Masuk~NICO~The explosion ripped through the side of the mansion before any of us could react. I saw Enzo shout something and dive for cover, but the blast hit too fast. The force slammed into me like a wall, throwing me backward. My ears rang with a high-pitched whine that drowned out everything else. Muffled screams and gunshots filtered through the haze, distant and warped, like I was underwater.Someone grabbed me under the arms and dragged me behind a half-collapsed wall. Hands slapped my cheeks urgently. “Nico! Nico!”The voice sounded far away at first. Then it sharpened. Enzo. He kept calling my name, slapping me again until my vision cleared. I blinked hard, tasting blood in my mouth. Raffaele crouched beside us, rifle ready, eyes scanning the smoke-filled corridor.“What happened?” Raffaele asked.Enzo helped me sit up straighter. “He hit his head. It’s taking a while for him to come around.”I pushed myself up, ignoring the dizziness. “Bianca? Any sign of her?”“No,” Raffaele sa
~NICO~Tomaso had finally made his move.Russell’s living room was packed wall to wall with men. Some sat on couches cleaning weapons. Others stood in small groups talking through routes, exits, and contingencies. Valentino’s men occupied one side of the room while Russell’s people mixed with my own. The noise never rose above conversation, but there was enough of it to remind me that every person here understood exactly what tonight could cost.My eyes moved across the room automatically, taking stock of who was present and who wasn’t.Adriano should have been here.If he hadn’t switched sides, he would have been standing beside me right now, arguing with Enzo about something stupid or trying to prove he was smarter than everyone else in the room.Instead, he was dead.Russell had been against burying a traitor anywhere on his property. Enzo had wanted to dump the body into the sea and let the fish deal with him.Raffaele disagreed.So this morning, the three of us dug a grave deep i
~CAKE~The fountain in the Russell garden was quiet tonight, water spilling softly over the stone edges. I sat on the bench with my legs tucked under me, letting the cool night air brush over my skin. The surgery cut still pulled when I moved too fast, but the pain had dulled to a manageable ache. For once my mind wasn’t looping through guilt or loss. I just sat there, breathing, watching the water catch the lights from the house behind me.Footsteps approached on the grass I didn’t turn. I already knew who it was.Nico sat at the far end of the bench, leaving space between us. He didn’t speak right away. Neither did I. “How are you doing?” he asked finally. “Gustavo said you’re healing up well.”I nodded, smacking my lips once. “Yes. I’m fine.”He reached into his jacket and placed a thick envelope on the bench between us. “This is for you.”I glanced at it, then back at him. “What is it?”“A list of properties I’ve transferred into your name.” He kept his voice even, but I caught t
~NICO~Enzo stood in the dim basement light, arms crossed, staring at the covered figure tied to the chair. “Do you know why she sent it?”I didn’t answer right away. The burner message from Bianca had come hours earlier, with a wink emoji. Russell’s men had intercepted it at the gate — a large bag thrown from a moving vehicle. Inside was Adriano, beaten but alive, delivered like a gift. Bianca was playing her own game now.I pulled the cover off Adriano’s head. He blinked against the light, face already bruised, eyes wide with fear and defiance. I looked at him for a long moment and laughed. “They really sent you back to me. Must have pissed them off that badly.”Enzo moved fast. His fist connected with Adriano’s face with a sick crack. Adriano’s head snapped to the side. Raffaele grabbed Enzo from behind and pulled him back before he could do it again. “If you keep going, you’ll kill him too quick,” Raffaele said quietly. “We need answers first.”Adriano spat blood onto the floor an
~BIANCA~The meeting room reeked of cigar smoke and cheap cologne. Tomaso’s men sat around the long table like dogs waiting for scraps, their voices overlapping in useless noise about sightings and dead ends. I stood near the window, arms crossed, watching them with the patience that came from knowing I was the smartest person in the room. Tomaso paced at the head of the table, face flushed with anger as he slammed a fist down.“We had him,” he growled. “We had that bastard in our grasp and you let him slip away. Again.”I kept my expression neutral, lips painted the deep red I favored. The color always made men stare a little too long. It reminded them I was beautiful. It reminded them I was dangerous. Tomaso turned his glare on me.“And you,” he said, voice dripping with contempt. “You were supposed to stay until the job was finished. You were supposed to watch him die. Instead you ran like a frightened little girl. Now he’s out there somewhere, alive, and who knows what he’s planni
~CAKE~The car ride back from the fast food was quiet, and felt almost peaceful. Enzo didn’t push for conversation, and I didn’t offer any. The salt air still clung to my clothes, and my body ached from the slow walk on the sand, but for the first time in days I felt a little less like I was drowning. We pulled up to the Russell mansion and I thanked him softly before stepping out. He gave me a small nod and turned off the engine.Nico was waiting at the entrance like he had been standing there for hours. His eyes found me immediately. I kept walking, passing him without a word. His hand shot out and caught my wrist.“Tesoro.”I pulled free, the motion sending a dull throb through my stomach where the surgery scars still pulled. “Leave me the fuck alone, Nico.”I didn’t look back. I walked straight to the room I had been recovering in, closed the door behind me, and took my medication with a glass of water. The pills went down bitter. I climbed onto the bed, propped myself up against
~CAKE~“Care to explain?” I demanded, trembling with all the things I was holding in.He groaned and rolled onto his side, rubbing at his face. “It’s early,” he muttered, voice thick with sleep, like he had a choice here.I didn’t flinch. I didn’t step back. Not when he had the audacity to lie to m
~CAKE~I woke up before I even opened my eyes.The first thing I registered was the soreness.A deep, unmistakable ache between my legs that screamed last night actually happened. I lay there for a moment, completely still, debating whether I should just pretend I was still asleep and avoid dealing
~NICO~I woke up to the feeling of wet heat sliding down my cock. A soft, breathy moan that wasn’t mine.My eyes snapped open.Cake was straddling me, her hands braced on my chest, as she slowly rolled her body, taking me deeper inside her with every downward movement. Her hair fell around her fac
~CAKE~The gates slide open as the car pulls in, and I’m already tired.Not physically. Just… people.Ignacio didn't say a word the entire ride home. Smart man.I step out, smoothing my hands over my jeans like that’s going to fix anything about the mood I just walked into. The house is lit up, cal







