AZZURA
I was on top of the world. At least, that’s how it felt as I walked down the street. The weight of my actions weighed my pockets town but left my chest feeling light. The things I had stolen from Adriano—his money, his precious accessories—had been nothing more than a ticket to freedom. It felt like a light at the end of the tunnel. I’d sold the jewelry, the watches, and the ring, to a local store. I didn’t get the full value for it. I knew that. I didn’t care. I needed cash, and I needed it fast. And what I’d gotten from the selection I’d dropped off was more than enough for now. The price they gave me didn’t matter much; I wasn’t in a position to haggle. The important thing was the money I got from selling those items went straight into the hands of the loan sharks who had been breathing down my neck for weeks. It wasn’t enough to pay them off entirely, but it cleared part of the debt, enough to buy me a little more time. Time to breathe. Time to hope. I felt lighter. I could almost forget, just for a while, the fact that my life had been reduced to this—stealing, lying, scheming. Being someone I truly wasn’t for nights on end just to make sure my family didn’t suffer. I didn’t choose this life. But sometimes, it was all you could do. For family. For survival. The money from Adriano’s things had covered part of the debt, but I needed more. There was still so much left to pay, and the sharks didn’t care about any of my excuses. They didn’t care about the fact that I had two little sisters to look after, college tuition to pay, or that I worked at a grocery store for barely enough to keep the lights on. No, they wanted their money, and they wanted it now. I put those thoughts aside as I crossed the street to the grocery store I worked at. And then, I saw it. A tinted Range Rover parked along the curb. The vehicle was sleek, and looked expensive. My heart stopped for a split second. The moment I spotted the car, a chill ran down my spine but I shook my head, burning away the possibility. Someone of his status would never be caught in this part of town and nothing I’d taken from Adriano Giordano would be enough for him to look for me. He owned assets upon assets, and I’d only scrambled away with chicken change. I pushed open the staff door to the grocery store, making my way toward the cashier space. My shift was over in a few hours. My friend was covering for me, giving me the chance to clear my mind a little. I needed it, badly. The world seemed to move just a little slower, and I couldn’t help but glance at my surroundings as I walked. Come off it, Azzura, you’re being paranoid. I sighed, clutching my bad as I fixed on my pin, “I’m here, I’m here.” But when I walked in, everything stopped. My breath caught in my throat. And like a vision from my worst nightmare, our gazes locked. He was here. Adriano Giordano. Standing there in the center of the cashier space, looking as menacing as ever. His presence was overwhelming. He stood out like a wolf in a flock of sheep, his dark eyes locked on me, his jaw tight. Everything about the way his tall frame crowded the room was commanding. I suddenly didn’t know how to breathe anymore. I didn’t know how he had found me, but I knew one thing for sure. I was in trouble. The room was silent, too silent. I glanced around, and I saw the fear in my co-workers’ eyes. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. It was as if the entire store had frozen in place. Just because of one man. My co-worker, nervously and with wide eyes, suddenly mouthed, “Run!” And I did. I didn’t think. I just ran. I bolted for the door, my heart pounding, my feet moving faster than they ever had before. The moment I pushed through the staff door, I felt a rush of adrenaline. But before I could even get a good head start, I heard the sound of footsteps behind me. Heavy. Fast. Determined. Adriano was chasing me. He was gaining on me—his stride longer, faster. There was no way I could outrun him. And yet, I pushed myself harder, my heart pounding like a base drum in my chest, as my breaths came in ragged gasps. But then he was there, a shadow falling over me. In seconds, his hand was on my shoulder, spinning me around. His grip was firm, unyielding, like steel. “Where do you think you’re going?” His voice was low, tight with anger, the kind of anger that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up He was breathing heavily, but it wasn’t from exertion. I could see it the moment I looked in his eyes. It was from anger. “Where are the things you stole from me?” His voice was low, but there was no mistaking the demand in it. I swallowed hard, my heart still racing. I knew I couldn’t