bchid

HER ITALIAN DADDY NEW YORK MAFIA DOMS

BIANCA COLE

Her Italian Daddy Copyright © 2020 Bianca Cole All Rights Reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

Book cover design by Hot and Steamy Romance Premades

CONTENTS

Free Book O er 1. Sophia 2. Enzo 3. Sophia 4. Enzo 5. Sophia 6. Enzo 7. Sophia 8. Enzo 9. Sophia 10. Enzo 11. Sophia 12. Enzo 13. Enzo 14. Sophia 15. Enzo 16. Sophia 17. Enzo 18. Sophia 19. Enzo 20. Sophia 21. Enzo 22. Sophia 23. Epilogue Mailing List Also by Bianca Cole About the Author

FREE BOOK OFFER

If you enjoy reading about possessive alpha men, steamy hot insta-lust, and romance, then grab my free novella on o er.

Filthy Doctor is a 34k novella and part of the Wynton series.

Join my mailing list and grab Filthy Doctor for free!

Click here to join now!

1

SOPHIA

“H

urry up, or we will be late,” Becky says, throwing back the rest of her drink. “India is meeting us at the club in half an hour. We have to celebrate you landing this new job and, of course, her birthday.”

A job I’ve yet to start yet, but that doesn’t stop Becky from planning how I’m going to spend my wages. It pays well for a simple housekeeping job, but then it’s at a mansion. I won’t have rent to pay for this apartment anymore since it’s a live-in position.

I glance at myself in the mirror again, hating how my makeup looks. “Are you sure I look fine?”

Becky rolls her eyes, grabbing my shoulders. “You look amazing. Why don’t you believe me?”

I shrug, running a hand down the front of my black chi on dress. “You know I hate going out.”

“Not this again. It’s India’s birthday, and you got a new job. You can’t bail on this celebration.” Becky grabs my purse and puts it in my hand. “You haven’t been out all year. It’s time to let your hair down.”

I smile at her, knowing that I refuse to go out too often and that my friends get fed up with it. Clubs aren’t my scene.

“Come on, then. Let’s get this night over with already.”

Becky laughs, grabbing her purse o my bed. “Talk about being positive. You might find a hot guy to bring home.” She winks, knowing that’s ridiculous. Not only because I’ve never bought any guy back home, not even one I know, but because I’m useless when it comes to men.

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, and maybe pigs will fly.”

Becky opens the door to my apartment and nods toward it. “Come on.” She hooks her arm with mine. “You can’t hang onto your virginity forever, Sophia. One day you’re going to have to get it over with.”

I grit my teeth, keeping quiet. Becky knows that I’m not a virgin for any reason other than the fact that I can’t be more awkward when talking to guys. I’ve never felt enough of a connection with anyone to get to that point. Becky is right about one thing, though. I do need to let loose more often.

I grab my keys and put them in my purse before walking out the door. Becky shuts it with a slam. “Finally, the hermit crawls out of her cave.”

I shove her in the shoulder. “Don’t be an idiot. Did you book the Uber?”

Becky nods, checking her phone. “Yeah, should be outside any moment.”

The Uber pulls up as we exit my apartment building, and Becky drags me toward it. She gets in first. I climb in after, finding she’s already engrossed in her phone.

I glance out of the window as the car starts to move, watching as the rain cascades down the glass. Becky knows I hate going out, but she never makes it easier, so consumed by posting her every movement on social media.

“Hey, come on. Let’s take a selfie.” She yanks at me, forcing me to move closer.

I smile, but it’s forced. Social media isn’t something I’ve taken to, unlike many of my friends. I find it all too exhausting to keep up with. I don’t want to know what

Shanice, my friend from high school, eats for breakfast every damn day.

“That one was good, look.” Becky shoves the phone in my face.

I groan. “I look terrible. I wish you wouldn’t take photos.”

She shoves me in the arm. “You’re blind if you don’t think you look hot as hell.”

I roll my eyes but can’t help but smile. Becky is the only person who can get me out. Her positivity is infectious in the end. The Uber comes to a halt outside La Calda, the hottest club on Staten Island. The queue outside is huge.

“Great, there’s a massive queue.”

Becky sighs. “Yeah, India got here fifteen minutes ago, and she’s already inside.” She shoots me a glare. “Because someone couldn’t get away from the mirror.” She throws the door open. “Thanks for the ride,” she says to the driver.

“Thank you,” I say, slipping out after her onto the sidewalk.

Becky joins the queue, still glued to her phone. I stand next to her awkwardly. Queues are the worst.

We walk into the club, and India is already there, flirting with a couple of guys. She waves as she sees us, beckoning us over. This place is too crowded and too loud.

“Happy birthday,” I say, leaning in to hug her.

She smiles. “Thanks, Jake and Ed have access to the VIP area and invited us to join them.” She winks, and my stomach dips.

One of them is staring at me like I’m a piece of meat. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end as I anticipate a night full of awkward conversations with these men.

“Great,” I say in reply.

She laughs. “Don’t sound too enthusiastic.”

I turn to Becky, who is ordering our drinks. “God help us, India has already found a couple of creeps.”

Becky glances over at them. “The dark-haired one is pretty hot.”

I raise a brow. “Seriously?”

“This is why you are twenty-four years old and still a virgin.” She meets my gaze. “Your standards are way too high.”

I shrug and take my drink, handing Becky the cash for both. “This one is on me.”

“Swimming in cash now you’ve got a job, hey?”

I laugh, shaking my head. “Not exactly.”

The dark-haired lawyer approaches. “Come on, ladies, are you ready to party in VIP style?”

Becky sets a hand on his arm, but his eyes are fixed on me. “Definitely. What’s your name?”

“Jake,” he says, glancing at her. “You?” “I’m Becky, and this is my friend Sophia.” She points at me, and I nod.

“Shall we.” He nods toward India, who is already disappearing with the blonde guy into the crowd. Becky takes his arm and mine. “Let’s go.”

I’m already exhausted by this ordeal, and the night hasn’t even started yet. I really should find some friends who think a quiet night watching movies and drinking wine is fun.

Clubs are my absolute worst nightmare.

A bouncer steps into Jake’s path. “Name?”

“Jake Harper.”

The bouncer checks a list before nodding and stepping aside. Jake gives Becky and me a smirk as he leads the way into a dimly lit room with a pole at the back and women dancing on it. This is even worse than the main club, set up with men in mind.

I scan the room, and my heart skips a beat as I lock eyes with a man who is staring right at me—he’s absolutely stunning. Heat rises through my body as he stares at me

with such intensity. An intensity that makes my knees wobble and knocks the air from my lungs.

I look away from him, turning my attention back to the table India is sitting at already. Becky noticed him staring too, nudging me slightly. “Enzo D’Angelo is watching you.”

“Who?” She rolls her eyes. “Do you live under a rock?” She glances over at the man who was watching me but is now talking with the men he’s sat with. “He’s a wealthy businessman, and he owns this place as well as loads of other businesses. Not to mention, he’s hot as hell.”

I can’t contest that, as he is the most attractive man I’ve ever seen, and there’s something about him. Confidence fills the air around him.

Becky nudges me. “Someone has the hots for the Italian billionaire.”

My eyes widen. “Billionaire? Seriously?”

She smiles and nods. “Yeah, if Enzo doesn’t live up to your standards, then no one will.”

I sigh as it’s not about standards. I’ve never felt connected enough to anyone to sleep with them—simple. I glance over and notice Jake staring at me. The guy gives me the creeps.

He gets up and comes and sits next to me in the booth, too close for my liking. “How are you enjoying the evening?”

I shrug. “It’s alright. I’m not really into clubbing.”

He narrows his eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re not into dancing? I was about to ask you to dance.”

I shake my head. “No, I’ve got two left feet.” The thought of dancing with him makes me sick to the stomach. I think there’s something wrong with me. Jake is attractive and muscular, clean-shaven, and looks like the kind of guy any girl would be happy to bring home to meet their family. Yet, he doesn’t appeal to me at all.

“Shame,” he says, smiling at me. “I don’t mind talking and drinking with a beautiful girl, though.” His eyes dip to my cleavage, making me uncomfortable.

I clear my throat. “What do you do for a living?”

He smirks. “I’m a junior partner at a law firm.” I watch as he adjusts the Rolex on his left wrist. “How about you?”

“I’m a housekeeper,” I reveal my profession in the hope it will put a guy like him o . His smile doesn’t waver.

There’s no way I can engage in small talk with this lawyer all night. He doesn’t notice that I’m not interested in him at all. Instead, he moves closer to me, making my stomach churn.

“Did you go to college?” he asks.

I shake my head. “No, I’m not the academic type.” My muscles are tense as he slips a hand onto my thigh, making me feel sick.

I try to inch away, but he doesn’t let go. Someone clears their throat loudly, drawing all of our attention over to him.

My heart skips a beat as I stare into the piercing blue eyes of the man I’d seen as I walked in here. Enzo D’Angelo according to Becky. His attention is fixed on me solely, and it makes me hot.

“Will you dance with me?” He asks.

I glance around, knowing this rich Italian can’t be asking me. A millionaire like him wouldn’t be interested in a woman like me. When I return my attention to him, he’s smiling at me.

He holds out his hand to me, eyes burning with desire. “I won’t take no for an answer.”

I swallow hard, knowing that there’s no way I’d ever give this man no for an answer. He’s delicious, dominant, and dark—everything that fills my wildest fantasies.

2

ENZO

I

step into my club, La calda.

The place is already packed with drunk students and idiots. I clench my jaw, wishing that I didn’t have to run this place to launder my money. Mario has some important business to discuss, so I asked him to meet me here.

Right now, I’m regretting that decision. I step onto the dancefloor, and some kid dances right into me. Rage floods my veins as I shove him so hard that he loses balance and hits the floor. “Watch where you are going,” I growl, kicking him in the stomach as I walk past.

My consigliere, Gino, steps closer to me and sets a careful hand on my shoulder. “Don’t forget where you are, sir. We don’t want the police called down here.”

I glare at my right-hand man, despite knowing he is my voice of reason. There’s a reason I asked him here tonight. “I won’t,” I grit out, advancing more carefully across the dancefloor toward the VIP room at the back. Our only safe place away from the rabble in the main club.

I let out a shaky breath as I step past the bouncer and into the VIP room. “I hate this fucking place,” I say, glancing at Gino.

He shakes his head. “Then why did you want to meet him here?”

I shrug. “I forgot how shit it was.”

Gino chuckles, scanning the VIP area. “Mario is already here.” He nods over at a table near the back.

I notice my capo sitting in the corner, a woman he paid sitting in his lap. Mario is a bit of an asshole, even if he is a good capo. He treats women worse than most men under my rule, so the only women normally near him are paid to be.

I approach his table and clear my throat when he doesn’t notice me. His eyes widen when he sees me, pushing the woman o his lap and jumping to his feet. “Good evening, sir.” He bows his head. “Sorry, I didn’t know you had arrived.”

I crack my neck and fix my gaze on the woman with him.

“Leave us.”

The woman pales at my tone, glancing at Mario as if he has a say in this. He nods, and she walks away without a word.

I sit and grab the bottle of scotch from the table, pouring myself a glass.

Mario watches me, waiting for me to say something. I leave him to sweat, enjoying my drink. I can see the concern in his eyes growing with every second that ticks by.

“Sir, are you ready to hear my proposal?” He asks, finally.

I lean forward. “Yes, but it better be good, Mario.” I shake my head. “I don’t come out on a Friday night for business unless it is.”

Mario’s Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. “I assure you that it is, sir.”

He grabs a file o the chair next to him and sets it on the table, opening it. “The construction company has come back with some promising figures, as you can see here.” He points at a load of numbers on the paper that mean nothing to me.

I’m not a man that gets bogged down by numbers. If Gino tells me they’re good, then I’ll trust his judgment. Mario tries to pass me the quotes, but I nod toward Gino, who takes them.

“There’s a chance of a three-fold return on investment, and it means we can get rid of some of our not so lucrative methods of laundering the organization’s cash,” Mario says, as Gino nods, looking over the numbers.

Mario continues trying to sell the new business plan, but I find my interest wavering. A sweet laugh cuts through the noise in the VIP area, drawing my attention to a group of three women walking in. Two men, lawyers that work for me, are with them.

My muscles tense as I set eyes on her—a beautiful brunette woman with tanned skin and emerald green eyes.

Eyes that scan the room and land on me almost instantly.

She holds my gaze for a moment but quickly starts to flush and looks away. I move in my seat, adjusting myself in my pants. They are suddenly a little too restrictive as I watch her move across the room. Her black dress is simple and elegant, but it accentuates all her assets in ways that drive me wild.

“Sir?” Gino is staring right at me. “Do you have an opinion on the proposed expansions?”

I clench my jaw. “I want to hear what you think,” I say, mainly because I didn’t even listen.

Gino adjusts his tie. “The figures are encouraging. Real estate is a lucrative legal avenue to help launder and invest the organization’s money.”

I meet Mario’s gaze. “Do you think we can trust Dan Howe, the construction company owner?”

Mario nods. “He seems genuine, and I’ve had a few men tail him. As per our protocols, I managed to bug his o ce.”

He shrugs. “I haven’t found any evidence that we shouldn’t trust him.”

Mario may be an ass to women, but he is a good capo. The kind of man I can trust to do his due diligence. The Russians have been gaining power outside the city, and we need to find a way to expand within it. Real estate makes sense.

I nod. “Very well, it sounds like we’ve got a deal. Get the lawyers on it tomorrow, Mario. I don’t want to waste any time.”

Mario smiles, holding up his glass. “Alla nostra.”

I lift my glass and clink it against his. “Alla nostra.” I can’t help my eyes wander over to the table where the three ladies are gathered.

It irritates me when I see Jake Harper, a junior lawyer at the firm I use, sitting too close to her. She looks uncomfortable as he sets his hand on her thigh.

I feel something inside of me snap. Without a word to my men, I stand and approach their table. I clear my throat, drawing everyone’s attention to me.

My eyes are fixed on the woman attempting to shift away from Jake.

She meets my gaze, and her cheeks flush instantly.

“Will you dance with me?” I ask, keeping my gaze steady and fixed on her.

The woman looks around as if trying to work out who I’m talking to.

I hold my hand out to her, and she looks shocked. “I won’t take no for an answer.”

Her throat bobs as she takes my hand.

The irritation in Jake’s eyes is evident, but he wouldn’t dare speak up against me. The guy is a coward and smart.

I lead the beauty onto the small dance floor and pull her against me, letting my hand dip low on her back. “What is your name, Bella?” I murmur into her ear, letting my breath tease against her ear lobe.

She shudders against me. Her cheeks are flushed a deep pink. “S-Sophia,” she stutters.

Her shyness is endearing, but I’m not sure what this stunning woman has to be shy about. She is head and shoulders above any woman in here, yet she’s the only one who’s not full of self-confidence.

“You look stunning, Sofia,” I murmur.

She raises a brow as if she doesn’t believe me. “What is yours?”

I smile at her. “Enzo.”

Something tells me she already knew my name. Many people do, but I highly doubt she knows what I do for a living —not my true profession, at least.

I pull her closer into my chest, tightening my grip on her hips possessively. “What was a woman like you doing with a boy like Jake anyway?”

“I wasn’t with him. He was hitting on me.” Her brow furrows. “What do you mean a woman like me?” She asks.

I smile at her. She truly doesn’t know how beautiful she is. “A gorgeous one.”

She bites her bottom lip, shaking her head. “I don’t think so.”

I tease my hand around the back of her neck softly and angle her face up to me. “I know it to be true, tesoro,” I call her treasure in Italian, as that’s what she is.

She smiles at me for the first time, and I’m fixated on her.

An angel, that’s what she is. An angel that I shouldn’t want to corrupt, but I can’t help myself.

I spin her around and pull her back into my chest, letting her feel what she is doing to me. The hard press of my cock against her ass.

I feel her tense against me slightly before relaxing as I press my hand against her stomach, keeping her tight

against me. “You are exquisite, baby,” I murmur into her ear.

She leans her head back against my shoulder, moaning softly. “Not as exquisite as you,” she says.

The curve of her body molds against mine as though she were made for me. I haven’t wanted a woman the way I want her in a long time.

I twirl her back around, pulling her close. Her eyes move to my lips, and I feel the need to kiss her rise inside of me.

Fuck work. It’s Friday night and time to enjoy myself.

I wrap my fingers around her throat, meeting her unsure gaze with confidence. She trembles, eyes dilated with pure desire.

“I’m going to taste you, baby,” I breathe before kissing her hard.

I feel her body tense against me, uncertain about submitting. She will learn as most do, that I always get what I want.

Her lips part as my tongue teases between them. I plunder her mouth with no mercy, keeping my hand wrapped around her throat. Sophia moans softly, making my cock swell in my pants. It’s fucking uncomfortable.

I move my hands down lower, feeling her thick hips and then moving lower to her thighs. She’s perfect. “You’re intoxicating,” I murmur into her ear, nipping her earlobe with my teeth.

She shudders against me. “Enzo.” My name sounds perfect on her lips.

My visit to La Calda tonight was solely to meet Mario, hear him out, and leave. The moment Sophia strode into this room, I knew I had to have her. This beautiful woman will be mine tonight.

3

SOPHIA

B

ecky laughs so loud it has me on edge as I tense against the gorgeous, Italian billionaire. She’s flirting with Enzo’s friend, Mario, who gives me the creeps. That’s Becky, though. She knows how to pick the good ones.

I glance onto the dance floor where India is dancing with Jake, the guy who had been flirting with me before Enzo turned up. The buzz of too much wine is making me woozy and I know I shouldn’t have drank so much.

A rough hand grips my thigh, drawing my attention back to the man sitting next to me. He is watching me like a hawk.

Enzo D’Angelo.

According to Becky, he owns this club, for fuck’s sake.

Why he is wasting his time on me, I’ll never know. He is beyond beautiful, and the way he kissed me was unlike any kiss I’ve ever experienced. Granted, I don’t have a lot of experience.

He isn’t exactly a big talker, which is good for me. My heart skips a beat as his hand inches higher on my thigh, slipping under the skirt of my dress.

I meet his gaze with wide eyes, but he just stares at me with dark, dangerous confidence. He knows the way he is making me feel, hot and needy. Two things that no man ever

makes me feel, and yet this guy I don’t know has me burning up.

Maybe it’s because I’ve never met a man like him. All it took was one look in his ice-blue eyes, and I knew he was bad to the core. The kind of man you wouldn’t take home to meet your parents. It’s ridiculous that I want him so badly, especially since I’ve never wanted anyone like this.

“What occasion are you celebrating tonight?” He asks, his thick Italian accent is enough to drive any woman wild, without the angelic face.

I tuck a hair behind my ear, feeling nervous under his gaze. “India’s birthday,” I say, deciding to omit the detail of landing my new job. It’s not exactly something I should be bragging about to a millionaire, getting a job as a housekeeper.

He smiles. “You don’t say a lot, do you?”

I shake my head. “It’s best that way.”

His brow furrows, and he takes my hand. “Why?” I swallow hard as I look down at our hands entwined together. A feeling of need pulses between my thighs. “I’m awkward as hell.”

He laughs at that. “Doesn’t seem like it to me.” He moves closer, making my heart rate accelerate. He leans in to my ear. “I think you want me more than you are letting on, baby,” he murmurs.

My nipples harden against the cup of my bra, making me moan softly.

Fuck.

This man is so self-assured and cocky, and I find it sexy as hell. His hand slides across my bare thigh gently, driving me wild. “That moan tells me all I need to know, carina. You are leaving here with me tonight.”

I pull my hand from his grasp and look him in the eye. “I wouldn’t count on it if I were you.”

The smirk doesn’t waver. “Don’t be so sure.”

I shake my head, trying to clear the fog over my mind.

Part of me wants to leave this club with him tonight, which is insane. A virgin leaving a club with a stranger is a terrible idea, especially one who seems to breathe darkness into the air surrounding him.

According to Becky, he is a businessman, but there’s something about him that doesn’t feel quite right. I can’t put my finger on what it is. “What do you do for work?” I ask.

His eyes narrow, and he moves even closer. “I don’t want to talk about me. I want to talk about you.”

I shake my head. “I’m not very interesting. I’m unemployed, and my life is living o ramen and scraping by.” I don’t want to tell him about my new job. A millionaire will only look down on a woman who tells him her only opportunity is to be a housekeeper for rich people.

There’s a flash of something in his eyes. “Sounds like you need a man to take care of you, baby.”

I shake my head. “No, I’m fine by myself.”

He smirks. “So, you are single, then?”

I feel like asking him why he’s wasting his time talking to me. “Yes. You?” His eyes flash. “Always.”

Great.

Enzo admits that he’s a player, and somehow, it’s still doesn’t put me o . I sip my wine, wishing I had something a bit stronger to ease my nerves. He leans even closer to me, sending shivers down my spine. “I’m going to make you mine tonight, baby.”

I catch Becky’s eye, and she raises her brows suggestively.

This man is cocky, and it should be a turn-o . It only makes me want him more. There’s no way I can leave here with a man I don’t know, but every word he murmurs to me and

every touch makes me want to take him home more than anything.

I knock back the rest of my drink, ignoring the buzz of alcohol flooding my veins—I never drink this much. That was my sixth glass, but I need more to still my nerves. Enzo sets his hand on my thigh and kisses my neck. “No more alcohol. I want you to be alert and sober for all the dirty things I’m going to do to you later.”

I moan softly, feeling my cheeks heat the moment the sound escapes my mouth. My reactions to this man are out of character.

Enzo bites my earlobe before speaking again. “Dance with me again,” he says. It’s not a question but a command as he grabs my hand, dragging me forcefully toward the dance floor.

He pulls me into his chest, hands finding my hips in a possessive grip. He kisses me again, making my heart skip a beat. “I’m going to have you tonight, Sophia. Stop trying to fight your desires. I know you want me.”

My knees wobble, making me clutch onto his muscular arms for support. Enzo is right, cocky, but right. I can’t deny how badly I want him in every sense of the word.

Maybe it’s time I stop overthinking for once and take a plunge headfirst into the unknown—the unknown being the sexy and alluring Italian businessman.

I SHUT the door to my apartment and turn to look at the stunning man I agreed to take home.

Am I insane?

This man is as beautiful as a male model and as rich as sin. I’m not sure why he wanted to come home with me. I’m not sure why I agreed. Enzo is unlike any man I’ve ever met,

and I want to lose my virginity to him. One look in his crystal blue eyes tells me that he will make it better than I ever could have imagined.

His eyes are dark with desire as he runs them slowly down the length of me, back up to my eyes. He closes the gap between us with three strides and crashes into me, lips claiming mine hard. Enzo digs his fingertips into my hips so forcefully, it hurts. His tongue forces its way through my lips, and I part them, allowing him in.

My back hits the door as he towers over me, breathing heavily against my lips. “Mi sono infatuata.”

I stare into his eyes, having no idea what he said, but whatever he says sounds unbelievably alluring. “What does that mean?”

He presses his lips to my neck and kisses softly before nibbling my ear. “It means I’m infatuated with you, carina.”

I shudder as he kisses me again. The need building inside of me is unlike anything I’ve ever felt. Never before have I desired a man the way I desire Enzo. It feels like I was meant to run into him tonight.

He hooks his arms under my thighs and lifts me against the wall, pinning me against it with his hard, muscular body.

Somehow, I’ve got to tell this gorgeous, rich man that I’m a virgin. His opinion of me can’t get much lower since he’s hardly batted an eyelid at the state of my apartment.

“Where’s your bedroom?” he murmurs into my ear.

“At the back,” I rasp.

He carries me as if I weigh nothing, kissing my neck as he moves. My panties are soaked through between my thighs, and my clit is throbbing, desperate for friction. I’ve never been like this for any man before.

He pulls at the zip of my dress, undoing it quickly and dropping it to the floor before he sets me down on the bed.

Enzo leans back, eyes roaming every inch of my body.

“Stunning.”

It’s hard to believe that a man like him thinks I’m stunning. Enzo pushes o his suit jacket, undoing his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. My mouth dries at the sight of a large dark tattoo sprawling across his muscular chest.

“Like what you see, carina?” He asks, raising a brow.

I don’t answer his question. “What does carina mean?”

He tilts his head to the side. “It’s Italian for cute.” He leans down and kisses my tummy, making me shiver. “You are adorable, after all.”

My cheeks heat. “I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or not.”

He chuckles a deep rumble that cuts right through me.

“Believe me, it’s a compliment, baby.” His hand moves to his belt, but his ice-blue eyes never leave mine. I watch as he slips his belt o and quickly removes his pants, kneeling in front of me in a pair of tight boxer briefs.

The outline of his huge cock is visible through the fabric, and it fills me with both desire and fear. I haven’t even told him that I’m a virgin yet. I watch as he hooks a finger into the waistband of his boxer briefs, dragging them down. He is teasing me. Finally, he frees his length, and it slaps against his abs—hard and ready.

I swallow hard as my desire increases beyond anything I’ve ever experienced before. My thighs shake at the thought of Enzo’s huge size, stretching me for the first time. Despite my better judgment, I want him with every fiber of my being.

4

ENZO

S

ophia presses her hand against my chest, shaking her head.

“What’s wrong, carina?”

She sits up suddenly, wrapping her arms around herself.

It’s a defensive movement—a movement that angers me.

“I’ve never done this before.”

I chuckle. “Not many people hook up with people they don’t know, but that’s because too many people force themselves to conform to societal norms instead of following their desires.”

She shakes her head, eyes wide. “No, I mean I’ve never had sex before.”

My heart skips a beat, and I blink at her twice, wondering if I heard her right. “A virgin?”

She nods, cheeks flushing a deep pink. “Yes, if you don’t want-” I push her back down onto the bed as she tries to get up.

“No chance, baby. I’m going to claim you,” I growl, feeling the need inside of me increase. No man has ever fucked her before, but I will show her what she has been missing.

I don’t care if she’s innocent. She won’t be after I’m through with her. I kiss her hard, letting my hands roam over her body.

She pulls back, brows furrowed. “You still want to do this?”

I chuckle. “I don’t want to. I’m going to.”

Sophia bites her bottom lip, and it only makes me want her more. “Normally guys freak out when I tell them. They think I’m going to become obsessed with them.”

I stare at her intensely. “Believe me, once I’m through with you, you will be obsessed with me.”

She visibly shivers in front of me, eyes dilating with a longing that makes my balls ache.

“I’m going to make you feel like no other man ever could, baby.” I capture her lips with mine, hard and punishing. If Sophia thinks I’m going to go easy on her because she’s a virgin, she doesn’t know the kind of man she brought home with her.

Her innocence only makes me want her more. I’m dark and twisted, and I’ll twist this beauty into someone not so innocent tonight.

I grab my tie and force her hands above her head, fastening them to the headboard with the silk fabric.

Her eyes are wide, and she is breathing heavily as she watches me. “What are you—” I hold a hand over her mouth and shake my head. “No questions, baby. I’m in charge.”

I can tell she’s shocked by how I’m treating her, but I can also tell she loves it. I lean down and bite her collarbone softly before moving to her ear. “If you need me to stop, you click your fingers. Do you understand?” I ask.

