crunch down the rest of the biscotti, then drain the last of my espresso. My muscles relax, and whether it’s the effect of the baked good or the coffee… Or perhaps, a combination of both, I don’t know, but I feel almost human."So, what are you guys doing here?" I glance between them, "Don’t you have enough work to take care of? Do I need to rebalance the systems and make sure you all get more to do?""Whoa!" Alessandro blinks. "You don’t remember?""Remember what?""You,fratellone,who never forgets a work gig. You don’t remember why we are here?"I blink around at them, "I still remember all my work appointments—""Except why we are here?" Fabian smirks."You guys going to spill it, or what?""May I?" Alessandro glances at the rest of the guys, who nod."Go right ahead," Fabian acquiesces. "Enlighten fratellone,here, about what has slipped his mind completely.""Enough with the f*cking drama." I scowl. "The hell are you guys trying to imply?""That you are right." Alessandro tilts
Violet He left me. Yet again, he hadn’t let me come. Well, neither had he come, to be fair, and then, he’d left. I know because, after I’d gone to my room and showered, I had marched out and back to his room, which had been empty.I had walked down the stairs, headed to the living room, found it also empty. So was the kitchen…. Apparently, he’d left… And he hasn’t returned. Guess he has no intention of coming home anytime soon. I had come to the kitchen, after smelling the coffee and toast and hash browns searing on the griddle, and for a second, I had thought that it was Alessio … But sadly, it wasn’t. I finished my breakfast on my own, and wandered around the house, before finding my way back to the library. I had lingered there, picking out more strategy books likeThe Princeby Niccolo Machiavelli—of course, he’d have Machiavelli in his collection—Meditationsby Marcus Aurelius,A Book of Five Rings: The Classic Guide to Strategywritten by someone called Miyamoto Musashi who had bee
Alessio I yank her even closer and she digs her elbow into my side. My body nstantly jerks in the need of her . Hasn’t she realized by now that any hint of violence from her only turns me on? Maybe it’s why she’s tried to kill me twice, and both times, the connection between us has only grown stronger. What the hell? Why hadn’t I realized this before? That the more she tries to hurt me, the more I want her. The more she wants to push me away, the more I need her. The more she tries to prove to me that she can do without me…the more I want to imprint myself on every pore of her body. "And you are—?" Beauty holds up her hand. "Leaving," I snap at the same time that Nikolai walks around the table to take her hand in his. "Very pleased to meet you…" He tilts his head. Beauty laughs. "Violet" she murmurs, "call me Violet." "A fitting name for the woman who has brought the Capo to heel." He kisses her fingers and every muscle in my body goes on alert. "Relax, Capo," Nikolai drawls, "
Vilet The ring, which had refused to come off my fingers all this time, had finally slipped off in there. Maybe it was a sign that he’s right? Maybe I had been wrong to come back for his fake funeral?He had written 'whore' on my skin, and I guess he really meant it. He doesn't really want me. In fact, he’d rather let me go than admit that he feels something more than hatred for me. Hell, thestronzois half in love with me. Only, he doesn’t want to admit it. And hell, if he hasn’t converted me to using Italian words in my vocabulary in a matter of weeks. I have only known him for a fraction of my life, and already, it feels like he is a part of me in a way that nobody else has ever been before. Why am I still so attracted to him? Someone who is a psychopath…and a criminal…probably, a murderer.I draw in a breath and my lungs burn. I stomp down the steps of the nightclub, past the bar on the ground floor that has two bartenders restocking the shelves behind the bar. I reach the door, p
AlessioDamn it ,I shouldn’t have let her go. I snatch up the ring that she had flung down on the table. I close my palm around it and the edge of the diamond seems to bite into the flesh of my palm. Shi*, what was I thinking, letting her leave like that? I slide the ring inside my pocket, then pull out my knife and flip it, catch it by the handle. I stare at the polished blade. The edge of which I had sunk into her skin when I had carved the mark of my possession of her.Was she right? Did I do that because I wanted to own her? To make her mine. To have her as my wife to cherish, to protect, to love… No… Not that. I am not capable of that emotion. No, my feelings for her are already way more complex than that. If I had asked her to stay, if I had given in to the temptation she is... In that gorgeous dress which had clung to her like a second skin, outlining the thrust of her breasts, the curves of her hips, and pulled tight across her thigh... I would have never been able to let her g
Alessio I fold my arms across my chest, "I am going to find whoever did this, and when I do… I am going to destroy their entire bloodline. Every. Last. One of them."Neither Fabian nor Alessandro contradict me."There are only two gangs who would dare do this," Massimo murmurs. "It can’t be the Bratva because we’ve struck a deal with them. Which leaves—""The Kane Company." I roll my neck from side to side "Would they dare come right into my territory and do this?""They attacked you on your turf." He’s referring to an incident a few months ago when four unarmed men had attacked me. I had managed to overpower them, and even brought two of them in for questioning. One of them had swallowed poison and died, the other, I had knifed. We hadn’t gotten much from either of them, but it stood to reason that it was the Kane Company who were behind both incidents."They are the only ones with enough gumption to attempt something like this."Alessandro scratches his chin. One of his eyes is h
