MATTEO

LEGACY OF HEATHENS SERIES

EVA WINNERS

Copyright © 2025 by Winners Publishing LLC and Eva Winners 

Cover Image Designer: Eve Graphic Design LLC

Photographer: Ren Saliba

Illustrated Cover: Manuela Soriani and Gabriele Zibordi

Illustrations: Manuela Soriani and Gabriele Zibordi (ballroom and planetarium), Victoria Yu (hot balloon ride and aurora lights), Eve Graphic Design LLC (a couple headshot)

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LEGACY OF HEATHENS SERIES

Each book in this second-generation series can be read as a standalone. However, this universe is an extension of my first-generation series:

Belles & Mobsters

Thorns of Omertá

The Kingpins of The Syndicate

Stolen Empire trilogy

Billionaire Kings

For more things Eva Winners, please visit www.evawinners.com.

PLAYLIST

https://spoti.fi/3BVHk01

AUTHOR NOTE

Hello readers,

Please note that this book has some dark elements and disturbing scenes to it. Please proceed with caution. It is not for the faint of heart.

Don’t forget to sign up to Eva Winners’s Newsletter (www.evawinners.com) for news about future releases.

TRIGGER WARNINGS

Please be aware that this book contains content some readers might find disturbing, such as mentions of death, a school shooting, bad language, drug abuse, graphic descriptions of torture, violence, and gore.

GLOSSARY

Belles and Mobsters Agreements - a binding document where a daughter is promised to a mobster in exchange for a debt. First mentioned in the books The Den of Sin and Luciano.

Benito and Marco King - mentioned in Belles & Mobsters series (Belles & Mobsters: Luciano).

St. Jean D’Arc School - a campus in Connecticut with undergrad and graduate programs, focusing on educating and preparing children to rule their criminal empires.

Arianna/ Hannah - 25 years old

Matteo - 24 about to turn 25

Francesca (Matteo’s sister) - 21 years old

Twins Dominico and Cassius - 21 years old, Dominico born a minute earlier than Cassius

Gianna - 19 years old

Skye Leone - daughter of Phoenix and Dante Leone (Thorns of Silence), 20 years old, and adoptive daughter to Sasha and Branka Nikolaev

Nikola Nikolaev - son of Isabella and Vasili Nikolaev (The Den of Sin), 23 years old

Amara Brennan - daughter of Emory and Killian Brennan (Ravenous Kingpin), 24 years old.

Gabriel Santos - half brother to Raphael Santos (Belles & Mobsters: Raphael), 28 years old

Penelope DiMauro - daughter to Margaret and Luca King DiMauro (Belles & Mobsters: Luca), 26 years old

Enzo and Amadeo Marchetti - heirs to the Marchetti empire, raised by Isla and Enrico Marchetti (Thorns of Death), ages 30 and 28 respectively.

Kostya - son to Aurora and Alexei Nikolaev (Belles & Mobsters: Alexei).

Jet and Elira - son and daughter twins to Liana Volkov (Thorns of Blood).

Anya Santos - daughter to Sailor and Raphael Santos (Belles & Mobsters: Raphael).

Fallon DiLustro - daughter to Wynter and Basilio DiLustro (Villainous Kingpin).

For all the girls in love with a man who’s a green flag, but get all hot and bothered when he becomes a red one.

BLURB

From the moment my twin sister set her eyes on Matteo, she decided he was the one. We were just kids, but that didn’t matter to her. In her heart, she believed they were destined to be together.

So when their arranged engagement was announced, no one was surprised.

At least, that’s what I thought.

But lately, something had felt off. Wherever I went, Matteo was there. Lurking in the dark, concealed in the shadows, always watching.

I didn’t know what I’d done to capture his attention. I didn’t want it. Yet, I couldn’t stop my heart from trembling like a bare soul caught in the icy grip of winter whenever he came near. Nor could I ignore my body’s traitorous response to his voice, low and laced with wicked intent.

I fought to resist him. I truly did. But it was useless.

He knew it. And so did I.

So I ran.

But that was the thing about the Vitales: they always gave chase.

VITALE AND MORRELLI FAMILY TREES

PROLOGUE

MATTEO

Present Day

Arianna’s eyes were wide as she stared at my gun. “Matteo, are you insane?”

I lifted my shoulder and said simply, “When you’re not around, yes.” And how true that was. My lips curved into a sardonic smile, the rage that had been consuming me for weeks finally dulling. “It’s a good thing I found you right on time for my birthday.”

But I guess that didn’t matter to her. I didn’t matter to her, because she refused to choose me.

“I already told you,” she said softly. “I’m done with you, Matteo. After that stunt you pulled…”

My vision filled with red while I stared at her and that ridiculous brown wig she was wearing. Unlike her usual designer attire, she’d opted for sweatpants and an oversized hoodie. Did she really think I wouldn’t recognize her? I could be blindfolded and I’d still spot her anywhere.

And after scouring the earth for the past two weeks, descending into darkness as I worried myself sick about her, I was well beyond pissed off.

She took a step away from me, but I grabbed her wrist and pulled her into my chest.

Her Nutella scent seeped into my lungs, spreading through my body like heroin, and for the first time since she ran off, I could think clearly.

“We won’t be done until I’ve taken my final breath.”

She glared at me, her eyes glittering with tears she refused to shed.

“Willing to start a war, are you?” Her words were laced with stubbornness, but I knew her too well to play this game, and her shaking voice tipped me off to the undercurrent of panic she was trying to hide from me. “To ruin our parents’ friendship? You already turned Hannah against me.”

“I’d wage a thousand wars for you, Ari,” I gritted, my insides coiling with so much fury I feared I was going to explode. “Yet you run from me at the first sign of trouble.” I was destroying the only person who had a firm hold on my heart. “You’ll be punished for it.”

A tear reluctantly slid down her cheek as she yanked her wrist and cradled it, rubbing the smooth skin as her eyes bored into mine. “I’m begging you, Matteo, don’t do this. Killing me won’t accomplish anything. Marry Hannah and⁠—”

“Fuck Hannah.” She flinched and perhaps that set me off most. “You think I’d hurt you?” I all but roared. “After everything we’ve been through, you think so low of me?”

More tears streamed down her face and she shook her head.

“Please, Matteo. Don’t make this worse than it already is. Don’t make me hate you.” Her gaze never broke from mine as she trembled. And all the while, my chest burned so hot I wouldn’t be surprised if we both burst into flames. “You know how much Hannah means to me. She’s my twin sister, Matteo. I couldn’t choose…”

Her words trailed off and I smiled harshly.

“Me,” I finished, staring at her. “You couldn’t choose me. Just say it, Ari.”

“Let’s talk about this.” Her whole body trembled, her shimmering blue eyes gutting me more than any bullet could. “Please, let’s just talk and find a way for all of us to move on.”

She was crying now, her voice nothing more than a broken whisper.

“There’s no moving on for me, so there’s nothing to talk about.” I turned my back to her as if I was about to leave. I slipped a hand into my pocket, removed the safety shield as conspicuously as I could manage, then faced her again and pushed the needle into her neck.

Her eyes widened in shock for a fraction of a beat, and then she began to collapse. I caught her before she could hit the ground, watching the betrayal sharpen in her blue eyes before they turned unseeing.

“Did you really think I’d give you up so easily, Nutella girl?” I murmured, scooping her into my arms.

It was… done. She was forever mine now.

CHAPTER ONE

ARIANNA, 8 YEARS OLD

Music and laughter rang out, filling the Vitales’ backyard. Despite the cold October day, everyone was in good spirits as they celebrated yet another birthday.

Matteo Vitale turned eight today.

His parties were always all-day events, with presents, cake, singing, and more presents, of course. Daddy’s friends threw the best parties, but my favorite was Hannah’s and mine. We’d just recently turned eight, and Daddy got us both a pony, plus a telescope to share.

I looked around the yard and found my mom, happy in my dad’s arms while he laughed and tried to press down her messy flyaways. She pecked his cheek and pushed herself away, crossing the lawn to join the women lounging on the pool chairs. It was already past sundown and far too cold to dip in the pool, but they looked comfortable with the wool blankets draped over their laps. Dad shook his head and grinned, joining the men pretending to grill.

I took a sip of my punch and watched Hannah chase Matteo around the pool, as per usual, while Nikola, Gabriel, and our brothers, Dominico and Cassius, joined in. I could see a few of the younger kids pouting by the swing set, most likely hoping for their attention.

Not me.

I was tired of chasing boys. Besides, my mom had already warned me not to ruin my new beautiful green dress, and the length of it was sure to make me trip and fall.

Needing some quiet, I found a soft patch of grass and sprawled out, kicking my stuffy slides off.

My party dress spread beneath me like a snow angel while my hair fanned out around my head. Cocooned in the darkness, I stargazed, trying to recall what Daddy told me about galaxies.

“I wish I had my telescope with me,” I muttered to myself.

“I can bring you mine, Ari.”

I turned my head to the left and found Matteo standing over me, a huge smile on his face. He wore a three-piece suit, very much like the one his papa wore. Weird for a boy our age, unless you were Matteo Vitale or any other mafia prince. It was actually comical to see them all running around in suits… Well, except for Nikola. He threw his suit into the pool, refusing to wear it.

Rolling my eyes, I folded my hands under my head and sunk a little deeper into the grass. “No, thanks.”

Matteo mirrored my position, his gangly legs shooting straight out, and locked in on the night sky. I’d overheard Daddy say Matteo was very smart, and he even skipped a grade last year. He said he’d be just like Mr. Vitale. Sometimes he even talked like him.

Of course, I wasn’t all that impressed.

After a long silence, he said, “There’re a billion stars, Nutella girl, and they all shine for you. My mama shines for my pa, but you will shine for me. Right?”

See, I told you. What kid even talks like that?

I stared more intently at the twinkling stars for a long time before I rolled my head to stare at the boy with dark hair and hazel eyes.

“Why do you keep calling me that?” I asked, frowning.

He smiled, a secret kind of smile that I could never make sense of. “I like it and it suits you. Besides, you love Nutella. You probably eat it straight out of the jar,” he added with a smirk.

I pursed my lips, not wanting to admit that he was right. I could never make sense of Matteo Vitale. He was the only one to ever give me a nickname. Well, two nicknames—Ari and Nutella girl. I didn’t know how I felt about that.

I brushed my fingers through the soft grass, its waxy blades tickling my palms.

“How do you know?” I asked finally.

“How do I know what?”

I pursed my lips. “How do you know they shine for me?”

He jumped to his feet instead of answering. I didn’t like him towering over me, so I stood up, standing toe to toe with him.

He seemed surprised and almost stumbled back, but something in his eyes flashed. He was staring at me like he’d never seen me before. A nervous energy was in the air, one that made my skin prickle.

“Can I have another birthday present?”

I frowned, staring at the boy my sister, my best friend in the whole world, claimed she would one day marry. I liked Matteo, and something about him had always made me feel relaxed. But Mom said there was nothing more precious than sharing my special moments with Hannah, and being here, away from everyone, made my tummy turn to knots.

“You got plenty. More birthday gifts than you know what to do with.” I shook my head, but I couldn’t resist my curiosity. “What else could you possibly want anyway?”

“I want what my pa gives to Mama.”

I didn’t get to ask what that was because he pulled me into a bear hug. I gasped, my eyes widening in surprise, and my next breath was stolen when Matteo’s mouth pressed against mine.

I didn’t think. I just reacted.

My knee jerked upward, and he groaned in pain. Then my hand flew through the air, connecting with his nose.

Crunch.

It worked just the way my daddy said it would.

Matteo’s hand flew to his bloodied nose. For a second, I wondered if I should feel scared of what might happen next. But then he grunted, “My papa always says my mama might be the death of him.” My brows scrunched, but I didn’t get the chance to ask him what he meant because he added, “Maybe you’ll be the death of me?”

Neither one of us could know what those words might one day mean.

CHAPTER TWO

MATTEO, 24 YEARS OLD

Six Weeks Earlier

Iwas born to reign over my father’s criminal empire.

No questions asked.

It was the reason I found myself parked at the library of St. Jean D’Arc School. D’Arc was unique, founded by four very determined women to help mafia children—especially daughters—find their footing in the world. But in the end, this school became so much more than they imagined.

Initially, the plan was to establish a boarding school for high school–aged kids, but there weren’t many families eager to send their children away from home so soon. Therefore, it was swiftly updated into a university with undergraduate and graduate classes, allowing students to earn the same degrees that most colleges offered.

But D’Arc went a step further, offering extra-curricular activities that weren’t taught at a normal university. After all, this school was founded by members of powerful crime families with illegally obtained money and was run and funded by families with connections to criminal empires. It was open to children of organized crime families, but also served as a chance to offer girls and women born to these families a fighting chance in an increasingly dark and scary world.

Many of us here at this school attended online classes for prestigious universities like Cambridge, Oxford, Yale, and Harvard while using St. Jean D’Arc’s top-of-the-line tech and its campus as a home base.

I’d been working on my final business and economics thesis that my Harvard advisor expected first thing tomorrow, a paper that would conclude my graduate studies, when my phone screen flashed with a text message nobody ever wanted to see.

Shooter At Yale University

The message flashing across the top of my lock screen brought the rhythm of my heart to a screeching halt before it resumed beating so hard it almost stole my breath.

“You okay, man?” Nikola’s voice yanked me out of my spiraling emotions and I shot to my feet, the screeching echo of the metal chair against the hardwood flooring filling the library.

“Hey, slow the fuck down,” he grunted behind me as I rushed through Jean D’Arc’s narrow halls. “What’s going on?”

“Shooter at Yale.” Three words I never thought I’d say. “Francesca and Ari are there on campus.”

Why in the fuck didn’t I press them to continue their studies at St. Jean D’Arc where I could keep an eye on them? Francesca was working on finishing her undergrad and Arianna her graduate degree, and both wanted to experience a normal college life for their last year.

So much for that, and now because I hadn’t insisted, they might die on that fucking campus.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

“Isn’t it odd that this is happening during summer months when not too many kids are on campus?” Nikola’s question made sense, but I didn’t have any answers. “Almost as if it was… targeted.”

I started running, plowing through oblivious students as I rushed out of the building I’d been in and across the parking lot to get to my car. Nikola’s footsteps pounded behind me, and I knew there was nothing I could say to make him stay.

That was what made him and other legacies, the next generation, good friends. The best of friends in fact. Most of us had ties to the mafia in one way or another, and it was common for kids who grew up in similar circles to be grouped in the same housing. If you could call a four-story, fully armed, marble-and-stone mansion “housing.”

“You have your weapons?” he asked from behind me.

“I do.” They weren’t permitted on campus, but I kept them secure in my Range Rover’s built-in safe for emergencies like this. “And I think one of your shirts is still in the back seat.” I gave him an impatient once-over. “Put it on.”

He rolled his eyes. “Is that a requirement to rescue the girls?”

Nikola, who’d been working on his postgraduate studies, had this thing for going around shirtless or wearing muscle shirts, and while I didn’t give a shit what he did while on this campus, it would draw unwanted attention at Yale.

“Yes,” I gritted.

“Fine, fine.” His expression sombered, but there was a hint of excitement in his voice. The guy could be restless to the point of stirring trouble, much like his uncle Sasha.

“Let’s just stick to fucking him up before he gets anywhere near my sister and Ari,” I muttered, pressing the unlock button on my fob.

Hannah appeared as I was pulling the driver’s side door open, her face deathly pale.

“Must have gotten the same alert,” Nikola echoed my thoughts, making his way to the other side of the car.

“Are you going to Yale?” she puffed out, and I noticed the flush on her cheeks and throat. She must’ve run here. I nodded and buckled myself in as Nikola slid into the passenger seat. Before I could shut my door, she added, “I’m coming with you.”

“No, you’re not,” I clipped.

“My sister is there too.”

Arianna Carter Morrelli.

The girl who, on my eighth birthday, kicked me in the balls and then broke my nose. The girl who could be so fucking sweet that I forgave her before our parents came rushing over at the sound of the commotion. As a thank-you for not ratting her out, she baked me cookies—Nutella, of course—and ate them with me, dipping them into ice cream while we watched The Polar Express.

In fucking October.

“I can’t have you hysterical,” I growled. “Stay here.”

But she was already opening the back door and sliding in. “I’m coming whether you like it or not, Matt.”

I fucking hated that nickname. The moment I came up with a nickname for Ari, Hannah had started calling me Matt. I've resented her for it ever since.

“Go sit tight with Penelope, Amara, and Skye,” I barked, hoping she’d take my advice and sit this one out with her dorm suitemates. “I can’t afford to have you distracting us with your theatrics while we handle this.”

She jutted her chin. “I’ll follow you in my own vehicle otherwise, and you know damn well my driving skills are… not as sophisticated as yours.”

Nikola shot me an exasperated look before glaring at Hannah over his shoulder.

“Just drive. This one’s like a mosquito. You can swat at her with all you got, but you’ll be no closer to getting rid of her.”

I swallowed my retort and slammed my door, my tires screeching as I sped from the parking lot. In the rearview, I caught Hannah flipping Nikola off.

“I don’t want you attracting attention when we get there, Hannah.” While Arianna was the sensible one, this twin had a flavor of theatrics to her personality. It drove me fucking nuts. “Why are you on D’Arc campus anyhow? You’re not taking any classes.”

She shrugged, pressing her lips tightly. I knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t spill.

A car cut me off as I turned at the intersection, and I pounded on the steering wheel, blasting the horn at the asshole.

“Learn how to drive, fucker!” Nikola yelled out the window.

“Nikola, hack into Yale’s cameras,” I barked, interrupting his glaring at the other vehicle. He fished out his phone and got right to work while I wished the Morrelli twins were here.

As if she’d heard my thoughts, Hannah chimed in, “I could ask my brothers to⁠—”

“No,” I cut her off, although her twin brothers were some of the best hackers we knew. “Besides, if I got a text, so did they.” Probably.

She pushed a frustrated hand through her hair, turning it into a wild mess.

“Mom’s going to lose it. I almost hope she hasn’t heard about this. And Dad…” She gripped her blonde strands. “There’s no way he’ll let Arianna stay on the Yale campus now.”

She was right about that, and the same was true for my sister.

“I’m in.” Nikola’s voice broke through the tension following Hannah’s anxious ramblings. “I’ve located them. They’re both in the main library. Crouched under a desk, but alive.”

A collective sigh filled the car’s interior. “Can you find the best way to get to the library?”

Hannah leaned over his shoulder, watching him tap furiously on his phone, when she muttered, “Fuck…”

“What?”

“The cops are on campus and starting to set a perimeter around the school,” Nikola answered.

“Did they eliminate the shooter?”

“No,” Nikola grumbled, while a glance at the rearview mirror showed Hannah chewing on her fingernails.

“What are the cops saying?” Hannah asked while Nikola listened to the audio from a police scanner.

“It doesn’t sound like the SWAT team even has his position,” he muttered, flicking me a worried look.

I slammed on the brakes as a driver two lengths ahead of us skidded out of control and came to a complete stop, their car engine smoking. I veered into the other lane and then pushed the gas pedal to the floor, passing it without a second glance.

Nikola twisted around and whistled. “Not bad, bro.”

I raced down the road, charging through traffic at an alarming speed.

“Who in the fuck taught you how to drive?” Hannah asked, and I knew without having to look at her that her nails were digging into the leather seats. “The point is to get there alive, Matt…” I shot her a glare in the rearview, and, seemingly remembering where we were and what we were on our way to do, she quickly corrected herself, “Matteo.”

Ignoring her, I focused on the road ahead. My sole objective was to get to Yale, where my baby sister was in danger. Where Ari was in danger.

When I said nothing, she continued, “She can’t—nothing can happen to her. She’s my other half.” She choked a sob. “This can’t be happening. She’s supposed to be my maid of honor and⁠—”

“What? Scared your wedding board on Pinterest will need altering?” Nikola mocked, sarcasm lacing his tone. “Have you picked out your best man yet, Matteo?”

I wasn’t in the mood to listen to anything marriage-related. Hannah and I… We had never been a thing, and we would never be a thing. Ignoring his jab, I diverted the focus away from Hannah’s favorite subject.

“Anything on the CCTV yet?”

“Pizda… Yebanaya suka…” Nikola let out a long string of curses in Russian and alarm shot through me.

“What?” I barked. “What the fuck is going on?”

He lifted his blond head and his arctic blue eyes met mine before he answered. “The gunman was just spotted in the Sterling Memorial Library building on the same floor as Arianna and Francesca. The police are on their way there.”

Hannah let out a whimper, her usual resting bitch face twisted with agony. I couldn’t blame her—my fear was like a hot iron piercing my skin.

“How in the fuck was he able to get in there undetected by the cops?”

“It’s a huge campus,” Hannah grumbled. “And police resources are stretched thin, so it makes sense that their efficiency would suffer.”

I hated to admit it, but that actually made sense.

“Or he could be a Yale student. Which means…” Nikola stopped short. “He knows how to get from building to building undetected.”

I hit the wheel in frustration once more. This was the reason we didn’t want to let Francesca attend a college far from home, from me. I wanted her close to me at Jean D’Arc, but my sister, being the independent woman she was, insisted on spreading her wings. So she clung to Arianna, using her as a means to escape and have more freedom.

“They just had to take summer classes,” Hannah hissed. “And now⁠—”

I didn’t comment, because we all knew they decided on a summer semester to adjust to the new campus and their surroundings in time for fall. It made sense at the time, but now…

A familiar sign appeared and I swerved off the road. Without bothering to slow down, I cut through the forest that surrounded the campus.

“What are you doing?” Hannah screamed, bouncing up and down on the seat as the Rover navigated over the rough terrain. “This is not the way into Yale.”

“If you wanted to go your way, you should have driven yourself,” I grunted, keeping control of both my temper and my vehicle. It’d never failed me before and it wouldn’t today.

“Honestly, Matteo, this attitude of yours is the reason Arianna stays away from me when you’re around.”

“Are you sure she isn’t using me as an excuse to get away from you?” The words were out before I could think better of it.

Hannah scoffed. “Like hell. She wanted away from all mafia boys, but you in particular.”

I could feel Nikola’s gaze burning into the side of my head, but I ignored it.

Hannah always had a flair for the dramatics. Her twin knew it, and so did I. Ari and I got along just fine. We had an understanding that dated back almost two decades.

I stomped on the brake as we reached the edge of the woods, all my thoughts coming to a halt, and turned the engine off. Reaching beneath the center console, I punched in the code and removed two guns from the safe, handing one to Nikola.

“Stay here, Hannah.”

I jumped out of the car, then took off running. Nik shouted something about an exit on the south edge of the building that was no longer in use. If I could break into it, I’d be able to get to my sister and Ari.

The summer sun shone hotter than normal, fooling people into thinking it was just another summer’s day. No clue that beyond the redbrick walls, students were hiding in terror, not knowing whether they’d live or die.

But I couldn’t think about the what-ifs right now. Instead, I focused on my plan for the shooter, how I could disarm him before he could do any more damage.

While Arianna was the quieter twin, she could still be a badass if the situation called for it.

Police cruisers surrounded the front and sides of the building, men in uniform pacing around in bulletproof gear. As predicted, the old emergency door on the south side of the building remained unguarded.

My loafers hit the ground as Nikola’s combat boots, the perfect combo for his black jeans and white T-shirt, pounded on the concrete behind me. Once we reached the door, I glanced over my shoulder, scanning our surroundings.

“I got your back,” he grumbled.

I pulled out my Swiss knife and got to work, thankful it took no time for the lock to click in release. I pushed the door open and shared a glance with one of my oldest friends, nodding once before pulling out my gun. I wasn’t playing hero. I just wanted to get the girls out of here.

I glanced inside and saw nothing but a deserted hallway, and the eeriness of it sent a tingle of awareness to the nape of my neck.

Footsteps silent, we crossed the dusty floors, further proof that these parts were rarely utilized.

We were a few feet in when a bloodcurdling scream rang out.

Followed by a single gunshot.

CHAPTER THREE

ARIANNA, 25 YEARS OLD

Why didn’t I just stay at St. Jean D’Arc?

As another round of gunfire and screams sounded, my reasoning behind the move to Yale felt incomprehensible. Taking online courses through Yale to get my graduate degree in astrophysics worked perfectly fine while I was still at D’Arc. But no, I wanted to venture off instead.

And now it might cost me my life. And Francesca’s.

Why is it that my decisions always end up hurting everyone around me? I thought, my heartstrings pulling tight to the point of physical pain. But I forced those thoughts out. Stay present, Ari.

I pulled the hem of my green Gucci dress over my knees and hugged them tighter to my chest. Francesca and I were crouched underneath one of the desks in the library while chaos erupted all around us. I cursed my newfound independence and the joy that had washed over me when my parents finally agreed to let me study here, and I pressed my hand over my mouth to stifle my whimpers.

