Dante’s POVI’ll say this for my father—when shit hits the fan, he handles it like a fucking pro.He’d been beyond pissed when I told him everything Stefan said. Livid when I got to Pablo. And once I laid out how sure I was that the Reinas were behind it?He was already making calls.Within an hour, he rang me back. “Last place Julian Rothschild was spotted? Plainridge Park Casino. Owner’s some distant cousin of your mother’s side. Guy’s eager to help—already pulled the security footage. Said he’d even bring in the waitress and poker dealer Julian was chatting up. You just have to get there.”Josiah plugs the address into the GPS while Emilio drives. We knew Massachusetts was the farthest lead. Now we have a bullseye.“We’ll be there in two and a half hours,” Josiah says. “You got a spot we can interrogate him?”“I’m texting it to you now. Want me to have the employees meet you there?” my father asks.“Only if it won’t scare the shit out of them. Otherwise, send your contact’s number—I
Quinn’s POVIt’s been a week. Seven days of hell in a silk cage.Everything feels like some fucked-up version of Groundhog Day. Same four walls. Same creeping dread. Same predator circling closer.An hour after Pablo was killed, they swept his body away like it was a spilled drink. A doctor arrived not long after to check on me. I was badly bruised, but not far enough along for the baby to be harmed.The confirmation of my pregnancy sent Gabriele into a rage. He stormed out, slamming the bedroom door so hard it cracked the frame. The knob hit the wall with enough force to dent it.I was so afraid he’d come back and take that fury out on me—or worse, on the baby—that I dragged a chair under the doorknob and locked myself in the bathroom, pushing a table up against the door.At one point in the night, I heard the knob rattle. The scrape of the chair as pressure pushed it forward. But the barricade held.He could’ve broken in if he’d wanted. He didn’t. Thank God.The next morning, Rebe
Dante’s POVWe knew it was the Reinas. We knew from interrogating Julian. From the GPS ping in his car, the hotel stays, the wandering path that stretched a hundred miles north into Vermont.We knew Pablo was fucking with our shipments, dirtying up the books.We knew everything—except the one thing that mattered. Where Quinn was.“Get back here to the city,” my father commands over the phone.“No!” I snap. “We’re close, Padre. Too close to walk away now. We’ll track her from Julian’s stops. I can’t just leave her here. God only knows what that psycho Reina will do to her!”I’ve never defied my father. Not when he arranged the marriage. Not when he told me to step into a life I didn’t ask for. But this?This I will fight for.There’s silence on the other end. Then, softly:“I’ve called for a meeting with Giuseppe. He agreed.” A pause. “If you leave now, you’ll make it back in time. He’ll lead us to Gabriele. And then we get Quinn back.”I stare at the floor. My throat tightens.“
Quinn’s POV I’m woken up by a frantic Gabriele shaking my arm. He must have used a key to get into the room because I definitely locked the door before I went to sleep last night. “Quinn! Wake up! You have to get dressed. Now!” He’s nearly screaming and I can easily see the panic in his eyes. “W-what?” I ask prying my eyes open. “What’s going on?” “They know where we are. We only have a little while before they get here. And we need to be long gone before that,” he says, wrenching the blankets off of me and pulls my arm to get me out of bed. I nearly fall to the floor with the force of his pulling on me and my general lack of coordination since I just woke up. “Gabriele! Calm the fuck down! You’re going to hurt me. Who knows where we are? Who’s coming?” I ask. I try to temper my hope that he’s talking about Dante. It could be tons of different people. I don’t want to get my hopes up only for them to be dashed by
Dante’s POV The second that Giuseppe Reina told me where to find the spot where he would send Gabriele when his mental illness would overtake him, I started towards the car. I didn’t care about Julian. I didn’t care about the rival don standing next to me and knowing that Quinn is my biggest weakness.I just need to get my wife, my love, my everything back.“Dante! Wait!” the don calls to me.I turn towards him, energy fairly vibrating through my body. “I know that my son has people working for him in my organization. It won’t take long for him to be warned. Take my helicopter. It’ll get you there faster,” Giuseppe tells me.I stare into the older man’s eyes. There, I see two things: sadness and resolve. He knows exactly what’s going to happen to his son. He’s agreed to it. He doesn’t like it, but he agrees that it has to happen. Gabriele has been a problem for the family for years. This time, though, it isn’t something that they can send him to Italy for.I no
Quinn’s POVThe sound of the gate breaking down and the sight of Dante, Emilio, and Josiah jumping out of the car make my heart soar.That is, until the shock of seeing them wears off, and the pain of being thrown into the car catches up to me. I’d landed flat on the backseat armrest, hitting my stomach hard.I scream, though it’s lost in the chaos of gunfire. The pain isn't just from my rough landing; it's also from the lingering soreness caused by Pablo throwing me against the end table. I curl into myself on the seat, keening in agony.It's when bullets start pinging against the car and one of the windows shatters that I realize I can't just lie here in pain. I need to get somewhere safer.I move to the floor as quickly as I can, though my movements feel cumbersome and slow. When I finally reach the floor, my stomach heaves, nausea overwhelming me from the pain.Gunshots rip through the air and into Gabriele’s body. Some bullets lodge in him, others punch through the door, and a few
