Married To Danger
In the Chicago mafia, refusing a powerful man is the same as signing your own death warrant. At twenty-one, Valentina is forced into marriage with Adrian DeLuca— the cold, feared underboss whose first wife died under mysterious circumstances. The rules are clear: obey, stay silent, and never ask about the past.
Adrian doesn’t want love. He wants a wife who looks perfect at his side and a mother for his children. Nothing more. Their marriage is built on duty, fear, and carefully maintained distance until Valentina begins to see the cracks beneath his ruthless control.
The DeLuca mansion is full of secrets. Locked rooms. Unspoken rules. A five-year-old boy who hasn’t spoken since his mother’s death— until he whispers something that changes everything.
“I still see my mom at night.”
What begins as a marriage of survival turns into a dangerous search for truth. As Valentina uncovers what really happened to the woman who came before her, she realizes the greatest threat may not be the man she married, but the one everyone believes is dead.
In a world where loyalty is deadly and love is a weakness, Valentina must decide who to trust before the truth destroys her marriage… or her life.
A dark mafia romance about forced marriage, forbidden secrets, and the woman who refused to stay powerless.
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Chapter: CHAPTER 75VALENTINA - THREE MONTHS LATER The rain had already started by the time I picked Stefan up from school. I’d been learning to drive over the summer and I was pretty good at it already, so I didn’t take a driver today. Stefan climbed into the backseat without a word. He didn’t even look at me. He just buckled himself in, turned his face toward the window, and watched the rain trace patterns down the glass. I tried to start a conversation. “Hey, sweetheart. How was school today?” No answer. “Did you have your art class? You were excited about painting that volcano, remember?” He gave a faint shrug, still staring out at the gray blur of houses as we passed them. Something about his silence unsettled me. Stefan wasn’t the chattiest kid in the world, but since he’d started talking again, he usually had something to say, especially about art, or the new dog we got, or what Sofia did that annoyed him. But now, he was like a statue. I kept glancing at him in the rearview mirror. His
Last Updated: 2026-02-25
Chapter: CHAPTER 74VALENTINA We spent our first summer vacation at the beach house. It was early June and the sun was shining brightly. The weather forecast had predicted a few days without rain. Adrian had taken the week off from work, which didn’t mean he wouldn’t have to return in case of an emergency, but I was still ecstatic about the chance to have a family vacation on the beach. I dressed Sofia in a cute two-piece with ruffles and sunflowers, cute sunglasses, and a straw hat. My bikini looked very similar, minus the excessive frills, but we still managed a cute twin look. Stefan wore his favorite Superman swim trunks. Adrian was an eye-candy in his board shorts. He carried Stefan into the water while Sofia and I dipped only our toes into the Atlantic. I preferred lukewarm water, so I didn’t understand how Adrian and Stefan could enjoy a dip in the cold. Sofia shared my opinion and squealed every time the waves touched her tiny toes. Her eyes brimmed over with joy as she raised her arms. “Arm
Last Updated: 2026-02-24
Chapter: CHAPTER 73VALENTINA Adrian worked late that night, long after the house had gone quiet. I had tried to wait up for him, but at some point, exhaustion pulled me under. When I opened my eyes again, the other side of the bed was still cold. Stefan’s small body was curled against mine, his soft breathing filling the dark room. I carefully slid out of bed, tucked the blanket around him, and followed the faint golden light spilling from downstairs. The house was silent, but a light was on and it led me to the cigar lounge. Adrian sat in his favorite armchair in front of the fireplace, a half-empty tumbler of whisky resting in his hand. The amber liquid caught the firelight, glinting like something dangerous. His jacket and tie were draped carelessly over the other chair, his vest still on, but the top buttons of his shirt were undone, sleeves rolled back to his forearms. His hair was a little messy, his expression even more so. He rubbed at the stubble on his jaw, lost in thought, and for a momen
Last Updated: 2026-02-23
Chapter: CHAPTER 72VALENTINA I lingered near the cigar lounge door after Marco went inside. The low hum of voices drifted through the crack, but I couldn’t make out the words. Ever since that night when Adrian had almost killed my brother, I could never relax when the two of them were alone together. They’d worked side by side again in the months since, but that didn’t mean things were truly fine. When the door finally opened, I straightened too fast, heart hammering in my chest. Marco stepped out. His expression was calm, so at least no one was dead. “What is it?” I asked, searching his face for any hint of tension. “Is everything all right?” He nodded, sliding his hands into his pockets. “Yeah. I just wanted to tell you before anyone else— you probably won’t see me around much longer. I’m moving to New York.” The words took a second to sink in. “You’re moving?” “I’ll be working under Rico for a while,” he said casually, but there was an edge beneath his tone. “Oh.” The disappointment hit harde
