ElenaI follow Lucian and Alexander into their home, pausing at the doorstep as memories assail me. I spent a lot of my childhood in this mansion. I might know every nook and cranny as well as Lucian does. Other than some new furniture, nothing much has changed, and walking in here still feels like coming home—more so than my own childhood home does these days.I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed this. How much I’ve missed Lucian and the time we spent together. I’ve been so busy working and caring for my mother that I haven’t really stopped to think about how lonely I’ve become. How isolated I’ve let myself become.Growing up, Lucian was always the brother I wish Matthew was, and I suddenly feel bad for not trying harder to stay in touch. I should’ve contacted Lucian as soon as I left home, but by that time it’d been too late. We hadn’t spoken in years, and we’d grown too far apart. I felt too guilty, even though I know I had no choice but to break off contact.“Sarah?”I look up at
Alexander“Come here,” I say, my voice harsh.Elena obeys. She gets up and slowly walks toward me until she’s standing between my spread legs. She’s got that infuriating defiant look on her face, and I almost failed to notice the way her hands tremble slightly.I pull on her hand, and she falls to her knees on my hard marble floor, her face precariously close to my dick. Her mere proximity has me rock hard.“You were willing to do this for John at Vaughn’s, weren’t you? Had I not entered the room when I did, would you have dropped to your knees for him?” I raise my hand to her face, my thumb tracing over her lip. “Would you have opened your pretty little mouth for him?”Her eyes flash with disgust at the scenario I’m confronting her with. The real thing would be far worse—she has no idea how much worse. “Men from your father’s circle frequent Vaughn’s. Do you know how many men that youknowyou’d have to fuck? Do you understand that they’d humiliate you? Any anger that they might have to
ElenaI follow Alexander back down in a daze, my heart pounding. I can barely believe I just agreed to marryAlexander Kennedy.“Elena.”Sofia’s voice snaps me out of my daze and I pull my hand out of Alexander’s, unaware of when I even grabbed it.“Lucian filled me in a little on what’s been going on with you. I’ve already called the hospital and paid any outstanding fees. Don’t worry about a thing, my dear.”I pause and blink back the tears that are gathering in my eyes. She hasn’t seen my mother or me in years, yet she still goes out of her way to help us.Alexander clears his throat and sends me an inquiring look. I nod at him. Even now that my mother’s hospital fees have been taken care of, I’ll still agree to marry him. He’s right. I wouldn’t feel right letting them spend a fortune in fees without repaying them somehow. Without worrying that their generosity might run out. Marrying Alexander is an easy solution for both of us.Alexander and I take a seat, and he grabs my hand. “El
ElenaThe whole ceremony was a blur. Alexander took me to City Hall, and we walked out a few minutes later with our marriage certificate in hand. He’s nothing if not efficient. The entire process was mechanical and impersonal. I don’t know what I was expecting, but this isn’t really it.I look down at my outfit. I didn’t have time or money to buy anything special, and I don’t even own a white dress. Instead, I’m wearing black formal pants and a white blouse—my job interview outfit. It’s the nicest thing I own. Besides, I guess it’s only fitting that I wore black to start this soulless marriage with. Alexander doesn’t say a word to me as he walks back to his limousine, he’s lost in thought as much as I am.“I’m going to be busy for at least the next couple of days. Keep to our agreement: don’t interfere with my private life unnecessarily, and I won’t interfere with yours.”I nod and swallow down the lump in my throat. This feels so wrong. What have I done? What was I thinking?I shake
ElenaI walk through Alexander’s bedroom, feeling restless. He helped me pack my belongings and dropped me off before going back to work, so I’ve got at least a few hours to myself. I’m nervous as I glance at my luggage in the corner. Sharing a room with Alexander… just thinking about tonight has my heart racing.This entire space is amazing, and from now on, this’ll be home to me. It feels like a luxurious suite in a six-star hotel. He must’ve hired an interior designer to remodel everything. It’s been years since I’ve been surrounded with such sheer luxury.I pause beside his bed, my heart sinking when I notice Alexander has a photo of Jennifer and him on his nightstand. I pick it up carefully and sit down on his bed, my hands trembling. It’s been over a year since they broke up, yet he still has a photo of the two of them. Is this what he looks at before he goes to bed, is she still the first thing he sees when he wakes up?My heart constricts painfully as I put the photo back. He’
AlexanderI walk into my bedroom and pause, closing the door behind me softly. Are those my tub’s jets I hear? The closer I get, the clearer the sound gets. I walk up to the tub and see Elena’s head sticking out, her long dark hair hanging over the edge, her head tipped back. She looks so seductive.I’m about to call out her name when she moans and moves her shoulders slightly. Is she touching herself in my tub? I walk closer to her and watch her face as she pleasures herself, her eyes closed.She probably didn’t hear me walk in over the sound of the jets, and I take that moment to just watch her. She looks fucking gorgeous, her body swaying a little, as though she’s riding her own hand. I wish the fucking bubbles weren’t in the way so I could see her body. Just the sound of her has me rock hard, and I can’t help but wonder what it’ll be like when I finally get to have my little wife. Her body is all I’ve been able to think about since I’ve had my fingers inside her, and I need more.