lie to him. Not anymore. He would see right through me. How the hell did he even find me? “I sold them,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “I had no choice. I needed the money.” The anger in his eyes flared, but there was something else there, too. Something darker. A wounded pride, maybe. I didn’t know. But it didn’t matter. He wasn’t going to let this slide. Not by a long shot. “We’re going to get them back,” he said, his voice flat, cold. I didn’t have a choice, not with his grip tightening on my arm. I had to go with him. I led him to the jeweler where I’d sold the items, my mind racing with every step. The store was a small, unassuming place, hidden away in a corner of the city. I knew the owner well enough. He’d always been discreet, never asking too many questions. When we walked in, the jeweler didn’t even flinch. He knew Adriano’s reputation. But when Adriano asked for the items back, the jeweler didn’t budge. He held up his hands and shook his head. “I paid her for these already. They’re mine now,” the jeweler said, his voice tight with nervousness. “Not without giving me my money back,” Adriano said, his voice a low growl. “If you want to keep the items, you’ll return the money you paid her.” I could see the jeweler’s dilemma. He couldn’t afford to anger Adriano, but he also couldn’t just hand over the money. I had a sinking feeling that this was going to get ugly. “Listen,” the jeweler said, trying to calm the situation. “I can’t just give you the money. I have my costs, too.” Adriano’s eyes narrowed, and I could see the frustration building in him. He wasn’t going to walk away without what he wanted. He was like a lion with his prey in sight. And I was right in the middle of it all. “I don’t care about your costs,” Adriano said, his voice dripping with menace. “Give me the money. Now.” The jeweler hesitated, then nodded shakily. He knew he had no other choice. Eventually, he handed over the cash. “Now, give me the ring.” The jeweler complied, handing over the ring along with the other accessories. Adriano turned to me, and for a moment, it felt like everything had frozen. I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could, he took my arm and yanked me toward the door. “Let’s go,” he said, his voice hard. I tried to resist, to pull away, but it was useless. Adriano was too strong. He was also burning with fury, and there was nothing I could do to change that. When we were out on the street, I turned to him, my voice trembling. “Adriano, please. I—I’m sorry.” But men like him didn’t care. They weren’t interested in hearing apologies. And I knew that his greatest desire right now was making sure I understood the consequences of my actions. I could feel it. Before I knew what was happening, he hauled me over his shoulder. My protests were useless. I kicked and struggled, but it was like fighting against a wall. He wasn’t listening. He wasn’t going to let me go. I didn’t know how to get out of this. But then, just as I thought I might pass out from exhaustion, I felt a sharp sting in my arm. I froze. “What did you—” I started to say, but the words died in my throat as the world started to blur around the edges. I felt my body go limp in his arms, everything fading away. The last thing I heard before I lost consciousness was Adriano’s voice, cold and distant. “Now you’ll be taught a lesson you’ll never forget.” And then, everything went black.ANDREA"I am thirsty." I suddenly said.He gave me a look that said really and I shrugged.Okay the truth was I was nervous. I have dreamt of this a thousand times but this is real. God, I really need that water. Leonardo dropped me down in the kitchen and fetched a bottle of wine, poured it inside a glass cup and slid it to me before crossing over back to where he had dropped me and stood behind me, pressing me to the counter.He buries his nose into my hair and inhales. His hold grows tighter, but it’s only his left arm that’s encircling me now. His right hand is slowly drifting over my short dress down my stomach, and lower still.“I don’t understand how a woman could fuck me up so badly, Andrea.” His palm slid over my mound and pressed onto my pussy, making me gasp. I wanted to turn around so much, but his embrace was too tight. “Years of holding back. Ruined.”Fingers caress my pussy. Hard. The thin fabric of my cloth is barely a barrier. Wetness pools in my panties. I widened
