Royal Mafia Box Set: Books 1-4

by Bella J.

  His eyes searched my face for a second before a smile crept up at the corners of his lips. “Like hell, you are.”

  “You asked, and I gave you an answer.” The more I played the part, the easier it became. Not to mention that my veins were starting to scream for relief.

  Dante took a step back, releasing my hands. For the first time since he locked us in here, it felt like I could take a breath.

  I rubbed my hand around my wrist where his grip marked my skin.

  He kept his gaze pinned on me. “It was you, wasn’t it? It was your voice I heard over the phone. Why did you call me, only to hang up?”

  I remained silent. Those phone calls were nothing more than moments of weakness.

  He exhaled with a huff. “Fine. Don’t answer me. But you expect me to believe you came back so you could be with Matteo?”

  “I don’t expect you to believe anything. You can do what you want.” I straightened my dress and squared my shoulders as I stepped away from the wall.

  He didn’t move back an inch. He just stood there towering over me. “Fine. Let’s say I believe you—which I don’t. You need to stay the fuck away from Matteo.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he’s dangerous. You don’t know him, what he and his family are capable of.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Funny you should say that since I never knew you at all either. Or what your family is capable of.”

  For a second, his confidence faltered when he realized what I was saying.

  I smiled. “That’s right. I know who you are, Dante. Who you really are. And I also know what it means to be a Valenti in this city.”

  His eyebrows slanted inward, anger forming grooves on his forehead. “You know nothing.”

  “I know you lied to me. Pretended to be someone you’re not.”

  “He filled your head with lies.”

  “No. In fact, he didn’t tell me anything I hadn’t already known. I knew about your lies before I left.”

  He took an intimidating step forward, dark eyes glaring down at me. “I lied because I was protecting you.”

  “From what? You?”

  He looked away, his jaw tense and eyes angry.

  I needed to continue. I needed to keep using my pain if I wanted to pull this off. I stepped forward. “That’s why I left, why I decided against having a life with you. Because it all would have been a lie.”

  “No!”

  “Yes! Yes! You lied. You kept secrets from me, the woman you claimed to love.”

  His eyes met mine. “The woman I still love.”

  I faltered, his words piercing my heart like a thousand daggers. Everything about him was breaking down the walls of my resolve. I was such a fool thinking I would be able to pull this off, counting on his anger toward me to make this easier. Unfortunately, failing was not an option for me. I needed to see this through. I needed to stay strong if I intended to survive long enough to save what was most important to me.

  I wiped at my cheeks, trying to get rid of the traces of my tears. “You never loved me, Dante. And unfortunately, the man I fell in love with never really existed.”

  I brushed past him, knowing the longer I stayed here with him, the better the chance I had of failing.

  “He will ruin you, Layla.”

  I stopped without turning around.

  “You are not meant for this world. That’s why I kept the truth about me and my family from you. You’re just too damn precious to be ruined by this world we live in. Now he’s sucking you into it, and once you’re caught up in it, Layla, there’s no escaping.”

  I glanced down at the hollow of my arm, the blue vein bulging under the skin. “That’s where you’re wrong, Dante. The day you made me fall in love with you was the day you made me a part of your world. Matteo can’t ruin what you’ve already destroyed.”

  And with that, I stormed toward the door, unlocked it, and left.

  I choked back the tears that threatened to escape. I pushed back the pain, fought the regret, and grabbed hold of the one thing that numbed it all. The craving. The need.

  The poison.

  Chapter 8

  Dante

  I couldn’t move. I stood there and watched her leave, the door slamming shut behind her.

  Her words rang over and over inside my head. Matteo can’t ruin what you already destroyed.

  In the past, it had crossed my mind that maybe she found out. That she discovered I was lying to her, keeping the secrets of my family from her. But I had hoped if that was the case, she would have come to me, confronted me, demanded answers and an explanation. Instead, she fucking ran from me. Disappeared.

  Finally, after all these years, I had my answer. I knew the reason she left…and it was me. I was the fucking reason she left.

