Anateya Berretta had her entire life mapped out. Get good grades, get her MBA, and take over her papi's security company as his sole heir. However, papi messed up and now she was a bargaining chip held hostage by New York's No. 1 Mafia Lord. It certainly didn't help that she'd met the man before, and yearned for him like no other. Romero Bartolone was at the peak of his rule when he lost his favorite casino in an organized attack. Now he was out one billion, with countless elitists jonesing for the returns on their backdoor investment. She was only supposed to be a hostage, but he couldn't stay away from the alluring light inside her that called to his darkness. First things first, a debt was owed-- and if someone had to pay-- why not her? Besides, she was entangled in the game of the underground now, and he was the only monster who could keep her safe. Still, with dangers lurking all around, they remain vulnerable in the most high-stakes game of all, the game of hearts. And he'd burn the world... so as long as he didn't lose. [Nb: This is a dark romance book intended for mature audiences. Reader's discretion is advised.] No. of Chapters To Be Released: ~50
View MoreHad the tables been scantily attended, he would’ve been more keen, perhaps, to prevent the catastrophe that was to follow.
Gage rubbed his hands together in satisfaction as he observed the 35 tables on the ground floor teeming with gamblers who were eager to make a wager. The night was especially ripe with revelry. Tourists and locals alike flocked into The Armageddon, flitting from one table to the next in hopes of getting lucky.
The dealers would let them win on occasion to keep them interested, but not too much.
They were in the business of making money, after all.
Some gamblers didn’t even need the incentive of a win to stay in the game. Being the addicts they were, the mere hope of winning kept them glued to the game until one of the bouncers had to throw them out for their violent behavior.
Gage probably should feel sorry for them, but he had to feel sorry for himself first and foremost.
The Armageddon was one of a chain of highly successful casinos owned by none other than Romero Bartolone.
Bartolone was a ruthless Mafia family, and Gage had the misfortune of owning one of the best security companies in the world. When Romero asked him to take over the Security department of all his Casinos, Gage couldn’t say no.
No one said no to Bartolone.
The mere thought of the Romanian sent chills down his spine.
Gage turned his chair away from the Surveillance screens towards the door, where two burly men were waiting in apprehension.
“Jose? Devon? I thought I told you to work the back exit to prevent stragglers from coming in?”
Jose, a bouncer with a larger frame and spiky blond hair looked at his companion, hesitating for a full minute before finally responding.
“Boss… we have a situation on our hands.”
“What situation?” Gage arched his brow, “Is it Mr. Royce again? I told you guys to only let him in three times a week only three- and cut him off after his 10th loss. He keeps picking fights with the dealers and injuring them.”
Gage waved his hand dismissively, and Devon coughed.
“It’s much worse than that, Sir.” He replied, running his trembling hand over the unkempt beard on his chin.
Gage narrowed his eyes. Jose and Devon were two of the best guards on his roster. Upon closer inspection, they both looked jittery, almost like they would jump out of their skin at any moment.
“Start talking.”
Jose had said that it would be better if they showed him, and boy--were they right.
Gage stood frozen in the middle of the underground boiler room, the temperature in his veins plummeting as his eyes processed the C4 charges scattered all over the walls. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what the implications would be when the 15-minute timer ran out.
“How did this happen?!” Gage growled, turning on the two bouncers with menacing eyes. They shrank back from his stare.
“It was Dave and Cummings, Boss,” Devon stammered, “Surveillance caught them taking out the cameras. Since we were closest to the boiler room, Jose and I went to check it out.”
“We tried to disarm them, but each charge is set up on a pressure-sensitive trigger,” Jose explained, “If we move the charges a fraction of an inch from their original position, the whole thing will blow.”
Gage ran a frustrated hand through his hair, “ So there’s no way around this huh? Fuck!”
The trio looked at each other and then back at the explosives.
Only 10 minutes remained on the clock.
10 minutes wasn’t enough to get everyone out of the Casino and salvage all the cash and assets. They could either save one or the other.
And they sure as hell couldn’t save themselves from the wrath of Romero.
They were as good as dead.
Gage pulled out his radio, yelling into it as he walked briskly to the elevator.
