Zeppo: The Reluctant Marx Brother

When I was fourteen, my brother—the Don—brought home an orphan girl to settle a debt of gratitude. From then on, my life within the Corleone family always took a backseat to hers. The girl framed me, claiming I was trying to poison her. My brother slapped me across the face and locked me in the attic. To make it up to her, he even gave her the position that was meant for me. This time, I didn't say a word. I just packed my bags and left. It took a few days for him to realize I hadn't returned to the family estate. Only then did he find out that I’d joined an international medical aid organization—and that I was never coming back to New York. After that, he completely broke down.

TERZO When I took someone’s life, I knew there was no going back. To seek redemption and save my sister from marrying an evil like Francesco Giordani, I have to find his runaway daughter. The job should be easy— bring Dani Souls home by any means necessary. But when life takes an unexpected turn, it’s not always in the right direction. I find myself drawn to her. Seeing her terrified of me, I take it to my advantage. I didn’t give her many options: marry me or marry another monster. My only issue is that she doesn’t know I killed her brother. *** DANI When a tall, dark, and mysterious man steps into my life, I know he’s a made man— extremely dangerous. In a moment of weakness, I shot him.  For someone like Terzo Siciliano, a ruthless, unforgiving, and incapable of emotions, whose surname is feared by many, I should be dead by now. Instead, he plays his cards right and lures me into a trap— a marriage for my protection, or he owns my life. While our families are on the verge of a raging war, I feel helpless to resist his devilish charm. But I don’t know which feels much worse, me treading on dangerous waters or uncovering his deceit?

I am Eliana Torre, the Consigliere for the Caputo Famiglia. In Deyork, a city controlled by the mafia, everyone calls me Ice Lady. They say I am the first love of many MadeMen, that I clawed my way out of the slums with sheer ability, and am just one step away from the Don of the Caputo Famiglia, Lorenzo Caputo. Only I know that for the past three years, all my hard work and persistence have been just for one goal. I want to be promoted to Senior Consigliere so that I can be worthy of Lorenzo, who is my secret boyfriend. I believe we are in love. We share so many private moments of tenderness, like the late-night embraces in the apartment, the warm breakfast that suddenly appears on my desk, and the way he quietly protects me at business dinners. Until one day, my private photos spread throughout the entire company. I go to Lorenzo for help, but outside his office, I overhear a conversation. "Lorenzo, you casually send out Eliana's intimate photos, and all her efforts over the years are wasted. She can't compete with Fiore for Senior Consigliere anymore. "But I don't get it. Eliana is so beautiful. Even if you are not attracted to her, why do you keep having your brother sleep with her in your place?" It turns out that from the very beginning, Lorenzo is with me only to pave the way for my rival, Fiore Marotta. Even the intimate moments at night are carried out by his younger brother, Vincenzo Caputo, in his place. Tears run down my face. I wipe them away and unlock my phone to buy a ticket to Grayland. Then, I start drafting my resignation letter. I will never, ever return to this city full of deception.

“You are wet, Red. I can smell your juices already.” He said. I wanted to deny it but I knew he was right. The sides of my thigh were already clammy. How could he tell from afar? “No, I need to sleep. I told you I have a presentation tomorrow, right? I'm tired, I want to rest a bit.” I replied. “You'll do that when I get a release. I'll make sure to be fast about it,” he replied. I stood rooted on the same spot without moving. I knew he was just being civil with me. It was only a matter of time before he dragged me to his side. “Unless maybe you want me to call the others?” He asked but I could tell he was threatening me. Calling the others would end in me not getting any rest at all. “No, please,” I replied walking obediently to his side. ***** Three men, one naive woman. Ziyana never knew her life would turn in the most dramatic way. She enjoyed the life of a princess until life happened. From being hated by her blood to suddenly being sold to a spoilt Mafia Lord. She thought she could navigate through it but there were two more brothers! Ruthless. Domineering. Voracious. The Niccolo Brothers’ lives were full of danger and envy but these men never wanted her out of their sight. Would Ziyana be able to cope in the midst or run for her life before she get used to them?

My best friend Chloe and I married into the mob. We married two brothers. I married the monster, Don Adriano. She married his wild younger brother, Lorenzo. It was an arranged marriage. I expected nothing. His heart belonged to his childhood sweetheart, Isabella. Then my father died. My autistic brother, Leo, became my world. I signed over my family’s entire shipping empire to Adriano. He held me that night. Kissed the tears from my eyes. He swore he’d protect us forever. I believed him. That was my mistake. Three days ago, a rival family hit us. They left Leo bleeding out in my arms. I got him to our private hospital. It was empty. Not a single doctor on duty. I called Adriano, screaming for help. He had sent every last doctor to Isabella’s villa. "A storm's coming. Isabella is terrified of thunder. The stress could trigger her heart condition. I can't risk it. Your brother has a scratch. Patch him up. I’ll deal with it tomorrow." He hung up. While Isabella slept safely in his arms, I lost my brother. I cried all night, holding Leo's cold body. When I woke up, I told Chloe I wanted a divorce. She held me, sobbing. She said she was leaving Lorenzo, too. The Moretti brothers didn't know a thing until they were both served divorce papers. Then they went insane.

Ever since my parents told me I'm not related to my family by blood, my Alpha older brother, Zachary Baker, treats me very coldly. Needless to say, I'm saddened by his behavior. When I'm about to leave the pack, I accidentally stumble upon Zachary's notebook. "Shit! Her scent changed. She smells like a mature she-wolf now, as sweet as honey. I can't control this damned restlessness anymore." "I really want to tear her clothes off right there on the training grounds." "She did some deep squats today. I really wanted to ram into her from behind at that moment." "If he dares to call me 'Zachy' again, I swear, I'm going to breed her and make her carry my pup right in front of the entire pack!" I put the notebook back in its original spot. Then, I slip into one of Zachary's shirts before climbing into his bed. "Take me, Zachy."