All Chapters of Desired by the Dangerous Men: Chapter 1 - Chapter 4

“This is an important lesson, figlio mio,” Father said, his heavy hand resting firmly on my shoulder. “That is why I wanted you to come.”“Yes, padre,” I answered, nodding my head with conviction as I fell into step beside him, keeping my posture straight and my movements deliberate, just like he had taught me.My father was a powerful man, one nobody dared to mess with, one whose mere name made people lower their eyes and cross the street. Everyone feared him—and by extension, they feared me too. It was a strange kind of power to wield at such a young age, and it made it harder and harder for me to do anything else but stand loyally at his side. There was no room for mistakes. No room for softness.This was one of my very first missions. Father had started bringing me along for more and more business dealings, each one a little heavier, a little more serious than the last. And I loved it. I craved the responsibility, the respect that came with it. I had overheard him once, speaking i

Eight years earlier...My feet were killing me—literally killing me. Every step felt like fire shooting up my legs, like the soles of my shoes had fused with the pavement, dragging me down with every movement. It felt like I had been walking for hours, and truthfully, I probably had. But I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t turn around. I just needed to get away, away from everything.Dad was getting worse—so much worse—by the second. His paranoia had evolved into something more volatile, more desperate. He had taken to ripping apart the house, tearing open drawers, peeling back floorboards, shaking down furniture in search of any scrap of hidden cash. And he found some. Of course, he did. He always did. But that only made it worse. It fed the cycle. It made him meaner, jumpier, more dangerous.I knew then—without a doubt—it wasn’t going to be a pleasant weekend at home. It was going to be loud, maybe violent, filled with accusation and silence. The kind of silence that buzzes in your ears and