Last Updated: 2026-02-21
Chapter: CHAPTER 71ADRIAN I met Damien in the cigar lounge for our weekly debrief. The room smelled of smoke and leather, the city noises muffled behind heavy drapes. New York had been a dead end so far; pulling useful intel out of that mess took more patience than I had to spare. “The don has been on edge,” Damien said, settling into the armchair opposite me. “He’s been executing men left and right — traitors, bikers, even some of the Brotherhood. People are scared. One wrong move and you’re finished.” “If you have nothing to hide, you’ve nothing to fear,” I replied, but my voice was flat. I’d learned the difference between what everyone said and what actually mattered in this life. Damien didn’t miss the implication. “Exactly. But you didn’t tell Rico everything about what happened with Lorenzo and even how Serena died. In his current mood, that omission could cost you.” Only Damien knew the whole story. Even my father had received a slightly tweaked version of the truth. He had no idea Rico had
Last Updated: 2026-02-20
Chapter: CHAPTER 70ADRIAN Valentina went all out for Sofia’s first birthday in April, a few months later. She baked the cake herself, decorated the house with pastel colored balloons, and even tied a flower ribbon into Sofia’s hair to match the flower-print dress she’d picked out. My protests had been half-hearted at best. Seeing them together, there wasn’t much I could say. Sofia looked radiant, and Valentina’s smile lit up the entire room. By now, Sofia had started walking on her own. She tottered after Valentina everywhere, determined to be at her side. She was too young to remember Serena. For her, there was only Valentina, her mother in every way that mattered. We’d invited family over for tea, and the house was loud with laughter, clinking glasses, and children’s squeals. Damien arrived with his wife and two kids, and after the initial chaos of greetings and cake cutting, he found me near the window with a glass of whiskey in hand. “She got Stefan to talk again,” he said quietly, his tone ha
Last Updated: 2026-02-19
Chapter: EPILOGUE CHRISTIAN & HAZEL I chuckled as the doctor squirted the gel on Hazel’s tummy, making her squirm. Hazel always reacted to the cold. I kissed her and watched as the wand moved back and forth, and the image became clearer. “There’s your baby.” The doctor, Suzanne smiled, clicking and measuring. I held my breath as she turned on the sound, and I heard the heartbeat. The odd noise filled the room, the fast, steady sound like music to my ears. “You’re sure you want to know the sex?” “Yes!” Hazel and I exclaimed. “It’s a girl,” Suzanne announced. I laughed. “I’m surrounded. My own little harem.” Hazel’s eyes were focused on the screen. She tilted her head, looking confused. “It all looks good…” Suzanne’s voice trailed off. I frowned at the subtle change in the noise. It was faster, like an echo of itself, the strumming continuous. “Well, look who’s been hiding,” Suzanne mused and glanced over at us. She grinned and winked at me. “You did good, Christian.” She peered at the screen in
Last Updated: 2024-05-31
Chapter: CHAPTER 169HAZELI crawled into bed with Christian, snuggled into his side, and rested my head on his chest. He groaned as he shifted.“Are you all right?” I asked, worried that I had hurt him.He nodded. “Colin warned me that getting the sensation back in my legs was going to hurt. He’s fucking right.”Between rushing after Valerie, walking for everyone, moving around the house with his walker, and sitting on Valerie’s bed as he read to her for over an hour, I knew he was exhausted. But when I asked if he was ready to sleep, he said he wasn’t. I felt the same way too. Mentally, I was still wide awake. “Do you want some pain killers?”“No. As weird as it sounds, I want to feel it. I never thought I would get to this point, so aches and all, I’m going to go with it.”I laughed softly. “You’re right, Christian. You are weird.”He dragged her up his chest,causing a little gasp of surprise to escape me.“You wanna help me forget about the aches, Hazel?” he murmured in my ear, biting my lobe. “Make m
Last Updated: 2024-05-31
