SYLVIA'S POV "To the ground!"Mario's voice was sharp and commanding. I didn't hesitate—I threw myself down just as he did, but unlike me, he hit the floor with a pained grunt. His wounds. Damn it. He wasn’t even healed yet."Wait at the kitchen door. I need to get my gun."He didn’t give me time to respond before he was already moving, sprinting up the stairs like a mad man.I swallowed hard, my body pressed against the cold floor, heart pounding so loud I could hear it in my ears. A minute passed. Maybe less.Then—Bang!A gunshot.I sucked in a breath, my muscles locking up.Bang!Another.A strangled groan. A body hitting the floor with a dull thud.Oh, shit.A sickening silence followed. My fingers dug into the fabric of my pants. Was that him? Was he hit? Was he dead?I wanted to call out. I wanted to move. But if I was wrong, if the wrong person was coming down those stairs…Footsteps.I pressed myself against the wall, barely breathing.Then I saw him—Mario.Alive.I almost c
Sylvia’s POVI looked from one brother to the other, my brain short-circuiting.What the hell kind of twisted family reunion was this?Before I could fully process the situation, Gerard yanked my hair, making me yelp. “It’s good to see you again, brother.”“What are you doing here, Gerard?” Mario’s voice was sharp, his whole body tense. “It’s been four years. What do you want?”Gerard let out a dramatic sigh, like Mario had personally wounded his feelings. “Is that how you welcome your big brother after all this time? Nasty, I must say. I heard you’re married now. Congratulations, I suppose.”He beamed—like he was some kind of friendly visitor instead of a full-blown psychopath—and then, to my absolute horror, he yanked me along as he walked toward Mario.“Let her go.” Mario’s voice was deadly calm, but I could see his fingers twitch. “We can talk elsewhere.”Gerard laughed—loud, carefree, like this was all just a joke to him. “You don’t have to be scared of me, brother. And your girl
Sylvia's POV The room was dead silent for a moment. Then, the lights flickered back on, and Gerard stood in the doorway, grinning like a lunatic."I got you there, didn't I?" He beamed, looking downright pleased with himself, like he had just won an Oscar for Best Performance in Terrorizing His Younger Brother.I turned to Mario, expecting… I don’t know, maybe shock? Maybe rage? Maybe him flipping the desk and lunging at his brother like a feral animal?But no.Mario just sat there, staring at the bullet hole in his desk like it was an old, familiar friend. No blinking, no flinching. Just this tired, dead-eyed look, like this exact scenario had played out a hundred times before.That? That was unsettling.Gerard, meanwhile, sauntered into the room like he owned the place, spinning his gun in his hand like a cowboy in an old movie."Relax, hermano. It was just a little love tap. If I wanted to shoot you, you'd be bleeding all over that overpriced carpet by now. The carpet's ugly by th
Trigger Warning: This scene contains elements of sexual assault, which may be distressing to some readers. Please proceed with caution.Sylvia’s POVI lingered in the office longer than I should have. Mario and Gerard had already left, but I stood there, arms crossed, staring at nothing in particular, pretending I had business being there.Of course, I didn’t.I was stalling.And when the silence got too loud, I did what any rational person would do, I snooped around.My fingers trailed over the desk, pulling open drawers, flipping through papers. Nothing. The man was either annoyingly clean or he just didn’t trust leaving anything important in places people like me could reach.Fine.If his office had nothing, maybe his room would.I knew it was stupid, but I acted on it, slipping out and making my way up the stairs.Mario’s room was at the end of the hallway, and when I tried the handle, it opened easily.Not locked.Huh.Either he was stupidly confident no one would go through his
Mario's POVShe was still frozen in place, pressed against the wall, her eyes wide in shock as she looked at me. And then; I saw it.Pity.It hit me harder than anything else. Harder than the memories, harder than the rage that had been boiling in my gut for years. That look on her face, it was like she had already decided I was broken. That I was something to be fixed.I stepped back. My hands were still clenched. My whole body felt stiff, like I had been tied too tight, like if I moved too much, I’d snap in half.What the fuck did I just do?I had buried this pain for so long, locked it away so deep that even my own brother didn’t know the details. And now? I had handed it to her. Laid it all out like an open wound, a fucking invitation for her to poke and prod at it.Fuck."You—" she started.I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t want to hear whatever was about to come out of her mouth."Get out." My voice was low, too calm.She hesitated. She was still looking at me like that, like s
