All Chapters of The Mafia's Illicit Obsession: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Livia SoleneMy jaw practically unhinged, dropping so low I thought it might shatter against the cold marble floor of our Manhattan penthouse. A trail of crumpled fabric lay strewn across the entryway. It’s Vincent’s expensive designer slacks tangled shamelessly with a lacy, crimson thong that definitely didn't belong to me.My gaze drifted up, following the pathetic breadcrumb trail of clothes toward the kitchen. I let out a dry, humorless breath, shaking my head so hard my long black hair whipped against my shoulders. Again. Four years of this suffocating, gilded cage, and he couldn't even bother to activate the alarm to be alerted when someone entered in the middle of his sex with another of his mistresses.I didn't hesitate. My heels padded silently across the tile floor until I reached the kitchen archway, the sound of rhythmic, disgusting wet slapping echoing off the pristine marble countertops.“F*ck, you’re so tight, babe! Unlike my wife.”Ice flooded my veins, turning my gre

Livia SoleneI should say no to him. He’s still a complete stranger, after all. A dangerous, tattooed enigma who owns a high-end club that clearly pulls in terrifying amounts of cash. He’s not going to kidnap me for ransom, right?“We’re here,” Dante murmured, cutting through my spiraling thoughts as he killed the engine of his sleek sports car right in front of Balboa Park.I stopped questioning myself the second I realized I was already here, trapped willingly in his orbit. Dante got out, closing his door. I peered outside through the tinted glass and blinked. The sprawling park parking lot was completely empty. Not a single car in sight. The sprawling grounds looked ghostly quiet, abandoned to the afternoon sun.My door clicked open. I looked up into Dante’s face, catching a slow, wicked grin. The silver piercing on the side of his lip caught the glaring sunlight, glinting like a threat.“Come here, mi reina.” He extended a large, calloused hand toward me, and without a second tho

Livia SoleneVincent was so mad yesterday that he stripped away every ounce of my independence, confiscating my IDs and cards like a warden locking down a prisoner. Trying to control me once again. But he underestimated me. I let him take them, knowing full well what I had tucked away. I have my cash hidden under the kitchen sink, buried deep where his lazy eyes never look, along with a spare identification card he doesn't even know exists.I anticipated this exact brand of toxic fallout. I always withdraw cash bit by bit from joint accounts, stashing it safely away in the lining of my duffel bag. I peeled twenty thousand crisp bills from the stash and shoved them straight into my purse. Vincent already left the penthouse behind him this morning, and if he honestly believes I am going to sit around crying like a miserable, trapped housewife in that gilded cage, he is dead wrong.I marched out of the penthouse, my skin humming with restless energy. Not in the mood to deal with traffic

Livia SoleneMy heart hammers against my ribs, a frantic, deafening drumbeat while his light brown eyes lock straight onto mine. The playful, intoxicating warmth that usually dances in his gaze is entirely gone, replaced by an absolute blankness. He stands there while I am shivering beneath the white hotel sheets, staring into a face that suddenly feels terrifyingly unreadable. He is quiet. He doesn’t deny it. He doesn’t laugh or try to twist my words. He just stands there, confirming the one devastating truth I refuse to accept.He’s married.I drop my gaze down to his hands, searching frantically for any sign of a gold band that I did back in San Diego, any physical anchor to reality, but there is nothing there except the intricate, sweeping black tattoos wrapping around his thick fingers and massive wrists. I grip the edges of the white comforter, pulling it tighter around my naked, trembling body like a shield against a world that is aggressively caving in on me.“Dante, answer

Livia SoleneWhat on earth is he playing at?! What kind of sick, twisted game is he running? Walking right into the lion’s den? Coming straight into our penthouse?! Has he completely lost his mind?!“Mr. Cortez,” Vincent gushes, his voice pitching up into that nauseating, subservient register that makes my skin crawl. “I am so glad you decided to accept my invitation to meet.”Out of the corner of my eye, I see Dante. But his dark, intense light-brown eyes aren't looking at Vincent at all. They are locked entirely, unblinkingly, onto me. His gaze is so heavy, so searingly hot, that it feels like a physical brand against my skin. I force every ounce of my willpower to keep my expression completely neutral, hiding the inner earthquake rattling my bones, but I let my eyes slice toward him, delivering the sharpest, most venomous glare I can muster while Vincent remains entirely oblivious.“Our encounter yesterday was... unfortunate, Mr. Cortez,” Vincent chatters on, oblivious, shaking Dan