“CODE RED! I repeat- CODE FUCKING RED! T-10: I need the ground team to get everyone out of the first and second floors and as far from the casino as possible. Everyone working VIP, get the guests to The Stratus Hotel & tell them that Mr. Bartolone will compensate them for the inconvenience,”
He stepped into the elevator with Jose and Devon in tow, slamming the button for the Top floor.
“Diablo, find Dave and Cummings. I want them alive so I can kill them myself!”
His team jumped into action the moment they heard the term ‘Code Red’. The indulgent ambiance was shattered by a blaring alarm, and security personnel were ushering dozens of civilians through emergency exits.
Gage had complete faith that his team would do what needed to be done so he focused on getting to the penthouse, particularly the safe. It was too late for him to do anything about the casino, but at least he could do his best to recover the cash and other valuables secured in the vault. Even if it managed to survive the blast, the collapse of the building would surely damage the priceless items locked inside.
He grimaced inwardly as he put in the codes— Bartolone no doubt was already notified of the situation and busy planning his gruesome death.
Gage rushed into the vault, popping open the empty briefcases that were on the shelves, and began carefully placing the art pieces inside their respective molds.
“Get as much cash as you can carry,” He told Jose and Devon.
With less than five minutes left on the clock, they slid down the emergency chute that was discreetly placed in the private bathroom of the penthouse.
They landed in the underground parking lot where Gage’s security detail was waiting in an SUV.
Spectators gathered in the vicinity of The Armageddon behind barricades, far enough to avoid the blast but close enough to see the chaos unfold.
The fire brigade was on standby along with the local bomb squad, all waiting for the inevitable fall of The Armageddon so they could run in and pick up the pieces.
Gage stood three blocks down, his hands balled into fists as he heard the first rumble. Jose stood to his left and Devon to his right, with concerned looks on their faces. The rest of the men were scattered along the block, silently cursing and calling for retribution.
At exactly 11:45 pm, the night sky lit up with a brilliant and consuming light that put the colorful Las Vegas strip to shame.
Gage watched in horror as the glorious Armageddon casino crumbled, descending into a sea of fire and ash.
⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜
Romero frowned in annoyance at his butler, who stood at the door, staring listlessly at him.
“What do you want, Wallace?” He growled.
Wallace approached his desk with a rum glass in one hand and a bottle of scotch in the other. He pulled the towel from his forearm and patiently rubbed the rum glass while Romero glared daggers.
Only when Romero was adequately supplied with liquor did he speak.
“The Armageddon was blown up ten minutes ago, Sir.”
The pen in his left hand snapped in two. “Excuse me?” Romero raised his brow and took a long sip, casually grabbing the pocket square from his left breast. He crushed it in his palm to absorb the spilled ink. He’d have to reprint the contract and start over from scratch.
He had impeccable hearing but there was no way the information coming to him was accurate.
Wallace sighed, dreading that he had to be the bearer of bad news. Romero was so unpredictable. It wasn’t uncommon for the Romanian to kill the messenger.
Fortunately for him, he was a butler to the Bartolone family for thirty-five years. He was practically family at this point. Wallace hoped Romero would remember that and opt not to kill him in a fit of rage.
“The Armageddon was blown up. It’s all over the news, the place is swarming with law enforcers. Firemen as we speak are trying to contain the fire that had spread to the Olsen Star Hotel and De Vida Night Club.”
“I don’t give a fuck about some stupid hotel and nightclub!” Romero roared, throwing his drink— glass and all— into the fireplace.
“Fuck!” He ran a hand through his dark hair, his mind going a mile a minute to find someone to nail for the demise of his most successful casino.
The Armageddon was the crown jewel in his chain of casinos, the very heart of his lucrative money laundering activities.
Neither the banks nor the police batted an eye at the excess cash flow, especially since many elite people of status visited for recreational pleasure.
If anyone happened to get curious, they were swiftly dealt with.
Wallace pulled out a phone to show him video evidence. The longer Romero watched, the darker his expression became. His eyes turned to a cold abyss as he witnessed the staggering loss of a billion dollars.
He had stakeholders and investors he would have to do control damage with on both sides of the law, and his extensive clientele would be expecting their washed money in hand.
It was gonna be an absolute shitstorm.
“Bring me Berretta. Now.”
This offense demanded blood, and he would have it.
Romero walked into the hotel room where Gage and two members of his security team were being held.
