After a deal gone wrong that leads to half of his soldiers being killed, a mafia boss is forced to knock on the doorstep of his enemies. What was supposed to be a measure to secure his empire turns out to be a wedding proposal to ensure peace between both criminal organizations. Soon, he realizes he's tied to mute woman who hates his guts. Although mute, Ariana Rossi is not one to back down from a challenge. She hates the big Russian, but she's determined to marry him to protect her family from his cruelty. Feelings were never supposed to be developed, but as months pass and emotions begin to blur, she finds her loyalty being torn between her family and a husband she swore to hate; one who had fast become her safe haven in their cruel world. With internal and external forces trying to tear them apart, she can only hope she has her husband by her side at the end of it all.
View MoreARIANA
ROSSI RELATIVES LIKED TO SHOW off no matter the given event. It didn't matter that it was a funeral. Or that said dead man was their cousin five times removed. I'd seen about five women donning expensive Cartier bracelets and diamond necklaces that cost more than a year's rent in New York, while they wailed loudly over a man they knew next to nothing about. Especially one who deserved his death. Of course, not a single tear slipped down their eyes. Whimpers, loud wails, sniffles, and sobs they could do while holding a crumpled Kleenex to their eyes, but they wouldn't be caught dead ruining their flawless make-up. Papà wasn't a good man, and that was a truth I'd carried with me for years. Perhaps that was why I couldn't manage a single tear at his funeral. Or maybe it was just because I found crying... unnecessary. The deed had already been done. The smartest thing to do was to move on. I cringed when another loud wail filled the air, this one accompanied by snorts in between. Cristo. What was wrong with these women? One would think he was their lover or a close relation. Many of them flew in from Sicily and Naples. I could guarantee that not one of them had sat down to have a conversation with him in the past. They were merely distant, extended relatives. Deciding she wouldn't be left out of the show, another woman screamed in pain, clutching her chest like someone had dug a knife deep inside it. I eyed her with irritation. I was leaving this ceremony with a killer headache in my skull. That was for sure. For a second, I contemplated joining Papà in his coffin just so I could escape the theatrics, but I squashed the thought when I realized I'd have to be within breathing space of him. Beside me, my youngest brother sat with a bored look on his face, looking like he'd rather be anywhere but here. Same here, brother. Just like me, Enzo didn't like Papà, but no matter how many times I asked, he never told me why. I eventually gave up asking, because we were in the same boat. In my case, I couldn't tell him even if I wanted to. I reached for his hand, squeezing it lightly in a silent show of support. He turned to face me, a slight smile reserved for only family tipping up the corner of his lips. I grinned back at him before placing my head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around me, his other hand resting on mine. To the onlookers, we looked like two grieving siblings, but in reality, we were both relieved he was gone. As if he'd read my thoughts, Enzo said, "He deserved to die." I nodded in agreement. That I could easily agree with. Rocco Rossi was scum of the earth. The ceremony droned on for minutes, our relatives' cries acting as a soundtrack. Just when I was about to throw in the towel and walk out of the ceremony, the priest announced that it was time for the committal. I jumped to my feet so fast that I'd have fallen had Enzo not held me to his side. I flashed him an appreciative smile as he led me to our Papà's coffin. The wails only got louder as we went to say our last goodbyes to the dead. We had to have a closed coffin during the funeral because my cousin, Nicholas, had tortured him beyond recognition for all his sins. All I could say to that was good riddance. I felt someone come up to my side, and when I turned, I found my other brother there. Matteo. He and Mamà were the only ones wrecked by Papà's betrayal. Understandably. Matteo had been closer to him than the rest of us. They'd arguably been best friends, so Papà's treachery came as a shock to him. I slipped my hand into his, squeezing it the same way I squeezed Enzo's, only Matteo needed the comfort. He squeezed back, throwing an arm around Mamà, who stood on his other side. I shivered slightly as a wave of cool breeze hit my face. It was the perfect weather for a funeral, setting the mood for the somber air that had fallen over the solemn crowd. Together, we were the perfect, mourning family. If only they knew I wished I was the last thing he saw before he took his final breath. *** I shrugged off my coat, handing it to the maid that stood by the front door to collect everyone's coats as they came to say their condolences for the umpteenth time. Mamà had returned home immediately with Matteo, unable to bear everything that happened. Enzo and I stayed behind for appearances' sake until every last guest had left. I wanted nothing more than to kick off my six-inch heels. Maybe I could have a glass of bubbly champagne in the privacy of my room while taking a bath. I nodded to myself. That was a foolproof plan. It'd be like my little celebration without anyone being none the wiser. I began my journey up the stairs, and for some reason, I found my feet dragging me in the direction of his office. I hadn't stepped foot in there in years, so maybe this was my closure. 