VioletI squeeze my eyes shut and prepare for impact. I crash into something hard. Solid. The shock smashes through my system. I groan. This is not going to be pretty. Am I going to look like one of those people who jump from a height and ends up splattered over the sidewalk? Not that I have seen any in real life, thank God… But I have seen enough movies to know it’s a gruesome sight.The ground under me moves… Huh? I snap my eyes open, stare down into blazing blue eyes. Gone is the coldness, the remote look he had worn when I had last seen him. This man is angry…livid with the kind of rage that vibrates off of him and slams into my chest."You jumped." he growls, "you f*cking jumped.""It was only from the second story, besides I…I didn’t have a choice."Debris rains down on us and Michael steps aside, his movement so graceful I can only blink as he stares up. I don’t take my gaze off of his beautiful face as he growls, "Who the f*ck is up there?""One of the men who kidnapped me."His
VioletI squeeze my eyes shut and prepare for impact. I crash into something hard. Solid. The shock smashes through my system. I groan. This is not going to be pretty. Am I going to look like one of those people who jump from a height and ends up splattered over the sidewalk? Not that I have seen any in real life, thank God… But I have seen enough movies to know it’s a gruesome sight.The ground under me moves… Huh? I snap my eyes open, stare down into blazing blue eyes. Gone is the coldness, the remote look he had worn when I had last seen him. This man is angry…livid with the kind of rage that vibrates off of him and slams into my chest."You jumped." he growls, "you f*cking jumped.""It was only from the second story, besides I…I didn’t have a choice."Debris rains down on us and Michael steps aside, his movement so graceful I can only blink as he stares up. I don’t take my gaze off of his beautiful face as he growls, "Who the f*ck is up there?""One of the men who kidnapped me."Hi
VioletAt least, last night, he had come to bed at midnight, and I had woken up enough to wrap myself around my husband and fall asleep. He’d kissed me tenderly, had run his hands down my body, aroused me to fever pitch, only to slip my nightgown and my panties aside and slide his fingers into me. He’d slid down my body, eaten me out, then he’d risen over me and pinched my clit as he’d commanded me to come. And I had. I had shattered right there, and then, promptly fallen asleep, sated.It was almost noon when I woke up to find a letter on his pillow, asking me to peek out of the window. I had, and had cried out when I had seen a car… Not just any car, a Maserati. A twin of his…but in black, with a red line running across its side, and wrapped up in a bow. It’s my car. My car! OMG! I had showered, changed, eaten a late breakfast, then rushed down to examine my new toy.It is beautiful, with sleek lines that remind me of him, a color dark enough to hint at his growly personality, and a
Violet It’s six days to the Christmas party, and I am almost done with the projects I have undertaken. My dress is done. So is the other outfit I have been working on. My morning sickness is also almost gone. And if I have to stay another day cooped up in here, I am going to go stark, raving mad. Clearly, the lack of sex is getting to him. Since our tryst on the terrace, I have not seen him at all. If he does sleep at night… It, clearly, isn’t in the bed next to me, as his side of the bed remains untouched when I awake in the mornings. He hasn’t been in the room, as far as I can tell. Which means he is sleeping somewhere else. Likely, in his office atV enom. Is he also sleeping withsomeone else there? But he said that he wasn't screwing anyone else. He wouldn't lie to me, would he? I tighten my fingers and Andy yowls in protest.He flicks out his baby claws and I yelp as he scratches me. I release him and he jumps down to the floor, then walks away with his tail high in the air. I
AlessioI draw in a sharp breath, glance at him. "What are you trying to say, Alessandro?" I say in a soft voice."Just that you are no longer Alessio, the Capo of the Cosa Nostra.""I’m not?" I frown.He nods, "You are a husband and a father-to-be, too… Roles which you, clearly, place a lot more importance on than just being the leader of our clan."I blink, "If you mean I am neglecting my duties as the head of the clan—""I mean that you are taking a bigger picture into view. You are looking to the future, and for the first time, you are planning with peace in mind, rather than a short-sighed chance to gain the upper hand."I rub the back of my neck, "Is that a backhanded compliment? If so—""It’s not a compliment. It’s a fact." He folds his arms across his chest. "You want to ensure that you neutralize any possible threats against your family. It’s understandable. It’s why you went ahead and met with two of our fiercest rivals. It’s why you didn’t breathe a word about it to anyone
