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JAMESIn life, you got two types of women. You got the women who thought they were hot, pretending like they knew how to use their bodies to get a man's attention, but they didn't. Sure, they would probably end up getting a man's attention - or his responsiveness - now and then, but only because seeing how pathetic they were guaranteed a quick and easy lay. Not a good lay, just an easy one. You know, like a good jerk-off in the shower. It didn't satisfy you completely, but it was sufficient to get you through the day.And then you got the kind of women who didn't need to use their bodies to get a man's attention at all. They didn't walk around thinking, "If I sway my ass a little to this side, and then a little to that side, I'll get the men drooling." No. They walked the way they walked, and they talked the way they talked. And without even trying, sexual energy seeped through every pore, sensuality emanating from their every move, and they wore eroticism like a second skin.Guess what kind of woman Vanessa Bologna was. Yup, she was the kind who managed to get my balls aching and my cock twitching in a matter of minutes. And while I was staring at that gorgeous, curvy ass hugged tight in her black pencil skirt as she walked out of the station, all I could think about was seeing those cheeks jiggle while I pounded into her from behind. And those legs, those calves - good God, I wanted them wrapped around my neck, squeezing the fucking air out of me while I feasted on the sweetness tucked away between her legs.The second she was out the door, I pulled my hand through my hair, trying to get my raging hard-on under control. The way her lips moved when she talked, the way confidence leaked from her every word, it was like everything she just did during the last twenty-five minutes had a direct line to my dick. That had never happened to me before - sober. I knew this interrogation was going to be a fucking disaster the moment I had set my eyes on her. Women happened to have this kind of effect on me when I had more tequila and rum in my system than white blood cells and platelets. And it was usually those pathetic women, you know, the quick and easy lays."Gunner!"Ah, crap. Like one run-in with the devil wasn't enough.I sighed before turning and watching as the commander came storming my way. Judging by the way his nostrils flared and the smoke poured out of his ears, I'd say he was pretty pissed."Commander Puti."He stopped in front of me. "How do you always manage to piss me off?""I don't know. Talent?"He stared at me with so much disdain that for a second I felt twelve again, standing in Principal Judy's office, listening to him telling me how wrong it was to trash the school hall, half of the classrooms, and the principal's office with toilet paper.According to me, I simply showed my extreme commitment to a classic prank. Unfortunately, Principal Judy didn't agree and kept repeating the phrase "you're suspended" while he tried to remove the toilet paper from his fish tank, along with the dead fish. How was I supposed to know the little fishy fuckers would eat the toilet paper? And, in my opinion, if you were stupid enough to eat shit paper, you deserved to die."Detective Gunner, was that Vanessa Bologna I just saw walk out of the interrogation room?"Shit."No. That was, ah...that was Megan Jolie." I thought on the fly, combining two of the world's sexiest women, Megan Fox and Angelina Jolie. And what exactly made them the hottest pieces of ass to ever walk among us, lower-class humans? The lips. It was those full, beautiful, heart-shaped lips made for their awe-inspiring suction capabilities."I brought her in for a Bible full of unpaid parking tickets." I continued the lie. By the way, the commander went from a normal beige color to a ruby red, I'd say the lie was plastered all over my now very worried face.From the corner of my eye, I saw Larry smirk like an idiot as he witnessed the uncomfortable conversation between me and the commander. I made a mental note to punch him in the balls the next time I saw him down at Joey's Pub.Commander Puti took a step closer, narrowing his eyes. "You're suspended."I swear to fucking God, the way those words rolled out of his mouth, I was pretty sure he just came in his pants."Commander, that was not Vanessa Bol-""Larry," the commander called, and Larry instantly straightened."Yes, Commander?""Who was that woman who just walked out those doors?""That was Vanessa Bologna, sir."Oh, my God. I was going to kill this motherfucker."Seriously, Larry?" I turned to him. "Can you breathe up there?"He looked confused. "Up where?""Up his fucking ass." I pointed at the commander, and then his face turned all shades of red."Get out!" the commander yelled. "Give me your fucking gun and badge and get the fuck out of my department."I was appalled. Really. "Suspended? Just because I asked Vanessa Bologna to come in for five fucking minutes?""Twenty-five," Larry chimed in."Larry, I swear to God, I will tear your dick off and shove it up your ass if you don't shut the fuck up."The commander smiled wickedly. "Threatening a fellow police officer. Well done. You just signed your fucking suspension letter." And then the asshole turned and started to leave."Am I the only one convinced the Bologna are responsible for the shit hole this place turned into?"The commander turned back around. "Unfortunately, you have no proof to back that up, Gunner. Make sure you book your gun and leave your badge in my office. You have ten minutes to get your ass out of my precinct. You're suspended for a month."ππππππ DANIEL Antonio took a seat beside me, his eyes fixed on Luca chasing the birds. "You two have been spending a lot of time here lately." "Yeah. Luca loves the garden." Antonio placed his hand on the bench and then glanced around. "I love what you did with it. You know," he waved around, "the whole re-doing of the back garden." I snorted. "Re-doing?" "You know what I mean." "Yeah, well. You should thank our little sister for that. She did all this." "Our sister will make a good mother someday." "She sure will." Vanessa was a godsend through all this. Luca had immediately taken to her, and even though she couldn't fully take his mother's place, she had done a fine job being a substitute while he adapted to his new surroundings. New family. "How is he doing?" Antonio asked while watching Luca play. I leaned forward with my elbows on my knees. "He misses her." "That's to be expected." "I just wish I knew how long it was going to take." Antonio placed his hand on