'Or maybe you're a coward for doing this after his death,' a voice taunted. I immediately tuned it out. Either way, I was getting my closure today. I squared my shoulders, taking sure, measured steps to his office, my heels clicking on the pristine marble floors. I paused in my tracks a few feet away from the door when I heard raised voices. One, in particular, sounded like Matteo. "Get out! He's dead. We don't have to do sh*t!" His outburst was followed by three successive shots. I ran to the door, throwing it open, panic making my eyes wide. I paused when I saw a fuming Matteo standing behind papà's desk while Nicholas sat next to him, his gun pointed at a man, who sat on the other side of the desk. Two strange men I'd never met before sat across from them, and they both turned around when I burst into the room. My heart stuttered in my chest as two heavy gazes landed on me. The two men looked alike with their angular faces, sharp jaws, and generous lips. I immediately knew they were related—probably brothers. One had a wider set shoulder and a five o'clock shadow on his jaw. He also looked older than the other man. "I change my mind," the older man said without taking his emerald-green eyes off of me. "I'll have her instead," he declared, tilting his head to the side with a cocky air around him. The way he dragged his gaze over my body slowly and intentionally rubbed me the wrong way. I immediately decided that I hated him. I scowled at him. There was something about the way he carried himself that said he was a cocky narcissist. Immediate red flag. I didn't like such men. "Like f*ck you will!" Matteo burst out, storming over to my side. "I'm done with this conversation, Niko. Get them out of here," he spat, directing me to the open door. I'd never heard or seen Matteo this upset before. Papà's betrayal must really be eating him up. I followed him up another flight of stairs until we got to my room. He threw the door open, gesturing for me to walk in. "Don't leave your room for the rest of the day. Understood?" He snapped. I folded my arms behind my back, cocking a brow at him. Did he forget that I was older than him and Enzo? He sighed, his shoulders dropping. "Sorry, Ari. Just... stay here, okay? For your safety. I have to clean up Father's mess." My heart melted for him. He was the eldest son, hence the responsibilities of the family now fell on him as the new head of the family. I knew he'd been preparing for this day, but not so soon. I wrapped my arms around his torso, pressing myself against his chest, silently offering him some comfort. His body sagged against mine, and he tucked his head into the crook of my neck. "I... f*ck, Ari... he..." He choked on a sob, his shoulders shaking with tears. I rubbed small circles on his back, letting him purge it all out. "He ruined our family, Ariana. He's not who I thought he was. He hurt all those... f*ck!" He cried silently on my shoulder for over five minutes before he pulled away from me. He plastered a weak smile on his face. "You should go get some sleep. I'll go take care of those Russians downstairs." I returned his smile, squeezing his hand lightly before closing my door, so he could get back to his meeting. My plan to celebrate was now scrapped. Mission make Matteo happy again was now in place.ALEKSEI present An hour later, and my pockets were two million dollars lighter, but nothing beat the smile on my wife's face as she let loose possibly for the first time in her life. "Did you have fun up there?" "Mhm." She bobbed her head, the air of excitement around her palpable. "Even though Deo cheated." I laughed, dropping my forehead on hers. "I don't think he did. You just suck at playing." "Hey, be on my side!" She whined as her arms wound their way around my neck. "You're my husband, aren't you?" Fuck. "A man can only have so much restraint, Solnyshko." I nipped at her lower lip, pulling away before I gave the entire dancefloor a show. "Don't tempt me like that in public." If she kept saying things like that, there was no predicting when my already fragile control would snap. Not to mention her short dress that barely grazed her mid-thigh, showing off those tempting legs I had wrapped around my waist some hours ago. Ariana heard about the underground nightclub in the
ALEKSEInineteen years ago"Why do you keep coming here?" The slurred words filled my ears as I mopped the dried vomit stuck to the floor. "I tried to kill you before. Do you think I couldn't do it again?"It was ten in the morning, and Mom was already drunk. I couldn't remember the last time she was fully sober. Or nice. Now, she was always so angry and mean."Don't ignore me, you brat!" She snapped, tossing her half-empty bottle of beer at me. The alcohol dulled her aim, and the bottle crashed into pieces at my feet instead of hitting my head like she intended.I sighed, wiping the sweat off my brow. At this rate, I wouldn't be done with cleaning before the nanny dropped Misha off. "I'm here because you're lonely all the time."Dad couldn't care less about her, and he hadn't come to see her since he kicked her out. She would have no one if Misha and I abandoned her, too."Don't pity me, bastard!" She threw another bottle at me. "And don't look at me with those ugly eyes!"I dropped
ALEKSEINinety minutes later, the pianist had wrapped up her performance, and Ariana was fangirling over her at the side, where they conversed animatedly.I'd accidentally stumbled upon her conversation with her best friend on the phone a while ago. Apparently, they were big fans of the pianist, and they'd missed the opportunity to get tickets to her New York show before they sold out.Deo happened to be hosting an event for a few acquaintances, and I found he'd hired her services for the night. Long story short, I made him kick out a few intended guests to take their spots.How Viktor was one of the few guests in attendance remained a mystery to me, and Deo refused to tell. Speaking of Viktor...I turned slightly in my seat, tearing my gaze off Ariana for a few seconds to find Viktor in the crowd. He stood quietly to the side, nursing a glass of wine—his preferred drink of choice—while he leaned his weight against the walls of the glass dome.I followed the
