Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 31 - Chapitre 40

Taryn Vescari“Victory to Don Vittorio Moretti! Undefeated in the Crimson Vault Club!” Sergio Costanzo’s harsh voice boomed through the underground sub-level over the roar of the mob heavyweights.Vittorio’s thick arms and broad shoulders flexed as he wiped a line of dark blood from his knuckles. He turned toward my corner of the room and paused, his dark eyes locking straight onto mine. My chest tightened, a violent pulse of heat shooting straight to my core the way it always did whenever I stared at him for too long. I allowed myself one brief second to sink into his heavy glare, then forced my gaze down to the concrete floor.Breathing out a shaky breath, I gripped the heavy plastic trash liner hanging off the bar. "I’ll run these empty bottles out to the alley.""Take this load too, Taryn," Dario Lucchesi said, shoving a second heavy sack over the mahogany counter toward me.Gratefully, I hauled the heavy bags toward the back stairs, keeping my eyes locked on my boots so I wouldn'

Taryn VescariAfter ten minutes of feeling completely out of place in the high-stakes crowd, I started to relax my shoulders. Nobody was paying attention to us. Nobody cared that a broke street girl from Belladonna Flats was standing in the middle of the VIP level. Was it possible that the territory dynamics had changed since we were younger and I was the only one still clinging to old grudges? What if all those wealthy syndicate kids who used to kick dirt at me didn't actually give a damn that I was taking up space here now? It didn't change my reality anyway. I had survived the streets, just like they had. And soon, once I cleared my ledgers, I'd buy my absolute freedom from the Vescari District. We'd all be square under mob law. Well, in theory. Everyone knew the Commission held real power, and very few orphans raised in the gutter ever climbed to the high tables.Sienna leaned her head close to mine, her voice barely cutting through the bass. "I'm heading to the mahogany counter f

“Why don’t you sit your stubborn ass down before you hit the floor?” Rocco suggested, stepping closer and reaching for the mug. “You’re leaning on that chair like you’re about to pass out.” He gently took the tea from my hands and guided me by the elbow toward the leather couch in the corner.I had to duck my head to clear the low ceiling beam before sinking onto the cushion. Once I was settled, Rocco set the mug back in my hands and leaned against the wall beside me.“Did you really sit in that armchair all night watching me sleep?” I asked, taking a small sip of the bitter herbal brew.Rocco raised an eyebrow, a cocky smirk tugging at his lips. “Why? Do you think that’s creepy?”I shrugged, letting the hot liquid warm my throat. “Depends on whether you were holding a gun or a notepad.”“Because if you think it’s creepy, then I’m definitely going to lie and tell you I slept down the hall in the guest suite,” he teased softly.“I don’t think it’s creepy,” I admitted, looking up into h

Taryn VescariI considered coming clean about the secret deal I’d overheard in the alleyway, but the heavy-hitting syndicate capos gathered around the mahogany table were already glaring at me like I was a rat just because I held a floor position at Roma Corner Bistro. If I confessed that I’d been sitting on suspicious intelligence for weeks without running straight to the family, they’d drag me down to the cellar before I could finish my sentence.“What’s going to happen now?” I asked, keeping my voice low. I wanted to ask about my wages and my debt ledger, but bringing up money in front of a dozen armed soldiers felt suicidal.“Enzo Caradonna will face a full trial before the Commission elders while my capos dismantle his network,” Rocco said, stepping close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off his broad chest. “It’s going to be handled.” He unexpectedly reached out, his heavy arms wrapping around my shoulders to pull me against his chest.My breath hitched violently in m

"Don't make me wait," I whispered, my voice thick with heat.He ran his tongue over his bottom lip, tasting me, and I bit my lip hard to suppress the throbbing ache between my legs. I'd never let a man touch me like this, but every instinct I had told me Rocco was worth the risk. Tomorrow night, I was putting my life on the line inside the Moretti Palazzo. I was done waiting to take what I wanted.Anticipation burned deep in my belly while we cleared the main floor. The soldiers eventually scattered back to their safehouses and street corners, leaving the massive stone manor completely silent.I helped Rocco toss the trash and wipe down the counters in the kitchen, neither of us saying a word. The heavy, electric sexual tension in the room was so thick it was hard to breathe. I wanted him. My body was screaming for him. Our connection was born out of blood, debts, and street survival, but standing next to him in the quiet kitchen, I didn't care about our history. I just needed his han