“Where’s the police?” Francesca, who was also my roommate here at Yale, whispered shakily. “They should be here by now.”

“They’re coming,” I assured her, but I’d been wondering the same. The first bullet sounded almost twenty minutes ago, but I had yet to hear any emergency sirens.

“I hope so.” She wiped at her face, wet with tears. “At least w-we look hot.”

I pursed my lips. We said the most idiotic things when adrenaline rushed through our veins. It couldn’t be helped. It was better than panicking and screaming, drawing the shooter’s attention.

I lifted my eyes and met her violet gaze, offering her any small ounce of strength I had left. She was four years younger than me, and I was determined not to let history repeat itself. Not today. Not ever again. I couldn’t protect Gianna years ago, but I could—would protect Francesca today.

“That’s definitely the priority,” I said, joining her in trying to make light of this fucked-up situation, but my own vocal cords failed me and I had to clear my throat to cover my sob.

My eyes lowered to the only means of defense I had: a gift from Matteo Vitale for my eighteenth birthday. He’d given one to Hannah too, but unlike her, I kept mine on me at all times.

Our baby sister’s kidnapping was only a glimpse into the risks of the life we’d lived, and I was smart enough to know that having some form of weapon on me—no matter how futile it might prove—was smarter than going around oblivious, which was my twin’s solution.

I’d come to terms with who my dad—well, stepdad was, but that was neither here nor there. The point was that I didn’t see any reason in dubbing him a bad guy. Morally gray, yes. But bad? Far from it.

A bad guy didn’t dote on your mother, making her over-the-moon happy. A bad guy didn’t take your side, regardless of whether you were right or wrong. A bad guy didn’t constantly save your twin sister and you from trouble and treat you like he did his biological kids. Not that I saw our other siblings as any less than… but still. I knew countless other stepdads who valued blood over commitment.

So yes, Nico Morrelli was a mob boss, but first and foremost, he was a father. My father.

Another round of gunfire pierced the air, making us both flinch.

“That sounds close,” she said, echoing my sentiment as I clutched my knife. If he got close enough to us, I’d get to him too. I refused to go down without a fight, and while the knife might not kill him, it could hurt him enough to distract him while we run.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Too close, I thought, wishing I’d paid better attention to St. Jean D’Arc’s training for these precise instances.

But I remembered being annoyed that week, frustrated that Hannah was content being Matteo Vitale’s shadow, which only compounded my desire to break free. Made me want to give a life outside of that protected campus fueled with mafia money a try.

Of course, in the grand scheme of things, it seemed pointless now.

“Do you think we should run?” Francesca whispered. Her eyes were wide and her face even paler than usual.

I shook my head. “We don’t know where the shooter is.”

There were two exits in the library. It was mid-summer, so the hallways were empty and every sound echoed through them, bouncing off the wall and making it impossible to judge where the gunfire was coming from. I wasn’t willing to risk Francesca’s life with a wrong decision.

I wished I had my phone, but it had died and was currently securely tucked away in my backpack clear across the empty room.

A movement drew my eyes back to Francesca’s mane of red hair. She was scurrying away from me and toward the doors that led to the hallway.

“Where are you going?” I hissed.

She glanced over her shoulder and blew a piece of hair out of her eyes. “I refuse to be a sitting duck, Arianna.”

Acting on instinct, I slid out from under the desk and crawled after her. Before she was halfway across the room, I yanked her hand and shoved her behind me.

“Follow me,” I told her, protective of her as if she were my own sister.

She huffed a breath. “If he pulls the trigger, the bullet will rip right through you and lodge itself into me. So it really doesn’t matter.”

I stared speechlessly at her for a minute before shaking my head and refocusing on the carpet beneath my hands and knees. The library had rows and rows of towering bookshelves, and I mentally registered the ones that could be used as a shield.

God, please don’t let us die surrounded by dusty old books, I prayed silently.

St. Jean D’Arc offered lessons in self-defense, money laundering, and other criminal activities. The school had maximum campus security—superseding that of the White House tenfold—which meant that we were never in danger behind D’Arc’s steel-reinforced walls, and suddenly I missed that protection bubble.

I shuffled toward the exit that should lead to the back staircase but froze midway.

Francesca’s body plunked against mine, and I yanked her into a crawl space near the book return cabinet, tucking us both in the shadows. “What? Why did you stop?” she whispered.

But before I could answer, chaos erupted. The door to the room we were in opened, slamming into the wall behind it. The scent of blood hit my nostrils just as a man appeared, his clothes stained red.

“No, please,” one of the girls he’d stumbled upon cried.

A guy who looked too young to be holding a gun pointed an AR-15 at the students. Screams rang through the library that not even a million pages could muffle.

Blood splattered all around the library as the sound of bullets rang in my ears.

“Not a peep,” I hissed at Francesca, then turned my back to her, blocking her from sight. I looked up just as the gunman turned his attention my way, despair and something unhinged gleaming in his eyes.

“Who else is here with you?” he yelled, waving his weapon around. “You’d better come out now or I’ll have to come looking.”

My heart thundered in my throat, and the knife Matteo had gifted me cut into my palm. I tried so hard not to look at the blood pooling around the two girls, drawing images from my mind that I had long since buried, but it was impossible. Some mistakes would haunt us for as long as we lived.

I noticed crimson drops on the floor beneath my hand from where I was fisting a Swiss Army knife between bone-white fingers.

And it was exactly that thought that spurred me into action.

I took a step forward and so did he. The moment he was in arm’s reach, I lunged at him, slicing his forearm. He yelped, then swung his hand. Before I could react, he grabbed my wrist and twisted it until I had no choice but to drop the knife. It landed on the floor with a loud clunk, right along with my heart.

I immediately straightened, determined to keep his eyes on me and away from Francesca.

“Do you know the Vitale family?” I frowned at the unusual question while alarms went off in my brain. Something was off here. “Answer me, girl,” he yelled, causing me to startle. “Do you know the Vitales?”

I swallowed my fear as adrenaline rang in my ears.

“D-don’t kn-know them,” I stuttered, the biggest lie of my life bouncing off the walls.

In the next breath, he trained the gun at me, and I was paralyzed by fear.

Incoherent images flipped through my mind. My parents dancing at their wedding. My twin sister announcing she’d marry the boy with hazel eyes. My first trip to the planetarium observatory where I got to see the stars and planets through a telescope. Baking cookies with my family.

My first kiss. My last.

I wasn’t ready to die, but I knew I couldn’t compete with a gun. And as warm liquid trickled down my fingers, I took a deep breath. Likely my last one.

And then I heard that dreadful, deadly sound.

Click.

CHAPTER FOUR

MATTEO

Apiercing scream I’d recognize anywhere—Francesca—came from underneath a nearby table. She was safe, but Ari wasn’t, standing in the middle of the library and hiding my sister with her own body.

Click.

As if in slow motion, I watched my bullet fly through the air, grazing past familiar blonde strands.

A flurry of bullets followed, filling the air around us. Nikola yanked me back, both of us taking shelter behind the heavy wooden door just as a bullet flew through the space where my skull was a mere second ago. The firing continued for what felt like a lifetime, but then just as quickly as it started, it stopped.

The silence that came afterward was deafening. I eyed Nikola, gave a wordless nod, and we barged into the library. The gunman was working on reloading his AR-15 while Ari stood frozen, blood trickling down her fingers and onto the library’s carpeted floor.

Roaring, I leapt on top of him while Nikola got ahold of his gun, then used it to smash his hand into the floor. I gripped his shirt and smashed his head back, over and over and over, hearing the satisfying crunch of his skull connecting with the hard surface.

“Stop!” Nikola hissed, Francesca’s screams still piercing the air. “He’s dead.”

That didn’t stop me, but the panic in my sister’s screams did.

“Matteo, I think something’s wrong with Arianna,” Nikola said, voice low. I lifted my head and found my sister standing in front of Arianna’s statue-like form, her green dress vibrant against her pale skin.

Shoving off the slumped body, I jumped to my feet and was by her side in three strides. I pulled my sister into a hug, then checked Arianna’s arm.

“Where are you hurt?” I demanded, turning it over and finding no wound. She didn’t answer, her eyes vacant. “Ari, look at me!” She slowly blinked, her blue eyes somewhat clearing but still looking lost. “Where are you hurt?” I asked, gentler this time.

She raised her hand, and it was then that I noticed the cut on the palm of her hand.

“What happened?” I questioned softly.

“I… I…” Still in shock, she struggled to find the words, her voice barely a whisper. “I tried to… take him down with me.”

My lip twitched. Arianna might be the peacemaker of the Morrelli household, but threaten those she loved, and she was a force to be reckoned with.

“Bene, you did good,” I praised her, then cradled her face with one hand while still holding on to my sister with my other. “You’re both okay. It’s all over now.”

“Yep, this guy is dead and gone,” Nikola stated in a bored tone. “I have to say, there was a disappointing lack of action.”

Francesca and Arianna looked at him like he’d grown another head. I couldn’t blame them. They knew what our families were about, but they rarely had a front-row seat to the cruelty being dished out.

Just as I was about to take them away from here, the door to the library opened.

“Freeze!”

“Suka…” Nikola let out another string of Russian curses, but I ignored them all.

“Cazzo, are you fucking kidding me?” I muttered under my breath as a squad of cops pointed their guns at us. “You’re a bit too late.”

“Identify yourselves!” one of them yelled. Arianna’s hand shot to my vest, gripping the material, while my sister clutched my bicep like I was her anchor.

“I’m family,” I stated calmly, tilting my chin to my sister. “When I heard about the shooter, I came to get my sister and my friend out of here.”

“Not so fast,” the cop barked. All their guns were now pointed at us.

I narrowed my eyes on them.

“You better lower your weapons.” I didn’t miss the tremor from Ari’s body, and I resisted finishing my threat. The aftershock was hitting her hard, and at this moment, their safety was my priority. I motioned with my chin. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m taking the girls home.”

The cops closed their circle tighter and Nikola grinned. “Now this is what I call action.”

CHAPTER FIVE

LUCIANO

Something was wrong.

Many people didn’t believe in a sixth sense. I did, and that very same intuition warned me that something was off. I couldn’t pinpoint it to a specific thing, but the moment my wife and I couldn’t get ahold of our daughter, I jumped into the car and drove to Yale.

The moment I turned into the school, my intuition was confirmed. There were police cars everywhere, and my wife sat up, alert.

“Everything will be fine, tesoro,” I assured her.

“But—” Her voice cracked. “Francesca is here.”

No matter how hard I tried, there was no foolproof way to keep my family shielded from the violence of my world. Not a mansion surrounded by sky-high walls, not armies of guards. It was a hard realization to come to terms with once having children, but it didn’t stop me from trying, even if that meant keeping them isolated from the dangers of the world. Like prisoners was the term my family liked to use.

“She is fine, tesoro mio,” I assured her while internally cursing myself for caving and allowing my daughter’s whims to get the best of me. Suddenly, I spotted both of my children being led by uniformed officers from the building, and somehow I wasn’t surprised to find my son here already. “Look, they’re both safe and sound.”

Although those police officers won’t be if they don’t back the fuck away. I kept those thoughts to myself, not wanting to worry my wife.

I’d taught the kids from a young age to have each other’s backs, just like I would always have their backs. No. Matter. What. I made a mistake once, and it’d nearly cost me my wife. I didn’t want my children to repeat my past.

My son was a much better man than I had ever been and always went the extra mile to ensure his sister’s safety. Francesca was also resourceful, but she was young and had been sheltered most of her life.

I trusted my children’s survival skills, and while they didn’t depend on me for protection these days, I still came plowing in like a bulldozer when their well-being was at risk.

I shared a look with my wife, and she nodded. We stepped out of the car at the same time.

“Sir.” A young man, probably around my son’s age, attempted to stop me. My muscles tightened. Something about him seemed familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. In fact, I needed to fight a knee-jerk reaction to kick him in the balls. “You can’t enter the premises.”

His hand came to rest on my wife’s forearm and I pinned him with the darkest look in my arsenal.

“Remove it, officer,” I said, violence edging my voice. “You have exactly one second, or you’ll lose your arm and quite possibly your head.”

“Luciano,” my wife chastised. “That’s not how we speak to people.”

My gaze remained narrowed on the tall man who seemed completely unperturbed by me.

“Or authority figures. For future reference, it’s Special Agent Lloyd,” he drawled, earning himself a murderous glare. He pointed to his chest where FBI was engraved in bold. “In case you can’t read.”

My eyes narrowed on the name tag on his vest.

“I can read,” I deadpanned. “Those are my children, and you won’t be keeping them from me. You can try, but you probably won’t be able to when I bury you six feet under.”

“You can try.” He flashed me a cold smile, then stepped aside. “Go ahead to your children.”

“As if you could stop me,” I muttered, wrapping my hand around my wife’s waist.

I walked past him without a second glance and approached the squad that had my son and daughter, along with one of the Morrelli twins, surrounded. I could never tell the two girls apart. Although, considering Hannah was always glued to my son, it was probably her. Nikola Nikolaev was here too, looking too eager to start a fight.

God fucking save me from those Nikolaev offspring.

“Where do you think you’re going with my children, officer?” I asked coldly.

“Sir, we have to⁠—”

“Hello, Mr. V,” Nikola greeted, grinning like a fool. That boy was nothing like his father, Vasili, and everything like his wild uncle, Sasha.

“Are you both alright?” I asked. Nico’s girl looked spaced out, her face paler than snow.

“Hello, Papa.” Francesca pushed through the bodies of officers and threw herself into my arms. “I knew you’d come.”

“You had me worried for a moment there,” Grace murmured into our girl’s deep red locks. Pushing through the men with his football shoulders and tall frame, Matteo followed suit.

“Hey, Ma. Pa, I didn’t expect you qui.” Here. I hugged my son without a word. It didn’t matter that Matteo was all grown up and very capable, my worry as his father remained. “I had it handled.”

“I know, son.”

“I guess no hugs for me,” Nikola grumbled, feigning disappointment.

Grace chuckled. “Come here, you big buffoon. I’ll hug you too.”

Nikola nudged Nico’s daughter into the embrace. “She needs it more than me.”

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Grace asked, pulling her in.

Francesca answered for her when she remained silent. “You should have seen how brave she was, Mom. She kicked ass.”

“Not really,” she croaked. “Matteo saved the day.”

Grace looked stricken while I turned my attention to the police officer. “The children will be leaving now.”

“Not so fast, sir.”

“The shooter is dead,” Matteo stated calmly.

“You should be thanking my son.” Matteo pulled away from the mess of limbs and joined me. “Let’s go, kids.” I turned to the older officer and stated, “We’ll be on our way.”

He wasn’t as easily manipulated as the younger ones. Although, judging by the way his body stiffened, he’d just realized who I was. My reputation sometimes preceded me.

“Sir, we need your son and his accomplice to make a statement,” he reasoned, glancing warily at Nikola’s tall, bulky frame. He was right to be worried. The boy was capable of serious damage. “Your daughter and her friend may go, but we will need a statement from them in the near future.”

I shared a look with my wife and she nodded. “I’ll take them home.”

“Call Bianca, tesoro,” I advised. She was bound to hear about today’s events sooner or later, and then Nico Morrelli would probably set the entire school on fire. Pressing a kiss on top of my daughter’s red curls, I murmured, “I’ll give Morrelli a call as soon as I’m done with this shitshow.”

She knew what that meant.

Francesca wouldn’t be coming back to Yale, and knowing Nico, neither would his daughter.

CHAPTER SIX

ARIANNA

“Mom, I promise I’m okay.”

My voice was muffled against her chest as she squeezed me for the millionth time. Dad wasn’t much better, hugging both of us and muttering some stuff in Italian I didn’t even attempt to catch. Francesca wasn’t faring well either. Mrs. Vitale was smothering her between exasperated looks exchanged with my mother.

It was my last year working on my master’s in astrophysics, and I’d decided it was time to branch out. D’Arc was great, but it was built around influential mafia families from all over the world who knew our parents in some way. The subtle feeling of suffocation, of always being watched and monitored as a mafia princess, was hard to escape there.

But at Yale, I was a nobody.

It turned out it wasn’t the smartest move on my part. In hindsight, I should have stuck to online Yale classes at the D’Arc campus.

“Mom—” I tried again, but she wasn’t letting go.

My twin brothers were snickering and rolling their eyes, all their attention on their phones. Probably planning world domination with the rest of their heathen friends. It was an unspoken but known thing with all of them. They believed the menace of their ancestors lived rent-free in their DNA.

After what had happened today, I was starting to see there might be something to it after all.

We were all clustered in the Vitales’ sprawling family room. Francesca and her mother sat on the lounge chair by the grand piano that looked out onto the luxurious terrace. I sat on the couch opposite them, smooshed between my parents, feeling like a ten-year-old.

“I’m unharmed,” Francesca protested when her mom began examining her face and hands as if she would find a scratch if only she checked her over one more time. “Thanks to Arianna, who threw herself in front of me like a martyr.” She gave me a pointed look that I took to mean Save me again, I beg of you.

Mom let out a whimper, her face paling. Dad’s expression darkened, his hand balling into a fist. I was certain we were all thinking the same thing—how I failed my sister Gianna once upon a time. How I hadn’t been so brave then and she endured days of terror alone.

My gaze flitted to where she was seated. My beautiful sister, a mirror image of our mom, never complained, keeping her unfailingly positive attitude. But how could she not hold it against me? I was the reason for that scar on her neck…

“I’m sorry. I fucked up again,” I murmured, wishing I could turn back time. If only it’d been me who’d gotten hurt, not Gianna. “If I had⁠—”

“It’s time you stop apologizing for things you had no control over,” Dad scolded, his voice achingly gentle. Sometimes I wished he’d yell at me. Hit me. Put the blame where it belonged. But he never did.

“It’s all over,” Mom murmured, kissing his cheek, but I couldn’t help but wonder whether she was talking about today’s shooting or the one from five years ago.

It started so innocently, a few weeks after our twentieth birthday.

Hannah’s dare had been simple: get into a club in West Virginia, outside the realm of Dad’s criminal empire.

I gripped Gianna’s hand in mine, a part of me wishing we’d left her at home. Not because I didn’t want her with us, but because at fourteen, she was way too young to be here. She had an innocence to her that I wanted to preserve for as long as possible. Anyway, I’d bet my life that we wouldn’t be let in.

It was a twenty-one-and-up club. My twin and I hadn’t even achieved that milestone, never mind Gianna.

Yet, whatever Hannah confidently handed the bouncer while shamelessly flirting got all three of us in without a hiccup.

Noise and chatter loomed as we were shoved around. The club brimmed with energy, music, and crowds that didn’t care about personal space.

Hannah walked in front of us, pushing through the throngs of people.

“I don’t know about this,” Gianna said in a high-pitched tone, her long dark hair spilling down her back.

“Yeah, we should leave,” I yelled.

But my sister’s attention was fixated across the room. I followed her unwavering gaze but couldn’t see anything beyond a sea of messy-looking people.

“Hannah,” I repeated, yanking on her ponytail and finally getting her attention. “We should leave. I don’t think there’s a sober person in this club.”

“We look like prostitutes,” Gianna added, which immediately earned her a round of glares. “What? Hannah says whores. I went for a cleaner term.”

I shook my head, glaring at my twin. “Stop teaching her that kind of stuff.”

“She might as well learn it now. No sense in babying her when she hasn’t been a baby for a long time.”

I rolled my eyes. “Nobody is saying she’s a baby, you idiot.”

“Yeah, I’m not a baby.”

“See, Gianna wants to stay. She’s old enough to decide.”

“Those words never left her mouth,” I scoffed, leveling Hannah with a disappointed look. “She shouldn’t be in this club, and neither should we.”

My twin pulled me into a hug, and despite being mad, I returned it.

“We’re leaving, Hannah. Now,” I said in my most stern voice.

“Okay, okay. This place stinks anyhow.”

I smiled and pulled away, sliding my attention away from her to our sister, only… she wasn’t there.

For a moment, I froze, but then I started whipping my head back and forth, looking around.

“Gianna,” I cried, but my voice was drowned out by the drumming music. “Gianna!”

Hannah and I shoved through the masses, calling out our sister’s name. The panic grew with each unanswered call, clawing at my throat.

I ushered Hannah out, the terror on her face mirroring what I felt inside.

“Call Dad,” I breathed, on the verge of hyperventilating. The longer we waited, the harder it would be to find our sister, and we’d already wasted enough time.

“But—”

“Just fucking call Dad,” I screamed, cursing myself for leaving my cell phone behind.

“We’ll be grounded forever.”

“I don’t give a shit,” I yelled, panic swallowing me. “Call. Him. Now.”

She fished out her phone from her back pocket, and the next forty-eight hours were nothing short of a nightmare. Dad and his men came and got us. Dad kept it together, calling in my uncles, his friends, and every single favor under the sun, but Mom… she was falling apart with each passing hour.

The questions on everyone’s minds: Where’s the ransom? Are they asking for a ransom? There has to be a ransom, right?

By day two, Mom was so hysterical she had to be medicated. My brothers tried to keep brave faces, but they were terrified. Hannah tried to hide her fear and uncertainty, but her red-rimmed eyes betrayed her.

And me… I was out of my mind. Why did I let go of her hand? Why did we sneak out? So many whys and I had no answers.

Dad rented a house in West Virginia near the club we attended and ordered us not to move a muscle. But every single hour that ticked by, the urge to go back and retrace our steps gnawed at me.

So finally, no longer willing to sit tight and wait, I snuck out of the house and drove to the parking lot of the club, hoping I’d be able to see more in the light of day.

I parked and practically jumped out of the car when I spotted a man leaning against the doorway, his ruthless yet refined gaze meeting mine. He wore a well-fitting suit, which looked out of place in this West Virginia club, and I couldn’t help but feel like it disguised a savage façade.

Taking in a shuddering breath, I closed the distance between us.

“Excuse me, I’m looking for someone.” His quiet laugh mocked the stupidity of my statement. “My little sister...” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Are you the owner? I need to see video surveillance from two nights ago. It’s… My sister disappeared here, and she’s only fourteen.”

Tears burned in my eyes, thinking about how terrified she must be.

“And you think your daddy didn’t already think to hack into it?”

Something cold shot through me, and my knee-jerk response was to turn around and run. But instead, I remained glued to my spot. He knew something. He knew Dad.

“He would…” I said, watching him as he slipped his hands into his pockets.

“Let me guess, your parents don’t know you’re here.” My silence was answer enough, and he shook his head disapprovingly. “That wasn’t smart. Is it Arianna or Hannah?”

“A-Arianna,” I stuttered, then shoved my fear into a corner to deal with later. “And you are?”

He blew out a breath like I was amusing him. Or maybe I was annoying him?

“Maybe one day you’ll learn, little Arianna,” he said. Angry shouts and screams came from the inside and I swallowed, an unpleasant taste filling my mouth.

My stomach tightened and I stared at the man, realizing I might have made a fatal mistake as I watched a flicker of darkness cross his eyes.

“Get in your car and start it. Keep the doors unlocked until she’s with you. Do not leave the car under any circumstance. Just wait for her.”

Who? I wanted to ask, but as soon as the last word left his lips, he disappeared in the direction of the shouting.

I couldn’t explain why, but I ran back to the car and did exactly what the stranger said. It was only a few minutes before Gianna’s wild hair and pale face burst through the same door, and she ran toward me like the devil was on her heels.

I wanted to jump out and join her, but the man’s warning played on a loop in my mind.

“Come on, come on, come on,” I whispered, my chest twisting as I counted my sister’s steps.

Behind her, men barged out the door, waving their guns and shouting at her.

The car was already in drive when Gianna yanked the door open and threw herself in. I didn’t even wait for it to shut as I pressed on the gas.

“Oh my God, Gianna. Oh my God, are you okay? Are you okay?” I wanted to hug her and inspect her beautiful face, but I was scared to stop or let go of the wheel. She threw herself into my side and hugged me, crying and laughing. She must be delirious, I thought. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, yes… Just get us out of here.”

We were driving down a deserted road, my heart hammering in my chest. The wheel was unstable under my hands, my foot heavy on the accelerator.

“They’re following us,” Gianna cried, spinning back around to face the front windshield. “We won’t make it.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and pushed even harder on the gas. In my periphery, I watched her grip her seat belt like it was the last thing she’d ever do.

I scolded myself for letting my driving practice fall to the backburner.

“I’m scared,” Gianna whispered.

“Me too,” I said, my clammy hands trembling.

A car rammed into the back of my dad’s G-Benz and I heard my little sister’s screams first. Then, all I registered was my body flying as the car flipped.

A long, dark silence followed.

