Everything went according to plan before Ivan leapt out of nowhere and fired a shot at the Commissioner. Luckily I had seen him pulling out the weapon in time and gauged what he would try to do. Kill the biggest player in law enforcement and say it was an order from me. All this time I had it wrong; he wasn’t working for the fucking police. As I ran for cover after getting the Commissioner to safety, I slowly started putting things together. But when I ordered my men to take me home, everything became hazy. It was only when the elevator doors opened that I passed out. As I drifted back to consciousness, the world around me came into focus through the haze of pain and confusion. The first sound that registered was the incessant beeping of a monitor, its rhythm a loud echo in my head. Blinking against the dim light of the room, I groan and try to sit up, only to hear a voice echoing and I turn my head. An image comes into focus and I see Emilia’s tearful gaze upon me, her beautiful b
As the night approached, a sense of anticipation and dread weighed heavily on me. The intel Alexius received had confirmed Ivan’s impending attack on the penthouse. The shadows of my past loomed large, threatening to engulf me as memories of my life as my brother's enforcer resurfaced.Amaretto Vittori used to be a feared name. Being a woman never hindered me, in fact, it made me feel stronger because no one expects a woman to win a face-off with three men. I wanted to prove myself so badly back then, wanted to show them I am no mafia princess ready to be subservient to a man or marriage.How the times have changed. Now that’s all I want with the man laying in the bedroom waiting for me.I stand by the window, gazing out at the city below, trying to steady my nerves. The lights from the skyscrapers glitter like stars, but in my heart, anxiety threatens to suffocate me. I had spent years following orders, committing acts of violence, and shutting out emotions. It had been a life define
“They’re close to the parking garage; if you want to give them the element of surprise now is a good fucking time,” Kaius’ voice comes through my earpiece just as I get to the elevator, and Alexius nods silently.“Ready to dance, Emilia?” he asks as we get inside and I chuckle.“I was born covered in someone else’s blood and will leave this world covered in it as well,” I say, recalling how my mother said I literally tore her in two when she gave birth to me. Alexius chuckles and shakes his head. “Fuck, you’re the perfect woman for him,” he murmurs and the elevator doors open without a sound.The parking garage is dimly lit, its concrete walls casting long shadows that danced in the flickering overhead lights. Kaius' other men are here, sounding off their positions through the earpiece and setting me at ease. The tension in the air was palpable as Alexius and I positioned ourselves behind a row of expensive cars, preparing to face off against Ivan and his bunch of fuckers.I pull out
The intel Alexius sent through to me when Emilia was getting ready, put everything into perspective. I now know why Ivan got close to me, and it’s not just because he’s working for someone else.He’s a disgraced Bratva heir who altered his appearance, and his sister just so happens to be a woman who cared too much for me…. Or rather, the woman who grew to have an obsession with me and what we never had.Now Emilia is heading up here, guns blazing, thinking I’ve lied to her about something. She’s going to be a wolf with a sore tooth when she comes in here, so I have to be honest about everything.I hear the faint ding of the elevator and breathe out a sigh when the clicking of her heels draws nearer. Removing the headset, I throw it to the side and close the laptop while bracing myself for a confrontation I didn’t want to even deal with.Not because I’m a coward, but because it’s not even anything Emilia needs to be worried about.The bedroom door opens and she saunters inside, strippi
I help Kaius get into a pair of black boxers and sweatpants, while I get into a tank top and shorts. His hair is hanging loose in damp threads and the smell of his smoky cologne is tingling my lady bits just a little bit.This man is a wall of rippling muscle, and just looking at him feels like I’m staring at a work of art. The way he’s built wasn’t just honed by hours in a gym, he’s been in active combat and it shows by the scars littering his body.The tattoos on his tanned skin just add to the allure of the man who has just professed his feelings for me. I knew I was starting to fall in love with Kaius, but I never expected him to feel that way about me so soon.We’re in the early stages, so this feels immense right now. Not only is he in love with me, but he wants me to rule alongside him in the Brigăzi. He doesn’t just want me as a trophy wife, as normal mafia men do.He doesn’t realize it, but he’s just handed me the keys to the proverbial gilded cage mafia princesses are locked
Emilia has been odd the entire day, and now that I’ve offered to take her out to dinner for the first time, she seems even more anxious. It’s been nearly three months since we eliminated Ivan and his threat and I have slowly started integrating Emilia into the daily life of a Romanian crime boss. She’s taken to it with surprisingly good ease and my men seem to love her spunky attitude.So why is she being so odd right now?“You look fine, Angel,” I say and take her hand over the center console. “Stop fidgeting with your dress, you look beautiful.”She finally offers me a smile and nods. “Thank you.”Okay, wait, something is definitely wrong. She would normally give me more attitude than that, but now she’s just…docile and Emilia is everything but not docile.When we reach the restaurant, I get out and open the door for her. She looks beautiful no matter what she does. Even stepping out of a car makes her seem regal; my woman, and I feel proud to say it out loud.The soft glow of the
God, I am so nervous.We’re on the jet right now, on our way to meet up with Gio, and I don’t know what to feel. The last time I saw him I vowed that I’d never forgive him for trading me to Kaius. Now I kind of have to thank him for it. I look down at my tiny swollen belly and wonder how the heck I didn’t notice it before I got a test. Now that I know I’m pregnant, it’s like every other symptom decided to make itself known. Morning sickness feels like pure death, and don’t even get me started on my moodiness.Poor Kaius gets the brunt of it, but I usually make it up to him in a way he appreciates.“Are you still nervous?” he squeezes my hand as he asks me and I nod.“I never wanted to see him again and now we’re going to tell him about us,” I say with a nervous chuckle. “He’ll probably call it Stockholm Syndrome.”No, that’s not even a probability. He will definitely say that.“Well, I suppose we’ll find out in the next few minutes,” Kaius says, and the pilot lets us know we’re about
“We don’t have to do this, you know,” Kaius says as we approach Gio’s home, and I shake my head. “I haven’t seen my brothers in months and the only one who I have a problem with is Frankie anyway,” I say, shrugging. “Dom is the youngest and I’ve always doted on him, we used to be close once.” Until he started getting secretive for no reason. Kaius sighs as he takes my hand and kisses it. “As long as you’re okay, Angel,” he says. It still warms my heart with how much he cares for me, and always makes sure I’m comfortable above all else. “I promise,” I say, then I lean over the center console to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.” “You don’t ever have to thank me for looking after you, it’s my job,” he says, before capturing my mouth is a kiss that makes me wish we were alone. The gates open for us yet again, but I don’t see Gio waiting for us this time. When we get out, one of the guards escorts us inside and towards the dining room where everyone is waiting. I used to love having dinn