Chapter: CHAPTER 168The room around me buzzed with activity. Voices, people moving, talking to me, trying to get my attention. I held my breath, scared that if I even so much as breathed, I would miss something important.My focus was on one thing. The doctor examining Valerie. I had insisted, and finally Hazel relented, seeing how upset I was about her. My wife glanced up, smiling as she lifted Valerie to her shoulder. She tilted her chin, letting me know everything was okay. A fact that she was certain of, but I needed to be sure. She handed Valerie over to me and escorted the doctor out and I relaxed, pressing a kiss to my daughter’s head. She looked up, wrinkling her nose.“Hi, Daddy.” “Hey, baby girl.” She patted my hand. “Boo-boo better,” she cooed. “Good.” “Yeah, Daddy feels better.” I brushed a curl off her face. “How did you know?” She pushed on my cheek with her tiny finger. “You Daddy again. You smile.” I dropped my head, pressing kisses all over her sweet little fa
Last Updated: 2024-05-30
Chapter: CHAPTER 167I had never tried to comfort a person still caught between being a young man and a grown-ass adult. I had never reached out and been the role model.It was another lesson I was learning.Dennis was emotional. Filled with apologies. Begging for forgiveness. Once I broke through his stuttering words and barely held-back sobs, I set him straight.“What happened was not your fault. You didn’t put me in this wheelchair, Dennis. None of it is your doing. You need to stop blaming yourself.”“I can’t.”“You can. Get some help. I’ll ask Randy to take you on. He is an amazing person to help you sort things out and get your head straight.” I barked out a laugh. “If he can handle my shit, he can help you.”“But he’s here.”“Yes,” I agreed. “Which is where you need to be. You have a life waiting here for you, Dennis. A job you’re good at. Friends. Family.” I huffed out a breath. “Don’t let that day define you. Move past it.”“The guilt,” he said quietly. “It holds me hostage. That I’m walking arou
Last Updated: 2024-05-29
Chapter: CHAPTER 166I grabbed her hips, guiding her. Pushing her up and pulling her back down. She sobbed my name, her back arching as her release washed through her. I watched as she lost herself in the moment. I had forgotten how beautiful she was in her release. The way her entire frame shuddered. How she bit her lip and lowered her chin as if sinking into the feeling. The breathiness of my name falling from her lips. And how it felt when her muscles fluttered, tightened around me, taking all I had—giving me so much more.My body strained, the urge to thrust and grind against her eclipsing everything else. An orgasm hit me, obliterating everything in its path. I saw stars, the ecstasy was so great. I opened my mouth in a soundless scream, and somewhere, deep inside, I felt a flex, the pinching of muscles not used for so long now gripping, then vanishing as fast as they had engaged. A long, agonized sound escaped as my entire being surrendered. The pain, the pleasure, the sweet torture of it all.Hazel
Last Updated: 2024-05-29
Chapter: CHAPTER 165CHRISTIANThe taste and feel of my wife chased away the last lingering remnants of my dream. Hazel wasn’t walking away. She was right here, with me, in my arms.Right where she should be.I kissed her deeply, seeking out her tongue with mine, stroking hard and deep. Reclaiming her mouth. Reclaiming her. I yanked her tight to my chest, pulling off the towel she had draped around her body. I pushed down the blanket that covered me, needing to feel her. I dragged her over my lap, groaning at the feel of her weight pressing down on me. Still kissing her, I slid my hands over her silken thighs, parting them and settling her so she straddled me.She pulled back, gasping. “Is this okay?”“Fucking yes, it’s okay.” I pressed my mouth to her neck, licking up the damp, elegant column of her throat. “It’s fucking perfect.” I murmured. “You’re so perfect for me, Haze. And I’m such an idiot. Everything that has happened, it only made you stronger, but not me… I got weak.”She grabbed my face, holdi
Last Updated: 2024-05-29
Chapter: CHAPTER 69ALORA 4 YEARS LATER Four years. It didn’t sound like much when said out loud, but living it was different. Four years was enough time to learn the rhythm of peace, enough time to rebuild trust one small moment at a time, enough time to breathe without expecting the next disaster to roll in like a storm. Four years was enough to fall in love with life again. I watched the time pass in the eyes of my children. How they developed their little bodies and I heard their first words and they started to walk and run. And today, our life smelled like sunshine, damp earth, and the laughter of two toddlers who had absolutely no fear and no sense of caution whatsoever. “Ace! Storm! Get down from there before you fall and break something!” I called from the bench near the playground. Neither of them listened. Storm with her wild curls bouncing like she’d swallowed a thunderbolt, climbed the wooden fort with all the feral dedication of someone twice her size. Ace followed behind h
Last Updated: 2025-11-17