“I—I—I had just found out. And then we had the break-in, and then the fight, and I needed to handle the gala, and…” My words trail off, leaving me unsure of what else to say.I can’t tell him the truth. I can’t admit that I was terrified he wouldn’t want me anymore once he found out I was pregnant. Especially not after he’d just rescued me from Gabriele.It's not that I think he wouldn't have saved me if we weren’t bound by this marriage pact. But deep down, I still don’t trust his love. As much as I want to—as much as I love him, even if I’m having trouble admitting it to myself—I can’t fully believe he truly wants to be with me.That’s why I didn’t tell him.And why I still can’t.His brows furrow, and he opens his mouth as if to speak, but the door bursts open and everyone files back in.“What did the doctor say?” Emily demands immediately, and I can’t help but notice the expectant faces around the room.After relaying all the information, everyone is silent for a moment, absorbing
Dante insists on staying with me through the night. Even though we aren’t in a private room and nurses are constantly coming in and out, Dante stubbornly decides to sleep in just his boxers, and I’m to sleep without my hospital gown.“I need to feel your skin against mine, topina. I know it might be a little embarrassing with them coming in, but I need this,” he says softly, eyes locked onto mine.How could anyone say no to that? It would take a stronger woman than me. I nod silently, unable to speak without risking my voice cracking.He leans forward and kisses me gently, thoroughly claiming my mouth before stepping back and starting to undress. He turns slightly toward the chair in the corner, giving me a profile view as he neatly folds and places his clothes there. Heat rises to my face as I watch him—his rippling, washboard stomach, powerful biceps, and thick thighs on full display. The man is absolute perfection, and my eyes drink him in greedily until he turns toward me.“Don’t l
Hey friends!Thank you so much for reading Yours On the Dotted Line. I hope that you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. Here are a couple of announcements/interesting information for you.If you are interested in what I listen to while I’m writing, you can find my playlist “Creative Juices” on Spotify. I love all different kinds of music, so there's a little something for everyone.I write all different kinds of books. If you’re interested, you can find my other books on these platforms:GoodNovel:Trio of Mates Series: 4 werewolf books that take on the idea of what would happen if one of the leadership was gay and couldn’t produce an heir. Lots of very graphic smut. (completed)Love in the Time of Quarantine: 4 short stories that look at what happens when you are stuck with someone you didn’t expect during quarantine. Lots of very graphic smut. (completed)Dissonance and Harmony: The story of a high school girl who has to face her rapist at his sentencing hearing and deal
Bora Bora. Our final night. Our favorite kind of storm.“DANTE!” I scream, my fingers curling into his hair, holding him against me as I ride his face.His mouth is locked onto my clit, sucking and tugging just right, while his fingers curve inside me with that relentless, perfect come here motion.I’ve only ever squirted with Dante—and even then, it’s rare. It takes that crushing, desperate kind of need, the one only he can stir up. It’s different than a typical orgasm—pressure building until it feels like I might break—but the release… God, the release is so fucking good. It leaves me limp. Soaked. Ruined in the best way.He knows what he’s doing to me right now. From the way his fingers stroke my g-spot, he’s trying to make sure I’m blissed-out and limp when he finally fucks me.His moan vibrates through me, and I clench hard around his fingers. I can feel the wave rising—hot and fast and inevitable.My grip tightens in his hair, probably painful by now, but he just groans louder, d
Back in Bora Bora. The water. The fire. The man I love.Dante chases me into the ocean—not that I can get very far. Or want to.He’s stripped off everything, tossing his clothes in a careless heap on the sand. The last thing I see flying is his Versace watch, sailing somewhere in the general direction of his pants.Then he’s sprinting into the water after me.I make it to about hip-deep before Dante catches me.“Fuck, cara mia, you’re so sexy,” he growls, his hands immediately on me. He starts with my stomach—tender, reverent—before sliding down to my ass to yank me against him, then up to my breasts, cupping them through the water. “I need you.”“You have me, baby,” I murmur, teasing. “What are you gonna do with me now that you’ve caught me?”He chuckles darkly. “Anything I want.”His hand fists in my hair, pulling just enough to tilt my head back. Then his mouth crashes onto mine, full of heat and dominance.God, I love when he takes control like this. It melts me, makes me ache to g