When I finally opened my eyes, the stench of blood was strong and screams rang out as bright red pooled on the ground, forming a canvas painted with sins.

My breaths came in ragged gasps as I crawled across shattered glass. Sticky blood stained every inch of my skin, coating my hands with it.

“Arianna!” Gianna’s panicked voice reached me.

My heart was pounding loudly in my chest, I looked up, searching for my sister, but all I could see was red. Fucking blood everywhere.

What have I done? What have I⁠⁠—

“Noooo!”

I blinked and shook my head, desperate to clear it. Slowly, Gianna’s distorted form came into view, and I continued crawling through the debris of the wreckage, ignoring the pain.

“Blood… blood…” Every heartbeat felt like a ticking time bomb in the snowy night’s calm. “So much blood… Gianna…”

But the moment my fingers registered the warmth of her skin, everything turned black.

That familiar lump grew in my throat while a buzz ricocheted in my ears. I blinked, my eyes burning with desperation to erase the old and new images that morphed together while they played on repeat in my mind.

Peeling myself away from my parents, I stood up and turned my back to the room, discreetly wiping my eyes.

I paced over the plush oriental rug. I was tempted to leave the room and hide, but I knew that wouldn’t go unnoticed, so I made my way to the corner and slumped onto a loveseat. It didn’t take long for my twin to join me, although she had yet to say a single word to me.

We’d been at the Vitale residence for the past hour and the whole time had pretty much been spent like this—being suffocated by our family and Francesca convincing them I was a hero.

Not even close.

The fact of the matter was that I choked when faced with the barrel of the gun. The fear had paralyzed me, and no amount of my dad’s training could have prepared me for it.

“Why in the fuck would you play the hero, Arianna?” asked my sister, and I briefly wondered if this was the most she’d spoken since we found her waiting in Matteo’s Range Rover. Looking at her now, properly, she was furious. “Did you think of me at all? That I wouldn’t be able to live without you?”

My little sister glared at her and scolded, “Not everything is about you, Hannah.”

Every fiber of Hannah’s being vibrated with rage. Her fists clenched and unclenched, and some twin voodoo must’ve taken over because my chest throbbed with frustration. I found myself mirroring the pain in her eyes.

“I just… I don’t know. Reacted.” I looked away, not able to stand the vulnerability I saw on her features that were so like my own. “I’m sorry.”

My attention darted to Gianna, whose attention was on a nonexistent dot on the wall across from her, that old haunted look in her eyes I’d seen too often after her kidnapping. Today’s events took her back to that day, just as they did me.

“You’re everything to me.” Hannah’s voice shook, but she tried to keep her composure. “We always promised it’s us before the world. Us before anyone else. You and me.”

“And our siblings,” I reminded her sharply, annoyed at her self-centeredness at this moment.

“But not the Vitales.”

I shot her a reprimanding look. “Nobody should stand by and let someone get hurt. No matter who they are.”

“Exactly. Hence my point. I don’t want to see you hurt. Would you want to see me get hurt?”

“No, of course not,” I rasped, remembering all the trouble we’d gotten into together. We were thick as thieves, wreaking havoc on our unsuspecting family. Especially with our expertise to break into any safe and borrow money that we never paid back. It was a little activity we’d started as children when Mom married our dad. “And I know today was scary for you⁠—”

“Do you?” Hannah’s tone was simmering in accusation as she cut me off. “Because you’re not acting like it. You. Are. My. Other. Half. Putting your life in danger is… You just can’t do that to me, okay?”

“I know it was scary for you, Hannah, but today was even more terrifying for Francesca and me,” I stated firmly, even though my throat burned with emotions. I couldn’t bear not to help Francesca in order to save myself. She was younger than us, and while she was strong, she was too naïve, too confident everything would work out in the end. I knew better.

“I love you, sis,” she murmured, her own demons staring at me through the identical eyes we shared.

“I love you too,” I added, softening my voice. “Please try to understand and don’t be mad at me for protecting Francesca. Not when I failed so miserably with Gianna.”

Our sister still had the scars to prove it.

“There was nothing that you could have done.” Her voice cracked. “You have to stop blaming yourself.”

“Okay.”

“Besides, it was my fault. It was my idea to go to that nightclub.” I shot her a look, and she rolled her eyes, but her trembling lips didn’t go unnoticed. My twin was an expert at bottling things up. To the outside world, she was an unfeeling bitch, but the truth was that she was the most sensitive one of our siblings. She just hid it behind thick walls and sarcasm.

“And don’t go around playing the freaking hero,” she muttered.

“You would have done the same.”

She shook her head. “I wouldn’t have. Not even for Matteo.”

She believed herself to be selfish, but she wasn’t. She was impulsive, dramatic, a touch wild, but she would never see someone she cared about getting hurt and stand by doing nothing.

“Better not tell him that,” I murmured, flashing her a tired smile and taking her hand in mine.

She smiled back. “Yes, let’s keep that one between us. I don’t want him to be jealous, not that he has anything on you.” She pecked my cheek. “You and I complete each other. Nobody and nothing can take that away from us.”

“Nobody,” I echoed.

Hannah and I might have our problems, but she was my twin. She was the person I knew the best, and the opposite was true too.

“My babies…” Mom came over to us and lowered to her knees, her face drawn and her eyes shining with tears. Gianna joined us too. “I love you all so much, but you sure know how to give us a scare.” Her voice was strained. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”

Hannah shoved her shoulder into mine. “I’m pretty sure she’s talking to you, sis.”

“I’m fine, really,” I repeated automatically, then closed my eyes for a second, chasing away images and the searing emotions that came along with them. I just wanted—needed—alone time to come to terms with everything that had happened today. All the memories it brought back to the surface.

I also couldn’t help but worry about Matteo and Nikola. They were practically family. We all grew up together, close in age, doing stupid stuff. What if the police arrested them because they killed the gunman? Yes, our families were powerful, and that power reached far and deep, but certain things were impossible to sweep under the rug.

A hand landed on my shoulder and I lifted my eyes to find my dad—the man who had always been there for me—staring at me with his dark eyes that saw and knew too much.

“Luciano and Matteo are on their way back,” he said, and relief slammed through me. “Nikola’s going back to Jean D’Arc.”

“That’s good.” I wetted my lips nervously. “Are he and Nikola in trouble?”

“We’d never allow that to happen,” Dad teased, smiling. “The only time they’ll be in trouble is if they mess with any of my girls.”

I scrunched my nose. “Say that to Nikola and he’ll purposely do it. Probably go after Gianna.”

Gianna made a grimace at my words, but danger clouded Dad’s expression. “He can try, but he won’t live to tell the tale.”

“I’m good with that,” Gianna whispered, ghosts lurking in her eyes. I reached for her hand, squeezing it gently, and her expression instantly lightened. But she couldn’t fool me. She’d perfected her façade, just as Hannah had perfected her own image. That night five years ago had changed us all. Hannah and I took a year off from college, dealing with the consequences of our actions from that night. Gianna delayed entering her undergrad program by a year because Mom and Dad were terrified to let her go.

“You okay?” I mouthed to my baby sister.

She nodded. “Yes, of course. Just a bit shaken up that Daddy will chase away all our prospects.”

Then she tried to turn her feigned glare at him, but her smile ruined it.

“So, Dad, are you ever going to let us get married?” I teased, even as fatigue pulled on me. I was trying to stay upbeat, not wanting to worry my parents.

He smiled. “Only if you want to. Nobody’s forcing my girls to get married.”

Mom shot him a look full of love and mischief. “I don’t seem to recall ever having a choice.”

Dad’s expression softened and he bent his head, pressing a kiss to her nose. “That’s because I was crazy about you, cara mia, and living without you would be like living without oxygen.”

Hannah rolled her eyes. “Geez, get a room, you two.”

I rested my head on her shoulder and sighed. “Be nice.”

“Yeah, be nice, Hannah,” Gianna joined in. “Mom and Dad have true love. Learn from them.”

“Pfft.” Hannah wasn’t having it. “There’s sex and⁠—”

“Hannah,” Mom scolded her. “Language.”

“Yes, language,” Gianna mimicked, her smile smug.

The moment Mom looked away, Hannah feigned a glare at our baby sister, who promptly scratched her nose with both middle fingers.

Those two would never change, butting heads at every turn. Yet, they were more alike than they realized.

“Dad, can you take me back to my dorm?” I asked, ignoring my sisters. “I’d drive myself, but my Jeep is back at the campus.”

Tense silence stretched, and I braced myself for the words to come. There’d be no more Yale for me, I knew. Still though, I waited for my parents to break the news. It was coming, I was sure of it.

“The Vitales were nice enough to offer to let us stay the night,” Mom said softly, locking eyes with my father. “We can all get some rest before we go anywhere.”

“Yes, that’s for the best,” Dad agreed. “You can’t blame us for wanting to spend extra time with you. Today was…”

“Traumatic,” Mom finished for him. “For all of us.”

“I can have one of my men bring your Jeep⁠—”

“No,” I cut him off. “It can wait.”

My army-green Jeep was my most prized possession, and I never let anyone drive it.

“But, Mom, the guy is dead. I’ll be fine.” Francesca’s agitated voice pulled all our attention. “This shit happens, and now that lightning struck, we’re good to go back.” Her violet eyes met mine and she let out a frustrated breath, begging me to come to her defense. “Tell her, Arianna.”

I opened my mouth, but my mom’s soft voice cut through.

“Let’s leave it for tonight.” My eyes lowered to my white Chucks, where specks of blood stained the canvas material. My dress too, which I had yet to change out of. “Are you tired, baby?”

My mind had conjured up memories, playing tricks on me and switching images of the two dead girls with Gianna’s and Francesca’s faces. I squeezed my eyes tight, chasing them from my mind.

“Arianna, are you okay?” Dad’s concerned voice yanked me from spiraling. I wiped my expression and plastered a smile on before lifting my head to find everyone’s eyes on me.

“Yep, all good here. But a bed sounds good right about now.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

MATTEO

Iwas as eager as Pa was to get to New York, our home, and ensure Francesca was alright.

Nikola took my Range Rover to get back to D’Arc, my mom took Francesca and the Morrelli twins back, and Pa had a driver pick us up. He drove like a madman down the highway, following Pa’s instruction to hurry up and get home, not that I could blame him.

I fished my phone out of my pocket and groaned at the message that was time-stamped from an hour ago.

Hannah: Where are you? We’re spending the night at your parents’ place. Tonight is our perfect opportunity for eggplantcat facesmiling face with horns

Hannah’s sister just went through an extremely traumatic experience, yet she still had nothing better to do than feed this fantasy of us she’d conjured in her head when we were kids. I thought she’d eventually outgrow it so long as I ignored her advances, but it would seem I was wrong. She’d become bolder and more confident in herself as time passed. It probably didn’t help that men were falling all over themselves for her.

Of course, I couldn’t care less about Hannah’s feminine wiles because not a fiber in my body desired her. Her charm had never worked on me and it never would. I had far more important things to do.

But I feared I’d have to tell her loud and clear that there never was and never would be anything between us. Despite the close bonds between our families.

There was only one Morrelli family member I was interested in, and she’d probably break my nose again if I tried anything with her.

Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I raised my head and met my father’s eyes. He regarded me with a proud smile on his face.

“What?” I grunted. We’d spent the past three hours going through my statement with the cops, then working with the school’s administration to switch Francesca to Yale’s online program. The safest place for her was at D’Arc. She’d be disappointed at first, but eventually she’d understand.

“You did well today, son,” he stated.

“Grazie, Papa.” I gave him a tired smile. “Nice to know you think that even though I almost got arrested.”

He waved his hand. “That would never stick. You saw the tapes. Those cops are incompetent, and they’ll sit at their desks for the remainder of their careers.”

“If the cops on the East Coast are anything like that, it’s no wonder our business is booming.”

Dad regarded me briefly, though I caught a hint of doubt on his face before he spoke up.

“Maybe, but we can’t afford their sloppiness. We’ve managed to protect our territory from human traffickers, but our position will be weakened if we lower our defenses.” My father and men like him tolerated a lot, but the trading of human flesh was off-limits. “Do you understand?”

“I do, Pa.”

I’d heard plenty of stories over the years, including one about Mom escaping her grandmother and uncle who intended to auction her off to the highest bidder. It was one thing all my friends and I had in common: we were the descendants of evil, unscrupulous people. We were the legacy of heathens.

But those particular footsteps would never be followed, not by any of us.

“I can’t help but think Nonno would have wanted me to think a bit more before I acted,” I admitted.

Pa laughed. “I’m not so sure. We’re talking about Francesca after all. He might have driven over himself and tried something.”

“I miss him,” I admitted. “He always had good advice.”

Of course it was so much more than that. I missed seeing him, hearing his stories from the good old days, and even just sitting with him in silence.

“I miss him too, son, but I’m sure he’s loving it up there with my ma and sister. He had a good run, and we have to be grateful for all the good times with him.” I nodded in acknowledgment, thinking back on all of Nonno’s wisdom. “I’m glad to see Nikola had your back,” Pa continued, cutting my reminiscence short.

“He always does.”

“Where was Santos?” I’d clicked with Gabriel Santos and Nikola the day we showed up on school grounds and were assigned the same living quarters. It mattered little that we came from different backgrounds; the three of us were inseparable. Gabriel was Raphael Santos’s little brother, who was in turn the head of the Colombian cartel. He, along with my father and their other friends, had been fighting human trafficking since before I was born, and they had managed to eliminate most of it on the East Coast.

I frowned, realizing I hadn’t heard from Gabriel all day.

“Not sure,” I admitted and fished my phone back out. I scanned the group chat and noticed he was silent there too. I typed up a quick message and pressed send.

Me: Has anyone heard from Gabriel?

Nikola was the first to answer.

Nope. That motherfucker left us hanging today. Not that there was a lot of action going on.

I rolled my eyes. Soon Nikola’s cousin, Kostya, son to his uncle Alexei, chimed in.

What happened today?

Me: Nothing.

Nikola: Matteo’s little sister and Ari were cornered by a school shooter. Stay the fuck away from Yale.

Why was he suddenly calling her Ari? Didn’t he know that I was the only one allowed to use that nickname for her? The fucker liked to needle me.

Kostya: Why in the fuck wasn’t I invited to take down that shooter?

Nikola: Because you’re the baby of the Nikolaev family, cousin. And Uncle Alexei would have my balls. I like my balls, thank you very much.

Kostya: middle fingermiddle fingermiddle fingermiddle fingermiddle finger

Apparently one middle finger emoji wasn’t enough.

Kostya: You don’t have to worry about my dad castrating you. I’m perfectly capable.

Nikola’s cousin wasn’t boasting either. It was a statement of fact. He was a bit… worrisome. It ran in the Nikolaev family.

Dominico was next to join in the chat stream.

Can you guys stop your yapping and answer his question?

Nikola: Why are the twins always the most annoying ones in this group chat?

There was no way I’d comment on that. It would explode the damned group, although I had to admit that something had to be in the water two decades ago. There were indeed many twins in our generation, courtesy of our parents.

Cassius: Why is it that the Nikolaevs are always the most annoying ones?

His twin couldn’t resist egging everyone on.

Dominico: You guys are worse than women. BTW, Matteo, we’re all here waiting for you guys. Arianna is baking.

Nikola: Fuck, I should have gone to visit the Vitales. Ari makes the best cookies.

Dominico: You know what that means, right?

I did know what it meant. Ari only baked when she was stressed or out-of-this-world happy.

Cassius: Our moms are pacing around like caged animals. Dad is examining the campus security again, now that Sis will be back to D’Arc. Hannah is being weird. The only normal ones are Gianna and Francesca. For the moment anyway. face with rolling eyes And that says a lot.

Dominico’s message came next.

Should we get back to the point?

Nikola chimed in.

Shut it, Italian. This is too entertaining.

Kostya: Gabriel mentioned some personal business.

Dominico: Finally, a Russian that’s super helpful.

Nikola: Cousin, let’s kick some Italian ass. Hint, Dominico’s ass.

Kostya: I wouldn’t if I were you, asshole cousin. Because a certain Italian girl will get wind of it, if you catch my drift. She might think you have something against Italians.

Cassius: He’s talking about Skye.

I rolled my eyes. This was the reason I avoided group chats, but it was the best way to get intel too. Ignoring everyone’s jabs, I focused on the message that started it all.

Me: Kostya, did Gabriel mention what personal business?

Kostya: Nope. Just something about Satan’s twins.

“Fuck,” I muttered. Jet and Elira were sort of stepsiblings to Amara Brennan, and although Gabriel could hold his own, those two were a breed of their own.

I typed a quick message directly to Gabriel.

Me: Message me if you need help.

“All good?” my father asked.

“Yes.”

Once Mom got peace of mind at seeing me unharmed, I’d check on my sister and Ari. Then, if Gabriel needed me, I could go back to campus.

Before Dad could say anything else, the driver pulled up in front of the steel gates of our family mansion. The place that had been my home since I was three.

“Don’t tell your mother about the footage,” Dad warned as the driver punched in the code for the gate. “It will upset her to see how close Francesca was to the shooter.”

I gave him a look. “She might already know.”

He shook his head. “Francesca will downplay it because she wants to stay at Yale.”

“But Nico has surely already seen the tape.”

“He has, and he’s keeping it hidden from his wife as well. Try to learn what the shooter said to Morrelli’s daughter.”

The tapes we watched were clear, but unfortunately, without audio and due to the angle, it was impossible to work out what was exchanged.

“Sounds like he plans to pull her from Yale,” I said.

My father chuckled. “Nico switched her to online courses the second he caught wind of the incident. It’s as if she never stepped foot on Yale. I’m sure his daughter won’t be surprised.”

The day was definitely looking up.

CHAPTER EIGHT

ARIANNA

Finally alone in the Vitales’ guest bedroom, the events of the day hit me like a tsunami—violent and unexpected.

My hands trembled as I turned on the shower, the sound of running water anything but soothing. I reached for the zipper of my dress and pulled it down, its echo grating on my fragile nerves. It fell to the floor, pooling like a lake around my feet. I kicked off my shoes, rolling my ankles after a long day on my feet, then took in my reflection in the mirror, my dainty lace bra and panties so at odds with my current mental state.

There wasn’t a single bruise or scar on my body, yet every muscle in me ached.

Too exhausted to remove the rest, I stepped into the shower, closed my eyes as the water cascaded down my body, and finally opened my mind up to the disturbing images rattling me to my bones. Screams. Blood. Gun.

Pressing my back against the cold tile, I slid down to the shower floor and pulled my knees to my chest. A soundless sob gripped my throat as I rocked back and forth.

“Ari?” A voice reached me through the fog in my head and I looked up, finding Matteo standing in his suit and polished loafers. A stark contrast to my current mess.

“Wh-what are you doing here?” My teeth chattered. “You shouldn’t be here.”

He stepped into the shower, fully clothed, and sat next to me. He draped an arm over my shoulders, his suit drenched, and pulled me into him.

“Why not?” There were so many reasons, but I couldn’t think of a single one right now. Because I needed him. No, not him. I just needed someone, and Hannah wasn’t here. “You can talk to me, Ari,” he said, the rough edge of his voice warming me instantly.

“It’s nothing,” I murmured, intent on resisting the emotions flooding me.

For several heartbeats, there was only the sound of running water as his eyes pinned me with that look.

“Don’t push me away, Ari,” he finally said. “You’re hurting, and I want to help you.”

I shook my head, a constrictive ball forming at the base of my throat. Finally, I relented. “I—I can’t shake it off. I keep seeing those dead girls. Hearing screams and seeing blood—” My voice trailed off.

He tightened his grip, the wet fabric of his suit heavy against me. He tucked me in so my head was under his chin, the roughness of his stubbled cheek soothing. I soaked it in, needing his strength.

“It’s stupid, I know,” I murmured.

“It’s not stupid. You’ve witnessed something traumatic and came face-to-face with a killer. That leaves a mark.”

“I don’t see you freaking out.”

“It wasn’t me staring down the barrel of a gun today.”

“Technically you did. And you’re a killer too, but that… doesn’t freak me out.”

“Let’s not get lost in the technicalities.”

“I haven’t had a chance to check on Francesca. Is she alright?”

The vibration in his chest as he chuckled infused me with a strange kind of calm. He shifted us so he could cup my face, then brushed droplets of water from my cheeks with his thumb.

“I checked on her. She’s sound asleep with a smile on her face. I’m more worried about you.”

I blinked water off my lashes. “Don’t be.”

“But I am, so let me take care of you.”

“Hannah won’t be happy…” His expression darkened. I didn’t know why I said it, but the words were out in the open and there was no retracting them. “I meant⁠—”

“I know what you meant, Ari,” he stated matter-of-factly. “But Hannah and I never were and never will be.” He let out a sardonic breath while he studied me with a disappointed look in his eyes. “Was it Hannah I kissed all those years ago?”

I laid my head back on his chest, the wet material of his suit against my cheek.

“We agreed to never talk about that,” I reminded him, although it was a good distraction.

“Not true. You threatened to tell your dad and get him to beat me up,” he said, humor lacing his tone.

I scoffed. “As if your dad would have ever allowed that.”

“Maybe, but then you also offered to bake me cookies. Remember?”

I sighed wistfully. “I do. It’s a good stress reliever.”

“Want to go bake now?”

“And wake up the whole house? No, thank you.” I barely convinced Mom to let me sleep alone tonight. “Besides, I baked earlier. I’m sure there are crumbs left over.”

“Even those were wolfed down. Maybe we can have some gelato?” he suggested, smiling boyishly. Matteo loved ice cream as much as I loved my Nutella. “You know how much I love it.”

“I do. Why do you think I learned to make it from scratch?” I admitted, distracted by images flipping through my mind.

“I’m flattered.”

“Don’t be. I hated seeing you sad after your nonno—” I didn’t like reminding him of his loss, but he didn’t seem to mind that I brought him up. “Well, I thought it’d make you happy.”

“It did. Very much. Your gelato got me through many tough moments.”

“That and the spiaggia, right?” I teased softly. Matteo loved the beach and ice cream more than any average human being, and I loved that about him.

Matteo pressed his lips to my forehead. “See, Ari? You know me so well.”

Silence followed, both of us lost in our thoughts.

After what seemed like forever, Matteo said quietly, “I saw how you protected Francesca today.” Wait, how did he—oh. Of course there were cameras in the library. I sighed, feeling his eyes on me. His fingers gently stroked the pulse point on my throat, and then his lips brushed against my forehead. “Thank you.”

“I should be thanking you, Matteo,” I said in a quivering voice. “You saved us all.”

“Maybe, but you bought me time.”

Then, to my surprise, Matteo reached for the shampoo and began lathering my hair. Still sitting in my bra and panties, I let him go through the motion and tensed every time his fingers got close to the clasp of my bra. But he never attempted to take it off.

His touch was gentle yet firm, like he’d washed a woman’s hair a million times.

He finished rinsing my conditioner and reached for the shower gel.

I stopped him when he dragged the washcloth’s soft material over my arms.

“I’d better do it.” I stood and grabbed it from him. “You should probably get out of those wet clothes.”

He flashed me one of his sultry smiles. “Are you suggesting I get naked, Ari?”

I rolled my eyes, hoping he wouldn’t notice my cheeks reddening. “Definitely not.”

“Your loss,” he mused, his eyes gleaming playfully. He rose to his full height, his towering frame shielding me from the now-lukewarm stream of water.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to wash you?”

Why did that sound so… seductive?

“Yes,” I clipped, even though I wasn’t. I thought being alone was the answer, but now I wasn’t so sure. A distraction would be nice tonight.

He stepped out of the shower.

“I’m going to get changed into something dry,” he said as he kicked off his shoes and then started to strip, discarding his clothes effortlessly while I found a random spot on the tiles to focus on. Unfortunately, my peripheral vision worked all too well.

I glanced at him, trying my hardest not to gawk at his muscles or make eye contact as I rasped a shaky, “O-okay. Good night.”

He stilled, silence filling the space between us.

“Eager to get rid of me, huh?” My eyes lifted to his, warmth slowly overtaking the chill of the day. Unable to find my voice, I just shook my head. “Cat got your tongue, Ari?” he mused.

“No. I’ve just never seen you so… naked,” I admitted, my cheeks heating again. My eyes fell to the tattoo over his left ribs. Roman numerals that I couldn’t decipher from here.

“I’m hardly naked. I still have my briefs on, but if they bother you⁠—”

“They don’t,” I cut him off. There was no chance in hell that I’d ever admit to him that I’d never seen a boy—a man—naked. I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “It’s like you’re wearing a bathing suit.” More or less.

He gave me a knowing smirk, and I frowned at the strange sensation overtaking me. I’d seen Matteo charm many girls, but it’d never worked on me before. What was happening?

I gave my head a subtle shake.