She nods.

“Try it now.”

She clicks her fingers, and I smile down at her. “Good girl.”

“Enzo. I’m not sure—”

I kiss her, stopping her from finishing that sentence. It’s natural to be nervous, but she won’t be nervous for long. I kiss a path right down her neck, making her shudder.

I lick down her neck and chest, lavishing attention on her nipples. They get harder under my attention, and she moans deeply.

A sound that makes my cock harden more. My balls ache for release as I ignore my own needs and focus solely on her.

She writhes against the restraints as I kiss lower down her tummy toward the apex between her thighs. I taste Sophia for the first time, groaning at how sweet she is.

She moans so loudly, struggling in the sheets and trying to pull her arms out of the restraints.

I grab her hips, forcefully pushing her hard into the bed.

“Stay still, Sophia.”

Her eyes widen at my forcefulness, and she swallows slowly before stilling on the bed. I slowly drag the tip of my tongue through her soaking wet lips up to her throbbing clit.

The moment I circle my tongue around it, she cries out, and the sound is like music to my ears.

“Enzo,” she groans, writhing under me.

I spank her thigh. “Call me, daddy, baby,” I say, meeting her gaze.

Her eyes widen further, and she looks hesitant. I wonder if she’s going to refuse for a moment—something that never happens to me.

“Yes, daddy,” she croaks out.

It’s fucking adorable how uncertain she is. I’ll take great pleasure from turning her into my begging and needy little whore. “Good girl,” I purr, returning my attention to her dripping wet pussy.

Sophia won’t know what has hit her when I’m through with her. I groan as I plunge my tongue inside of her, tasting her again. This innocent little virgin is sweeter than sin. It’s

been too long since I’ve desired a woman the way I desire her.

I let my tongue probe at her tight little asshole, and she tenses, eyes wide. “What—” “Don’t question me, carina.” I slide my finger deep inside her tight pussy. “Lay back and focus on the pleasure.”

Sophia does as I say, resting her head back on the pillow.

She’s no longer trying to break free from my restraints as she moans softly. I watch her as her lips part, and her eyes roll back in her head.

Beautiful.

She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I shouldn’t be corrupting such innocence, but I’m a selfish man. When I set eyes on her in the club, I knew I would have her tonight. I always get what I want—always.

I graze my teeth against her sensitive clit, making her muscles tremor.

“Oh my God,” she cries.

I dig my fingers hard into her thighs. “Not god, daddy,” I growl.

Her eyes widen, and she moans again, coming undone.

“Yes, daddy,” she screams, her pussy flooding with delicious juice. I lap every drop from her, savoring the taste.

“You are so sweet, baby,” I groan, running my hands up her tummy to her breasts, cupping them in my palms.

I grab her hips and flip her over, forcing her wrists out of the tied restraint. She gasps as I spank her soft and firm ass cheeks before plunging my tongue back inside of her.

I run the tip of my tongue over her sensitive clit. My fingers delve inside of her tight, wet heat. Every little moan, gasp, and touch increases the need I feel to be inside of her.

Her back arches as she goads me to push her further. This little virgin is well on the way to begging me for my cock.

There’s nothing more satisfying than taking someone so innocent and turning them over to the dark side.

Sophia screams in pleasure as she tumbles over the edge for the second time. Her nipples are hard pebbles, and her pussy is soaking wet—entirely ready for my cock. I stroke myself, ready to plow every inch deep inside of her.

I drag the tip of my cock through her soaking wet pussy.

Sophia groans, arching her back more. “Take me,” she begs.

It drives me wild to hear a virgin like her beg for my cock.

“Are you sure you want it bad enough, carina?”

I force her onto her back, capturing her lips with mine.

The kiss is desperate and punishing—full of a longing that makes little sense since we only met tonight.

I want her more than any woman I’ve ever wanted. “Yes, daddy,” she moans, “Give me your cock.”

I can’t hold on any longer as I thrust into her tight, soaking wet pussy. She gasps, digging her fingertips into my back as I sink inside of her. The first man to fuck this beauty deep and hard.

After I’m through with Sophia, she won’t be able to think of another man again. I bite her collarbone hard enough to mark as every inch of my cock sinks inside of her virgin pussy.

“So tight, baby,” I growl, feeling my balls ache.

Sophia moans as I fill her for the first time. It’s even better because she’s untouched. Once I’m embedded as deep inside of her as possible, I hold still for a moment, savoring the way her tight muscles feel wrapped around me.

“Enzo, fuck me,” she murmurs.

I groan, hearing the virgin turn into my little begging whore. “You’re a dirty little virgin, aren’t you?” I growl into her ear, digging my fingertips into her hips hard enough to bruise. “I told you to call me daddy, baby.”

Sophia bites her bottom lip. “Sorry, please fuck me, daddy.”

This woman drives me insane. She’s so corruptible and innocent. I move in and out of her, fucking her slow and deep at first.

It may be twisted, but I want to make sure no man can ever live up to me. She will be obsessed with me when I’m through with her.

“Harder,” she moans, trying to pull her arms out of the makeshift restraints.

“Don’t resist, Sophia.” I sink my fingertips into her hips, possessively. “I want you to submit to me.” I sink my teeth into her collarbone, and she relaxes beneath me. I will bend this virgin into a submissive little slut by the time the night is through. “Good girl, be daddy’s little slut and take what I give you.”

“Oh god,” she cries, as I start to move in and out of her harder and faster, like she wanted. She moans as though she’s been longing for a good fucking for too damn long.

Her pussy gushes around my cock as I hit the perfect spot inside of her again and again. Unrelenting in speed as my cock strains to hold on. She’s too fucking tight. Her muscles clamp down around me as she starts to come undone.

“That’s it, baby, come on daddy’s cock.”

“Fuck,” she screams, her muscles trembling at the intensity of her orgasm.

I still inside of her, breathing heavily. She relaxes beneath me, eyes shut and lips in a blissful smile. If she thinks I’m done with her, I’ve hardly even started. I untie the restraints from her wrists and force her onto her front. “Stay like that for me and don’t move, carina.”

I run my hand softly over her creamy skin, savoring the softness of her against my rough, calloused hands. She’s the complete opposite to me, innocent and pure. I grit my teeth

as the need to inflict pain on such a beautiful creature wins over, and I spank her ass hard.

She gasps, bucking her hips. I wait to see if she’s going to protest. Instead, her pussy gets visibly wetter between her thighs. I spank her again on the other cheek. Instead of gasping this time, she moans softly.

I groan, feeling the need to release increasing. My balls are aching to release every drop of seed inside of Sophia, marking her as mine. I’ll be the first man to ever cum inside of her, and that thought drives me wild.

“Do you enjoy being spanked by daddy?” I ask my cock leaking precum all over her sheets. Good. I want my scent and my mark all over her apartment.

She nods her head. “Yes, so much,” she breathes.

“Good girl,” I spank her again, even harder. Her skin stings a perfect deep red. This virgin chose the right man to take home tonight, as she loves this as much as I do.

I position my cock in line with her perfect pussy, nestled between her creamy thighs. “Do you want to be filled with my cock again, baby?”

Her thighs tremble as I push an inch barely inside of her, waiting for her reply. “Yes, daddy.”

“Right answer,” I growl, thrusting inside of her hard and deep. All my self-control is gone, and the beast is unleashed.

I dig my fingernails into her hips as I fuck her without mercy, pounding her tight as fuck pussy harder than before.

She screams and moans my name, taking what I give her like a good submissive. When she told me she was a virgin, I never would have expected her to take to being dominated so easily. She was made for this—made for me.

I groan at the thought as I feel her pussy already tightening around my cock. She’s close to coming undone for the fourth time tonight. I still inside of her. “Hold on, baby.

Only come when I tell you to.”

She whimpers, arching her back in an attempt to feel me slide deeper inside of her. I grip her hips hard, noticing the marks I’ve left on her soft, perfect skin. Marks that will remind her how good I made her feel tonight.

“Do you understand, tesoro?”

She nods her head. “Yes, daddy.”

Her innocent voice makes my blood boil. “Good girl. You only come on daddy’s cock when I command it.” I spank her ass, and every muscle in her legs visibly tremble. I start to fuck her slowly, driving her toward the edge again.

Her moans spur me on as I fuck her with all my strength, losing control entirely. Sophia arches her back, and it only drives me deeper. Her moans and cries get louder and frantic.

“Oh, God, please,” she begs.

I can’t hold out much longer as her muscles are so tight around me. My balls are ready to release. “Come on daddy’s cock now, baby,” I growl.

Sophia’s sweet come floods around my cock as she tumbles over the cli edge, dragging me with her. I roar as I shoot my seed deep inside of her virgin pussy, marking her for the first time. She’s most certainly not a virgin anymore.

Our labored breathing is the only sound that falls between us for a few minutes as I remain inside her, not wanting to leave.

After a long while, I pull out of Sophia and collapse next to her on the bed. I reach for her, pulling her down to lie on the bed next to me.

She rests her head on my chest, shutting her eyes. No words are spoken, and none are needed. Normally hookups can be awkward afterward, but we are both totally at ease with each other as we both fall asleep.

A NOISE OUTSIDE WAKES ME , and I glance around, feeling disorientated by my surroundings. My heart skips a beat when I look down and see the beauty still nestled against my chest, sleeping peacefully in my arms. Sophia looks like she was made to be there.

I shake my head, gritting my teeth at the thought. Women are a weakness I don’t need, and I shouldn’t even think like that.

My chest clenches painfully as I think about how my mother was gunned down in front of my eyes when I was only six years old.

It feels like yesterday as I held her hand in the empty street, trying desperately to wake her. The image of the blood pooling under her is imprinted on my mind. I sat by her side for hours, crying, until finally, one of my father’s men found us.

Anyone that matters is ripped away by my enemies, so I’ve vowed to stay detached from everyone. Even my father couldn’t beat the call of death in the end.

A ruthless man that had almost built our empire from the ground still met a similar fate to my mother—gunned down by the triad when a deal went south at a warehouse we own.

The police turned up after they betrayed us to the cops to get themselves out of a sticky situation. Death was kinder than prison for my father. I should have been there that day, and it has haunted me ever since. If I’d been there, there was a chance I could have saved him.

It doesn’t matter now. I’ve got no one to lose, and that’s exactly how I like it. A don can’t be blinded or weakened by emotion. My father taught me that. I carefully remove my hand from under her, and she groans softly, turning over in the bed.

My chest aches as I take a long look at her. Our night together was amazing, but it was just sex. I may have been

the first man to claim her, but she’ll get over it. If she knew the kind of man I am, she’d be glad I snuck out while she slept.

I get dressed quickly and quietly. Sophia didn’t see my gun when we got undressed, but I don’t go anywhere without it. I slip it back into the holster on my belt and give her one last longing look. She let me take her innocence, and I hate the guilt that spreads through me. I never feel guilty about doing twisted things.

Everything about her is beautiful, and I know she deserves better than me. I’m not the man to give her any of the things she deserves.

The risk of ever hurting again like I did when I lost my mother is not an option. After her death, I coated my heart in steel to ensure it would never be penetrated again. My father’s death hurt, but he made me than man I am today— he taught me that emotion is weak. I vowed I’d always be alone once he was gone. I will stick to the vow I made forever.

With that thought clear in my mind, I turn away from her and walk out of her door. Sophia is just another notch in my bedpost. She’ll get over my leaving her quickly enough. It’s better this way for both of us.

5

SOPHIA

T

he click of my apartment door wakes me from a dream. My brow furrows as I move, feeling sore between my thighs. That’s when my memories hit me.

Enzo.

I turn over and see that the other side of the bed is empty.

I fell asleep in Enzo’s arms, but now he is gone. As I sit up, I notice his clothes and shoes are gone too. My chest aches as he has left me without so much as a goodbye or exchange of numbers, even though he took my virginity.

Asshole.

I don’t know what I expected. We hooked up at a club, and he’s a fucking billionaire. He told me that he was always single. I knew what I was getting into, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less, though. The abandonment from a man I felt so intimately connected to last night.

Tears prickle in my eyes as I stare up at the ceiling, which has paint peeling o it. He probably couldn’t stand staying in this place any longer—it’s pretty disgusting.

The heady, masculine scent of him still clings to my sheets and hair. It’s painful to smell him as I know I’ll never feel the way he made me feel last night again. It’s crazy that I’m mourning a man I don’t know, but he made last night all

about me—he made me feel special. He’s the only man I’ve ever wanted, and now he’s gone.

I feel empty.

After last night, I’m starting to wonder if love at first sight exists. Maybe it’s just infatuation that I feel. Enzo was everything I’ve fantasized about for my first time, and now he’s gone. It leaves an odd, empty feeling in the pit of my stomach. Perhaps it’s because he was my first, and I know that we will never share a night like that again.

I get out of bed and walk into the kitchen, grabbing a pint of milk out of the fridge and pouring myself a glass. There’s no way I’m going to be able to sleep now, but it’s only four in the morning. Part of me wishes I was starting my job tomorrow instead of in two weeks, as it would be something to keep my mind o Enzo.

It was cruel the way he told me he’d make sure I’m obsessed with him and then runs o in the middle of the night. I fear he’s right. Forgetting him seems like an impossibility right now. Perhaps he enjoys making sure women can’t forget him and then leaving without a word.

The next two weeks are going to be torture. At least I’m moving out of this shitty apartment and into a mansion. My new job is the new start I need in life. Enzo’s abandonment is just another reminder of the terrible decisions I’ve made up to now. It’s time for a change.

I STAND in front of my new workplace and home. Cynthia, the lady who interviewed me, already arranged for all my stu to be picked up from my apartment. It’s weird to think I’m going to be living in a mansion. At least it will take my mind o the rich billionaire who fucked me and left in the middle

of the night. I’ve hardly been able to stop thinking about him for two weeks, and it makes me angry.

I’m more nervous than I’ve felt in a long time. The lady that interviewed me and hired me for the job didn’t exactly give me much information about my new boss.

My contract is with the Staten Estate Inc. No mention of my employer by name, and I can’t deny this whole setup seems a little odd. Not that I would have refused the job, since I’m desperate. Another month unemployed, and I would have been kicked out of my apartment onto the streets.

I approach the guard on the gate and clear my throat.

“Excuse me. I’m the new housekeeper.”

The guy looks me up and down. “Have you got ID?” My brow furrows as I dig my wallet out of my bag and pass him my driver’s permit. “My name is Sophia Taylor.”

He glances at it and then back at me a couple of times before nodding. “Head on in.” He opens the gate. “The service entrance is around that corner. You can’t miss it.”

I stare at the mansion, the enormity of my new place of work only now setting in.

The guard clears his throat when I don’t move, irritation building in his eyes. I swallow hard and step past him, walking in the direction he pointed me in.

I round the corner and my eyes widen when I see all the sta queueing to get inside. I’m not sure what I expected, considering this place is vast. I am surprised that about ninety percent of the people are women.

A guy clears his throat behind me. “Move,” he barks.

My brow furrows as I move out of his way, watching as he walks around the property. He has a gun in a holster on his belt and is wearing a blue security uniform, like the guy on the front gate. They must take the security of this place pretty damn seriously.

It only makes me more anxious to find out who I’m working for. The lady, Cynthia, who interviewed me, notices me across the crowd and signals me over. “I’m glad you’re here. The boss wants to meet you this morning before his business meetings.” She hurries me past some of the other workers and into the mansion.

“Your day-to-day tasks will be to keep his quarters clean and tidy and wait on him if needed. When he doesn’t need you, you will be cleaning other rooms and areas of the house.”

I clear my throat but know that asking questions right now isn’t a good idea. “How do I address the boss?”

Cynthia stops in front of a door, glancing at me. “Sir, and always be respectful.” She swallows as she looks at the door.

“He’s renowned for having a temper.”

Great.

She knocks on the door, and a deep voice calls to enter.

She opens it, and we step inside. A man is standing with his back to us, staring out of the window onto his grounds.

“Sir, your new housekeeper has arrived. I’d like to introduce you to Sophia.”

He turns to face us, and it feels like my entire world starts to spiral.

Enzo.

The man I let take my virginity. The man I never thought I’d see again. He’s my new boss.

This can’t be happening to me. Enzo stares at me with a whisper of recognition, but if he is freaking out as much as I am, he doesn’t show it.

“Thank you, Cynthia. Please leave us.”

Her brow furrows, but she doesn’t question him. Instead, she gives me a weak smile and leaves, shutting the door behind her.

Alone.

I can’t stop the memories of our night together two weeks ago from resurfacing as I stare into his piercing, cold blue eyes—eyes that hold such darkness.

My heart is hammering so hard I’m scared it’s going to break out of my chest any moment.

“Sophia.” My name on his lips sounds like a curse word— dirty almost. I know the reason. It’s been just over two weeks since this man took my virginity. Two weeks since he made me feel better than I’ve ever felt, and then left like a thief in the night.

I shake my head, opening my mouth only to shut it again.

“It’s great to see you again.” His eyes hold dark desire as they dip down my work uniform, which was supplied by Cynthia. I felt it was a bit revealing for a housekeeper’s outfit, but it makes sense now I know who my employer is.

“This isn’t going to work,” I say, unable to consider what I’m saying before I say it. The shock I’m in is mindnumbing.

He leans against the window frame, a whisper of a smirk on his lips. “Isn’t it?” His eyes drag down my body again. “I think it’s going to work just fine, tesoro.”

“I’m sorry, but I quit.” I turn to leave, but suddenly his hands are on my hips before I reach the door.

“No chance, baby,” he murmurs into my ear, tightening his grip on my hips. “I’m afraid the contract you signed is binding. You have to work for me for at least six months unless we terminate you beforehand.”

I feel his warm breath tease against the back of my neck, bringing my memories of our night together to the forefront of my mind. “I-I didn’t agree to—” He growls before I can finish my sentence, letting go of my hips and grabbing my hand. Enzo drags me toward his desk and points at a contract—the contract I signed. “Did you even read it?”

I meet his gaze, swallowing hard. “No, I was desperate for a job.”

He lets go of me and points at the chair opposite his desk.

“Read it now.”

I look into the cold eyes of the man that took my innocence and know it isn’t a request but a command.

I reluctantly pick up the contract and read through the first page, knowing that I’ve got no way of getting out of this. What employer ties you in for a minimum of six months?

I really should have read this contract before I took the job, but I’m not sure these terms would have put me o . It’s the man I’m working for that makes me think again. I set the contract back on his desk.

“I signed these before I slept with you.” I shake my head.

“That changes everything.”

Enzo smirks at me. “It changes nothing in the eyes of the law. You are mine for at least six months, Sophia.”

I grit my teeth. “No one owns me. It is an employment contract. I’m not a fucking slave.” This man is pissing me o . He touches me as if he has the right. He fucked me and left without so much as a goodbye.

He closes the gap between us, staring down at me in a predatory way. “You clearly don’t know the kind of man I am, Sophia.” He walks closer to me, backing me into the windowsill. He grabs my wrists and pins them above my head, staring at me with a predatory gaze that both scares and excites me. “You will know soon enough, tesoro. I guarantee it.” He kisses me suddenly, and for a moment, I’m lost in the punishing press of his lips against mine. When his tongue flicks against my lips, it brings me back to my senses.

I break the kiss and try to push him away, shaking my head. “I know that you’re an asshole. The kind of man that

fucks a virgin and then sneaks out without so much as a word.” I’m angry—angrier than I’ve been in a long time.

His eyes flash with rage. “We hooked up at a club. What did you expect?”

I feel tears welling in my eyes.

What the hell did I expect?

Sure, I was never going to be girlfriend material for the sexy, Italian billionaire who lives in a fucking mansion. He could have been more respectful instead of abandoning me in the middle of the night.

“Nothing,” I say, not looking him in the eye. “You realize you are assaulting me right now?”

He laughs and lets go of my wrists. “You really don’t know who I am, do you?” His eyes light up with amusement.

I shrug. “You’re a rich businessman. What else is there to know?”

He runs a hand through his dark hair. “So much more, baby.” He smirks. “I won’t enlighten you right now.” He moves back to his desk and grabs the contract. “Live in?” He raises a brow. “I’ll love having you close to me twenty-four seven.”

I shake my head. “I told you. I’m quitting.”

“No, you’re not.” He hands me a key card. “Your room is on my floor, number seven on the plan you have. Get to work.”

I clench my fists by my side before taking the key card.

Despite wanting desperately to get as far away from this asshole as possible, I know I can’t break the contract.

Legally, Enzo has the power over me to keep me here whether I like it or not. “Fine.” I turn away from him, heading out of the door.

“Sophia,” he calls my name, forcing me to stop.

“What?” I say, glancing over my shoulder.

“You will address me as sir at all times. Do you understand?” The amusement in his eyes only angers me more.

“Yes, sir,” I grit out before storming out of his o ce.

As I march out into the hallway, Cynthia notices me. She rushes over. “Is everything okay?”

I swallow hard. “Yes, what now?” I ask, trying to push my ordeal with Enzo out of my mind.

I need to focus on doing my job well and staying out of Enzo’s way for the next six months. After six months, I’ll be out of here. There’s no way I’m staying in that asshole’s employ longer than I have to.

6

ENZO

I

pace my o ce floor, feeling the tension crushing me. My mood is o today, and I know the reason.

Sophia. It’s been twelve hours since Cynthia brought her in here, but I’m still on edge over the encounter.

What are the chances that the woman I fucked not much more than two weeks ago is my new housekeeper?

If I’ve learned anything from this, I need to handle the interviews myself from now on. I checked the contract, and Sophia signed the agreement the morning we met. Sophia being my new personal housekeeper is a terrible situation, particularly since I’ve not been able to stop thinking about her since I slipped out of her apartment in the early hours of Saturday morning two weeks ago.

There’s a hard knock at the door, breaking me from my thoughts.

“Who is it?” I growl.

I loosen my tie, trying to breathe deeply in an attempt to bring my rage under control.

“It’s Gino, sir,” my consigliere calls from the other side.

I let out a shaky breath, knowing that he is the only person I’d want to see right now. “Come in.”

The door swings open, and I take one look at his face, knowing he is bringing me some bad news. I can’t handle

any more shit today. Gino has advised the D’Angelo family since before I was born. I know the look on his face all too well. It’s the same look he gave me when he delivered the news of my father’s death.

“What is wrong?” I ask.

I know one more piece of bad news today could send me spiraling onto a dark path. I’m wound up and irritated beyond measure. It would take one thing for me to snap.

He swallows hard. “Can I sit?”

I nod as he sits down opposite me. “It’s bad news.

Alessandro was killed an hour ago in China town.”

My head spins, and I clench my fists. One of my capos has been taken out. I take a long, deep breath. “What happened?”

Gino shifts in his chair. “Professional hit. He was taken out on Main Street of China town, yet no one saw anything suspicious.”

I stand and punch the wall as rage splinters my vision and paints it red. “Motherfuckers.” I hardly register the pain in my knuckles.

Gino is silent, watching me cautiously. He doesn’t speak as I try to get my breathing under control.

When I finally get a handle on my rage, I turn to face him.

“The Russians did this. Didn’t they?”

Gino shrugs. “There’s no evidence that they are behind it.”

“Bullshit. Who else would pull a stunt like this?”

Gino runs a hand across the back of his neck. “Well, the Russians are probably responsible for the hit, but we can’t rule out the Cartel or the Irish.”

I shake my head. “Andrei is the only one with the balls to take out my capo.”

Gino is always too careful, even when something is as obvious as this. No one has the guts to attack us like that,

other than Andrei.

I grab my phone o the desk and pull up Ava Johnson’s number, the best private investigator in this city. I tap my foot impatiently as the dial tone rings.

She picks up on the third dial tone. “Good evening, Mr. D’Angelo. How can I help?”

“I need you to come here right now,” I say, unable to still the rage bubbling inside of me.

“O-Oh, I see. Is this about a job?” she asks.

The question only pisses me o . Of course it’s about a fucking job. “Yes. An urgent one. I need you to come now.

Can you?” I hear cars in the distance. She’s not at home, and it’s almost five o’clock on a Wednesday afternoon. I don’t care, she will come, or there will be serious consequences for her.

“I guess I can make it over in about half an hour. Can I ask what has happened?”

“No. Just get here.” I put the phone down, knowing that she’s too intimidated by me not to show.

“Who was that?” Gino asks.

“Ava Johnson. I’ll get her on this case to get the evidence I need. Once I have it, I’m going to war with that Russian bastard.” I pace the floor of my o ce, feeling my rage spiking out of control. I’ve never been good at containing my rage, ever since I can remember— ever since I witnessed my mother’s death.

Gino nods. “Good idea. She’s the best.” His brow furrows slightly.

“What is it?”

He looks at me hesitantly. “War with Andrei is very dangerous, Enzo.”

I narrow my eyes. “Father was at war with the Bratva for years. I only agreed on a truce because there seemed no sense in fighting anymore, but after this—”

“Yes, he was, but they’re more powerful now.” He runs a hand through his gray hair. “They’ve got the cops on their side.”

I shake my head. “I don’t give a shit, Gino. If they’ve attacked us, we can’t sit down and take it.” I crack my knuckles, trying to find an outlet for this anger building inside of me. “If we do, we’ll have everyone in this town walking all over us.”

Gino nods. “I agree, but we will have to be tactical if it comes to war.”

Tactical.

Gino knows I’m not a hothead. I can make levelheaded decisions, even if my rage is questionable at times. “What do you take me for?” I growl, slamming my hands down on the o ce desk. “Have I ever made an irrational decision in all the time you’ve known me?”

He shakes his head. “No, sir. I was merely—” “I know what you were doing, Gino. Please don’t take me for an angry hothead. I may be angry now, but that’s because our enemies murdered Alessandro—my Capo.”

Gino nods. “I understand, sorry, sir.” He bows his head slightly.

I’m angrier than I’ve felt in a long time, but I’ve been taught from a young age not to let my emotions get the better of me, particularly anger. The whiskey bottle on my desk calls to me as I grab it and pour myself a glass. I need something to take the edge o .

I’ve been on edge ever since I abandoned my new employee in her apartment after fucking her, even if I have tried to deny it. She’s the reason I’m on a cli edge, ready to free fall into a spiral of rage. The way she called me an asshole and looked at me with such disgust irritated me, perhaps even more than the news of Alessandro’s death.

I hate that she looks at me with hate after looking at me with desire before I snuck out of her apartment. Did she expect me to make her breakfast and hang around? Maybe exchange phone numbers. It was never going to happen, not from me.

“Do you want one?” I ask.

Gino shakes his head. “No, thank you.” His brow furrows.

“What is the plan then?”

I grit my teeth, knocking back the entire glass of whiskey.

“Ava will investigate his murder. Once she knows who was behind it, we will discuss it.” I don’t want to talk about it anymore. The men will take Alessandro’s death badly—all of them loved him. “Does Mario know?”

Gino shakes his head, looking grave. Mario and Alessandro were best of friends—both are my capos, and both have been close since they were children. “No one has seen him since this morning. I can’t get hold of him.”

My brow furrows. “Keep trying. We’re going to need to have a meeting.”

Gino nods. “Shall I arrange it?”

