Have you checked out Angioletto's temptation yet?
Mirabella's Pov"No." I state my answer with a tone of finality. My husband scoffs, his head bobbing a few times. His tongues darts out and swipes across his teeth."Till death do us part."Those are the words that flow through the air before another side to my husband is activated. He runs through the rain of bullets, doing his very best to protect himself until he's gotten to our daughter.With one swift motion, he sweeps her off her feet and with the same speed, he runs like his life depends on how fast his legs move.It does, technically.A smile coats my lips when they reach me, a choked sob escaping the back of my throat when my princess hugs into me.I bask in the joy of having my daughter back in my arms that I don't realize my husband has walked back into the battlefield, this time without his vest nor his guns.He throws his hands into the air in a surrender, as if inviting death.I push my daughter aside and stumble, repeated screams escaping my throat."No! No! No! No! No
Mirabella's Pov"Because I loved you, dinnazione!"It's a declaration. One made with a strained voice, staggered breath, and a hesitant heart.Time stills. I blink, my blink slowโtoo slow, as though my grip on sanity is lost.Certain events are impossible to prevent.For years, decades even, it has been a known fact. Certain events cannot be prevented, but a knowing of its occurrence ensures that we are properly prepared for when those events does occur.With Ares, my eyes were opened wide, my ears listening, intent to comprehend the signs by observation.The manner at which he stared at me, smiled at me, took care of me, provided me with companionshipโI wanted to comprehend.Foolish of me to assume.I was too much of a coward to have demanded clarity.He was too much of a coward to have come forward, and clean about how he truly felt.And now, we're put in a difficult situation.Now, I'm in disbelief.When did it happen?How did it happen?How possible was it that Ares harbored feeli
Mirabella's PovI did it.I won, didn't I?Then why do I feel so hollow? Why do I feel like I've lost? Why do I feel like a failure?Have I truly won, or have I dug the dark hole deeper than it was?I have always gotten love like poison, even from my own family. With my mother, loving me even when she couldn't love herself. Holding my hands even when she couldn't hold her own hand. Saving my life even when she couldn't save herself.Her love was poison.Then my sister. It would be better if we remained enemies, it would be better if she died my rival, but no, she had to show me a weakness. She showed me that in all of her hatred, there was still love for me, stored somewhere in her heart.In her last minutes, I witnessed that love. And that love too, was poison.With my family, their love is a poison of guilt. The guilt, like venom, seeps into my bloodstreams, taking hostage every breath, every blink, every word, every emotionโthe entirety of my being.My inability to properly look my
Mirabella's PovI am stuck alone.Words whispered through tears, one which forged an uncommon bond with my own self. A lifeline that has kept me anchored.I have lived alone.Strived alone.Survived alone.Me against me.Me for me.Wrong.I have a family, a complete family. My husband, my children, my mother in-law, my sister in-law, friends, well wishers, soldiers, business associates.I am constantly surrounded by love.Life is good.Do you want to know what else is good? The. . ."What might my beautiful wife be seriously thinking about?" Wet kisses meet my neck. I moan at the warmth of his tongue gliding down my neck line."Do you never get tired?"My husband hums, his teeth nibbling my skin. "Perhaps stay in bed for as long as seven months and tell me if it doesn't build your sexual stamina."Chuckling, I say, "You're unserious.""I'm seriously horny.""Crazy." I joke.My husband hums. "For you.""I'm busy. I have. . .we have a job to finish.""Let me finish inside you first."I
Matteo's PovI wake to heat.My wifeโs body, perfectly molded into mine, her mass of dark hair cascading over my chest, warms my heart.But it warms somewhere else, a place that sends an ache down to my core, causing my briefs to tighten.I kiss the back of my wifeโs head, my arms around her waist tightening protectively while I pull her further into me as though if I let go even for a second, Iโd lose her.It wouldnโt be so far fetched, losing my wife that is. It seems something I am too perfect inโI either drive her away, or my baggages would do the job for me.Except, this time has to be different, I want to show her that we could always be a normal couple, a normal family.We can always wake up to a peaceful day, have a good laugh, and still be the wicked entities we are.My hands are now wandering, my fingers trailing the line that runs across her ribs to the curve of her waist.She stirs, a small cry of a whimper eliciting in her throat.I donโt stop moving my hands. The left on
Matteo's PovItโs date night with my wife and I cannot begin to explain the tremendous joy it brings me, knowing that in a few hours, Iโd be sitting alone with my very beautiful wife, doing something we never deemed possible.My lips stretch into a smile as I watch her glam herself. Tight on her skin, accentuating her curves is a pretty silky dress. The color lilac. It signifies our growing love.โYouโre absolutely gorgeous, mama,โ I whisper, striding towards her in gentle steps. Her smile widens at me through the mirror, her beautiful mismatched orbs shining with excitement.I move her hair to one side of her neck and trail my fingertips across the exposed skin of her back, reaching for her zipper. โMakes me think if this date is even worth it.โShe chuckles, her face flaming up like a teenager with a crush.Our eyes meet and a thick feeling forms in my chest. Sheโs breathtaking. Jesus. How can anyone be so breathtaking?โYouโre staring, Matteo.โ She comments, smacking my thigh.โWou