I’d known Matteo most of my life, but this side of him was new. So was the tension that filled the bathroom as we stared at each other, electricity crackling between us.

As though we were locked in a trance, pulled by a magnetic force that neither one of us could control, he took a step forward, and so did I. At the edge of the shower, water washing over me and Matteo just out of reach, the anticipation licked at my skin.

Unsettling heat bloomed in the pit of my stomach, and I knew with every second that we prolonged this, I’d be trapped under his influence.

I stared, eyes wide, waiting for… something.

I reached my fingers out, tracing his tattoo. His muscles strained and flexed, but he didn’t pull away.

“What does it mean?” I breathed out.

“It’s a date in Roman numerals.” It wasn’t much of an answer, but I didn’t point that out. Instead, I caressed it lightly, enjoying the smoothness of his warm skin. “Do you want to know what date?”

I held my breath and then nodded.

“The date of our first kiss.” My eyes widened and my mouth parted in surprise as his admission crashed down on me. “Do you want me to kiss you again, Ari?”

My head moved of its own accord, nodding a little bit too eagerly.

“Then use your words,” he murmured, brushing his nose against mine. “Ask me… Beg me to kiss you, and I’ll do it.”

My eyes narrowed, every fiber of my being rebelling at the thought. So I did the first thing that came to mind and nudged him away.

“I’ll beg when hell freezes over.”

Studying me, he smiled, but he didn’t say anything else as he reached to turn off the shower. He wrapped a towel around me, lifted me up in his arms, and carried me out of the bathroom.

“I’ll be back to check on you,” he said softly, setting me on the bed before heading to the door. He stopped with a hand on the knob and turned to me, and I quickly averted my gaze from the muscles shifting at his back. “And, Ari?”

“Yes?”

“I promise you, hell will freeze over.” My breath hitched, and I stared dumbly at him. “Sweet dreams.”

Despite his lingering warning, it wasn’t long before the ghosts of the day slowly withered away, and I drifted off to sleep.

CHAPTER NINE

MATTEO

There was one thing I’d known for certain since I was eight years old. Arianna Carter Morrelli was my girl. My woman. Mine.

There was an aura about her, so overpowering that it magnified her physical presence. I saw it that evening all those years ago, when I kissed her beneath the stars, and I saw it again today.

I’d put an off-limits mark on her with all of the guys at D’Arc while we were growing up, unbeknownst to Ari, but I couldn’t have eyes on her at all times.

Occasionally, guys would take Ari out beyond the gates of D’Arc, but I put an end to that shit really fast. Every man who got close enough to kiss her on their date—first and last, if I may add—ended up getting a taste of my wrath. So it didn’t take long for rumors to start surrounding her.

Arianna è solo mia. She was mine and mine alone.

Like my nonno used to warn me, the startling realization came hard and fast. Just like it had with him and Nonna. Just like it had with my parents. Fuck, I missed him. Old age had caught up to him, but he’d never be forgotten.

Dio mio, Arianna è la donna più bella del mondo. The most beautiful woman in the world.

Arianna could break my nose a hundred times, and like a love-stricken puppy, I’d always find my way back to her.

And God help me, I was so tempted to kiss her again tonight. To taste her. But it would be an asshole move to take advantage of her in such a vulnerable state.

Besides, I meant what I said. Our next kiss would be initiated by her.

After changing into dry clothes, I made my way out of my bedroom and sought out my father. I found him in his office, perched on a chair occupied by my mom, his arm wrapped around her possessively. She was gazing up at him, her expression filled with boundless love.

But their beginning had been neither simple nor easy—a story my sibling and I were subjected to constantly but secretly reveled in. It didn’t take long to learn that theirs was the type of love people searched high and low for.

I cleared my throat and they turned my way, Mom’s face lighting up with a smile.

“Matteo!” she cried. “I thought you’d be asleep by now.”

“Not yet.”

“It’s been a hard day,” she reprimanded softly. “You need to rest.”

I shrugged, striding into the office with long steps, then leaning against the executive desk from which my papa ruled his empire. Money laundering. Drug shipments. Weapons. You name it, the Vitales had a handle on it.

And one day, that would be my legacy too.

“You should be asleep too,” I remarked, noting the strain of fatigue on her face.

Mom chuckled. “We must be getting old if our son’s telling us we need to go to bed.”

“You’ll never get old.” It was true. She was the epitome of forever young.

“That’s right. You’re just as beautiful, if not more, than the day I met you,” Pa murmured, kissing her forehead. She smiled, her eyes sliding over his face longingly. It had always been like this with them, for as long as I could remember.

“Pa, can I talk to you?”

He raised an eyebrow in my direction. “Everything okay?”

Mom’s face immediately tensed, and Pa stroked her shoulder.

“Everything’s fine,” I answered quickly. “It’s… business.” Kind of.

Mom laughed. “Since when have I been excluded from business?”

Pa tilted his head, looking at me. He must have seen something on my face, because he lowered his head and whispered something into Mom’s ear that had her rising from the chair.

“Don’t stay up too late, you two.” Ma walked up to me and raised her hand. I lowered my tall frame so her palm could come to rest on my cheek. “I love you, Matteo.”

“Love you too.”

Once her light footsteps were out of earshot, my papa said, “Now, what’s troubling you, son?”

I took a deep breath before I uttered the words I’d been playing around with for hours—years. “I want you to talk to Nico Morrelli and arrange a marriage contract.”

CHAPTER TEN

ARIANNA

Screams, bullets, and fire yanked me from sleep.

My body was drenched in sweat and my breathing labored. It was always the same nightmare plaguing me, and now it had been fed with another scene.

I rolled onto my back and stared at the white ceiling. It took everything in me to rein in my spiraling thoughts and memories. Over the years, I’d mastered blanking my thoughts. It was a hard skill to learn, but it came in useful during times like these.

Inhaling to a count of ten and exhaling to six, I focused on keeping my vision unfocused. There’d be no more sleep for me tonight, despite the still pitch-black skies and moonlight pouring in through the window.

I slid out of the bed and made my way to the balcony. Careful not to make too much noise, I pressed on the door handle and swung it open, following the path out onto the large stone terrace.

The night air was crisp but pleasant, caressing my overheated skin and chasing the demons that lurked in the shadows. I walked around the house where the lights of an Olympic-sized pool illuminated the night, and sat down on the lounge that was blanketed in shadows, away from the pool’s glow.

I tilted my head back and began my usual routine. There was Andromeda, a barred spiral galaxy and the nearest to the Milky Way. It was the most distant object in the universe, visible to the naked eye.

It was always my favorite story because Andromeda was also the princess who was sacrificed to the Kraken and ultimately saved by a prince.

Was Matteo my prince?

Maybe he was, but I couldn’t shake off the guilty feeling that came along with it. Hannah had always been infatuated with him. Me… not so much. I liked him, sure, but my thoughts never ventured further than that. Not when we shared an innocent kiss as children, and never since.

Until tonight.

My heart raced, slamming against my rib cage at the memory of his proximity. I had to be imagining things, conjuring something that hadn’t really happened. Yes, that had to be it. My twisted mind was searching for an outlet and had conveniently chosen him, with his infuriatingly perfect body, as its focus. The images of his almost-naked form burned behind my eyelids, heating me down to my toes.

I gave my head a shake, chasing those very X-rated pictures out of my mind.

Then, as if drawn by fate itself, a dark figure loomed over me. I startled, slapping a hand to my mouth, trapping my gasp.

“Matteo,” I hissed, craning my neck to look at him. “What are you doing out here sneaking around?”

He stood there, draped in darkness, his eyes locked on me with an unreadable intensity. Power radiated from him, suffocating the air around us, stealing my breath with nothing more than a glance.

We continued to stare at each other, the pupils in his hazel eyes blown wide. My limbs trembled, my heart rate skyrocketing as he took a step forward, his bare feet almost touching mine.

Fuck.

What. Was. Happening?

“Matteo?” He didn’t answer. His scent—masculine and woodsy—clouded around me, but I refused to let it get to me. It was wrong. I stared up at him and rolled my eyes. “Seriously, you’re starting to freak me out.”

My voice was laced with bravado, but a part of me shuddered with something I couldn’t quite pinpoint.

“Ask me why I didn’t kiss you in the bathroom.”

My spine stiffened and I jerked like I’d been slapped. My breath hitched and the heat from his stare seeped into my bones. Maybe I hadn’t conjured the electricity crackling between us and he’d felt it too.

“Hell hadn’t frozen over yet,” I breathed my reminder.

In fact, if this was hell, it was making me so hot that I’d soon turn into a puddle right here—poolside at the Vitale estate. He oozed so much power and control I feared it would combust one day and sear anything and anyone around him. Yet, somehow, I didn’t think I’d mind. It would be like nearing the sun, blinded by its beauty.

He reached to cup my face, tracing his thumb over my bottom lip, stroking it. My lips parted of their own will.

His rich, deep voice filled the air. “Why aren’t you in your room, Ari?”

“It was either come out here for some fresh air or invade your mother’s oven with sugar and flour, which would wake up the entire house.” I tried for a shaky inhale, remembering my breathing exercises. “And why aren’t you in your room?”

“I went to check on you, but you weren’t there.”

“I don’t need a babysitter,” I whispered while he stared at me blankly. “And you’re acting weird. Go get some rest.”

“I would be getting that rest right now if I found you where you were supposed to be.”

“If you tell me you like to watch me sleep, I’m going to be creeped out. And let me remind you, my dad taught me how to deal with creeps.” My gaze fell to his nose that hadn’t been quite the same since I broke it. “The evidence is on your face.”

He smiled, that seductive smile that got every girl’s panties in a twist.

“You either don’t talk at all or you talk way too much, Ari.”

He scooped me up without a warning and a soft gasp escaped me. “What are you doing?”

“Taking you back to bed. You need sleep.”

He carried me in his arms bridal-style, and I grudgingly reached around his neck for support. My fingers stroked the short hairs on his nape, loving the feel of it. I placed my head on his strong shoulder, soaking up his body heat.

“When did you get so bossy?” I murmured.

“I’ve always been bossy, Ari.” He paused as he looked down at me. “You just never bothered to notice it before.”

I chuckled. “I kept my distance.”

“Why?”

“I worried you’d tell your dad that I broke your nose. No offense, Matteo, but your dad can be scary.”

He snickered. “Trust me, I can be scarier.”

Before long, we were back in my room and he was tucking me in again. “Want me to stay here until you’re asleep?”

Yes. “No.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.” I turned to my side, placing my palms under my cheek. “Matteo?”

“Yes, Nutella girl?” It was a nickname from our childhood. And despite not eating it as frequently anymore, he refused to give it up.

“The shooter.” He remained still, waiting for me to continue. “Did you know him?”

His brow furrowed as he watched me with a puzzled expression. “Why would I know him?”

I yawned tiredly. It would seem he was right when he claimed I needed sleep. “He asked if I knew your family.”

His expression quickly darkened to one that vowed he’d get to the bottom of whatever that meant.

“Are you sure?”

“Mhm.”

With a terse nod, he squeezed my arm and pressed his lips to my forehead, the heat of them searing through my skin.

He slipped out the door, and I released the breath I’d been holding since he placed me down on my sheets like I was something precious.

I shouldn’t want him, so why was my heart suddenly craving him?

CHAPTER ELEVEN

ARIANNA

“You’ll need to attend online courses,” Mom started, twisting her fingers—a nervous tic of hers that started when Gian… well, it started about five years ago. “You can come home or stay at St. Jean D’Arc. Your choice.”

“All taken care of,” Dad stated. “All your stuff has been packed too. I was just waiting to inform my men whether to take it to D’Arc or home.”

“Wow, you really don’t waste any time. Want to change my English literature degree to online courses too?” Hannah grumbled. “Never mind that Arianna is a legal adult and she has the right to decide what she wants to do and where she wants to do it.”

Our parents shot her their most stern glare.

I waved my hand. “It’s okay. I agree, it’s for the best. It’s not a major change from what I’m used to, anyway.”

“I’m surprised you’re taking this so well,” Hannah remarked, eyeing me suspiciously.

“Unless she’s hiding her true feelings,” Dominico deadpanned. “Are you?”

I shook my head and plastered on my brightest smile as I faced my brothers’ and my dad’s towering frames, studying me with identical expressions. The twins were the perfect clones of our father, while Gianna was the spitting image of our mother. Hannah and I… We were mutts with our biological father’s coloring, but our personalities were a blend of our mom and adoptive father.

“Would you prefer I throw a fit?” I asked.

“No, of course not,” Mom chimed in. “I’m just worried about you.”

“Besides, throwing fits is my job,” Hannah reminded them. We had just finished our breakfast with the Vitales when they excused themselves. I had to resist rolling my eyes at the blatant look of You might want to clear the room while we break it to her that my parents gave the Vitales.

“I knew this was coming, so let’s just end this conversation, get my Jeep, and then get to D’Arc so I can focus on my studies.”

The boys turned to our father. “Don’t worry, Dad. We’ll keep them safe.”

Unfortunately, they meant it too. They were four years younger than Hannah and me and two years older than Gianna, but they had always acted like they had authority over all of us. They could be overbearing—especially since Gianna’s kidnapping—but they meant well.

That was partly the reason I worked so hard to get away from D’Arc and insisted on transferring to Yale to finish the last year of my master’s degree. Way to fail less than a month in, Arianna.

“I’m happy I’ll have you closer,” Gianna murmured, taking my hand under the table and squeezing it gently. “I didn’t like beginning college without you. And yes, I know. I’m a big girl, especially starting college a whole year later than most of the kids.”

Guilt pierced my chest. She believed I was her hero when in reality I was anything but.

“Thanks, Gianna.”

I couldn’t help but notice that our parents struggled to let her go. What happened to her had left a mark on all of us, but with our guidance, she was eventually able to break down their protective walls.

“It’s the parents’ job to protect their children,” Dad reasoned, putting his big hand over Mom’s in an effort to ease his own worries. “And that will never stop, regardless of how old you are.”

“That’s right. And Cassius and I are here to help,” my brother declared, puffing out his chest. When Hannah rolled her eyes, he added, “Yale sucks anyway.” As heirs to Dad’s mafia empire, he and our other brother rarely stepped out of line. Either that or they never got caught, unlike Hannah and me. “You can study stars anywhere, and trust me, they’re the same at Jean D’Arc.”

I pushed my chair back and stood up. “Well, let’s not waste any time, then. I’ll have to find a room at D’Arc and start unpacking.”

Dad’s hawk-like gaze slid over my face, scrutinizing my expression—or lack thereof.

He got to his feet too and ruffled my hair, a warm smile grazing his lips. “You make us so proud, Arianna.”

I snorted. “You won’t be saying that for long. You know how Hannah and I can be when we’re together. We’ll probably end up in jail.”

Dad laughed. “And I’ll be there to bail you both out.”

The door shut behind my parents and I exhaled, slumping back against the bunk beds of our little corner in this large dorm suite. I shared a glance with Francesca. Since the two of us had the brilliant idea to relocate to Yale, we’d lost our old rooms, but thankfully not our places in this suite.

There was a huge shared living space, a kitchen, and bathrooms to afford each of us space and privacy when we needed it. And needed it was—that many girls in one space was chaos on cocaine.

“I thought your parents would never leave,” Francesca muttered.

“It’s going to be crowded,” I remarked, looking around the suite. When Francesca and I left for Yale, our space was assigned to Gianna and Anya Santos. With the two of us back, and only one bedroom to spare, D’Arc had to improvise. Since Francesca and I shared a bedroom at Yale, we said we could make do with one room and the bunk beds.

“At least we get along with the girls.” It was in the same compound we shared last year with my sister Hannah, my cousin Penelope DiMauro, Skye Leone, Amara Brennan, and Anya Santos. Our families went to great lengths to keep us together with the girls we’d grown close to over the years.

“Yeah, but let’s enjoy this quiet because it will be the last of it for a while.” The girls were either in their respective classes or, if they gave the summer semester a miss, they were probably at some social event or another and would be back in a few hours. “Let’s unpack our shit.”

An hour later, our new—or rather old—roommates began trickling in like a pack of kittens.

The first to appear were my cousin Penelope DiMauro and Skye.

“Welcome back.” Penelope ran over to me and hugged me. “We missed you.”

I grinned. “We’ve been gone barely a month.”

“A month too long,” Skye signed. She was deaf but was proficient at reading lips for the most part and had been part of the gang from the day we all met. Every one of the girls in the dorm had been learning to sign in hopes of communicating on her terms. It had always been important to the rest of us that she felt included. “Welcome back, Francesca and Arianna.”

“Did you two meet any hot boys while at Yale?”

Francesca sighed. “Not a single one.”

Amara Brennan and Anya Santos, two of our other roomies, appeared next.

“Single one what?” Anya, Gabriel Santos’s much younger niece, asked. The two were raised as siblings, and much like other families in the mafia, had an over-complicated family tree.

“Not a single hot boy,” I elaborated.

“You two made quite a fuss,” Amara remarked, eyeing the bedroom Francesca and I took.

“Are you talking about the shooting or the mess?” I wondered.

“The mess. We’ll talk about the shooter when there aren’t so many shoes around,” she answered as we stood surrounded by a much bigger mess than we started with.

“I’ll never fit all my shit in here,” Francesca complained, throwing her hands up in frustration.

“You might want to get rid of some of that makeup,” Penelope suggested. “Or shoes.”

An arm wrapped around my shoulder and I came to a halt as Amara chimed in with, “And that telescope.”

“That’s Arianna’s,” Francesca explained.

Penelope shot me a puzzled look. “What are you going to do with it here?”

“She’s using it to spy on people, of course,” Amara answered in my stead, giving me a big hug.

“And planets,” I corrected her.

Amara grinned. “But spying on people is so much more fun. Welcome back.”

“Yes, welcome back,” Anya chimed, smiling. “We missed you both.”

I smiled. “We missed you too. Right, Francesca?”

“Totally. We still have online Yale classes, but the crowd on this campus, especially in this dorm, is so much better.”

We were quickly adjusting for sure.

“Don’t ever leave again,” Anya stated as she whirled me around in a circle, peppering kisses on my cheek. Then she glanced around and lowered her voice before continuing. “Your twin is incorrigible when you’re not around. I swear we’re always getting in trouble.”

“As opposed to just getting you in trouble, Arianna,” Penelope stated. “But I must agree with the girls. Without you around, Hannah just goes off the rails.”

I glanced behind her. “Where is she, anyhow?”

She shrugged. “Looking for Matteo would be my guess.”

Francesca threw her head back and laughed. “She’ll be looking for a long time. He, Nikola, and Gabriel went to New York City. Some hush-hush business.”

“And Gianna?” I asked. “Where is she?”

“She’s keeping Hannah in check,” Skye signed.

“Gee. How did the youngest get stuck with that job?” Francesca grumbled.

Penelope waved her hand, her pink dress hugging her curves. “It was her turn today. Besides, believe it or not, Gianna keeps her in check better than anyone.”

Amara took Francesca’s and my hands and inspected every inch of our bodies. She was the most fearless person I knew, next to my crazy sister. But then she kind of had to be considering her family who watched over her like she was the apple of their eye.

“Gosh, I missed you all,” Francesca admitted, smiling sheepishly, hooking arms with Skye and Penelope. “Can you girls help me pick a major? Now that I’m back, I don’t want to spend all my time studying.”

Everyone groaned in unison. The youngest member of the Vitale family had changed her major as frequently as the seasons.

“It would make more sense to finish out with your current major,” I stated. “It’s your last year; you can do it.”

She let out a loud pfft sound. “Physics was a good excuse for Yale, but I don’t want to study that hard. I mean, what’s the point? I’m going to marry some mafia dude, not make a career out of it. Besides, physics was… boring.”

The girls scoffed, but nobody argued.

Arranged marriages were common in our circles. Penelope was arranged to marry some Italian dude. Amara swore up and down she would never get married, but I caught glances between her and Gabriel Santos once or twice at the end of the last school year. And then there was something between Skye and Nikola too…

But none of that applied to my sisters and me.

Our father promised we wouldn’t be forced to marry as part of some silly arrangement.

Like I said, he was a good one.

The conversation veered to a discussion about various majors and what would be the easiest to stomach for Francesca, but I tuned it out. She might be asking for our opinions, but I’d bet she already made up her mind.

My gaze kept flitting to the exit, eager to leave all the commotion behind, when Skye’s hand flagged me for attention.

“There’s a party to crash, and then we have a surprise for you.”

I stared back at a smiling Skye and grinned. “What is it?”

As if the rest of the girls remembered, they all exclaimed at the same time.

“You’re going to love it,” Amara assured, smiling devilishly.

Anya frowned. “We shouldn’t steal her family’s thunder.”

I beamed, intrigued. “Don’t keep me in suspense. Tell me.”

“Nope.” They all shook their heads. “Party first.”

“Get your priorities in order.” Francesca bumped her shoulder against mine, grinning like she meant to set the world on fire. “It’s time to show them who’s the life of the party.”

“Some welcome this is,” I muttered under my breath, but I let the girls drag me away anyhow.

CHAPTER TWELVE

MATTEO

When Ari told me the shooter had brought up my family name, I dug up everything there was to know about him—from the moment he took his first breath to his last one. That included everything I could find about his sister who had mysteriously gone missing recently.

It was how I found myself in New York City, specifically one of Soho’s most luxurious residential streets, with Nikola and Gabriel. The shooter’s family owned this luxury redbrick manor among many others. We’d checked them all out, but this one raised questions.

It was rented out to a company that didn’t exist. At least not legally. And then there were the women that we witnessed being smuggled into the manor, which was an obvious glaring red flag.

The manor stood at the end of the dead-end street, away from prying eyes and the noise of the city. The lawn was immaculate, the gardens manicured, and the amber glow of lights bled through the blinds, telling us what we needed to know.

It looked like a typical home, blending in with the rest of the neighborhood, but my gut warned it was serving a different purpose.

“Should we run this by our parents?” Nikola asked.

Gabriel snorted. “Since when do you want to run shit by our parents?”

He shrugged. “Trying to be a good influence.”

“You?” I narrowed my eyes on him. “Does this have something to do with Skye or impressing Dante Leone?”

Nikola scoffed. “As if anyone could impress that man. He’s a lunatic.”

“Then you two should get along swell,” Gabriel remarked dryly.

Nikola let out an exasperated breath. “There’s only room for one lunatic in this world.”

My brows rose in surprise. “How does that work with you and your uncle Sasha, then? He’s as unhinged as they come.”

“There’s an understatement,” Gabriel scoffed.

“I tolerate him because he’s family.” Nikola grinned, seemingly proud of his reputation as a straight-up maniac.

“Aren’t we the lucky ones,” Gabriel joked, slapping him on the back. “But don’t forget, I’m your family too. Your uncle and superior.”

“Fuck. You.” Nikola hated the reminder. Needless to say, the Nikolaev-Santos family relationship was not exactly straightforward. “You’re lucky my mom likes you or I’d ship you off to Siberia.”

“Wow, this is quite high tech,” I murmured, staring at the keypad.

“Something is definitely off here,” Gabriel echoed my earlier thoughts.

“Did you bring the equipment, Nik?” I glanced at my friend, dressed in all black like Gabriel and me. “We’ll need it to break this code.”

He wasted no time connecting his application to the keypad remotely. A soft ding signaled the search was over.

“Do we have the code to get in?” I asked.

Gabriel nodded. We checked our weapons one last time and slid out of the car. We wouldn’t have to sneak around because the street was otherwise deserted.

Once at the door, Nikola entered the retrieved code into the keypad and the door clicked open. The minute we crossed the threshold, the chill in the air raised the hair on the back of my neck.

The interior of the brick manor was a stark contrast to its pristine, welcoming façade on the outside. The shutters kept the world firmly outside, and I couldn’t help but wonder what they were keeping hidden inside.

This floor was nearly empty, save for a battered couch slumped in the corner, its glory days long forgotten. The walls were bare and grime-covered, reeking of blood and urine. The air was thick, oppressive, saturated with a sinister presence—darkness clung to every surface, echoing with silent screams.

Guns in hand, we crept ahead—Nikola to the left, Gabriel to the right, and me straight ahead. The wooden boards groaned under our feet, the noise too loud in the tense silence.

I exchanged a look with Nikola and Gabriel. Gabriel pointed to the bottom of the door that was farthest from us, noticing the light coming through and the dark shadows moving back and forth.

The air felt electric, charged with the promise of violence.

Nikola moved first. He kicked the door in, the crack of splintering wood spearing through the space like a gunshot.

In the next breath, chaos erupted. Bullets tore through the air in a deafening symphony. I dove behind a column, heart pounding in my chest. Gabriel and Nikola hit the ground, taking cover behind the tattered couch that barely offered protection.

