LOGIN[Noah's POV]Blood dripped from the Kevlar of my tactical vest.I kicked the corpse of a cartel lieutenant out of my path and marched toward the grand foyer.The night air choked with the thick, scent of gunpowder, burning rubber, and ruptured gas lines. We had pushed the surviving Mexicans back into the tree line, but the comms still chattered with the chaotic aftermath of the breach.I stepped through the shattered remains of my front doors.I expected a bloodbath inside. Instead, I found a graveyard of cartel sicarios, flawlessly executed.And in the center of the carnage stood Elena.A dozen men in bespoke suits flanked her. A silver-haired aristocratic man was bowing deeply, his fedora pressed to his chest, addressing her with unwavering reverence. The Viti family. The legendary Sicilian vanguard.Any other Don would feel the immediate, bristling threat of a foreign syndicate trespassing on his territory. Any other man would see a challenge to his crown.I only felt a consuming s
[Elena's POV]"Mr. Marlowe!" my mom screamed, her voice tearing through the deafening roar of automatic gunfire.She dropped to her knees on the glass-covered marble. Marco lay flat on his back, his dark suit rapidly absorbing the thick, dark blood pouring from his chest. Jane pressed both her hands directly over the bullet holes, her fingers instantly slick with crimson.Noah stepped out from behind the pillar.I looked at his face and my blood ran cold.Noah, standing in the flickering emergency lights, looked unadulterated violence. The muscles in his neck strained against his collar. His blue eyes burned with a murderous, terrifying zero."Caleb!" Noah roared into his radio. "Get the trauma team to the ballroom immediately. Lock down the perimeter!"Noah didn't drop to his father's side. He racked the slide of his customized assault rifle, stepping into the open. He turned his head and locked eyes with his mother.Isabella stood perfectly still near the fireplace, entirely unfazed
[Elena's POV]A collective gasp rippled through the surrounding guests.The woman in the emerald silk stared at my left hand. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers. She grabbed her companion's arm, her voice trembling."The black diamond," she breathed. "The Matriarch's seal. She wears the ring of the Velgrave Donna."The whispers mutated into a panicked frenzy. The pearls-draped woman, desperate to assert her own fading status, lifted her chin and glared at me."La violenza è vietata ai banchetti di Marco," the woman sneered in rapid, haughty Italian. "Comportamento da strada. Non sei degna di essere la Donna." (Violence is forbidden at Marco's banquets. Street behavior. You are not worthy to be the Donna.)I didn't look at Noah for permission. I squared my shoulders and locked eyes with the arrogant aristocrat."Sono la Donna che Noah ha scelto," I fired back, my Italian flawless, crisp, and dripping with authority. "E in questa famiglia, ho il diritto di ripulire la spazzatura."
[Elena's POV]"I heard the rumors," Jessica hissed, stepping closer. The smell of cheap vodka and stale smoke wafted off her."You have a baby. How incredibly convenient for a gold digger. But honestly, Elena, everyone in the ballroom is placing bets. Does the bastard belong to your dead ex, or did you manage to carry his baby after spreading your legs for your ex's uncle?"The air in the hallway turned to ice.I just looked at her, letting the suffocating silence stretch until her smug sneer began to falter."You are wearing the Vance family rubies," I said, my voice smooth. "Richard rented them for you from Cartier on Fifth Avenue. I know this, because Richard's shipping company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this morning. Marlowe Enterprises acquired his remaining debt at exactly noon."Just happened to hear what Noah said about that acquisition in the car minutes ago.Jessica's face went chalk-white."You are wearing borrowed stones on a sinking ship, Jessica," I continued, takin
[Elena's POV]Noah pulled back. His deep blue eyes locked onto mine. "You choose," he stated, his voice carrying no room for argument. "Pick the color. Pick the cut. Whatever you actually want to wear. It is your choice, Elena. Not the kind I usually have prepared."The tension in my shoulders melted completely. It was a simple sentence, but for a man who used to control every breath I took, it was a massive, profound surrender. He was giving me my autonomy."Thank you," I whispered."Don't thank me for respecting you." He brushed his thumb across my lower lip.Thinking about the upcoming event brought a cold, heavy knot to my stomach. I rested my palms flat against his chest."I gave my mother Marco's letter three days ago," I said quietly.Noah’s thumb stilled on my lip. "And?""She didn't open it in front of me. Every time we video-called this week, she acted completely normal. She didn't mention Marco. She didn't mention the envelope." I swallowed hard, a creeping sense of dread c
[Elena's POV]My phone vibrated in the center console after ten-minute silence. A rapid-fire barrage of notifications lit up the screen.I glanced down while stopped at a red light. The messages were all from Nicole.I hated him. I spent weeks plotting how to poison a mafia boss. But then he threw his entire gang into a suicide mission just to save you. He actually backed down from a gang revenge for his family. And it is genuinely infuriating how ruthless and responsible he is. Also, his body is a fucking war crime. The shoulders? The hands? Elena, I am a highly educated woman and I have been thinking about what those hands could do for WEEKS. I would make catastrophic, life-ruining decisions for that man. I DID make catastrophic decisions for him.I stared at the glowing screen. I shot a sideways glance at Nicole. She kept her face turned toward the window, her thumbs hovering over her screen, a treacherous, violent blush creeping up her neck.Adrian sat less than two feet
[Noah's POV]The phantom heat of her body pressed against mine on the bike still lingered on my skin, a ghost of the last few hours of torture disguised as a getaway.By the time we'd pulled into this shithole motel, every nerve in my body was already frayed, screaming for some kind of release. And
Happy New Year~[Elena's POV]Then he took both my hands and wrapped them around the handlebars, his larger hands covering mine.His chest was solid against my spine, warm and impossibly steady."What are you doing?" I asked, my voice coming out higher than intended."Teaching you to ride.""But I
[Elena's POV]The Bentley surged forward.The Harleys matched our speed effortlessly.And one of them, the one closest to Noah's window, reached into his jacket.I saw the glint of metal. It was from a gun."Mr. Marlowe," I said, my voice tight. "They're armed.""I know," he said calmly like this w
[Elena's POV]"Lena," he said, his voice rough. "It's me. Still remember San Gabriel Valley? The last vacation spot our family visited together!"Tears blurred my vision again.San Gabriel Valley.The memory hit me like a wave, splashing in the lake, Adrian teaching me to float on my back, the sun







