All Chapters of Daughters of Ruin: 3 Sisters fall for the Mafia: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

CharliMom loved it here.She loved it because, here, the city couldn’t find us. No men in suits, just trees and birds and the lie of safety.I exhale, forcing her memory away and twirl the dandelion between my fingers. The sun feels soft against my skin but it prickles as soon as the birds go silent. My heart starts to hammer in my chest and I lift my head to watch the sky.They usually go quiet at the sound of gunshots. Even when they are too far away for my human ears. The grass beneath my feet and between my toes is warm. I could spend hours outside, but the sudden panic in my chest has me picking up the skirts of my dress to head inside.Our house isn’t close to any neighbors and behind our backyard is a wood that eventually turns into a forest. We don’t mind the isolation much. We used to enjoy it a lot, actually.Now it just makes me wonder when our bodies will be found six feet under. Valmont City isn’t exactly known for being safe. Not with the Mafia in the East Burough and t

Charli“Oh my, I’m so sorry!” I whisper in a rush.My body seems to short circuit, not knowing if I should attend to the customer or if I should clean the mess.“It’s fine,” The man’s deep voice brings me out of my thoughts.I look up from the seeds on the floor and suck in a breath, my spine snapping straight. He towers over me, his suit dark, his expression unreadable.He’s not a customer, I know that just by looking at him.He’s not a neighbor. No one in Riverview Heights would dress like that.No, he is something else entirely.I blow a stream of air through my lips and he frowns at me, amused. He is handsome, alright, with jet black hair and deep gray eyes. But the perfectly-tailored suit was sure to cost a pretty penny.It reminds me of my father and that immediately douses the flame of attraction.He’s a man of the Syndicate.His eyes flick down to the spilled seed, then slowly back to mine.“Do you need help?” He tilts his head, voice low, like velvet pulled too tight.“What?”

AliElijah Holder’s lawyer picked up my pen. Well, at least that’s what the news says. I know Jason takes care of all Syndicate matters.“Thanks,” I grit.He smiles at me and looks around the café before settling his gaze on me again, “Do you mind?”He points to the empty chair in front of me and I want to scold him. I narrow my eyes and look around, wondering how many men in here are part of his little crew?Is Aroma Cafe under the Syndicates ‘protection’? I look over at Jo, making sure she is not looking over at me.Jason takes the chair anyway and I straighten, reaching for the knife in my pocket. I take it out slowly and place it on the table, making it obvious I want him to see it.Jason’s chocolate brown eyes dart to the blade and he smiles. “You know who I am.”I tilt my head. I say nothing, watching him as he leans back, getting comfortable. His frame is toned, though I wouldn’t say he’s muscular. His brown eyes are friendly and his sharp jaw is clean shaven.Cute.I don’t do

CharliI look through the branches and the leaves, noticing Ali’s car as she parks it in the driveway. Jo had been dropped off by someone earlier.I wasn’t looking close enough to see who it was.Not when I’m still too scared to look at the newspaper left open on the coffee table. His picture is somewhere in those pages. If I look at it, I’ll know whether the man I met, the one with the gray eyes, is actually Elijah Holder.The Elijah Holder.If that’s true, I can’t tell Ali. She’ll make me quit my job. Or worse, she’ll pack us up and disappear across the country. I don’t want to leave.I quickly make my way down the tree, wincing when my foot gets caught in a particularly sharp piece of bark. I land on the ground and purse my lips when I eye the blood dripping down the cut.With a sigh I shrug it off and make my way over the fence and into the backyard. I smile at the colorful wildflowers that are blooming and pick a few as I walk into the house. I need new ones for the vases in my r

CharliMy eyes widen and panic punches the air out of my lungs. “No,no, no.”I dig my heels into the ground to see if that will help, but of course I am nothing compared to the man made of muscle dragging me down the alley.I gasp, pulling all my weight down to try and make him let go, but all it does is force him to tighten his hold.“Stop. Please, don’t.” My voice cracks. I’m crying now, I think, but I don’t feel the tears. I only feel heat and the sting of cold air and the bone-deep terror that I’m not getting out of this.He grunts a laugh and lets me go for a second. My heart lifts in my chest and I take a step to make a run for it, but his arm bands around my waist and I am thrown over his shoulder.I scream, banging my fists against his back. “Let me go, stop!”He smacks the back of my thigh and I choke on my own words. “You spoke Elijah’s name. We’re taking you to him, or would you rather be shot dead in that alley?”My stomach turns. I bite my lip hard enough to taste blood.