RAFAEL"I just met with Lucas."Ricardo scoffed, swirling the amber liquid in his glass before taking a slow sip. "That bastard." His jaw tightened. "Forget him. I don’t want anything ruining my night."I smirked, leaning back against the bar counter. "That makes two of us."Ricardo sighed, setting his drink down with a quiet clink. "I need to talk to you about Ryan."There he goes again.I arched a brow, already knowing where this was going. Ricardo was pissed I’d brought Ryan along, and even more jealous that I hadn’t run the idea by him first. Not that I cared."What about him?" I asked, feigning innocence.Ricardo's gaze sharpened. "Next time, don’t bring him to these types of gatherings."I let out a low chuckle. "You’re jealous?"He gave me a dry look. "I don’t trust half the faces in this room. Ryan isn’t built for this lifestyle. He shouldn’t be here."I tapped my fingers against my glass, letting his words settle. "I brought him here, didn’t I? That means I’m more than capabl
RICARDOI was so angry, and I didn’t even know why.No, that was a lie.This was the height of disrespect. And I didn’t mind killing anyone who stepped on my toes tonight. I had been trying my best to keep my cool, but this stupid old man didn’t deserve that restraint.Don Vittorio chuckled, the sound grating against my patience. “All right, all right,” he finally said, waving a lazy hand. “I don’t want to cause a scene here.”Liar.He had already caused a scene. Now he was just testing how far he could push me before I snapped.With a signal to his men, he sat back, watching. A few seconds later, they dragged Ryan out.But he wasn’t standing.He wasn’t even conscious.My blood boiled, my vision tunneling as I took in the way his body slumped between the two men holding him up. His face was pale, his shirt wrinkled, his arms hanging uselessly at his sides.What the fuck did they do to him?A slow, deadly silence filled the room. No one moved. No one dared to breathe.Don Vittorio tilt
MATTEOBella jumped like a spooked cat, water splashing everywhere as the cup hit the floor. Her wide eyes locked onto me. "Jesus!" she hissed, pressing a hand to her chest. "What is it with you people and not announcing your presence like normal humans?" I smirked, leaning against the doorframe. "Didn’t mean to scare you," I lied, tilting my head. "But you looked like you needed a distraction." Her jaw clenched. "What do you want, Matteo?" Straight to the point. Good.I stepped inside, letting the door click shut behind me. "I know you’re tired. I know this place… these people are wearing you down." I kept my voice low. "And I know you and your boyfriend would rather be anywhere else." Her fingers twitched at her sides. She didn’t deny it. Yessss."I can help with that," I offered, smiling when her gaze flickered with reluctant interest. She crossed her arms. "Alright. I’m listening." I exhaled like I was doing her a favor. "See, ever since your boyfriends slithered h
RYANMy heart skipped a beat. What the hell does she want to say that she’s in alliance with that fool Matteo?* Bella’s lips parted. "Ryan is not a….” Fuck. Bella, why?Before she could finish, Rafael cut in. "Matteo sent one of your men to kill Ryan a few days ago." The room went dead silent. Ricardo’s head snapped toward Rafael, then to me, his dark eyes burning. "Is that true?" I swallowed, then nodded. "Yeah." Rafael leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "I had to shoot the bastard in the leg and drag him out myself." Why was Rafael covering for me?Wait… does he know my secret? Ricardo’s expression darkened. He turned to Matteo, who had gone pale. "You don’t go behind my back," Ricardo said, voice dangerously low. "You don’t touch what’s mine." Matteo’s mouth opened, but no words came out. Ricardo didn’t give him the chance. "You’re relieved of your duties as underboss." A collective gasp rippled through the room. Bella’s eyes widened. Matteo looked
BELLAI was exhausted. Stressed beyond words.This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.I left my job, my life, everything for Ryan. I thought we’d finally have time together, that he’d at least care enough to make me feel like I mattered. But no. Instead, he was drowning in this Mafia bullshit, getting dragged deeper and deeper, and completely ignoring me in the process.I clenched my jaw, my slippers clicking against the floor as I stormed down the hall. No. This wasn’t happening. I wasn’t going to sit around like some obedient, neglected girlfriend while my man played Mafia with Ricardo.Matteo was out. Fine. But Ryan and I? We were leaving with him.I reached Ricardo’s door and knocked, my pulse pounding with frustration."Come in," came the muffled response.I pushed the door open… and froze.Oh. My. God.Ricardo stood in the middle of the room, completely naked, his back to me. And… holy shit. His dick was massive.For a second, my brain short-circuited.Then, as if finally realizi
RICARDOIt was 2:05.I sat in the car, waiting for Ryan. My fingers tapped against the steering wheel as I stared at my phone, the screen glowing back at me with no new messages.He hadn’t texted. He hadn’t called.I had debated sending one of my men to knock on his door, to remind him. But something held me back. I didn’t want to force this. I wanted to know if Ryan felt the same way… if he even cared enough to show up without a push.So, I waited.2:30.Alright. Enough of this. I needed to stop making a fool of myself. If he wasn’t coming, then that was my answer. I reached for the door handle, sighing as I prepared to step out.But just as I did, the door on the other side opened.Ryan slid into the seat, his scent filling the car.“You actually waited,” he muttered, shutting the door.I clenched my jaw, gripping the wheel tighter. “And you actually showed up.”A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, but he didn’t respond. He just sat there, his legs spread slightly, fingers brus
