PROTECTED BY THE DEVIL
"A woman like you? No fucking way you're a virgin."
"Who said virgins can't be filthy, Rocco?"
DIANA SANTORO:
Five years locked inside a convent.
Not because I was holy.
Because the family I was born into is dangerous.
My name is Diana Santoro. Mafia blood. And in this world, daughters like me get hidden away until the war is over.
Now my brother’s the Don. And he wants me back.
The man he sent to collect me? Rocco Moretti. The most feared monster in Italy. The devil of Cosa Nostra. They say he pulls confessions out of men with his bare hands—then sleeps like a baby afterward.
Three days on the road. Just us.
He’s expecting some scared little nun-in-training, ready to be escorted quietly back to my gilded cage.
He has no idea that the only innocent thing about me is this face.
****
ROCCO MORETTI:
Forty-seven men. That's how many I've killed. Tortured more than double that. Never lost a minute of sleep over any of them.
So why does this girl—with her innocent eyes and that smart mouth—make me feel like I'm losing my goddamn mind around every bend of this road?
Last night, at some roadside motel, she walked into my room. Ran her fingers over my tattoos, looked up at me with this smirk, and told me she wasn't wearing underwear.
What the hell does she want? To destroy me? To see how far she can push before I snap?
She's a virgin. Untouched. Off-limits.
The one thing a man like me can never have.
But when she looks at me like that—wearing that short dress, lips parted just enough—I forget who I am.
I forget I'm the monster.
And I start wanting, with everything in me, to be the one who ruins her.
Even if it costs me my life.
Even if it costs me everything.
Lire
Chapter: 116. What Matters Is in My ArmsROCCOThe estate sat deep in the Tuscan countryside.Two hours down winding roads lined with cypress trees that seemed tall enough to scrape the sky. When the iron gates opened, the first thing I saw was the vineyards. Endless rows of vines stretching farther than the eye could reach.Then the hills.Soft green slopes drowned in pale mist.And finally the house.A stone villa with arched windows, wide balconies, and ivy crawling up the walls.Diana got out of the car first. Luna stirred awake and whimpered softly in her arms.Then Diana stopped.White flowers.Daisies. Lilies. Gardenias.A sea of white petals spread across the gardens all the way to the back of the property.She pressed a hand to her mouth, eyes filling instantly with tears.“Why are you doing this?” she whispered.Alessandro approached slowly.“I thought you’d like it.” His tone stayed cold. “They were Mom’s favorites, weren’t they?”His face never changed, but something flickered in his jaw. Tiny. Alm
Dernière mise à jour: 2026-05-18
Chapter: 115. Iron RootsROCCO~ One Month LaterThe plane began its descent. I looked out the window and caught sight of the Italian coastline below us, a thin scar stretched between the sea and the sky. The kind that never really heals.Diana sat beside me with Luna asleep in her arms.We were landing in enemy territory, surrounded by men loyal to the same man who once had me tortured. And I was bringing my wife and daughter straight into the lion’s den.The wheels hit the runway hard.The airport was private, the kind that didn’t exist on any map. The second the cabin door opened, Italy hit me like a ghost. Cypress trees. Wet earth. Gasoline.And standing there on the tarmac was Alessandro.Impeccable black suit. Left shoulder slightly uneven because of the bandages hidden beneath his shirt. Pale face. Dark eyes fixed on us.No smile.Of course not.Diana held Luna tighter against her chest and stepped down first. I followed behind her, every footstep echoing against the metal stairs.“Diana,” A
Dernière mise à jour: 2026-05-18
Chapter: 114. Blood of My BloodDIANAAlessandro's room smelled like antiseptic and blood. He lay in the bed, paler than I'd ever seen him, a bandage on his left shoulder, the rest of his body as still as a statue. His eyes, when they found mine, were the same: hard, cold, assessing."Diana.""Alessandro."I stopped in the doorway. He didn't smile. Of course not."You look like hell," he said."Why did you take that bullet? Why did you get in the middle of it?""It was stupid."He coughed. Grimaced."That bastard husband of yours still hasn't come to thank me.""He's taking care of your niece."Silence. Alessandro looked at the ceiling for a second. Then back at me."I'm not going to apologize.""I didn't ask you to.""I'm not going to sit here feeling regret. I am what I am.""I know what you are, Alessandro."He stared at me.Another silence. The heavy kind."You could have died," I said, my voice breaking at the end."But I didn't."He almost smiled. Almost. For Alessandro, an almost-smile was worth more than any
Dernière mise à jour: 2026-05-11
Chapter: 113. Even a Dozen Hail Marys Aren't EnoughDIANAThe clock on the hospital wall wouldn't stop ticking. Each second stretched into forever. I'd been sitting on that hard plastic chair for hours, and Rocco was beside me, our daughter in his arms, his dark eyes locked on me like I was the only thing in the world worth watching.Luna slept deeply. At two months old, the world hadn't managed to hurt her yet. I wanted it to stay that way forever."You're spiraling," Rocco said quietly."I'm not.""You are. I know that face."I ran my hand through my hair. A gesture he knew too well. The same one I'd used since I was a girl, when something was suffocating me and I couldn't—or wouldn't—put it into words.Because how was I supposed to say it out loud? How was I supposed to admit that after everything, I didn't want my brother to die?I didn't say anything. Just ran my hand through my hair again.Rocco sighed. His big, warm hand pressed gently against my back, a soothing touch. That touch had the power to dismantle any wall I tried to b
Dernière mise à jour: 2026-05-11
Chapter: 112. The Price of BloodROCCOThe hammer went up and down about fifty times before I finally got the fucking shingle in place. Sweat was dripping down my forehead, the back of my neck, my spine. My shirt was soaked, glued to my skin. The Hawaiian sun didn't give a damn about giving me a break."Rocco, be careful!" Diana's voice floated up from below, mixed with the sound of the crib rocking."I know what I'm doing.""You're going to fall!""I'm not gonna fall."Said that and almost slipped on the wet shingle. Grabbed the rafter hard, muttering to myself. Fuck. Ever since I'd taken over that house, the roof had been nothing but problems. A leak here, another one there. Diana had already threatened to call a professional, but I said no.Getting that last nail in was a relief. I settled myself on the roof, tossed the hammer aside, and lay down on my back. The sky was blue. That unreal kind of blue, like someone had Photoshopped it. The clouds drifted slow. The wind swayed the palm trees. Down below, Diana was h
Dernière mise à jour: 2026-05-04
Chapter: 111. A Shadow on the RoadROCCOLuna came home on a Tuesday.The sun was so bright it felt like someone had ordered it special. Diana walked out of the hospital with our daughter in her arms, her white dress swinging in the wind, and I just stood there, watching the two of them, thinking there was no more dangerous combination in the world.Three weeks later, the routine had turned into a well-oiled machine.Wake up. Feed. Change the diaper. Feed again. Change the diaper again. Repeat.I never imagined a seven-pound creature could produce that much shit.“We’re out.” Diana appeared in the kitchen holding an empty pack of diapers. Hair in a messy bun. Face bare. Still beautiful. “The last one.”“What do you mean, the last one? I bought twenty packs last week.”“Well, she used them all.”I looked at the crib in the corner of the living room. Luna was awake, her little green eyes open, tiny hands swatting at the air. She saw me looking and smiled—a gummy, drooly, completely stupid smile. My heart melted.“I’ll ru
Dernière mise à jour: 2026-05-01
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