All Chapters of MARRIED TO THE MAFIA KING : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:The mountain safehold rose out of the mist like it had been waiting for them all along. Dimitri killed the engine and sat there a second, hands still gripping the wheel. Blood had dried on his shirt. Lyra reached over and touched his arm.“You look like hell,” she said quietly.He gave a short laugh that sounded more like a cough. “Feel like it too. But we’re here. That’s what matters.”Viktor helped Elena out of the back. She winced with every step, clutching her leg. “If I bleed out on your fancy mountain floor, Voss, I’m haunting you.”“You’ll live,” Dimitri muttered, sliding an arm around Lyra as they headed inside. The place smelled of pine and stone, exactly like the photograph. Dim lights clicked on automatically. “Med kit’s in the main room. Patch yourselves up. I’ll call for the kids.”Lyra stopped him. “Wait. You first. That shoulder’s still bleeding.”“I’m fine.”“You’re not.” She pushed him toward a heavy wooden table. “Sit. Now.”He sat with a grunt. L

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:The tires screamed as Dimitri slammed the brakes outside the safehold. Smoke hung low in the mountain air, mixing with the smell of gunpowder and pine. Lyra was out of the van before it stopped moving, legs burning as she sprinted toward the shattered front doors.“June! Theo!” Her voice tore raw from her throat. “Where are you?”No answer. Just the wind howling through broken glass.Dimitri caught up, gun drawn, face like stone. “Viktor, sweep the perimeter. Lyra, stay behind me, damn it.”“I’m not staying behind anything,” she snapped, shoving past him into the dark entryway. “My brother and sister are in here somewhere. Elena!”A groan came from the kitchen. Elena lay against the cabinets, blood streaking her face, one eye swelling shut. She clutched a pistol with shaking hands.“They came fast,” Elena rasped as Lyra dropped to her knees beside her. “Ten, maybe twelve guys. I got two before they… before they took the kids. I’m sorry. God, I’m so sorry.”Dimitr

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE:Mace’s voice slithered through the speakers hidden in the trees. “Come on in, Voss. I’ve been waiting. Bring your pretty little wife too. I wouldn't want her to miss the show.”Lyra’s grip tightened on her gun, heart slamming so hard she could feel it in her teeth. Dimitri pulled her behind a thick oak, his body tense as coiled wire.“Stay close,” he breathed. “He’s trying to rattle us.”“It’s working,” she whispered back. “If he hurts anyone else because of me—”A gunshot cracked nearby. Viktor dropped with a grunt, clutching his arm. “Go! I’ll slow them down.”Dimitri cursed. “Not leaving you.”“You damn well are,” Viktor snarled. “Get your family. I’ll catch up.”Lyra grabbed Dimitri’s hand. “We have to move. Now.”They ran low through the underbrush, boots slipping on damp leaves. The compound walls rose ahead, razor wire glinting under floodlights. Dimitri shot the lock on a side gate. It swung open with a metallic groan.Inside, the place felt like a tomb—to

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN:A scream ripped through the quiet house at 3:17 a.m.Lyra bolted upright in bed, heart exploding in her chest. Dimitri was already moving, gun in hand before his feet hit the floor.“Kids,” she gasped, racing down the hall with him right behind.Theo’s door was open. Empty bed. June’s room too.“No,” Lyra whispered, voice cracking. “No, no, no!”Dimitri checked the windows. “Glass broken. Footprints outside. They took them.”Lyra grabbed his arm, nails digging in. “Mace is dead! You said it was over!”“Apparently someone didn’t get the memo.” His voice was ice-cold, but his eyes burned with fury. “Stay here. Call Viktor and Elena.”“Like hell I’m staying!” She snatched her own gun from the nightstand. “Those are my babies out there. I’m not waiting while some ghost from your past takes them.”Dimitri rounded on her in the hallway, face inches from hers. “Lyra, listen to me. This isn’t the warehouse. This is our home. Our new start. If you go running out half-cock

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE:Three months later, the backyard smelled of fresh-cut grass and wildflowers. Lyra stood in front of the full-length mirror in their bedroom, smoothing the simple white dress over her hips. It wasn’t extravagant—just soft fabric that flowed when she moved, with delicate straps and a touch of lace at the neckline. Perfect.“You look beautiful,” Dimitri said from the doorway. He wore a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, dark pants, and that same intense look in his eyes that still made her stomach flip. The scars from that final night had faded to faint lines, reminders they both carried quietly.Lyra turned, smiling. “You clean up nice yourself. No blood this time. Progress.”He crossed the room in three strides and pulled her close, careful not to wrinkle the dress. “Couldn’t stay away. I need to see you before everyone else does.” His voice dropped low. “Still sure about this? Marrying the former mafia king in front of our weird little family?”“Never b