Mario’s POVShe’d said no, and I was proud of myself for stopping.I hadn’t always been the guy who respected boundaries. Hell, there was a time I wouldn’t have even thought to ask.But with Sylvia? I didn’t want to be anything less than careful. Less than perfect.Even if it meant walking out of that room with a hard-on that could crack rock.Her trembling voice when she told me to stop... That haunted me more than I expected.The way her eyes had gone wide, distant, like something had pulled her out of the present and dropped her in a memory she didn’t want to relive.And yet, after all of that, the way she curled back into me; quiet, warm, trusting.That part stuck even harder.She still trusted me. Even when her body remembered pain.And the worst part?I wanted her even more now."I think I'll go for a walk to clear my mind," Sylvia’s voice broke through my thoughts.She shifted away from me with a soft kiss to my lips, apologetic, then padded over to the table, picking up my shi
SYLVIA'S POV Mario was silent on our plane ride back to New York. Too silent. Something had happened with James, something big. When I got back from my walk, Mario was already packed, saying we were leaving. No explanation, no conversation. And James? He barely looked at either of us. Just nodded once and walked away. I kept stealing glances at Mario during the nine hour duration of the flight, trying to read his face, but he gave me nothing. “Is there something I can do to help since you don't want to talk about what happened?” I asked, nudging his arm gently. He sighed and shook his head. “There's nothing you can do, trust me, Sylvia.” He forced a smile, one of those smiles that looks more painful than comforting. I stood up. I was tired, not just physically, but tired of the back-and-forth. One minute, he was holding me like I was everything. The next, I couldn’t even tell if he liked me. It was draining. I walked to the bedroom at the back of the jet and got into b
Mario’s POVI glanced at my watch, 10:35 p.m. Shit.“I should head home,” I muttered, getting up from the worn-out couch. “Told my wife I’d be back by ten.”Tjay and Alvin cracked up like it was the funniest thing they’d heard all night.“Man, remember when you used to laugh at dudes who rushed home to their wives?” Tjay said, smacking my arm. “Look at you now, domesticated.”Alvin grinned, shaking his head. “The streets have lost another one.”“Yeah, well,” I shrugged, grabbing my phone, “I’m married. In love. I like it this way.”We were in Alvin’s apartment, small, messy, smelled like stale smoke and spilled whiskey. He liked it like that. Said it helped him stay “off the radar.” The kind of place you don’t ask too many questions in.“Come on, one stop at the club,” Alvin said, lighting a cigarette. “No girls if you don’t want 'em, just drinks. Loosen up. You’ve been tense all night.”“I don’t think...” I started.“Bro, don’t become that boring married guy. Just one drink,” he nudg
SYLVIA'S POVThe moment he stepped into the room, I knew something was off.It wasn’t just the mess of his hair or the way his shirt hung loose around him, it was the undone zipper, the faint whiff of some cheap, flowery perfume clinging to him, and the way his guilty eyes refused to settle on me.And then, of course, the stench of alcohol."I want you to be honest with me," I said quietly, pushing myself off the bed.The strap of my lingerie slipped down my shoulder, and I pulled it back up with shaky fingers.I walked toward him, my heart thudding painfully in my chest."What happened?" I asked, my voice steady even though everything inside me felt like it was cracking.Mario shrugged, stumbling slightly like he couldn’t find his footing."Nothing. I just... had a few drinks at the club, that's all," he muttered.My brow arched. "Club? You said you all were going to the bar."His eyes widened a little too fast. Panic. Guilt. He scrambled for words."I didn't want you to worry," he r
MARIO'S POVThe bed was empty when I woke up, and I felt different.Confused, I glanced around the room, trying to piece together the remnants of last night. The sharp light coming through the window only made my head throb, and I groaned, pressing my palm to my forehead. My mind was foggy. What happened?I squinted at the clock; 9:22 am. How did I sleep that long?Then flashes of last night hit me: the club, the drinks, the overwhelming rush of alcohol. I remembered the taxi ride home, my mind hazy, then... the shower.Oh shit.My stomach twisted. The memory, the feeling of her hands. I didn't even want to think about it, but the guilt gnawed at me. The last thing I wanted was to push her into something she wasn't ready for, especially while I was drunk.I jumped out of bed, throwing on a shirt in a panic, then rushed into the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face, trying to push away the thoughts. I couldn’t remember everything, but what I did remember made me feel like I had cr
TRIGGER WARNING: THIS CHAPTER MIGHT CONTAIN SCENES TRIGGERING TO VICTIM OF ABUSE.Sylvia's POVMario turned slightly, his body still shielding mine, to see who the intruder was. I barely lifted my head from his chest to catch a glimpse of Gerard standing there, his jaw clenched in a way that told me something wasn’t right.His voice came out hard and sharp. "Having sex in the garden isn’t really responsible, but there’s been a development," he said, his tone harsh, almost like he was jealous."We can talk about it later, I’m busy," Mario’s voice was hoarse, his words coming out with a rough edge. Then, unexpectedly, he did something that made it impossible for me to focus on anything but the feeling of him inside me. He slowly began moving his finger again, and before I could stop it, a breathy moan escaped from deep in my chest. I could feel Gerard’s gaze fixed on me."It’s important, we need to talk about it now," Gerard insisted, his arms crossing, the annoyance in his posture grow