One week after the spa day. Four and a half months pregnant.“Mama! I want to go play in the pool! Let me go!”Freddie is squirming all over the place, trying to break free from my arms so he can bolt out the kitchen door into the backyard of the Luciano estate.Okay, I can’t blame him. I’ve been holding him for five solid minutes, not quite ready to let go.“Topina, you have to let him go. We’re going to miss our flight,” Dante murmurs against my shoulder, his breath low and warm, sending a shiver straight down my spine.“You own the plane,” I pout. “What’s the point of owning a private jet if you can’t leave when you want?”I know he’s right, though. I need to let Freddie go.But this is the first time I’ll be away from him for longer than a weekend—and he’s always just been a short drive away, staying with Grayson and Rocco, or Emily and Josiah, or Nonna and Nonno. This time, I won’t be able to just jump in the car if he needs me.I finally let him wiggle free, and he sprints outsid
Four months pregnant. One week from our anniversary.After my spa day with Bianca, I went to Freddie’s preschool to pick him up. He runs straight out the door and launches himself into my arms.“Mommy! Mommy! I’m so excited!” he cries as I catch him and hold him tight.I won’t be able to pick him up much longer. At four months pregnant, my OB-GYN would probably have a heart attack if she saw me carrying him right now. But it’s something I know I’ll miss. I’ve decided to carry him until our anniversary next week—when I hit the five-month mark.Yes, it’s completely arbitrary. But I made the decision. And I’m sticking to it.“Hello, amore. How was your day? What’s got you so excited?” I ask as I shift him on my hip and start walking toward the car.Josiah, standing nearby with Emilio, clucks his tongue when he sees me carrying Freddie. But he doesn’t say anything—smart man. Experience has taught him that arguing with a pregnant woman is a fool’s game.“School was great! Conner found a b
One month later…When I first met Bianca, I thought she was stuck-up, petty, and materialistic. I honestly would’ve bet money that she’d want a black-tie affair—no kids allowed—in the most expensive and exclusive venue in all of New York.Now that I really know her, I couldn’t have been more wrong.Yeah, the girl loves to shop. And yeah, she’s never been spotted without her red-bottomed shoes and a Kate Spade bag. But when it comes to what really matters? Bianca is all about family.“Honestly, Quinn, I’d love to just go down to City Hall with the family and then go out for dinner. But you know Papà won’t allow that,” she groans.It’s been a month since my brother proposed, and despite Emilia’s best efforts to drag Bianca into full wedding-planning mode, she’s managed to dodge every attempt so far.Today, we’re having a spa day. Facials, massages, pedicures, and soon manicures. And while we’re soaking our feet, I plan to get to the bottom of this.It took years for Stefan to get to the
Three years later…“Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, dear Freddie! Happy Birthday to you!”My beautiful little boy—Frederico “Freddie” Dante Luciano—is three years old today. We’re surrounded by family, friends, and sugar-high toddlers, standing in a place I never thought we’d reach.Of course, the second we finish singing and Freddie blows out his candles, he immediately shoves his whole hand into the cake and shouts, “It’s chocolate cake! Mommy got me chocolate cake!”“Oh, Freddie! That was for everyone! You can’t put your hands in it,” I scold gently.“You say that like you don’t have two other cakes in the kitchen, cara mia. Let the boy enjoy his cake,” Dante says, wrapping his arm around me and kissing the top of my head.“Then you can be the one to put him to bed tonight,” I reply, earning loud laughter from Emily, who’s holding her and Josiah’s two-year-old daughter, Violet.“MAMA!” Freddie shouts, not at all pleased with my attention being elsewhere
Quinn’s POVRocco stares at me, completely gobsmacked. “W-w-what do you mean?”I roll my eyes. “Do you really think Grayson wouldn’t tell me everything? Especially after I caught the two of you fucking in the bathroom! Why are you keeping my best friend a secret?”“I’m not!” Rocco insists—but it’s clear neither of us believes that.I don’t even dignify it with a response. I just fold my arms over my very full boobs and even fuller belly and glare at him.“I’m not ashamed of being with Grayson!” he repeats, eyes wide and desperate. “I just…” His words trail off, like even he doesn’t know how to explain it.I glance around and realize we’re in an office. Thank God. I can’t stand for long without the baby pressing on my hips and making my legs go numb. I grab a chair and sink down, eyes locked on my brother-in-law as he begins to pace.“My family knows I’m gay,” he starts. “I came out to Bianca and Dante when I was fourteen, my mom at fifteen, and the Don when I was seventeen. And surpri
Quinn’s POV“It started right after Dante found you—when we were all meeting up at the hospital,” Grayson tells me.We’re sitting in the front seats of my car. He hasn’t looked at me once since we got in. I can tell he’s worried about how I’ll react to the story.That alone makes me sad. That he thinks I wouldn’t be happy for him. That he doubts I’d be on his side.“At first, we were just at the hospital at the same time. I noticed Rocco took his coffee the same way I did, so I started picking up drinks for both of us. Then he started bringing pastries. One thing led to another… and we ended up in a heavy makeout session, dry humping against the alley wall behind a café.”I blink. “And you weren’t going to tell anyone?” I ask. “Didn’t you think we’d be happy for you?”“It’s not that…” He sighs. “At first, we kept it quiet because of everything going on—your kidnapping, the baby, your dad… We didn’t want to add more chaos. And then it had been so long. We didn’t know how to bring it up.