Sylvia’s POVI was still shaking.For the first time since this forced marriage, I wasn’t mad at Mario. How could I be? All I wanted to do was pull him into my arms and rock him like a child, as if that could undo the horrors he had survived.I had so many questions. So many things that didn’t make sense.How could one person go through that much and still be standing? And his mother—what kind of monster hands their own son over to be used like that?My own past with my brother had nearly destroyed me. But Mario? His was worse. So much worse. I couldn't even begin to imagine it. The hell of everything he had gone through.And now, after everything, he had finally let me see it—the filth, the scars, the rot inside him. And what had I done? Looked at him like a kicked dog.No wonder he shoved me away.I exhaled sharply, pushing the thought down. No time for self-pity. I needed answers. If there was a single shred of evidence left of the people who did this to him, I had to find it.Whic
Mario’s POVI didn’t think. I didn’t need to.The second I saw them—Gerard, shirtless. Sylvia, on his bed. Laughing. My vision blurred with red.Before my mind could catch up, my fist was already flying. It connected with Gerard’s jaw, snapping his head to the side. The bastard staggered, but the smirk that followed only fueled my fury."You fucking stay away from her!"Sylvia gasped behind me, but I wasn’t looking at her.Gerard wiped the blood from his lip, eyes dark with amusement. "Didn’t know she was off-limits. My bad." His voice was mocking, slow. He knew exactly what he was doing—poking at the beast inside me. Purposely trying to reel me up to see how attached I was.I grabbed his collar, shoving him against the wall. "Say that again," I growled, my voice barely human.Sylvia was at my side in an instant, tugging at my arm. "Mario, stop! It’s not what you think!"But that was the thing—I didn’t know what to think.My head was still spinning from everything I’d told her earlier
Sylvia’s POVI woke up to warmth. An unfamiliar. It took a second for reality to catch up, for my brain to remember where I was.Mario’s room. No—my room.I blinked, adjusting to the soft morning light filtering through the light shade of lavender curtains. Beside me, Mario lay still, his breathing even, his arm wrapped tightly around my waist like he was scared I would run off.Last night’s conversation echoed in my head."Let’s just say I know a lot about you. Too much."My fingers curled into the sheets. How much did he really know? And how did he know it?I turned my head, watching him. Even in sleep, he looked guarded—jaw tight, brows furrowed like he was fighting something in his dreams. A part of me wanted to reach out, smooth the crease between his brows. But I didn’t.Because I didn’t trust him. Not fully.I moved slow. Careful. Inch by inch, I tried to pull away from Mario’s grip, but the second I did, his arm tightened around me. He mumbled something in his sleep, his voice
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
Mario's POV Sylvia’s eyes were as wide as saucers as she turned to me. “You’re getting a normal apartment?”“You are,” I corrected, beaming.She basically jumped in her seat before scrambling onto my lap, throwing her arms around my neck and planting a kiss right on my lips.“You’re really going to do this for us?” she asked, voice breaking slightly, and my heart swelled at the way she said us, not me. She didn’t even seem to realize it, but I did. She saw a future here. With me.She kissed me again, a little softer this time, before leaning backward, her head resting on the steering wheel like her thoughts had suddenly taken off in a hundred directions.“You know I’ve never made out in a car,” she said absently, then slapped her hand over her mouth like she hadn’t meant to say it out loud.I raised an eyebrow, smirking. “We can change that.” I adjusted the seat slightly to lean back, throwing her a playful look. “There’s a first time for everything.”She rolled her eyes but laughed.