ππππππ DANIEL "Dad!" Antonio yelled. "Dad, no!"Thunder. Lightning. Gunshots. Mayhem.All I could do was watch as my father let out his last breath, life being ripped out of him within a single moment. And then I howled. I fucking cried out as reality slowly started to infuse me with the excruciating pain of watching my father die. This was not how it was supposed to go down. My father dying was not part of the fucking plan. I was the one ready to die for the people I loved. I wasn't ready for anyone else to die except the fuckers who thought they had the power to play God with all our lives.I looked up, sound starting to return, the chaos and mayhem pulling me back to the here and now. And then I saw her. Layla. Her limp body was being dragged by the man who is about to die by my hand."Mato!" I roared, and then I was on my feet, running toward them.He struggled to get Layla in the car, and when he aimed his gun in my direction, it was too late. I was already there, knockin
ππππππ DANIEL The sound of an approaching car momentarily grabbed my attention, and I bit down on my cheeks as I watched it near us. Even though my attention was on the car, I was hyperaware of every man currently taking part in this standoff.Stefano righted himself and straightened the sleeves of his jacket. "It seems you're having difficulty accepting that Layla has moved on with my son. Maybe he can convince you."The car stopped, and my heart beat wildly inside my chest as I watched Mato get out. If hate had a moment in time, this would be it.The sight of his ugly motherfucking face made me want to rip out his goddamn spine through his throat. It took every shred of self-control not to end him right there and then.My hand itched, the weight of my gun at my back making me aware of how much I wanted to put a bullet in his skull. And the smug grin he had on his face as he got out of the car made the urge to kill him even stronger.Matteo inhaled deeply. "Ah. There's nothin
ππππππ DANIEL Harbawo wasn't a place I visited often. One thing my grandfather used to say was you never shit where you ate. Something the Morellos had no idea about. They still had a lot to learn.Our shipments never came through Harbawo Harbor. In fact, we never used the same port twice in a row. It was always scattered around. Different ports. Different shipping lines. Different times of day or night. And different routes.We'd never claimed to be saints. To some people, there was no such thing as a big or small sin. Wrong was wrong. But in my opinionβ¦ who in the name of ever-loving fuck thought that way? How could one argue there was no scale when it came to wrongdoing? That was like saying a rapist had done equal wrong as the man who cheated on his wife. Bullshit. No matter who said what, I believed sin could be measured. And it was because of this I knew the Morellos were far higher on the wrongdoing scale than we were.Yes, we bought illegal firearms.Yes, we sold illeg
πππππLAYLAI watched as Mato's smug grin turned arrogant. "See, I helped you, and I was smart about it too.""What did you pay him?" I glared at him. "What did you pay my father to write that fucking letter?"He cocked his head, his gaze sweeping from my neck, to my lips, to my eyes. "I paid him more than he would make in two lifetimes." He licked his lips. "And it was worth every cent because now you're mine. Mine to take care of, and mine to defile."Bile crept up my throat, and my chest burned with equal parts disgust and craving. "All you know how to do is destroy lives.""Sometimes the strong need to eliminate the weak to thrive."I almost laughed in his face. "Strong? Do you think you're strong? What, by turning an innocent woman into an addict? By taking her son away from her? Are those the actions of a strong man? An honorable man?"The corners of his lips twitched, a malicious sneer forming on his ugly motherfucking face. "Who said anything about honorable?"Disgust fil
πππππLAYLAMato and I sat silently as we drove to the Morellos mansion. The very thought that I was going back to that hell hole made me feel sick to my stomach.For the last three months, I had been held there against my will. None of this was my decision. I didn't want any of this. But my forced addiction hadn't given me any choice. Mato had dangled that needle in front of my face like a goddamn red cloth to a bull. And by the victorious smirk plastered on his face the entire time, he knew he had the upper hand."You knew I was with him." I didn't look at him."I did.""Why didn't you come for me?"He huffed out a laugh. "Oh, my dear Layla. I knew you'd come back." He removed a pouch from his jacket pocket. "I have what you need."My heart pounded against my ribs, every vein in my body swelling, craving, burning with the need for the toxin. I licked my lips as I stared at the pouch, sweat trickling down my back. The painful stomach spasms intensified, and anxiety made it incre