ANDREA I didn’t expect him to kiss me again.Not after everything. Not after the way he always looked at me like I was some plague he couldn’t wait to quarantine, like every word I spoke was nails dragging across his nerves. Not after that first kiss he gave me months ago. The wild, angry, and over in an instant, as if he regretted it the second his lips left mine.I had told myself it was a mistake. His mistake.But here we were again, and this time?He didn’t stop.One second we were arguing like we always did, something about me being at the club, about the dress I was wearing, about me being a “damn exhibitionist" and the next, his hand was in my hair, and his mouth was on mine, and the entire world outside the car ceased to exist.His lips crushed into me like he was starving.Not soft. Not sweet.Hungry.Hot.Possessive.His hand cupped the back of my neck, fingers tangling in my hair as his mouth claimed me like he’d been waiting far too long to do this again. He tasted like
LEONARDO The bass was pounding, the lights were too damn bright, and the air reeked of overpriced cologne and desperation.I nursed my drink, something bitter and barely alcoholic wishing I’d stayed in the compound.Clubs like this were supposed to distract a man, not make him feel like he was slowly drowning in his own disinterest.I leaned against the back of the VIP booth, watching the chaos unfold on the dance floor. Drunken laughter, bodies grinding, and music vibrating through the walls. But me? I felt nothing. Not even a flicker.My thoughts, as usual, betrayed me.Adriano.The Alpha, the bastard, the poor bastard. He’d fallen. Hard. No matter how much he tried to hide it behind cold glares and threats, the man was besotted with her. That little thief. That girl who stumbled into our world like a storm and somehow made it her own.She had him wrapped around her fucking finger, and the worst part? He liked it.I scoffed and sipped again.I wondered how Luna Vienna would take t
AZZURRA I was halfway through a slice of cold pizza and criminally greasy, but my stomach didn’t give a damn when Andrea waltzed in like she owned the damn place. Again.She plopped onto the armchair across from the bed, legs thrown over the side, a bag of chips in one hand, an energy drink in the other.“You look like someone’s overprotective Italian nonna,” she said, eyeing the blanket Adriano had insisted on wrapping me in. “Where’s your doily and knitting needles?”I rolled my eyes. “He won’t let me do anything. I tried to get up this morning to brush my teeth and he carried me to the bathroom like I was a sack of flour.”Andrea cackled. “Oh, he’s gone full caveman.”“No, it’s worse,” I muttered. “I tried to help make the bed. He glared at me like I’d just confessed to murder. Goddess forbid I pick up a damn pillow.”“Didn’t he threaten the nurse for bringing you the wrong flavored Jell-O?”I blinked. “Wait. That happened?”Andrea smirked. “She offered him strawberry, and you lik
AZZURRA I wasn’t supposed to feel this much.Not for him.Not after everything.Not after the names he called me. The way he pushed, pulled, and played me like I was just another piece on his fucked-up chessboard.But nearly bleeding out in some godforsaken alley, thinking I might die without seeing his face again? Yeah. That’ll screw with your head.And apparently… his too.The hospital discharged me with enough painkillers to knock out a horse and the kind of sympathy you usually reserved for puppies hit by cars. My body still ached like hell, but I was alive. Barely.Adriano didn’t say a word on the drive back. Just his hand clenched on the steering wheel, jaw tight, knuckles white. The silence between us was loud, buzzing like electricity.He helped me out of the car when we got to the villa, his fingers surprisingly gentle as he steadied me. One arm around my waist, the other grabbing my overnight bag like it didn’t weigh a damn thing.“You don’t have to carry me,” I muttered, h
AZZURRA The first thing I noticed was the smell. That sharp, clean hospital scent mixed with something soft and warm like aftershave and musk. My eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, everything was a blur.Then I saw him.Adriano.He was sitting on the chair next to my bed, slouched and asleep, his arms crossed but not looking very threatening. His head had tilted slightly, and a lock of his dark hair fell onto his forehead. He looked… peaceful. Almost innocent.That couldn’t be right.I blinked again just to be sure. Yep. Still him. Still, that same man who had once looked at me like I was a bug he needed to flick off his shirt.Now, here he was, looking like he hadn’t moved in a while. His jaw had a bit of stubble, and there were dark circles under his eyes.What the hell happened?I reached up slowly, my arm heavy and weak, and tried to touch that strand of hair that had fallen over his face.I didn’t know why I did it.Maybe it was because he looked less terrifying when he was