Sylvia's POVMario didn’t come back that night after he stormed out.I barely slept, tossing and turning, glancing at my phone every few minutes like a fool waiting for a text that never came. By morning, there was still no sign of him. No message. No missed calls. Nothing.I asked around, clinging to hope. The staff all gave me the same helpless looks. Nobody knew anything.Or maybe they were lying. Maybe he had asked them not to tell me.By noon, I couldn’t take it anymore. Sitting around, waiting, pretending I wasn’t falling apart inside. My chest felt too tight. I needed to do something, anything. So I stormed upstairs, straight to Gerard’s room.I didn’t bother knocking. I pushed the door open and walked right in.He barely even looked at me. Just kept rummaging through a drawer, his back tense. A half-packed suitcase sat open on his bed, clothes tossed in like he didn’t give a damn where he was going."What do you want?" he muttered, voice sharp and dismissive.Something inside
SYLVIA’S POVI was too stunned to speak. My mouth hung open slightly, my eyes as wide as saucers as I stared at her."What... what did you just say?" I finally asked.She didn't answer right away, instead, she stared at the grass for a long, heavy moment, like she was trying to gather pieces of herself.When she finally spoke, her voice was so low, I had to lean closer to hear her."They gave the three of them guns after months of abuse," she said. "And they told them if they shot one of themselves, it would all end. The pain, the abuse, the fear... it would all be over. And they could go back to living normal lives."I blinked, feeling my stomach knot tighter and tighter."Gerard..." she paused, pressing her lips together. "Gerard used to be Mario’s favorite brother. And Gerard was Michael’s favorite too. But Mario and Michael... they didn’t get along.There was always tension there."She glanced at me, almost like she was asking for permission to keep going.I nodded silently, urgi
SYLVIA'S POV I was still panting, trying to catch my breath when Mario wrapped his arm around my waist, lifting me like I weighed nothing. My legs dangled as he carried me out of the kitchen, up the stairs, and into our new bedroom.When we got inside, he set me down gently on the bed. His eyes never left mine as he stripped off his pants and briefs, letting his cock spring free, thick, hard, and already dripping. My breath caught, my thighs pressing together as I took him in. He was big, almost too big, and the thought sent a shiver down my spine.Mario climbed onto the bed, settling between my legs. He leaned over me, bracing himself with one arm while the other hand trailed down my body, brushing over my sensitive nipples before cupping my ass. His lips met mine in a slow, drugging kiss, his tongue coaxing mine as his fingers slid back between my thighs, dipping into my slick wet folds.I moaned into his mouth, hips arching off the bed as he rubbed slow, teasing circles against my
SYLVIA’S POVMario’s thumb stayed pressed against my soaked panties the entire drive. I was burning up by the time we reached the front porch of our new place. He barely got the car into the garage before he jumped out, rounding to my side.He opened my door, and instead of waiting for me to step out, he pulled me to him, lifted me effortlessly, and pressed me up against the side of the car. My legs wrapped around his waist, and the kiss he gave me wasn’t gentle, it was rough, starved.By the time we stumbled to the front door, he was fumbling with the keys, growling under his breath in frustration as our mouths refused to part. When the lock finally clicked, we all but tumbled inside, heat, hands, mouths.He didn’t take me to the bedroom.He set me down on the kitchen counter, tearing his shirt over his head and unbuckling his belt in one swift motion. His eyes devoured me as his hands yanked my dress up.“Rip it off,” I gasped, breathless and aching.He didn’t hesitate. The sound of
SYLVIA'S POVWhen I was done dressing, I took one last look at myself in the mirror. The red dress clung to my body perfectly, the fabric soft but tight where it needed to be, accentuating my curves in all the right places.It was backless, showing off just enough of my skin to be enticing without giving everything away. The hem hit mid-thigh, just enough to leave a little mystery while still being bold.I paired it with simple black heels and a matching black handbag, completing the look. There was something about the dress, something that made me feel... powerful.Walking down the stairs, I found Mario waiting at the bottom. His eyes snapped to me the moment he saw me. His mouth opened, but no words came out at first. He stared, almost in disbelief, as if I’d stepped out of a dream.“You look…” He took a deep breath, his voice thick with awe. “So... ravishing. That red dress… it’s everything. The way it hugs your body... it’s like it was made just for you. And your legs, god, they g