I nod. “Tomorrow afternoon.” I crack my neck. “I’m not dealing with it today. When will his funeral be?”

“I’ve informed his parents. They’re dealing with it, but probably within a week or two.”

I swallow hard, knowing that his death is going to be the first of many. If my hunch is right, and this was Andrei’s brotherhood, then we’re heading for war. There’s no way I can sit back and let Andrei walk all over me.

Ever since I signed that truce, his power has grown while we stay stagnant. For over a year now, it’s been clear that Andrei has one goal in mind, and that is an expansion of his power.

“Thank you, Gino,” I say, giving him a stern glance—a glance that tells him to get the fuck out of my o ce. I need

to be alone.

He gets the message. “Of course. If you need anything, let me know.” He stands and turns to leave.

“Gino. I want you to find Mario.”

He nods. “Will do.”

I watch him as he leaves the room, shutting the door behind him. The moment he leaves, I punch the wall hard again. The pain is welcome. Alessandro has been my capo alongside Mario since my father died. All of us will feel his loss.

I know my rage only masks another feeling—sadness. An emotion that I won’t allow myself to dwell on as it’s too weak. At least rage can be harnessed and harbored. It’s a powerful emotion. I won’t mourn my capo. I will avenge him no matter what it takes.

The same line I took with my father’s murderer. His killers were members of the triad, and I made every single one of them pay. The triad hasn’t dared to cross me since.

The pain of his loss will never go away, but it fuels my rage, and I harness it better than most. A life full of loss has hardened me to it, making it easier to use against my enemies. Whenever an enemy tries to hurt me, it coats my heart in another layer of steel, making it even harder for them to break me.

7

SOPHIA

M

y body is numb as I dust the mirror in the mansion’s entrance hall, staring at myself in it.

Enzo is my new boss. What are the odds?

I never thought I’d see him again. My first day is turning out a lot di erent from what I expected. I thought the owner of this mansion would be some old guy who’s richer than sin. It never occurred to me that Enzo could have been the CEO of Staten Estate Inc. It makes sense, though, since Becky said he is in real estate. Any searches online about him came up pretty blank and vague.

There was no mention online that he had any ties with Staten Estate Inc at all, which is odd.

You really don’t know who I am, do you?

His question repeats in my mind. I’m not sure I want to know who he is. Ever since I met him at La Calda, I’ve known there’s something not quite usual about him. He is dark and twisted—only a man like that would come on to his new employee the way he did as if he’s above employment law and harassment. One look at him and I knew he was a bad boy, even before I saw the tattoos scrawled across his chest.

The doorbell rings, making me jump. I glance around, realizing that it’s my job to greet people at the door as a housekeeper, and there’s no other sta nearby. Cynthia

mentioned a woman called Miss. Johnson would be showing up anytime now—it must be her. The day has gone by so fast as I got to learn the ropes, instructed by Cynthia.

I open the door, and a woman in a professional pantsuit with long golden hair stands there, looking anxious.

“Hello, how can I help you?” I ask She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “My name is Ava Johnson. I’m here to see—” “Oh yes, Mr. D’Angelo is expecting you.” I open the door wide, wishing I hadn’t been the one to greet her now. As it’s just hit me that I’m going to have to show her to his o ce, which means I’ll have to see him. I step to one side. “Please, come on in.”

I lead her down the hallway toward Enzo’s o ce—the o ce he pushed me up against the wall in this morning as if he can do what the fuck he wants. I knock on the door, my heart hammering against my rib cage.

“Who is it?” Enzo calls. His deep voice sends goosebumps prickling over every inch of skin.

I swallow hard. “Miss. Johnson is here for your meeting, sir.”

There’s a short silence on the other side. “Send Miss.

Johnson in.”

I smile at Ava, but it feels forced as I open the door for her. Enzo’s eyes are on me instantly intense and intimidating. All of his focus is on me, rather than the woman he’s meeting with. I feel my cheeks heat.

He is unrelenting as I stand to one side, allowing Ava to enter the room.

“If that is all, sir?” I keep my eyes o him, unable to meet his intense gaze.

“Yes, thank you, Sophia.” I can’t explain how dirty it sounds when he says my name. Perhaps it’s because all I can think about when he is near is our night together.

I clear my throat, feeling heat blooming on every inch of my skin. My body shakes as I turn around and leave the room, shutting the door behind me.

What the hell is wrong with me?

I’m a mess around my boss, and it’s fucking embarrassing. I wonder if Miss. Johnson noticed the tension between us. Enzo didn’t take his eyes o me, and I could feel his gaze until the moment I shut the door.

My stomach twists with nausea. I’ve felt sick ever since this morning, and it’s only getting worse. This fucked up situation is starting to get to me.

There’s no way that this setup can work between us for six months. Enzo is still the most desirable man I’ve ever met, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to stay away if he keeps looking at me the way he does.

I know he is bad news. The way he thinks he can take what he wants is proof enough. No matter how much I tell myself that, I want him against my better judgment.

He was blatantly obvious in front of Ava Johnson, which concerns me. If he were to make our connection obvious to the sta , something tells me I’d be an outcast before I can blink.

No one likes a woman that sleeps with the boss. I did it before I even knew he was my new employer, but I’m not sure that would be a good enough defense.

I need to find a way to avoid him going forward. Maria is coming toward me down the corridor. “Sophia, I’ve been looking for you. Cynthia wants me to walk you through your laundry duties.”

I nod. “Sure.”

She smiles kindly. “How is your first day going?”

It feels o to lie to someone I don’t even know, but I haven’t got a choice. “It’s going alright. I think I’m getting the hang of things pretty quickly.” In reality, I want out of

here so badly. It was a dream job on paper and would have been perfect if I hadn’t taken Enzo back to my apartment that Saturday night two weeks ago.

Maria nods. “I’m sure you will fit right in. We have dinner all together at eight o’clock, although it’s not compulsory. I hope to see you there.”

I force a smile. “Sure.” Deep down, I know I probably won’t go. After the day I’ve had, I just want to shut myself in my room and never come out. Maria is kind, but she can never know the truth. “So, what does laundry duty involve?”

“It’s pretty simple, to be honest. I do all the washing, drying, and ironing of the clothes and bedding. The housekeeper’s job is to pack away the clothes and change the beds three times a week in the rooms that are in use.” She walks into a large washing room that you’d expect to find for an entire block of apartments.

“Wow, there’s a lot of washers in here.”

Maria chuckles. “Yes, there’s a lot of washing to do.” She nods at the stacks of baskets of neatly folded and ironed bedding ready to be taken out. “I thought you could start with Mr. D’Angelo’s room. His bed needs changing, and he should be at a meeting until late.” She walks over to a clipboard and holds it up. “Also, it needs a light cleaning too.

Can I leave you to get that done?”

I nod, but my stomach twists at the thought of even entering his room. “Sure.” It’s not like I can refuse to do what I’m told without having a good explanation—an explanation I can’t give anyone. I wonder what time I’m supposed to finish work, as it’s almost six o’clock now and something tells me cleaning his room won’t be that quick.

“Great.” She selects the basket o the pile and shoves it into my hands. “Since it’s the boss’s room, I don’t need to tell you to take extra care when cleaning.”

I shake my head. “No, I will be thorough. What room number?”

“Room number 18, on the first floor.”

I nod and walk out of the laundry room with the basket.

My mind is a mess as I make my way toward Enzo’s room.

Maria better be correct that he’s going to be at a meeting late. The last thing I want is for Enzo to walk in on me cleaning his room. I get the feeling that avoiding his advances will be even harder if we were alone in there.

I stop in front of the door and use the master key card that Cynthia gave me to unlock his room. As I step inside, I’m shocked at the size. It’s the biggest bedroom I’ve ever seen.

A giant four-poster bed sits against the back wall, and lavish, ornate furniture accompanies it. A fireplace with a wood stove is on the left, surrounded by sofas—a living room within his bedroom.

This room will take me forever to clean but it seems almost impeccable already. I sigh heavily and walk toward one of the doors to the right. The first one is an enormous bathroom, which will also take ages to clean thoroughly. The second is a large walk-in closet. I take the basket inside, setting it down on the center stool, and get to work packing away Enzo’s clothes.

I hang the designer shirts and suits in his closet, admiring the jewel-encrusted watches he has on display in a cabinet to one side. He’s richer than sin. They must be worth a damn fortune, and he has ten.

Who the hell needs ten watches?

Surprisingly, so many housekeepers have unrestricted access to his bedroom, with this value of jewelry in here not exactly hidden.

Once I’ve packed away his clothes, I go back out into the corridor and get the cleaning supplies out of the nearest

supply closet. It’s been a long day, and I can’t wait for it to be over.

I get started on cleaning his room, dusting the side tables by the bed. My curiosity wins out, and I glance at the door before slowly opening the draw. My heart skips a beat when I see a handgun stowed inside the right-hand draw with a box of bullets, and underneath it is a small knife.

I’ve heard of people keeping guns by their bed, but it seems a little strange considering all the security Enzo has outside this mansion. I shut the drawer and decide that’s enough snooping for today.

Part of me wants to know what he meant when he said, you really don’t know who I am, do you?

There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to Enzo D’Angelo. I’m not sure if I want to know what it is or not. All I know is that the man who took my virginity is now my boss. It’s like I’m in a nightmare, and I have no way of waking up.

8

ENZO

T

his day has been one of the worst I’ve had in a long time. I’m wound up and need to take my frustrations out on something or someone. I storm into my bedroom, pulling o my tie and throwing it on the dresser.

The dark rage bubbling deep inside of me is barely contained. The only good thing to come from today was seeing Sophia. The innocent angel who I fucked and abandoned—something she hasn’t got over yet.

There’s chaos brewing deep inside of me. I can feel it like a perfect storm. Ava Johnson had better find out who killed my capo, or there will be hell to pay. I’ll kill her and all the Russians along with her.

I rip my shirt o and then undo my belt, heading for the bathroom. I drop my pants to the floor before I make it to the door, pushing it open. Every muscle in my body tenses as I see Sophia on her hands and knees, cleaning my floor.

Her skirt is riding up, giving me a perfect view of her barely clad ass in a tight little black thong. My cock is hard in seconds as she continues to clean, oblivious that I’m standing behind her.

I slip my hand into my boxer briefs and tug on my shaft, fisting it as I watch her a little longer in silence. “This is a

lovely surprise, tesoro,” I say, startling her so badly she knocks the bucket of water over.

“Oh my God, sir. I’m so sorry.” Her eyes are wide with panic as she remains down on all fours, trying to mop the spilled water with a towel. Little does she know that the view she is giving me is making me want to fuck her right here and now. ““Maria told me to come and change your bed and clean the room as she said you would be at a meeting until late. If I knew you were—” I walk toward her and grab her wrist, yanking her to her feet. Her soft, curvy body bends to my will as I pull her into my chest. “Don’t make excuses for wanting to see me in the shower, baby.” I wrap my hand around her throat, and I see the desire that ignites in her emerald green eyes. I nip her earlobe with my teeth, making her gasp. “All you had to do was ask.”

She yanks herself away, pressing a hand against my bare chest. “Sir, I’m here to do a job and nothing else.”

I love hearing her call me sir and feeling her soft touch against my skin. “Is that right?” I tilt my head slightly as her hand rests on my chest still. “I bet you’ve been thinking about how good I made you feel that night all day, haven’t you?”

She shakes her head. “No, you made me feel used.”

I set my hand over hers. “Why are you still touching me, then?”

She yanks her hand away, flushing a deep red as she takes a step back from me. The sexual tension in the air is beyond anything I’ve ever felt. All I need right now is to be inside of her again.

“Oh, no,” Sophia says, her brow furrowing as she covers her mouth with her hand and dashes for the toilet, heaving over it. The sound of her vomiting echos violently through the room.

Normally, I’d be disgusted by an employee doing something like that in my bathroom. All I feel is a concern as I watch the beauty throw up. I step forward and place a hand on her back, rubbing gently in soothing circles. “Are you okay?”

She slowly draws back, grabbing some paper and wiping her mouth. “I’m so sorry.” She shrugs. “I don’t know. I’ve felt ill all day.” She turns to look at me, and her eyes widen slightly.

No doubt because I’m looking at her like I care if she’s ill or not. I grab her wrist again and yank her to her feet. “Do you need to see a doctor?”

She shakes her head. “No, I’m fine. I think it’s the nerves.” She cleans herself up and finishes clearing the water that she spilled. When she stands, I’m close to her— closer than she anticipated. I see it in her eyes as they widen.

“Are you sure you don’t need to see a doctor?” I ask.

Her cheeks flush, and she bows her head. “I’m sure. I just need to get some rest.”

I step out of her way. “You’re right. It’s past seven, and you are supposed to finish at six.” I clench my jaw in an attempt to hold back my urge to grab her hips and force her against my wall. “Why are you still working so late?”

I’m not sure what is wrong with me, but this girl is under my skin. It’s been more than two weeks since I took her innocence and left without a word—I’ve thought about her every day. It’s not like me to give another thought to the women I bed. Then, she turns up here as my new employee.

Keeping my hands o of her is going to be impossible.

She shakes her head. “I must have lost track of time.” She licks her bottom lip. “Maria asked me to start on your room at about five-forty-five, so I wasn’t sure what time my shift ends.”

I’m glad Maria did. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have found her on all fours in my bathroom. The image I can’t erase from my mind. “Very well, go and get some rest.” It takes all my willpower not to take what I want from her.

“Thank you,” she says, walking past me.

“Sophia,” I say her name, forcing her to glance back at me again.

“Yes?” “I told you to always address me as sir.”

Her cheeks flush, and she nods. “Of course, sorry sir,” she grits out, anger blazing to life in her beautiful emerald eyes before she rushes out of my bathroom.

I glance down to see my boxer briefs stretched over my rock-hard cock. Before I’ve even heard her slam the door of my bedroom, my cock is in my hands. I groan as I stroke myself. A long line of precum drips from the tip onto the newly cleaned floor, but I don’t give a shit. Sophia has me hooked on her, and I need to work this out right now.

I continue to fist my cock as I walk toward the shower and turn it on, waiting for it to get warm. Every muscle in my body is tense and on edge.

Someone clearing their throat behind me shocks me, and I turn. Sophia is standing in the doorway with cheeks flushed a deep red. “Sir, I’m sorry. I dropped my phone.” She nods toward her cell phone on the floor to one side.

I raise a brow, continuing to stroke my cock as I take in the view in front of me.

She keeps her eyes on my face, but I can tell she wants to look.

“Are you sure you didn’t want to come and help me out, baby?” I move toward her, but she backs away, shaking her head.

“Never,” she says, eyes full of anger. “I’m your employee.

I dropped my phone when you shocked me, and that is it.

Simple.”

I stop moving toward her, narrowing my eyes. She can tell herself that as much as she likes, but we both know it’s a lie.

I don’t argue. Instead, I nod to the phone. “Get it and get out then,” I say, turning my back on her and walking under the spray of the warm shower.

My hand remains wrapped around my shaft as I jerk myself o , not caring that she hasn’t left the room yet.

The door to my bedroom slams, signaling she has left. A part of me had hoped she’d be too turned on to refuse me or at least that she’d watch. Even with that rage in her eyes, I can see the desire burning in them—she wants me.

I groan as I shut my eyes and memorize the way her soft curves felt in my hands. My beautiful virgin. I tighten my grip as I think about her plump, soft lips around my cock.

She is perfect.

When I left her apartment in the early hours of the morning, I thought I could forget about her. She has haunted every one of my thoughts since. It’s a blessing that she walked into my o ce today. Sophia thinks she has a say in whether or not I get to fuck her again, which is adorable.

There’s no doubt that I will be inside her before long. My balls tighten as the memory of her perfect, tight, wet pussy squeezing my cock comes into my mind.

Sophia is innocent compared to me, but she won’t be when I’m through with her. The image of her tied up on my spanking bench as I paddle her perfect round ass until it’s red raw drives me wild.

I growl softly as my release comes hard and fast. My cock explodes, shooting my seed all over the tile shower wall—my seed that should have been deep inside my new housekeeper.

I’ve never wanted to be inside a woman again as badly as I want Sophia.

No matter how much I try to fight it, Sophia is mine. I want her again and again. Six months I have her here to take her as many times as I want, fucking her out of my system for good.

Sophia is a distraction I don’t need. Seeing her every day will be impossible to endure if she doesn’t allow me to fuck her. Something tells me she has no intention of continuing her employment once her six months are over.

I’m not the kind of man that asks before taking. Sophia will come around to the idea of submitting to me during her employment, or I’ll force her to.

A woman like her has the power to draw all my darkness to the surface with her refusal.

Something she doesn’t want to do—the monster she will unleash will be far crueler than the man who left her apartment on that night. Sophia is too good for me, especially since I could never give her what she truly deserves—love.

9

SOPHIA

I

slump onto the ridiculously soft bed in my new room. It’s beyond comfortable, and the sheets are pure silk—surprisingly nice for a sta bedroom.

My first day has been a shambles. First, I find out the man who took my virginity is my new boss. Then I throw up all over his bathroom in front of him. I groan at the thought, feeling so embarrassed. Only to walk back into his bathroom to get my phone and find him jerking his huge cock. It took all my willpower to refuse his advances. I have to keep reminding myself of what kind of man he is—a player.

My phone dings and I reach for it, seeing Becky flash up on the screen.

Did you survive your first day in the mansion?

I stare at the text message, wondering how to explain how crazy this day has been. It’s almost impossible to put it into a text, so I give her a call.

“Hey, Sophia. How was the first day in the mansion?” she asks.

“You won’t believe the day I’ve had.”

She sighs. “You haven’t been fired already, have you?”

I shake my head, even though she can’t see me. “Worse than that.”

“What could be worse than getting fired on your first day?”

I bite my bottom lip, hardly believing what I’m about to tell her. “Enzo D’Angelo is my new boss.”

“No fucking way,” she practically shouts down the phone.

“Seriously, I told Enzo I was quitting, and he told me I couldn’t because I’ve signed a six-month contract.” I sigh heavily. “The guy is fucking cocky as hell, as well. He came on to me as if he didn’t abandon me a week ago without a word after taking my virginity.”

Becky whistles down the phone. “It sounds like he has got under your skin, Sophia.” There’s a rustling on the other end. “Do you want to meet for a drink nearby?”

I stare at the wall of my bedroom, contemplating going out right now. Bars are better than clubs, but I still don’t like them. I’d do anything to get out of this mansion and away from Enzo. “Sure, where do you suggest?”

I can hear her tap away on her phone. “Looks like there is a bar called Oregano only a five-minute walk from you. I’ll meet you there in half an hour, okay?”

“Sure, see you then.”

She cancels the call, and I jump to my feet. I need to shower before I go anywhere and get out of this ridiculous maid’s outfit. All those women outside make sense now— Enzo is a womanizer, and that’s why he gets his housekeepers to wear short skirts and too tight shirts.

He’s an asshole.

I knew that the moment he slipped out of my apartment in the middle of the night. The kind of guy I shouldn’t have taken home, but I still did it anyway. I don’t regret it because something tells me no other man would have made my first time as good as he did, even though his blatant lack of respect stung.

I jump into the shower and let the warm water wash away my worries of the day. The only thing it can’t wash away is the vision of my gorgeous boss naked and stroking his dick.

It doesn’t matter how much I tell myself I don’t want him, I know it’s a damn lie.

His promise to me became a reality. I’m obsessed with the gorgeous Italian billionaire. It’s impossible to stop myself from dipping my fingers inside my aching, wet pussy. Enzo has me wound up like I’ve never been before, and I long to feel his huge size stretching me again.

It doesn’t take long for the pleasure to tear through me as I think about our night together. Once I’m done, I shut o the shower and dry o . If I don’t get a move on, I’ll be late to meet Becky.

I get dressed into a little casual black dress and grab a pair of flats. We’re only going to a bar, so it doesn’t need to be anything fancy.

After a quick and reluctant glance in the mirror, I grab my room key and head out. The corridors are eerily quiet as I head toward the service entrance at the back. They don’t keep much sta working overnight, other than the kitchen.

As I round the corner to the exit, Cynthia is coming my way. “Sophia, I was coming to see you. How did your first day go?”

I swallow hard, knowing that I can’t possibly voice the truth to my new colleague. If anyone knew that I fucked the boss, I’d become a joke amongst the sta . “It was good. I think I’m getting to grips with everything.”

Cynthia nods. “Glad to hear it. Where are you going?” Her eyes drop down my dress, and there is a hint of disapproval in her tone.

I shrug. “Meeting a friend at a nearby bar. Is that a problem?”

She shakes her head. “No, of course not.” She raises her brow. “The gates are locked at ten o’clock, so make sure you are back before then.”

What is this, a prison?

I don’t voice the question since Cynthia seems like a strait-laced type that wouldn’t find that funny. Becky won’t be happy that I can’t be out later than ten o’clock. A bit ridiculous to have such an early curfew for grown adults.

“Okay, I will do. Thanks.” I give her an awkward wave, wishing I hadn’t afterward, as I continue toward the exit.

The night’s air is cold, and the moment I step out of the mansion, I regret not grabbing a more substantial coat. My thin jacket hardly staves o the cold. I walk quickly down the sidewalk in an attempt to warm myself up and make it on time. It’s less than a mile walk, but that feels too long in this cold weather.

By the time I make it to the upmarket bar, my hands and feet are frozen through. I notice Becky already at a table in the window and rush into the place.

The warmth hits me the moment I enter, making my hands and feet tingle. Becky notices me instantly and beckons me over.

She stands and hugs me. “You need a drink after the day you’ve had.”

I laugh. “You’re right about that.” I shake my head, grabbing my chair and sinking into it. “I think I’m still in shock that Enzo is my new boss.”

She sits down, pushing a glass of Pinot Grigio toward me.

“I got the first one in.”

“Thanks.” I take a long sip.

“What is it like having a gorgeous boss?” She raises her eyebrows.

I shake my head. “He’s a cocky asshole.”

Becky laughs. “He was when you met him., nothing has changed.”

I knock back more wine. “Everything has changed. He’s my boss, and he doesn’t have any problem coming on to me as if harassment law doesn’t apply to him.”

“It doesn’t. The guy is so rich you would never get anywhere with it.” Becky waves over a waiter. “Can I get two more glasses of Pinot Grigio, please?”

He nods. “Coming right up.”

She returns her attention to me. “Maybe you should embrace Enzo’s attention. It’s not every day that a hot Italian billionaire hits on you.”

Does she not remember how torn up I was over him abandoning me in the middle of the night? “He left me without a word after taking my virginity.”

Becky shrugs. “It was about time someone did it, and what did you expect from a one-night stand? A proposal?”

I narrow my eyes at my best friend. “Don’t be an idiot. I expect more respect from a man like him.”

She sighs. “You said you didn’t regret your night with him even after he left, so why’s it bothering you so much now?”

“Because I didn’t think I’d see him again.” I sigh. “Let’s talk about something else. How was your day?”

She shakes her head. “We’re not here to talk about me, Sophia. What is this really about?”

A part of me doesn’t want to admit it—the part stopping me from telling my best friend the truth. I’m angry at myself. The moment he touched me in his o ce, I felt that desire pooling between my thighs. Then, when I saw him in his bathroom in his boxer briefs, all I could think about was tearing them o of him and sucking his huge cock. Enzo is under my skin, and I can’t get him out.

“I’m annoyed that I still want him, even when he’s such an asshole.”

Becky nods. “I thought it might be something like that. It would help if you cut yourself some slack. This man was your first, and that’s not easy to forget.” She raises a brow.

“Especially if it was as amazing as you say it was.”

I feel the heat filtering into my cheeks as I remember how good it was. Enzo may have been my first, but he exceeded all expectations. It felt like we truly connected on so many levels—until he snuck out of my apartment.

“True.” My shoulders slump under the pressure of the day. “It makes doing my job that much harder.”

“I can imagine. If my boss were Enzo D’Angelo, I’d have a hard time concentrating even though I haven’t slept with him.”

I sigh and down the rest of my wine.

“Don’t look now, but the man we are talking about just walked into the bar.”

My shoulders tense. It’s hard not to look, but I do as Becky says, keeping my gaze forward. “Are you serious?”

Becky nods. “Deadly.”

I sigh heavily, hoping that he doesn’t see us. “I hope he doesn’t notice me.”

“His eyes have been glued to you the moment he stepped through the door.”

Great.

“If he comes over here, I’m leaving.”

Becky laughs. “He’s talking to the waiter but still looking over here.” She meets my gaze. “Maybe this is exactly the opportunity you need to call him out over his antics away from work.”

I shake my head. “No, I don’t want to talk to him. I came here to fucking forget about him.”

Even when I’m not at his house, I still can’t get away from him. He better not approach us. Tonight was about unwinding and forgetting him.

“I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that he is on his way over here right now,” Becky says, glancing away from him and at me. “Keep cool.”

Enzo is becoming a problem I’m unable to avoid, and it’s only my first day working for him. Things can only go downhill from here.

10

ENZO

“W

here is Sophia?” I ask Cynthia.

She shrugs. “I believe she went out for the evening, sir. Did you need her?”

I need her, that’s for damn sure. I shouldn’t have let her leave my bathroom earlier and forced her to help me out instead of working it out myself. She should have been screaming daddy all night long while I made her come over and over again.

I shake my head. “Do you know where she went?”

Her brow furrows, but she doesn’t dare question me.

None of my sta would dare, except for Gino, who I trust to advise me. “No, sir. I believe she went out to meet a friend nearby as she left on foot.”

I nod. There are only two bars within walking distance, and I own the only one worth visiting. “Thank you.” I walk past her and straight out the door, searching for my beautiful new employee. As soon as I’d worked out my desire for her, it wasn’t long until my mind drifted back to her.

I need to get her out of my mind, and the only way to do that is to fuck her until I’m bored. I saw the desire in her eyes when she walked into the bathroom. She may deny it, but in the end, she will crack.

I march toward my bar, Oregano. If she’s not in there, then I’ll have to step foot in Arson, a biker bar that I wouldn’t normally be caught dead in. If Sophia has stumbled into the place, I need to get to her fast. That bar isn’t the kind of place a young, innocent girl like her should ever be.

As I take a right, Oregano comes into view. I immediately see her sitting in a window seat and chatting to her friends from the night we met.

She looks almost ethereal in the dim lights. The deep desire I’d felt the first time, and every time I see her ignites.

I clench my jaw, knowing that walking in there is a mistake. No matter what my brain tells me to do, it’s as though my legs have a mind of their own. I walk through the door into my bar, keeping all my attention on Sophia’s table.

Berto approaches me. “Would you like a table, sir. We didn’t know to expect you tonight.”

I shake my head. “No, I’m meeting those women.” I nod toward the table Sophia is sitting at.

He smiles and signals for me to approach. “Of course, do you want me to bring anything over?”

“No, that will be all, Berto.” I step past my employee and march toward Sophia with a single focus. She won’t be happy to see me, but I don’t care. The only thing I care about is forcing my way into her mind until she can’t think about anything else.

“Ciao, carina,” I say, setting my hand on her shoulder.

