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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Taken by the Mafia King Finally
PaigeI walked out of the bulk home goods store outside the city laden with bags. A few extra plastic containers for personal items, a whole bunch of nice, new sheets, and a couple of puzzles that looked interesting dangled off my arms, all for the Haven. The doors shut behind me, and I paused.After a moment, Sera stepped out after me, her arms equally full of bags. She puffed a sigh. “I feel like it’s back to school season.”I smiled. She’d been volunteering at the shelter occasionally and insisted on making all the bigger supply runs with me. They were the only shopping trips I’d agreed to so far, and I suspected she went to convince me regular shopping for clothing and accessories would be fun too.“Oh yeah?” I said as we headed for the car.She nodded dramatically. “My school was far from the worst off, but every year, they sent these huge supply lists to parents, and every year, at least half of the kids came in trying to hide that they didn’t have most of the supplies because t
Taken by the Mafia King Nipped in the Bud
TommasoI adjusted the strap on my bulletproof vest and stared through the dark at the house in front of me. We couldn’t have asked for a better night, thick cloud cover hiding us from even the neighbors’ view. Out in the suburbs, houses stood at arm’s length from each other, but just close enough to be a problem. The house in question looked like almost every other, a simple split-level from the ‘70s. I hadn’t done a hit on a place this obviously middle-class since…maybe ever, but the pair of guys with guns rounding the corner out of sight again told me we had the right place.Phil Sinatra’s house. It looked more like an accountant’s wet dream. I smirked. I knew he was small time, but he should’ve considered what the hell his own operation looked like before he tried to come at me.Killian clapped me on the shoulder, a dark mask already covering half his face. Since he’d gotten Phil’s location, he’d insisted on coming and bringing a few of his guys. “Ready?”I grinned and pulled my o
Taken by the Mafia King Shooting Practice
PaigeI sat at the kitchen island after a long day at the shelter, nursing an after-work salted caramel cookie and trying to convince myself to go shower when Tom stumbled in, looking exhausted and rumpled. His tie hung askew, his curls stuck up in random directions, and dark bags drooped under his eyes.“Hey.” I smiled worriedly. I hadn’t seen Tom since dinner yesterday, when he told me he had a raid that night. He was asleep in bed when I woke up and left for the shelter in the morning, so I knew nothing bad happened to him, but I didn’t know what exactly had happened. His expression told me there was a chance nothing good happened either.“Hi.” He dropped into the stool next to me. “I heard you come in. I was thinking it’s time for you to brush up on your shooting.”My heart skipped a beat. “Did the raid go that bad?”“No, no.” He shook his head. “Nothing to do with that.”“Well, then what—”He stood and held his hand out to me. “Do you want to go shooting or what?”I frowned but t
Taken by the Mafia King Sink In
PaigeI pulled Tom into the huge master bathroom, still attached at the lips like we had been since he kissed me on the shooting range out back. With one fumbling hand, I switched on the tap in the bathtub.He smiled. “I thought we were showering.”I kissed his five o’clock shadow. “I thought you needed a little more relaxation.”He started to reply, but I pulled off my shirt and bra in one smooth motion, and his mouth fell open.“Whatever you say,” he mumbled.I laughed. The bags under his eyes, how hard he took the death of Phil’s wife, they all worried me. I’d been working so hard that I hadn’t even noticed his exhaustion. So I unfastened the many buttons on his shirt with careful hands and kissed every inch of newly exposed skin while the tub filled.He groaned. “We have to shut the tub off sometime.”I rolled my eyes, but I had taken long enough that the water sloshed dangerously high. I flipped the water off again and looked at him. Despite his exhaustion, he glistened, all tone
Taken by the Mafia King Back to It
TommasoI blinked awake in the morning sunlight, feeling better rested than I had in months. Paige lay next to me, still naked, so I hadn’t woken up too late. I pressed a gentle kiss to her shoulder. We’d woken up a few more times after our afternoon to enjoy each other and have Miranda bring food up that we grabbed from the hallway, snickering and wearing sheets, like kids in a hotel room. Paige had been right, of course. I needed to rest. And her fingers in my hair, the gentle way she took care of me before turning into one of the sexiest women I’d ever seen, made her point better than words ever could.She stirred under my lips, her red hair catching the sun like flames. “Mm, morning.”“Good morning.” I kissed her. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to be late to the shelter today?”She kissed me back. “No more than you’re willing to stay out of your office.” Paige rolled out of bed, her body shining in the morning light.I groaned and reached for her, but she was right. I’d taken e
Taken by the Mafia King Stray Cat
PaigeI hurried down the stairs, trying not to be late to my “Healing in Community” group for all the women who’d been sex-trafficked. There had been a small emergency over whose turn it was to use the third-floor bathroom. I felt breathless but flying high. I’d really gotten through to Tom last night. And though days at the shelter were never easy, they were always rewarding.Lily, our new day manager, stepped out of the bizarrely closed common room and caught my arm. “We have a situation.”I smoothed my hair back. “I’m about to miss group. Is there any chance Lauren can handle this one?”Lily shook her head. “Lauren’s in session, and it’s urgent.”“Okay.” I leaned into the kitchen. “Andi! Go tell the women in group that I’m not going to be able to make it and hand out the worksheets on the blue table to the left of the door.”She nodded, and I turned back to Lily.“What’s up? Why is the common room closed?”Lily bit her lip. “This girl wandered in off the streets. Looks like she’s
Taken by the Mafia King First Blow
TommasoBefore I could even process what Miranda said, the door swung open further, and she squeaked. Behind her stood Riccardo Marino, flanked by two goons so broad I half thought they wouldn’t be able to get through the door. I shot to my feet.“Tommaso!” Riccardo spread his arms wide, as if we were meeting at a party. “It’s been too long.”“Too long.” I circled around my desk and shook his hand, fighting to keep my cool with everything I had. Where were my fucking guys? How did another boss march in through not only my front gate, but my fucking front door without anyone stopping them?“Thank you, Miranda.” I nodded at her, trying to signal with my eyes that she should leave.She curtsied, something I’d never see her do before, and scrambled away, leaving Lyle and me behind.“She’s charming, that Miranda,” Riccardo said. “She just left the door open a crack when she went to fetch you, and I thought I’d save you the trouble. We have some business to discuss.”My heart skipped a beat
Taken by the Mafia King Lock It Down
TommasoI scrubbed a hand through my dark curls in the wake of Riccardo Marino. How the fuck had he gotten in here? What the fuck had I just agreed to?Well, I could answer one of those questions now.“I have to deal with this,” I said to a stunned-looking Lyle.He nodded. “Do you want me to…uh…”“Tell everyone?” I supplied.Lyle nodded again.“Tell Stan,” I said with a sigh. “And Carp and Teddy. No one else yet.”Then, I stormed out of the room, leaving Lyle nodding like a bobblehead behind me. My house, the one I’d slaved over designing, the one I’d dreamed of for years, blurred in my view. What the fuck was the point of spending all this time on my goddamn house if fucking Riccardo Marino could just walk in the front door? I had a state-of-the-art security system and damn near half a dozen guards around the gate. Killian never had to deal with problems like this.I flung my front door out of the way, barely noticing how it careened into the siding. A couple of guys at the gate jump
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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