Chapter: CHAPTER 68ALORAMy home hadn’t been this peaceful in a long time. Over the next few weeks, it had become my sanctuary. A place I no longer feared entering.My parents and I had been working on our differences, and it felt like we had finally reached common ground. My father stood near the long dining table, sleeves rolled to his elbows, trying to help my mother with a basket of vegetables they’d insisted on bringing all the way for me. He was failing miserably.“Dad,” I called, biting back a laugh. “You’re bruising the tomatoes.”He turned immediately, eyes softening when he saw me. “Alora.”Just my name. But it always felt deeper than that when he said it with such affection. Affection that I wasn’t used to.He walked over, brushing a thumb across my cheek. “You look tired.”“And you look like someone who should never handle vegetables,” I countered, pulling him into a hug.He huffed a small laugh. “Still my daughter.”“Always.” I stepped back and nudged his arm. He was silent for a beat. “He’
Last Updated: 2025-11-17
Chapter: CHAPTER 67LILITHI paced inside the small cage until my legs ached, until the cold metal made my fingers numb. They hadn’t fed me. They hadn’t spoken to me. They hadn’t even looked my way since Vale locked me in.Fucking cowards. All of them!They didn’t understand what I could offer, how much they needed me. They were too stupid, too rabid, and too loyal to a dead man who got himself caught in the first place.This wasn’t my fault.I wrapped my arms around myself, hating the tremor in my hands. “This is temporary,” I whispered. “They’ll come to their senses.”The wind didn’t agree. It howled through the camp, rattling the cage like it was laughing at me.Hours passed before footsteps approached.Vale.He came with two others… the woman with the braid and a smaller man with sharp eyes who looked like he hadn’t slept in days.They stopped in front of my cage.Vale crossed his arms. “Are you ready to talk?”“I’ve done nothing wrong,” I said immediately. “You’re all working off a rumor, and you’re
Last Updated: 2025-11-17
Chapter: CHAPTER 66LILITHI walked the remaining way through the forest with only one thought in my mind. Power.They would respect me once they saw me. They had to. Emory had trusted me more than he ever trusted any of them. He told me everything. He shared every plan, every strategy, and every weakness in Sebastian’s pack. I was the only one who could take his place.I was the only one worthy of that position. They might’ve never had a female Alpha before. But it was time.Branches scraped my arms as I pushed through the last line of trees, and then the rogue camp finally came into view — a wide clearing filled with tents, smoke, and wolves who froze the moment they saw me.A dozen pairs of eyes turned toward me.All hostile.Good. Let them stare.I straightened my back, tossed my hair back, and lifted my chin. “Well,” I announced, stepping into the clearing, “I see hospitality hasn’t improved since the last time I was here.”No one laughed or even said anything.A man I vaguely recognized with broad
Last Updated: 2025-11-16
Chapter: CHAPTER 65ALORA“I can’t believe she escaped.”I turned to Sebastian, feeling tired. “I can. It’s Lilith we’re talking about. Were you really expecting anything else? It’s just sad that she took that poor boy’s life with her.”“I don’t even know where to start. What am I supposed to do?” Sebastian said quietly.“I don’t know. She’s gone. Maybe we should just leave it at that. I know she’ll never truly be gone, but what else can we do? Utilizing soldiers to go out and find her will just be a waste of time and resources. Let her be. And if she comes back, we’ll deal with it.” I sighed. Sebastian was quiet for a long while before he spoke. “Are you okay?”I nodded absentmindedly. “Yeah, just tired.”“Right,” he fiddled with one of the kids' toys. “So… Killian left.”The mention of Killian’s name made me feel a small ache, but I pushed it away. “He did.”“It was nice what he did, driving you all the way.”I nodded once, still not tapping into the emotions I was feeling. “It was.”We were sitting i
Last Updated: 2025-11-16
Chapter: CHAPTER 64LILITHThe cell stank of iron and damp. I could taste rust in the air every time I breathed. The torches burned low, sputtering occasionally, throwing ugly orange shadows across the walls. The guards had stopped talking to me hours ago. I’d stopped trying to talk to them.It wasn’t worth wasting my voice.They thought I’d given up. That I was sitting here, broken and afraid, waiting for whatever punishment the Alpha decided. They didn’t know me at all.Alora’s words still rang in my head like the toll of a bell. “You murdered Anna.”The nerve. The sanctimonious, self-righteous—I smiled, even though no one could see me.They were all so predictable. Catherine with her false grace, Alora with her trembling pity, Sebastian with his hollow guilt. And that stupid Killian, standing there like the noble wolf come to save the day. They thought they’d cornered me.They hadn’t even begun to see what I was capable of.The guards outside my cell were whispering again. I caught bits of it — “Alph
Last Updated: 2025-11-16
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