“You’re a shoo-in for the star,” she whispers. “Because it’s what you are.”
Ant walks over with his wife Julia, who’s a famed violinist and absolutely stunning as well as talented. They’re carrying champagne flutes in their hands. Julia holds one out to Gemma. “If you’re in this family, you’d better get used to sucking these down.”
She giggles and takes a sip, chatting while I work. My hands fly over the plates, arranging the food in the most beautiful and artistic placements. I finally finish and wave my hands around with a flourish as one of the waiters walks in to pick up the plates. “Finito!”
Vince walks over to join us, a grimace twisting his mouth as he glares at something in the dining room.
“What crawled up your ass?” I ask, wiping my hands on a napkin.
He just grunts a reply, but when I follow his angry gaze, it lands right on none other than Aria, the gorgeous raven-haired niece of Vince’s newest business partner, Paolo Villani. It was an arrangement they established after the decimation of Juan Salazar and his crew six months ago. After Gemma mentioned the hot chick who showed up for the shootout, I started paying closer attention to her and Vince every time she’d come around, and fuck, there’s a lotta hate there. Why, I don’t know, and my brother clams up every time I ask. The rest of my family is in the dark, too.
I might have to get him drunk first because there’s a hell of a lot of rage bubbling between them and I’m damn curious.
Might make for some hot hate sex between those two…
A loud crash makes me jump, and I twist around to see Gio bend over to pick up a spilled sauce pot, cursing as he slips around on the hot liquid. “Hey, G, if you’re gonna be my new saucier, you’ve gotta keep your hands on the pot when you stir.” He grumbles some response and I turn to Gemma with a chuckle. “I don’t know if the new guy is gonna work out.”
“The dish washer position is still open, isn’t it?” she asks with a wink at Gio who flips her off in response.
“Okay, now that the big meal is out,” I murmur, turning toward the refrigerator and pulling it open. “It’s time for dessert.”
Gemma gives me a funny look. “Already?”
“Well, yeah. I can’t wait until closing. I’m hungry now,” I growl into her ear before grabbing a flat, white box. I carry it toward the lounge with one hand, followed by Ant and Julia. I grab Gemma’s hand with my free one and whisk her into the private room where everyone is gathered with their own champagne flutes. My eyes sweep over the excited faces of my family members — current and future. We’ve suffered a lot, got shot at a ton, and thankfully, been able to celebrate plenty.
I’d like to continue that celebratory streak.
The other shit, I could definitely do without.
I wink at Gemma’s mother as she clasps her hands together, waiting for the big reveal.
I place the box in the center of the table and flip open the lid to reveal the biggest chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever baked, in the shape of a huge circle. A ring, to be exact. And sitting at the top of the ring is a huge chunk of chocolate.
The centerpiece of the cookie.
I turn to look at Gemma, her cheeks glowing a deep pink, her eyes glittering like purple jewels. Fuck me, I got so lucky with her. And I’m gonna spend the rest of my life making sure she never forgets it.
She stares at me, her mouth open, a look of confusion on her face. “What did you do?”
“Nothing. Yet. But wait for it,” I say, dropping to one knee and flipping open a black velvet box. A large diamond glitters in the center of the box, a custom-made engagement ring I designed to sparkle as brightly as the gem I’ve cherished for as long as I can remember.
My gem.
Il gioiello.
She gasps as I hold it up to her, her hands flying up to her mouth.
“Gemma, I love you more than anything,” I say. “And I want you by my side every day for the rest of my life. All of this,” I say, waving my hands around. “Means nothing without you. I thought I could make it fill the gaps, but there was no way to substitute you. You can’t use Stevia in a cake and make it taste right. Even if you’re me.” I snicker and so does everyone else. “You can’t replace what’s already perfect and right, and if you’re lucky enough to grab hold of it, you never let it go.”
She smiles at me, tears streaming down her face, nodding, I hope in agreement.
“So,” I continue, taking the ring out of the box. “Will you marry me and be my sugar forever?”
She laughs, nodding her head as sobs shake her shoulders. “Yes! Of course, I will!”
I stand up and slip the ring on her finger, pulling her close and crushing my lips against hers as everyone taps their flutes. When the kiss begins to border on the salacious side, I reluctantly pull away, my lips grazing her ear.
“Good. And tonight, just so ya know, I wanna hear a lot more than just your famous cookie orgasm moans. So get ready.”
PART TWO: ARIA
A splitting pain explodes between my temples as I force open my eyes, the stench of marijuana mixed with urine making my stomach clench. I want to cry out, but my mouth is so damn dry it feels like someone scooped a handful of sand into it. Even if I could manage to separate my swollen lips, I’d never be able to conjure up enough energy to utter a single syllable.
A tingling sensation in my arms shoots out to my fingertips and I blink fast, my heart hammering in my chest.
Holy fuck.
I’m tied to this bed.
I shiver, a chill slithering across my prickled skin. I wiggle around as the breeze gets stronger, letting out a gasp when I look down at my body.
My clothes are gone.
I’m wearing nothing but a bra and panties.
And they aren’t mine.
A weak cry somehow escapes my throat as I struggle to lift my aching head from the pillow, only for it to crash right back down again.
Like a block of cement.
My eyes fall to my arm, and I cringe at the dot of dried blood on my skin.
I’ve been drugged, but by who?
I squeeze my eyes shut, my breaths coming in short, sharp gasps.
Where am I? And how the hell did I get here?
Why can’t I fucking remember anything?
Muffled sounds from outside of the curtain get louder until a hand reaches for the large curtain, forcing it back. A short man with a mustache walks into the space and walks over to where I lay shivering on the crappy mattress. He lets out a low chuckle and licks his lips, running his hand down the front of my abdomen and then sliding it into my panties. He shoves his fingers into my pussy, making me yelp and my body clench. He stares down at me, letting out another gravelly laugh.