Sophia tenses, sitting up straight. She turns to face me as I let go of her shoulder. If looks could kill, then I’d be dead right now. “What do you want?”

I tilt my head slightly, impressed that she would talk to her new boss in that way. Maybe she wants me to fire her, but she has to know the chance of that happening is zero.

“This bar is my local. The more important question is, what are you doing here?”

Her brow furrows. “I’m minding my own business.”

I move around the table and take the back of the free chair next to her.

Her friend is next to speak. “We didn’t invite you to join us, and we are having a private drink between friends.”

I clench my jaw, glancing at her briefly. “Is that right? Do you realize that I own this bar?”

Her friend’s eyes widen. “What part of Staten Island don’t you own?” She asks.

I return my attention to Sophia. “That’s a good question. I own most of it.”

Her cheeks have flushed a deep pink ever since I sat down at the table. No matter how much she tries to deny it to herself, she wants me on a primal level.

“I’m Becky, by the way.” Her friend shoves her hand toward me, which I shake out of politeness.

“Enzo.” I glance back at Sophia. “So, can I join you?”

Sophia shakes her head, but her friend answers. “I don’t see why not.”

I smile and sit in the chair next to her, resting my arm behind her.

Sophia shifts uncomfortably in her chair, moving away from me. I try not to let her avoidance get under my skin.

The last thing I’m used to is women shying away from my advances, particularly women I’ve taken to bed.

I notice that Sophia’s glass is almost empty. “Can I buy you both a drink?”

Sophia grits her teeth. “Don’t you think it’s inappropriate for a boss to sit with his employee and o er to buy her drinks?”

I smirk at her. “Not at all. What can I get you both?” I ask, glancing briefly at her friend, who is watching with wide eyes.

“We are both drinking Pinot Grigio,” Becky replies.

I nod, standing and approaching the bar as the place is packed. The bartender’s eyes widen as they notice me approaching and abandon the customer they are currently serving. “Sir, I’m so sorry you had to come up to the bar.

What would you like, and I’ll get Berto to bring it over?”

I shake my head. “Your finest bottle of Pinot Grigio and a double scotch on the rocks.”

She nods. “I’ll get it right over to you.”

I adjust my tie. “Thank you, don’t take too long.” I walk away and return to the beauty sitting at the table by the window. Her friend noticed me returning, and it’s obvious they were talking about me as they fall silent the moment I sit.

“Drinks are on their way.” I clear my throat. “How was your first day working for me?” I ask Sophia.

She glares at me. “It was fine until I got to my last room of the day.”

I chuckle. “Don’t lie. I’m pretty sure that was the highlight.”

Becky sighs. “Although this was fun, I’ve got to dash.” I notice the warning look Sophia gives her, but she ignores it.

“Have fun, you two.”

I watch as she walks out of the bar without another glance back.

Sophia avoids looking at me. “I best get back too. I can’t be out late on the first night.” She goes to stand up, but I grab her wrist.

“I’ve just ordered you a drink. It would be rude to leave now.” Almost on cue, Lia brings our drinks, and I let go of Sophia’s wrist.

“Thank you, Lia.” She nods and walks away, leaving us alone. Sophia moves again, as far from me as the chair will allow without her falling o .

“Don’t move away from me, carina.” I move my chair closer to hers. “Perhaps you would be more comfortable at a di erent table.” I place my hand on her knee, feeling her shudder at my touch.

“Yes, a table without you on it,” she bites back.

I don’t let her anger deter me. She’ll forgive me for abandoning her that morning because she wants me no matter how much she fights it.

I shake my head. “No.” I slide my hand onto her thigh and squeeze. “A more private table where I can get closer to you, baby.”

She shakes her head and stands suddenly. “I’ve got to get back.”

I stand too, blocking her way. “No, you will drink the wine I bought you and stop acting like you don’t want to be near me.”

I hold her gaze until she finally submits and sits back down in her chair.

“I’ll stay for one drink, but I’ve got to be back before they shut the gates.”

I laugh at that. “Not sure you do when I have the keys.”

“There’s no chance I’m walking back in on my first night with the boss.” She glares at me. “What kind of rumors would that start?”

“True ones?” I answer.

She rolls her eyes. “Anything that happened between us before I became your employee is irrelevant now. Our relationship will always be strictly professional.”

She is sticking to her guns, but I’d like to see how long that lasts once she’s had a few drinks. “What made you choose this job?”

“It was my only opportunity, so I had to take it.”

Sophia strikes me as intelligent, so I’m surprised she is stuck as a personal housekeeper for me. “What did you do

before this job?”

“I was a maid at a local hotel.”

I tilt my head to the side. “Is that what you want to do?”

“Not exactly. I wanted to work for a fashion magazine, but it’s a tough industry, and I couldn’t land an internship.”

I can see that she lacks confidence in general. It’s ridiculous. She’s beautiful, smart, and down to earth—a quality so many women like her lack.

Sophia starts to relax as she manages to finish half the bottle of wine I ordered. An easy conversation falls between us as she asks me mundane questions about my businesses.

Normally the lies about what I do come easy, but with Sophia, it feels wrong.

After two hours of talking, she glances at her watch.

“Shit. It’s past ten o’clock.”

“I told you. I’ve got the key, don’t worry about it.”

She gives me a strange look. “Even so, I should get back since I’ve got work tomorrow. It’s only my second day.”

She’s adorable. If she thinks she could do anything to lose her job, she’s wrong. I have no intention of letting her out of my employ. “I’ll walk you home.”

Her brow furrows. “You walked here?”

I chuckle. “Don’t be so surprised. My legs do work, you know.”

She rolls her eyes. “I know, but you’re a billionaire. I thought you’d have a car to take you everywhere.”

“I do.” I run a hand through my hair and meet her emerald gaze. “But I was in such a hurry to find you tonight, Sophia. I didn’t bother with it.”

Her cheeks flush deeper, and I know I shouldn’t admit that she is the reason I’m here, but she is. Sophia is the only thing on my mind lately, even with the recent hit on my capo.

“You came out tonight searching for me?”

I nod in response, standing up. “I did. Come on, carina.

Let’s get you home.” I hold out a hand for her, and she takes it.

Heat spreads through my entire body the moment her skin is against mine. It’s crazy how much I want her still. All my life I’ve kept away from relationships. I live by one golden rule, never sleep with the same woman twice. Then, Sophia comes along, and all I want to do is fuck her over and over again.

This stunning woman will be a problem for me, but one I’m looking forward to dealing with for the next six months.

We walk out of the bar and down the street toward my home. I notice Sophia shiver and shrug o my jacket. “Here you must be cold.”

She meets my gaze, licking her bottom lip nervously.

“Thank you.”

I watch as she pulls on my jacket, hugging it around herself. When I take her hand again, she tenses slightly.

“Why did you come to find me tonight?”

I continue to walk, making her fall into step by my side.

“Because after you rushed out of my bathroom, you’re all I can think about.”

Even in the dimly lit street, I can see her cheeks flush. “I see,” she mutters, averting my gaze.

We fall into a tense, sexually charged silence for the rest of the walk. Once we make it to my home, I open the side gate and allow her in first.

“Can you let me in the service entrance?” Sophia asks.

I shake my head. “Unfortunately not. I only have the key to the front door.” I try to take her hand, but she moves away. I clench my jaw. Women refusing my advances isn’t something I’m used to. I lead the way to the front door and unlock it, allowing Sophia to step inside first.

Once I’ve locked the door behind me, we both head up to our floor in palpable silence. Sophia’s room is the first we come to, and I stop by it with her.

“Thanks for tonight,” she mutters, barely looking at me. I know she’s still pissed o that I snuck out of her apartment in the early hours of the morning, but she will get over it.

I step toward her, forcing her to crane her neck to meet my gaze. “You’re welcome, tesoro.” I grip her throat soft but firm and bring my lips to hers in a desperate kiss.

I feel her tense against me before slowly relaxing into my arms. Her lips open to allow my tongue inside. We get lost for a moment, our bodies pressing together as the desire we feel for one another ignites again.

It’s Sophia that breaks the spell, pulling back and shaking her head. “We shouldn’t have done that.” She turns her back on me and slides her keycard into her door. “Thank you for walking me home. Goodnight, sir.” She slips into her room before I can say a word, leaving me staring at her shut door.

My cock hard as steel in my boxer briefs.

Sophia is going to be a challenge that’s for sure. A challenge I’ll enjoy conquering. It didn’t take her long to slip up and submit to my kiss. Within a week, I’ll have her naked and tied to my bed.

I

through the red clouding my vision.

“I was going to tell you, sir. It was just a shock, and I was —” I grab my whiskey glass and throw it at the wall, shattering it to pieces. “Bullshit,” I growl.

Mario pales as he sits there, telling me that two days before Alessandro was murdered, he told Mario of his plan to betray me and overthrow my rule. The bastard intended to CAN HARDLY SEE

make a power grab, working with the fucking Triad of all people.

Mario kept this from me for two days. If he had told me, I would have ripped the heart out of the traitor myself. “You kept quiet, Mario. Only now you come to me with this information once the asshole is dead. How do I know you weren’t in on the plan?” I stare at him, knowing that I can’t let this slide without punishment.

He bows his head. “I would never do that, sir.”

I don’t believe he would be in on the plan. Alessandro was always too ambitious for his own good. Not to mention, Mario has been working hard to secure those construction contracts and advancing our organization’s expansion—he doesn’t have the motive.

“I can’t let this go unpunished.” I loosen my tie slightly.

The pressure of my rage and the weight of what I have to do starts to close in on me.

Mario is one of my closest men—a man I trusted to have my back no matter what. “I understand, sir,” he says, keeping his head bowed.

I glare at the man who kept quiet for two days while Alessandro continued to pursue plans to bring me down.

“Why did you bother to come to me with this information now that he’s dead?”

He glances up. “Ava Johnson found me and asked if I knew who might have wanted to hurt Alessandro, so I told her.” He shrugs. “I knew she would report to you, so I decided it was time to tell you.”

My jaw clenches, and I know that I can’t hold myself back any longer. I rush for my capo and drag him out of the chair, punching him in the nose hard. The crack of the bones in his nose shattering fills the air, and it is beyond satisfying.

Mario groans in agony as I punch him hard in the ribs. He doesn’t put up a fight—he wouldn’t dare.

For a moment, I let the dark rage inside of me unleash.

There is no need for control now. The darkness infects my blood and roots its way through my very essence.

I punch him over and over again. Blood coats my knuckles and is splattered all over my hardwood floor. A choice I made for this exact reason. The amount of blood I’ve spilled in my o ce would have never come out of a carpet.

Mario groans as he collapses on my wooden floor, losing consciousness quicker than I expected. The rage inside of me can take over all other senses, but I can’t let that happen.

I grab a bottle of scotch o my desk and pour myself a large glass. The fiery, smoky liquid dulls the rage inside of me as I turn back to look at my capo. He’s still unconscious and bleeding on my wood floor. The beating I gave him will take a while to recover from.

I step around him and out into the corridor of my home. It might seem harsh for me to leave him like that but holding up my reputation is all that matters.

This bastard didn’t tell me about a rat in our ranks, and he deserves to be dead. I can’t a ord to lose my two capos in the space of a week, so he’s getting o easy.

I head for my room, knowing that the last thing I want now is for Sophia to see me coated in blood. Her lack of willingness is enough to overcome already without making it worse.

She will be in my bed within a week, I guarantee it. If she doesn’t come willingly, I’ll make her see reason. Nothing has ever got in the way of me getting what I want, and this won’t be any di erent.

11

SOPHIA

A

s I walk down the corridor of the mansion, I can hardly focus on anything. The way Enzo tracked me down at that bar on my first night was almost stalker-like. It irritates me that I liked the attention from my rich and handsome boss, who I’d seen naked in the shower only hours before.

That was three days ago, and I haven’t seen him since.

I’m not sure if he’s avoiding me after the kiss we shared in the corridor, but it’s as though he has disappeared from his own home.

He’s infuriatingly cocky, but there is no denying the e ect he has on my body. One soft touch from him, and I’m a shuddering mess, ready to be bent to his will—not that I’d ever admit that to him.

I spin around and dust a small console table carved from oak behind me, thinking about how to get fired from this damn job. Six months working for this man is too long. I can’t trust myself around him for another week, let alone half a year.

My heart skips a beat as I spin around from dusting the console and crash into someone. I glance up and see Mario, Enzo’s friend, staring down at me. The guy Becky hooked up with the night I left with Enzo.

I gasp, noticing his broken nose, black eye, and bruised and battered face. “Mario, what happened to you?”

He shakes his head. “It’s nothing. I had a disagreement with some men at a bar last night.” His brow furrows. “What are you doing here?” His eyes dip down my outfit.

Mario is lying as the cuts on his face are fresh, and his nose is still bleeding. It’s ten o’clock in the morning. I bow my head as my cheeks heat. Mario knows I left the club with Enzo that night. “I’m the new housekeeper.”

His brow furrows slightly. “Since when?”

“I got the job a week and a half ago before I ever met Enzo. When we met at the club, I didn’t realize he was my new boss.”

There’s a sad smile on his lips. “Wow, what are the odds?”

I shrug. “No idea. I’ve got to get back to—” “Have you heard from Becky lately?” He asks, interrupting me.

I still can’t believe Becky left the club with this guy.

“We’ve spoken, yeah. Why?” He shrugs. “Did she mention me at all?”

This is uncomfortable. Becky went home with Mario, but she was very cagy about that night. She says he’s been calling her ever since but that she’s not interested. I’m not sure what exactly he did to her, but it wasn’t good.

It’s not like her to be so guarded about sharing the night with a guy. Normally she can’t wait to share every dirty detail. “Not really, no.” I fold my arms across my chest.

“What exactly did you do to her that night?”

His jaw clenches, but he winces almost instantly, hunching over. “I think I may have been a bit too rough with her.”

Anger pulses through me. “Rough? You didn’t force her —”

He shakes his head. “No, she was willing, but I don’t think we were both on the same wavelength as to what BDSM means.”

I raise a brow, cheeks heating. Becky likes a bit of rough play and tying up, so if she didn’t like what Mario did, it must have been extreme. “Well, she won’t talk to me about that night, but she says she’s not interested in seeing you again.”

Mario’s eyes flash with rage, but he doesn’t say anything.

Instead, he steps to one side and walks past me. I watch as he hobbles away, hardly able to stand straight as he remains hunched over. His wounds are too fresh for them to have been inflicted the night before.

Who did this to him?

An answer flashes into my mind. One I don’t want to believe but know it to be true.

Enzo.

I can’t tell you why I know he did it, I just do. There’s something about him not usual, which I sensed the day we met. I guess billionaires aren’t usual, but I feel that perhaps he’s not made his money entirely through legitimate avenues.

I hear a loud bang from behind a door to the right that draws my attention. My brow furrows as I creep closer to the door and listen. A very faint scream comes from the other side of the door, hardly audible.

Goosebumps raise on every inch of my exposed skin as I reach for the handle. I think the answer to what kind of man I’m working for is on the other side. I open the door, intending to find out exactly who Enzo D’Angelo is.

The door leads down into a basement. I glance around the corridor, making sure there’s no one else around, before descending the steps. The only way I’m going to get answers

about the man I’m working for is to take matters into my own hands.

Grunts echo down the corridor toward me as I walk slowly closer. Goosebumps prickle over every inch of my skin as the chill in the air surrounds me. The ominous sounds are louder now, and they scare me more than I can put into words. I’m in a narrow hallway with doors on the right.

My hands are shaking as I get closer to the sounds. Enzo’s voice carries down the corridor, stopping me in my tracks.

“You thought you could win, didn’t you?”

The pounding of my heart is so fast as I try not to breathe too heavily—fear over being caught suddenly snapping me back to my right mind. The door is open, and I notice Enzo with his back to me, towering over a bloody and broken man.

Enzo’s knuckles are painted with blood—not his own. I can’t see his face.

What the hell is going on down here?

The room looks like a torture chamber, and the bloodstains all over the concrete catch my attention.

“Do you have any last words, codardo?”

The victim who is kneeling on the floor only groans in agony in response. His face comes into my view. His jaw is broken, which means he can’t speak anyway.

I hold my breath, waiting for Enzo to make his next move.

He chuckles. “I didn’t think so.” My heart skips a beat as I see Enzo draw a knife from his belt and slice the man’s throat without a moment’s hesitation.

I can’t stop the gasp that escapes my lips. Enzo turns around, eyes wide. They connect with mine, and he drops the man and the knife.

I don’t linger any longer, knowing that my life is in danger. The decision to go down into this basement is one I’m already regretting as I dash up the stairs. The thud of following footsteps makes my stomach twist.

“Sophia, wait,” Enzo shouts after me.

All it does is spur me on faster as I run for my bedroom, knowing it’s the only place I can safely hide. I rush around the corner and slam straight into a man that had been at the club with Enzo the night we met. He smirks down at me.

“Where are you going in such a hurry?”

Enzo rounds the corner, walking calmly toward me.

“Thanks, Gino. I’ll take it from here.”

The man pushes me into Enzo’s bloody hands. “Of course, sir.” He bows his head slightly and then walks past us, leaving me alone with the monster.

“Let go of me,” I say, trying to break free.

He tightens his grip, yanking me in the opposite direction from my room. His silence is worse than if he spoke.

“Where are you taking me?” I dig my heels in, trying to stop him. It’s no use, as he’s so strong.

Enzo stops in front of his bedroom door and throws it open, pushing me inside. I spin around to face him and see him locking the door. The blood drains from my face as I realize the danger that I’m in. Enzo is a murderer.

He turns slowly to face me, his eyes full of irritation.

“Why did you go down into the basement?” he asks, his voice too calm.

I shake my head. “I heard the commotion and went to investigate.”

He clenches his jaw. “I wish you hadn’t.”

I swallow hard. “Are you going to kill me now?”

His eyes flash with rage, and he marches toward me fast, grabbing my throat firmly with his blood-stained hand.

“Don’t be so stupid, Sophia,” he growls, backing me against the wall of his room. “I won’t kill you, but I’ll need assurance from you.” He moves his hand from my neck to my hip, getting closer to me.

“What kind of assurance?”

His breath teases against my face, making my knees weak. “That you won’t ever utter a word to anyone about what you saw.”

“Of course. I won’t tell anyone.”

A cruel smirk twists onto his lips. “I’ll need that in a legally binding non-disclosure agreement, I’m afraid.”

I bite my bottom lip, wondering what he would do if I refused. “If I won’t sign it?”

He tightens his grip on my hips, hard enough to leave bruises. “Don’t push me, Sophia.”

“Answer my question, and I won’t.”

He let’s go of me for the first time since he dragged me in here. I watch as he runs a hand through his hair and turns his back on me. “I’ll do what is necessary, Sophia. If you don’t sign a non-disclosure agreement, then I won’t be able to allow you to leave.”

A shiver races down my spine at his words. “You will kill me then?”

He shakes his head. “No, you would be locked in my room and mine to use as I want.” He wraps his fingers around my throat again and moves his face within inches of mine. “I’d make sure you’d enjoy being my prisoner every day, baby.”

It’s ridiculous that my panties dampen at the thought. No matter who Enzo is and what I saw him do, that raw attraction and chemistry still pulses between us.

I gain control of my urges, shaking my head. “I’ll sign the damn agreement, now let go.”

He does as I say and reaches into his pocket, making me recoil. He could be grabbing a gun or knife.

He gives me an irritated look as he pulls his cell phone out and turns his back to me. Whoever he starts speaking to is Italian as he speaks too fast for me to catch anything he is saying in my limited understanding of the language.

It feels like a long time before he puts the phone down and turns his attention back to me. “The solicitor will be here within half an hour with the agreement. Until then, get comfortable.” He nods at his bed.

I shake my head. “I’ll stand, thanks.”

He sighs heavily, undoing his tie and throwing it on the bed. Without another word, he unbuttons his shirt and chucks that on the bed. I watch as he lies down, placing his hands behind his head. He shuts his eyes, and I’m unable to tear my gaze from him. It’s impossible not to admire his beauty, even if he is a cold-blooded killer. The smirk on his lips tells me he knows how attracted I am to him and the power he holds.

No matter how much I fight him, we both know that he is deep under my skin. The moment he took my innocence, there was no way I’d ever get him out.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

He opens one eye. “What does it look like?”

I shrug. “Sleeping after killing a guy as if you do it every damn day.”

“I’m a bad man, but I get the feeling you knew that ever since our eyes met in my club.” He sits up. “Why don’t you cut the bullshit and admit why you are so angry at me?”

I fold my arms over my chest, knowing that he’s going to bring up that night again. At first, it was why I was so mad at him, but now it’s because he’s a fucking criminal. If he thinks this is about anything else, then he is deluded.

“I’m not sure what you are talking about, sir,” I add that in at the end as a dig. “I’m pissed o because I found out my new employer is a murderer and witnessed him slitting a man’s throat.”

He raises a brow. “And yet you don’t seem scared in my presence. If anything, you seem as snarky as ever.” He gets up from the bed and walks toward me. I don’t know why I’m

not scared. For some reason, I know that Enzo would never hurt me.

I shrug. “Maybe I am scared and not showing it.”

Enzo grabs hold of my hips and pulls me into him. The musky scent of him mixed with whiskey is masculine and alluring. “You should be scared because all I want to do is claim you over and over again until we both can’t take it anymore,” he breathes into my ear.

I shudder at the husky tone of his voice. It doesn’t help that I have such a weakness for his Italian accent. He towers over me, breathing hard and heavy. Enzo dips his head, and his lips are inches from mine when someone knocks on the door. It breaks the spell between us as Enzo growls softly and goes to answer it.

I watch the man who murdered a guy in front of my eyes.

A man I’m starting to feel too much for. It’s time to cut ties before I find myself too entangled in his web.

12

ENZO

S

ophia glares at me as I pass the pen into her hand, letting my touch linger a moment. I can’t deny that the woman I desire walking in on such a gruesome murder of one of my enemies isn’t ideal.

It will make my attempt to get her in my bed harder, but I’m not one to back down from a challenge. She is looking at me with such anger that it fuels the fire burning inside of me for her.

I watch her as she reads through the binding nondisclosure agreement my lawyer brought over. Breaking it would lead to a terrible lawsuit for her, but I’m no fool to think that this kind of agreement truly protects me. Any law enforcement would put her in witness protection and give her a new identity to bring my operation down without a second thought.

Sophia is in my employ for just under six more months for certain, but if she hands her notice in at the end of that, I may have to take more drastic measures to ensure she keeps quiet.

Once she has read the document, she signs her name next to mine. She slams the pen down and then marches for the door.

“Sophia, where are you going?”

She stops, tensing. “To my room. I’m exhausted and need to sleep.”

“No, I still have something to discuss with you.” I turn to Alexander, my lawyer. “Thank you, Alexander, you may leave now.”

He nods and clears up the papers, carefully filing them in his briefcase. “Of course, I’ll finalize the paperwork and send you a copy in the morning.” He walks past Sophia, who is still standing in the same spot, with her back to me.

“Come and have a drink, Sophia. I’m sure you have questions about what you saw.”

She spins to face me, her emerald eyes blazing with rage.

“I don’t need to ask you questions. I know you are a killer, pure and simple.”

I shake my head. “Nothing in my life is that simple. The man you saw me kill was a child tra cker who works for my enemy.” I pour us both a glass of the finest scotch I can buy in this city. “He killed one of my men a month ago, and we finally tracked him down today.”

Sophia keeps her distance. “Why would I believe a word you say?”

I walk toward her slowly, giving her a chance to move away—she doesn’t. “Because deep down, you can’t stop thinking about our night spent together, tesoro,” I murmur, reaching for her wrist and gently tugging her into my chest.

Sophia is limp in my arms, watching me with uncertainty and that same desire she held for me on the night we shared.

“Daddy needs you, baby,” I whisper into her ear.

A visible shudder runs through her, and her eyes dilate with such longing. “Enzo,” she breathes my name as I slowly brush my hand down her chest, cupping her firm breast in my hand through her blouse.

“It’s time you stopped denying yourself the true desire you long for.” I unbutton her blouse, and she doesn’t do

anything to stop me. It’s surprising, considering what she witnessed me do. The soft white blouse falls to the floor, and I unhook her bra, freeing her perfect breasts.

My cock is harder than a rock in my tight boxer briefs.

“I’m going to make you scream all night, baby.”

Sophia shakes her head, suddenly crossing her arms over her chest. “Enzo, we shouldn’t—” I kiss her, silencing her attempt to reason with me.

There’s no way I’m letting her go tonight now she’s in my arms.

Sophia relaxes in my arms for the first time since our night together, bending to my will. I grab her throat firmly, angling her face. “I hope you’re ready to see my rough side, Sophia.” I nip her earlobe with my teeth enough to make her gasp. “I was gentle with you the first time.”

“Gentle?” She asks, disbelief in her tone.

I bite her bottom lip hard enough to hurt. “Yes, I hope you like it rough.” I grab her wrists and sit her on the edge of my bed. “Daddy wants you to suck his cock like a good girl, do you understand?”

Her eyes dilate with longing as she nods her head, waiting for me to pull my cock out. I’m harder than nails at the thought of her pouty lips wrapping around me. Slowly, I undo my belt and unbutton my pants.

Sophia licks her bottom lip most temptingly. I slip my pants o and then hook my finger into the waistband of my boxer briefs.

She moans the moment I pull them down, revealing every hard inch of my cock to her.

As she reaches for me, I grab her wrist. “Did I tell you to take it yet?”

Her beautiful emerald eyes are wide with surprise. “No, sorry, daddy,” she moans, going limp.

She is fucking perfection.

“Don’t take it with your hands, baby, just your lips.”

She looks a little hesitant as she leans forward, teasing her soft, plump lips around the head of my cock.

I groan the moment I slide inside, stilling in her mouth and allowing her to get used to my size.

Her tongue slowly circles the tip of my cock, driving me insane. I grab a fistful of her hair and slide further into her throat.

She gags instantly, placing her hands on my thighs in an attempt to push me away.

I pull back but only enough to allow her to breathe around my shaft. “If you want to make daddy happy, baby, you are going to have to learn to swallow my cock.” I keep my hands tight in her hair.

She gasps for breath, holding my gaze with wide, innocent eyes.

“Don’t tell me this is the first time you’ve sucked a man’s cock.” I say, wondering if she really could be that innocent.

She moves o my cock and nods. “Yes, daddy.”

Fuck.

I knew she was innocent when I last fucked her, but not that damn innocent. “Breathe through your nose and relax.

Those are the two secrets. It’s that simple.”

She runs her tongue over her bottom lip. “Okay, I’ll try for you, daddy.”

This woman knows how to wind me up good. I tighten my grip on her hair again and force her lips around my cock. She opens the back of her throat as I slowly start to thrust in and out. She gags over and over again, spilling saliva all over my cock and the bed.

I don’t let up. Sophia needs to be punished for refusing me ever since she arrived here. Her reluctance has been infuriating, and it’s my time to use her as I want.

Sophia grabs hold of my thighs and forces herself o of me again. “I can’t breathe,” she whines.