ALEKSEIOLD ME WOULD BE balking at current me.Not only had I skipped work for forty-eight hours—and counting; I'd also taken a flight out of New York for reasons unrelated to my work. Both choices were unlike me.My entire adult years revolved around work, and it was a conscious decision I had taken because I was avoiding everything else around me.The one thing I feared the most was coming to fruition right before my very eyes, but my brain had completely turned off when it came to dealing with this woman, it seemed.The very thing I made the decision to run away from when I was ten stood in front of me in the form of a frowning, five-foot-nothing woman, who looked at me like she wanted chop my dick off.Maybe losing control wasn't so bad, after all."Tell me!" Ariana whined, grabbing onto my forearm to stop me from moving forward."It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now, would it?""Ugh, you suck." She let go of my arm, turning to walk in
ARIANAHe did scrub me clean, but it didn't end there.He made me sit still while he dried and brushed my hair for me. And color me surprised when I walked into the closet to find clothes all in my size next to his—clothes I was sure I never purchased for myself—and all my care products I didn't remember telling him about.Now I was perched on the couch, watching him frolic around the kitchen because he didn't want me to lift a finger. More than sixty minutes passed with me scrolling through endless movie options on Netflix before he rounded the counter with a tray of food and drinks.I sat up straight, adjusting the pillows around me as he approached the couch.This was my second time seeing him in casual clothing. That one time back in Russia didn't count because he took off the sweatpants almost immediately, and I never got a good look at him because I was trying not to pay attention to him.Big mistake on my part because he looked just as gorgeous in his
ARIANA"Currently my type is a blonde, five-foot-four spitfire. Kind as fuck, too stunning for this world, gets mad for my sake. What's not to love?"My breath hitched in my chest. I didn't miss his less than subtle use of the L-word."Also, her protectiveness turns me the fuck on, and her nonchalance after she gets called out on it is even better. And that smart mouth of hers..." he trailed off."And what about it?""I could listen to it talk about the most mundane things, and I still wouldn't get tired of listening to her sweet voice."I released the shaky breath I was holding. I didn't realize those were the things he thought of me, and I'd be lying if I said I was unaffected by his words. "Currently?""Hm?""You said currently. Are you looking to change your type again?" "Depends. Is she going to dye her hair a different color again?""Maybe?" I hid my smile."Then the list will be updated." His lips hovered over mine seductively. "Do
ARIANAI STIRRED OUT OF my slumber, slowly blinking my eyelids open to take in my surroundings.Where was I?This didn't look like my bedroom, and neither did it look like Aleksei's. For some reason, I was also sore. What the hell happened last night?I pushed my hair out of my face, trying to sit up on my bed, but a thick arm around my waist prevented me from doing so, pulling me closer into a muscular, warm body."Where are you going, baby?" Aleksei's sleepy mumble drifted into my ears as he buried his face in my neck, tightening his grip around my waist."Nowhere."Memories from last night played in my head like a movie.Aleksei picking me up from Niko's house; me asking him to fuck me, and then him bringing us to this penthouse. The remaining details didn't need to be recounted in my head. My body could feel it.I buried my face in my palm, groaning quietly as my words from last night bombarded my head. I couldn't believe I'd said half the thi
ALEKSEI I LET MY EYES briefly fall shut as I slid in to the hilt, burying myself deep in her warm heat. Her walls tightened around my cock despite her not having full control of her body yet, and she whimpered softly, clawing at the sheets. It was hard to tear my eyes off her face. She was flawless in every sense of the word from her long lashes that spilled over high cheekbones to her full lips parted with pleasure, to the slight pinch between her perfectly arched brows. I lowered my lips to her forehead, softly kissing the wrinkle between her brows away. Her cheeks flushed a slight pink, and she tried turning her face away from me. This woman. I just made her come twice, once on my tongue and once around my cock. Yet she still blushed over a little kiss on her forehead, like I didn't have my cock inside of her right now, fucking her to the brink of another orgasm. I smiled to myself. Of course, she got shy over a kiss lik
ARIANAMY BACK ARCHED OFF the bed as he thrust in slowly, filling me inch by excruciating inch until I was sure I'd explode if I took any more of him."Fuck," I cried out, hiding my face in the crook of his neck as pain seared through my body.Aleksei stopped moving. "Don't look away from me, Solnyshko. I want to see your face." His fingers sank into my hair, gently pulling my head back. Worry filled his eyes when they clashed with mine. "Tell me how you feel.""Full," I admitted. "It hurts a little.""That's just the tip, baby. Are you sure we shouldn't stop?"My eyes rounded into saucers. "Just the tip?"I looked down at where we were joined, and my jaw dropped.Oh, fuck. He wasn't lying.God, I knew he was huge - I'd felt it in my palms when I touched him - but I didn't expect him to be that huge that I mistook just a few inches for the entire length of his cock.Nonetheless, I shook my head, even though I damn well knew I was dancing with
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
Comments