Damien Hernando’s funeral was a week ago. The cold air around the estate still lingered like a ghost that refused to leave. Everyone was mourning, including me—but I couldn’t let the grief take me down. Not when I had men depending on me. Hernando wouldn’t have wanted me to crumble. He would’ve wanted me to lead. That morning, I stood outside the estate where all the men had gathered. Their eyes were heavy, some red from tears, some tired from the weight of loss. “I know we’re all still hurting,” I began, my voice was firm as I spoke. “Hernando was more than a boss. He was family. He was the kind of man who looked after his people, protected what was his, and kept the streets clean in his way.” They listened, quietly, not a single word spoken. “Before he passed, he made it clear that Raul and I would take over operations. That’s not something I take lightly. I know some of you are scared—scared for your jobs, and your future. But I swear to you… I won’t fail. Not him. Not you.”
Alison Damien didn’t look stunned.Those piercing blue eyes—God, the same ones I had tried so hard to forget—locked onto me, wide with disbelief. Not a single word came out of his mouth at first. He just stood there, staring at me like he didn’t quite believe I was real. And I hated that a part of me wanted to reach out, trace the shape of his lips, and kiss him right there. But I didn’t. The anger buried deep inside me kept my hands still. I had suffered too much to fall for that face again. “You’re lying,” he finally said, in a firm voice.I shook my head slowly, fingers tightening around my car keys. “I’m not. I’m getting married. I don’t want anything to do with you, Damien.” His brows pulled together like the truth tasted bitter. Then he said, “You’re only saying this to push me away.” I didn’t respond. “I had Pronto keep an eye on you these past few months,” he said. “He never said anything about a wedding. No rings. No venues. No guy. So tell me—who is he, Alison?
Author’s note: This book is dedicated to all the girls who love mafia men. “I wouldn’t have gotten married to you if I knew you were nothing but a cheat!” Aiden screamed. He grabbed my arm, yanking me backward with a force that sent me crashing into the cold wall. “Aiden, please,” I sobbed, my voice trembling as I slid down the wall onto my knees. “I don’t know what happened! I swear, I—” “Don’t you dare lie to me!” Aiden cut me off, his finger pointed at me like a dagger. “I caught you, in bed with another man. What could you possibly say to defend that? Huh?” “Aiden, I… I don’t remember…” “Stop!” he roared, stepping back as if my presence disgusted him. “I don’t want to hear it!” I crawled toward him, grabbing at his pant leg desperately. “Please, Aiden. Don’t do this. Let me explain—” Aiden shook me off, turning to flash me a cold look. “Save your breath. You’ve destroyed everything. No form of explanation would make things better.” With that, he stormed out of the hote
Alison“Steal?” I said in a shocking tone. “I’m not doing that.”“You have no choice err…” he looked at me, with those dark eyes that made my skin crawl. “What’s your name?”“It’s Alison.” I replied. “And I’m not stealing for you. If there’s something else I could do…”“Alison!” He called my name and I wondered why until he spoke up again. “Do you want the bouncer to throw you out? Because I wouldn’t hesitate to tell them that you tried to do something shady.”I sighed. I couldn’t get thrown out. I needed to see Adam. He was the only one who could save me from sleeping on the streets.“Are you going to do what I ask or should I call the bouncer?” I was trapped. I just had to do it.“Okay what do you want me to steal?” I said and a smirk popped up on his lips. It could be mistaken for a smile because of the way his eyes radiated.“You see that man over there with the hat. He has a watch placed in his pocket all you have to do is swipe it off him and bring it to me.”“What if he ca
Alison“Where are we going?” I finally asked, breaking the silence. We had been driving for hours, heading down the path that led out of the city. I was beginning to feel uneasy.The stranger’s dark eyes flicked to me in the rearview mirror. “The Highlands,” he said simply. “The Highlands?” I asked.“My home,” he added, offering no further explanation. Finally we pulled into a long, winding driveway. Guards were stationed outside, and they bowed their hands when he stepped out.“Damien!” A man called out walking in our direction, and I saw the stranger look his way.‘So that was his name?’ I thought to myself. “I thought you were dead,” The man continued. “You didn’t pick up my calls or reply to my messages.” “I had things to handle.” Damien said, in a firm tone.The man’s brows furrowed. “By things, you mean a bimbo?” He jerked his head in my direction, his scornful gaze raking over me. “The girl isn’t the reason I disappeared for days Hugh,” Damien replied evenly. “Our path