AlexanderElena looks into my eyes, both her palms pressed to my chest, a blush coloring her beautiful face crimson.“Open them,” I say, placing her fingers over the buttons on my shirt. Elena bites down on her lip, a provocative look in her eyes. For a second I think she’ll disobey me, but then she does what I told her to.I watch her as more and more of my chest comes into view. Her breathing quickens and her hands move over my body eagerly, giving away the lust she feels. She hates how much she wants me, and I’m loving every second of it.My shirt falls open, and Elena gulps. I can’t help but grin. Everything about her is so genuine, her every reaction, every emotion displayed in her gaze.I lift her into my arms and she gasps, her arms finding their way around my neck. I carry her to my bed and place her down carefully.She looks up at me and grabs the sheets, covering herself up as best as she can. Her actions betray the nervousness behind her bravado, and I bite back a smile. I’
ElenaI walk into my mother’s new hospital room, if you can even call it that. I’m in shock as I look around. The room she’s in is huge and luxurious, resembling a hotel room instead of a hospital room, yet it has every bit of medical equipment my mother could need.I knew Alexander would take good care of her, but this is beyond my wildest expectations.“Hi, Mom,” I whisper, sitting down next to her. I glance around, my heart filling to the brim with gratefulness, happiness. She’s still here, she’s still alive. All thanks to my husband. It feels strange to even think of him that way, but that’s what he is now. My husband. I grab my mother’s hand and press a kiss to it. “I’ve missed you.”Part of me still expects her to one day smile and tell me she missed me too. It’s getting harder for me to remember the sound of her voice, the sound of her laughter.“There’s something that I’ve got to tell you,” I say carefully.Throughout the years I’ve always spoken to her the way I would if she w
DARIOOne Month LaterIrise to my feet, clapping my hands so hard they almost hurt. Beside me, my mother and father join in on the standing ovation. On the other side, Giulia and Rosa are also clapping, though Rosa can’t stand yet. However, she has far more energy than just a month ago. The small theater is filled with admiration for the play’s first production, and I know that most of it is because of my woman’s performance.“Wasn’t she amazing?” I beam, turning to my mother and father.My father, who’s noticeably less grumpy now that his land grab is complete, is smiling from ear to ear. “Fantastic, son!” he yells over the clamor.“Wasn’t she great?” I grin, turning to Giulia.Elena’s friend smiles at me, nodding. “She always has been, but that was next level!”The curtains close, and the actors walk onto the stage to take their final bow. Elena looks gorgeous in her fifties-style dress,her hair styled as if she just stepped out of an old-timey magazine advert. She nailed the whole
ELENA“Where are you taking me?” I say, sitting in the passenger seat of his sleek sedan as he glides through the city.It’s been roughly two weeks since the standoff with Salvatore in the dining room. Since then, Dario and I have spent so much time together: lying in bed, talking about the future, making love, watching movies—trashyandclassy. We all even had a meal together. Dario, Salvatore, Maria, Rosa, Giulia, and I sat at the same dining room table as we shared stories and jokes and bonded, something I could never have believed was possible.“It’s a surprise,” he says.“Don’t you think we’ve had enough of those?”He glances at me with a smirk. Since all the roadblocks to our love have come crashing down, Dario has seemed so happy-go-lucky, as if he’s been waiting his whole life to let go of the mafioso darkness. I know it’s still in him. I know that if anybody ever threatens the Family or me, he’ll go full savage again. Yet, it’s so sweet to see how happy he is now.“This is agoo
DARIO“I know you didn’t approve at first, Miss Santoro,” I say, sitting beside Rosa’s bed.Over the past week, her health has taken a definite upward trajectory. No recovery will ever be miraculous, but watching my woman become more optimistic has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Just last night, when we were lying sweaty and content in bed, she said,“She’s becoming her old self. I don’t want to get my hopes up, but…”We both share that sentiment, not getting our hopes up, but we can’t help it. Our hopes are flying.“Maybe you still don’t,” I say when the frail woman watches me silently. “I wouldn’t blame you. Elena has told me about the fire. I hope that’s okay.”“It was always hers to tell,” she says, “and you can call me Rosa.”I count that as a victory. “Rosa,” I say, “I need you to know I would never hurt your niece. Just the idea of causing her pain makes me sick. I can’t imagine it. All I want is for her to behappy. When this started, I was a cold, miserable bastard, b
“Please, listen, Salvie,” Maria says. “I can tell you’re thinking about what Dario has said. I can tell it’s affected you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even still be sitting here.”“I’m sitting here because I love you, Maria, and you look like you may cry if I leave.”“I may cry because the two people I love most are behaving like they hate each other,” she says in a shaky voice.“I don’t hate my son,” Salvatore snaps.“Thenlisten.”“Fine, I’m listening.”Dario looks at me, his eyes filled with emotion. I saw the demon in him before, the savage, but this is something else. I’m peering through the layers of mafiosi bravado at the little boy beneath. I touch his forearm, letting him know I’m here for support. Ialwayswill be.“Your concern about Elena having a career comes from your desire to make the Family look strong, correct?”“It’s more complicated than that.”“If we keep with tradition, if we keep our women in line, it’s a testament to how much control we have. Don’t lie to me, Father.
