CaraI wake up feeling refreshed and happy. There's a pleasant glow that hangs around for a while after a night of really good sex—and last night was really good. I'm guessing my post-orgasm floaty-feeling is going to last all day, and if I'm lucky, Eros might keep that going into tomorrow.Except he's not in bed with me. I touch his pillow—it's cold. Which means he must've left a while ago. That man works too damn much.I close my eyes, smiling slightly, unwilling to let this little wrinkle ruin my solid vibes.Last night was absolutely fantastic. He wasn't kidding when he said he wanted to treat me like this wife. That beast was absolutely insatiable in a way he hadn't been before. It was like one taste and he needed to devour me, toes to teeth. Orgasm after orgasm for both of us, and when I thought he was through, his cock somehow got hard again and he was fucking me into sweet oblivion.I yawn and stretch. Some men are freaks of nature. Eros might be a sex freak of nature. It shou

ErosI stand behind my desk in the office of the Lord of the Khazan Family. To my left, Cara leans against the bookshelf, looking exhausted. Her eyes are bloodshot from the struggle of staying alive and there's an ugly yellow bruise forming on her cheek. Dr. Kalivas says she'll be okay—she doesn't seem to have any permanent damage, which was a relief beyond measure.To my right is my mother. She's in all black like always, her face cold and passive, showing no emotion. She stares straight ahead, unwilling to look at me.That's okay. I can't blame her. This won't be easy for my mother. She's lost so much already, but now there's more to lose.Straight ahead, Anissa and Sophia kneel on the floor, their hands tied behind their backs. Sophia doesn't look great—apparently, she tried to fight when Lycus caught her, screaming obscenities, halfway to the dock and the jet skis, and the guards might've gone a little overboard when they captured her. Aunt Anissa came peacefully though, and her h

CaraIt feels strange being back at the diner. Even weirder since I'm not in uniform."Please, can I get you anything else, Mrs. Khazan?" Demetrios asks me, wringing his hands together."You have to stop calling me that," I say with a big smile. "I'm still just Cara.""Yes, of course, Mrs. Khazan—I mean, Cara." He returns my warm smile. "It's good to see you again.""It's good to see you too."He pats my hand and walks off to help his wife in the back.I drink coffee alone at the counter. Greek soldiers come and go, the place packed with them. Alonzo lurks nearby, laughing with some of the boys. He gets along with everyone so well—it surprises me that he got twisted up into the crew that tried to betray Eros. But so far, Alonzo has done nothing but show loyalty and respect. It helps that I like him."You look different." Phel leans against the counter in front of me. "Something about you changed.""I don't know what you mean," I say innocently."Hm. You're wearing the wedding ring. Th

ErosTwo men sit across from me in my office. Ciro Nasato and Lucca Verga both wear crisp, decent black suits, their hair slicked back, rings on their fingers, watches gleaming as if recently cleaned. Ciro's the older of the two, heavier than Lucca, with dark bags under his eyes. Lucca's in his early twenties, athletic and muscular, a good-looking young man, but an ugly red wound that'll turn into a nasty scar through his cheek and ear tells me a lot about what these men have gone through in the last few weeks."How can I trust that you two speak for the Pavone Famiglia?" I ask, head tilted to the side. I spin a glass of whiskey on a coaster on my desk. I don't want to admit that I'm enjoying this, but watching two powerful Italian mobsters bow and scrape and beg does bring me some pleasure."There's nobody left to disagree, Lord Khazan," Ciro says, bowing his head respectfully. "It's only me and Lucca now.""Which of you do I call Don?" I ask, trying not to smile."Ciro is my underbo

Cara"Please, Cara, let me take those," Demetrios says, trying to grab the stack of dirty plates from my hands.I sidestep him and head into the kitchen. "Just doing my job, but thank you for using my name," I call back to him.He sighs, grinning, and shakes his head.I drop off the dishes, stick an order ticket in the line cook's window, and head back out front. I refill a couple mugs and stand for a moment, surveying the diner.It's half filled with Greek soldiers and half filled with locals. The place has been bustling lately. I think it has something to do with Eros—somehow, word got out that his wife spends her time in this place, and everyone's coming by to try to curry favor with the lord's woman.It's kind of nice. But mostly annoying.Toward the back, Alonzo's sitting alone, reading the paper. He's still my guard, though I don't need him as much these days. Eros purged the last of the stubborn captains from the family over the winter, and now that spring is here again, things