by Bella J.
Mafia
Prince
Royal Mafia Series
Book Two
By Bella J
Mafia Prince
Copyright © 2018 by Bella J.
All rights reserved.
First Print Edition: June 2018
Crave Publishing, LLC
Kailua, HI 96734
http://www.cravepublishing.net/
Formatting: Crave Publishing, LLC
ISBN-13: 978-1-64034-384-9
ISBN-10: 1-64034-384-9
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Epilogue
Prologue
LAYLA
This had everything to do with him. The fact that my hands and feet were tied. My body feeling like it had been run over by a ten-ton truck. How my head felt as if a jackhammer had been pounding against my skull. My mouth so dry, my tongue felt like sandpaper.
Everything about this exact moment had his name written all over it. The fear crashing against every bone, the terror flowing through every vein. It was because of him. Because of one man.
“You don’t seem too comfortable over there.”
I lifted my head and glared at the son of a bitch sitting on a chair across from me, his face painfully familiar. “That’s very observant of you.”
His lips twitched, a grin starting at the edges. “I have a feeling this is going to be fun.”
My heart thudded against my ribs. “What’s going to be fun?”
“Using you.”
I swallowed hard. “Using me for what?”
He rose from his chair and buttoned his black suit jacket. Dark eyes stared at me, his wicked gaze causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand up. I watched him as he held out his hand, an unfamiliar man placing a pouch in his palm.
My gut felt like it had been filled with concrete, my lungs struggling to expand under the pressure of panic. But I never took my eyes off him.
While he pulled out a vial from the pouch, testing it, liquid squirting out of the thin needle, my heart started to creep up my throat.
“What is that? What is in that vial?”
A malicious smile was his only answer.
I tugged against the ropes keeping my arms tied to the armrests of the chair. The closer he came, the more I yanked and jerked against my restraints. He nodded toward someone behind me, and two strong hands grabbed my shoulders, keeping me in place. I whimpered, tears finally slipping down my cheeks. I’d never experienced fear like this.
I closed my eyes when I felt his hand wrap around my arm, the coldness of his touch turning my spine to ice.
“Using me for what?” I whispered, my voice quivering.
A sob rolled over my lips when I felt the needle pierce my skin, the burn spreading through my veins. Within seconds, the fight in me calmed, my mind slowly drifting off into a maze of incoherent thoughts, pictures and memories that made no sense.
“Using…me…for what?” My voice no longer sounded like my own, echoing from far, far away.
And then I heard another voice break through—a dark, menacing sound that shook me to the deepest part of my soul. “It’s going to be fun using you, Layla…to destroy him.”
No.
God, no.
Everything darkened, my body numb and weightless. But there was one word, one name that resonated through the shadows.
“Dante.”
Chapter 1
Dante
Four months later
I needed a new ceiling design. The circles and swirls were making me dizzy. Or maybe it was my brain telling me to fucking sleep. I’d been lying there for two hours staring at the ceiling, listening to the rhythmic breathing next to me.
It was them, the women—the sex that made it impossible for me to sleep. A few hours ago, the three of us were fucking like savages, the black silk sheets covered in sweat. Big round tits, curvy asses, and tight pussies entertained me all night long. One would think I would be exhausted enough to at least get a good night’s sleep. But no. Not me. Not since my mind always wandered into the past after I indulged in some good old-fashioned fuckery. The irony of it all—the only time I was able to forget the past was when I found myself balls deep inside pussy. Other than that, the memories clung to me like a disease, and all the unanswered questions mind-fucked me every goddamn day.
I took a deep breath and tried to steer my mind in a different direction. I thought about Karina, my little sister who had a giant target around her neck. It had been months since Lorik put a bullet in Enzio Mancuso’s chest. We’d been expecting a retaliation attempt from the Mancusos ever since. But nothing. The fuckers were quiet…too quiet. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something big was coming. The silence before the storm.
Lorik, Antonio, and I had managed to double the security around Karina without her knowing. Lorik was right. The less Karina knew, the better. She had been through enough because of Enzio, the son of a bitch who now rotted in a damn casket somewhere. I was pretty sure the bastard had his own little corner in hell.
But something wasn’t right. The Mancusos hadn’t made a single move yet. It was like they retreated into the shadows, which was highly fucking unlikely. Lorik killed their underboss, for Christ’s sake. Stefano Mancuso’s firstborn son.
No way. A war was coming; I knew it. I could smell it in the air with every goddamn breath I took.
I gave it a few more minutes before I finally decided to give up on the idea of getting any sleep. Just as I wanted to move away from the two bodies cocooning me, I heard my phone buzz on the bedside table.
