BELLA The outdoor reception was Ros’s idea. She loved the sight of string lights and candles, decorating almost every part of the bamboo ceiling and poles, giving the venue a light yellow touch amidst all the whites and blues. The only part I hated was that she wasn’t here to bear through the eveni
“He had huge muscles and there were tattoos on his hands.” He pointed at the back of his hand. “He looked scary.” I couldn’t help but laugh at the look on his face. So pure and innocent. “You have nothing to fear,” I assured him and he stepped out of the room. “You’re the new bride.” “I am.” Ther
“Bombs,” someone yelled out. We lowered ourselves under the table while Adonis and his men pulled their guns out. Many men and women rushed toward the exit, trying to save their lives. I pulled Alessia closer to me and Mamma let out a heavy gasp and peeked her head out from under the table. “Don’t
BELLA Checking up on Fabi and Mamma one last time, I headed downstairs. The events had shaken everyone today. I knew I had nothing to reassure them with, not until Adonis and Matteo were back. Dante and Julian, the enforcer, were on the couch, faces smeared with tension. Julian’s phone buzzed, and
“I should’ve killed that kid when I caught hold of Durant. That fucking bastard! Even his son isn’t any less,” Julian groaned. “He’s just a kid,” I murmured under my breath. That was what I believed. Aleksandr was a kid whose father had done terrible things and got taken away from him. He could no
ADONIS Nine years ago I had killed a man an hour ago, only to become something I had never imagined—the boss of the most powerful crime family in the New York Cosa Nostra. The capo of the Vitale Crime Empire. Everyone expected me to give a speech about this uplifting experience, to tell them of the plans I had for the future of this syndicate. To say I had any would’ve been a lie. Everything about this was sudden, a catastrophe I couldn’t put a stop on. But, lucky for me, the moment I stepped on the stage, a courier arrived in my name—a box wrapped in colourful papers and adorned with ribbons like a fucking Christmas gift—stopping me from giving a speech I hadn’t even prepared. “Open the box,” dozens of suited men now under my reign yelled, curiosity piquing in their voices. I had no choice but to oblige. I hadn’t received a present in ages, at least not in boxes unless they were dead bodies of traitors and liabilities, or expensive drugs, weapons and liquors. This box looked to
BELLA “You could’ve told him to shove that empty file up his fat ass,” Harley said, gulping her fifth tequila shot. If I hadn’t known her better, I would've been surprised. Harley’s limit, which an average person called drunk, was only getting started, whereas I was on my fourth and my head was already hulking with the beats. “I seriously don’t want to talk about it on my night off. God forbid, we don’t get many of these.” “You’re right.” She shrugged. “Ron’s a dick. He keeps handing extension contracts to us because he’s too much of a slacker to go recruiting himself. At least you’re lucky this is your last mission. I still have one and a half years for my contract to fucking end.” “My last mission was supposed to be the end of my agent days,” I said, slouching in my seat at the bar. “What made you agree to this?” she asked. “Coming to think of it, you’ve never accepted a mission remotely close to the Mafia world.” “With good reason.” The reason I would rather die with than tel
ADONIS After hours of damage control at the casino, Dom and I returned to the warehouse where the drama had already started. Our latest rat’s, Nico’s, screams echoed through the metal door of the basement. Those sounds would only get louder and fiercer. I hated traitors. Betrayal was punishable by a slow, painful death. I paused and turned to Dom. “Is there anything else you want to tell me? Anything I should know before I go in?” “Julian called,” Dom responded in a hushed tone. “He said the club’s full of teenagers. Mostly. Everyone is being drugged, men and women.” “Stop all of it. Clear the bar and get everyone back home safely,” I ordered. “And I need Nico’s lackeys. Catch as many as you can. I need to know how many people they’ve transported till now and where.” “Okay.” He nodded, dialling on his phone. “This racket needs to be stopped.” I pushed the rusty door open; the handle stained with dried blood. Nico’s hands were shackled to the ceiling with thick metal chains that