Gage was tied to a chair, blood dripping from a cut on his brow, while the other two- Dave and Cummings, knelt together on the floor, their faces smug and satisfied. Diablo, the man tasked with capturing the two, stood behind watching.
“Otrava,” Gage said weakly in acknowledgment, straightening in his chair.
“Indeed,” Romero hummed, pushing his sleeves up and sitting on the chair that was brought out for him. “What’s this I hear about my Armageddon?” He propped his elbows on his knees and laced his fingers under his sharp chin.
“Our security team was compromised.”
“Come again?”
“The team was compromised,” Gage admitted again, “We had a huge wave of guests coming in for the weekend and needed extra hands. I hired Dave and Cummings to work a few night shifts. I vetted them—”
“Vetted?—”
“Everything checked out!” Gage choked on his explanation, his airway constricted in Ronin's grip
“Everything checked out huh?” Romero’s voice got low and quiet, almost comforting. A stark contrast to the hand that was squeezing the life out of Berretta. He tightened his chokehold, “If it did, my casino wouldn’t be rubble, would it?”
“I didn’t know they were Sosa’s men!” Gage struggled to get the words out.
The Sosa Kartel was a large drug ring run by Sars Sosa— the bane of Romero’s existence. Sars tried for many years to get into money laundering, but Romero’s operation was just too great, his reach too far. Every major player was already fiercely Loyal to the Bartolone Family, and Sars was shut out.
Sars was always trying under-handed tactics to weaken Romero’s hold and was ignored for the most part, but this—blowing up his casino—was the last straw.
It was time to swat a fly, Romero decided.
Right after he dealt with Berretta.
“It’s your job to know!” Romero bellowed. His head whipped to the right when Dave started cackling under his breath.
If he wanted Otrava’s attention, he got it. Romero’s rage was now directed at him and his accomplice. Diablo stepped forward and hit him with the but of his gun.
“Pleased, aren’t you?” Romero chuckled, standing above them. His regard was that of a Lion towards freshly mauled meat.
“Damn, straight. It’s about time someone taught y’all Bartolones a lesson, prancing around like you own the place.” Dave smiled smugly.
Cummings, the fool he was— added to the insult, “Such a shame you weren’t in it when we blew your pretty little playhouse to bits.”
Romero laughed. His eyes twinkled with something dark and sinister. His gaze flicked to Diablo, then to Cummings, “Cut out that one’s tongue.”
When Diablo finished, he threw the offending organ to the floor and stomped on it. Cummings slumped to the side, choking on his blood. He coughed, gurgled, and sputtered until he was silent.
“Puta!” Dave spat at Romero’s feet. Romero ignored him and beckoned to Diablo to bring a small velvet box. Gage watched on in silence. He knew what was about to happen.
Otrava only reserved this punishment for the worst of his enemies. He had created the poison himself, a deadly concoction that slowly destroyed the body from the inside out. A single dose would have a man suffering for days. Double the dosage and you’d be dead in 24 hours.
From the looks of it, Otrava wanted it slow and painful.
Romero donned black gloves and lifted the syringe from the mold. Dave eyed the grey liquid and tried to mask his panic with rage.
“You can kill me, but you can never stop Sosa! We’ll never stop coming after you, you scu!-”
Romero pulled his head back and jammed the needle through his left eye. Dave howled in pain as the poison was released into his body.
“Go back to your master, dog,” Romero growled, “and tell him Otrava says: This means war.”
With that, Diablo dragged Dave out of the room while he yelled all manner of obscenities.
“What am I gonna do with you now, Berretta?” Romero said more to himself when they were alone. He leaned back on the chair and crossed his arms.
Gage was excellent at his job in all the years they worked together. Loyal and meticulous. How could he have made such a grave error? They had an amicable relationship for the most part, and money could get him another security company, but true loyalty was hard to find.
However… one billion dollars wasn’t easy to forgive.
“I could kill you and everyone you’ve ever loved,” He said after a while, “but that won’t get me my money back, and it sure as hell won’t satisfy the long list of people I now owe.”
“I can avenge you,” Gage straightened on his chair. “If you let me go, I can infiltrate the Sosa Kartel and take them down from the inside.”
Romero chuckled, “Is that so? Who’s to say that you won’t run off and hide? Not that there’s anywhere you can go where I won’t find you.” He tsked, “I need more than just your word Berretta. You lost me a billion goddamn dollars.”