Alison I stared at Damien in disbelief. “You heard what I said.” His voice was cold, and his eyes distance. “Take off those clothes.” “I can’t.” I replied. “I don’t want to…” The cold calculating looking on his face faded, and a smirk popped up. “Do you think I want to fuck you?” I didn’t say anything I just stared at him. He chucked. “You’re not my type, Alison.” I noticed as he pulled out a red dress, handing it over to me. “Wear it or I will have to strip you down myself, and drape it over your head.” He said. I collected the dress, and Damien gave me a warm look. “Good girl.” “If I do this would I leave this place?” I asked ignoring his words. “Do you want to die?” He asked in a casual tone. I shook my head. “Then stop asking questions. You have one minute to get dressed. I will be waiting in the car.” He walked away leaving me alone, as I held the dress. I hated the fact that he was doing this. I got dressed quickly and when I got inside the car I asked Damien t
Damien ‘When did I become so weak?’ I muttered to myself as I watched as one of my men directed Alison out of the room. It was unlike me not to inflict punishment when need be. ‘What was wrong with me?’ “Damien!” The sound of my name being called caused me to pull myself out of my thoughts. I turned to see Gemma standing right in front of me. “Hugh has sent me to call you. He said he has something important to discuss.” “Tell him I would be there shortly.” I said to Gemma not giving her a second glance. My eyes were on Alison and the moment she was about to be directed down the corridor I shouted, gaining the attention of my men. “Bring her back.” I said. I saw Alison’s face change as I spoke. “Damien! Hugh has something really important to discuss.” Gemma spoke up again. I rolled my eyes, placing my gaze on Gemma. “Didn’t you hear what I said?” She nodded, and I placed my eyes back on Alison as I spoke. “Go deliver my message.” “You know she’s distracting you.” Gemma spo
Damien“How did this happen?” I said in thunderous tone as I peered between Ollie, and the rest of the men behind him.“They breached the entrance. W…wwe didn’t see them come through and when realized it, we tried to our best to..”“Tried!” I spat. “If you all can’t defend our territory. You’re showing the enemies that we are weak.”“You need to calm down Damien!” Hugh said, and I furrowed my brows.“I can’t calm down.” My voice increased, and saw fear take over the eyes of my men.“You have failed me. All of you.”I said with my eyes landing on each, and everyone of them. “And you know what happens when you fail me.”I watched as they dropped to them knees. Their face covered in more fear as they looked at me.“We are sorry boss.” They said. “We didn’t mean to—““Silence!” I growled, raising up a hand. “Your pleads won’t save you. You all will be punished once I return.”Then my gaze focused on Ollie. “I want the keys to the truck. I’m going to the city.“The minute my men walked a
Alison Damien didn’t look stunned.Those piercing blue eyes—God, the same ones I had tried so hard to forget—locked onto me, wide with disbelief. Not a single word came out of his mouth at first. He just stood there, staring at me like he didn’t quite believe I was real. And I hated that a part of me wanted to reach out, trace the shape of his lips, and kiss him right there. But I didn’t. The anger buried deep inside me kept my hands still. I had suffered too much to fall for that face again. “You’re lying,” he finally said, in a firm voice.I shook my head slowly, fingers tightening around my car keys. “I’m not. I’m getting married. I don’t want anything to do with you, Damien.” His brows pulled together like the truth tasted bitter. Then he said, “You’re only saying this to push me away.” I didn’t respond. “I had Pronto keep an eye on you these past few months,” he said. “He never said anything about a wedding. No rings. No venues. No guy. So tell me—who is he, Alison?
Damien Hernando’s funeral was a week ago. The cold air around the estate still lingered like a ghost that refused to leave. Everyone was mourning, including me—but I couldn’t let the grief take me down. Not when I had men depending on me. Hernando wouldn’t have wanted me to crumble. He would’ve wanted me to lead. That morning, I stood outside the estate where all the men had gathered. Their eyes were heavy, some red from tears, some tired from the weight of loss. “I know we’re all still hurting,” I began, my voice was firm as I spoke. “Hernando was more than a boss. He was family. He was the kind of man who looked after his people, protected what was his, and kept the streets clean in his way.” They listened, quietly, not a single word spoken. “Before he passed, he made it clear that Raul and I would take over operations. That’s not something I take lightly. I know some of you are scared—scared for your jobs, and your future. But I swear to you… I won’t fail. Not him. Not you.”