I grab her chin and spit into her mouth, making her moan. “Good. You need to be taught a lesson for making me wait this long to have you again, Sophia,” I growl, feeling the primal, dark side of me rising to the surface.

I grab the restraints on my bed, fixing them around her soft wrists. The metal cu s are tight and will leave marks.

“Remember to click your fingers if you want me to stop.”

Sophia nods. “I remember, daddy,” she murmurs.

That sends me spiraling. I groan, biting Sophia’s collarbone hard enough to bruise. She moans at the pain, hips lifting from the bed. My cock is leaking all over my bedsheets at the mere prospect of being inside this angel again.

I pride myself on my discipline and control, but with Sophia, it’s impossible. Three days ago, I followed her to my bar and kissed her, vowing to stay out of her way because of the way she makes me feel. The next time I see her, I have her under me, naked and ready to be fucked.

I know how dangerous this is. It’s a mistake—a grave fucking mistake. It doesn’t matter how much I tell myself that my body rejects it.

I line my cock up with her perfect pussy and slide deep inside of her without warning.

She cries out, hips raising as I fill her perfect pussy to the hilt. Sophia is so wet and ready for me. I grind my teeth together, wishing I had my flogger to paint her skin red. The need to fuck her hard and rough beats stopping to go and get it.

We have enough time to explore my tastes in the next few months. For now, it’s just our two bodies coming together in an animalistic mating. I groan, moving in and out of Sophia

with increased desperation. The bed creaks beneath us as I pound into her tight, wet heat with all my strength.

It’s been too long since I was inside her last. She’s become my own brand of heroin. I’m addicted to her touch and the way she smells—the way she tastes. I’ve never wanted a woman the way I want Sophia, and it scares me as much as it excites me.

Sophia moans as I move in and out of her, slapping her thigh with the palm of my hand. My need for her only seems to be getting more and more impossible to quench.

The more I have her, the more I want her. It’s a vicious, never-ending cycle that I can’t overcome. Six months might not be long enough. A dangerous thought since I know spending too much time with this beauty can only lead to feelings—something I will never allow to happen.

Sophia licks her bottom lip, holding my gaze as I move in and out of her. She wants me to kiss her—something I rarely do when fucking. Her pretty emerald eyes practically draw me in as my lips meld with hers. The heat between us increases every second that ticks past. My tongue searches her mouth with such desperate need. I’ve never felt so consumed by a woman before.

“I’m going to make you scream all night long, baby,” I murmur into her ear, knowing that it’s a promise I intend to keep. “By the time the night is up, you will be full of my cum and so sore you won’t be able to walk straight.”

Her eyes roll back in her head at my words, and she lets out a soft whimper. I continue to fuck her. I don’t know why I can’t stop myself from taking this woman. She’s got under my skin in a way no woman has ever been able to.

I want her in my sex dungeon, but baby steps first. The second time I’ve been inside of her, I won’t scare her away too soon. Our skin slaps together as our bodies meet in a frantic clash.

Sophia has no control as she remains limp beneath me, moaning and whimpering with each deep, hard thrust. My fingertips dig into her skin, leaving bruises for her to remember me by. I want to mark her in every possible way.

I move my mouth over her nipples, licking each one slowly as I continue to move in and out of her, never missing a beat. Her pussy tightens around my cock, warning me that she’s getting close to coming undone. The thought of her coming all over my hard cock drives me wild, and I know I can come right along with her.

“That’s it, carina. I want you to come all over daddy’s cock like a good girl,” I growl, feeling my pleasure getting higher and higher with each rough thrust. “I want to feel your delicious juices dripping all over my cock and the bed.”

“Fuck, daddy,” she cries, her body convulsing below me with the intensity of her orgasm.

I bite her collarbone and growl into her skin as my cock erupts deep inside of her, breeding her tight little pussy. I want her filled to the brim with my cum by the time the night is out. She won’t be leaving my bed until the morning.

I know I need to stop this before it gets out of control.

Sophia is dangerous. Although I’ve fucked her again, I’m not satisfied. I want her as many times as possible, something I know I should put a stop to immediately. Unfortunately, I’m not strong enough to stop.

Sophia is spent and beautiful, my cum dripping out her pussy and onto the bed. I kiss her slowly, enjoying the moment of blissful pleasure before I fuck her again. No matter how much my mind screams at me to stop this before it’s too late, I can’t comply.

13

ENZO

I

wait in my o ce, staring out of the window onto the lawns at the back of my home. My men have Ava and will be bringing her into this o ce any minute. She was a good PI—the best, actually. Her betrayal will have cost her life unless she can lead me to the man that killed my capo.

The thud of footsteps outside readies me. I know the ruthless part I need to play, and I’ll enjoy it. The door swings open, but I don’t turn around. I want Ava to sweat. Once I hear the door slam shut behind my man, I slowly turn around.

Ava is naked. My eyes dip down her body, and I can appreciate that she is beautiful. Strangely, I feel nothing other than that. As most women brought to me naked would have a hard time keeping me at bay in the past.

“Ava Johnson, you have been a very bad girl,” I say, closing the distance between us. I shake my head. “Sleeping with the man that killed my capo was a bad idea.”

Ava’s face pales, and she visibly trembles. The darkness inside of me is rising to the surface. Before long, I won’t be able to control my blood lust. Ava Johnson will wish she never met that assassin after I’m through with her. The

silence fills the room, flooding it with tension you could cut with a knife.

“What are you going to do to me?” she asks, breaking it.

A part of me regrets what I have to do to her. Ava has been loyal to me up to now, but I can’t let this disrespect go unpunished. “Do you know what I do to people who betray me?”

She swallows, falling silent.

I step closer to her. “You are a valuable asset to the mafia bosses in the city, but this kind of insubordination is unacceptable.” I tilt my head to the right. “What do you think I should do?”

Ava is shaking like a leaf. “Kill me.” She winces as the words leave her mouth.

She knows exactly the kind of man I am, unlike the beauty I can’t seem to get out of my mind. “That’s what I should do.” I nod. “However, I can be sympathetic to a woman who has been manipulated by a man like him.” I narrow my eyes at her, wondering if she will give me the information I want. “I assume you know his true identity.”

She lifts her chin. At that moment, I realize this isn’t going to be as easy as I hoped. “Unfortunately not.”

I clench my jaw, bringing the back of my hand up and slapping her hard. “Figlio di puttana,” I say, rage bubbling inside of me like a volcano ready to blow.

Ava shouldn’t push me like this. If she knew the terrible things that I’m going to do to her, she’d think twice about not cooperating.

A frantic knock at the door interrupts me. “Boss, it’s urgent,” Gino shouts from the other side.

I glare at Ava. “I will deal with you when I return. Don’t move, do you understand?”

She nods, and I walk out into the corridor.

Gino is standing there looking grave. He is here to give me bad news, which bodes even worse for Miss. Johnson.

“Signore, il fantasma ha massacrato i tre uomini che lo scortavano come animali. È scappato e nessuno può trovarlo.”

“Bastardo,” I growl, clenching my fists. The man who assassinated my capo has now killed three more of my men in cold blood. This has to stop.

“Thank you, Gino. That will be all,” I say, trying to control the rage spiking through my veins.

I storm back into the room, glaring at the woman who betrayed me. “Looks like your boyfriend just sealed your fate.”

Her brows furrow. “What?”

I grab her arm and drag her toward the door, heading to the torture chamber. She will wish she was never born by the time I’m through with her. “He has made sure that your torture is going to be long and painful, as I send pieces of you to him.” I grit my teeth, knowing that there is no caging the monster now. “When I’m finally through with you, I’ll carve out your heart and send it to him in a box.”

If that man cares at all about Miss. Johnson, then he would turn himself in. She is now at my wrath.

“I don’t understand,” Ava says, trying to resist me. “All I did was sleep with a guy, for fuck’s sake.”

I yank her to a stop and stare into her eyes. “Yes, and it’s the worst mistake you ever fucking made, Ava. The man you slept with just slaughtered three of my best men like animals.”

“How is that my fault?”

I feel an uncharacteristic pull of sadness and regret, which I quickly ignore. “It’s not, but unfortunately, you’re my only bait for the man whose name you won’t tell me.”

“He gave me a fake name. I’m pretty sure.”

I know she’s lying. The look in her eyes tells me that she cares for the Russian. I drag her down the corridor and stop at the door to the basement. “Down,” I growl, giving her a nudge.

She descends the stairs into the basement. I grab her at the bottom and drag her down the corridor toward the room I killed Aldo in the other day. The day Sophia witnessed what I’m capable of, even if the guy I killed was a child tra cker. I open the door to the room and force her inside.

“Have a seat,” I say, nodding at the chair in the center. I walk toward a table and grab some discarded rope, walking back to her.

She watches me as I approach, which is surprising. The victims I bring down here usually can’t lift their heads from the fear, but Ava strikes me as fearless. I grab her wrists forcefully and pull them behind the chair, tying the rope hard around her wrist. There’s no way she’d slip these, but even if she does, there will be no way out.

I’ll give her one last chance to reconsider telling me the truth. I need to gain control of the rage inside of me if I want any chance of torturing the truth from her.

Once I’m sure it’s correctly tied, I walk toward the door.

“I’ll deal with you later.” I slam the door, leaving her alone in the dark.

Every footstep I take away from her eases some of my rage. I blame my father for my lack of control when it comes to emotions. He labeled all emotions as weak and made me grow up too fast with our family business, introducing me to the bleak and cruel world at the age of ten.

The darkness inside of me is a rotting disease that can never be cured. My love for inflicting pain is enough evidence of that.

I T ’ S time to do what I do best. Ava has sat alone in that room for over four hours. In there, it will have felt like a lifetime.

My footsteps echo o the corridor walls as I move toward the room Ava is locked in.

The rage that sometimes has a mind of its own is carefully under control. I pull the key out of my jacket pocket and slip it into the lock, turning the mechanism with a click.

Ava shuts her eyes when I open the door, no doubt struggling to see from the light. I stand in the door frame for a moment, staring at my victim. It’s such a shame to kill a woman with so much talent.

I step inside and shut the door. The tension in my muscles is impossible to ease as I get ready to inflict pain. All the twisted and dark parts rise to the surface.

I notice Ava visibly shudder in the chair.

“I hope the fuck was worth it, Ava.” I grab my switchblade out of my inside jacket pocket, flicking it open.

The fear that ignites in her eyes is satisfying. “I hope you have a high pain tolerance.”

She clenches her jaw. A reaction I see all too often when people are struggling to hold back the fear. I’d love to see her break in front of me.

I press the serrated edge of the knife against her perfect, creamy cheek. Ava shuts her eyes as the fear is starting to penetrate her. I notice the tension in her shoulders increase as I put enough pressure on the blade to cut her skin. This knife is as sharp as they get. Dark, crimson blood trickles down her cheek.

I know I’m sick, but the sight is so satisfying.

What would Sophia say if she knew how much I delight in other’s pain?

“Are you going to tell me his name, yet?” I ask, knowing that she won’t be impossible to crack.

Ava glares at me. “What does it matter to you, anyway?”

I pull the blade away with a swish, cutting deep across her cheek. It’s a beautiful sight to see something perfect scarred in that way. The blood gushes heavily down the side of her face and her neck. “It matters because you betrayed me, and you owe me his name.”

She grits her teeth. “I told you the guy gave me a fake name.”

She’s a liar, and liars deserve to die. “Tell me the fake name.”

“Jason King,” she says, but her voice wavers slightly.

Even the fake name is a fucking lie.

I grab a handful of her hair, yanking her head back. “He had a Russian accent, didn’t he?”

She licks her lip nervously, nodding. “Eastern European for sure, I couldn’t say for certain if it is Russian.”

If she thinks that I’m buying any of this, then she’s got another thing coming. I strike her hard across the face with the back of my hand. “Liar,” I snarl, feeling my rage starting to get out of control. “You know who he is. I can see it in your eyes. You are holding information back, Miss. Johnson.”

Her only response is to clench her jaw and meet my gaze as if she isn’t scared. I’ll teach her to disrespect me like that.

I stab the knife deep into her left leg, making her scream.

The piercing sound is like music to my dark and twisted soul.

The sight of the blood that trickles over her pale skin only drives my blood lust wild.

I pull the knife out and then punch her across the jaw. “If you thought I’d be lenient with you because of our working relationship, then you were mistaken. Everyone that crosses me ends up in this position—everyone.” I narrow my eyes, staring at her with total indi erence. She may have worked for me on numerous occasions, but the moment she slept with my enemy, she was dead to me. “Your boyfriend will end up here soon enough. It’s only a matter of time.”

I grab her hips as I know it will make her uncomfortable.

It’s ideal that she was already naked when we caught her. I dig my fingernails deep into her skin. “Tell me what I want to know, Ava, or you will su er the consequences.” I glare at her. “Don’t tell me you are willing to die for a Russian.”

She stares right back into my eyes and spits at me. “I’ll never submit to threats from a man like you,” she says, her voice steadier than I’d expect. Perhaps she is going to be harder to break than I thought.

I wipe the spit from my cheek. “Wrong answer.” I drag the knife across her thigh, cutting her more deeply—no more questions. Ava doesn’t deserve my mercy, not at the moment. I cut her arms next, drawing lines into her skin as though I were a painter working on a masterpiece.

Her screaming only spurs me on.

I stab her in the right leg this time, giving her a matching wound.

She struggles in the chair, trying to break free. Amusing, considering there is no escape for her. She will die here. How long it takes is entirely up to her. I walk toward the table again and grab a larger knife. Ava doesn’t seem to be aware of her surroundings at the moment.

“I’m not going to accept silence,” I growl.

Her brow furrows as she notices the other knife in my hand.

I push the tip of the blade into her throat, cutting her shallowly. “Are you going to make me kill you, Ava?” “Not sure how you’re going to get your answers if you do that.”

“No.” I pull the knife away. “But you don’t need your fingers to talk.” If she thinks I can’t take anything from her now, she is mistaken. I walk around the chair. “Such lovely, dainty hands. Shame to defile them, but if you don’t change

your mind when I return, then I will be taking them one by one.”

I walk in a circle around her, returning to stand in front of her. The best mode of torture is to let your victims stew over your threats. “For now, I’ll leave you with this. I draw the knife through her stomach, putting the finishing touch on the masterpiece. My childhood was dark, and that’s why I can’t seem to stave o the darkness inside of me. I love hurting people. It’s sick, twisted, but true.

“I’ll let you have a good, hard think about whether you want to hold onto your loyalty to the Russian, Ava.” She swallows hard.

“I’ll return within the hour and expect your answer,” I say.

“Fuck you,” she murmurs.

I hear it loud and clear. I growl, striking Ava in the jaw again. It’s all it takes to knock her out. She will be awake by the time I return. Then, the real fun will begin.

14

SOPHIA

I

f I thought my situation couldn’t get worse, I’m now a witness to a murder—a murder my boss committed. My mind can’t stop replaying the moment. The way it sounded as he sliced the blade through the man’s throat and the way the blood spurted everywhere.

I knew he was a bad man, but this is beyond anything I could have imagined. He’s the don of the Italian mafia—a criminal and a murderer. The kind of man I should have never allowed into my bed.

As I sit on the toilet seat, waiting for the test result to show, I’ve never felt more afraid in all my life. I’m late by a week. It only hit me while I lay by Enzo’s side last night after falling into his trap for the second time.

I’ll never know why on earth I let him touch me the way he did after witnessing him kill a man. It’s as though Enzo has me under a spell, and I’m powerless to resist him.

If I’m pregnant with this mobster’s baby, then things are about to get a whole lot worse. Two minutes feels like an eternity as I wait for my phone to signal the time is up. The tests are on the vanity unit, and I haven’t dared look before the allotted time.

It would explain my nausea and the occasional throwing up, including that time in Enzo’s bathroom. My breasts are

tender, and I’ve felt more tired than usual. I put it down to the change in routine, but I fear the worst.

The silence is broken by the alarm on my phone, marking the end of the two minutes. I stand, and my heart sinks at the two clear lines on the two tests. There were two in the pack, so I did both to be sure of the result.

It feels like my world is spinning as the nausea increases, and I rush for the toilet, lifting the seat and heaving into it.

I’m pregnant with Enzo’s baby. A murderer. I’m not sure there is any way that this can get worse. One glance at my phone also tells me my trip to the drugstore has made me thirty minutes late for my shift.

Cynthia won’t be pleased. I quickly brush my teeth and freshen up before wrapping the tests in tissue and chucking them into my bin, tying the bag and taking it with me. The last thing I need is the sta to find out I’m pregnant, even if they don’t know the father is our boss.

When I make it down to the service room, Cynthia isn’t there. I throw the bag with my positive tests into the trash and then get to work. First on my list—laundry.

As I enter the laundry room, Maria rushes over. “Sophia, where have you been?”

“I’m sorry. I haven’t been feeling well.”

She shakes her head, turning to grab a basket of laundry o the side. Cynthia wasn’t too happy when you weren’t here on time. Can you take this laundry to Mr. D’Angelo’s room, please?” She shoves the basket of dark suits and neatly folded shirts into my hands without waiting for my reply. “Thank you,” she says, rushing away before I have the chance to say a word.

Part of me wishes she hadn’t asked me to take them to his room, especially after what I just learned. It’s unlikely he will be in there at this time of day, though.

My heart skips a beat as I hear some commotion at the front door. My curiosity drives me to investigate, even though it’s not on my way to his room.

I come to a halt the moment I set eyes on the scene in front of me. Ice spreads through my veins as I watch Ava Johnson, the lady I’d greeted on my first day, being dragged through the front door naked.

A rough, muscled man forcefully pulls her through the door and down the corridor toward Enzo’s o ce—the o ce I showed her into that day. Her eyes are full of fear as they meet mine, as I watch hopelessly.

Is she going to meet the same fate as that man I saw in the basement?

My stomach dips at the mere thought. I stand there in shock for a while, watching the corridor the men dragged her down. The emotions hitting me are so overwhelming. Guilt that I slept with such a cruel and vicious man. Sadness for what will happen to that poor woman. The most poignant of them all is the sinking dread. The baby growing inside of me has a monster for a father.

It was stupid and reckless not to use protection either of the times we slept together. It’s as though anytime he touches me I fall under his spell. All my common sense flies out the window.

I’ve made too many mistakes since I met him. The biggest one of all was my decision to sleep with him the first time. I can’t make any more mistakes. He may have made me sign a non-disclosure agreement, but he can’t stop me from running away. I’ll keep his secret, but I’ll keep it somewhere far away from New York.

I sigh heavily, knocking on Enzo’s bedroom door to be sure he’s not in there. After a few moments of silence, I enter. He is obviously in his o ce, doing God knows what to that poor woman.

The room is pristine as always, but the gun on his bed catches my eye.

I swallow hard, walking toward his walk-in closet.

There’s no way I want to be here when he returns to his room, so I quickly pack away his clothes.

My heart skips a beat when I open a drawer to find an array of whips, floggers, chains, and what appears to be a spreader bar.

I shut the drawer, irritated by the tingling igniting in the pit of my stomach. Enzo is rough, and I know from firsthand experience that he’s used to being dominant, but those tools suggest he’s into serious BDSM. I hang up his last suit jacket and glance around the closet, noticing a book in the bookshelf on one side of the closet is tilted. I always thought it was weird to have a bookshelf in a closet, particularly when he has such a large room. Intrigue draws me toward it, and I reach for the book, pulling it down.

I gasp as the wall slides to the left, revealing what can only be described as a sex room.

There are leather benches, swingers, chains, and an array of ominous-looking tools spread throughout the room behind the bookcase. I feel the tingling between my thighs at the thought of Enzo using any of this on me. I must be sick to want that.

The thought of getting caught stumbling on this makes me sick to the stomach, so I push the book back into place, hiding the BDSM room.

I grab the empty laundry basket and shut the door behind the closet. My hands are shaking after what I found.

Enzo is bad news in every sense of the word. I need to get away from him before he learns about the secret growing inside of me. Six months is too long as I’ll be showing before then. My only choice is to run away and never look back.

T HE DAY IS DRAWING to a close, and I’m ready to lock myself away and never come out. It has been tumultuous, to say the least, and full of so many emotions. Thankfully, I haven’t seen Enzo at all.

I undo my apron and set it down on the laundry pile as Cynthia comes in.

“Sophia, can I have a word?” she asks.

It’s the first time I’ve seen her today, and Maria’s warning rings in my mind. I’m in trouble for being late this morning. “Of course.”

She nods out of the room. “Follow me.” Cynthia leads me into the kitchen. I step in after her, twisting my hands together in front of me.

Cynthia doesn’t turn to look at me. “You were late this morning. What explanation do you have?”

I shake my head. “I apologize. I wasn’t feeling too well this morning and went to the drugstore for something to settle my stomach.” It’s a half-truth, but as much of the truth as I can give her.

Her expression softens slightly. “In the future, inform me that you will be late before rushing o . You’ve done a great job up to now, so I’m not going to give you a formal warning.” She tilts her head slightly. “Just think next time.”

I nod. “Of course, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.” All I was thinking about was the fact I might be carrying our boss’s baby.

She smiles. “No problem. Can you take the trash out to the dumpster as it’s being collected in the morning? Then you can finish for the day.”

I nod. “Yes, I’ll do it now.”

Cynthia smiles again. “Thanks, Sophia,” she says, walking out of the kitchen and leaving me alone.

My shoulders slump under the pressure of lying. Today has been the worst day yet working for Enzo, and something tells me it’s only going to get worse. If anyone were to learn that I slept with the boss, I’d never live it down. I walk toward the trash can and pull the bag out, tying it up.

My mind is preoccupied as I walk toward one of the service doors and open it, stepping out to the dumpster. It’s huge and smells of rotting food. A security guard rounds the corner, nodding at me. “Good afternoon.”

I nod. “Afternoon.”

He carries on his patrol, and I don’t miss the rifle he’s holding. I feel most billionaires wouldn’t have guards that were heavily armed.

My nose wrinkles as I open the lid and toss the bag of trash inside. As I turn around, I take a look at the beautiful gardens in the distance. Despite being here for just over a week, I’ve yet to set foot in the gardens. Cynthia mentioned we’re allowed to use the grounds on our o time, and I need to get back into running. I’ve been slacking on my fitness.

It’s a shame I’ll have to leave this place and this job. A job I’m enjoying despite who my boss is. My only option is to head south to Texas and hope my Aunt, who I’ve not spoken to in years, will put me up while I try to figure things out.

Becky will be so upset with me, but what choice do I have?

I sigh heavily and return to the mansion, stepping through the door. Suddenly a man appears out of nowhere, his fist coming toward me too fast for me to react.

Everything turns blurry as darkness comes over me. The only thing I can see is Enzo’s angelic face in my mind, smiling down at me.

Why the hell is he the last thing I see?

15

ENZO

I

stop in front of Sophia’s bedroom door, knowing that after the day I’ve had, she’s the only person who could calm me. My revenge on that assassin was within my grasp, and he stole it from me. My men are already retaliating, but it won’t be enough. I need to carve out both of their hearts for this and post them to that bastard, Andrei Petrov. It’s been no more than thirty minutes since my men lost him in a car chase.

I don’t want to think about any of that now. All I want is to lose myself in the woman who drives me wild with need.

I knock on her door, but there’s no reply. My brow furrows as I let myself in, finding the room empty. I walk into the bathroom and find that empty too.

Cynthia assured me that she let her o only forty minutes ago. There’s no way she could have got ready and gone out.

Where is she?

I rush out of the room, dread coiling through me. Maria is coming the other way.

“Maria, have you seen Sophia?”

Her brow furrows. “Not since Cynthia asked her to take out the trash before finishing her shift.”

I grit my teeth. The thought of Sophia taking out the trash angers me. It’s beneath her in every way. She’s a princess

and my tesoro—treasure.

“Thank you,” I manage, heading down to the kitchen. If Sophia was taking out the trash last, that’s where I’ll start my search. The mansion is my home, but I don’t often venture into the service quarters. I walk into the kitchen and see that the trash can is empty, but the bag hasn’t been changed.

As I step out of the kitchen and walk toward the service exit, my brow furrows—every muscle in my body tenses as I see a pair of legs to one side. “Sophia,” I shout her name, panic washing over me. If that bastard hurt my woman, I’ll make sure I have his head on a spike by the end of the day.

Sophia is lying on the floor, unconscious. The dark bruise on her forehead makes me so angry that I can’t even put it into words. “Carina, wake up.” I shake her softly, trying to wake her.

Her eyes flutter open, and she groans. “Enzo, what happened?”

That ghost is lucky that Sophia is alive, or there would have been hell to pay. I still don’t even know the rat’s name, but I intend to find out. The Russian attacked me at my own home, and retaliation is already underway.

“I don’t know. I hoped you’d be able to tell me that, tesoro.” I gently cup her chin in my hand, kissing her lips more gently than I’ve ever kissed anyone.

When I move back, her eyes are slightly wide. “I’m not sure. I was taking the trash out, and as I walked back inside, there was a man.” She shakes her head, groaning again. “He hit me.” She brings a hand up to her bruised face.

“Don’t worry. He will pay for that.”

Her eyes meet mine, brow furrowed. “What do you intend to do to him?”

I clench my jaw, knowing the answer isn’t one she’d want to hear. My rage has ruled me for far too long. Even my

feelings for the woman sitting in front of me can’t change that. The man who broke into my home needs to pay. “It doesn’t matter.” I stand and pull her to her feet.

She watches me with intrigue. “I want to know.”

I ignore her and lift her into my arms.

“What are you doing? Let me down.” She tries to break free from me.

“I’m carrying you to your room.” I start to walk with her.

She struggles with more strength this time. “No, I don’t want any of the sta to see you carrying me.”

I grit my teeth. “I don’t care, Sophia. A thief knocked you out, and I’m carrying you to your room whether you like it or not.”

She glares at me.

“On second thought, I’ll carry you to my room, and we can see what rumors come from that.” I can’t help but smirk at the expression on her face. She doesn’t argue again, letting me carry her to my room without another word.

She holds her breath every time we walk past some of my sta . It’s amusing to see how concerned she is about what people think. I, on the other hand, don’t give a shit—let the sta talk.

I kick open the bedroom door and carry her inside, setting Sophia down gently on my huge four-poster bed.

She meets my gaze, and I can’t help the concern that floods me, seeing the bump forming on her head. It’s a foreign emotion for me—an emotion I’ve never felt. If that isn’t a warning, I don’t know what is.

I pull my cell phone out of my jacket pocket and ring the resident doctor, Alfredo. After asking him to visit the room in Italian, I hang up and turn my attention back to her. “The doctor is on his way to give you a check over.”

Her eyes widen. It’s impossible to miss the panic in the depths of her emerald gems. “There’s no need for that.”

I sit down next to her on the bed, running my fingers through her hair. “You have su ered a significant head injury, and I won’t rest until my doctor has cleared you.” I move my hand to hers, squeezing. “Don’t fight me on this, tesoro.”

She lets out a deflated sigh, remaining tense as I hold her hand.

“How are you feeling?”

She meets my gaze. “Fine, considering I was knocked out.”

I notice her shu e slowly away from me on the bed, putting distance between us. It shouldn’t piss me o as much as it does. Sophia is hot one minute and cold the next.