RICARDOMy hands gripped the wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white. My jaw clenched, my heart still pounding from what had happened in the backseat just minutes ago.Ryan shifted in his seat. "Ricardo, what the hell is going on?"I didn’t take my eyes off the road. "One of our hidden warehouses was burned down."Ryan stiffened. "What?""I need to check it out myself."Silence stretched between us, but I could feel Ryan’s gaze on me, his mind working through the situation. He didn’t press further. He knew better.As we sped through the city, my mind was already racing ahead. Who the hell had the audacity to pull something like this? My enemies had always been bold, but this was a direct attack. A declaration of war.Twenty minutes later, we reached the warehouse… or what was left of it.The smell of burnt metal and scorched wood filled my nostrils as I stepped out of the car. The once-solid structure was nothing but a skeleton now.My men stood in clusters, and they all parted as I
RYAN"Yeahhh, you should do it," I said, my voice deliberately slow, watching the tension in the room shift.Ricardo’s eyes snapped to me. "Excuse me?"I smirked, leaning back against the wall. "Bella wants to have fun, right? So why not have it to the fullest?"Bella’s smirk faltered for a split second before she quickly masked it. I could see the way Ricardo grip on the armrest tightened. He wasn’t against the idea… far from it. He was just processing.Marco burst into laughter, shaking his head. "Oh, this just keeps getting better."Ricardo’s jaw twitched, but then something shifted in his expression. He turned toward Bella. "Alright then," he finally said. "It’s a deal."Bella’s posture stiffened for a moment, but she quickly recovered, her lips pressing into a thin line. She didn’t say anything, just nodded once. I wondered if she had expected Ricardo to actually agree, or if she had just been testing him.Marco’s phone buzzed in his hand, breaking the tension. He answered it, s
RAFAELI watched as Ricardo stumbled back, the weight of Elena’s words hitting him like a gut punch. For a moment, he looked like he might collapse right there on the cold concrete floor. His breathing came in ragged bursts as the paper Elena held trembled in her hand.“Bring the chef,” Ricardo barked, his voice hoarse and raw with disbelief. “Now!”I stared at him, disgusted. “If you’d learned to control your temper,” I snapped, “you wouldn’t be jumping to conclusions like a goddamn lunatic. Look at what you did.”He didn’t respond.Couldn’t.Guilt had already begun chewing at his insides. Good.I rushed to Ryan’s side. His body was limp, slick with sweat and smeared blood, but he was breathing… barely.“Elena, help me,” I said.She dropped to her knees beside me, gently easing one of the wires off his arm as I worked on the rest.Ryan winced weakly, his eyes fluttering open just enough to register our faces. “Rafael…” he croaked.“Shh,” I muttered, swallowing the tight knot in my th
ELENAI looked at Rafael, and for a split second, the disgust I’d been suppressing twisted inside me like bile rising up my throat.Almost everyone in this godforsaken house reeked of secrets… rotten motives, false loyalties, and buried truths so deep they thought no one would dig them up. Ricardo with his obsession for control. Marco, pretending to be harmless while cloaked in shadows. Bella, hiding behind silence and feigned concern. Even Rafael wasn’t left out.I forced a breath, composing myself before the emotions showed on my face. I had to stay sharp.Rafael was still staring at me, waiting.“It’s Marco,” I said flatly.His eyes widened. “What?”His thoughts screamed louder than his voice;Who the hell was this girl, and how did she know it was him? See her here spouting nonsense.I almost laughed. Idiot. He didn’t even try to hide his disbelief.I forced a small smile instead. “Yes. Marco. It’s him.”He opened his mouth, probably to challenge me again, but I turned away. “Com
RAFAELI tried to stand up, but the room tilted violently around me."Damn it," I muttered, clutching my head as a wave of dizziness nearly knocked me over. I collapsed back onto the mattress, groaning as a sharp pain exploded at the back of my skull.What the hell?I sat up slowly this time, blinking through the blur in my vision until the outlines of my room came into focus.Wait… this is my bed.How did I get here?And then it hit me.Ricardo.His men.He really ordered them to knock me out?What the actual hell is wrong with him?I reached back and touched the throbbing spot behind my head, my fingers coming away sticky with half-dried blood. A growl rumbled in my throat.Ryan.My heart leapt.Shit… Ryan.I swung my legs off the bed, ready to jump up and storm out…And froze.There was someone sitting by the window.A woman.She was perched on the armrest of the sofa, legs crossed, staring out into the garden “Who the hell are you?” I snapped, still too disoriented to filter my to