  “Fuck!” I screamed like a fucking animal and slammed my fist against the wall, cracking the tiles, the pieces cutting through my skin. But I felt nothing. No pain. Well, not physical, anyway.

  “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” I pulled my hands through my hair and started to pace. My blood was boiling, my insides twisted in barbed wire. When I locked us in this room and stared into her amber eyes, her lips parted, all the anger I felt over her leaving morphed into a need I was unable to control. All those nights I longed for her, for her touch, and the sight of her succumbing to me came rushing back, and the desire it ignited exploded into one moment of extreme insanity. I didn’t care about the questions I had. About the betrayal I felt over her leaving. And I sure as fuck didn’t care about her showing up here with the enemy. All I cared about was having her, feeling her, and losing myself in her.

  I wanted to consume her, just like I wanted to be consumed by her. I wanted to erase the past and completely annihilate the fucking reality.

  I wanted her.

  She knew all about me. Knew who and what I was. There were no more secrets—from my side, anyway. But I knew she was holding back something from me; she was lying. The way her body reacted to my touch, how easily she submitted to me proved she still felt something…something for me. Then why the fuck was she here with Matteo?

  Nothing made sense. But true as fuck, I would figure it out, even if it was the last thing I did. I would find out what the hell was going on.

  I stormed out of the room, almost knocking over two women who came walking in.

  “Look where you’re going, asshole.”

  I snapped my glare in the woman’s direction, and I could see the exact moment she recognized me, panic causing her to pale.

  “Sorry, Dante. I didn’t mean—”

  I walked away before she had a chance to finish her sentence. It was always the same, people thinking they could talk to you and treat you like shit…until they realized who and what you were. A Valenti. A mobster. A fucking prince.

  As I stepped out of the hall and into the bar area, I immediately saw her in her red dress sitting next to Matteo on one of the leather couches.

  Her gaze met mine briefly before she looked away, pretending to be engrossed in their conversation.

  And then Antonio came storming my way like a pissed off animal. “What the fuck, man?”

  “Not now, Antonio.”

  “Yes, now. And why the fuck are you bleeding?”

  I looked down at my hand, my knuckles cut and bleeding. “I had a confrontation with the bathroom wall. The wall lost.”

  Antonio didn’t look amused. “Now is not the time for jokes. You and Layla disappeared for like ten fucking minutes. Could you have made it any more obvious?”

  I looked at him questioningly. “Did Matteo notice?”

  “I’d say he’s a special kind of stupid if he didn’t.”

  I glanced their way. “And he didn’t confront you, or attempt to come looking for us?”

  Antonio crossed his arms. “No. In fact, he sat by the bar the entire time swirling his fucking whiskey in his glass, looking smug as hell.”

  Warning bells rang like shit in the back of my head. “Something weir
d is going on.”

  “I take it you talked to Layla?”

  I turned my attention back to Antonio. “Sort of.”

  “Sort of?”

  “She knows. She knows about us and our family.”

  “Of course she does. I’m sure Matteo had the time of his life while he told her everything.”

  I shook my head. “No. She found out before she left.”

  “So, that’s why she left?”

  “That’s what she says.”

  “But that doesn’t make sense. If she left because she found out who you really are, why is she dating Matteo?”

  “Exactly what I’d like to know.”

  Lorik came sauntering over and caught sight of my bleeding hand. “What the fuck? Please tell me I didn’t miss it.”

  “Miss what?”

  “You kicking Matteo’s ass.”

  “Believe me, if I kicked Matteo’s ass, it wouldn’t be just my hand covered in blood.”

  Lorik raised a brow. “Then who’d you kill?”

  “No one…yet.”

  Antonio cleared his throat and looked at me. “We need to leave before everything gets out of hand. We can figure out what Matteo’s game is later when you’re not within shooting distance of him.”

  Lorik held up a hand. “Even though I’m extremely disappointed because I’m still sober at my supposed bachelor party, I do agree with your brother on this.”