Alessio "I hear your wife’s throwing a Christmas party?" JJ Kane, the head ofThe Kane Company, tilts his head, "That’s the thing with women. They have to make their presence felt, don’t they?"I curl my fingers into fists at my sides. How dare he talk about her? And how the hell does he know about the Christmas Party? Invitations had only been extended to my brothers, my father and my Nonna. And yeah, Beauty had insisted that Isabelle and Aurora be included.Initially, I had refused her and she had pleaded with me. She had batted those big, green eyes at me and I had been a goner. Of course, I had agreed. Isabelle is loyal, no question. And Aurora? She knows better than to open her mouth about anything she sees and hears. There’s no way either of them would have spoken to anyone about the event. My brothers wouldn’t have breathed a word to anyone… Nor would Nonna. As for the Don... Well, much as I don’t trust him, given he knows that Violet is pregnant with his grandchild, not even
Violet We didn't get to the dessert, after all. After I came, he'd taken off his shirt and made me wear it over my torn dress. Then he'd scooped me up into his arms and carried me to his bedroom. We hadn't encountered anyone on the way. Not Isabelle, not Pablo. Apparently, his staff knows when to make themselves scarce. And, yep, he broke his own rule for us to have separate bedrooms. I had fallen asleep promptly. When I woke up, he was gone. I had spent the rest of that day working on my dress, with Andy for company. Oh, also I'd moved my things into his room, and he hadn't said anything. It might be because I didn't see Alessio all that day, or for that matter, on any of the days that followed our reconciliation. Isabelle mentioned to me that he has been deep in negotiations with rival clans to restore some semblance of peace in the country. This means that the security around the house has been tripled… Or so she tells me. Not that I can tell the difference. For all practical
AlessioThis woman... The things she says... She never ceases to surprise me. I grip her shoulders to pull her up and she wraps her arms around my neck. "I mean it, Ales," she murmurs, "I want you inside me, one way or the other.""I don’t want to hurt you." I wrap a strand of her gorgeous hair around my fingers, "Right now, your comfort is more important than anything else to me.""And I already told you that I want you."I peer into her face, take in her flushed features, her gaze wide with anticipation; those green eyes stare back at me and in them is a look of feverish need. I wrap my fingers about the back of her nape and bring her forehead to mine, "Any other time, if you weren’t pregnant, I’d not deny this to you, but right now, given your condition, it’s not something I can give you.""Alessio," she pleads, "this is no time for an attack of conscience."I laugh, "Trust me, if it were up to me, I’d be inside you so often you wouldn’t be able to walk straight, but this is not ju
Violet "Dessert?" I blink rapidly. "Is Pablo going to serve us dessert?""He offered to make dolce for us, but I told him to wait. We’ll have it after.""After?" My cheeks heat, "After what?""After..." He lifts me up onto the table, then pushes my legs apart. The dress I’m wearing is pushed up to above my knees. He slides his fingers up my thighs, and I try to squeeze them together."Relax," he murmurs, "I am going to make this so good for you."That’s what I am afraid of.I peer at him from between my eyelashes. "I thought you weren’t going to shag me?""Doesn’t mean I can’t pleasure you," his eyes gleam, "while I feast on you."A pulse flares to life between my legs. It mirrors the beat of my heart, the thud-thud-thud of the blood roaring in my ears as he rises to his feet. Without taking his gaze off of mine, he leans over and shoves the rest of the crockery aside. The dishes and remaining cutlery hit the ground with a crash that sweeps through me. He eases me onto my back, then
Violet "This is where we’re having dinner," he murmurs as he lowers me into a chair. I take in the crisp white table cloth that covers a table that has been set with silverware for two. The alcove is sheltered from the breeze by a screen on one side. The view itself is undisturbed though, and I glance out at the sea that stretches out into the distance. A cool breeze tugs at my hair. I tuck the strands behind my ear, turn back to the table arrangement. There’s a vase in the center of the table with one single perfectly formed black rose, the edges of the petals a blood red. It’s a perfect bloom, unlike anything I have ever seen. He reaches for a blanket that has been placed on a stool by the side. He places it over my lap, then tucks it at the sides. "How does that feel?" "Good," I murmur. "Not too cold? Not too warm?" He nods toward the patio heater, "Should I turn that off?" "No," I pat the edge of the blanket, "I am comfortable, as is." "Good." He reaches for a napkin, shakes
Alessio I walked into the room to find beauty and fabian glancing in my direction, and the expression on her face is laced with guilt. I prowl toward her and she tips up her chin. "Were you talking about me, Beauty?" I murmur and she huffs."My every conversation is not about you.""What were you two talking about, then?""None of your business.""Everything about you is my business," I pause in front of her, "and you’d do best not to forget that."Fabian clears his throat, and I shoot him a sideways glance."We were discussing the Christmas bash," he explains."Is that right?" I turn to her, "That what’s got you tied up in knots, huh?""Exactly," she snickers, "Iam the one tied up in knots." She exchanges a glance with Fabian who chuckles."She’s been worried about finding a DJ for the party. It’s why I offered my services.""You’re going to DJ?" I scowl."Sure," he raises a shoulder, "it’s no biggie. I did it at many of the parties during my university days.""And here I thought y