Mario's POV Sylvia worked quietly as she cleaned the cuts on my face and arm, her fingers light but firm as she applied the plaster. I winced once or twice, but she didn’t say anything. Her attention was all on my injuries, and I couldn’t help but notice how gentle she was.“You smell like burnt grass,” she muttered, wrinkling her nose,“Go shower. I can’t stand it anymore.”I leaned against the doorframe for a second, watching her as she shuffled around the room, arranging the first aid kit before I slipped into the bathroom.The water was hot, almost scalding, I took my time scrubbing and washing, and when I finally stepped out, the bathroom mirror was fogged up, so I couldn’t really see myself. But I knew what I looked like; rough, tired, a mess. I wrapped the towel around my waist and headed back into the bedroom, not bothering to dry off completely.Sylvia was still sitting on the bed, her back to me, not even bothering to look.“Hurry up and put your clothes on,” she said, her v
Mario’s POVThe windows were cranked just enough to let the smoke out, but not enough to let the cold in. The joint burned low between my fingers, the ash too long but I didn’t flick it. I just stared at it, letting the silence settle. Darren sat beside me, legs stretched out, one hand resting on his thigh, the other playing with his lighter.We hadn’t spoken in a few minutes, just smoked and let the night carry our thoughts. That kind of silence only comes when two people have seen some shit together.“I’ve been hearing things, you know, inside information.” Darren finally said, voice low. “High-level stuff. Intel moving around fast”I looked at him. “Police?”He nodded. “And feds. People getting picked off left and right. Quietly. Like shadows in the dark. Someone’s leaking info. Inside info. Names, dates, drop points... all of it. And Mario...” — he paused, looked at me sideways “you’re on their list.”I didn’t move. Didn’t even flinch. Just took a slow drag and let it sit in my lu
Mario's POV I had turned away from the others, not wanting to be part of the tense silence that followed the fight. My knuckles were still itching, adrenaline humming beneath my skin. I made my way toward one of the crates lined up near the back wall and yanked off the tarp covering it.Cocaine. Weed. Pills. Everything you’d need to forget the world for a few hours, or ruin your life completely.I reached in and pulled out a tightly packed brick of weed, stuffing it under my jacket. Just as I was letting the tarp fall back into place, I heard it, crack. Footsteps behind me. Too light to be cautious, too fast to be innocent.Then came the whoosh of metal slicing the air.I ducked on instinct.The edge of the iron plank grazed the side of my face, and agonizing pain tearing across my cheek. I stumbled back, touching my face, there was blood.Enzo.The bastard stood above me, panting like an animal. His hands gripped a jagged iron plank, and his face was twisted in rage and humiliatio
Mario’s POV“What are kids doing here?” I asked, my voice low, tight with confusion as I turned to face my men. “You said you found one of the men who did it, right?”A slow grin spread across Matteo’s face, cocky, pleased with himself like he was delivering a gift I’d begged for.“We didn’t want you to get too excited, so we lied,” he said with a smug little laugh. “Figured it was better if you saw it for yourself.”The grin on his face was like gasoline on a fire already burning in my chest.“What the hell are you talking about?” I growled. “This better not be a damn joke, Matteo. I’m not in the mood.”He stepped forward, brushing imaginary dust from his shoulder like he was some kind of genius in a movie scene. “We didn’t find the men,” he said casually. “I mean, we found one of them, he's from the Serpent gang. But instead of taking him, we grabbed his kids. A boy and a girl. Figured they’d be better leverage.”My breath caught. My fists curled.Matteo’s voice dropped, pride coati
Mario's pov It wasn’t that I didn’t want her. I wanted her more than I could stand. Every inch of my body had been screaming for her from the moment her lips brushed mine. The soft sounds she made, the way her hands clutched at me, how she moaned my name like a prayer, every bit of it had me hanging by a thread.But I couldn’t let it snap. Not right now.There were too many things hanging in the air between us, things we hadn’t said, things we hadn’t fixed. What happened between us last night still lingered and it made me wonder, if maybe that was why she was suddenly ready.And as much as I wanted to make love to her, to make her forget all the pain I caused… I didn’t want her to give herself to me just to cover the cracks I’d left.So instead of giving in, I cupped her ass gently and kissed her. Not rushed. Not lust-driven. Just… slow. Like an apology.“We can’t have sex right now, Sylvia,” I whispered against her lips.The second the words left me, I felt her body still.She pulle
SYLVIA'S POVThat same day, Mario made an offer on the apartment. After some back and forth, they finally settled on a price. We were told it would take two business days to get everything processed, so the lawyers could meet and set the deal fully in motion.“I still can’t believe we’re moving,” I turned to Mario, barely able to contain the excitement buzzing through me. “Who’s going to pick the colors for the furniture? Or the curtains? Or the kitchen theme?”“You are,” Mario said simply, flashing me a boyish grin. “It’s your house. I’m just going to be Ken while you’re Barbie.”I laughed, rolling my eyes. “That’s a dangerous amount of power you’re handing me.”“I’ll drop my interior decor contact with strict instructions that you’re in charge,” he added, taking my hand. “That okay with you?”“It would be perfect,” I smiled, leaning over to press a quick kiss to his cheek.“Careful,” he chuckled. “You trying to get us into an accident?”When we got back to the house, it was quiet. M