There was another shot, closer this time. I tracked the sound, instincts sharpening in the haze of adrenaline. Calculating its origin, I aimed and fired.

A sharp grunt, telling me I’d hit my mark.

“Got one,” I yelled.

“I got the second one,” Nikola shouted. “Third.”

“Don’t kill them all,” I demanded a heartbeat too late, because a body hit the floor with a loud thud.

The silence that followed was unnatural. No bullets came, but I could almost feel eyes on me.

“That’s it?” Nikola asked with disappointment.

“Thank fuck,” Gabriel muttered. “Would you prefer World War III?”

“As a matter of fact⁠—”

“Watch my back,” I told Gabriel and Nikola, cutting off their bickering. “I’m moving in.”

Those dead guards were protecting something or someone, and I was determined to find out what or who it was. Walking deeper into the house, I found stairs that led into the basement.

I glanced over my shoulder and signaled I was going in.

“Why is it always the fucking basement?” Gabriel whispered as he and Nikola flanked me.

“Don’t worry,” Nikola whispered. “I can hold your hand if you’re scared.”

I shot them a warning look just as Gabriel flipped him off, and we started moving down the stairs. It wasn’t until we took the last step that we found five pairs of terrified eyes looking up at us.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Gabriel muttered. “Are those⁠—”

Women. No, girls. Filthy, battered girls. They couldn’t be older than thirteen, and if they were, they were seriously malnourished.

Huddled in the corner, they stared at us, petrified.

For a moment, we all stood frozen, staring at each other. I’d heard horror stories about human trafficking, but I’d never seen it firsthand. It was at this very moment that I finally understood why my father and his friends fought like hell against it.

“We’re not going to hurt you,” I said in a gentle voice, tucking the gun in the back of my pants. Nikola lowered his but didn’t put it away.

“Come out of there,” Gabriel coaxed. “We’ll take you home.”

They didn’t move, eyeing us warily, so I tried again. “We’re looking for someone related to an attack on my sister and friend.” One of the girls pointed to the left and all our eyes followed to a door. I stiffened. “Is someone there?”

“He left through that door.”

My brows scrunched. “Who?”

“The man.”

“I’ll go check,” Gabriel offered and took off, Nikola at his back.

“My friends will find him,” I said, keeping my voice even. The truth was I wanted to run after them too, but was hesitant to leave the poor girls without protection.

“How long have you been here?” Silence. “Can you at least let me know where your families are? We need to get you back to them.”

“You—you won’t sell us?” one of the girls stuttered.

“Of course not. That’s illegal.” My family did plenty of illegal stuff, but not this. Never this. Not that I’d ever tell that to these girls. “We’ll ensure you get back to your families.”

“You won’t make us into belles for organs?”

Fuck, this couldn’t be good.

“Huh?”

“One of the men kept bringing up the Belles and Mobsters Agreement,” she explained.

“What?” Gabriel and Nikola returned right on time.

I met his and Nikola’s gaze. “Nothing.”

“One vehicle is gone,” Nikola piped. “I’ll check the tags later and see if we can pin down the owner.”

“Now what did I hear about those agreements?” Gabriel inquired. The auctions had ended—or at least they should have—with the death of Benito King, decades ago.

The girls were still huddled together, and they now studied Nikola and Gabriel warily.

“Apparently they were going to be sold for their… organs,” I explained, giving them a silent warning not to say anything about it.

“That’s…” Gabriel searched for the right words when Nikola added, “Fucked up.”

I kneeled down while maintaining my distance. “Can you tell us anything about the man who took off?” The girls shook their heads. “What does he look like?”

“He wore a mask,” the same girl answered.

“Anything to set him apart?”

She shrugged. “We’ve only been here twice.”

“How long have you all been captive?” Gabriel asked. “Should we take you to the hospital to be checked out?”

The girls all muttered out their responses, most of them saying either one or two weeks.

Nikola’s expression darkened. “If someone got my baby sister, my dad would⁠—”

“Your families must be searching for you,” Gabriel cut him off, knowing our friend too well. He was about to go into some gruesome description of the torture his family would bestow on anyone who dared hurt the Nikolaevs. It wasn’t for anyone’s ears, much less these young girls.

“Let’s get you out of here.” My blood was boiling but I did my best to keep my voice calm. “Your families must be worried sick.”

“We should get them to the hospital,” Gabriel stated.

I agreed, but we couldn’t exactly show up with the girls without being questioned ourselves.

“My mom could check them out,” Nikola added, probably following my line of thinking. “She’s a doctor.”

“Yes, but she’s all the way in New Orleans.”

“We can get them to another hospital.” Nico Morrelli had set up shelters and hospitals for human trafficking victims on his territory. I was certain they wouldn’t be turned away there. “You’ll be safe there. It’s for the best if you all get checked out by professionals. Okay?”

They didn’t look sure, so I tabled that for now.

“Did you pick up any names of the men who’ve been keeping you here?” I asked, still kneeling on the filthy ground and staying eye level with the young girls.

“No. The guards rarely talked in front of us,” one offered.

“Even the one who snuck out?” I inquired.

The girls nodded in unison. “I think he was the boss.”

I really hoped the street surveillance would give us some clue into who that asshole was.

“Where are you from?” Gabriel asked. “Your families?”

Alaska. Missouri. Alabama. California.

“I’m from New York,” the last one mumbled. “My brother… he goes to Yale.” I studied the young girl and a bad feeling flickered through my chest. “He’s in trouble with some bad people and⁠—”

“Fuck, why does she look like⁠—”

Nikola didn’t even finish his sentence before I let out a muffled curse, hanging my head.

The resemblance was undeniable. Same hair color. Same eye color. Same face, but more feminine.

“She looks like the shooter,” I grumbled, and his sister. The photo of the shooter's sister was much older, but resemblance was definitely there.

“Almost as if they were related,” Nikola echoed my own thoughts.

“Sh-shooter?” Her gaze darted between the three of us, her eyes wide.

Fuck.

“I’m sorry,” I started slowly. “You look a lot like someone who killed a few people and attacked my sister at Yale.”

Her expression paled. “My brother goes to Yale.” Two heartbeats of silence. “Is he… Is he dead?”

“Give us just a moment,” I said, yanking Gabriel and Nikola to the back of the room.

“We should call Morrelli,” Gabriel hissed.

“Fuck that,” Nikola protested. “Nico will just take over and push us out of the game.”

“This isn’t a game.” My friend’s view of things could sometimes be skewed, but that’s why he had me. “He has shelters set up all over his territory. And we have nowhere to take these girls.”

“Let’s get their home addresses and⁠—”

“And the shooter’s sister?” Gabriel challenged.

“She might have someone else who can take her in,” Nikola protested.

Gabriel shook his head, and I could sense his patience running thin. “Not everyone has a big-ass family like yours, Nikolaev.”

“We could reach out to Áine King,” I cut in. “She has an organization that specializes in these kinds of rescues.”

“Good thinking, bro,” Nikola offered, then narrowed his eyes at our friend. “At least someone has brains.”

“Everyone but you,” Gabriel drawled.

“Fuck you, Colombiano. You’re so lucky you’re loosely related to my mother or I’d—” He dragged a thumb from one ear to the other across his neck.

“You could fucking try, Ruso. And I’m not loosely related. I’m her half brother. Your fucking uncle.”

“I object to calling you that.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “If you two are fucking done⁠—”

“We’re done,” Gabriel cut in when it seemed like Nikola was going to continue. “So we have a plan for these girls, but how do we figure out who was behind it in the first place? It seems unlikely that someone would be brave enough to go against your father and do this on his territory.”

“And yet… check out the evidence,” Nikola said.

“It kind of seems like these girls were taken as leverage, and if we take them back to their families, they could find themselves in the same situation,” I stated pensively, the puzzles in my head jamming together but refusing to make sense. “I wish I knew why they are targeting my family. All the members who did that shit are dead and gone.”

“And you’re sure that the shooter mentioned your family by name?” Gabriel questioned.

I nodded. “Ari said he specifically said Vitale.”

“Maybe your mom would know?” Nikola pondered. “She was a belle herself.”

“Under no circumstance will we be asking her about this shit,” I warned. Even though I was very young, I could still remember my mother’s night terrors that had plagued her for months after she and my aunt Ella disappeared for days. Her heart-wrenching screams woke up every soul in the house. It wasn’t until I was much older that I learned they were kidnapped by her uncle Alphonso Romano’s son and his accomplice, Benito King, to be sold through the Belles and Mobsters Agreement.

“Let’s just give the girls a choice,” Gabriel stated. “If they feel safe with their families, we’ll send them home.”

“And if they don’t?” Nikola grumbled. “I’m not taking them in like strays.”

“We’ll give them a choice.” I shot him a look that I hoped he interpreted correctly—he was being insensitive, and the girls didn’t need his attitude tonight. Not after everything they’d been through. “If their families are part of the reason they found themselves in this mess, we’ll find them a safe place with Áine’s organization.”

I looked back at the girls. They stared at us with a tiny flicker of hope, and it fucking hurt my chest to even think what they must have endured. I knew Áine King would handle them with care, that it was the right call for them.

“Okay, let’s go upstairs,” I offered, waving the girls over. “We have a safe place to take you and a team that will ensure you’re taken care of. Either your families can come for you, or this organization will take you back to them.”

That seemed to satisfy the girls, and one by one, they made their way over to us. We took them upstairs and sat them on the only couch in the living room as I dialed Áine. And then we waited. Thankfully, it took no time at all for Áine’s team to show up and usher the girls out of there and into safety.

“Well, I guess our work here is done,” Gabriel drawled, the three of us standing in the deserted house with even more questions.

“It feels like we didn’t accomplish jack shit,” Nikola muttered. “I’ll dig up the surveillance and see if the license plate⁠—”

He never got to finish the sentence because the front door flew open.

I didn’t hesitate to spur into action. In five strides, I was at the front door along with Nikola. Grabbing the man by his collar, I yanked him inside and Nikola shut the door behind him.

“One high note, and you’re dead,” I warned, shoving him into the wall as I pressed a gun against his skull.

His eyes bulged, darting around the room. “Where are the girls?”

“Long gone.”

“You better worry about yourself, dumbass,” Gabriel remarked dryly.

“Man, I fucking love visitors,” Nikola declared. “This one we can question.”

He stared at the full sleeves of tattoos decorating both of Nikola’s arms, his eyes settling on the one with his last name inked inside the raven. Recognition must have set in because the motherfucker paled.

“A Ni-Ni-Nikolaev?” he stuttered.

“Look at that. You’re a celebrity,” I noted. It only took one crazy motherfucker in the family to have the whole world buzzing with your name.

Unfortunately, the Nikolaevs now had two crazies—Sasha and his nephew.

Dragging my attention back to the man, I pressed my forearm into his neck. “Now, you’re going to tell us everything you know, or I’ll let the crazy Russian play with you.”

“And trust me,” Gabriel drawled. “His games are sick.”

“I don’t know anything,” he cried. “I swear. I’m just here for my shift. I was only told to make sure the door to the basement stayed locked.”

“I’m so tempted to fucking tear you limb by limb,” I growled.

“Let me slice him into tiny pieces,” Nikola offered. “He’ll be alive longer and feel the pain better.”

“First you’re going to give us answers,” I gritted. Then, to give him false hope, I added, “Your answers will determine your punishment. Who do you work for? What were you going to do with the girls?”

His eyes darted behind me and he pointed at the dead guard. “I’m just a guard. I work for that guy. That’s all I know.”

I shoved him against the wall again, making it shake with the impact. “What was the plan? What were you going to do with them?”

“I don’t know,” he cried. “I don’t know. Nobody told us anything. Our only job was to keep the girls locked up until it was time.”

“Time for what?”

“Until someone else came to take them. I don’t know who or when.”

Fuck, this was proving to be futile.

“You do know what’s happening here, right?” Gabriel demanded.

“Sure do.”

“What? What the fuck is happening?” Nikola demanded.

“We’re dealing with someone who’s pulling the strings from the shadows while having everyone else do their dirty work.” Gabriel pinned the guard with a glare. “And if you have no useful information for us, we’d best be on our way.”

I reached down to retrieve the knife tucked at my ankle.

“No, no… Wait… I didn’t do anything. I just came in and watched them.”

“You didn’t do anything to help these girls.” I drawled. “You didn’t spare them, so tell me… Why should we spare you?”

His silence was my answer.

“Who’s the masked man?” I demanded.

More silence.

“Well, fucker, do you have any final words?” Nikola growled, and the coward started to cry. Not small tears either, but crocodile ones. “Anyone told you before that you’re ugly when you cry?” Nikola taunted with a tilt of his head.

“I’m sorry,” he whimpered. “I’m so sorry.”

Gabriel smirked. “I’m sure you are sorry right now, but only because you got caught.”

“What do you know about the Yale shooter?” He shot me a blank stare. “What do you know about the Vitale family?”

“All I know is that we had to capture the girls,” he cried. “At Yale.”

“Why?” I gritted. “And what girls?”

He couldn’t have possibly been targeting Arianna and Francesca. Could he?

“There were two girls they were targeting at Yale, and killing anyone else was just a distraction.”

“The targets for what?”

“I… don’t… know,” he hiccupped. “They don’t tell me much.”

“This guy is useless,” Gabriel muttered.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I⁠—”

Nikola smacked him in the head. “Enough.”

“Did you learn your lesson?” I asked.

He nodded so frantically, I suspected a case of whiplash.

“Good, then I won’t give you to Nikola.”

“Thank you. Thank you. You won’t regret it.”

“Instead I’ll give you a taste of your own medicine,” I continued coolly. His eyes widened and I smiled savagely. “You didn’t really think we’d let this go unpunished, did you?”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

ARIANNA

“When you suggested we crash a party, I didn’t think you meant literally,” I whispered as we trudged through the woods on the outskirts of campus. “Why are we here? We weren’t invited, so it’s obvious we won’t be welcome. The Legacies don’t let outsiders witness whatever the fuck they’re doing at their events.”

The Legacies were known for their events and for keeping it all hush-hush among themselves. Yet, here we were, walking through the forest about to barge in.

“It’s a party, not an event,” Penelope argued.

“Definitely not a party,” I muttered.

“Y’all are going to get us killed, aren’t you?” Francesca retorted wryly as she stepped over a fallen branch. “And if you don’t get us killed, my brother surely will.”

Goose bumps broke over my skin. I hadn’t been fond of the woods since Gianna’s kidnapping. I kept my steps silent, peeking around, almost expecting to see the old ghosts that’d been rearing their heads in my nightmares lately.

“So far, I’m giving this party a negative-star rating,” Francesca whisper-yelled, keeping her head down. The leaves crushed beneath our shoes with every step. “And it’s ruining my special edition Converse.” She pointed at her initial-engraved purple tennis shoes.

The trees towered overhead, scowling at us for sneaking around where we were unwanted. You could barely get a peek at the dark sky, its stars hiding due to the clouds taking shape. I shivered.

This is different. We’re safe. Don’t think about it.

I silently repeated those words as I glanced around, counting my breaths to ensure I didn’t lose my shit. It would alarm the girls, and I wasn’t in the mood to wax poetic about what constituted trauma.

“Why can’t we go to normal parties?” Amara grumbled, her fingers moving briskly as she looked at Skye.

“Because we’re idiots, and I know it’s anti-feminist or something, but the boys seem to always have better parties,” Skye reasoned.

I shook my head. “Skye, I should have never left you with these hoes. They ruined your perspective.”

Penelope snickered. “Or she wants to steal a peek at Nikola’s bare chest. That man must have something against wearing a shirt.”

Skye jammed two fingers against Penelope’s chest and pushed her while my face twisted into a grimace.

“God, that man is… disturbed,” I blurted. “Skye, pick anyone but him.”

Skye shrugged. “He’s not that bad. I like him.”

The rest of us exchanged a glance, and I shook my head in disbelief. There wasn’t a sweeter person on campus than Skye and she liked that psychopath? It was wrong on so many levels.

“Don’t worry. We’ll pray for you,” Anya assured, then shot me a conspiratorial grin.

“She’s going to need a lot more than prayers,” Penelope muttered.

“At least she’ll be getting some dick,” Amara deadpanned, then narrowed her eyes on Penelope. “Unlike some of us who leave a trail of dead boyfriends in their wake.”

A pause, then they both threw their heads back and laughed.

“Jesus, you’d think we’ve been gone for years, not just a month,” Francesca grumbled, waggling her brows. “Now spill the tea. Arianna and I feel left out.”

“Bitch, please. There aren’t enough hours in the day to go through all that shit,” Penelope huffed. “Starting with your sisters, Arianna.”

“Why? What happened?” I asked, alert shooting down my spine. “I thought you said Gianna was keeping Hannah in check.”

“Better ask what hasn’t happened,” Amara exclaimed, throwing her hands up. “Haven’t you been speaking to them?”

“I guess they’ve left a few things out,” I muttered.

Penelope stopped, raised her palm up, and silenced us all. She’d changed into flats and a beautiful purple lace dress that hugged her curves. She always succeeded in pulling off brave combinations, but that girl would look good in anything.

“Everyone stop yapping or we’ll get caught.”

Francesca hiked her hand onto her hip. “By whom? It’s not like we’re trespassing. These grounds are ours to traipse on if we so please, so I don’t know why⁠—”

“Law,” I blurted out suddenly, surprising even myself, and everyone turned to me in slow motion. “That’s what you should study. Law. You’ve always excelled at arguing your case.”

“Oh, come on, Arianna. She’s a mafia princess just like the rest of us. How could studying law be useful?” Anya was usually the quiet one, but when she spoke up, she managed to capture everyone’s attention. “We enter into it knowing that our families break the law daily.”

I shrugged. “Even criminals need defenders. She could be the one to bail us out of jail.”

Penelope shook her head. “And you’re implying that we’ll all go to jail?”

“I mean, it’s a real possibility,” I reasoned. “But that’s neither here nor there. I just think it would suit her.”

Francesca tapped her chin pensively before she responded.

“If you don’t count the fact I’d have anyone who opposed me murdered, sure. I mean, I’m open to challenges.”

“But—”

“Nuh-uh. It’s decided. I’m going to be a lawyer.”

Penelope looked as if she wanted to say something, but instead, she continued walking down the thick forest path toward the music blaring in the distance.

We all continued in silence, slowing as we approached the bonfire in the middle of the empty meadow.

“Boo!”

The six-foot-five ghoul that appeared from behind a nearby tree was now towering over us, scaring the living crap out of the six of us—much to his delight.

Nikola Nikolaev, the damn lunatic, wore a face smeared in ghostly white paint, stark and unsettling. Jagged black lines carved out skull-like teeth around his mouth, stretching into a manic grin that split his face in two—wild, unhinged, and brimming with chaos. I’d heard of the things they got up to at their gatherings, but I never fathomed it would be so… terrifying.

So there he stood, bare-chested and looking like some psychopath who was about to eat us for dinner.

Seeing our expressions, Nikola tipped his head back, his laughter boisterous.

“You should see your faces right now.”

I glared at him. “You should see the ugly face we’re staring at. And where in the fuck is your shirt, you mad Russian? This isn’t a nudist campus.”

“Too fucking hot.” Obviously, the idiot was used to Siberian temperatures.

“And what’s your excuse for that ugly paint on your face? It’s not Halloween.”

He flipped me off and I narrowed my eyes on him.

“You scared the bejesus out of us,” Skye signed, her breathing erratic.

The look he shot her sent my own heart into panic. I grabbed her hand and pushed her behind me protectively.

“We’re leaving,” I said.

“No, you’re not,” Nikola announced. “You wanted to crash a party, so follow through.”

Skye sidestepped me bravely, and the rest of the girls followed suit. Most girls were nervous around the man, although judging by the look on Skye’s face, she wasn’t.

“Stop fucking with them, Nik,” she signed, breathing harshly. “And we haven’t crashed anything.”

I held my breath when the pale blue of his eyes narrowed, darkening on Skye.

“Skye, little babydoll. Stop being brave and challenging me.” He smiled that cold, unhinged smile that the Nikolaev family was known for. Except that Nikola took the cake on all of them. “I’m a broken heart collector and leave ashes in my wake. If you’re lucky, you’ll only need professional help when I’m done with you.”

Obviously braver than I was smart, I shoved him, but his bulky frame didn’t even budge. “Have you lost your mind? You don’t threaten the daughter of Dante Leone.”

And you usually didn’t survive it either. Skye’s biological father was the only one who had openly declared war against the Nikolaevs after he learned about the daughter he lost and the Nikolaev involvement—albeit innocent—in that. He would gladly torch this world while ensuring his family was safe on some tropical island.

“Sweetheart, you don’t mess with a Nikolaev.” He had a point there, but there was no fucking way I’d acknowledge it. “We can definitely take him.”

Skye scoffed. “You’ll be brought to your knees one day, Nikola Nikolaev.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” he stated, letting his Russian accent bleed into his words. He stared at my friend like she was his worst enemy. They were, in fact, almost step-cousins, but that was a complicated relationship that didn’t warrant delving into.

He shook off the exchange and grinned, showing off his perfectly straight white teeth.

“Ladies.” He stepped aside, extending his hand like he was showing us a way to a magic kingdom. “After you.”

“I definitely didn’t miss this shit at Yale,” I grumbled as we all followed him deeper into the forest. Like a sick version of Little Red Riding Hood. “Not even been back a day and I feel like I’ve already lost a year of my life.”

“Me too,” Francesca said. “And what’s the deal with Skye and that batshit Russian?”

“It’s been like this since the beginning of summer,” Anya huffed next to me, following along. “It’s like they’re playing a game of cat and mouse, and we’re all getting caught up in it.”

“It seems to be the running theme,” Amara muttered, and I couldn’t quite shake off the feeling that she was talking about herself.

This was dumb.

I should have stayed in my dorm and gotten caught up on the work I’d missed. Instead, I stood here sweating in my Dior summer dress, my lungs burning as I inhaled sharp breaths and listened to some angry heavy metal from someone’s speaker.

“I need a gallon of bug spray,” I grumbled, scratching one leg with my other. I loved being outdoors, but trekking through the woods definitely wasn’t my thing. I preferred resorts, exotic islands, somewhere cold in Norway or Alaska where I could gaze up at the stars and not feel a single bug buzzing around me. “I’m pretty sure mosquitoes are draining me of all blood.”

“It’s because you’re too sweet,” Amara teased. “Try taking a page out of Hannah’s book and they’ll all fly away.”

I rolled my eyes, but remained silent. I hadn’t seen Hannah all day and couldn’t help but feel like she was avoiding me. Something was off with her, but I couldn’t quite pinpoint what.

Penelope interrupted my thoughts. “Those painted faces are dumb. Scary, but dumb as fuck.”

“Cousin… fucking language,” I scolded, unable to keep my face straight. She snickered before we turned to watch the wooded area around us.

The clearing lay hidden deep within the heart of the forest, smothered by towering trees whose skeletal branches clawed at the night sky, choking out any trace of moonlight. Shadows pooled thick and heavy along the edges, watching from the tree line like silent predators. The air was dense with the scent of damp earth, smoke, and something faintly metallic—sharp, like blood on rust.

Bonfires raged across the clearing, flames clawing skyward and vomiting showers of embers into the dark. The firelight twisted over the gathered crowd, their faces flickering between moments of excitement and something darker—grins that stretched too wide, eyes reflecting the flames with a strange, feral glint.

From a battered speaker perched on a stump near one of the fires, harsh metal music screamed into the night—distorted riffs, guttural vocals, and pounding drums that echoed through the clearing like a war cry. The sound cut through the air like a blade, vibrating in the chest, making the bonfires seem to burn hotter, wilder.

“Why do they do it?” I wondered under my breath. I’d heard stories of these activities taking place, but I never bothered attending them. It was truly terrifying the way the orange glow of the bonfire threw shadows all around us and glimmered off each and every skull-painted face.

“It’s like we’ve stepped into a freak show,” I added.

Anya shrugged. “Gabriel said it’s to remind the Legacies, and everyone connected to the mafia, of all the skeletons our families had to bury in the past. I suppose it’s a nod to our… parents. Ancestors.”

“That’s honestly the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” Penelope hissed.

“Hey, I’m just repeating what I was told,” Anya grumbled.

“Also, each faction of the mafia uses a slightly different skull,” Amara chimed in. “See over there…” She pointed discreetly to the far right at black-and-white skulls with golden accents. “Those are kingpins. My peeps. Then over to the left with thorns and such are the Omertàs. And then of course there are those with silver accents. Those are your peeps, Arianna.”

“I guess it’s kind of… symbolic?” I hedged, noting that the only ones who didn’t bother with painted faces and scary skulls were the Ashfords—the “Billionaire Kings” as the world liked to refer to them. There were the Yakuza heirs here as well with their own terrifying masks. “And they do it like this every time?”