I reached over one of the twins, who stirred a little, and grabbed my phone.
“Yeah.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, my head starting to pound from lack of sleep. “Hello?” Silence. I checked the caller ID, but there was no number. “Hello? Who is this?” Still nothing.
Seriously?
I hung up and tossed the phone on the mattress as I lay back. Both of the twins moaned and reached across my chest, soft hands roaming over my body. There was a reason they called them the insatiable two, but right now, I was all fucked out.
I stilled their hands with my palms. “It’s been fun, ladies, but I need to get an early start.”
More moans followed as I got off the bed, grabbed a pair of pants, and sauntered to the bathroom.
I closed the door, the odd phone call crossing my mind for another second. It could have been a prank, but I’d learned in our world one should never assume, so I made a mental note to get the call checked out.
My eye caught the laundry basket standing in the corner. The sleeve of my
dress shirt wasn’t properly tucked in, the bloodstain clearly visible on the white fabric. It was a reminder of what I had done before I invited the twins over. My job. That was what I had done—what I’d been doing for the last three years.
We weren’t saints. We were the Valentis. This town belonged to us. Nothing happened on these streets without us knowing about it. Those who knew us either feared us or were loyal to us. And those who crossed us—well, let’s just say the blood on my shirt was an example of what happened to those who did.
Antonio and I were the ones who took care of the delicate matters of our business. Our father didn’t trust anyone else to do it, which was why my path to hell was probably paved with the bones of those whose blood I had on my hands. But some, more than others, deserved their fate—those who thought they could steal from us. Those who thought they could get away with fucking with the people who were loyal to our family, people who lived in peace on our streets. No one came into this town, fucked with our people, and got away with it. We rewarded loyalty, whether it be with money, support, or blood.
I took a long shower. A really long shower. Even though I had washed away the blood earlier, it felt like it still clung to my skin. There was no amount of water or soap able to wash away the blood I had on my hands. But this life was all I had—all I knew. There was a time, a long time ago, when I thought there would be more to my life than loyalty, blood, death, and power. But that was the dream of a man who sought something he could never have. Unconditional love and loyalty.
After my shower, I walked back into the bedroom, only to discover the twins had left. I smiled. At least they knew me well enough to know cuddling and pillow talk wasn’t something I did. Hence the reason I’d probably be calling them again…soon.
While buttoning up my white dress shirt, I stared out my bedroom window. The sun was starting to rise, pinks and yellows breaking through the dark horizon.
She loved watching the sunrise.
“Dante, baby, wake up.” Soft fingertips brushed hair away from my face. “Wake up.”
I moaned and pulled the sheet tighter around me. “Unless you’re naked and horny right this second, I don’t see a reason I should wake up before dawn.”
Her fingers wrapped around my arm. “Dante, come on. Come watch the sunrise with me.”
I opened my eyes, blinking. “The sunrise again?”
“Yes. It’s the first day of spring. It’s going to be beautiful.” I watched as she pulled her fingers through her hair, golden strands cascading over her shoulders. “If you don’t get up now, we’re going to miss it.”
“Christ.” I placed my hand on the bridge of my nose, squeezing my eyes before sitting up. “Okay, fine. But after that damn sun is up, we are coming back to bed, with me between your legs.”
She chuckled and wrapped her hand around my wrist, dragging me toward the window. “Deal.”
I was still rubbing sleep from my eyes when she pulled the curtains open.
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
“Yup. Very.”
She scowled at me with her amber eyes. “Dante, you’re not even looking.”
“Okay, okay. I’m looking.”
I noticed her glance my way every few seconds, making sure I was actually watching the sunrise rather than napping off.
The sun slowly rose. My room used to be on the other side of the house, but after I learned how much she loved watching the sunrise, I switched rooms with Antonio so she could have the sunrise whenever she spent the night.
She twined her fingers with mine, her gaze fixed on the horizon. “The sunrise is one of the most amazing things to witness. The birth of a new day.” She glanced at me. “Do you realize how many people didn’t get this chance to watch this exact sunrise? And for how many people this will be the last sunrise they ever see?” She looked back out the window. “We should never take this for granted, Dante. Being able to share a new day together.”
I was no longer looking out the window. I was watching her. Her face. The way it lit up, the glow of the sun making it seem like her amber eyes had streaks of gold. It was the most amazing sight. She was the most amazing sight.
Jesus.
I couldn’t even look out my goddamn window without thinking of her. It had been five years. Why could I not forget her? She had probably long forgotten me…wherever the fuck she was in the world. For months I searched for her, called in every favor owed to me in a bid to find her. But it was like she had disappeared off the face of the fucking Earth.
