جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 10

Unspoken Desires - Chapter 2SophiaThe sun was warm on my shoulders, and the prosecco was fizzing in my glass like it was celebrating right along with us. Vegas in the spring had a way of turning gold at just the right angle - reflections bouncing off the skyline like nature’s confetti. I leaned back against my cushioned patio chair, toes curling in my sandals, laughing at something my future mother-in-law had just said about the number of groomsmen, their tuxes and the universal incompetence of men when it came to planning anything.“Oh, come on,” I grinned. “You’re telling me Matteo didn’t pick out my engagement ring by himself?”Connie let out a full, delighted laugh, the kind that made you forget she was one of the most powerful women in the city. “Absolutely not. I sent him three photos and threatened to burn his company to the ground if he didn’t choose one before he was ready to pick you up for dinner.”I nearly choked on my drink. “You’re terrifying, Connie. No wonder Mig

Unspoken Desires - Chapter 4SophiaWe stepped out of the restaurant into the bright Vegas sun. The heat hits you almost instantly when you leave any air-conditioned space.Connie wove her arm through mine as we made our way to the waiting limo.She’d been quiet, but alert, ever since we saw Maria DeLuca. That’s why I decided not to tell her about seeing Svetlana. She was still too much on edge over Maria.Her eyes scanned the street like any trained Camorra soldier would.Connie wasn’t one of those pampered housewives. Sure, she was loved, protected, never wanted for anything, but she was steel underneath all the expensive jewelry and silk. Always composed on the outside.Her guard moved ahead of us, already pulling open the back door as we made our way. Then - bang. A single gunshot split the air. He dropped before I could even process it. One clean shot, center mass. No warning.Connie reacted first. She grabbed my arm and yanked me into the limo. It’s bulletproof and we’d be

Unspoken Desires - Chapter 6GinoIt still feels strange sometimes, being in love at our age. Newlyweds in our seventies. We should be slowing down, collecting antiques or playing with our great grandkids, not holding hands on a private runway like teenagers sneaking away to Europe for the summer.But then again, when the woman beside you is like Alexandra… you feel young again.She’s dressed in one of those perfectly tailored linen sets she loves, her sunglasses perched on her head, her silver-streaked hair swept into a soft bun. She looks like a woman made for the Amalfi Coast, not the smoke and steel of New York. And for the next two months, I plan on spoiling her like it.As we walk toward the jet, I gently squeeze her hand.“Tell me again where we’re going first,” she says, smiling without looking at me.“Tuscany. Then the Amalfi Coast. Then wherever you want after that,” I reply.She hums. “I like the sound of ‘wherever I want.’”I chuckle. “Good. You’ve earned it, Alex.”We

Unspoken Desires - Chapter 8MatthewWe barely made it through the door of H2H when Damian rushed toward us.“Matt.”He pulled me into a tight hug. Quick, rough, the kind of hug guys gave when shit hit the fan.“Good to see you too, brother.” I muttered, clapping his back.Truth was, I missed them. Vincent and Damian weren’t just my best friends, they were the only people I could confide in and strategize with, without filtering every word. In this life, you learned fast who you could talk to and who would use your words as weapons. But with them? I could lay it all out.Vincent stepped in beside me, arms crossed, his face already tight with tension.“You look like shit,” Damian said.“Jet lag,” I replied. “And espionage. Take your pick. Let’s get to it.”Damian nodded once, all business now. “Okay. Let’s see it all. I want to know everything before I call that motherfucker.”We didn’t have to ask who he meant.“You haven’t called him yet?” I asked, my voice rising. “Damian, this i

Unspoken Desires - Chapter 10MatthewEveryone gathered at H2H. Well, almost everyone. Max wasn’t here. And whether anyone wanted to admit it or not, we needed him.Every single one of us knew this operation wouldn’t work without him. He wasn’t just muscle, he was the precision blade. His tactical skills were unmatched. He was lethal, and loyal to a fault.But Mario? He wasn’t budging. None of us knew why. Correction. I didn’t know, and neither did Damian. But we were sure Luca and Vincent did. They were staying silent, letting Mario fume and blocking us from bringing in the one guy who could tilt the odds in our favor.The translators were bent over the files I’d brought back from Lithuania. The old documents, scribbled notes in messy Russian, fragmented codes and names we hadn’t yet decoded.I caught Damian pulling out his phone. A second later, mine buzzed.Damian:“Hey Max, what happened? No one’s saying anything, but we need you on this. Tell us, maybe we can help.”The typing bu