“More or less,” Penelope huffed. “I really hate violence, but this almost feels… more ominous.”

I wasn’t fond of horror movies, and this certainly felt like a scene from one.

We shouldn’t be here, at this “party.”

On either side of me were my roommates—the only other women here—who looked just as shell-shocked as I was.

“Tonight we show what happens to human traffickers.” A voice I recognized all too well echoed through the forest, everyone’s attention on him.

Matteo Vitale.

The painted face that terrified me the most. Gone was the boy I’d grown up with, and in his place was a ruthless mobster.

Much like every other person on this campus.

Roars of voices rolled through the clearing, the words kill, kill, kill repeated over and over again, and it finally dawned on me why people were gathered here tonight, what their aim was.

They’d apprehended an enemy on East Coast territory.

Matteo had claimed that students here were a legacy of heathens, and he wasn’t wrong. Both of our ancestors were once deeply embedded in flesh trading with auctions, agreements, and prostitution rings.

I’d heard rumors of the punishments doled out to those who participated in it now. They—Matteo and his friends—would track down any reckless man who dared encroach on their family territory. They became judges, juries, and… executioners.

My gaze fell on my twin brothers.

They were glaring at me from across the field, unhappy to see me and my friends here.

I wouldn’t have recognized them if not for those identical glaring gray eyes, and we were too far apart for me to tell them apart. They held my gaze and one of them—Cassius, maybe?—mouthed, What the fuck are you doing here?

I smiled sweetly and turned my back on them.

Amara chuckled next to me. “Siblings. Gotta love ’em.”

“Only because we can’t murder them,” I said, but my voice was devoid of any real venom.

“Is this guy getting a bullet in his head, burning at the stake, or what?” someone yelled. “We don’t have all night for this shit.”

“We’ll teach him ‘predator and prey,’” Matteo answered, his strong baritone voice traveling through the entire clearing. “We’ll set him free and then hunt him down. Heck, maybe even take one of his organs or two.”

What the actual fuck?

“It would seem your brother’s leading this manhunt,” Penelope whispered the obvious to Francesca. “Better hope he doesn’t get locked up.”

She just shrugged. “This is why I need to get that law degree.”

“Just make sure you charge them an arm and a leg,” I added, and the girls fixed me with their disapproving stares. “What? A girl’s got to make a living somehow. It’s no different than robbery, and y’all are good with that.”

“I see your point,” Amara agreed. “We pat you on the back when you and Hannah steal money, and like you said, this is no different.”

Over Amara’s shoulder, I spotted a familiar face. I lost track of the conversation, blinking furiously to make sure I wasn’t imagining things.

Hannah.

Sure, her face was hard to make out, but there was no mistaking her. Her hair was up in a high ponytail, and the smile she wore on that white-painted face with black skull lines was nothing short of terrifying.

We never willingly ventured into violence, not unless it was self-defense.

My eyes flitted to my brothers, where I registered their shock as they noticed the same person I did. That meant it had to be the first time Hannah was here; otherwise, they wouldn’t be surprised like that.

Hannah’s fingers circled a baseball bat resting on her shoulder, all her attention on the man Matteo was about to set free. She wore jean shorts, an oversized white Oxford that was tied at her waist, and black high-top sneakers.

“Run, because when you’re caught, all hell will break loose,” Matteo shouted as he unbound the prisoner. I always knew there was a dangerous edge to him, but I’d never gotten this close to it before.

“You have thirty seconds.” Hannah laughed, then she started counting. “One Mississippi… two Mississippi…”

My mouth parted in shock as I watched it all unfold.

“What in the fuck is going on here?” I hissed, staring in shock at the scene in front of me.

“Jesus Christ, she’s even crazier than I thought,” Amara echoed my own thoughts. “Did she⁠—”

“She joined the Legacies,” Penelope finished for her.

“That she did,” Nikola, who appeared out of nowhere again, said while cackling. “Bloodthirsty, that one.”

Four songs.

Ten minutes and thirty-three seconds.

One hundred eighty-five breaths.

That was how long it took my twin to catch her prey. She handed him over to Matteo and his gang of merry followers, who then took him somewhere to most likely kill him.

My ears rang as I pushed through the crowd that was now celebrating their conquest, dancing like we were in a nightclub. I couldn’t quite catch the words of the 5 Seconds of Summer song as I plowed through the field with bonfires all around and zeroed in on Hannah.

Just as I neared her, she took a red cup from a passerby and downed their drink.

“Holy shit.” She shook her head, grimacing. “Do you have anything that doesn’t taste like chemical disinfectant? Ugh.”

“Obviously not, since only psychopathic men are meant to be here, Hannah,” I hissed, facing her with my hands on my hips. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“What are you doing here?”

“Well, I thought this was a normal party, not—” I spread my arms open. “Not this. And I certainly wasn’t expecting my sister to participate in the Legacies’ crazy shitshow.”

Ignoring my obvious fury, she pulled me into a hug and said, “I’m going to eliminate every single asshole that wants to hurt our family in any way.”

“That’s probably a very long list considering the business we’re in. You can’t win against them.”

“One by one, I’ll make them pay,” Hannah stated as if she hadn’t even heard me.

“Yep, she let that one go over her head,” Amara let out under her breath. I turned my head to find all my friends standing behind me.

“Your twin is reckless,” Anya announced, shaking her head. “Can we go back to the dorm now?”

I didn’t get to answer because Penelope beat me to it. “Hell to the no.”

“Want me to go back to the dorm with you?” Skye offered, feeling sorry for Anya, who preferred to read her shifter romances rather than watch these wannabe animals.

“Absolutely not. We arrive together, and leave together,” Penelope objected. “We’ve made it this far, let’s enjoy the freak show at least a little bit longer.”

Hannah was quick to agree. “Someone’s reasonable.”

I glared at my sister. “What the fuck, Hannah? What are you doing, and why are you involved in this shit?”

She gave me a blank look.

“You do remember that our dad runs the Maryland mafia, right?” She spoke slowly, like she thought I had difficulty following what she was saying. “We’ve been involved in this shit since Mom married him.”

“It doesn’t mean we…” I swung my hands in the air at the woods, then in the direction that Matteo and his gang disappeared to, at a loss for words to describe what was happening here.

“What?” she challenged. “That bastard is somehow connected to the man who almost shot you and Francesca. He deserves to die.”

“How do you know that?”

She shrugged. “The guys followed a lead and found… Never mind, don’t worry. The point is, he had to pay.”

I stared at her in disbelief. “So you were, what? Avenging me and Francesca?”

“Yes.”

“You were mad at me for risking my life, yet you do this?” My voice was high-pitched and uneasy, haunting even. “I had no control over the shooting at Yale. But this? This is pure recklessness.”

Someone cleared their throat behind me.

“We should all calm down.” Of course it was Anya.

Amara nodded, eager to help resolve this conflict. “We have classes in the morning, so maybe we should go back to the dorms.”

Penelope patted her hand. “Ever the peacemaker.”

“I think she and Anya are right,” I said. “Let’s just go.”

Hannah’s eyes shone with defiance.

“Pfft. We’re here now. Let’s not spoil it,” Francesca argued, tugging on my arm. “Hannah is just being a good sister. Your brothers are here too but I don’t hear you yelling at them.”

“Hmm, true,” Amara agreed. “But this has nothing to do with gender discrimination and everything to do with⁠—”

Penelope bumped her friend’s shoulder, and Hannah’s expression changed from a rebellious one to the one she always reserved for⁠—

“Matteo!” She stared behind me. “You took care of that fast.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up at the sound of his voice.

“Ladies, I see you crashed our party,” he announced coolly.

I inhaled a deep breath and slowly turned to find him standing there with one hand in his jeans pocket, his white T-shirt revealing muscular biceps. It was a rare occasion to find Matteo in jeans, but it was certainly a sight worth beholding.

He nodded at everyone, leaving me for last. When his hazel eyes rested on me, it felt like the world stopped turning. The power shimmered from every fiber of his being, consuming the space around him. Or maybe just me.

My brow furrowed at the odd reaction. What’s happening to me these days?

“Well, I didn’t crash it.” Hannah grinned, wrapping an arm around his bicep. Matteo gave her a look, and she continued. “I did good, right?”

I forced a smile that must have looked more like a grimace, then narrowed my eyes on him. “You all have some explaining to do.”

“I always protect what’s mine. Always.” Matteo’s eyes flashed with something raw, and everyone around us stilled, probably sensing the predator in him. “You can’t fault me for it.”

I held his gaze, refusing to be the one to break eye contact. It felt like being trapped in a bubble, the noise around us drowned by the drumming of my own heart. I’d never seen him look at me like that.

“Can you, Ari?” he drawled, still staring at me, drilling holes into my soul.

Hannah glanced between us, then slowly, almost carefully, said, “She doesn’t blame you, Matteo. She would never blame her future brother-in-law.”

I hated that I noticed he didn’t correct her. These little comments by Hannah were nothing new. From the moment she’d met him, she’d staked her claim and made it clear that she’d marry him. It’d never bothered me before, so why did it bother me now?

“Actually, I do blame him.” I was surprised I sounded calm considering the thundering of my pulse and the adrenaline sluicing through my veins. “He should never allow my sister—his future wife—to get in harm’s way.” Something told me I was poking the monster, but it was too late to retract the words. I locked eyes with him and gritted, “Don’t fucking do it again.” Then I smiled at my sister. “Let’s get something to drink.”

She interlinked her arm with mine and we left them all behind, but I couldn’t resist glancing over my shoulder. All the girls had scattered, but Matteo and Francesca stayed in place.

She whispered something to her brother while looking troubled, but Matteo’s heated gaze followed us, his jaw set and lips thin.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

MATTEO

“What the fuck am I seeing here, Matteo?” Francesca hissed. “Please tell me you aren’t actually interested in the wrong twin.” There was no mistaking the reprimand in my little sister’s hushed voice.

“You’re not imagining it,” I declared, not missing a beat, my eyes still locked on the woman I would marry. “And she’s the right twin.”

So fucking right that my heart trembled in my chest whenever I was near her. It had been like this since I stole her first kiss.

“She has zero interest in you,” Francesca hissed, glancing around as if she was scared someone would hear. Not that it would matter… Soon the whole world would know.

My father informed me he’d discussed the matter with Nico Morrelli, and unconventionally, he would leave it up to his daughter to accept or refuse the marriage proposal. So I’d work for it. For her. The challenge was nothing short of thrilling.

But I also had other matters on my mind.

I got a piece of information from our captive that I knew was just the tip of the iceberg. It would require me to dig deeper to unveil the truth behind the Yale shooter.

“Matteo, are you listening to me?”

“Honestly, no. You’re worrying too much, Francesca. I have it handled.” I grinned at the pinch between her brows. “Ari will be mine. No further discussion needed.”

“I love you, brother, but you can be an asshole sometimes.”

I laughed, genuinely amused. “Less than a month at Yale and you’ve turned brave on us.”

“I was always brave, jackass.” She grabbed my hand and yanked on it, over and over again. “Why do all men want what they can’t have?”

Alert shot through me at her words and I narrowed my eyes on her. “Did someone try⁠—”

She shook her head. “Stop changing the subject. Just promise me you won’t stir shit up with the Morrellis. I’ll never forgive you if you jeopardize my friendship with Gianna and Arianna.”

“But not Hannah?”

“I like her too, but she’s too wild.” She rolled her eyes. “And judging by what I saw today, she’s pazza too.” Crazy. My sister and I reserved our fluent Italian for special circumstances—like now, when she was trying to scowl like an angry little nonna but ended up looking like a cute little girl.

“Yet you’d rather I marry her than Arianna?”

“Shhh.” She glanced around again, then added in a hushed voice, “You only want Arianna because she’s not interested in you.” She was so fucking wrong. “But mark my words, Matteo. She won’t forgive you if you cause a rift between her and her twin.”

I ruffled my little sister’s ponytail knowing how much she hated it and bent low to peck her cheek. She’d always been pint-sized, like a 2.0 image of our mother.

“Don’t worry, sis. That’s not gonna happen.”

Before she could say anything, Gabriel Santos appeared, pushing himself between us.

“What’s happening, chico? And little chica.” He winked at Francesca. “Tell me everything.”

“Needy, nosy man. Tell me, are all Latin men like you?” she muttered under her breath. “Dio mio, save me.”

“She can’t even name my nationality. Or my language! Oh, my poor heart.” Gabriel clutched his chest theatrically. “It’s Dios mío, bella Francesca. Get it right. And no, I’m quite unique.”

Francesca glared at him with arms crossed. “Whatever, I don’t give two shits about it. Annoy me… Get on my bad side… And Amara will be hearing tales. None of which will paint you in a good light.”

His expression flashed dangerously at hearing Amara’s name, but I knew he’d never hurt my baby sister.

“I can’t say that I missed you too much, Miss Vitale,” he muttered. “Your first night back and you’re already starting trouble.”

“Hardly. I’m saving my brother’s reputation.” She nudged my shoulder, but I ignored her. “In fact, you two should discuss the impacts of unsolicited attention directed toward your female counterparts.”

“Unsoli—?” He broke off with a huff. “All females want our attention.”

She smiled sweetly, but I knew her next words would slash him. “Amara doesn’t want yours.”

My sister could be the sweetest, purest soul, but when she threw her daggers, blood was bound to be drawn.

Gabriel grinned at my sister.

“See, that’s where you’re wrong, sweet, innocent Francesca.” My sister actually blushed as Gabriel patted her head affectionately. She made a face at him and he grinned wider. “My princess wants my attention. She just hasn’t come to terms with it yet.”

“Your funeral.” She pinned us both with a look. “But don’t expect any of us to attend.”

Then she whirled around and left us both in the dust.

“I guess she got wind of your infatuation with the wrong twin,” Gabriel stated coolly once she was out of earshot.

“How many times do I have to say that Ari is the right twin?” I gritted, suddenly annoyed.

He shrugged. “Tomayto, tomahto.”

My gaze fixated on the group of girls we grew up around, but I didn’t see any of them except Arianna. She pretended to sip on a drink, listening to whatever Hannah was going on about. She smiled discretely when she caught Penelope, Anya, and Amara rolling their eyes, but she said nothing.

“Man, I thought I had it bad, but you take the cake,” Gabriel interrupted.

“I don’t have it bad,” I stated, grabbing a bottle of beer from a cooler. “I’m just tired of waiting. Speaking of, how is it going with Amara?”

“It would be going somewhere if it wasn’t for her family. Ah, speaking of—” He forced a smile and waved his hand, his eyes focused on the DiLustro bunch. They were a breed of their own, the assholes in line to inherit their status as kingpins.

“I mean, why are they even here?” Gabriel continued, the eldest one of us. “It’s fucking summer, and suddenly everyone wants to be on campus during this break.”

I shrugged. “We’re here too.”

“I’m wrapping up my doctorate’s thesis,” he pointed out.

I snickered. “And stalking Amara.”

“Exactamente, I’m multitasking. And all these schmucks…” He waved his hand in the general direction of all our friends. “What in the world are they doing here?”

“Some are taking summer classes,” I reminded him. Most of us in this group took online classes, but there were a few who attended the major in-person classes that St. Jean D’Arc exclusively offered.

A laugh rang in the air, and I turned to find the woman who occupied my every thought tipping her head back at whatever Nikola was saying. He was pointing at a tattoo on his bare chest, and Ari’s furrowed gaze locked on it.

My eyes narrowed on my friend, going through the list of all the tortuous ways I could make him pay. If only he wasn’t one of my best friends.

Gabriel chuckled next to me. “Easy, Matteo. They’re just talking.”

“I don’t want him talking to her, especially half naked. Tell him to start wearing goddamn shirts around women.”

The need to murder my friend clawed at my chest.

She should only be interested in me and my tattoos.

Jesus, Matteo. Are you listening to yourself? I dragged a hand down my face and chuckled, ignoring Gabriel’s odd look. I’d always had a dominant streak… craved control… but even I had to admit this obsession was starting to fray me at the edges.

“In his defense, he didn’t know any girls would be around.” He tilted his head pensively, then added, “Well, Hannah being the exception.”

I gave my head a subtle shake. “I’m still not sure allowing Hannah to run with the Legacies was a good idea. I know she wants to help with human trafficking, but she’s too impulsive.”

That was where my baby sister and I agreed.

“There’s no stopping her,” he drawled. “This way we can at least keep an eye on her.”

I heard another peal of laughter, and I saw red. “The fucking audacity…”

“Why don’t you just go over there, scoop her up, and kiss her senseless?” Gabriel, the ever-smooth Colombian, suggested.

As if sensing my attention, Arianna’s eyes found me, those glittering coral-blue eyes clashing with mine, and an instant calm washed over me. Fuck, she had the most captivating eyes. Whenever she looked at me, I swore my knees shook.

“I promised I wouldn’t kiss her again until she begged me to,” I stated, never breaking our eye contact. Her full, pouty lips fell open, and even from here I could see her cheeks staining crimson.

You never said anything about kissing her elsewhere, the devil on my shoulder whispered, and I gave a resolute nod.

It was time the gloves came off.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

ARIANNA

The chatter, laughter, and music disturbed the peace of the forest as the party was still going. Somehow the red cup in my hand continued to fill, and soon my movements slowed and my words slurred.

Nikola stood, his pale blue eyes beaming at Skye, then he seemed to catch himself and quickly looked away. He seemed to crave her attention but also… hated himself for it?

Men.

My gaze locked on the tall figure advancing toward me with sure steps.

For a moment, I found myself unable to breathe or concentrate on anything but those intense hazel eyes. There was a scowl on his face, and I knew I was about to get told off for something.

My fingers tightened around the plastic red cup, making it crack like a whip through the space between Matteo and me.

My heartbeat paused for a flicker before going into overdrive.

He stopped in front of me, his strong, veiny arms crossed.

“Stop looking at me like that,” I whispered in a slightly drunk voice. Childhood friends didn’t look at each other that way.

“Like what?” His low timbre reverberated through every cell of my body, making it respond to him like a piano to an expert pianist.

I swallowed. “Like we’re… something more than friends.”

He shook his head, almost like he knew a secret that I wasn’t privy to.

“I think we both know this is more than that, Ari.”

His words shot straight into my bloodstream. My fingers trembled, my sluggish brain unable to fight these weird reactions I’d been having toward him lately.

“Don’t,” I rasped, my mind swimming with impossible thoughts. When I noticed him looking down, I followed suit, only to realize I’d splayed my fingers on his forearm.

“Don’t what?” I started to remove my hand from his forearm, but he shook his head. “Keep touching me, Ari.”

I swallowed, music and chatter serving as a reminder—no, a warning that there were people all around us. Yet I couldn’t tear my gaze away from him, scared to break the moment.

I licked my lips. “It’s wrong.”

“No, it isn’t.” There was such conviction in his voice that flew through my blood and straight to my heart. “There’s nothing in this entire world that’s more right than you and me.”

“And Han⁠—”

“Don’t you dare bring her into this, Nutella girl,” he ordered, spiking my pulse.

“I’m still mad at you for letting her join the Legacies.”

“If I hadn’t, she’d be off doing some other shit on her own,” he explained, although he really didn’t have to justify anything to me. “It was my way of ensuring she can get her revenge without killing herself in the process. I’d have to kill her all over again if she hurt you with her recklessness.”

His words melted my heart, and despite everything, I smiled. “Who knew Matteo Vitale had a way with words.”

His rough gaze traveled over my frame, sliding down my bare legs before they dragged back up my body.

“Oh, Ari, if you only knew…”

“Knew what?” I breathed.

“How much I want to see your graceful fingers wrapped around my cock.”

Heat crept up my cheeks and I gasped, but the alcohol must have loosened my tongue, because my next words would have shocked a sober me. “Maybe I’d rather touch myself than your cock.”

“I’d allow it, but only if you kept your eyes on me while you did it.” His words had my core throbbing with arousal. “You would thrust a finger inside you and fuck yourself until you couldn’t take it any longer. Then you’d beg me for my cock inside your virgin pussy. You’d be a good girl for me and take it all, wouldn’t you?”

I bit my lower lip, stopping a moan from bubbling up when his words finally sunk in.

“Virgin?” I sputtered, my brows furrowing. “You don’t know⁠—”

He leaned forward, his hot breath in my ear.

“You don’t think I’d let anyone touch what’s mine, Ari…” A shudder rolled down my body. “You’re drunk right now, so I’ll give you a free pass, but next time… Next time, I’m claiming you. No more games.”

He left me staring after him while the scene around us slowly came back into focus. As I registered a Britney Spears song blaring, I shot a few cursory glances over my shoulder, wondering where Hannah was and whether I’d need to explain myself to her.

I squeezed my eyes shut, relief mixed with guilt washing over me. She was nowhere to be found.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

ARIANNA

Iheld my breath as I traced my fingers through every piece of equipment in the newly built planetarium-like observatory, gazing up at the glass dome.

After the endeavor in the woods last night, Gianna and Hannah insisted on dragging me to see a surprise.

So, here I was, staring in awe at the new structure.

“Dad did it,” Gianna announced, beaming like the sun. “Well, Dad, Matteo, and Mom coordinated.”

My lips parted in surprise as I gawked at the glass dome ceiling.

But now, I couldn’t be more thrilled about it.

“He did it in secret, hoping you’d change your mind and attend D’Arc, but…” Hannah didn’t finish, nor did she need to. “Anyhow, you’re here now.”

“A year at Yale could have been a good experience,” Gianna stated, defending me. “Like the cherry on top for your experience.” If I’d known how it would all end, I would have given Yale a hard pass. I was content with online courses. “But no matter, you’re here now,” Gianna added.

“Yes, I am.” After all, I’d spent my undergraduate and most of my post-graduate years at D’Arc. It was almost a home away from home. “I can’t believe you two kept this from me,” I scolded, pulling them both into a hug.

“Dad swore us to secrecy,” Hannah declared.

“He didn’t want you to feel pressured or influenced when you made your decision,” Gianna explained.

“I see it didn’t take long for you to find yourself the astrophysics department’s most recent addition.” Cassius’s voice had my head whipping around. “Dad redid it so it’d have the same⁠—”

“Better,” Dominico amended, standing right next to his twin.

“Fine, better standards than Yale,” Cassius finished.

I found them leaning against the doorway opposite each other, hands in their pockets and legs crossed at the ankles.

“Do you like it?” Dominico asked. I nodded.

“Like it? I love it.” I let out a strangled laugh, emotions clogging my throat. “This observatory is even better than Yale’s.”

My siblings grinned, high-fiving each other.

“Matteo did all the research. He even gave Dad a list of materials and designs,” Hannah stated proudly. “He oversaw the build with Mom and Dad.”

For a moment, I ceased breathing. The last person I expected to be involved was Matteo. As far as I knew, he’d been helping his father run their empire while working on his own thesis for Harvard, hardly leaving him with a lot of free time on his hands.

Yet somehow he found it for you, my mind whispered softly.

“It’s beautiful,” I rasped.

Gianna clapped her hands, beaming happily. “Let’s call Mom and Dad.”

I fished my phone out of my pocket and FaceTimed them.

Dad answered on the first ring. “Everything okay, baby angel?”

My father’s sharp gray eyes zeroed in on me, evaluating me through the little screen, and I smiled.

“Why do you assume something is wrong?”

“Because it’s been twenty-four hours since Mom and I dropped you off. Usually you wait at least three days to call.”

My heart swelled as I remembered why I was calling. Nico Morrelli was the kind of man who effortlessly captivated attention with his raw power, but when it came to his family, he dropped everything and was putty in our hands.

“Everything is fine,” I assured him. “I just saw the observatory. I love it… a lot. Thank you, Dad.”

The lines bracketing his eyes eased and he smiled. “Your mom will be happy to hear that, and so will Matteo.”

I rolled my eyes. “It was all you and Mom, I’m sure.”

His gray eyes—the very ones used to intimidate even the toughest of men—softened. “I had the idea, but I’ll admit it was your mom and Matteo who researched it to no end and executed it.”

I pictured Matteo looking into telescopes to see the stars and planets, researching exhibits about space, and reviewing designs for dome-shaped ceilings, then shook my head. “Mom I can see, but him⁠—”

Gianna and Hannah pushed their faces into the screen.

“She’s too hard on him,” Hannah defended while a frown appeared between his brows. “Tell her, Dad. He worked at it day and night.”

“So did your mother,” Dad reminded her.

Gianna shoved her shoulder into Hannah. “That’s right. Just because you drool all over Matteo doesn’t mean he’s God’s gift to the rest of us.”

He inched closer to the phone, his expression serious. “Do you, Hannah?”

“Do I what, Dad?”

“Do you… drool all over him?”