Matteoโs PovMy eyes flutter as I kiss up her skin, a feeling of satisfaction filling my heart so much so a small whimper escapes from my throat while I taste her skin.My wife, she does something to me, something extraordinary. She brings me to my knees at will, knowingly and unknowingly, literally and metaphorically.Sheโs all Iโve ever needed. All Iโve ever searched for. And when I gaze up at her while my tongue merges with her skin, I realize that this predicament is suffered by the both of us.I ruin her as much as she ruins me.It makes me smile.My hands slip underneath her dress and find the waist of her underwear, pulling the stretchy material over her thighs until it pools at her ankles.I suck in a breath.I have seen my wife many times and in many different ways, but each time, it seems as though I am a blind man awarded an opportunity of a clear eyesight the first time in his life.It excites me to see my wife. It excites me to know that such an amount of wetness pools ou
Mirabella's PovMy demands flood his eyes with desperation, causing the hazel orbs to darken. I donโt break his stare when I slowly slide off the bed on my feet and begin to slowly, seductively discard my dress.I slide the sleeves down my shoulders and drag the stretchy, tight material down until itโs pooled around my ankles.I reach for my bra next, smiling in mischief when my husbandโs eyes tightens harder, a grunt escaping him.The lacy bra falls to the ground. And I am left in nothing but my thong.Yep, I pulled it back up earlier.My husbandโs breathing grows erratic and unsteady. Two steps brings him extremely close to me, causing me to force in a sharp gasp at the close proximity of our bodies.โTurn around for me, baby.โ He says, his voice hushed. I obey his demand. His body pushes me forward until my knees touch the edge of the bed. He whispers again, โlie down on your stomach and put your hands behind your back.โI donโt waste any time to obey. I lie on my stomach, my wrist
Alejandroโs PovThis anxietyโIโve never felt anything like it before. My nerves are all over the place, my skin trembling. I kiss Mariana again for the millionth time in a handful of hours.She smiles at me. The smile is distant, almost like it doesnโt reach her eyes. I smile back and pull her closer, holding her as tight as I can, fearful that this might be the last chance I get at holding her this close to me.And no, this has nothing to do with her winning the fight or dying in that cage because as long as I breathe, Mariana will walk out of that cage alive and well.But Iโm afraid of the responsibilities that come with the position sheโll occupy. Iโm afraid that she might forget our love and become intoxicated with power.All of this might just happen in a few hours.โThe way youโre holding me, Alejandro, one might think Iโm about to die from a terminal disease.โShe says.Is she trying to make a joke? Does this seem like a joke to her?I open my mouth to speak but a knock on the
Marianaโs PovโI will fight in her place. . .โThe world around me goes completely silent the moment Alejandro blurts those words. When I planned to use him as my human shield in chaotic times like this, I didnโt expect to fall for him so ridiculously hard that Iโm unable to imagine him getting hurt for my sake.Love is a strange and terrifying thing. I never imagined feeling it this deeply, this intensely. Not for Alejandro. Not for a man who was supposed to be my shield, my weapon. And now, the very thought of him stepping into that cage for meโฆ itโs unbearable.The second reason?Itโs pride. Itโs survival. These men already think Iโm weak. They see me as nothing but a womanโRadimrโs wife and mother of his son. If Alejandro steps into that cage in my stead, I will be proving them right, I will become that which they think I am.Weak.Unworthy.And then, everything Iโve clawed my way toward will crumble before my eyes. I canโt let that happen. I wonโt let that happen. So, no. Aleja
Marianaโs PovOne word.Fuckers.No, letโs make it two words.Misogynistic fuckers.Theyโve kept me in here for hours, scrutinizing me, digging into my soul in their fruitless attempt at finding the truth of what truly happened to my husband.Alejandro too is seated here as a high ranking made man and a member of this family. Surprisingly, my father, mother and brother are here too. Not inside the parliament room, but theyโre right outside the door, waiting for when the chaos escalates so they can stand in for me.It warms my heart.โLetโs go through it again,โ one of the elders says, โwhat did you say happen to your husband? Tell us that story again, in detail.โโI. . .โ I open my mouth to speak but Alejandroโs thick, aggravated voice resounds, cutting me short. โI believe she has told that story more times than we all can count.โโYes, we know that,โ another elder says, his russian accent thick. โBut we need to hear it again.โโWhy?โ Alejandro asks, โwhy are you poking a woman wh