“I will return, I swear it.” Gage pleaded. Romero shook his head.
“I need leverage, Berretta. Something that will motivate you to do as you so swear. That’s the only way you are leaving this room alive tonight.”
Gage held his head down, his shoulders dropping in defeat. There was only one thing that was so precious to him that could appease Otrava. It was a dreadful idea and he prayed in his heart that God would forgive him for what he was about to do.
“I have a daughter,” Gage lifted his head. Romero’s brows lifted in surprise.
“You have a daughter?”
“Yes.”
“Interesting…” Romero smirked. Berretta couldn’t be called the best if he didn’t know how to hide his own daughter. Romero had done a thorough check on Berretta, and none of the reports showed that he had a kid. He was satisfied that Gage had a soft spot he could stab.
“My daughter and heir is most precious to me. She can remain with you until I repay my debts.”
“And if you fail?”
“I won’t fail,” Gage answered immediately. There was no room for failure or his only child would be trapped with Bartolone forever. He didn’t even wanna think about what Romero would do to her if his plan fell through. No. Failure was not an option.
Romero considered everything that was said carefully. He still wanted to kill something, but Berretta’s proposal was better. Sosa was indeed the number one person to blame. If Gage could do as he vowed, then that would recover a significant portion of the money lost and leave a gaping door for new clients.
If the old man failed, then he could just keep the kid and find an appropriate way to use her for revenge.
“Very well then,” Romero smiled, a cold baring of his teeth that struck fear into Gage. There was no turning back now.
“Bring her to me.”
Anateya kept her expression blank as Romero’s warm hand settled on the small of her back, guiding her through the lobby of Premise Enterprises. Employees who flitted back and forth gave them a wide berth, whispering behind their hands– no doubt about Gage’s mystery daughter and her powerful new husband.It reminded her of when her papa brought her to an aquarium as a small child. She pointed and gawked at the sea creatures for the better part of an hour, asking a million questions a minute. Looking back, she wondered if they felt as exposed and vulnerable as she did now.This was her legacy, yet it didn’t feel quite like hers. Anateya didn’t know these people, their culture, or their language. A few weeks ago, she was technically a nobody. Now, her face was splashed on the front page of every news outlet.It certainly didn’t help that Romero was trying to take her birthright before she could make sense of it.“After you,” Romero gestured for her to get into the elevator. Bodyguards fi
The moment her mind cleared from the high, Anateya scrambled off the bed and hurried towards the bathroom.“Anateya, Ana-wait! Dammnit.” Romero cursed, fist slamming against the door that shut before he could stop her.Reaching for the robe hanging next to her, she shrugged it on, wrapping the belt tightly around her waist. Pressing her back against the door, she let out a shuddering breath, willing her heart to settle.She couldn’t make head nor tail of her emotions. She wanted to stay angry at Romero, but she melted every time he touched her. A rush of heat bloomed between her thighs at the thought of how she shamelessly gave herself to him, begging just like he said she would.As much as she hated to admit it. Romero was right. Her father had a choice, and in his desperation, he chose to use her as leverage, dragging her into a war she had no business being in the middle of.She just wanted to go to college and do d
“What’s wrong with you?” Romero questioned, dropping a kiss on her neck. “Despite everything, I know you want me. That’s the one thing we could never deny between us. So, why the sudden change?”After hearing her vows, it took every ounce of willpower not to ditch the rest of the ceremony and bring her home where he could have her all to himself for hours on end.“I don’t know, maybe because you forced me to marry you mere days after losing my father?!” She snapped. “What, are you gonna force me to sleep with you too?”His brows furrowed, “This is the second time you’ve mentioned that tonight. You were never worried about that before. Why are you acting like this? Tell me.”He pulled back, studying her features. Her face was flushed, eyes averted. Her chest rose and fell with short erratic breaths and her lips were pressed into a thin line. His petarda looked skittis
Anateya felt her throat constrict as the altar drew closer and closer.This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.She’d envisioned her nuptials a million times since she was ten. In her fantasy, her father was by her side, happily giving her away– not Antino– stiff and fuming with rage. She would say I do to a loving doting man, upstanding in society and fit to be her husband.Instead, at the end of the aisle, she would meet a monster who was determined to have his way by any means necessary. Even if it meant robbing her of the one special moment she looked forward to most.She’d never felt so conflicted.Her desire clashed with the grief of losing her father and she could find no way to rationalize Romero’s actions. Still, she craved him like her next breath. What did that make her? A traitor to those who cared for her? A victim of Stockholm? Or a reckless angel–willingly throwing herself over the edge to fall for a devil?And what
