Manhattan, New York Draken "I need to see my little sister. Today." Alessandra's voice was calm despite our little dining room exchange. I had been unable to hold myself back, control the desire that seared through my veins when I saw her; every single moment I think of the woman before me, let alone being in the same room with her leaves my mind clouded with desire. She stood at the threshold of the main door, looking absolutely stunning, enough to take my breath away. Her defiance was palpable in the air, lurking beneath those enchanting blue eyes. Eyes that still haunt my dreams every night, more so now that she lies next to me. From the little mole underneath her left eye to the small crease on her brow whenever she was angling for a fight, her body had become an open book, revealing the storm before it washed all of us away. Her mind was still a vault but not for long. I had to admire her resolve. She was proving to be more interesting as time goes by, more so now that I kn

*** Upper East Side, New York Draken " The Colombian still hasn't made a move, it seems. He's gone underground, probably gathering support to hit back or something. A futile and stupid endeavor." Rowan commented, shaking his head in what seemed like true exasperation as he thought of Pablo Adrien Hernandez's attempts to defy us. The thought of the man still managed to irritate the shit out of me. He was inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, nothing but a nuisance in the background of my plans. I had anticipated that his greed and need for power would become somewhat of a problem when I dealt with Diego. Their shady business dealings had been within the dossier I compiled on the man who had been somewhat involved in my father's accident. Yes, the Moreno family had participated in the conspiracy that threatened to break my family. A gathering of the underworld's worst had come together to create a plan to take down my family and take our spot at the top of the food chain.

***Manhattan, New YorkAlessandra"I had a night terror, Tori. I just had to have a nightmare in front of him and he took care of me! I showed him one of my biggest weaknesses and now, I don't know how to fix it. I mean, I got the usual weird stares from his staff- some of whom I am sure HATE me- but he said nothing. Who knows what the hell he is planning."I shouted over the music to my little sister who instantly pulled me in for a warm hug that I tried hard not to relate to the one He had given me last night. She understood the implications of such a revelation to the man I was trying to save us from.A man who was clearly capable of more than we gave him credit for...A true Mafia Made Man like everyone else around us..."It's going to be okay, sorella. He may have witnessed that side of you but he doesn't know everything. He can't use it against you."Tori tried to reason and comfort me but I knew well enough- as she did too- that the Russian Made Man was more intuitive and intel

***Manhattan, New YorkDrakenMy wife's hand shook in my grasp as we made our way through my club. Receiving Vlad's report had been unsurprising, to say the least. Knowing what I did about Alessandra and her sister, Vittoria, I was aware of the possibility of their rebellion. The possibility that she would defy me and do this exact same thing. Which was why I had them sent to my club. My territory.Unlike her father, I do not mind her exeats. She deserves all the freedom she can get after a life of captivity. She deserves to be happy...But not in the arms of another man.Never in the arms of an idiotic child who knows Nothing of the despair I was about to rain down on him.The sight of his arms around her still lingered in my mind, fueling my rage even more. It had taken everything to restrain myself, to watch her reaction to the disrespectful advance. I could feel Keisuke, Rowan and Ioann's gazes on me. Kei's presence after my call confirmed quite a lot about his intentions in our

*** Manhattan, New York Alessandra He let me go, allowing me to stand and approach the man once one of the guards finished laying out the extra things I had requested on a side table not too far from where a terrified Brad was handcuffed. I noticed that neither of the men in the room had left, that among them was my husband's cousin and the former Head of the Bratva before Draken made his presence known. I had met Ioann Zolotov once before, at my wedding but he had kept his distance since then, wading in and out of the manor too quickly before any words could be spoken between us. I sensed no animosity from him- only curiosity that seemed to be mirrored all around the room. The man beside him was, however, different. Amused and genuinely eager for what was to come. His smile was chilling as he granted me a simple nod of acknowledgement before leaning back into the wall and watching like everyone else. I hadn't anticipated a small audience but I didn't care as much. The only gaze t