Gianna’s and my faces scrunched in distaste at that image, but Hannah just flashed him a smile. “If you’re asking me whether Matteo is a gentleman, he definitely is. I’m sure he’s waiting for marriage to take… the next step.”

Just thinking about them together made me shiver, and I fought the urge to demand she tell me exactly how far they’d gone. Matteo assured me only days ago that there was nothing between them. For Christ’s sake, it was only two nights ago that he promised me… Fuck, what did he promise me?

Orgasms? Forever?

Damn, I didn’t like feeling so conflicted, and I certainly didn’t like that I was keeping these new feelings from my twin. I felt like the worst kind of traitor.

Matteo had gone radio silent on me and it left me feeling anxious. I couldn’t help but recall those filthy words he whispered in my ear, promising he’d be coming for what was his, and remember his breath against my skin. It made my heart tremble at the mere memory of it.

“I see,” Dad stated matter-of-factly, and I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly he saw.

“What do you see, Nico?”

My dad’s harsh features eased as my mother came up behind him wearing an apron and kissed his cheek. Then she flicked a glance at the screen and her face brightened with a wide grin.

“Girls. I didn’t know you were going to call. Give me a minute and I’ll turn off the oven so we can chat. Where are the boys?”

I glanced up, finding the twins still leaning against the frame.

“We’re here, Mom,” Cassius shouted across the room to ensure Mom could hear him. “But we have an ammunition class we can’t be late for.”

“Actually, I have an English class coming up too,” Hannah added.

“Me too, Mom,” Gianna chimed in. “Arianna just saw the new addition, so we wanted to give you a quick call.”

“You love it, then?”

“Very much. Thank you.” I blushed a little, never one for being the center of attention.

“It should keep you busy and out of trouble for a while,” she teased. “Let’s try to keep any mischief to a minimum. Shall we?”

I flashed her a sheepish look. “I’ve been keeping trouble to a minimum.”

“Great, there go my plans down the toilet. I was about to rob a bank,” Hannah answered.

Dad shook his head. “All the money we have, and they grew up to be little thieves.”

“Nothing beats making our own money,” Hannah retorted.

“Stealing money isn’t exactly making your own money, Hannah.”

Gianna waved her hand. “You’re wasting your breath. It’s their extra-curricular activity. A hobby.”

“It proved quite a lucrative hobby,” I reasoned. Especially when we didn’t get caught. During our summer visit to Italy, we managed to rake in quite a bit of funding. Of course, we only stole from criminals, and most of the time we got away with it. Until we didn’t.

“The Italians wouldn’t agree with you,” Dad remarked dryly, reminding me of the summer we majorly fucked up.

Let’s just say that certain Italians—like Enrico Marchetti of the Omertà—weren’t amused when we stole from them. Thankfully, he had a wife with a sense of humor, and we had our dad and Uncle Luca who loved us.

“It wasn’t my fault. Enrico Marchetti is so… serious,” I muttered.

Dad shook his head disapprovingly.

“Okay, girls, get to class.” He pulled Mom around onto his lap, and she laughed. “Your mom and I have some baking to do.”

The line cut off, and I shared a look with my siblings.

“Yuck,” Gianna muttered. “Now I know what our parents are doing.”

“How do you think you came to be?” Cassius called out. “By Sancte Spiritus?”

“I didn’t know you spoke Latin,” I remarked.

“Of course he does. Cassius knows it all.” Gianna flipped him off. “I would have you know that my sisters and I were immaculately conceived, while you two…”

My phone beeped with an incoming text message.

Dad: The Vitales are holding a party in a week. I’ve confirmed our attendance.

As we made our way toward the sciences building, my siblings argued as per usual, and somehow it felt like I was exactly where I needed to be.

After classes and dinner, I showered, then changed into my comfiest pair of Gucci silk pajamas. Hannah did the same, hers identical but pink rather than the light green I wore. We lay on Hannah’s bed—since Francesca and I were stuck with bunk beds—on our stomachs with our legs in the air, checking our phones and scrolling through social media.

A post came up with a caption.

Swipe for the best way to get rid of a body.

My finger lingered for a fraction of a second before I continued scrolling, and a startling realization hit me. Maybe I was more like my adoptive father than I thought.

I threw my phone onto the nightstand and glanced at Hannah, who was still enthralled in hers. A glance at her phone showed her scrolling through Matteo’s Instagram. He didn’t believe in having a presence on social media and only kept it updated for appearance’s sake.

She paused on a photo of Matteo wearing a suit, sitting behind a desk. I couldn’t see what the caption said, but I could see Hannah’s typed reply before she clicked submit.

Hannah-cmv-4ever: Swoony, but too much vanilla makes for a boring sex life.

Staring at her phone with her lips curved into a soft smile and a mischievous expression on her face, the lead in my stomach grew heavy. My guilty conscience instantly flared, whipping at my insides.

Matteo’s whispered words played on repeat in my mind.

I want to see your graceful fingers wrapped around my cock. You don’t think I’d let anyone touch what’s mine, Ari…

Shaking my head, I silenced my brain. I refused to acknowledge the feeling crawling inside me. Jealousy wasn’t me.

“Hannah, are you—” I cleared my throat, my sister’s eyes on me. “Are you having sex with anyone right now?”

“Well, not right now because I’m here with you.” She chuckled at her own joke.

I pushed my shoulder against hers. “Don’t be an ass. You know what I mean.”

She sighed, resigned. “I’m just… experimenting.”

My brows furrowed. “Huh?”

“There’s no harm in trying things out, you know?” I nodded, waiting for her to continue. “At least until I’m married.”

“But you’ll be faithful then, right?”

She didn’t miss a heartbeat. “If he is.”

“Fair enough.”

“Aren’t you going to ask me?”

“Ask you what?”

She burst into a giggle.

“Oh, Arianna. You must know that you’re the angel, and I’m the devil.” I shot her a blank look. “Maybe when you finally have sex, you’ll understand.”

I rolled onto my back, sarcasm lacing my voice when I uttered, “Yeah, with the long list of candidates that are waiting around to have sex with me…”

You don’t think I’d let anyone touch what’s mine, Ari…

Damn him for infiltrating my thoughts so insidiously.

She rolled onto her back, and I could feel her eyes on the side of my face.

“I learned a secret, but you have to promise not to say anything or get angry.” I turned my face to her. “Can you do that?”

“Sure, I promise.”

She glanced around, although there was nobody else here. The girls were out shopping, and probably wreaking havoc at the stores.

“I asked Matteo to put out a widespread hands-off law around campus,” she whispered. “Anyone who dared to touch you or me”—she paused for a moment, eyes sharp—“would have to answer to him. Of course, so did our brothers, but remember when you got those tickets to see the season premiere of Bridgerton on Broadway? And you took that guy… Whatever his name was. Well…” She inched closer to me, her voice taking on a scheming edge. “Apparently, Matteo sent him to the hospital, and ever since…”

My breath whooshed out as I stared at my sister. “But I’ve been on dates since…”

“But none of them ever kissed you, did they?” She gave me a pointed look.

“Why would you demand that Matteo put a widespread hands-off on me, Hannah?” Her explanation felt off. Wrong. It made no sense that she’d ask Matteo for something like that. First, she was very much not afraid to go after anyone herself. And secondly, she was always nagging me about getting laid.

“You’re too sensitive.” Hannah's justification made no sense. “Besides, Matteo never confirmed he followed through and I couldn’t assume. I got my confirmation when I joined the Legacies. Some idiot was blabbing about it, not realizing who I was beneath all my makeup.”

You don’t think I’d let anyone touch what’s mine, Ari…

So Matteo wasn’t joking, but he left out one small detail. He had the same “hands-off” law for my sister. What was he doing? Weighing who the better option was?

Yet, even as those questions rolled through my mind, I knew it wasn’t how Matteo rolled. He wasn’t the deceitful kind. Yes, there were some red flags, but compared to the other Legacies, he was a saint.

“How are you having sex, then?” I asked.

She smiled smugly. “I know how to get around those idiot boys.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, tell me about it.”

She grinned. “Hey, didn’t Dad always tell us to work smarter, not harder?”

“True, true,” I snickered.

Both our phones chimed at that moment and I was about to reach for it when a commotion in the room next door stole my attention.

Gianna strolled in, smiling like she’d just uncovered the world’s best-kept secret, wearing a hot-pink miniskirt and white tank top that revealed her belly button piercing.

Hannah whistled her approval. “Get it, girl.”

I shook my head. “No, don’t get it. If Dad or our brothers see you in that getup, they’ll lose their shit.”

Gianna waved her hand nonchalantly. “That’s exactly why I ensured our brothers weren’t on campus. And don’t worry about Dad.”

Hannah laughed. I grimaced.

“Somehow I have a feeling there was no babysitting going on here while I was gone,” I muttered, except I wasn’t even sure who I was reprimanding.

My sisters shared a glance and alert shot through me. Hannah’s next words confirmed the reason to be suspicious.

“Gianna and I came to a mutual agreement.”

“What kind of agreement? The kind that will get you both killed?” I argued, pinning them both with a glare. “What are you two up to?”

“Nothing. Just getting a little taste of freedom,” Gianna stated, taking a seat between us and throwing herself on her back. “If they continue to smother me, I’m going to lose my mind.”

“They’re doing it to protect you.” My gaze fell on the burn scar on her neck, a reminder of my own rebellion. “You didn’t see how they all fell apart. Mom, Dad…” Me.

My voice cracked, unable to find the words.

My sisters wrapped me in an embrace from their respective sides.

“You have to stop blaming yourself,” Gianna murmured in my ear. “I promise you, it’s not your fault. And I’m capable of taking care of myself.”

I swallowed the growing lump in my throat. “I know, but if we hadn’t snuck out⁠—”

Her hand covered my lips. “Then it would have happened at some other time. They’d been watching and following us for months, sister. It was just a matter of time.”

“But they got to you. You were only fourteen, Gianna.” They should have never had a chance to get their hands on her.

“Arianna’s right,” Hannah grumbled, hiding the tremor in her hands as she wrapped her arms around herself. “That night… I almost ruined our family.”

“No, Hannah,” I shook my head. “I let go of her, and they got her. If I’d held on to her⁠—”

“Stop it, you two,” Gianna chimed in. Her expression was light, but no mask could hide the ghosts lurking in her eyes. “I’m here. I survived, and I learned to take care of myself.” She kissed me on the cheek, then cupped my face. Her bottom lip trembled, but there was determination in her—strength—that no number of ghosts could hide. “Besides, you came for me.”

My eyes flitted to the consequence of not listening to Dad.

“A lot of good that did,” I murmured.

She sat up, brushing her fingers over the scar. “Did you ever wonder why I refused the plastic surgery?”

I shook my head.

“Because I wanted everyone in this fucked-up mafia world we were born into to know I’ll never go down without a fight.”

“You mean it,” I whispered, seeing my sister as a grown, badass woman for the first time. She usually played the part of an innocent mafia princess, but it occurred to me now that it was all a front. Judging by the strength shining in her eyes, my baby sister might be the strongest one of us all.

“I do,” she declared. “And I won’t allow myself to be held back by anybody.”

“Okay, but you will let us know if you ever need us.” When she didn’t reply, I pinned her with my most stern look. “Promise me, Gianna,” I insisted.

“I promise.” She smiled softly, reverting back to her sweet, bubbly self. “But only if you stop feeling guilty about the kidnapping. Extinguish that shit from your mind and soul. Don’t think we haven’t noticed your nightmares.”

The worst thing about being close with your family: it was almost impossible to keep secrets. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I sat up and brought my knees to my chest.

“I’ll work on it,” I vowed.

Gianna jumped out of bed and padded to her snack cabinet. She opened it, reached for something, and whirled around with a jar in hand.

“Who’s in the mood for Nutella?”

Hannah and I rolled out of bed.

“Nobody sane ever says no to Nutella,” I mused, snatching the stash out of her hands. “I’ll share, but control yourselves, girls.”

“God help a man who ever attempts to steal your Nutella.” Hannah gave an evil laugh. “She’ll be the one to slash the man’s cock and feed it to him.”

Gianna’s body shook and I pinned her with a stare. “Are you laughing?”

“No—” Then she folded over, holding her belly, and burst out laughing. “I’m just picturing a man with a cock stuffed in his Nutella-filled mouth.”

“You two are sick.” Rolling my eyes, I pushed them away. “I love you, but something is seriously wrong with you.”

“Fix us a snack, then, Nutella girl.”

The unintentional nickname had me thinking about Matteo, and I turned to hide my flush. I’d been sharing my Nutella cookies and snacks with him ever since I broke his nose.

Except, nobody knew that.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

ARIANNA

Akiss of death.

Fire licking at my body.

A bloodied hand in mine as terrified screams surrounded us.

They weren’t my screams. They weren’t Gianna’s. They were our mother’s and Hannah’s.

My vision blurred, our limbs stained with blood and heated by hell threatening to take us below the earth’s core and into the arms of Hades.

Gianna and I were frozen, helpless, trapped, and the underworld awaited.

I was prepared to go, but I refused to let my baby sister die like this.

Horror seeped into my veins as I struggled to extinguish the fire that engulfed us, inching closer, prepared to cover her body with mine. I shifted us, and out of nowhere, a blast blinded me.

It was too late.

Another scream as I came to terms with our new reality. We would both die.

“I love you,” I thought I said. My lips moved, but if there was a sound, it was drowned out by the crackling of flames. “I’m sorry, Gianna.”

She squeezed me as tightly as I held her, but we didn’t scream, didn’t join our mother in her wailing. We couldn’t see her, but it didn’t matter. We heard her just fine.

Suddenly, a body crashed into us. Then two. Three.

I jerked out of the dream, drenched in sweat, and my lips pressed together to muffle my whimpers. My heartbeat hammered in my ears, wildly and uncontrollably as those dripping red images floated through my mind.

I stared at the ceiling, the only sounds in the dorm room were those of my labored breaths and Francesca’s soft snores.

The clock next to me read 4:00 a.m. I sighed.

I slid out of bed, knowing the only thing that would distract me was stargazing. Silently tiptoeing around, I grabbed my yellow sundress, panties, a pair of socks, and my yellow slides. After a quick shower, I changed into it and made my way out of the room.

Once I stepped out of the building, I paused for a moment and closed my eyes. The night’s cool breath caressed my cheeks while the rustle of the trees in the distance moved like shadows.

I took a deep breath, letting the late-summer air fill my lungs. Instead of going directly to the planetarium, I walked through the sleepy streets, feeling my muscles loosen already.

Physical exhaustion became almost a must to keep the nightmares away. Unfortunately, sports had never been my thing, so I’d always resorted to long walks like these.

My feet were almost too loud on the paved road as I made my way through campus. D’Arc’s dorms were on the far side of the campus, while the academic buildings were held across the property.

The library was at the halfway point, situated on a cliff and looking over the vast horizon of the Atlantic Ocean. It truly was the most beautiful campus. It was only natural that we’d all flocked to it.

But it wasn’t without danger. It required skills to navigate so many different criminal organizations in one place without starting a war. It was the reason Matteo studied here but also took economics classes online through Harvard. Many others did the same. It provided them with the best of both worlds, preparing the young men—and women—for the power role they would step into.

“Hey. Arianna, right?” I jumped, my scream piercing the darkness as I whirled around and came face-to-face with Fallon DiLustro.

“You scared the crap out of me,” I breathed out, bringing my hand to my chest.

She chuckled softly, her blonde curls bouncing. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to. I’m just not used to seeing anyone up and about so early.”

“Why are you up and about?”

“Ice-skating practice.” She lifted her shoulder, her bag open, revealing a glimpse of white leather and laces. “It’s a pain getting up so early, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

I smiled. “I bet. Readying for the Olympics?”

Her mother and grandmother were both Olympic skaters, so it wasn’t exactly surprising Fallon had followed in their footsteps.

“Something like that.” She shifted her bag to the other shoulder. “And you? Meeting a boy?” She quirked a brow, studying my outfit.

I laughed awkwardly. “No. I just have a big weakness for nice things. Gucci, Valentino, and Dior are my three favorite lovers.”

She chuckled. “Expensive taste.”

“Hence my extra-curricular activities,” I teased. I couldn’t quite recall how my twin and I started breaking into safes, making stealing money our hobby. At first it was fun to prove we could do it, and then… Well, who could say no to extra money? Of course, sometimes it backfired and Dad would have to come to our rescue. Like when we caused an international incident in Italy.

She grinned. “You’ve been taking a break lately. I’m disappointed.” She gestured with her hand, bringing her thumb and index finger together. “Just a little bit.”

“Can’t have that. Don’t worry, my breaks never last long.”

“Well, when you’re back in business, consider the DiLustros’ club. It can prove lucrative.”

It was my turn to laugh. “No, thank you. I’m adventurous, not suicidal.”

“I see the DiLustro reputation is getting worse.”

I shifted on my feet, letting the silence wrap around us.

“Well, I better go. I’m hoping to catch a few galaxies. See you around.”

“Good luck,” she called out as she made her way toward the ice rink, and I continued on my way toward the library where I used my card to open the door, then once more at the planetarium.

It wasn’t until I stepped inside it, the stars glittering overhead, that I finally felt like myself. Lowering to the cool, marble floor, I crisscrossed my legs and tilted my head up to the dome.

As usual, my mind wandered to the only man who’d ever set my body aflame. It had been impossible to forget his words from the last time we crossed paths, and the reckless part of me wished he’d follow through on his promise.

He better, after implementing a widespread hands-off law on campus.

I scoffed, the soft sound traveling through the newly built room and bouncing off the walls.

“I guess hell will freeze over,” I murmured to the stars twinkling above me. Then, as if approving my decision, a shooting star erupted and went soaring across the sky.

I closed my eyes and pictured Matteo, his unapologetic face. Even when he stole my first kiss and I broke his nose, he wasn’t sorry.

Because that was who he was.

He went after what he wanted, ravaging and claiming. It was our stolen moment that remained our secret all these years later. I hated that I’d kept it from my twin, but I couldn’t break our pact.

I had no choice but to wonder how his lips would feel on mine. I should hate myself for wishing for it. For picturing his big hands on my skin. For fantasizing about him deep inside me.

A carnal urge to explore his proposition had clawed at me ever since the night at the bonfire. I couldn’t rid my mind of him even if I wanted to.

And I wasn’t sure that I did.

Over the last four days, I found myself wishing he’d find me. I found myself looking for his shadow and those hazel eyes all over campus.

I pictured those eyes on me, heated and intense.

My cheeks burned, but I ignored it all as I slid my fingers beneath my dress, dipping them into my silk panties. The first brush of my fingers and the idea of Matteo watching me was enough to spike heat in my veins.

A soft moan slipped from my lips as I circled my clit, picturing his eyes on me. The harder I teased my clit, the stronger the pleasure built in my core.

A soft rustle filled the space mere feet from me and I froze, my eyes snapping open.

“Starting without me, Ari? I’ll have to punish your tiny cunt, but you’ll let me, won’t you? Because you’re a good girl.” His eyes grew hot, locked on the sensitive, throbbing spot between my legs. “Because you’re my girl.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

MATTEO

Ashiver wracked Arianna’s slim body at my words, causing all the blood to rush to my cock.

I needed to take it slow with her, but I never thought I’d find her here, in the middle of the planetarium, touching herself while the moon kissed her face.

Ah, fuck.

She was turning me into a goddamned poet.

She sat up as I kneeled next to her, inhaling the scent of her arousal deep into my lungs.

“What are you doing here?” Her voice trembled, and she yanked her hand from her underwear. I caught her wrist and brought it to my lips, sucking her drenched fingers dry. One by fucking one.

“I wired the room’s security to your school card. I get a notice every time you enter the room.”

“Stalker.”

“Only when it comes to you.” I nipped the tip of her index finger and she yelped, but she didn’t try to pull herself free. “Now tell me. Who were you thinking about?”

When she didn’t answer, I lifted her chin with two fingers. A visible tremor rolled through her body while she watched me, a storm brewing in those eyes that had a firm hold on me.

“Eric Northman.”

“Who the fuck is that?” She opened her mouth to answer, but I immediately stopped her. “No matter, he’ll be dead by morning.”

Her lips curved into a smile.

“Fine, I lied. I was fantasizing about Simon Basset.”

The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. “Do I know him?”

She smiled sweetly, looking at me with shimmering eyes. “You do.”

My teeth ground. It had to be one of the Yale boys, but there wasn’t a corner on this earth they could hide from me now. Eric Northman and Simon Basset were dead men.

“You’ve consumed me since we were eight, Ari,” I murmured, brushing my nose against hers. “You’re the one for me. You’ll be the one in every life, every universe, every scenario. You’ll forget those men.”

She paused before taunting, “And if I don’t?”

“They can get a quick death or a very slow and painful one. It’ll be up to you, Nutella girl.”

She lifted her chin in defiance. “You can’t act all possessive and then go along with Hannah when she refers to you as my future brother-in-law.”

My brows furrowed, trying to recall when she said that. Most of the time, I tuned Hannah right out. “When in the fuck did she say that?”

She released a deep breath, resigned and frustrated. “At that stupid party in the woods. You didn’t even correct her.”

She’s jealous.

The thought shot through me victoriously, and I grinned. She was mine, even though she hadn’t fully admitted it yet.

“It’s not funny, Matteo.” Despite the night, I could see her cheeks were a deep shade of red.

I took her chin between my fingers and pulled her closer.

“When you’re around, I only see you. If I didn’t protest to your sister saying that, it’s because I was homed in on you. Only ever you.”

Her mouth parted in shock and my eyes fell to the rosy temptation. But I promised I wouldn’t kiss her, not without her asking me. Begging me.

So I did the next best thing.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

ARIANNA

He pushed me onto my back, gently catching the back of my head in his palm.

“I promised I wouldn’t kiss you until you begged me for it.” God, I was so ready to beg him, but before I could form the words, he knelt between my legs and his fingers covered my soaked panties. “So I’ll eat your pussy and tongue-fuck you while you’re imaging my cock tearing through your tight cunt.”

My lips parted, and every last word and thought vanished from my mind.

He pulled my panties down my legs, discarding them somewhere beyond my periphery, and he hovered over me, drinking in his fill of my pussy.

My chest heaving for air, I tried to imagine what he saw. I had never been so exposed to anyone, and the position was both vulnerable and intimate. I tried to squirm, but he stopped me with a searing look.

“I’ve been dreaming about this for so fucking long, Ari.” His breath fanned my heated core, and I was ready to come undone, just like that.

He brushed his fingers against my drenched pussy lips and my back arched off the marble floor.

“Please, Matteo,” I breathed, and his heated eyes met mine.

“You want this?”

I nodded, gulping for air.

“Words,” he rasped. “I need your words, Ari.”

My body trembled underneath his touch as he continued toying with my swollen folds. “I want this.”

He dove between my legs, his stubble scratching the soft skin of my inner thighs. When his tongue connected with my opening, my hips jerked forward and my thighs closed around his head.

His chuckle vibrated against my skin, and I could feel it down to my toes.

“Mine,” he grunted, tongue-fucking me. In and out. In and out.

Holy. Fucking. Hell.

I grabbed his hair, holding on tight as his tongue pushed deeper still inside me, unraveling me. Before I knew it, I was riding his face, desperate for more.

“Look at me.” So I did, and damn if it wasn’t the most erotic sight I’d ever witnessed. I knew there was no coming back from this. “Good girl, now watch me eat you.”

Pleasure sparked at his filthy words, and I ground my hips against his mouth shamelessly. Stars danced above us, witnessing what had been done for millions of years. Yet, it was brand new. It was us.

His grunts. My moans.

His body hard, mine soft.

I pushed into him, starved, writhing and making a mess on the newly polished floors. Before I knew it, a powerful orgasm washed over me and I drifted above, away from my physical self.

I lay there for what felt like a century before Matteo began kissing my sensitive, swollen core. He lifted his head from between my legs and I held my breath, our eyes locked.

“There may be billions of stars in the galaxy, but you shine the brightest. You’re my sun, my moon, my everything.” There was reverence in his voice and a possessive gleam in his eyes. “And if anyone tries to steal you, I’ll reduce them to ash.”

I shook my head, my body soft and blissed out.

“That’s quite serious,” I murmured, my eyelids lowering. He crawled up my body, his muscular frame hovering over mine. Too close. Not close enough. His breaths fanned my lips as he stroked his thumb over them, his eyes on me like a starved man. “Will you kiss me now?”

He chuckled darkly. “I’ve been kissing your pussy for a while now.”

I breathed out a laugh, my cheeks burning.

He raised a brow. “Are you asking me to?”

“I’m begging you to.” My pussy throbbed with the promise of more. “Hell has officially frozen over, Matteo.”

Every thought or reason soon dispersed when his mouth covered mine. He didn’t just kiss me, he ravaged my lips. Devoured them. Owned them.