I took a deep breath. Thinking about her too much made my chest hurt. I slipped on my jacket and grabbed my phone before heading out the door.
It wasn’t even six in the morning yet, and I walked right into Antonio as he passed down the hall.
I cocked a brow. “I see you’re still roaming the halls like a fucking vampire.”
Antonio crossed his arms. “I was rudely awakened by multiple footsteps and realized it was guests trying to quietly slip out of the house. Twins, actually. Know anything about it?”
I palmed my cock and adjusted my pants. “Nope. I’m afraid not, big brother.”
“Uh-huh. Remind me to check with security, then. Someone is obviously not doing their job.”
“Speaking about security,” I fell in to step next to him, “I need my phone checked. I’ve been getting weird phone calls.”
“Weird phone calls?”
“Yeah. Whoever is phoning me keeps hanging up whenever I answer.”
Antonio stopped and turned to face me. “Prank calls?”
“I don’t know.”
“Get Lorik on it.”
“Get me on what?”
Antonio and I both turned and saw Lorik sauntering toward us.
I scoffed. “Jesus. Does no one sleep in this fucking house?”
“I’m still trying to get used to living in this big as fuck house.” Lorik stepped in next to me.
“You’ve been living in this big as fuck house for the last six months.”
“Five.”
I cocked a brow. “Who gives a fuck?”
Lorik frowned at me. “Is there a reason you’re all up in my balls at six in the morning?”
I slapped him on the shoulder, and he stared at me with a giant what-the-fuck look on his face. “Lorik, you are two weeks away from marrying my little sister, for whom I care a great deal. As in, I would turn your testicles inside out if you so much as make her frown for even a second. So why would I have any reason to be all up in your balls?”
Lorik blinked. “And here I was, thinking you were the brother I actually liked.”
I grinned. “I am the brother you actually like. But that doesn’t mean I won’t break your spine if you fuck with my sister.”
“Oh, my God.” Antonio turned away. “You two assholes are giving me a migraine.”
Lorik and I followed him down the hall. “Your migraine has nothing to do with us, big brother, but everything to do with that bottle of bourbon that kicked your ass last night.”
Antonio mumbled something sounding a lot like “fuck” and “you.” Lorik and I just laughed as we made our way to the dining room.
The smell of butter and bacon that wafted down the hall made my stomach feel like my throat had been cut. But the second we walked into the dining room, spotting my dad sitting at the table staring at us, I knew it would be a while before I had the chance to finally have my breakfast.
“Good morning, Dad,” Antonio greeted, all polite and shit. Lorik and I rolled our eyes before taking our seats at the table.
By the look on Dad’s face, I knew business talk was on the menu for this morning.
Dad took a sip of his coffee before settling his gaze on Lorik. “Where is my daughter this morning?”
Lorik cleared his throat. “She’s sleeping in.”
“Is she ill?”
“No, Mr. Valenti. She’s just, well…a little tired.”
I glanced at Lorik and noticed how he shifted uncomfortably in
his seat. Antonio looked at me, and we both grinned, knowing why our little sister was “a little tired.”
My father lifted a brow, his lips pulled in a thin line. “Okay. I just want to make sure we are not disturbed.”
Antonio placed his arms on the table. “What’s going on?”
“It has come to my attention that there have been at least twelve overdose cases during the last three months.” He leaned back in his chair. “So, even though the Mancusos have been quiet on our front, it seems like they are pushing business, in turn soiling my motherfucking streets with their garbage.”
I rubbed my chin. “How many underage cases?”
Dad straightened. “Eight.”
“Jesus,” Lorik mumbled. “Motherfuckers.”
I placed my arms on the table. “I took care of one of those motherfuckers last night.”
Lorik turned to face me. “Exactly how did you take care of said motherfucker?”
“Let’s just say I took care of it in a way that would make the detective in you go all apeshit.” I grinned at him.
He took a deep breath and settled in his seat. Lorik knew as well as I did we were far from innocent and ran some questionable operations. But drugs? Drugs weren’t our scene. In fact, we made it our fucking mission to try to get the shit off our streets. But the Mancusos had no problem destroying innocent lives by distributing the shit like it was the morning goddamn paper.
Dad glanced from Antonio to me. “I won’t allow this situation to escalate any further. I want these drugs off my goddamn streets.”
Antonio nodded. “We will take care of it.”
My gaze swept across the table. “What about Karina? If we go after their business, would it not put her under an even greater threat?”
Dad got up and poured himself another cup of coffee. “That’s another thing I want to discuss with you.” He sat back down. “I don’t think we need to worry about that anymore.”