Writhing in my bed and screaming my name one night and then shying away from me a day later. It’s enough to drive a man insane.

“Why does it matter?” She asks.

I swallow hard. “You are my employee, and a man that broke into my home hurt you. It’s my responsibility to ensure you are okay.”

There’s a hint of disappointment in her expression.

Does she want me to care?

As we stare into each other’s eyes, that sexual tension pulses between us. It does every time we’re alone, but it feels di erent right now. There are deeper feelings trying to surface for this woman, feelings I need to squash before they get out of hand.

I lean toward her, feeling that gravitational pull as she works her magic on me. A firm knock at the door startles both of us apart. I clear my throat and let go of Sophia’s hand. “Come in,” I call.

Alfredo walks in, carrying his medical bag. “What seems to be the matter, sir?”

I stand, gritting my teeth. “A Russian broke in tonight and attacked my housekeeper, Sophia.”

He nods. “Yes, unfortunately, one of your guards was not so lucky to survive.”

Rage courses through me hearing this news. “He killed one of my men?”

“Yes, snapped his neck in two.” Alfredo places the medical bag down on the bed, reaching for Sophia’s forehead. “A bad knock to the head. How do you feel?”

“I told Mr. D’Angelo that I feel fine, and there is no need for me to see a doctor.”

He opens his medical bag. “When it comes to head injuries, you can never be too careful, believe me.” He pulls out a stethoscope and listens to her chest first.

It’s ridiculous how nervous I am. Concern for another human being has never been an issue for me. I’m starting to think that not letting Sophia out of the contract when she asked was a big mistake.

“I am going to take your blood pressure and then do a blood test to be sure all is fine.”

Sophia’s brow furrows. “A blood test, isn’t that overkill?”

I step forward. “No, I ordered Dr. Kali to do it. Don’t argue with the doctor or me.”

That same panicked expression passes over her face. She doesn’t want the doctor taking her blood. I’ll find out why, but first, we need to make sure that bastard didn’t do any damage to my angel.

Alfredo attaches the blood pressure machine to her arm and takes the reading. It’s a little high but nothing to be concerned about. He then takes out a needle and readies it.

Sophia pales and looks away as he takes the blood sample before storing it. “I’ll have to take the blood to the lab in the morning, but all her other vitals are good.” He looks at Sophia. “You should just get some rest.” He zips up his

medical bag. “I’ll be in touch tomorrow with the results from the blood.”

He stands, and I shake his hand. “Thanks, Alfredo.”

He bows his head. “Anytime, sir.”

I watch as he leaves the room, shutting the door behind him. Alone again. I know I should walk out of the door and not linger any longer with the tempting woman lying on my bed. First, I need to find out why she was so against Alfredo taking her blood.

She’s hiding something from me, and I’d rather hear it from her than the doctor. It’s time to find out what secrets my angel is harboring.

16

SOPHIA

T

he doctor leaves us alone, and Enzo stares at me with an odd expression.

“Thank you for your help, sir. If you don’t mind, I want to rest now,” I say, standing in an attempt to leave. I’m not sure why he brought me to his room, but it can’t be good.

His jaw clenches, and he blocks my way to the door. “Why didn’t you want the doctor to take your blood, Sophia?”

Fuck.

I shouldn’t have been so obvious. There’s no guarantee that the doctor would have found I’m pregnant from the blood test. If I don’t tell Enzo something convincing, he will make sure the doctor finds what I wanted to hide.

“I just don’t like needles.”

Enzo shakes his head. “Cynthia told me you’ve been sick quite a few times since you started here.” He raises a brow, grabbing my hips hard. “Don’t lie to me, Sophia.”

I can’t face telling him the truth. How would a mobster react to the news that a woman he had a one-night stand with is carrying his child? I hardly know anything about Enzo, other than knowing he is a dangerous man.

“I’m not sure what you are talking about, but I’m not lying.” I meet his intimidating gaze, wishing I wasn’t such a

terrible liar. Becky always knows when I’m lying. She says I’m the worst liar she’s ever met.

He moves toward me and grabs my throat, squeezing softly. “Don’t forget who you are dealing with, carina.” His lips are inches from my face. “I want to know the truth.”

I swallow hard as I stare into his eyes. The darkness inside of him is almost penetrating the air. Enzo doesn’t like being disobeyed. “There’s nothing to tell.”

He let’s go of my throat, running a hand through his hair.

“Why not just tell me? Alfredo will find out whatever it is you’re trying to hide from me in the end. You’re just delaying the inevitable.”

He’s right. I’ve made it so obvious there is something to hide the doctor will find out. Enzo steps closer and takes my hand. “Trust me with this, please.”

Can I trust him?

I look into his ice-blue eyes and see the concern in them.

There’s no doubt he cares for me in his way, even if he has an odd way of showing it.

I swallow hard, sitting up straighter on the bed. “I have a medical condition which means I shouldn’t have accepted this job.” I shrug. “The medical questionnaire wanted me to disclose any existing heart conditions, and I left it o .”

Another half-truth, as I do have a heart condition, which I didn’t disclose to them.

Enzo let’s out a long sigh. “A condition that a blood test would have picked up?”

I shrug. “I’m not sure, but I worried it could.”

Enzo squeezes my hand softly. “You thought I’d fire you for that?”

I raise a brow. “Wouldn’t you?”

There’s a twinge of something in my chest as I stare into his eyes. He hasn’t given me an answer yet, but the look in

his eyes tells me all I need to know. It doesn’t matter what I do. Somehow this dark and twisted man cares about me.

He shakes his head. “No, I don’t think I would have.” He looks down at our hands entwined. “Even though I should.”

He sounds more unsure than I’ve ever heard. As if the question struck away all his cockiness.

“Why aren’t you doing what you should?”

Enzo let’s go of my hand and paces the floor. He seems frantic and out of control. I haven’t seen this side of him before. Normally, he is calm and collected.

“Enzo?”

He stops and looks at me. “You should have told me about your heart condition, carina.” He steps toward me and presses his hand over my chest. “How serious is it?”

I shake my head. “Nothing I can’t keep under control easily with a good diet.”

The concern in his eyes cuts me to the core. My stomach twists with the realization that I’m starting to care for the father of my baby. The baby that I’m keeping a secret from him right now.

There’s no doubt in my heart that the only way forward is to run. I can’t be beholden to a criminal like Enzo, and something tells me although he cares for me, he may not be capable of a meaningful relationship.

He kisses my neck and then nips at my earlobe. “I will be gentle for you, Sophia. It’s not in my nature, but I will be.”

I pull back and stare into his ice-blue eyes. He wants to fuck me again, and I’m too addicted to him to say no.

Instead, I vow to myself that this will be the last time. I will plan my escape and cut all ties. Texas is far enough away to ensure he can’t find me—no matter how powerful he is.

“You don’t need to be gentle.” I grab his hand. “I like it rough.” I hate that he thinks my heart condition makes me fragile.

Enzo lifts me, hooking his arms under my legs and walking with me toward the wall. I gasp as he pushes me against it, kissing his way down my neck and chest.

Before I can say a word, he releases his cock, pressing the tip against the thin strand of my thong. Molten lava runs through my veins as he turns me into a puddle in his arms. I can feel the wetness tripping through the fabric and onto the tip of his cock.

I’ve never felt so needy in all my life. “Fuck me, daddy,” I moan, wrapping my arms tight around his neck. His muscles flex as he holds me with one hand and moves aside my thong, giving his thick cock access to my aching pussy.

He lowers me down hard and fast, impaling me on his huge dick. My pussy clamps around him, and I feel myself coming undone before we’ve even started. There’s something wrong with me for wanting this evil and cruel man so badly.

Even though I know what he does and the things he’s capable of, I’m a horny mess for him.

“Is that what you wanted, carina? My cock filling that tight little pussy?” he growls in my ear.

I nod my head, eyes rolling back as he starts to pump in and out of me, fucking me against the wall without mercy.

I can’t get enough of the way he fills and stretches me, making me feel whole. It’s like I’m hooked on the beautiful, dark Italian mobster.

He lifts me from the wall with his huge cock still deep inside of me. Enzo carries me toward the bed, setting me down. I whimper as his huge size withdraws. “Wait here for me and don’t move, baby.”

I nod in response as he walks toward his closet. My stomach clenches as I wonder if he’s intending to go and gets some of those tools I stumbled on earlier today.

When he returns, he’s holding the flogger and spreader bar. I bite my bottom lip, wondering if I would enjoy him using them on me. “W-what are you doing?” I ask.

He smirks. “Relax, carina. I want you spread wide open for me and painted a pretty pink.” He grabs my wrists roughly, pushing me into the position he wants. He pulls down my panties but leaves my housekeeper uniform on.

“Are you going to be a good girl and do what daddy wants?”

Every time he speaks to me like that, I’m wetter than I’ve ever been. “Yes, daddy.” I still in the center of the bed, allowing him to fix my ankles to the spreader bar. My heart skips a beat as he grabs my wrists and clips them into shackles attached to the bar. I’ve never felt so vulnerable as I do at that moment. Enzo can do whatever he wants to me, and I’m restrained and open, waiting for him to take me however he wants.

“You look perfect, baby.” He fists his huge cock with one hand. The handle of the leather flogger is in his other.

“Daddy’s going to make you come harder than you’ve ever come before.”

My nipples tighten painfully against the fabric of my bra.

Enzo brings the flogger’s leather strips to my pussy and teases them over my soaking wet folds. I’m shaking so violently as I wait in anticipation for his next move.

Suddenly, he whips the fabric against my inner thigh, making me shudder. The pain stings but heightens the pleasure ten times over. I can’t believe I love being treated the way Enzo treats me. It was just over three weeks ago that I had no idea what I liked. An innocent virgin, unaware of the pleasure I was missing out on.

Enzo has opened my eyes to a world I could never have imagined. A part of me doesn’t want to flee. Part of me wants to tell him I’m carrying his baby and hope that he wants me and not just for sex. My feelings for this man are wrong.

He uses the flogger again, turning my mind blank with the mix of pleasure and pain pulsing through me. I’ve never felt so needy as I feel my orgasm rushing toward me without so much as a touch from him. He flogs me again, this time harder on the outer side of my thigh. It’s all it takes for me to come undone.

“Fuck, Enzo,” I cry. My body shudders as wave after wave of ecstasy pulses through me.

He grabs hold of my chin suddenly, forcing me to look him in the eye. “Call me daddy,” he growls before letting go and flogging me again.

My mind is a jumbled mess. “Sorry, daddy,” I manage to say.

He throws down the flogger and towers over me. His chest rises and falls with each heavy breath as he fists his huge cock.

My eyes are glued to him, and I can’t tear them away.

Every time I think I can’t want him more than I do at any given moment, he makes me needier for him. Enzo grabs hold of the spreader bar and drags me closer to him on the bed.

The tip of his heavy cock rests against my clit, making me so desperate it feels like I’m about to combust. He lines himself up with my entrance and thrust inside of me, satisfying the ache deep within.

I’m completely at this mercy, bound and spread wide for him. He has all of the control, and I love it more than I should. Especially considering the type of man he is.

Enzo groans, licking a path up my neck. “That’s it, baby, spread and drenched for me,” he breathes, biting my collarbone. “Take daddy’s cock like a good girl.”

I can’t even arch my back with this bar between my ankles and wrists fixed to it. No matter how badly I want him deeper and harder, he is in total control.

“Do you like being dominated?” He purrs.

“Yes,” I breathe as he thrusts in and out of me harder.

Enzo’s muscles are tense as he fucks me without mercy. He’s a relentless beast moving above me.

His blue eyes are dilated with wild longing—a longing that increases my own. It feels like no matter how many times we fall into this trap with each other, neither of us can stop.

He spanks my ass with his palm three times, making my already stinging skin sting more. It’s all it takes, and I feel my release explode through me. Enzo growls as he thrusts two times more before exploding deep inside of me. His cum filling me up. We haven’t used protection, not that I can get pregnant again.

Enzo undoes the claps around my ankles and wrists, freeing me from his spreader bar. He slumps onto his back on his luxuriously soft and comfortable bed, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me against his tattooed chest.

I let my finger trace the lines of it, enjoying the warmth of his body against mine. We don’t say anything. We never do after sex. A comfortable silence remains between us.

As the blissful high from my orgasm wears o , the image of this same man cutting open a man’s throat enters my mind. I grit my teeth, knowing that this has to be the last time.

I shouldn’t want a man that doesn’t value other people’s lives. He claims that the man he killed was a child tra cker, but does that mean he has the right to murder him?

No one should take the law into his own hands, particularly not by breaking the law himself. Enzo isn’t the kind of man I should raise a child around, even if it is his.

17

ENZO

I

pace my o ce floor. It’s been three days since Sophia was knocked out by that fucking Russian.

Three days since I let her leave my room after fucking her without protest. She told me about her heart condition, and it scared me more than I can put into words.

I’ve been avoiding her ever since.

Sophia makes me feel, which is a worrying notion. The mere thought of losing her to anything natural or otherwise drives me crazy. Alfredo is on his way to the mansion as he has the results from Sophia’s test. He mentioned in his text that he’d found something, but I already know.

A knock comes at the door. “Sir, Mr. Kali is here to see you.”

“Let him in.”

Cynthia opens the door, and Alfredo enters, holding the papers in his hand. She leaves, shutting the door behind her.

“Alfredo. I fear you may have wasted a journey to come here. Sophia already told me about her heart condition.”

Alfredo’s brow furrows. “Heart condition?”

I nod. “Is that not why you came to see me about the test results?”

He shakes his head. “No, a heart condition wouldn’t show in a blood test. There’s something else.” He opens the

results. “It seems like your new employee is pregnant.”

It feels like my entire world starts to spin the moment he utters that word.

Pregnant.

Sophia was a virgin when we met, which means either she’s slept with someone else since—a thought that angers me—or the baby is mine.

“How far along?”

Alfredo looks confused. “Approximately three weeks, sir.

Why?” I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter.”

Three weeks.

Our first night together was about three weeks ago now.

Sophia is carrying my baby, and that’s why she was so worried about the blood test.

I can’t be a father. The damage I’d do to a child wouldn’t be right. My childhood was twisted enough. Bringing another child into my world would be cruel.

“Sir, that’s all I found. Do you need anything else from me?”

I shake my head. “No, please leave me.”

He nods, shutting the folder and leaving me alone with my thoughts. I grab the tumbler o my desk and throw it at the wall—rage coursing through me.

Why didn’t she tell me the truth?

As I stare at the broken shards of crystal on the floor, I realize I’m facing an impossible choice. Let Sophia go or face being a father to a child who will be as twisted as me. It’s a vicious cycle, one I never intended to repeat. The D’Angelo legacy was supposed to end and die with me.

The choice feels impossible because despite my best e orts to tell myself I can fuck Sophia out of my system, I know it’s not true. She’s engrained herself deep in my soul, and I don’t have a chance in hell of getting her out. The one

golden rule my father told me to live and die by I’ve broken without even trying.

My father warned me about getting too close to anyone.

Love is a weakness. It’s the greatest lesson he taught me and one that I’ve carried with me all my life. If you love someone, you give your enemies a way to hurt you.

My father didn’t love my mother, as their marriage was arranged to unite two powerful crime families. He was cruel at times to my mother. I don’t think my father could love anyone except for me—his son, who he took and molded in his image.

When she was killed, he grieved but quickly. She was just collateral damage in the war to hold onto power. I’ll never forget the way he spoke to me the day of her funeral. Six years of age, I cried over her co n when I saw her lying there motionless. My father dragged me away and told me that crying is for the weak. Ever since that day, I’ve not cried once.

Instead, that dark rage just grows and twists inside of me.

The Russians will be sorry for starting this war, but I can’t drag Sophia or our baby into it. Someone knocks on the door.

“Who is it?” I growl, my rage becoming almost impossible to bottle up.

“Gino, sir. It’s important.”

I loosen my tie and sit behind my desk. “Come in.”

He steps inside, holding a manila envelope. “Andrei’s right-hand man, Alexi, passed this into my hands last night at the club. I came straight here as soon as I could and haven’t opened it.”

I sit up straighter. “What did he say it was?”

Gino shakes his head. “A message that only you will understand.”

I hold my hand out, and he passes the sealed envelope into it. My stomach twists as I open it because I have no idea

what they could be sending me. A move like this suggests they have leverage.

A flood of rage and panic courses through my veins as I pull out a photo of Sophia and me, kissing in this o ce.

They’ve been on my fucking property to take this photo through the window. I slam it down and glance out of the window in the direction this photo would have been taken.

“What is it, sir?”

My hands are shaking with the pure rage igniting inside of me. They are threatening my Sophia, that’s the only message in this envelope. “A threat.”

Gino reaches for the photo, and I let him take it. “The woman from the club?”

I nod. “Yes.” “She works as a housekeeper here. Since when?”

I shrug. “It was a ridiculous coincidence. Cynthia hired her the morning we met.”

Gino raises a brow as if he doesn’t believe me. “And you have feelings for her?”

I trust Gino with my life but admitting my feelings out loud is a step too far for me. “I’m not entirely sure, but this is a threat.” I hold the photo up.

He nods. “I agree.”

“I want security increased, and someone needs to work out how they got a photographer onto our grounds.” I run a hand across the back of my neck, feeling the tension increasing. “Sophia is safe as long as she remains here. I will go to her and ask her not to leave this house under any circumstances.”

Gino clears his throat. “It sounds like you have feelings for her. Sir, your father wouldn’t approve.”

I slam my fist on the desk. “My father is dead. Don’t try to lecture me on this, Gino.”

He pales slightly, bowing his head. “Of course, sir.” He knows when not to push me, and now is not the time. Sophia is in danger, and so is our unborn child. I will do anything to keep them both safe.

“I trust you can handle the security?”

“Yes, I’ll handle it now.” He turns to leave.

“Gino,” I say his name, stopping him in his tracks.

He turns to glance at me.

“Do not utter a word to anyone else about Sophia. Do you understand?”

He nods. “Understood.”

I watch as he marches out of my o ce, shutting the door with a click. Gino has been loyal to the D’Angelo’s since before my father even, but he wasn’t always high in the ranks. Gino started as a soldier for my grandfather as a youngster. I trust him to do the right thing.

I have to explain everything to Sophia, even though I’ve been avoiding her ever since I learned the truth. Another knock comes at the door, and I roll my eyes. “Who is it?”

“It’s Cynthia, sir.”

I stand and approach the door, opening it to her. “How can I help you?”

She shakes her head. “I’m not sure why, but Sophia has run away.”

Every muscle in my body tenses. “Are you sure she left of her own accord.”

She nods. “Pretty certain. She left this.” Cynthia passes me a written notice. A notice that wouldn’t hold up considering the employment contract she signed.

“Fuck,” I growl, scrunching up the paper and throwing it on the floor. “I need to find her.”

Cynthia’s brow furrows as I push past her. “Sir, is there a problem?”

I glance back at her. “Don’t concern yourself, Cynthia. Get back to work.”

Although Cynthia is a good sta manager, she doesn’t know the truth about my empire. All my household sta remain in the dark about my true profession. I rush past Cynthia toward Sophia’s room.

“Sir, wait. She left a letter addressed to you.” She holds out an unopened envelope.

I take it from her. “Thank you.” With that, I continue toward her room, knowing I need to be somewhere private to read this. As I enter her room, my chest aches at how empty it is. Sophia may have been a housekeeper, but she sure as hell was messy when it came to her room.

I open the envelope and find a handwritten letter.

Dear Enzo, I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye in person, but I was worried you’d try to stop me. I’m not sure if the doctor found out, but I’m pregnant. Our baby needs the best chance at a good life, and I don’t think being in New York will o er our child that. That is why I’m leaving. I hope you will let go of the contract you have, but if you don’t, then you can come and track me down. Please know your secret will always be safe with me, and I’ll remain far away.

Sophia.

I growl in anger, tearing the letter up and chucking it on the floor. Sophia should have trusted that I’d do the right thing by her and the baby. The threat on her life by the Bratva means she’s in far more danger away from me than with me.

Andrei is ruthless, and he will do whatever it takes to end this war before it starts.

The one thing he underestimated was me. I won’t submit to blackmail, and even if he doesn’t have Sophia, I will retaliate. When I threaten his precious wife, he’ll wish he

never went down this path. Vera will be in my capture before he can blink.

18

SOPHIA

T

he bus pulls into the Washington depot, where I intend to change buses and keep going south. All I own is packed in the rucksack above my head. It’s an odd feeling leaving everything you know and love behind.

New York may not have turned out quite the dream I’d expected. My first year trying to land a job working for a fashion magazine failed spectacularly. However, once I accepted housekeeping would have to do, I found my place in the city. My friends had become my family, and now I have nothing.

I’ve had a sinking feeling of dread since the moment I got on this bus. Maybe it’s because I’m pregnant and have no plan. This baby will have to be raised by me, never knowing his or her father. I have very little money, and I’ve broken my contract with Staten Inc, which means they won’t pay me for the work I’ve done. Our prospects aren’t great, but this baby will be better kept away from its father.

The bus stops, and people start to filter o . I stand once there are only a few people left and move forward. A shiver pulses down my spine as a sense someone is watching me passes over. I glance back and see a young man with a beard and head shaved on the sides staring at me.

He looks away shortly after I glance at him, but he was most certainly looking at me. I get o the bus quickly, feeling my stomach twist with nerves. Ever since I escaped the mansion, I’ve had a sense that someone is following me.

Enzo is, after all, a mobster. He could have someone following me—maybe he already knows I’ve left.

I shake my head and put my backpack on properly. I’m paranoid as Enzo had no reason for someone to be following me. He has been avoiding me ever since we last slept together. As the memory filters into my mind, I find my panties getting wet. It’s ridiculous how badly I want him, even now.

The next bus to Virginia is in an hour. It would have been so much quicker and easier to fly to Texas, but I can’t a ord it. The bus depot is huge, and I’ve got to find the next terminal.

I glance behind me to make sure there’s no one following me. The man I’d noticed on the bus is nowhere to be seen, thankfully. I sigh a breath of relief, turning back around.

My heart skips a beat, and I gasp as the man I’d seen on the bus is staring down at me. A smirk is twisting his lips.

“Hello, Sophia.” He has a foreign accent, but it’s not Italian.

“Do I know you?” I ask my stomach twists with sickness.

He shakes his head. “No, but I know you.” He grabs me suddenly, putting a cloth over my mouth in broad daylight. I try to fight against him, but whatever drug he has on the cloth works too quickly.

My limbs weaken, and I struggle to hold myself up, leaning into the man who is trying to kidnap me. I try to scream, but the cloth mu es everything. The man hoists me into his arms as everything fades to black. I can’t understand why the last image I see is Enzo smiling that beautiful smile of his.

A S I WAKE , my head is pounding. The roar of an engine is all I can hear once the ringing in my ears subsides.

Where the hell am I? As my vision comes into focus, I realize I’m in the trunk of a car. I bang on the metal as the panic sets in. The man with the beard comes into my mind. He wasn’t Italian. I don’t know if he works for Enzo, but my instincts tell me he doesn’t.

The engine slows as the car turns suddenly, jerking me into the side. I listen as the sound of tires rolling over gravel suggests we’ve arrived at our destination—wherever that may be. The car comes to a stop, and the roar of the engine ceases.

I listen as someone gets out of the car and walks around it. The trunk opens, and for a moment, it’s too bright for me to see anything. My retina’s burn with sensitivity to the light.

When they adjust, the man I’d bumped into at the bus depot is smirking down at me. “What the hell do you want?”

I ask, panic clawing at my throat.

He grabs hold of my wrist and practically lifts me out of the trunk by it. “No questions.” He forces me to my feet.

“You chose the wrong man to get involved with.”

My stomach twists, and I’m sure I’m about to throw up. I try to stop it, but it’s no use. Before I can warn my captor, I heave everywhere, splattering sick all over his shiny, black brogues and some on his suit pants.

“Cyka blyat,” he curses in some other language. It sounds Eastern-European. “Don’t fucking do that again,” he growls, dragging me toward what looks like an abandoned warehouse.

It feels like I’ve been dragged into a fucking movie. Ever since I met Enzo, everything has seemed unreal. He murdered a man in his basement, and now I’ve been kidnapped by other criminals.

The man enters a disused industrial building and enters a large, empty room where another man is waiting with his arms crossed.

“Alexi, privyet,” he says, nodding his head.

The man, who I assume is called Alexi, responds.

I grit my teeth and resist the urge to ask them what they want again. The best thing to do in a situation like this is to keep quiet. At least, that’s what my gut tells me.

“Sophia, isn’t it?” The other man asks, approaching me.

I swallow hard, only managing a nod as a response.

“I’m Andrei. Unfortunately, we’ve had a disagreement with your boyfriend.”

My brow furrows. “I don’t have a boyfriend.” I know he’s talking about Enzo, but he has the wrong end of the stick.

There is nothing meaningful between us, at least not from his side.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small manila envelope and passes it to me. I turn it over and flip open the flap, pulling out a photo of Enzo and me kissing in his o ce’s window. Heat filters through my body as I return my gaze to Andrei.

“That picture suggests otherwise.”

I shake my head. “He’s my boss, not my boyfriend. And right after he kissed me, I pushed him away.”

Andrei takes the photo out of my hand. “There’s more than one photo we have of you two getting close. I trust Enzo will care enough about you to want to save you.” He shrugs.

“You better hope he does.”

I swallow hard. “Who are you?”

He smirks. “Andrei Petrov and your worst nightmare.” He grabs my wrist and drags me over to a chair in the center of the warehouse. “Have a seat.” He pushes me down forcefully as the other man tightens chains around my ankles.

My hands shake as he forces my wrists to the arms and also claps chains around them. “What are you going to do?

Mr. D’Angelo doesn’t strike me as the kind of man who will react well to blackmail.”

Andrei grabs my throat hard, squeezing just enough so I can’t quite breathe. “You better hope for your sake that he does. If you aren’t important to him, then you won’t be alive long.”

The darkness in his eyes is fear-provoking, and I believe every single word. Andrei is as dangerous as Enzo, and he has me as bait. The question is, will Enzo care enough to bite?

Maybe if he knew I was carrying his baby, he’d care. It feels like ever since I met Enzo, I can’t make the right decisions.

He slides a hand into his pocket, pulling out a knife. “You should have seen what he did to Ava Johnson.” Andrei runs the cold metal of the blade across my skin. “The man you’ve fallen into bed with is an animal.” He looks up at Alexi, who steps forward and brings up photos on his phone of the woman who was dragged into his home naked.

I gasp, feeling repulsed by the images in front of me.

Miss. Johnson’s eyes are black, and she’s covered in bloody cuts and bruises—almost unrecognizable. “Enzo did this?” I ask.

Andrei nods as Alexi stows his phone back in his pocket.

“Yes, do you think I should do the same to you?”

I bite my bottom lip, feeling my stomach twist at the thought. A beating like that could make me miscarry, but would that be a bad thing? The father of my baby is evil to

the core. He hurts people, and who’s to say our baby will be any di erent in his eyes. I shrug. “I guess that depends whether you’re as twisted and depraved as he is.”

