EmilyI wake up the next morning, and I still smell him on me.I want to feel guilty, repent for my sins, but I don’t.Instead, I feel angry. Angry at this world that taught me I couldn’t have it all.Angry that he and I can’t be together because of what people may say, because of blurred lines, because supposedly, we can’t mix work and pleasure.But we did.We did, and I don’t know how it would turn out in the future, but I don’t know if I’m ready to return to not touching him or feeling his fingers on my skin.The past three weeks had been agonizing, and I decided - I won’t say anything.If he decides to broach the topic of last night, I’d let him. But I’m done playing good cop. I can’t hold myself back, nor do I want to.For now, I want to exist in limbo. Nor here nor there, living in the carnal pleasure of doing what you will, when you will. Or ... he wills.Last night, I pounced on him.Now, I’d let him.I may not talk about what conspired nor remind him of our commitment to boun
Felix“You? Take charge?” I watch Enzo’s face contort into pure hate.“Over my dead body. You may have slithered your way in by manipulation and skin, but that won’t work here.”Watching him stand there and intimidate her like this builds a resonating sound of fury through my body.I lunge out of my seat, sending the chair skidding away.My voice morphs into something that terrifies even me.“ENZO! Enough!”He holds his stance for a moment longer before finally dropping his gaze.He backs away from Emily slowly until he reaches the wall at the side of the room.I walk over to him, place my hand on the cuff of his collar, and drag him outside.“How dare you speak to her that way?” I growl.“She’s just a whore,” he says.I punch him straight in the face.He stumbles to the ground, holding his nose and groaning.“Say that again, and I’ll do more than just punch you,” I warn him.He looks up at me, his eyes filled with fear and anger.“She’s nothing but trouble, Felix. You should’ve never
EMILYIknowI’msupposedto be focused on the task at hand, but how can I possibly be when Felix is right around the corner, careful of any need I may have?I know I’ve been working for him but never worked under him directly. Now that I am, I’m beginning to understand the man behind the Don.He’s cunning, ruthless, and trusting. He knows when to step back and when to interfere. He knows nothing about securities, so he doesn’t question, pry, or doubt.That level of freedom is petrifying and exhilarating. Wouldn’t it be for anyone?As he brings me a cup of coffee and instructs his two enforcers to remain quiet so I can focus, my mind wanders off to an incident of the past.One night, when I was studying for my SATs, my father threw a party.My mother told him to keep it quiet, and he barged into my room, ripped up my books, and told me I’d never have to study.He’d take care of me, and then my husband would care for me.The memory forever haunts my mind, for my father never asked me what
EmilyHis muscles bulge as he puts all his strength into subduing him.The man struggles, but Felix easily overpowers him.He doesn’t want to hurt him, I realize. He just wants to incapacitate him. And then it hits me – that’s why he didn’t want me to come.He didn’t want to be put in a position where he may have to kill someone for me.As Felix takes the attacker down, he pulls me to him and holds me close, inspecting me for any injuries.I melt in his embrace, feeling safe and protected.“Are you okay?” he asks, his voice full of concern.I nod, unable to find my voice. He leans in closer, his lips dangerously close to mine.I can feel the heat radiating from his body. I want him.Without a second thought, I press my lips against his, feeling an electric shock run through my body.He responds hungrily, his strong arms pulling me closer to him.But then, we hear a gunshot.“Damn it, Emily,” he hisses, grabbing my arm and pulling me away from the cars.“What did I tell you?”“I couldn
FelixWe ride in silence for a while, my hands gripping the steering wheel tightly as I race through the city streets toward our destination.Emily’s gaze never leaves me, and I know she can sense my worry and fear.Finally out of danger and sure the cops are no longer tailing us, I turn to look at Emily. She looks pale and tired.“Are you okay?” I ask gruffly, not taking my hands off the wheel.What I want to do, though, is reach out and caress the marks that the assailant left on her.She nods her head slowly, looking almost in a daze.“Yeah,” she finally manages to say. “I’m fine.”“You should have listened to me, Emily,” I say, guilt overriding my senses.She looks at me, her eyes shining with anger and frustration.“I couldn’t just stand by and watch. I had to do something.”I take a deep breath, trying to keep my emotions in check.I know that I can’t protect her all the time, but seeing her in danger like that makes me feel like a failure.“I know,” I say quietly, glancing at h
EmilyOn the entire drive back, I just had a sentence of thoughts running through my mind.“One should never fall in love with a woman from a warring family.”I stare out the window, letting the words repeat themselves. I know that’s what happened with Enzo, but it’s not necessarily true with everyone.My thoughts drift to Felix. Unbeknownst to him, this makes me his enemy.My father, Fronzo Battaglia, and Felix’s family go back a long time - and none of it is good.The rivalry between their families is legendary, especially among their children - who often take it upon themselves to continue their fathers’ feud.But I don’t want to do that. I don’t have to do that.Despite our families’ hatred, I find myself drawn to Felix.Something between us I can’t deny.He’s strong and powerful, but beyond that, I’ve seen a vulnerability in him that few others have witnessed.He’s the kind of man I dreamt of while growing up, the kind of man I thirsted for and cherished in all those romance nove
FelixLast night, I came inside and waited for Emily to follow.She took her time, and I gave her all the time she needed because it was clear that she was trying to clear her head.I know I fucked up. No matter what, I shouldn’t have let her come with us to bust Enzo and the Lucchese’s.She is convincing. She came into work daily on top of her game, and I started believing she was the mafia.But after I witnessed how we do things when betrayed, I’m reminded of my folly.Emily is not the mafia. She simply works for one.She will never understand my world, and she shouldn’t have to.From this morning, I promise I will not allow her into the intricacies of our operations.No matter how much she may try to convince me. It’s for her own good.This morning, she walks into the kitchen.I notice how tired she looks and how the bags under her eyes are more pronounced than usual.“Good morning,” I say as I sip my coffee. “Did you sleep well?”She doesn’t answer for a moment, just stares into h
Felix“Well, we were wrong,” Angelo says, his voice shaky.“We just added up the balances and compared statements from before the hack and now.”I could feel my blood boiling inside me, and all I could think was, how could this happen?How could such a thing be possible?“What’s the damage?” I ask.“Fifty million.”“How?” I ask. “How did they remove fifty million from our wallets?”My grip tightens around the armrest of my chair as I try to keep the anger and frustration at bay. But it’s hard. Fifty million is not a tiny amount, even for us.“Get all the teams on this,” I say, my voice low and dangerous.“I want to know where they transferred those funds and bring back that money.”“Boss, only one person can help,” says Angelo.“Who?” I ask.“Emily.”“No,” I tell Angelo ferociously. “Emily stays out of this. We’ve troubled her enough. After yesterday, she needs some time.”“Boss, we truly don’t know. The wallets are built on decentralized systems. We can’t identify specific individuals