  “What?” I glared at Lorik. “You never agree with Antonio on anything, and tonight of all nights you decide you’re on his team?”

  “I’m only on his team because I choose not to witness a massacre tonight.”

  “Fuck!” The longer I stood there, the angrier I became. Knowing Layla was with that son of a bitch, thinking about what the fuck he was doing with her was driving me crazy.

  “I’m not leaving here without her.”

  Antonio straightened. “You don’t have a choice.”

  “Fuck that!”

  “Dante, we don’t know what the fuck is going on, and I can’t allow you to cause a fucking war over a goddamn woman.”

  I balled my fists, cold, hard fury spreading all the way from my spine through every bone in my entire body. Unfortunately, my brother was the one standing in front of me, the one who would be on the receiving end if he didn’t back the fuck off.

  “She is not any goddamn woman, Antonio.”

  “You’re right. She’s the woman who left you. The woman who broke your fucking heart. So get a goddamn grip, take a breath, and let us figure this out together.”

  At that moment, I had no control. That was what Layla did to me. She made me lose every shred of control, making me think and feel nothing but her. Her scent still lingered around me, the sweet smell of citrus and roses. When I had her body up against that goddamn wall, I was nothing but a fucking puppet tied to everything I had ever felt for her.

  Passion.

  Desire.

  Lust.

  Love.

  Possessive as fuck.

  And right now, Antonio and Matteo were the only people standing between me and her…which was why I swung my arm, aiming for Antonio’s face.

  Lorik jumped in between us and tried to stop my fist from connecting. Unfortunately, Lorik’s face ended up in the crossfire.

  “Jesus Christ!” Antonio grabbed hold of Lorik, who stumbled back from the impact. “Dante, what the fuck?”

  Lorik’s hand was on his face, fifteen thousand f-bombs dropping from his mouth. Within a split second, every eye was on us, the entire top floor coming to a standstill. I shook my fist and glanced at Layla, who stared at me with bewilderment. For a few seconds, our eyes were locked on one another, and I knew I needed to get the fuck away from her. For the second time in my life, she changed everything for me. Ruined everything. And here I was, so angry and jealous and motherfucking confused I felt like I could slaughter a goddamn army.

  I glanced at Lorik. “I’m sorry, man.” And then I stormed off. Antonio called after me, but I couldn’t stay there a second longer. The thought of Layla being with Matteo, actually leaving with him, staying with him, doing God knew what with him was just too fucking much. I wanted to grab her, throw her over my shoulder, and haul her ass out of there…right after I slit Matteo’s throat.

  But Antonio was right. It would start a war, and right now I had nothing to go to battle with. I had no clue what the fuck was happening, and I was too angry. Too furious. Too goddamn jealous to think straight.

  I rushed down the stairs and through the crowd. With every step I took, I could feel the distance between me and Layla. It took every ounce of strength for me not to turn around and go back to her because it hurt. It fucking hurt leaving her behind with that son of a bitch, not knowing what he was doing with her.

  The bouncer at the back door saw me coming down the hall and opened the door. I didn’t thank him. I didn’t even fucking nod. All I saw was red. All I felt was rage. All I wanted to do was give in to the anger.

  Once I was out the door, I inhaled deeply, trying to get as much oxygen into my lungs as possible. I was on the verge of exploding.

  I closed my eyes, and all I saw was her. All I felt was her body against mine, her lips meeting my kiss with the same amount of vigor. Good God, the way she rocked her hips over my thigh, her pussy searching for release. Her entire body was shaking while I had her pinned against that goddamn wall.

  Her whimpers.

  Her moans.

  Her rapid breathing.

  Fuck!

  I slammed my fist against the pillar next to me and screamed like a demon straight from hell.

  Jesus fucking Christ, this was not happening!

  I was about to assault the goddamn pillar again when my phone buzzed in my pocket. Jerking it out and answering happened with one swift swoop of my hand.

  “What?”

