Beneath The Surface
"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭"
Set in the sun-washed heat of Miami's Little Havana, the story follows Carmela Carlo, a sharp, calculating Italian Mafia heiress recently thrust into power after the brutal murder of her brother. With her crime empire hidden behind the crumbling walls of Trattoria Carlo, the family's once-beloved Italian restaurant, she faces enemies closing in from all sides-and a legacy soaked in blood.
Enter Xavier Brooks, a gifted but down-on-his-luck Black American chef from Atlanta. He's looking for a fresh start, not a war zone. But when his bold, soul-infused cooking catches Carmela's attention, she offers him a job-and unknowingly, a seat at a very dangerous table.
As Xavier brings new life to the restaurant's kitchen, the heat between him and Carmela begins to rise. What starts as guarded fascination soon turns to forbidden attraction. But behind every bite of pasta and every stolen glance lies the truth: Carmela is not just a restaurateur. She's the head of a criminal empire teetering on collapse.
With a persistent detective on their trail, betrayals rising from within, and secrets bubbling just beneath the surface, Beneath The Surface explores what happens when loyalty, love, and survival are tossed into the same pot-and how far two people will go to protect what they hunger for most.
This isn't just about what's beneath the surface
It's about the cost of falling for someone you're not supposed to trust.
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Chapter: Chapter 12A JOB WELL DONE Pov: Carmela Carlo The warehouse was quieter than it had been in hours. I stood by the window of my office, the sharp taste of wine still lingering on my tongue, watching the lights flicker along the highway in the distance. It was almost midnight, and the men had dispersed after a long day of business. The faint sound of footsteps behind me caught my attention. "You got the confirmation?" I asked without turning around. Gino stepped into the room, a knowing look on his face. "It's done." I didn't need to ask more. Gino never brought me half-baked news. He was thorough, efficient, and kept to his word. But tonight, was different. This was Xavier's job-his test. His chance to prove himself. I could feel the tension coil in my chest as I turned to face Gino. He nodded, holding out his phone. I took it, saw the simple text message. Job complete. No complications. It was as simple as that. Clean, efficient, and just the kind of delivery I expected. "You
Last Updated: 2026-10-22
Chapter: Chapter 11A WOMAN OF HER WORD Pov: Carmela Carlo There were two kinds of silence in this world. The silence of peace, and the silence before violence. I stood in the middle of the warehouse off Kingsport Road, surrounded by pallets of shipments marked as imported kitchen equipment. Underneath the plastic wrap and customs stamps were locked crates filled with firearms-illegal, untraceable, and bought from a supplier who'd started asking the wrong kinds of questions. "Get him in here," I said, voice cold. Two men dragged the supplier in-Marco Lucetti. Younger than I expected. Mid-thirties, wide-eyed, and sweating through his collar. His mouth was duct-taped, his feet stumbling as they shoved him to his knees in front of me. I didn't flinch. "Remove it," I told Gino. He ripped the tape off. " Big C, please!!" Marco gasped, lips already cracking. "Whatever you think I did-" "You know what you did," I interrupted. I stepped forward, my black boots echoing on the concrete floor. I
Last Updated: 2026-10-21
Chapter: Chapter 10BOILING POINT Pov: Xavier Brooks It was the kind of silence that made your ears ring. I sat alone in the Carlo estate's vast kitchen, the flickering light over the marble island buzzing faintly, the only sound in a room meant for fire and knives. My hands were still dusted with flour, and the smell of roasted tomatoes and garlic lingered on my clothes. I hadn't even plated dinner. I just walked away halfway through prep and let Gino figure out who'd finish it. I couldn't stop hearing her voice. Detective Diane Davis. "You help me, and I'll help you." I hated how much sense she made. I wasn't a fool. I knew what kind of family I was working for. I might not have known it when Carmela first offered me the deal, when I stood in that marble office with a crumpled hospital bill in my coat pocket and desperation in my chest-but I knew it now. The Carlos weren't businesspeople. They were criminals with good taste. And I was in the middle of it. Elbow-deep. Wearing black aprons lik
Last Updated: 2026-10-21
Chapter: Chapter 9A SLIPPERY THREAD Pov: Detective Diane Davis There are two kinds of criminals in this city. The ones who hide in the shadows and the ones who flaunt their power in broad daylight like the sun shines for them alone. Carmela Carlo? She was the second kind. I'd been tracking the Carlo family for years—long before Carmela took the reins. Back when Vincenzo Carlo ruled Little Bellavista with an iron fist and a sly smile. But now? Now the reins were in his daughter’s hands, and she wasn’t playing by any rules I recognized. She was quieter, sharper. Every move calculated, like a chess player who's already ten steps ahead And then Xavier Brooks showed up out of nowhere. A nobody. A chef. A man with no criminal record, no past ties to the mafia. But he’d walked straight into the lioness’s den, and he hadn’t walked back out. I sat at my desk in the precinct, a black-and-white surveillance photo spread out in front of me. It was grainy, taken from a street camera near the Carlo estate. Bu
Last Updated: 2026-10-21
Chapter: Chapter 8NO ONE'S SAFE Pov: Carmela Carlo I didn’t expect it to feel like this. It was supposed to be easy—get the job done, make him understand where his loyalties lie, and walk away without any more complications. That’s how it should’ve been. But Xavier Brooks was anything but easy. I hadn’t planned on seeing him again after last night. I wanted to keep things simple, professional. But then he texted me, and my body responded before my brain could catch up. “I need to see you. It's important.” I didn’t know why I answered. Maybe it was because something about him made it impossible to ignore the pull. Maybe it was because I didn’t know how much longer I could pretend like this was just business. I stood in my penthouse, looking out over the city. The wind from the open balcony door was cold against my skin, but it didn’t matter. The cold inside me was far worse than anything the night air could bring. A knock on the door broke my thoughts. I took one last breath, smoothing my dress
Last Updated: 2026-10-21
Chapter: Chapter 7CARMELA'S REQUEST Pov: Carmela Carlo The air in the penthouse was thick with tension, a silence that felt too loud. I sat at the edge of the marble table, my fingers tracing the rim of a glass, feeling the cold surface beneath my fingertips. Xavier stood across from me, his arms crossed, his face set in that hard, unreadable mask he always wore when he was trying to hide his thoughts. I had watched him long enough to know that he wasn't happy. I could see it in the lines of his jaw, the way his brow furrowed when he thought I wasn't paying attention. Xavier Brooks wasn't one for drama or unnecessary fights, but tonight I knew it was coming. "You've been avoiding me," I said quietly, leaning back in my chair and locking my eyes on him. "I don't like being ignored, Xavier." He shifted, his gaze flicking to the floor before meeting mine again. There was that same defiance in his eyes-the same fire that made him stand out from every other man I'd known. It was why I kept him close,
Last Updated: 2026-10-21
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