Andrei claps his hands, making me jump. “Luckily for you, I’m not.” He glances at Alexi. “But my second in command is.”

Alexi steps toward me and draws a knife out of a sheath attached to the holster around his waist. I shudder at the cold look in his eyes. These men are cut from the same cloth as Enzo—dark and deranged.

He presses the cold, biting metal of the knife against my collarbone. “Such pretty, unblemished skin,” Alexi muses.

“Shame to scar it.”

I shudder, knowing that nothing can save me. Even so, my instincts force me to fight against the tight restraints. A struggle that merely leads to more pain.

“You are injuring your wrists the more you struggle.”Alexi drags the sharp edge of the knife lightly over my skin, grazing it. Slowly he increases the pressure, cutting me.

“Fuck,” I say, trying to withstand the pain. It’s unlike anything I’ve felt before, and the look in his eyes makes me sick to my stomach. Panic kicks in as I wonder whether they will hurt the baby growing inside of me.

Despite the problems that this baby brings me, I know the loss I’d feel if I were to lose it. Even if the father is a mobster, I want to bring the baby up by myself. I may have no plan, but life never works out as you expect. A month ago, I was a virgin. Now I’m pregnant with a mobster’s baby. If that’s not proof enough of how crazy life can be, I’m not sure what is.

Alexi stops cutting me and steps away, stowing the knife in the sheath. He pulls out his mobile phone. “Smile for the

camera, Sophia.” The smirk he gives me is pure evil. “Don’t want your boyfriend to see you so scared, do you?”

He’s going to send that image to Enzo.

Will he even care enough to come for me?

It feels like ever since I met him, I make one mistake after another. The first one was sleeping with him, particularly without protection, the second not telling him about our baby, and the third was running away. If Enzo knew I was pregnant, the likelihood of him coming to save me would be higher.

I hope that my life is worth enough to him. His avoidance of me ever since our last night together suggests he too decided to keep his distance. We were both getting too hooked on each other.

19

ENZO

A

witness saw a woman matching Sophia’s description get o the bus here, but no one saw her get on another. Perhaps she intended to run to Washington, but my background check on her revealed the only living relatives she has live in Texas.

“Boss, what are you thinking?” Mario asks.

I look at my capo, whose face is still bruised from my assault on him. He took the punishment like a man, and for that, he deserves my respect still.

“I’ll go and check the CCTV while you check she’s not still inside.” I nod toward the terminal building as I walk toward the small security lodge a few feet away. The door is shut but not locked. I enter, and the guy inside stands suddenly.

“What are you doing in here? This is for authorized personnel only.”

I draw my gun and point it at him. “Is this authorized enough for you?” I glare at the guy who has turned as white as a sheet.

He nods. “What do you want?”

“It’s simple. I need to the CCTV for the time when the last bus got in from New York City.” I keep my gun trained on him as I move forward. “As soon as I’ve seen what I need to see, I’ll leave you alone.”

His hands are shaking as he holds them up. “Of course, take a look.” He nods at the computer.

I shake my head. “You take a look and get me to that point.”

He nods, sitting in the chair and typing on the computer.

The footage starts to play on the main screen, and I watch as people get o the bus. I hold my breath when I see Sophia climbing down the steps and onto the sidewalk. She walks a few feet away, but suddenly the next person getting o the bus catches my attention.

Alexi Barinov.

Andrei’s second in command and the same man who passed those photos into Gino’s hands. There’s no way this is a coincidence. I watch as he takes a wide birth of Sophia, standing just in sight of the camera. She glances back at the bus as if looking for someone.

I clench my fists as I notice Alexi appear in front of her, holding a cloth in his right hand. He grabs her, sending my rage soaring. Alexi forces the cloth over her mouth. The last I see of her as he lifts her and hauls her out of sight of the CCTV. “Fuck,” I growl, slamming my hand on the desk.

The security guard trembles, eyes wide. “D-Do you need to see anything else?”

I shake my head. “No, I’m leaving.” I grab a pair of cu s o the table and fix them to his wrist and then the foot of the table. “I’m sure someone will find you soon enough, but I can’t have you trying to get me arrested before I’m gone.” I throw the key down on the floor, out of his grasp.

I’ve got a fucking Russian to crucify. Alexi made a mistake taking Sophia, especially since she is carrying my unborn baby. Andrei may think he’s smart, but this is the worst mistake he’s ever made. I’m going to make sure he regrets it.

My phone beeps, and I open up a media message. Every muscle in my body tenses at the sight of Sophia tied down to a chair with wide, fearful eyes. A bloody cut runs across her visible skin, and my entire vision turns red.

I’ll kill every one of those bastard Russians for this. They think they can intimidate me. I’ll show them exactly the sick and twisted man they are dealing with.

T HEY DARE to request I meet them alone after kidnapping Sophia. I keep my eyes on the road as I pull into the parking lot of the abandoned warehouse where they requested that I meet them. Andrei isn’t stupid enough to attack me directly, but he says he wants to negotiate.

If he thinks I’m going to sign another peace treaty in exchange for Sophia, he’s wrong. I’ll fight and get both of us out alive. Mario and Gino are already on their way to get Vera. Once I have her, it will be a straight swap after they’ve given her a bit of a knockabout.

If he thought I’d sit back while he threatens me, then he has another thing coming. He might get away with it when it comes to the Irish or the Cartel, but not us. We hold as much power in this city as the Russians do, but it seems that Andrei’s head is getting too big.

I pull out my cell phone and dial Gino’s number.

“Boss,” he answers.

“I’m here at the warehouse. Have you got Vera?”

There’s some commotion on the other end. Then the camera comes live on Gino’s end, and I watch as he drags a struggling woman forward. He pulls the cloth bag o her head, and there she is. Vera Petrov, Andrei’s wife, is in my capture. He has a cloth gag in her mouth as she tries desperately to speak past it. The rage in her eyes reminds me

of the rage I feel—she’s renowned for being almost as dark as Andrei.

Andrei underestimates us all the time, but I’ve had his wife tailed before there was even a sni of war. An insurance policy in case our agreement ever failed. Every Thursday evening, she goes to a yoga class, which Andrei will think she is attending right now. No one will be aware of her disappearance.

It’s impossible not to admire Andrei to a certain extent.

He’s much like me. We think alike, but luckily for me, I was one step ahead on this occasion.

“Perfect. Send me a picture as proof, and I want her a little roughed up.” I pause a moment, contemplating. “Do you have a ball gag you can put in her mouth?”

“Yes, I think we do somewhere.”

I smirk. “Good. I want her to look sexualized in the photo.

Piss Andrei o even more.”

“Of course, sir.”

“Send it quick. I’m about to enter now.”

Gino clears his throat. “Will do, be careful, sir.”

I grit my teeth. “I’m always careful.” I cancel the call and stow my phone in my jacket pocket. My gun is snug in the holster around my waist, but I know they will take it from me. I reach down to feel the knife a xed to the inside of my leg, checking the blade’s sharpness.

It’s sharp enough to kill. Despite wanting to kill all the Russians for stealing Sophia, I know that isn’t realistic. If I were to attack Andrei during an agreed negotiation, the fallout would be catastrophic. However, if they leave me with no choice, I will do anything to get Sophia back. The entrance of the building has a guard standing there.

“D’Angelo?” He asks, scanning me up and down.

I nod. “Yeah, I got Andrei’s message.”

“Hands up. I need to search you for weapons.”

I reach for my gun at my belt, making him draw his.

“Calm down. I’m merely surrendering my gun.” I crouch down and place it on the floor before reluctantly raising my hands for the Russian bastard, wishing I could stab him in the throat instead.

He grabs my gun and puts it far out of reach before checking me for concealed weapons. I always keep a knife strapped to the inside of my leg, as it’s often missed during the check. He stands and nods. “You’re clean. Andrei is waiting inside for you.”

I walk past him and into the abandoned building.

The first thing I see as I enter the vast, empty industrial unit is Sophia. She’s tied to a chair in the center, and the bloody cuts on her chest make me so angry.

Andrei is standing to one side. Alexi stands behind her, smirking callously.

“Not another step closer,” Andrei calls out.

I narrow my eyes and come to a stop fifty yards from where they are standing. “How are we going to negotiate so far apart?”

Andrei laughs. “There’s no negotiating to be done. You will sign a new peace treaty or watch your woman die at my hands.”

I grit my teeth, hating how cocky this Russian is. “I wouldn’t guarantee that, Andrei.” I start to move closer to him, and he pulls out his gun, aiming it at me.

“Not another step, I said.”

I stop and tilt my head to the side. “I wonder if Vera is enjoying her yoga class. Hopefully, she made it there in one piece.”

Andrei’s face pales, and he lowers the gun. “You’re blu ng.”

“No, I never blu .” I shake my head. “But I’m happy to wait here while you verify my story.”

Andrei glances at Alexi. “Call Vera’s bodyguard now.”

Alexi digs out his phone and starts to ring the bodyguard. He speaks to him in frantic Russian, eyes wide. When he cancels the call, he shakes his head. “Jakov never goes with Vera to her class. He said he is on his way there now.”

“Call the gym then,” Andrei growls.

The hate in Andrei’s eyes matches the same hate I feel for him. If we weren’t enemies, I’m sure we would get on since we are so similar. Even if I wouldn’t admit it to his face, I have great respect for the Bratva boss.

Alexi speaks to the gym, and his face pales as he does.

“Thank you,” he says, canceling the call. “She never turned up for the class. I’ll try her cell phone.” Alexi calls her cell phone as I stare at Andrei, making it clear that I’m not blu ng. He should know better than to believe I’d turn up to a meeting he called without leverage. He shakes his head at Andrei, who starts forward toward me.

“What have you done with her, you bastard?” He shouts, eyes frantic with a lack of control I never thought I’d see from him. He draws his gun and aims it at me.

Vera is precious to him. I think I know exactly how he feels. Sophia has become important to me despite my attempts to remain detached. The moment I saw her walk into the VIP section of La calda, I knew she was special.

I hold my hands up. “If you shoot me, your wife dies.” I continue to move closer, goading him.

Andrei growls like a beast. Shooting the gun and deliberately missing me by about a foot. The bullet ricochets o the concrete, but it doesn’t hit me. “Don’t move any closer.”

I stop still. “If you allow me to get out my phone, I’ll show you the evidence I have.”

Andrei nods and moves forward. “Show me now.”

“Gun away first.” I nod at his gun.

Andrei stops and slides his gun into the holster.

I dig my hand into my pocket slowly and draw out my phone. The multimedia message from Gino is waiting there. I pull it up, smiling at the image. Vera has a few cuts on her face and chest and a ball-gag in her mouth. I show him from a distance, and the rage igniting in his eyes is unprecedented. He launches himself at me, smacking the phone out of my hand and smashing it on the floor.

“You fucking bastard,” Andrei roars, tackling me to the floor.

I punch him hard in the gut. If he wants a fight, then I’ll give him a fucking fight. If the Russian can’t take retaliation, he should learn not to attack someone like me in the first place. The Italians won’t submit to the Russians. I agreed to peace when my father died as it was mutually beneficial, but he has disrespected me and our operation, and I won’t stand for it.

We will lose men, but so will the Russians. If I lie down and take it, then we will lose our power, and that’s all that keeps you alive in this world—money and power.

20

SOPHIA

M

y eyes flick open as Andrei shouts something in Russian at Alexi. It wakes me from my state of unconsciousness as I gaze around the warehouse. A small o ce to the back is lit up, and I can see the two men arguing in there.

The ropes around my wrist are so tight they’ve burned the skin at my wrist because I tried to break free while Alexi cut me. The wounds have dried up but hurt with every movement I make.

There’s no escaping these men. I’m at the mercy of Enzo, but I don’t know if he will care enough to do as they say.

Alexi approaches me with the same knife he’d used earlier, smirking at me. “Nice nap?” He asks.

I watch him, keeping silent as he moves closer to me with the knife.

“I’m afraid I need to subject you to more pain.” He steps closer and drags the edge of the knife lightly across the back of my neck without cutting me. “Don’t pass out this time, it’s embarrassing.”

I shiver at the cold of the metal against my skin. Alexi is dragging the torture out as if he delights in it.

“Alexi wait a moment,” Andrei says, stepping back into the warehouse, dark eyes fixed on me. “It seems your

boyfriend will be here soon.” He smirks at me. “Are you looking forward to seeing me hurt him?”

I writhe against the restraints at the thought of Enzo walking into a trap. “You wouldn’t dare hurt him.”

Andrei walks closer to me. “Is that so?”

I have no idea. This world Andrei and Enzo operate in is entirely alien to me. However, I wouldn’t be alive if he didn’t need something from Enzo. “You want something from him, that’s why you kidnapped me.”

“Smart girl.” Andrei tilts his head slightly. “What do you think I want from him?”

I shake my head. “No idea.”

Andrei walks in a circle around me once, stopping in front of me. “How much do you know about your employer, Sophia?”

The true answer is not much. I shrug in reply.

Andrei gets closer, making me uncomfortable. “I assume you know he runs the Italian mafia in New York City?”

I swallow hard. “I know he’s a dangerous man, but I don’t know the specifics.”

“Well, now, you will. Enzo runs Staten Island and all the drugs sold on the island.” He runs a hand through his dark brown hair. “Does it bother you that he is a criminal?”

I narrow my eyes, wondering why this guy is interested in what bothers me. “Why do you ask?”

He shakes his head. “I’m just curious as to what kind of woman Enzo has fallen for.”

I laugh at that. “Enzo hasn’t fallen for me, and I have no intention of enlightening you to what kind of woman I am.”

Andrei claps his hands, making me jump. “You have guts, I’ll give you that.” He crouches down in front of me. “Enzo is my enemy, but until recently, we had a peace treaty, one which his capo broke by crossing me.” He shrugs. “I hope that he will reinstate the peace in exchange for you.”

I stare at the man in front of me. It feels like I’ve been dragged into a gangster movie. Who knew that the mafia was real and operating so prolifically in New York City? The mafia is so often portrayed as an era from the past in movies and books. It’s hard to believe that the NYPD aren’t able to stop them in this day and age.

“I wouldn’t bet on it. I’m nothing to Enzo,” I say, my stomach sinking as I believe that to be true. Enzo has given me no reason to believe he has feelings for me. I was a sex toy to use as he wanted, but it doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it.

I enjoyed it too much, and that’s why I had to run.

“We will see. Do you have any questions for me?” Andrei asks.

I meet his dark gaze. “What part of New York do you run?”

He smirks. “Manhattan, of course. The Russians are the most powerful organized crime group in the city, hence why we run the richest part.” His eyes narrow. “Enzo is the only man who has anywhere near as much power as me in the city.”

He stands. “Why were you running away from New York anyway?” Andrei narrows his eyes.

I swallow hard, knowing that there is no way in hell I’m telling this man the truth. He would use it against Enzo.

Unfortunately, I’m the worst liar ever, so I have to go with a half-truth. “I witnessed him kill a man and knew I couldn’t work for him any longer.”

He watches me for a moment in silence. “So, you are the kind of woman that doesn’t agree with his way of life?”

I shake my head. “How can I?” Andrei tilts his head to the side. “Love doesn’t often make any sense. We can’t control it, even if we think we can.” He crouches down in front of me again. “You may have picked the wrong man to fall for, Sophia.”

I shake my head. “I haven’t fallen for him.”

He smirks. “The look in your eyes tells me otherwise.

Even if you haven’t admitted it to yourself yet.”

“I don’t love him.” I feel an odd tugging in my stomach the moment I say that.

Do I love him?

Andrei chuckles. “Even as you say that to me, you know it’s not true. The man has weaseled his way into your heart somehow. I’m betting that you’ve done the same to him.” I stare into the Russian mafia boss’s eyes and wonder if he’s speaking from personal experience.

Radio interference interrupts our conversation. “Sir.” He pulls the radio o his belt. “What is it?” he asks, impatience lacing his tone.”

“He’s here, sir.”

Andrei presses the button on the radio, holding my gaze.

“Copy that.”

My stomach twists as I know he’s talking about Enzo.

Enzo cared enough to come for me. It’s hard to believe, but I won’t complain. He’s my only chance of getting out of here alive.

“It looks like he may care enough about you after all,” Andrei says before turning away from me.

Alexi approaches, standing behind my chair. “I’ll remain stationed with the prisoner.”

Andrei nods and then says something to him in Russian.

All the while, I keep my gaze fixed on the entrance to the warehouse. My heart is pounding frantically at the prospect of seeing Enzo. I won’t truly believe he has come for me until I see him standing there in the doorway.

I hear someone speak outside and hold my breath. The footsteps get closer, and then Enzo appears at the entrance.

His normally neat and styled hair looks a little messy. The darkness that rules him is evident in his eyes the moment he

sets his gaze on me. It feels like time slows down as I gaze into his eyes and the relief that enters them speaks volumes.

For a moment, we’re the only two people in this world. The relief turns to rage as his eyes roam over the cuts on my chest.

He is beautifully savage, and it’s as I gaze at him at that moment, I realize Andrei is right. I’ve fallen in love with the brutal crime boss and father of my baby.

Enzo moves forward, eyes fixed solely on me.

Andrei steps past my chair. “Not another step closer,” he shouts, making goosebumps rise over every inch of exposed skin.

The realization that I love the man coming here makes this more worrying. He is risking too much to save me, and I don’t know why.

Is it possible that a man as dark and twisted as Enzo could feel the same way I feel about him?

I feel utterly hopeless as Andrei takes a few steps toward him.

“How are we going to negotiate so far apart?” Enzo asks, eyes flashing with amusement.

Andrei’s laugh is cruel. “There’s no negotiating to be done. You will sign a new peace treaty or watch your woman die at my hands.”

I shudder at the thought of being killed by him, our baby along with me. The reality of the world I’ve stumbled into is still di cult to get my head around.

“I wouldn’t guarantee that, Andrei.” Enzo moves closer, making panic rise inside of me.

Andrei draws his gun, cocking it and aiming it right at Enzo. It’s at the moment I realize the depth of my feelings for him. My world threatens to shatter to pieces if Andrei were to pull that trigger. “Not another step.”

My body shakes as I watch Enzo move slowly closer.

Andrei still has the gun trained on him, making me infinitely nervous. It seems that somehow my running away landed me in the middle of a mafia war. I thought running was the only way to keep myself and our baby safe—a decision I seriously regret.

Enzo tilts his head slightly, amusement still dancing in his ice-blue eyes. “I wonder if Vera is enjoying her yoga class. I hope she made it there in one piece.”

Who the hell is Vera?

“You’re blu ng,” Andrei says, the confidence knocked out of his tone entirely. I can only assume that Enzo has a trick up his sleeve. Whoever this Vera is, she is important to Andrei.

“No, I never blu ,” Enzo says, shaking his head. “But I’m happy to wait here while you verify my story.”

The next few minutes feel like a blur as Andrei and Alexi start to try and verify Enzo’s story frantically. Andrei seems to be getting angrier by the moment, as their first attempt to contact Vera fails.

Andrei rushes forward at him. “What have you done with her, you bastard?” He shouts, drawing his gun again and aiming it at Enzo.

I feel my heart rate spike as the tension hits a new level in the room. Enzo holds his hands up. “If you shoot me, your wife dies.” He takes another step forward.

Wife.

Enzo captured Andrei’s wife to get me back.

Andrei growls and shoots the gun, making me jump. The bullet was never intended to hit Enzo, as it bounces o the concrete a foot in front of him. I can’t still the fear growing inside of me. “Don’t move any closer.”

He stops still. “If you allow me to get out my phone, I’ll show you the evidence I have.” I shut my eyes, trying to calm

my firing nerves.

After a few moments, Andrei growls, “You fucking bastard.” I open my eyes to see him tackling Enzo to the ground.

Enzo punches him, and they start to fight on the floor. I get the feeling this rescue isn’t going to go as Enzo planned.

They are two power-hungry men who can’t look weak, and neither will accept defeat. Perhaps I won’t get out of here alive after all.

Sadness claws at my chest as I think about the baby growing inside of me, and I rest my hand over my tummy.

It’s cruel that this could all end before it’s even started.

21

ENZO

A

ndrei punches me in the ribs, making me double over in agony. He goes for another, but I catch his fist in my hand, squeezing with all my strength.

My opponent growls as I force his hand back, bringing my left arm up to catch him in the chin. He hardly blinks an eye as he draws back and catches me with a right hook. My jaw clicks from the impact, but I don’t let it get to me.

I take a few steps back, refocusing on my target. What Andrei thinks he is achieving by fighting me, I don’t know. I have Vera, and if he doesn’t release Sophia to me, he will never see her again.

It’s simple.

“Why fight, Andrei?” I step to the side as he jabs at my left. “I’ve got your wife, and if you want to see her again, you will give Sophia back to me.”

Andrei’s eyes burn with a rage that I know all too well.

It’s like looking into a mirror as I stare into his brown eyes.

“You attack me personally and expect me to submit to your request?”

I narrow my eyes. “Who attacked who first?”

Andrei shakes his head. “You forget that your capo crossed me first, breaking the peace treaty. What would you have done?”

I grit my teeth, knowing that he’s right. There’s no way that I’d admit it to him, but Alessandro broke the treaty first, trying to betray me.

“Bullshit. He betrayed me and wasn’t working under my orders.” I swing a right hook when I see an opening, but Andrei reads it too well, dodging to the side in time.

Andrei’s rage grows, and he charges toward me, tackling me onto the ground again with force. We both thud against the concrete floor as he wraps an arm around my throat and squeezes.

“Enzo,” I hear Sophia shout my name, writhing in the chair she is bound to. Alexi sets a hand on her shoulder, trying to stop her from fighting. The anger I feel seeing another man lay his hands on her is greater than anything I’ve ever felt. I elbow Andrei hard in the ribs, forcing him to let go of my throat. Quickly, I draw the knife from my inner calf and hold it against Andrei’s throat.

He holds his hands up in surrender.

“Give me a reason not to slit your through right here and now,” I growl.

Andrei’s throat bobs, but he doesn’t show fear in his eyes.

“Because, if you do that, then the whole city will fall into chaos.” He tries to meet my gaze, but I tighten the knife against his throat. “We might not like it, Enzo, but we need each other to keep the balance in this city.”

I grit my teeth, knowing that he’s right. No matter how badly I want to feel this knife cut through his throat and feel his warm blood coating my hands, I can’t. “Fuck,” I growl, pushing him away and jumping to my feet.

Andrei jumps to his feet, rage burning in his eyes. “You should control your fucking men better if you don’t want it to fuck with your operations,” Andrei growls.

He clenches his fists, and I see a rage I know so well boiling under the surface. Surprising, considering I thought

Andrei has as much control over his emotions as I do over mine. “It’s simple, Andrei, Sophia for Vera.”

Andrei narrows his eyes. “And the peace treaty?”

I shake my head. “It became null and void the moment that fucking ghost killed my man.” I crack my neck, feeling the tension increasing. “I’ll sign a peace treaty once you hand him and that bitch of a PI Ava over to me.”

Andrei clenches his jaw. “It’s not going to happen. Yuri and Ava are part of the brotherhood now.”

Motherfucker.

“He was freelance. Are you telling me that snake is now hiding behind the Bratva?”

Andrei nods. “Yuri is one of the best men I know. I’ve wanted him to join my ranks for years, and he finally was sworn in three days ago.”

I launch myself at Andrei, the rage now getting the better of me. Andrei tries to duck, but I land a punch with my right hand in his jaw.

He groans, holding a hand up at me. “Stop this now. We are civilized men, it’s about time we acted like it.”

“Civilized? We’re fucking criminals.”

Andrei steps away from me. “We’re leaders and must act as leaders should.” He nods his head toward a small o ce at the back of the warehouse. “Join me.”

I watch my enemy carefully, gauging his intention. “Fine, but just you and me.”

He glances at Alexi, whose hand is resting on the hilt of his gun. Alexi let’s go and nods, setting his hand on the back of Sophia’s chair instead.

She tries to catch my gaze, but I can’t look at her. The last thing I need when negotiating with the Bratva is to be reminded of my weakness. My feelings for her just remind me of my failure to live by my father’s rules—love is a weakness.

I knew the moment I set my eyes on her in that chair that I love her. The fear over her loss overwhelms me. I won’t let Andrei take her from me. I’d die before I let that happen.

I walk behind Andrei, knowing that I could grab the knife out and stab him in the neck right now. It would be a death sentence for Sophia, though. Alexi could kill her before I could even turn around. There would be chaos in our world if I killed Andrei anyway. I hate that without the Russian’s the balance would be thrown o , but it’s true.

Andrei opens the door to the abandoned o ce, and I don’t miss the bloodstains on the floor to the right. The Russian’s use this to kill enemies or people who cross them.

This place was unknown to us, but another place we can note down as Russian owned.

“Have a seat,” he says.

I cross my arms over my chest and lean against the wall.

“I’m fine standing, thank you.”

Andrei laughs. “You remind me of myself, Enzo.”

I shake my head. “Don’t insult me. What do you want to discuss?”

Andrei grits his teeth. “How about we both be honest with each other?”

I raise a brow and don’t say a word, waiting for him to continue.

“Neither of us want an end to the peace we’ve enjoyed since your father’s death.” He folds his arms over his chest, spacing his legs out wide apart. “Let’s try and come to an agreement that is in both of our interests.”

I nod. “Yes, hand over that fucking assassin, Ava Johnson and Sophia, and I’ll sign the peace treaty and give you back Vera.”

Andrei sighs, running a hand through his hair. “I told you, Yuri is one of the Bratva, which means I can’t do that.”

“That fucking bastard killed five of my men in total.

Alessandro first, three of my soldiers and then a guard on my property. You expect me to let that slide?”

Andrei shakes his head. “No, name your price, other than Yuri and Ava.” This stupid Russian isn’t getting it through his head. My acquisition of his wife means he has no leverage over me at all. “I will swap your wife for Sophia. If you hold me up any longer, I’ll make sure Vera is in a worse state that she already is.”

The rage in his eyes would scare a lot of people, but no one scares me.

“You want years of war?” Andrei asks.

I nod. “Until you have something I want, yes, it’s the only option.”

There’s a tense, drawn-out silence between us before he claps his hands. “Fine, get your man to bring Vera here, and we will do a swap.”

I reach into my pocket for my cell phone.

Andrei holds up his hand. “One man only.”

I narrow my eyes but nod in response. Gino has Vera, and he’s the only one I trust to bring her here.

“Boss,” he answers after the first dial tone.

“Ciao Gino, porta Vera all’indirizzo che ti ho mandato prima. La cambieremo con Sophia. Vieni da solo.” I speak Italian so that the Russian can’t understand what I say.

“Understood. I’ll be there in ten.”

I cancel the call and slip my phone back into my pocket.

“My man is on his way with her.”

“Let’s return to the main warehouse and wait.”

I narrow my eyes at my enemy, reconsidering my knife now stowed at my waist in my holster. One quick swish of that knife, and I could end this once and for all.

His reminder still rings in my mind.

We need each other to keep the balance in this city.

It’s the most frustrating truth I’ve heard in a long time.