  “We got another one.”

  “Where?”

  “We brought him to the warehouse.”

  “I’ll be there in twenty.”

  I hung up and rushed to my car. This was exactly what I needed to get rid of all the anger I was struggling to contain. Layla was wrong about me not being the man she fell in love with back then. But unfortunately, that guy died the day she left…and a monster was left in his place.

  ***

  Layla

  It killed me to witness what I was doing to Dante. Even though he kept a big part of him a secret from me back then, I never doubted his love for me. I knew deep down that I owned his heart—all of it. But my decision to leave wasn’t based on whether he loved me or not, or even about the secrets he kept from me. The decision I made was because of something much more important. It was more important than us both.

  “It’s working,” Matteo gloated as he leaned back on the couch watching Antonio help his brother-in-law-to-be nurse his bruised face. “Whatever you did in that bathroom with Dante, it worked like a fucking charm.”

  I rubbed my hand up and down my other arm, the insides of my veins starting to itch. “I did what you asked. So I’d like to go home now.”

  “Oh, come now, Layla dearest. Let’s stay awhile. Have some fun.” His fingertips brushed over my shoulder, his touch turning my skin to ice. “After what we just saw, we have much to celebrate.”

  I shrugged his hand away. “You gave me your word, Matteo.” My distaste for him echoed with every word I spoke.

  “Settle down.” He moved to the edge of the seat. “You know I always make good on my word.”

  I dug my nails into the skin of my arm. “Then I’d like to go home now.”

  He took a sip of his drink. “I’m not ready to go yet.”

  “Matteo.”

  Abruptly, he grabbed my knee, his fingers digging painfully into my flesh. I cringed then felt him lean into me. “Do not make misuse of my tolerance, Layla. And I warn you not to test me.” He let go of my knee, his face close to my ear as he whispered, “All I need is one reason. One good goddamn reason to defy my
father’s orders, and I’ll do it. I will spread your legs so fast you won’t even have a chance to beg me not to.”

  A shiver traveled all the way down my spine. The mere thought of Matteo touching me in such a way made me sick to my stomach. I should have counted myself lucky that Stefano ordered his son not to lay a hand on me—well, not in a sexual way. But I knew Matteo wanted it. I could see it in his eyes as he stared at me like a depraved, hungry animal. If given half the chance, Matteo would have taken what he wanted from me, leaving behind nothing but an empty corpse.

  He relaxed in his seat, and I let out a breath. My heart was beating so fast the sound echoed in my head. The fear I’d been walking around with for the last few months was starting to carve me open from the inside out.

  I stared down at the vein in my arm. What they did to me, and what they were forcing me to do now was beyond cruel. Because of them, I had no choice. Because of them, I stood on the brink of losing everything. And once the day came when they had no more use for me, I knew in my heart I would never get back what they took from me. I had been sucked in too deep. It was like Dante said, once you were a part of this world, there was no getting out of it. But I had no choice, and I prayed to God that when the end came, everyone I cared about would know the truth…especially him. Dante. The man I ended up deceiving the most.

  I stiffened when I felt Matteo’s fingertips against my back. “I was thinking, since you did so well tonight, I will reward you.”

  I glanced over my shoulder at him. “Reward me?”

  “Yes. Tomorrow I will let my driver take you to your sister’s house for a little visit.”

  I turned in my seat as I felt the tiniest sliver of hope. “You would allow that?”

  He shrugged. “Of course, you won’t be given free rein. You will be escorted with security, and you only have twenty minutes.”

  Twenty minutes wasn’t long. But the last time he allowed a visitation, it was only for five. It wasn’t nearly enough time to explain everything to Kate. But it was enough to tell her what she needed to know in order to keep our secret safe.

  “Thank you, Matteo.” My voice was soft, my confidence zero. Even though it was a kind gesture for him to give me twenty minutes with my sister, I wasn’t stupid. There was no way he would allow something like this without having an ulterior motive. And I was pretty sure I already knew what it was.