RYANRicardo didn’t answer me.Instead, he turned slightly and snapped his fingers at one of the guards standing by the door."Bring in the chef," he barked, and that made my stomach twist tighter.A few seconds later, the door swung open again and in rushed a woman in a white chef's jacket, her hands trembling, her eyes darting between me and Ricardo like she already knew she was standing in the middle of a war zone."Tell him," Ricardo growled. "Tell Ryan exactly what you told me."The chef swallowed hard, wringing her hands."I…" she squeaked, then cleared her throat and tried again."Yesterday, while I was taking Ricardo's dinner up to his room... Ryan stopped me in the hallway."I stiffened."What?" I said sharply, but she didn’t even glance at me."He said..." she continued, voice shaking, "he said Ricardo had ordered something special for the night. That he… Ryan… had made changes to the meal based on Ricardo's new preference."She squeezed her eyes shut for half a second, as i
RYANThe crack of it echoed off the sterile walls.My head snapped to the side from the force of the slap.I let out a low whistle under my breath, slowly turning my face back toward her."What the hell do you take me for, Ryan?" she spat, her chest heaving."You think I'm some replaceable toy you can just toss aside when you're bored? You dare bring a replacement for me right under my nose?"Her voice was shaking with anger, I kept my face unreadable, even as my jaw tensed.She jabbed a finger into my chest. "I’m done playing by your rules. You hear me? I'm going to Ricardo. I'm telling him everything I know."A slow, dangerous smile crept across my lips."Okay, you're free to do that.” I said casually.Bella’s eyes widened, thrown by how calm I was."Yeah," I said, leaning down a little so we were eye-level. "Go ahead, Bella. Run to Ricardo. Tell him everything."I let the words hang for a beat, then added. "And when you do, I'll make sure he knows that you were the one who installe
RYANThe shrill ring of my phone jolted me out of sleep.Groaning, I slapped around blindly on the nightstand, knocking over a half-empty water bottle and a pack of gum before finally snagging the vibrating device.I squinted at the screen, my brain still foggy.Elena.Who the hell is Elena?Oh. Right.The doctor.The pretty lady with perfect aim who I somehow convinced yesterday to work for me.I thumbed the green button and pressed the phone to my ear."Yeah?" My voice came out rough and groggy."Hey," Elena said brightly. "I’m at the gate."For a second, my brain struggled to compute what she meant.Gate? What gate?Then it clicked.The building."Shit. Uh… right," I mumbled, sitting up and scrubbing a hand over my face. "Give me a sec. I’m coming."I ended the call and let the phone fall onto the bed beside me.For a moment, I just sat there, blinking into the dim light of my room, still half-asleep and fully stunned.She actually came.She actually agreed.Even after I told her s
RYAN"Marco," I said, "I don't trust him."Ricardo frowned, looking confused. "What are you talking about?"I sat up a little, rubbing the back of my neck. "I don't know exactly. It's just... I've been seeing some weird behavior lately. Feels off."Ricardo let out a short laugh, shaking his head like I was being ridiculous. "You're overthinking it, pretty boy. Marco’s been with me for years. Him and Matteo... before Matteo decided to be a backstabbing little shit."He chuckled again, but softer this time. "I can vouch for Marco. Or maybe it’s just his cold-ass demeanor. He’s always been like that. Makes you feel like he's planning to kill you in your sleep when he’s really just deciding what sandwich he wants."I gave a tight smile, but inside, my stomach twisted.Oh, if only you knew, I thought grimly.If only you knew who Marco really is… what he really wants from you."Alright," I said, forcing lightness into my voice as I stretched my arms overhead. "If you say so, bossman. But I
LUCAS"WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?!" I roared, sweeping my arm across the table and sending everything crashing to the ground… glasses, plates, bottles, papers… all of it. Shattering, splintering.I grabbed the edge of the table, slamming it again, my chest heaving like I couldn't fucking breathe.How?How the fuck did this happen?We were ready. We had the numbers. We had the fucking plan.And still...Dead.Most of them fucking dead.The ones that survived? Barely breathing.Matteo...Matteo was hanging by a fucking thread in some hospital bed, and I didn’t even know if he was going to wake up.My fists smashed into the wall before I could stop myself.A loud crack.Pain shot up my arm, but I welcomed it. Needed it.Blood ran down my knuckles, dripping onto the floor, but it barely registered.Where the fuck do I start?Where the fuck do I even start picking up the pieces?I pressed my forehead to the cold, cracked wall, my chest shaking, rage burning a hole straight through me.And th
RYANI shifted onto my elbow, smirking down at him."You know what would really even the score, pretty boy?"Ricardo raised an eyebrow, still catching his breath."Oh yeah? What’s that?"I grinned slow and wicked."You. Naked."His eyes widened… just for a second, before he gave a low chuckle, like he hadn't expected me to say that out loud.Like he should’ve known better."Strip for me," I said, voice dropping to a growl. "Now."Ricardo’s mouth parted slightly, surprised, but the spark in his eyes said he wasn’t about to say no.He held my gaze as he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his pants and slid them down, revealing everything.I sat back, savoring every damn second.God, he was gorgeous.Ricardo, the fucking Mafia boss, all ruthless and cold outside these walls, but here…with me…he was pliant.I reached over to the nightstand, pulling out the black silk rope I’d hidden there earlier… a little surprise I hadn't been sure I'd get to use tonight.Ricardo’s eyes moved to