ELENAWe’ve come full circle. The four of us—Salvatore, Maria, Dario, and I—sit in the same dining room where we shared our first meal. Memories return to me as Clara brings in tea and coffee, the etiquette I completely messed up, the nerves that made me ache like I was going to break down.Once Maria pours the drinks, I say, “Thank you, Maria.” I don’t let myself give a single frick about the look Salvatore gives Dario. Since we’re going nuclear, I don’t have to worry about being too nice to the staff.Salvatore’s sharp eyes flit between Maria and Dario. “You wanted to see me?” he says after a long pause.Dario rests his elbows on the table, almost like a challenge, declaring that he’s finished with his old uptight ways. He looks dashing and capable in his pale blue shirt, sleeves rolled up, his taut forearms taking me back to last night. My body aches in the best way, my inner thighs throbbing as if demanding more. I never dreamed it would be so effortless.“I hired Elena to pretend
“I can feel your virgin pussy getting close. I can feel you throbbing for me. I can feel you wanting to spill more wetness all over my dick. I can feelyou, Elena. All. Of. You.”I pound into her body, making the mattress whine with each thrust, bringing our future closer to the present with each movement of pure, unbridled lust. Maybe she doesn’t want me to promise and thinks I’m not serious, but I know now that I am. I’ve never been more confident about anything.“You’re fucking creaming up for me,” I groan.“It sounds so hot,” she moans with that same tempting fascination.“You’re right … Oh, fuck, look at you. You’re not acting now.”“Nuh-nuh-no …”She bites down, her cheeks turning entirely red as she wraps her hands around my neck and pulls me in for a hot kiss. But the explosion of her release is too overwhelming for us to maintain a kiss. Instead, she opens her mouth, moaning right into mymouth, like she’s desperate for me to share this moment with her.Her entrance pulses arou
DARIOWhen I lay her down on the bed, she sits up on her elbows, her hair falling beautifully onto the bed, her breath coming quick and making her chest rise and fall, highlighting the sumptuous curves of her breasts. She’s wearing loose-fitting PJs and no bra. Her perky-as-fuck nipples poke through the fabric.“Is the door locked?” she whispers.“It’s like I told you in the limo,” I groan. “Nobody gets to see you like this. Only me.”“Like what?” She sits up. “Naked, you mean?”“Oh. My. God.”My voice wavers as she stands up, pulling her shirt over her head. She bites her lip as if anxiety is warring with her, but then she grabs her shorts and wriggles out of them. She stands in front of me naked, her wet haven glistening, her thick thighs tempting me.“Your turn,” she says, her old sass back with full force.My hungry flesh couldn’t be harder. I tear my shirt off, buttons popping, then grab my pants and yank them down. My lust springs up, precome flinging from the head, making her g
“I never said that.”“You didn’t have to.”“What if I do?” I snap. “Is there a problem with that? Are you going to hate me for it? Judge me?”“It was never about him,” she murmurs. “I was trying to exorcise my demons. You’re old enough to make your own decisions. Even before that was the case, you’ve always been mature enough. I can’t stand in your way,” she chuckles miserably. “I can’t even stand.”“Yet,” I say forcefully. “All of that’s going to change soon.”“So you don’t hate me?”“I could never hate you, but this is. So. Messed. Up.”She lets her head fall back on the pillow. “I know. I wish I didn’t have to tell you, but it’s been long enough. I should’ve told you a long, long time ago.”“Yes,” I say firmly. “You should have.”“Can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?”Yes. I know I will. I could never hold a grudge against the person who’s cared for me for more than half my life. “I don’t know,” I say. “Maybe. Possibly.”“That’s more than I deserve.”“Will you sit with
ELENAI sit next to Aunt Rosa, holding her hands as she sleeps more peacefully than I’ve seen in weeks. We’re in the suburbs in the most prominent house in the neighborhood, with tall walls surrounding us and what feels like an army of Mafia men patrolling the grounds. Aunt Rosa has her doctor and her nurse here, too. For once, Giulia is getting some rest.I talk quietly as she sleeps, mostly to distract my mind from what Dario might currently be going through. I’ve asked Maria, who came to the safe house with us, to tell me if there are any updates. So far, there’s nothing. I guess he’s still handling things in the city, or …Not letting myself think about theor, I whisper, “He said that he loved me, Aunt Rosa. I don’t think he even realized he said it. It’s like it just came out, but maybe that means it’s more likely to be true, right? It’s as if he just said it without thinking, like a reflex. If you were awake, you’d hate me talking like this. You’d say something about him being w