Alejandroโs PovDonโt sleep tonight.Iโve thought about those words in every way possible, imagined every possible scenario thatโll make Mariana ask me to stay awake tonight, and yet, Iโve found none.Or maybe I havenโt thought about it as deeply as I should.I wanted to hold her, to ask her more, but the presence of her husband made that impossible. And now, hours have ticked by, and Iโm still unable to get my answers.Waitโis tonight the night? Is her plan unfolding tonight?Truth is, I donโt even know what her plan is, but I strongly suspect it has everything to do with ending Radimr. So, if sheโs asked me to stay awake tonight, it might mean she needs me close.I pull open my roomโs door and step out into the hallway. The manor is too quiet. Everyone is asleep, and those who arenโt are standing guard outside of the house.My stomach twists with a warning that chaos is brewing tonight, but I push it aside and start walking. I make a turn towards the stairs and start moving up the s
Marianaโs PovTime flies when happiness fills your days.Itโs been two months since I gave birth to my Angel. Two months since my heart swelled with love so pure and overwhelming, I thought I might drown in it.I love my son.I love him for coming into my life and unraveling a part of me I never knew existed. For being my light in the darkness.But most of all, I love him for arriving exactly when I needed himโas though sent by the universe itself to give me a way out.Because today, after weeks of persuasion, my husband has finally done what Iโve been waiting for. He has presented my son to the elders of his family, naming him as his successor should anything happen to him.Itโs tradition, a ritual of power. To the outside world, itโs a declaration of legacy. To me, itโs the final piece of the puzzle.I know Angel is too young to be entangled in this messy, bloody business, but I had to secure his place in this world before setting my plans into motion.Plans that have been months in
Alejandroโs PovThis is the happiest Iโve ever been in my life. For the first time, it feels like I have a complete familyโno, I know I have a complete family.In the last three months, the universe has granted me a gift I never expected: uninterrupted time with the woman I love and the child she carries. Our son. Every morning, I wake up beside her, wrapped in the warmth of her presence. I feel my sonโs first kick as the sun rises, and his tiny, eager movements as the night falls. Iโve stayed awake with them, laughed with them, cried with them, fallen sick with them, and loved them. Iโve been a father and a lover in every way that matters.Why? Because Radimrโs travels somehow stretched from days into weeks, and weeks into months.โSomething else has come up, and Iโll need to stay another week. . .โ Thatโs been his excuse for three months.On the phone, Mariana plays the part of the concerned wife. She sighs and murmurs her disappointment, as though his absence truly pains her. But
Marianaโs PovWhen my eyes open, Iโm met with the most beautiful sight Iโve seen in days. Alejandro, sleeping peacefully, his lashes fluttering, arms still wrapped around me.Wow!How did we fall asleep?I lean in and smack a kiss on his lips, causing him to stir a bit, groaning, his arms tightening firmer around me. I kiss him again, this time longer.It doesnโt take seconds before his mouth parts, his lips fusing with mine. I moan just as a groan vibrates throughout his body.His eyes flutter open, just a tiny slit, the lazy gaze holding mine. Itโs like realization dawns on him and he retrieves his lips from mine in a swift motion. โMariana. . .โ He whispers groggily.โMake love to me,โ I declare.His brows pull into a furrow, lips formed into a pout. โI. . .โ He starts and I cut him off.โPlease,โ I hush, my lips ghosting over his.His resolve falters. And heโs staring at me with adoration as well as restraint.Then thereโs the feral desire burning in his eyes. In mine too. The ris
Marianaโs PovTime seems to slow down when things arenโt really going your way.Maybe I pushed too hard, too far the other night. Far enough that Alejandro has been completely ignoring me for days now. Far enough that Radimr has become ware of me, always staring at me with suspicious eyes. Far enough that the maids in this house seem to avoid me as often as they can.To simply put, Iโve been living an isolated life for the past seven days.Just me, and my heavy fucking stomach. Itโs dreadful just as much as it is comforting.Iโm pulled out of the daze when a towering figure stands in front of me and wraps his hand around me. โDonโt look so sad, Iโm just going to be away for just a few weeks, my love,โ Radimr whispers as he hugs me. I thin my lips into a smile. โIโll miss you.โHis smile is radiant when he replies, โIโll miss you too. Please donโt over work yourself. . .or get to upset while Iโm gone. I wouldnโt want anything to happen to my son.โ Stupid fucker.I scoff. โIโm a big g
Marianaโs PovโLook at that,โ Alejandro says, his voice low, the smirk on his lips sharp enough to cut. โHow easy it is to lure you out here and break your heart into a million pieces.โThe words land like a blow. He doesnโt even try to soften them. And I know exactly what he means. When he came into my room, kneeling by my bed, whispering the words I had been desperate to hear for months, he knew. He knew I was awake, knew Iโd hear every word and cling to the hope they offered.It wasnโt an accident. He said them to draw me here. To break me just as much as Iโve broken him.Petty bastard.But itโs not the cruelty of his intention that stings the mostโitโs how he chose to do it. By humiliating me in front of someone else. Bringing her into a room that should have been our sanctuary, our safe haven.My lips tremble as I force out the question. โWhat is that supposed to mean?โAlejandro steps forward, his movements slow and deliberate, his smirk twisting with mockery. โWhat are you doin