Luciano Sitting at the top of the luxurious resort, whiskey in hand, I found myself lost in the vast expanse of the midday sky. Thoughts whirled within me, a storm brewing in my mind. Betrayal—a poison that could taint even the strongest bonds. If my suspicions were correct, then I was bound to face it soon within my own family. There was a nasty fucker selling me out to the Castello. That could be the only explanation. I took another swig of my drink, looking for the familiar whiskey burn to help me keep my senses. Luca must have noticed how sour my mood was. He sat across me on a recliner, his eyes wide with curiosity as he took in the expression on my face. "Is there trouble?" Luca inquired, curiosity tinged with concern evident in his voice. I almost laughed at the use of words. Is there trouble? It had been a childish thing Giorgia used to say when we were younger. The streets of downtown Italy were never friendly. Not even to children. I couldn't count how many times I
Athena I reached for my phone and dialed Frederick's number, my fingers trembling with a mix of excitement and anxiety. The images of the men I had seen with Luciano at the gala a few days ago were fresh in my mind, and I knew Frederick was the key to unlocking their identities. As the call connected, I quickly sent him the pictures, my voice filled with urgency. "Frederick, I need you to look into these men. Find out who they are and if they have any connections to the mafia. It could be crucial in unraveling the truth about Luciano." There was a brief pause on the other end before Frederick responded, concern lacing his words. "Athena, how are you holding up? This investigation is dangerous, and I worry about your safety." I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts before replying. "I'm fine, Frederick. I've been cautious and discreet. Luciano has no reason to suspect me. I've managed to keep up the façade and gain his trust. For now, he's completely fooled." There was a hint
Athena I placed the file on Luciano's desk, satisfied with completing the task at hand. As I turned to leave, a sudden warmth enveloped my waist, pulling me back into his embrace. Well, that was new. Surprised by his touch in the professional setting, my body tensed for a moment before I relaxed into the sensation of his hands gently caressing me. I looked down at his face and was even more surprised. A playful smirk tugged at the corners of his lips as our eyes met, exchanging a silent invitation for teasing banter. "Looks like someone's in the mood," I chuckled, reaching for his hair so I could run my hands through it. He closed his eyes and hummed softly. I had found out how much he loved it the day before. My face reddened as an image of his face buried between my thighs. He had such a wicked, cruel tongue. I loved it. We always danced on the edge of boundaries though. It was a delicate balance, a secret language shared between us. As if neither of us wanted to take thi
Athena “Luciano?” I called, a frown etched on my face. I was pressed. If I didn’t make it to the bathroom in the next five minutes, my bladder was going to fucking explode. One might think, just go anyway. And oh I would have, I definitely would have hauled my ass out of bed and relieved myself, except for one teeny, tiny problem. There was a hundred seventy-poundound man on my chest. And he was very heavy. I tapped Luciano again, shaking at his shoulders. We were in my room and last I recalled, I had gone to sleep alone the night before. After the whole episode with Giorgia, he had been in a foul mood all through the rest of the day. That meant I got yelled out and he pushed me aside as if I was some piece of discarded rag. That made me mad as hell. Why the hell was he taking his anger out on me? I wasn’t the one who made Giorgia betray him or some shit like that. Later that night he had approached me and well, I was fucking pissed to cuddle and shit with him. If he would trea
Athena The rest of the ride was spent in silence. For someone who was meant to be tactful, I seemed to be having zero success in doing that. But hey! How was I supposed to know he had childhood trauma? It wasn't like it was written in his case file or all over his forehead. And in my defense, I had meant it as a joke. A rather expensive joke, but a joke still. Oh, who was I kidding? He was pissed. And I had no idea how to break through the stupid walls he had erected this time. Hell, why was he even mad at me? If anything, he was the one who gave me childhood trauma. He killed my father! The only person a fifteen-year-old girl had in the entire world. I deserved to be mad at him instead. "Will you step outside? Or are you determined to spend all day in the vehicle, Miss Gonzalez?" Luciano spoke from outside the car. I hadn't realized we had arrived or that he had exited the car. Fixing him a glare through the window, I stepped out and folded my arms. "I'm Miss Gonzalez now?
Athena "I'm busy Raven," Luciano grunted. My legs had barely stepped foot into his office and I furrowed my brows at him. "You don't even know why I'm coming!" I spat, storming over to him. "I know. I'm busy," he replied. "Well, how about you say that while looking straight at me? I don't think you're making a point when your head's all buried in that stupid document." Luciano gave a long sigh and dropped the document he was holding. His eyes narrowed in a glare that was supposed to look terrifying but I was too pissed for that shit. It had been four days since the whole construction incident and well Luciano had been weird afterward. The dude kept disappearing every single time I made a move to talk to him. And here I thought I had made progress. He was bringing all my efforts back to fucking square one. What the hell? Did he just sprout a conscience? I didn't need him to. What I needed was for him to play completely into my hands! And I thought I was close to having
Luciano The warm water ran down my back in cascades as I stood still under the shower trying to think. It had been my go-to method for over five years now- thinking in the shower. There were many reasons for that of course. One, the feel of water running all over my body was very soothing. The one pleasure I could never rob myself of. And there was the fact that I would be alone. Alone with my fucking thoughts. I could restrategize. I could plan, and make tough decisions, especially on rough days. My hands reached into my wet hair, massaging my temples as I thought about what to do next. We had taken measures to ensure that when the Castello struck again we would be ready. Any slight move would give me the results I wanted. The location of their hideout or the leader of that group of little fucks! I had enough of their bullshit already. A knock on my bathroom door brought me out of my thoughts and my forehead creased in a frown. Who dared disturb me from my shower? I narrowed m
Athena "Smile Cara," Luciano leaned down to say in my ear, pulling at the lobe with his teeth. I pushed away from him quickly, fixing him a glare. The bastard had the nerve to smile and tilt his head at the flashing cameras. "I can't have people thinking I kidnapped my date." "Like you didn't?" I hissed, sucking my teeth at him. "I don't want to be here." "I know Cara, I know," Luciano replied in a patronizing tone. He was treating me like a child! I gritted my teeth in anger, trying to stop myself from throwing a fist square in his stupidly handsome face. "But I need you tonight. By my side." And folks, I almost melted at those words. Almost. I caught myself quickly and gave him another glare, hoping it would put a hole through his flawless face. He looked ravishing. His suit was an old Italian model, black and glistening in the lights of the ballroom perimeter. His hair as always was slicked back but just to please me however, after I expressed my distaste over how he alw