“That pussy is nice and tight,” he says in a heavily accented voice. “I’m going to be the next one who gets to fuck it,” he growls, stepping closer. His leering expression makes my gut twist. Bile rises in my throat as he continues to drive his fingers deeper inside of me. Tear stream from my eyes as I press my legs tightly together.
“Please stop,” I weep, a sob rising in my chest. “Please don’t do this!”
The curtain peels back again and another man walks into the space.
No, God, no! Please tell me I’m hallucinating! If he’s here, that can only mean one thing.
I failed.
Tall, dark, muscular with the same evil grin that haunted me throughout my teenage years, the man who stole my innocence and yanked away everything good in my life.
And the same man who swore I’d pay for my sins against the family once he found me.
My uncle, Nikola Lovrić.
The corners of Nikola’s lips curl into a menacing sneer as he directs his hard gaze to the man standing over me. One of his hands is still stuffed into my panties, the other stuffed into his own pants as he strokes his dick.
“Didn’t I tell you to stay out of here?” Nikola sneers at the pervert who, despite the interruption, looks damn ready to come.
Perv pulls his hand out of my panties and doesn’t even have the sense to look scared. “If I’m buying, I’m doing a test drive first. I wanna know how tight her pussy is, how firm her tits are, and how deep she can—”
“That’s not how this works,” Nikola says in a scarily calm voice that makes the hairs on my arms stand on end, the same way it always has. “You were given very specific instructions, and you ignored them.”
“I’m paying a lot of cash for my pussy,” Perv says in a terse voice. “I have rights!”
Nikola smirks. “Not here you don’t. You play by my rules or you leave. And since you already violated those rules, I believe it’s time for you to go.” He pulls out a pistol from his pocket, points it at Perv, and pulls the trigger.
I scream as blood splatters against the wall behind him, and Perv crumbles to the ground in a heap.
Nikola looks at me with a raised eyebrow. “Save your voice, Aria. Screaming isn’t going to help you this time. Nothing can, including your white knight, Vincenzo Marcone. I’ve already made sure of that.” Nikola leans toward me, his mouth twisting into a grimace, his words stabbing at my shattered heart. A sinister laugh tumbles from his lips. “You thought you could escape your fate, thought you could get away with what you did. But I promised I’d make you pay.” He drags a finger down the side of my face, tracing the outline of my trembling lips. “You owe me a very big debt, Aria, one I am finally going to collect.”
VINCE is up next in FALLEN!
Preorder it on Amazon!
Check out the blurb below!
Common sense told me to stop,
To ignore the deadly threats,
And to save her life, risking my own in the process.
She thinks she’s invincible, that she can destroy the evil hunting her,
Consequences be damned.
But evil never dies.
It just transforms
And continues its quest
To the death.
I should have just left her that night.
I should have walked away and never looked back.
Loyalty forced my hand, putting everything at risk,
And I can’t save her or anyone else
Because the hunted is now me.
If you love the Marcone MEN OF MAYHEM series, be sure to check out the SEVERINOV BRATVA series starting with MERCILESS to find out how these two families came together!
Click here to read it on Amazon!
And if you’re thirsty for more of Kristen Luciani’s mafia men and want to go back to the beginning, check out the MOB LUST series, starting with SCREWING THE MOB!
Read it now on Amazon!
If you also love sexy and seductive enemies to lovers and friends to lovers romance, don’t miss Kristen’s LOVE DRUNK series! Check out Chris and Mia in YOU BELONG WITH ME next!
Read it now on Amazon!
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Mob Lust Series
Dark Italian Mafia Romance
SCREWING THE MOB
RULING THE MOB
BETRAYING THE MOB
SLAYING THE MOB
CRUSHING THE MOB
Severinov Bratva Series
Dark Russian Mafia Series
MERCILESS
POSSESSIVE
VENGEFUL
RAVAGE
Men of Mayhem Prequel
MAYHEM
For years I’d been on a quest
To find the men who killed my father.
We trusted them
And respected them
Because they were family.
But they signed their death warrants the day they betrayed us.
One by one, I’ve made them all pay for their sins.
Revenge drove me to this place of darkness.
But when I pulled the trigger that last time,
Finally putting an end to the hunt,
I sealed my own fate
And committed a worse sin.
Click here to get your FREE copy of Mayhem!
Men of Mayhem Series
Dark Italian Mafia Romance
MAYHEM
WANTED
COVETED
TAKEN
FALLEN
Love Drunk Series
Enemies to Lovers and Friends to Lovers Romance
YOU BELONG WITH ME
BOOK ONE OF THE LOVE DRUNK SERIES
NOT OVER YOU
BOOK TWO OF THE LOVE DRUNK SERIES
JUST SAY YES
BOOK THREE OF THE LOVE DRUNK SERIES
BEFORE YOU GO
BOOK FOUR OF THE LOVE DRUNK SERIES
Standalone Romance Titles
DIRTY, DARK, & DANGEROUS
PLOWED
FATAL LIES
DIRTY REVENGE
JUST LUST
LIGHT ME UP
WRAPPED IN LOVE
DONUT TEASE ME
About the Author
Kristen Luciani is a USA Today bestselling romance author and momtrepreneur with a penchant for stilettos, Silicon Valley, plunging necklines and grapefruit martinis. As a deep-rooted romantic who prefers juicy drama to fill the lives of anyone other than her, she tried her hand at creating a world of enchantment, sensuality, and intrigue, finally uncovering her true passion. No pun intended…
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Want a FREE book? Check out Kristen’s sexy romantic suspense story, OUT OF ORDER!
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Taken: A Dark Italian Mafia Romance (Men of Mayhem Book 3) Page 23