. “But I’m here for a reason. Would you
Taken by the Mafia King Proper Place
SeraWhen Olivia, Patrick, and I returned to the mansion, he dropped the wreaths the first chance he got and fled the scene before we could force him to help us decorate. I took no offense and thought it was hilarious.“What a surly teenage boy,” I said, laughing.“Such fragile masculinity for a mafia brute,” she mused. Rubbing her hands together, she glanced around the room. “What should we start dressing up first?”“We should hang the wreaths, of course.”We’d found door hooks in the attic earlier and had hung them up before we left, so it was easy work setting the wreaths on them. Then we wrapped the garland around stair banisters, set fake candles on windowsills, and put window clings of snowmen just above them. We’d bought all sorts of Santas, snowmen, angels, elves, and gingerbread men to sit on every sill, mantel, and side table. Before long, the house was on its way to being Santa’s workshop.Lastly, we wrapped more garland around the tree in the foyer and decorated it with a
Taken by the Mafia King I Don't Believe You
SeraIt was midnight by the time Killian came home.I lay tucked in between his silky black sheets, wearing one of his shirts, reading a book about gardening that I’d found in one of the parlors. Sleep tugged at my eyelids, and the words on the page were starting to blur, but I had to stay awake.I had to apologize to him. I couldn’t sleep well knowing our last interaction wasn’t a good one.I kept the door cracked, so when I heard the sounds of entry in the distance, my heart lurched in fear as much as it did happiness. After Briggs, a seed of uncertainty had been placed in my chest. What if it wasn’t Killian, and someone else discovered how to infiltrate the manor?The side table lamp was on beside me, too, filling the room with a warm, soft glow so that when Killian walked in, he wouldn’t have to fumble around in the dark—or freak out when I spoke from the gloom.His hand pushed open the door, and he slipped in, his eyes finding mine as if magnetized. A lightness filled me.“Welcom
Taken by the Mafia King You Left Us, Mama
SeraI had to be hallucinating somehow.My mother was dead. She died in a horrible car accident fifteen years ago. The woman who stood just a few feet away was surely just a ghost. The light from the hallway behind her almost gave her a glow. Not enough to make her seem like a half-transparent apparition, but imaginations could run wild, and I was able to make her seem like flesh and blood.She was older, her skin less taut, streaks of gray in her dark brown hair.Her eyes were the same, though. They were blue and gentle with love and care, the way she always looked at me, always with an edge of sorrow and pity. Yes, pity, and now I knew why.Because I was a target, and as a child, I’d been blissfully unaware. She had painted that target. But even now as I realized that, I couldn’t be mad. It was only because she wanted to be free. She was only trying to be free of my father’s cage he’d trapped her in, and Leo and I couldn’t fit through the bars, because if we did…We’d all be dead.I
Taken by the Mafia King A Family
SeraThe young man was another ghost from my past. It was like staring at Leo as a teen— almost a miniature of my late brother, which meant he was an echo of our mother: the same dark brown hair, blue eyes, and a similar face shape.But that was the end of the resemblances. Dustin’s hair was curly, and the blue of his eyes wasn’t as cold and aloof as Leo’s had been. They were curious and hesitant, untouched by the cruelty of the mafia life.Leo had been sucked into it. At fifteen, he’d started to change, and he’d put on an impenetrable armor. He’d become mean and short-tempered as he spent more and more time following our father around. And before I knew it, he was more than just Dad’s shadow.I don’t remember what it was or when exactly, but there was a moment when I was hit with the realization that Leo wasn’t Leo anymore. At some point, he stopped being my brother and was a full-fledged mobster.Dustin was different. That was evident—comfortingly so. And for a moment, I felt a rush
Taken by the Mafia King Cornered
KillianI had no idea how Sera didn’t rip my head off right then and there.Maybe it was because she appreciated my apology just enough to let me off the hook. Or maybe it was just because her family was waiting, and my dashing off could save her worry for later.“I’ll find Joyce,” she offered. “Go ahead. But then,” she added before I could get too far down the hallway, “you’re coming to bed.”Her voice or eyes had no hidden meaning, so she just meant sleep and nothing else. It was a little disappointing but understandable. She just looked so sexy in that nightgown peeking inside her robe.Tommaso and I walked briskly to my office. Its door had been fixed while I was away, but all my shit was still gone. I made a mental note to call Chief Edwards first thing in the morning.My right hand and I took our seats, and I dialed Scott Alphonsi. His voice was the last one I wanted to hear during this ungodly hour when my girl was warming my bed.“What do you want at this goddamn time of night
Taken by the Mafia King Fifteen Years
SeraAfter I found Joyce, thankfully nowhere near Giuliana’s wing, I told her to bring supplies to Mom and Dustin, then headed back to their room.They were in the middle of making the beds with fresh sheets on the massive king-sized bed in one room and a queen in the adjoining chamber. Mom’s bed could easily accommodate three people.“I hope you don’t mind sharing these rooms,” I said as I slid pillowcases over the pillows. “There are other guest suites if this is too close for comfort.”“It’s perfect,” Mom assured me, though we both looked at Dustin to confirm if the teenage boy was comfortable with the arrangement.He shrugged with indifference, and I saw the tiredness in his eyes. Whether he cared or not, he was too exhausted to protest. He smiled briefly when I handed him a pillow, too shy to meet my gaze, but I didn’t mind at all. It was going to take both of us some getting used to the fact that we had a new sibling. It occurred to me: did Dustin know I existed before now? Had
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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
