Chapter 51

Matteo’s voice struck Sofia harder than she expected.She turned toward him instinctively, and for a moment she looked past the bruising around his eye, past the fading yellow and purple shadows staining his skin and beyond the injuries, she saw something rare which was honesty and beneath that was vulnerability.It was the kind of raw openness she had never witnessed in men who lived lives like theirs. Men built on violence, loyalty, and silence. Her breath caught in her throat then she felt someone take her hand.She looked down and saw Mike’s fingers laced with hers, his hand was battered and the skin across his knuckles was split then scabbed over.Bruises darkened the back of his hand, and dried blood marked the cracks in his skin.“Holy hell,” I whispered, staring. “Mike…”His jaw tightened slightly, but he didn’t pull away.“The money we gave you,” Mike said, voice low and steady, “was stolen from us.”Her eyes lifted sharply to his.“A rival club raided our businesses,” he c

Chapter 52

I threw my arms around Matteo before I could stop myself, emotion overtaking every rational thought in my mind.My lips found his instantly, and he caught me against him with a low sound of surprise. His arms wrapped securely around my back, pulling me close as he kissed me deeply.The world seemed to tilt beneath my feet and for a moment, there was nothing but the warmth of his body, the strength of his embrace, and the relief crashing through me.When I finally pulled away, I was breathless.I turned toward Mike, who was already stepping forward.His hands settled firmly on my hips, steadying me before I even realized my knees were weak. I lifted my hands to cup his face, my thumbs brushing over the roughness of his jaw before I drew him down to me.Our mouths met slowly at first, then with growing intensity.The kiss was smooth, grounding, full of all the things he struggled to say aloud.Tears streamed down my cheeks as I trembled against him, overwhelmed by everything that had ha

Chapter 53

“SOFIA! Sofia! That’s my daughter!”The sound of her voice alone was enough to make my stomach drop and of course she would show up like this loud, drunk, and completely out of control.“SOFIA! Shots! All the shots! So many shots!”I watched, dread curling in my chest, as my mother stumbled her way toward the bar.She bumped into people without apologizing, shoved others aside, and barely kept herself upright as she forced her way through the crowd. “Hey!”“Watch it!”“What the hell is wrong with you?”“Move,” she slurred, waving them off. “I’ve got drinks to order.”“No, you don’t,” I said firmly, stepping forward before she could climb onto a stool. “We’re not serving you tonight.”She blinked at me, then dug into her pocket and slapped a few wrinkled bills onto the counter like she’d just proven a point. “But I’ve got money. See?”The smell hit me next it was sharp, sour and overwhelming like alcohol had soaked into her skin for days. My stomach twisted.“You’re already drunk so we

Chapter 54

“Call one of us when you get home, beautiful,” Nico said, his voice soft but serious.“And if you don’t call within the next hour, we’re coming to find you,” Mike added.“I understand,” I said quietly. “I’ll be careful.”I gave them one last look before climbing into my car. I wanted to huge each one of them because they were the only comfort I had aside Jane but then I pulled away, watching the five of them grow smaller in the rearview mirror until they disappeared into the night but I wasn’t ready to go home.I hated that I had a mother who will do everything in her power to bring me down, every mother I knew wanted their daughter to be successful but not mine, she claimed I was the cause of her misfortune but I never forced her to have me, I hated that I felt jealous when I saw other having a good relationship with their parents because it was something I could never have. I have tried to talk senses into her but she has refused, I was glad I would finally be free from her pretty

Chapter 55

I groaned again as I pushed myself upright, the pain throbbing through my skull like a hammer striking from the inside.I sucked in a sharp breath and instantly grimaced.The smell was unbearable like rotten mold and I could also feel dampness, something sour and stale clung to the air and it was coated the back of my throat.For a few seconds, I couldn’t think clearly because my mind felt wrapped in fog.The last thing I remembered was walking into the warehouse with my bags after leaving the bar but this wasn’t the warehouse.I forced my eyes open and I saw nothing only darkness which was quite suffocating.I lifted a hand in front of my face and couldn’t even make out the shape of it, soon fear crashed through me so hard it stole what little breath I had left then memory came rushing back.The destroyed building, the windows smashed and how my future has been ruined.The word slut painted across the front in red, the arm around my neck and the cloth over my mouth.Someone had been

Chapter 56

In my dream I could hear the way the guys murmur on how much they loved me as their cocks sank into my body.The pounding sensation at the front of my head pulled me from my dreams and I turned my head to the side and licked my chapped lips.My mouth was so dry, and my throat was sore. My neck was throbbing, and my vision was blurry. I tried to move my arms and legs but I couldn’t and whatever I was sitting on, I was tied to it.They were making sure I couldn’t go anywhere this time.“You’re a fun one to catch,” a voice said suddenly and I became aware that they surrounded me.Soon another voice came from behind me and it was the man that caught me before I passed out.“I’m always up for a little fun,” I said breathlessly.“So, I’ve heard that rumor has it you’re fucking all the Steele brothers.Is that true? Do you have enough pussy for the five of them?” he asked. “You’ll never know,” I annoyed, I hated when someone tried to get that information from me.I knew my tough facade was