Alison The soft beeping of the monitor was the first thing I heard. It echoed in the quiet room, and that sound pulled me back from the darkness. I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the white ceiling above me. I was in a hospital. I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through my side. My hand reached instinctively to the source and I winced. Then everything came rushing back. The gunshot. Edwardo. The pain. I gasped, my heart racing. Damien. Where was Damien? Was he hurt? Was he alive? The last thing I remembered was Raul’s face before everything went black. My thoughts were spinning when the door opened. A doctor walked in, clipboard in hand, a small, relieved smile on his face. “Mrs. Jones,” he said gently. “You’re awake. That’s good.” I looked at him, my throat dry. “How long… how long have I been here?” “A day,” he replied, walking to the side of my bed. He checked the IV drip, adjusted a few wires, and then looked back at me. “You’re stable now. You’ll be able to go h
Damien The minute the elevator door slid open with a metallic hiss, my eyes locked onto Edwardo. He stood there like a ghost from a nightmare, arms folded, a smug grin tugging at his scarred lips.“Well, well,” he said, with a bitter tone. “Long time no see, Damien.”My brows furrowed in disgust. I took a slow step forward. “Get out of my way, Edwardo. Or else.”He chuckled. “Or else what? You gonna shoot me right here, man?”Without a word, I nodded. His smile faded just a bit, but he held his ground.“You wouldn’t dare,” he said, stepping closer. “You shoot me, and you're finished. You’re gonna regret that.”“I don’t regret anything,” I growled.In one smooth motion, he reached inside his coat and pulled out his gun. I didn’t flinch. I drew mine too, with a steady hand and a raging heart.Edwardo smirked. “When I finally kill you, you’re going to end up with your woman in hell.”My heart slammed against my ribs. “Don’t you dare mention her?”“Why shouldn’t I? Don’t I have the right
Damien I followed Aiden closely, never letting him out of my sight.He was fast, pushing through the deeper part of the building, but I stayed on his heels. My footsteps echoed behind him. My heart pounded with anger which had clearly blinded me.“You’re not getting out of here easily,” I warned, with a growl in my voice. “This is your last day on earth.”Aiden laughed without even turning around. “You think your stupid little plan is going to work?” he shouted back. “I promise you, brother, you and that fucked-up wife of mine just dug your own grave.”I gritted my teeth. “You don’t get to call her that.”He laughed again. “I don’t regret a damn thing.”“You know what amuses me in all this is that I didn’t see through her facade. I should have discovered that there was no way that she could have made you fall in love without you trapping her with your charms. I blame that on myself. If I had known earlier I wouldn’t have welcomed her back to my home I would have killed her on the spo
Alison I took a deep breath and stepped forward.My heels clicked against the floor as I made my way toward the stage. It wasn’t a long walk, but it felt like the longest I’d ever taken. My heart pounded inside my chest. Every step felt heavy like I was walking through water.The crowd’s chatter dimmed as I got closer. When I finally climbed the steps and stepped onto the podium, the bright lights hit my face. I blinked against them but didn’t stop. My eyes found Aiden’s immediately.He was confused. He didn’t know what to do at that point and weirdly so did I.He mouthed something and when I didn’t leave he used my lack of obedience as an opportunity to swoon some of the people who were definitely doubting him after that protest happened.Then Damien’s voice came through the earpiece in my ear. “That’s my girl,” he said. “You’ve got this. Remember act according to the plan.”I swallowed the lump in my throat. My hands were slightly shaking, but I didn’t let it weigh me down. Not n
DamienThe day of Aiden’s downfall had finally arrived.I stared at myself in the mirror, the blood in my veins pumping faster than ever. My heart was racing, adrenaline rushing like a current. A coy smile stretched across my lips as I straightened the collar of my suit, then turned slightly to Alison.“Are you ready?” I asked.She gave a firm nod. “I’ve been ready.”We were both dressed in the disguises Raul had given us. Alison looked unrecognizable in her elegant red gown, with a lace mask hiding half her face. Her hair was styled perfectly, giving her the look of a high-society socialite. I wore a matching tux with a half-mask that gave me the air of someone powerful, someone untouchable.Moments later, Raul entered the room, fully geared and focused. “Let’s go. Time is ticking.”We didn’t hesitate. We followed him down the hallway and out of the safehouse. My steps slowed a little as we reached the staircase—my mind was racing again.The past two days had been torture. Hernando’s
Damien “I need you to choose between me or the gang!” Immediately those words left Alison’s mouth, I felt like a tornado was wrecking through every thought in my mind.I turned slowly, eyes narrowing in disbelief. “What?” I asked, almost not believing what I’d just heard.Alison stood a few feet away from me, arms crossed tightly across her chest. Her eyes were glassy, her lips pressed together, and her jaw trembled like she was holding back everything just to stay upright.“I said…” she swallowed hard, “…I need you to choose. Me, or this life filled with blood and danger.”I stared at her, stunned. “Why are you talking like this?”“Because I’m scared, Damien.” Her voice cracked. “I’m terrified of waking up and finding out you’ve been shot, or ambushed, or… or worse. You think I don’t see what’s happening? Every time you walk out that door, I don’t know if you’re coming back. This is the only way I know how to keep you.”“You’re giving me an ultimatum.” I shook my head. I felt like
Damien I stepped into the camera store with my cap pulled low, huffing my face perfectly. The inside smelled like old wires. A young man stood behind the desk, distractedly scrolling on a tablet. He looked up, mildly alarmed by my sudden presence.“I’m looking for your manager,” I said, voice cold, even.He blinked. “Uh... he’s not around right now.”I glanced through the window, where a black SUV I recognized from surveillance was parked out front. I turned back to him slowly.“Funny,” I said, cocking my head. “His SUV is outside.”“He... he left the car. He’s somewhere—” he stammered, but I cut him off. I pulled out my gun, the cold steel gleaming under the shop’s LED lighting.“I’m not going to ask again. Get your manager. Or I’ll paint this floor with your brains.”The guy went white. He swallowed hard and nodded, lips sealed in fear as he hurried through a side door. I turned and paced the store, scanning shelves lined with digital surveillance gear—HD cams, bugs, motion detect