He’d never admit it, but he was pleased that she caved and decided to come to him of her own volition.Yes, he forced her hand with what was the biggest bluff of his life, but it got the job done.It got her to stay.It would’ve been unfortunate if she had held out and he ended up doing something out of prideful madness.He regretted that Gage died. They worked well together in the past and Berretta always protected his interests. Still, Romero refused to take the blame for his demise. He made his choice.Romero always followed his instincts, and when he saw Antino Dellator getting too handsy with Anateya, he suspected that something was amiss. It was shortly confirmed by the mini-explosions throughout the cemetery. If he’d been just 3 minutes late, she would have been gone and he’d probably never find her again.Berretta’s people were annoyingly good at staying hidden.Anateya didn’t spare him a single glance when t
Anateya’s mind drifted as she stared blankly at her father’s freshly covered grave.According to Wallace, the Sosa Kartel had found out about her father being a mole and they’d strapped C-4 to his body and left him in an abandoned building.There was nothing left to bury, so they committed an empty casket.Like countless times in the last few days, her mind drifted to the moment when her world fell apart.She refused to believe what the majordomo had said, demanding that they find him and bring him back. She’d attacked Romero with equally blind rage and grief. He’d held her tightly to his chest, murmuring in her ear, trying to center her.There was no centering her with her father gone. She was hysterical to the point where Romero had no choice but to knock her out.Those moments of unconsciousness, of nothingness… were a short reprieve from the grief that assaulted her heart
One night turned into three, and eventually, two weeks passed with Romero barely noticing. He lived for his next fight, relishing each time he left his opponent bloody and broken on the mat. The more he fought, the emptier he felt. Quenching his bloodthirstiness did nothing to quell the fire in his veins that burned only for Anateya. How was she?He itched to know. Yes, his guards gave him daily reports on her every move, but that was different. He wanted to see her for himself. Their past encounters were few but beneath the quarreling, he could sense her desire for him. After what happened with Jaxel, her eyes were only full of resentment. If she couldn’t handle being on a leash for five minutes, how would she withstand the rest of what he had in store for her?No matter. He had all the time in the world to teach her what it meant to be his. That was his mantra returning home. After two weeks of endless fighting, he felt more tempered to deal with his Petarda. His house looked fo
Long after she was confined to her room, Anateya’s words nipped at the corners of Romero’s mind.‘I wish I never met you.’It bothered him more than he cared to admit, but he would not apologize. He didn’t need to explain himself or his methods to her. He was a glitter-coated unicorn compared to Jaxel.He blamed Gage and Sosa for this. The news about his casino was spreading like wildfire in the underground. People were getting too bold, thinking they could get to him. Under normal circumstances, Jaxel would have never dared to cross the threshold of his house uninvited. He would remind them. Romero leaned against the apple tree in his garden, relishing the cool bite of the bark against his bare skin. He reached for a low-hanging fruit, bringing it to his lips. As he chewed, his mind drifted to Anateya.That little petarda of his was pushing all the right buttons in the worst way possible. It was becoming harder and harder for him to keep his word and leave her untouched. Her expres
Goosebumps pricked her skin as they pulled up to the house. There were four armored cars and dangerous-looking men littering the front entrance. She glanced at Romero but his face was hard as stone. This time, when he grabbed her from the car, his hands circled her forearm so tightly that she thought her bone might snap.“Romero? You’re hurting me.” She searched his gaze questioningly.“This is nothing compared to what will happen to you if you don’t do everything I tell you,” He kept his voice low, hands undoing his belt. In the next second, he was sliding the thick leather around her neck.“What the–”“You will wear this until I remove it.”“I will do no such thing!” She struggled against him but he pinned her with his legs, securing the buckle at the front of her throat.“You will only speak when spoken to, and your answer will be either yes Sir, or no Sir.”Anateya gaped at him, “You can’t be serious.”“Deadly serious.” His eyes flashed. “Your punishment will be swift and severe if
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