The Russians need to pay for what they’ve done somehow, so war is our only choice. We will hurt them, and they will hurt us until one gives in. The only universal truth is me ending Andrei or Andrei ending me isn’t an option.

Not to mention, his man would kill me before I had a chance to make it to Sophia. She is counting on me to get her and our baby to safety. I won’t fail her.

G INO APPEARS in the doorway with Vera writhing in his grasp.

He has a gun against her back.

“Let her go,” Andrei orders.

I shake my head. “Sophia first. We are on your turf. I expect you to hand me Sophia, and we will back away from you with Vera in front of us. As soon as we get to the door, we let her go.”

Andrei glares at me in silence for a few beats. “You try anything, and I will murder you.”

Gino tightens his grip on Vera. “Likewise, Petrov.”

Alexi looks ready to kill as he keeps his hand on the handle of his gun. The tension in the air is so thick it almost starves the oxygen from the air. My heart is pounding hard and fast as Andrei turns to Alexi. “Untie her.”

Alexi moves his hand from the gun to his knife and draws it. It drives me crazy to see him approach her with it, even though I know he’s going to cut the bindings around her wrist. He does it quickly, freeing her from the restrictive confines.

Sophia stands and walks cautiously toward me, the look in her eyes is one of pure fear. She knows we’re not quite out of danger yet. When she reaches me, my heart skips a beat as

she wraps her arms around my waist. I wrap an arm around her too and start to walk backward with her.

“We will back toward the door now. As soon as we are out that door, Vera is free.” I glance back at Gino. “The man at the door?”

He shakes his head. “I tied him up. He’s unharmed.”

I continue to move backward, holding Sophia in my arms.

Andrei is watching us with controlled rage, every muscle in his body tense. “No funny business, Andrei. You don’t want Vera to get hurt.”

She tries to say something past the ball-gag still in her mouth. Her eyes are full of dark rage. Rumor has it that she is as twisted and dark as her husband. Her kidnapping will have pissed her o as much as it has pissed Andrei o .

I move past Vera and back away with Sophia and Gino.

Gino keeps Vera ahead of us. The gun pressed into her back.

Once we make it to the entrance and out of sight, I give Gino a nod. He shoves Vera back into the warehouse hard.

“Run,” I shout, pulling Sophia into a sprint by my side.

She tries to keep up but isn’t as fast. I hear their footsteps thudding after us and know it’s going to be tight. Gino and I are wearing protective vests, but Sophia isn’t. “Faster, Sophia.”

She increases her speed, breathing heavily as I reach for the door of the Range Rover. The adrenaline pulsing through my veins forces me into survival mode as I push Sophia into the back of the car hard. A bullet hits the vehicle, followed by another.

My rescue of Sophia was desperate and reckless. The old me would have left her in Andrei’s hands to do with as he wants. I shouldn’t have even agreed to meet him here. Love is a weakness. I know that more than ever, as I jump into the back of the Range Rover next to Sophia, but it’s also a strength.

The pain of the bullet that grazed my leg is nothing.

Sophia is safe with me now. The pain I would have felt if I’d lost her or our unborn child would outweigh any physical pain that Andrei or his men could inflict on me. She has become my world, and I’m powerless to resist her.

22

SOPHIA

E

nzo forces me into the back of the vehicle as gunshots ricochet o the car’s metal body. He grunts as one of the bullets grazes his leg, as he jumps in after me and slams the door.

“Merda,” he growls, shaking his head. “Drive, Gino.”

Gino starts the engine and revs it, pulling out of the parking lot of the abandoned warehouse.

“Why did they attack you?” I ask, thinking back to the agreement.

“Because I didn’t sign the peace treaty, which means we are at war.” Enzo meets my gaze. “I expected the moment he got what he wanted that he would attack.” He winces as he reaches for the wound on his leg.

“You are hurt.” I reach for his hand, which is coated in blood.

He shakes his head. “It’s a scratch.”

I raise a brow. “A scratch doesn’t bleed that badly.”

The gunshots continue to rebound o what I assume is an armored vehicle. Enzo grabs my neck and forces it down.

“Keep your head down, carina, unless you want to lose it.”

I do as he says, as Gino drives us away from the warehouse. The bullets continue to bounce o the metal armor of the car as we drive away. The shattering of glass

shocks me, and I cry out as one of the bullets goes right over my head.

“Fuck,” Enzo shouts, reaching forward for his colleague.

“Are you hit, Gino?”

“No, sir. I’m getting us out of here.” He slams his foot down on the accelerator, and I jerk backward from the force.

It’s dark out, but I don’t know what time it is. I’m not even sure what day it is. With being knocked out twice while captured by those Russians, I’ve got a little disorientated.

Gino swerves the car, and I glance over at Enzo. “Can we sit up yet?”

He glances forward. “Gino, is it clear?”

“Yes, sir. We’re out of range of Andrei’s guns.”

I sit up and rest my head against the headrest, letting out a sigh of relief. Silence falls between us as Gino pulls onto the highway toward Staten Island. There’s tense silence in the air that neither of us dares interrupt.

I gaze out of the window. Too many questions flood my mind. The most prominent one is why did Enzo bother to save me from them? Is he angry that I tried to run?

I want to know whether it was only about maintaining his reputation after being blackmailed or whether he cares about me.

Enzo’s hand rests on mine suddenly, drawing my attention to him. “We have a lot to talk about, and we will once we get back to the mansion.”

I swallow hard, wishing that we didn’t have to talk. My heart could be shattered into pieces once Enzo tells me the real reason why he came to save me.

The rest of the journey continues in silence until we make it to the gates of the house. The car comes to a stop, and Gino gets out first, leaving us alone. “Come on, let’s get inside,” Enzo says.

I follow him into the mansion, my heart in my throat as I know I’ve got to tell him about our baby. A secret I’ve got no idea how he will react to.

Enzo leads me up to his bedroom and opens the door.

“Come on in.”

I walk past him and stand in the center of the room, staring at the floor.

“Sophia, look at me,” he says, lifting my chin with his hand.

I meet his gaze, swallowing hard. “I’m sorry I ran away.”

He runs a hand through his dark black hair. “I know why you ran.”

I shake my head. “I don’t think you do.”

Enzo lets go of my chin and turns his back to me, walking toward the sofas. He grabs a piece of paper o the co ee table. “Dr. Kali found what you were really worried he would find.” My stomach sinks. “Why didn’t you tell me you are pregnant with our baby?”

I don’t even know the answer to that question. A mix of fear over the type of man he is and fear of him rejecting our baby and me. “It felt like the best option to keep you in the dark and run.”

He sighs heavily, sitting on the edge of the sofa. “Come here, tesoro,” he commands.

I walk toward him and stand in front of him. He grabs my hips and pulls me between his legs. “I don’t know what you have done to me, Sophia.” He looks vulnerable as he stares into my eyes. “I have never given a shit about any woman I’ve ever been with until you came along. My angel.”

My chest aches hearing him call me that.

His. Is that what I want?

“Enzo, surely this life isn’t safe for a baby?”

His jaw clenches, and he takes my hand. “No, it’s not safe, but life isn’t always safe.” He searches my eyes. “I’m going to tell you something I’ve never spoken about with anyone before.”

“What?” I ask He nods at the chair opposite his desk. “Sit down.”

I do as he says.

“When I was six years old, my mother was shot dead as we walked to my swim class. Ever since my father taught me that love is weakness, and I’ve lived by that until now.” He shakes his head. “I realized something when I knew I could lose you, Sophia. Love isn’t a weakness. It’s a strength. I would have done anything to get you back from Andrei, anything. It drove me to think clearer and act faster.” He runs the back of his hand softly down my cheek. “I love you, Sophia, and I love the baby growing inside of you.”

My throat closes hearing him say that he loves our baby and me. “Are you saying that—” “Don’t interrupt me, mio amore.” He jumps o the edge of the sofa and holds out a hand, which I take. Enzo yanks me into his chest, towering over me. “I’m telling you that I can’t live without you, Sophia.” He grabs another piece of paper o the co ee table and holds it up—my employment contract. He rips it in two. “You are freed from your contract, but I want you to remain here because you want to be here.

Not as my housekeeper, but as my wife.”

Wife.

He drops to one knee and pulls out an old black velvet box. It houses a beautiful engagement ring. “I love you, Sophia. It may sound fucking crazy since we only met a month ago, but I do.” He takes my hand. “Please make me the happiest I’ve ever been and agree to marry me.”

I swallow hard, wondering if I’m insane for considering agreeing to his proposal. Enzo has managed to find his way

into my heart so fast it almost seems unreal. “You want to marry me?”

He smiles that beautiful smile that makes my chest ache.

“I want to marry you more than anything.”

My heart is racing as I stare at the man I’ve fallen for, down on one knee.

“I know you might like seeing me down on one knee for you, Sophia, but I’d like to get up soon. Will you marry me?”

I laugh at that, nodding my head. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

He lifts the ring out of the box and slips it onto my finger, standing and grabbing me by the waist. “I can’t wait for you to be my wife.” He kisses me passionately, making the need inside me grow, before breaking it and looking down at me.

“You’re right, this is crazy, but I love you too.”

He smiles. “I did promise you that once we’d fucked, you’d be obsessed with me, tesoro.”

I nod. “Yes, you did.”

His eyes darken suddenly, and I know what he’s thinking.

He wants me. “I have something to show you.” He grabs my hand and leads me toward his walk-in closet.

My stomach twists as I know what he’s going to show me.

I pull him to a stop, biting my bottom lip. “I’ve already seen it.”

His eyes narrow. “How?” “I was packing away your clothes, and I noticed the book out of place, so I went and pulled it out only to find it’s—” Enzo drags me into the room before I can finish, pulling the book down. “I’m glad you’ve been naughty and ruined the secret, Sophia. It means I have to punish you, and I know what to do.”

The dark look in his eyes excites me. The door slides open, and he pulls me inside. Enzo turns and shuts it behind us with a flick of a switch. “Strip,” he orders.

I do as he says, feeling the pleasure already heightening between my thighs. He hasn’t even touched me yet. My clothes are in a heap on the floor, but I leave my panties and bra on.

“Everything,” he growls.

I feel the heat flooding my body as I unclip my bra and drop my panties.

Enzo’s eyes darken more as they drag down the length of me, making me feel so exposed. He’s still wearing his suit.

“Are you ready to learn what makes me tick, mio amore?”

I bite my bottom lip, nodding in response. “Yes, daddy.

Show me.”

He growls like an animal and lifts me o the floor as if I weigh nothing. Enzo carries me over to a leather bench and sets me back on my feet.

I swallow hard as I wonder what exactly this bench is for.

He grabs the back of my neck and forces it forward. “Put your legs here,” he instructs, signaling to a ridge on either side of the bench. He straps the restraints fitted to the end of the bench around my ankles. My painfully hard nipples graze against the leather. “I’m going to spank you, baby,” he murmurs into my ear, reaching forward and clapping the restraints around my wrists to hold me in that position.

“You’ve been a bad girl.”

My body feels like it’s on fire as he moves away from me, leaving me restrained and exposed. I can’t stop myself from shaking as I wait for him to return. Enzo walks around the front of the bench, holding a whip of some kind.

“What is that, daddy?” I ask.

He gently teases it down the side of my face. “A riding crop, baby. The flogger was the least painful instrument. I want to see how you do with this.” He crouches down to my level and kisses me softly. “Remember what to do if you want me to stop.”

I nod and click my fingers.

He smiles. “Good girl.” He stands and walks behind me, teasing his hand over my ass cheeks softly.

I wait, holding my breath for the pain to come. My thighs are shuddering in anticipation, and my pussy is soaking wet.

Enzo doesn’t warn me as he brings the leather crop down on my right ass cheek. I cry out at the pain—it’s far more intense than the flogger. He rubs the edge of the crop softly where he just spanked me before doing the same to my left cheek.

“Fuck,” I cry out, feeling my knees shudder against the leather beneath me.

Enzo drags the edge of the crop through my soaking wet folds, teasing my clit with it. It feels like I could combust at any moment. “I have to give you at least three lashes on each cheek,” Enzo says, his voice husky and filled with desire.

I can’t understand why the pain turns me on so much.

“Okay, daddy,” I say.

He groans and brings the crop down on me again harder, making me tense. “Your skin is going to look perfect with my mark on it.”

I feel the trembling ignite deep inside of me as he does the same over and over again. It’s crazy how good it makes me feel. The sting of the pain only heightens all my other senses.

“That’s enough punishment, for now,” Enzo purrs, dropping the crop to the floor. “It’s time I give you what you want, baby.”

“What’s that, daddy?” I ask, glancing over my shoulder at him.

He shakes his head. “Don’t play dumb with me, carina. I know you want my cock, filling that pretty little pussy.”

I bite my bottom lip. “More than anything.”

He spanks my stinging ass with his palm. “Good girl.

Keep your eyes forward.”

I obey him, looking forward and waiting to feel him slide inside of me. The tip of his cock nudges at my entrance, teasing me. When he doesn’t push forward, I try to move back only to be stopped by the restraints. “Please, daddy,” I beg, feeling powerless.

All I need is my fiancé inside of me, filling me up.

“What’s that, baby?” he purrs.

I hate the way he’s winding me up and love it all at the same time. “Please fuck me, daddy,” I beg shamelessly.

His cock slowly slides inside of me, fulfilling my request.

It’s tantalizingly good to feel his thick cock stretching me coupled with the stinging pain of my ass cheeks.

“Oh, fuck, yes,” I moan, arching my back as much as I physically can on this bench.

Enzo spanks my ass as I do. “Keep still, baby,” he says, stilling inside of me.

I whimper, knowing there’s never been a moment in my life I’ve felt so desperate for anything before. Enzo is my drug. I’m addicted and obsessed with him and have been since the moment our eyes met in his club.

His dark and twisted tastes only excite me more. It’s as though we were made to find each other. I wait patiently, wishing he’d fuck me hard and rough like I know we both want.

Enzo digs his fingertips into my hips hard and starts to fuck me.

I moan in relief, finally feeling normal as he starts to thrust into me without mercy. My nipples are so hard and sensitive as they rub against the leather of the bench.

“Your mine now, Sophia. I want you to know it,” he growls, pulling me back hard onto his cock with each thrust.

“I know, daddy,” I reply, loving how possessive and dominant his over me. I’ll never get tired of it.

He grunts, thrusting into me now with no control. He’s a wild beast, fucking me from behind without missing a beat.

It feels like my mind is a blank mess as the pleasure threatens to rip me in two.

“Oh, fuck,” I cry, feeling myself teetering on the edge of the cli .

“That’s it, baby. Come for daddy like a good girl.”

All of my muscles convulse as a pleasure more intense than any other I've felt rushes through me. I can hardly process any thought as I slump onto the bench.

Enzo fucks me right through my orgasm before spilling his load deep inside of me. Our labored breathing is the only sound that falls between us as we stay in the same position for a while.

When he finally pulls out, I whimper at the emptiness.

Enzo removes the restraints on my wrists and ankles. “That was perfect,” he murmurs into my ear before lifting me o the bench and into his arms.

He carries my limp and spent body out of his sex dungeon and back into the bedroom, placing me gently down on the bed.

Enzo pulls the duvet over us as he gets in bed too. I snuggle against him, feeling happier than I’ve ever felt in my life.

Becky won’t believe it when I tell her I’m engaged to my boss. The last month has been a whirlwind, but by some miracle, everything worked out okay. I rest my head against the Italian crime boss’s chest—my fiancé. Listening to the steady beat of his heart as I slowly drift to sleep in his arms.

23

EPILOGUE

SOPHIA

T

hree years later…

Aria plays in the sand a few meters from me.

Her innocent smile and amused laugh always make my chest ache. Children are so lucky.

She’s so blissfully unaware of the danger that surrounds her and her parents. In time, I know that she will learn the kind of man her father is. Will she still love him the way I did when I learned all the bad that comes with the good?

It’s something I don’t need to worry about right now, but at moments like this, I find it hard not to. The Mercedes limousine pulls up the drive of our private Cancun escape.

It’s impossible not to enjoy the luxury our life brings, even if I struggle to come to terms with what my husband does for a living.

Enzo has been meeting with new suppliers here in Mexico. Ever since the war between the Bratva and his mafia, he has decided to cut away his old suppliers. All it did was call into question the loyalty of the people around him.

I worry he’s too paranoid at times, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Especially now we have a family to protect.

Aria is three years old in two months, and number two is on the way. I rest my hand on my growing belly, knowing that Enzo won’t want to stop at two. When we first met, I never

would have taken him as a family man, but as soon as Aria was born, I saw the change in him.

The love he holds in his heart for me and our daughter could move mountains. He’d do anything to keep us safe, and that’s enough for me. I watch as he gets out of the limo, and his attention is immediately drawn to us.

My stomach flutters as he approaches. He kicks o his shoes and socks, before stepping onto the sand. It’s strange how my attraction to this man only deepens the longer I know him. Before we met, he was closed o to everything.

Rage governed Enzo, and although it’s still there, ingrained inside of him, it doesn’t rule him anymore.

“Ciao Bella,” he says, making goosebumps rise over my skin.

“Ciao,” I reply, turning my attention back to Aria.

“How are my two beautiful women?” He sits in the sand next to me, taking my hand in his.

“We’re fine.” I smile, but it’s strained. “I always worry when you’re away.”

Enzo leans toward me, kissing my cheek softly. “You shouldn’t worry. I’ll always come back to you, mio amore.”

He tilts my head toward him and captures my lips. Enzo’s tongue tangles with mine, kissing me deeply. He breaks away, breathless. “I miss you every moment we’re apart.”

He looks at Aria, smiling. “And my little princess.”

“Aria, come and say hello to your father.” Aria looks up from her sandcastle and smiles, rushing over and into Enzo’s arms.

“Buongiorno, topolina.”

She smiles and replies in Italian, “Buongiorno, papà.”

I love that he is teaching her Italian. She will grow up speaking both languages, and so will our next child when he or she is born within the next month.

Elena, our nanny, approaches. “It’s time for Aria’s bath time. Shall I take her Mrs. D’Angelo?”

Mrs. D’Angelo. I still have a hard time getting used to my new name. “Sure, Elena. That would be great, thank you.”

Elena kneels in front of Aria. “Come now, sweetheart, it’s time to get you cleaned up.” She takes her hand and leads her away.

The moment they’re both out of view, Enzo launches himself onto me. His lips cover mine in a passionate and allconsuming kiss. I moan against them, feeling the wetness pooling between my thighs.

My husband’s desire doesn’t waver only gets stronger the longer we are together. It’s been almost four years since we met in his club. It wasn’t all plain sailing, but we’re finally safe—as safe as we can be considering his profession.

Enzo breaks the kiss and tilts his head. “What are you thinking about?”

I shrug. “Everything we’ve been through up to now.

We’ve had a crazy few years, haven’t we?”

He chuckles softly, running a hand through the ends of my hair. “Indeed, we have.” His expression turns serious. “It isn’t fair that you have to share this burden with me.”

I shake my head, cupping his chin in my hand. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Enzo. You mean the world to me, and I don’t regret anything I’ve done.”

He smiles again, kissing me softly. “Tu sei perfetto,” he murmurs.

I shake my head. “No one is perfect.”

“You’re perfect to me.” He glances out over the ocean, a small smirk curving the side of his lip upward. “How about we go for a dip?”

I raise a brow. “You don’t have your swimsuit.”

He stands and grabs my hand, dragging me to my feet. “I won’t need it.” He lifts me in his arms and carries me toward

the ocean. “It’s our private beach, and I intend to make the most of it, carina.”

Heat floods every inch of my body as he leads me down to the water. The sun is low in the sky, signaling the end of another day.

Enzo pulls me to a stop at the edge of the water, gazing out over the expansive ocean. The water laps over our feet as he shrugs o his suit jacket, throwing it onto the soft sand.

His eyes roam slowly down my swimsuit and my large baby bump. If I thought he was insatiable normally, both times I’ve been pregnant, he’s been unstoppable. He can’t get enough.

“Beautiful,” he murmurs as he unbuttons his shirt slowly. The dark tattoo on his chest is revealed as he finishes unbuttoning it. I love the roughness of the tattoos on his body. He chucks the shirt on top of his jacket. Lastly, he unbuttons his pants and adds them to the pile, standing in his tight boxer briefs. It’s impossible to keep my eyes o the huge bulge framed in the fabric. He’s hard and ready to take me right here and now.

I step forward and press my hands against the hard muscles of his chest, gazing up into his eyes. “You are beautiful,” I reply.

He smiles down at me, slipping his hands onto my hips possessively. “Time for me to show you just how beautiful you are.” He reaches for the clasp of my bikini top, flicking it open. My breasts spring free, and he groans, eyes full of dark desire at the sight he has seen so many times. “I love you pregnant and big with my baby,” he growls, gently running the palm of his hand over my tummy. “I can’t wait to make you pregnant again and again.” He bites my earlobe, sending shivers down my spine.

It doesn’t matter how much we make love it’s never enough. It feels like this fire burning inside of us is eternal

and infinite. Even when we argue, we end up making love as a result. Our passion could never be snu ed out, not by any enemy he faces or by any argument we have.

He moves his hands to my hips, gripping them possessively. “Bikini bottoms o now,” he orders.

I shudder as I glance around, making sure we are entirely alone. Any of the sta could see us down here.

“Now, carina.”

I hook a finger into the waistband and drag them down.

Enzo’s fingers tease through my already soaking wet folds. I moan, gripping onto his arm for support.

“Already wet for me, baby,” he murmurs, nipping my earlobe softly. He removes his boxer briefs and wraps his arm around me, lifting me into his arms.

“Always wet for you,” I whisper into his ear.

He groans. “I’ve been waiting all day to fuck you.”

The warm water laps around my ankles as he walks us out into the calm waves. My nipples are hard peaks, rubbing against his chest with each step he takes.

He stops once he’s up to his chest in the water, thrusting every inch of his thick cock deep inside of me.

“Fuck,” I cry, feeling my pussy tighten around him in an instance. Becky was sure I’d get bored with this Italian billionaire and that the passion would extinguish. She was so wrong. It’s the opposite. The longer I know him, the more I want him.

I press my lips against his as he lifts me up and down his cock. Our bodies fit together as though we were made for each other. Part of me believes that with all my heart. Enzo is the only man I’ve ever desired, and that’ll never change.

He kisses me, pulling me back to the moment. His tongue plunders my mouth, claiming me completely. I moan into his mouth, feeling myself coming close to orgasm as he continues to fuck me without mercy.

The sky is tinged a deep red over the azure sea as the sun dips below the horizon. It bathes us in almost otherworldly light as we make love in the waves. The weightlessness of the water allows him to lift me up and down hard and fast on his huge, pulsing cock.

“I can’t wait to feel that pretty little pussy come all over my cock,” he growls into my ear, driving me closer to the edge.

There’s no dangling me on the edge or playing games now. We’re both lost to the pleasure as Enzo drives me toward my orgasm.

I dig my fingertips into his muscled shoulders as my release rushes for me. “I’m going to come, daddy,” I moan.

He groans against my neck, sinking his teeth into it.

“Good girl. I want to feel you come on my cock.”

It’s all it takes for me to tumble over the edge as I shudder in his arms. My muscles spasm, clamping down tighter around his shaft. He roars against my neck, flooding my pussy with his seed.

We rest in the gentle waves in silence for a few minutes.

Our labored breathing and the soothing sound of the ocean is all that passes between us. I love that we can be so comfortable in each other’s presence without speaking.

He carries me back onto our private beach, setting me down on one of the day beds. I rest my head back, looking up at the darkening sky. Enzo wraps his arms around me and pulls me close. “That was amazing,” he murmurs, kissing me on the forehead.

I smile up at him. “It always is.”

He nods and gazes out over the expansive ocean. “I love you,” he says.

“I love you too,” I say, resting my hand on his chest. “Do you think it will be a boy or a girl?” I ask, glancing down at my huge tummy.

Enzo wouldn’t let me find out from the doctor, as he wants it to be a surprise. “I don’t know, and I don’t care.

Whatever it is, I’ll love our baby with all my heart. Not to mention, there are many more to come.”

I raise a brow. “Many?”

He laughs. “I want at least four, tesoro.”

Four children. It’s a big commitment, but I love the way Aria has brought us closer together. The danger of Enzo’s career will always be a dark cloud hanging over our heads, but I believe we can survive if we hold our love for each other above all else.

Enzo opened his heart to me, and slowly the darkness is starting to lift. He’ll always be a little twisted, dark, and damaged, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love him exactly as he is and always will.

THE END

T HANK you for reading Her Italian Daddy, the third book in New York Mafia Doms series. I hope you enjoyed following Enzo’s & Sophia’s story.

The next book follows the Cartel boss, Dante Ortega’s story and a woman he’s had his eyes on for a while, Violet.

Her Cartel Daddy is available to pre-order through Amazon now.

Her Cartel Daddy: A Dark Mafia Romance

I’ve admired him from afar for years, until he shows his true colors.

Dante Ortega has played guitar at the club I work at ever since I started. His band is famous in New York City. One night, I find out the gorgeous guitarist has a very dark secret.

One moment I’m a bartender living a normal life. The next, I’m kidnapped by the man of my dreams. I’m a witness to a murder he committed. It turns out Dante is the leader of the cartel in New York.

My life is turned upside down faster than I can blink. His touch is as cruel as it is gentle. The chemistry between us is impossible to deny and always has been. Now that the secret is out, he wants to cross the line and make me his.

He won’t take no for an answer, and his tastes are anything but vanilla. Will I still want him now I know the

darkness that lies within?

MAILING LIST

If you enjoy reading about possessive alpha men, steamy hot insta-lust, and romance, then grab my free novella on o er.

Filthy Doctor is a 34k novella and part of the Wynton series.

Join my mailing list and receive Filthy Doctor for free!

Click here to join now!

ALSO BY BIANCA COLE

Wynton Series Filthy Boss: A Forbidden O

ce Romance

Filthy Professor: A First Time Professor And Student Romance Filthy Lawyer: A Forbidden Hate to Love Romance Romano Mafia Brother’s Series Her Mafia Daddy: A Dark Daddy Romance Her Mafia Boss: A Dark Romance Her Mafia King: A Dark Romance Bratva Brotherhood Series Bought by the Bratva: A Dark Mafia Romance Captured by the Bratva: A Dark Mafia Romance Claimed by the Bratva: A Dark Mafia Romance Bound by the Bratva: A Dark Mafia Romance Royally Mated Series Her Faerie King: A Faerie Royalty Paranormal Romance Her Alpha King: A Royal Wolf Shifter Paranormal Romance Her Dragon King: A Dragon Shifter Paranormal Romance Her Vampire King: A Dark Vampire Romance New York Mafia Doms Series Her Russian Daddy: A Dark Mafia Romance

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bianca Cole loves to write stories about over the top alpha bad boys who have heart beneath it all, fiery heroines, and happily-ever-after endings with heart.

Her stories have twists and turns that will keep you flipping the pages, and just enough heat to set your kindle on fire.

If you enjoyed this book please follow her on Amazon or Facebook for alerts when more books are released - Click here for her Amazon Author Page.