It was a savage claiming.

He thrust his tongue inside, and a moan inched up my throat. He pushed one hand into my hair and gripped my waist with the other, pulling me against his strong, muscular body. He kissed me like he’d been waiting for this since the beginning of time. Like he wanted to remind me that I’d belonged to him for even longer.

I rested my palms on his chest, feeling his heart beat as wildly as my own.

“Mine,” he growled, and then he began devouring me again, our teeth clashing, and his tongue fucking my mouth just as it had my pussy mere moments ago.

A possessive kiss.

Deep down, I knew we were going about it the wrong way, and I couldn’t help the tears that burned behind my eyelids. I should hate myself for falling for Matteo, knowing full well it would hurt my sister.

Yet, I could no more resist these feelings for him than I could force the sun to rise.

CHAPTER TWENTY

MATTEO

The fact the damn universe held so much of Ari’s attention rendered me sick with jealousy. However, watching her speak excitedly about the galaxies, stars, and planets, demonstrating with her hands and sharing it all with me, it eased the sting of that unfounded green monster.

I feared now that I’d tasted my woman, there’d be no hiding my infatuation.

“Here, look.” Arianna tugged on my arm and pulled me closer to the telescope. I peered through the eyepiece, the stars slowly fading away as dawn approached. “Do you see the pattern?”

I straightened, my hands still holding the piece of equipment that would make NASA envious, and told her seriously, “It’s pretty cool, but the only galaxy and stars I care about are the ones in your eyes.” When she tilted her head and half rolled her eyes, I added, “And the ones you’re seeing while I’m eating your pussy,” for good measure.

A little snort-laugh escaped her and she hit my shoulder playfully. “You’ve got to be the cheesiest sweet talker on this planet.”

“Not exactly what I was aiming for.”

“What were you aiming for?”

“Pussy whisperer? Filth talker?” Ari’s cheeks flushed bright red, then she ducked underneath my arm, coming to stand with her back to my chest. “What? Nothing to say to that?”

She glanced over her shoulder. “You’re the only filthy talker I know, so⁠—”

Lowering my head, I nibbled on her earlobe. “I’d better be.”

“Pffft. If you insist.”

“I do.”

Ari shrugged and returned her attention to her favorite sight.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” She sighed dreamily, and I vowed that going forward, I’d make sure she found plenty of reasons to sigh like that.

“You’re the only beautiful thing I see.” She stiffened for a moment, then shifted away from the telescope. “What’s the matter?”

She glanced over her shoulder, chewing on her bottom lip.

“Hannah and I are identical,” she finally said.

“And you couldn’t be more different. She’s loud, you’re not. You’re passionate about your education, she’s not. You’re protective over those you love, and she’s⁠—”

“She’s protective too,” she cut me off.

“Maybe.” I shifted her around and cupped her face. “This planet could face extinction and the only thing I would care about is being with you before this world went dark.”

“Like I said… that’s pretty intense.”

She had no fucking idea. “I’d scout every corner of this world for you, Ari, and that’s no exaggeration.”

Her lips curved into a soft smile. “Sounds like a threat.”

“It’s a promise.” She remained silent, watching me with those deep blue eyes. “Are you scared?”

“No.”

I smiled. “Good, because I can’t wait to shout from every rooftop in this state that you’re mine.”

She stiffened, her hands coming to my chest.

“Well…” Apprehension shot down my spine while her fingers twisted the hem of my shirt. “Can we keep it a… secret for a while?”

“Why?” I didn’t mean for that single word to sound so harsh, accusing.

“I want to find the right way to tell Hannah. She’s been dreaming about…” She took a deep breath in, then slowly exhaled. “I just don’t want to hurt her.”

“I should have extinguished her notions about an ‘us’ long ago.”

Ari was the center of my universe. Nothing and nobody could change that.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

ARIANNA

Before I could respond to Matteo, a tall, muscular, half-naked guy and another one in a three-piece suit waltzed into the planetarium, and I yanked myself away from Matteo. Or I tried to, but Matteo refused to let me go.

“Look what we have here,” Gabriel drawled in a lazy tone.

“Isn’t that the wrong twin?” Nikola tsked.

“The right twin, fucker.” Matteo pinned him with a glare.

While men like Gabriel and Matteo were well polished, hiding their ruthlessness behind expensive Italian suits, Nikola couldn’t give a fuck.

Honestly, I couldn’t understand why or how Skye could ever find herself entangled with him.

“Are you afraid she’ll choose me instead?” Nikola asked, leaning against one of the building’s suspending columns.

“No chance in hell,” Matteo said, flicking me a glance and a smile.

“What he said,” I confirmed.

“We’ve received information on the shipment we talked about,” Gabriel stated vaguely. I didn’t bother asking for details. I’d learned there’d be no answers, and honestly, I probably didn’t even want them. “Today’s the day.”

Matteo nodded somberly. “Let’s go.”

Matteo slung his arm around my shoulders and led us out of the planetarium. The moment we stepped outside, a breeze swept through my hair and I closed my eyes, relishing the cooling sensation.

Gabriel and Nikola walked in front of us, three black sports bikes waiting for their owners. I knew it was the preferred method of transport when the Legacies went after their enemies.

My attention was on Nikola’s tattoos, a canvas of inked stories spreading from his shoulders down to his waist. As if he felt my eyes on his back, Nikola glanced behind him and caught me red-handed. “I knew you couldn’t resist me, little Morrelli.”

I rolled my eyes.

“I’m actually sizing you for a shirt.” Feeling stupidly brave by Matteo’s presence, I added with a sweet smile, “I can lend you some money, with interest of course, so you can complete your wardrobe.”

A heartbeat of silence followed and then laughter rang out.

Gabriel tilted his head in his friend’s direction. “She told you, mofo.”

Nikola shrugged, pulling out a cigarette from somewhere.

“Little thief is feeling brave with her boyfriend around.” Boyfriend. Damn, why did that make me grin like a fool?

I squared my shoulders and pinned him with my most serious look. “And there’s nothing little about the way I wiped you clean when we were kids.”

Nikola snickered.

“As if you could repeat it.” I raised my brow and his expression sombered. He knew I could do it blindfolded. After all, I had done it a few times after Nikola’s father upgraded their safe. He was just tired of replacing it and called me a one-off thief he invited into his home.

“Oh, I so could.” I tilted my head, watching him. “And since you don’t believe me, I’ll take that as a challenge and prove you wrong.”

“It wasn’t a challenge, so don’t you fucking try and steal from me, Arianna.”

I grinned. “Only if you ask me nicely.”

“Whatever… please. Happy?”

“Ecstatic.”

He rolled his eyes. “Anyhow, moving on. About time you two got together. It’s no wonder Matteo threw himself into the hellfire.”

“Shut up, fool,” Gabriel gritted.

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?” I demanded.

There was a pregnant pause that seemed to last decades before Nikola apparently thought “fuck it” and continued. “How do you think you got out of that shitshow all those years ago without a single mark on you?”

“Shitshow?” I repeated slowly.

“Gianna’s kidnapping. Who do you think pulled you out of the fire?” Nikola pipped.

My smile froze, images of Gianna and I surrounded by fire and soaked in blood invading my mind. Nikola and Gabriel were arguing, but their voices faded into the background as I slowly turned to face Matteo.

“You?” I rasped. “It was you?”

He shrugged. “I was helping with the search. When your family, Pa, and I arrived at the scene of your accident, he could only save one of you. So I made up his mind for him. I went for you and he dove in for Gianna.”

My heart drummed in my chest. “Why can’t I remember?”

“It was chaotic. Gianna and you passed out in the midst of it all.”

I didn’t want to imagine Matteo engulfed in flames just to save me.

“Don’t go there, Ari,” he murmured, both of us making our way to his bike. “It’s ancient history.”

I nodded slowly. “I better get home and get ready. I have a math class at eight.”

He pulled out an extra helmet.

“I’ll give you a ride.” After strapping it on my head, he swung his long muscled thighs over his bike, revved the engine, then ordered, “Hop on.”

Our dorm suite was a magnet for loud music and idiots that night.

Penelope swayed her hips to the music, seductively dancing on top of the table with Hannah. I looked around our dorm and shuddered at the thought of the mess we’d be waking up to tomorrow.

Every single glass and piece of furniture trembled with the bass and whatever the pop artist was singing about. If only any of it could keep my attention. My gaze flitted through the room for the umpteenth time, searching for a hint of that chiseled jaw and hazel eyes, but there was no sign of him.

“Come on, Arianna,” Hannah called, the overfilled cup of vodka in her hand spilling with her every move. “Don’t be a bore. Dance with us.”

Francesca and Gianna were on top of the makeshift bar, threatening to knock down our supply of liquor. Taking over as bartenders for the night, they completely missed the point that they weren’t supposed to be the ones to consume most of the liquor.

It would seem I was the only one presently sober. Even Anya was sipping her fruity cocktail, dancing seductively, her shoulder now bare from the way her shirt had slipped down. When—not if—Gabriel got wind of it, he would probably claw every man’s eyeballs out.

I debated warning the pricks that Hannah picked up from who-knew-where to avert their eyes, but I shrugged it off. They weren’t St. Jean D’Arc students and should have known better than to allow Hannah to smuggle them in for a party.

“You should dance,” Amara said between slurps. “It might loosen you up.”

Skye sat on my other side, her palm pressed against the table, feeling the vibrations of the music.

“You’ve been tense since you came back to us,” Skye remarked, signing with her free hand—the one that wasn’t clutching the stem of a wineglass.

I jumped to my feet, extending my hand. “I’ll dance if you two will.”

“The table might cave in,” Amara pointed out, but we were already climbing up.

It had been like this since our first year of college when we joined D’Arc. Some of us were extroverts while others were introverts, but we all got into—and out of—shenanigans together.

“Where’s Gabriel? He’s not going to like this.” Amara tilted her chin in Anya’s direction. She was getting too friendly with one of the visitors.

“Not sure.”

Skye scrunched her nose, then signed, “He’s probably out there getting laid. Women throw themselves all over those Legacies. I’m surprised they don’t all have STDs.”

Amara huffed. “One of these days, I’m going to get some D without anyone getting in my way.”

Skye’s eyes met mine and I shrugged.

Hannah slid into our conversation, grinning like a fool. “Who’s talking about getting some D? Because I have a way to get more than one D-I-C-K.”

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest. “Do you want to be on everyone’s shit list?”

“You mean, on everyone’s best friend list?”

“Hannah is like a madam, pimping everyone out,” Skye signed. I pursed my lips. It wasn’t exactly a compliment for my twin.

“I think I’d be a good madam,” Hannah said passively, almost as if she was seriously considering it.

“No, you wouldn’t,” I objected. “Stick to your English major.”

Hannah ignored me, shifting her undivided attention to Penelope. “Do you want me to find you a man?”

Penelope’s lips pulled up into a Cheshire cat grin. “Can you guarantee the man won’t end up dead before I get his pants off? If so, I’m game.”

“It happened once,” I protested. Penelope cut me off by lifting two fingers in the air and I smiled comfortingly. “Okay, twice. It’s probably a freak accident.”

“I refuse to give my virginity to the fucker I have to marry,” she grumbled. We all stopped dancing and sat in a circle, ignoring the guests that were still lingering.

“But your parents said they’ll find a way out of that stupid arranged marriage,” I pointed out.

“But they haven’t.”

“Yet.” My uncle Luca wasn’t the giving-up type.

“They should have thought twice about the arrangement.” Amara crossed her arms over her chest, the words Look away, mofo on her shirt staring back at us. “I could take care of Enzo Marchetti.”

Translation: kill him. Amara was way too optimistic for her own good.

“Stop it.” Anya obviously felt the same as me, nudging Amara with her shoulder. “The Marchettis aren’t to be messed around with.”

Hannah shot her a pointed look.

“Exactly why Enzo Marchetti should be—” My twin made a motion of slicing her throat, and I shook my head.

“Stop,” I scolded my sister. “Just think of the repercussions. If the Marchettis blame Uncle Luca, they’ll come after him, and Dad will get involved. Think it through. It puts us all in danger.”

Hannah rolled her eyes, ready to start bickering again, but a commotion at the bar drew her attention. We all followed her gaze and my mouth parted in shock. Gianna had one of the pricks in a chokehold while Francesca held a bottle of vodka over his face.

“Repeat that now?” My baby sister shoved her knee into his back, then shared a glance with Francesca. “Whenever you’re ready, Franny.”

Francesca flipped her red hair back and started pouring vodka into his mouth.

The girls and I shared a glance.

“Franny?” I murmured, the gurgling sounds mixing with the music overhead. “Since when do we call her that?”

“We don’t. I suggested once we should shorten her name and she hated the idea,” Skye signed.

“Are you two sane?” Hannah asked.

A set of brown and violet eyes lifted to us, grinning as they said, “Totally,” then went back to their business.

“Not so brave now, are we?” Gianna continued to threaten the drunk boy. “If you ever threaten a woman with rape, I’m going to find you and tear you to pieces.”

“Fuck, what happened to our baby sister?” Hannah muttered.

“Maybe she’s possessed,” Amara offered.

“Or maybe she’s as badass as her sisters,” Anya remarked, sipping from her cup. “The world is as it should be.”

I narrowed my eyes on Gianna.

“Gianna—” I started but lost my voice when her eyes met mine. There was more to her behavior than teaching a boy a lesson. Her hands trembled and she wore a daunting expression. I shared a glance with Hannah, who had been observing our sister with the same worried expression.

“I need this. Okay?”

I shifted to go to her when Hannah’s hand reached out and stopped me. “Let her. I’ll keep an eye on her.”

“She’s been seeing her therapist, right?” I asked quietly, and my sister nodded.

“This whole thing is messed up,” Penelope commented, chewing on her bottom lip.

“Them teaching that guy a lesson?” I asked, unsure what she was referring to.

“No, not that. The fact that I cannot get a dick to stay alive long enough to…” Her face turned crimson. “You know.”

“Well, you should at least be able to say fuck if you want to get to that stage,” Hannah pointed out. When we all groaned, she continued, “I’m sorry, but it’s true.”

The conversation continued on and on, but I was no longer paying attention. Instead, I got up and made my way to Gianna and Francesca.

“Okay, how about I kick this guy out before you two kill him and we have an even bigger problem on our hands?” I offered, careful not to set off my sister’s demons.

Francesca shrugged, but thankfully my baby sister still had a bit of reason because she shoved the idiot toward the door.

“Thank the saints my sister showed up,” she spat. “Tell anyone about this and you’ll regret it.”

There was no need to escort the guy out because he was already running—straight into a hard chest that appeared at the doorway.

“Bump into me again and I’ll set your corpse on fire,” Nikola growled as he grabbed him by the nape. I winced even though the threat wasn’t aimed at me.

The smell of flesh was a hard thing to erase from one’s mind, but Nikola wouldn’t have known about that. Only my family and the Vitales would have details of that night.

“What’s your deal, man?” The guy looked like he was about to piss himself despite his brave but foolish words. “It’s just a party.”

Nikola shoved him down the hallway. “Run and never come back.”

“And this is how you scare those fuckers,” Francesca purred. “We have to step up our game, Gia.”

My eyebrows shot up. How much had these two had to drink exactly?

“Be good,” I told my sister and Francesca. “And ease up on the alcohol. Give water a try.” To my surprise, both picked up a bottle and took a sip while I made my way toward Nikola. “You have a shirt on, that’s an improvement. Although, it’s supposed to be buttoned up, not used as a cape.”

Those pale blue eyes that could be so unnerving locked on me, and just as I thought maybe I’d offended him, he grinned. “Maybe I’m a superhero.”

I rolled my eyes. “More like a villain.”

“Supervillain,” he corrected me. “Everything about me is super.”

“I see.” His ego was definitely inflated. “Why are you here?”

“No reason.” His attention shifted to Skye.

“Sure,” I retorted, sarcasm lacing my voice. “Where’s Matteo?”

His glacier gaze returned to me.

“If you two start using me to pass love notes, I’m going to murder you both.” He handed me a piece of paper. “Keep your goddamned phone on you, woman.”

I unfolded the piece of paper.

Planetarium. 10:30 PM.

I looked down at my outfit, debating whether I should change. I was wearing a peach-colored linen Valentino dress and sandals, but it was already ten twenty-five and the planetarium was fifteen minutes away.

“Don’t change,” Nikola grumbled as if he’d read my mind. I lifted my head to find him rolling his eyes. “The only thing he won’t like is that the designer’s name is Valentino.”

“How do you know that?”

“You forget who my aunt is.” Tatiana Nikolaev was known for her love of designer labels. The woman had impeccable taste. “She rubbed off on me. Unfortunately.” He tried to sound grumpy, but there was unmistakable affection in his tone. “By the way, next time you give Matteo the names of fictional characters to murder, give me a warning.”

I gave him a blank look. “Huh?”

“Eric Northman and Simon Basset?” Realization sunk in. “What a disappointment not to be able to kill them. I recommended murdering the actors who played them, but Matteo wouldn’t go for it.”

I grinned.

“Nikola, you need serious help.” One more fleeting glance toward Skye and I couldn’t help but wonder what was happening between the two. “If the girls ask, tell them I’ll be right back.”

I wouldn’t, but there was no harm in telling a little white lie.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

ARIANNA

Ihustled enough that it took me exactly ten minutes to reach the building. The gloomy dark sky above thundered, threatening showers at any second.

Inhaling deeply, I walked inside the building, through the dimly lit hallways, until I reached the room where I found him.

He was dressed in a three-piece suit, looking very much like the mafia boss he’d become one day. I swallowed, remembering how perfect his abs were. Although his face wasn’t any less perfect. But it was so much more than just that.

Everything about him called to me.

I’d known Matteo almost my whole life, and it was strange to feel all these butterflies fluttering in the pit of my stomach and trembling in my chest.

A loud metal clunk yanked me out of my sentimental momentum. It was only then I noticed a portable mini-kitchen that certainly didn’t belong in the planetarium. Matteo was moving efficiently around it, arranging ingredients all over the counter.

My thoughts drifted away as I made my way into the room.

“What’s all this?”

Matteo turned to lean against the counter, looking at me with a big smile. “We’re having a date night.”

“Kind of late for a date, no?” I strode toward him, and he watched every step I took.

His big hand came around my waist and he pulled me into him, my breasts pressed against his abs.

“It would have been a dinner date if I hadn’t been searching for Eric and Simon,” he mused.

I snorted, then burst out laughing. “You seriously need to get up to speed with fiction.”

His hand roamed down my body, over my hips, then to my ass. “This will be hard.”

I tilted my head back slightly, watching his beautiful face. “What will?”

“Baking with you.”

“So that’s what we’re doing on our first date? Baking?”

“Baking, dancing…” I frowned, but before I could ask a question, he pushed a button on a remote that sat next to him and a loud noise above us had me looking up. “Then I’ll eat your pussy under the stars.”

My cheeks heated.

“Matteo—” To my surprise, the dome above us started moving, each tile folding over until it disappeared altogether. “What? How? What?”

“It was my little contribution to the project.”

His gaze burned into me and I lowered my eyes to him. “And what do you plan on doing to me tonight?”

A small smile touched his lips. “Tonight we’re having a date.”

“Will it end with us… together?”

He watched me with a half-lidded stare that conveyed so much yet not enough. “Not necessarily.”

My lips pushed forward in an exaggerated pout. “Don’t tell me you’ll make me wait after putting a school-wide ban on me.”

Surprise flashed across his face. “How—who told you about that?”

“You said you wouldn’t let anyone touch what was yours?” I tried to backpedal, but somehow I knew it wouldn’t work.

“I never told you about that.”

I stepped on each of his shoes and rose to my tiptoes, then pressed a kiss on his lips, hoping to distract him. It worked. He thrust his tongue between my lips, ravaging my mouth.

Pure lust erupted inside me, and I roamed my fingers over his shirt and along his abs.

Sliding a hand up his neck, I pushed my fingers into his hair. I was ready to skip over the date and go straight to what came next.

His tongue slid against mine, and with a rough sound from deep in his chest, he sucked on my tongue. Then abruptly, he nipped my bottom lip and I yelped.

When I pulled back, both of us were breathing heavily.

“We’re doing this date, Ari.” His voice was like red velvet while his eyes darkened with enough heat to melt the polar ice caps. “If I have any say in it, we’ll have nice stories to tell our children, not just fucked-up ones.”

Staring at him, my mind was spinning. Whether from his strange words or the kiss we shared, I wasn’t sure. Either way, I had no business feeling such a carnal need to jump his bones. Maybe this business of being a virgin for so long was finally backfiring.

I had to clear my throat to find my voice.

“Isn’t it a bit too early to talk about children?” I said, ignoring my throbbing core.

He brought his hand to my neck, his fingers caressing my fluttering pulse. “Let’s get this date started, then, because I can’t wait for my dessert. And, Ari?”

I gulped. “Yes?”

“I’m not talking about cookies.”

“It’s the best cookie I’ve ever had.” I threw another Nutella cookie into my mouth and chewed on it, stroking my hand over the picnic blanket. While we were working on the cookie dough, he’d discarded his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves, and I couldn’t help but admire his strong, veiny arms. In fact, I couldn’t believe I’d never noticed them before.

It was the best date I could have possibly wished for. Matteo recreated our first time together in the kitchen as children. We even made the same cookies.

“I’m just grateful my nose didn’t have to be broken for you to bake for me.”

I nudged him with my shoulder. “Come on, I’ve baked for you many times since.”

“True, but that was the last time you did it next to me in the kitchen.”

“Because you almost ruined my batch,” I reminded him, unable to keep my grin under control. “I said a pinch of salt and you dumped the entire container of it into the mix.”

“It meant we could spend more time together that day.” I stared at him in disbelief and he shrugged. “What? Don’t tell me you’re surprised.”

“I broke your nose that day,” I reminded him. “I would have thought you’d want to spend the least amount of time possible with me after that.”

“Absolutely not. I was proud and impressed with your self-defense capabilities.” I gave my head a subtle shake. No wonder it was so easy to fall for this man. “Besides, it was the first secret we shared and the true beginning of our friendship.”

My chest twisted in guilt, reminding me of our deception. I would have to talk to Hannah eventually, but I refused to dwell on it now.

My gaze darted around the dimmed space. The portable kitchen was a mess while the glittering stars above us played peekaboo between the clouds, the soft breeze teasing my strands. The weather had been on our side, delaying the showers that the soft rumble of thunder in the distance promised.

“How did you get the equipment in here?”

“I have my ways.”

“If you get caught⁠—”

He chuckled. “I never get caught.”

I rolled my eyes. “One day you will.”

He jumped to his feet, then extended his hand. “Not today. Now, how about a dance?”

“There’s no music.”

But I still put my hand in his and let him pull me to my bare feet, my kicked-off sandals somewhere by the kitchen. I stepped on his black loafers and we started dancing, the sound of our breaths, thunder, and soft pitter-patter somewhere in the distance.

“I like you in the kitchen.”

I pursed my lips. “That sounded very⁠—”

He chuckled. “Sexist. It’s not how I meant it though.”

“How did you mean it?”

He shrugged. “I like when you cook and bake for me, but I like it even better when we do it together.”

I feigned a gasp. “Matteo Vitale, what will the mobsters say if they learn you like to spend time in the kitchen with me?”

He grinned.

“They’ll remain silent or I’ll cut out their tongues.” I stared at him, trying to figure out whether he was joking. His expression told me he wasn’t.

“Well, your secret is safe with me.”

He bent his head, the tip of his nose brushing against mine. “You’re the one person outside of my family who I’d never hurt.”

Our bodies moved together, the muscle beneath his clothes hard against me, the heat of his body and his heartbeat against mine. Our gazes held and I waited for him to kiss me, my lips tingling in anticipation.

I wanted—needed him to kiss me.

Yet he wasn’t making a move.

He must have read my hesitation because in the next breath, he pressed his mouth to my ear.

“Want me to kiss you, Ari?” I nodded. “Use your words.”

“Kiss me,” I breathed out.

As his lips lowered on me, the first raindrop landed between our faces, but that didn’t stop him. Instead, he deepened the kiss, our tongues dancing together. I wrapped my hands around his neck, my fingers gripping his strands.

Each kiss we shared put me on the highway to addiction. Unlike the two we’d shared before, this one was gentle. Slower.

The wind picked up as the raindrops fell faster around us when a soft hum filled the space as the glass dome started to close. But we never stopped dancing, the plinking against the glass creating the best kind of music for us.

And I couldn’t help but think this was the most romantic thing I’d ever experienced.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

MATTEO

Iscooped her up, a loud squeal escaping her lips.

“Where are you taking me?” No sooner had those words left her mouth than the setup for the night came into view. Fluffy blankets made a cozy bed on the ground with red rose petals dusted all over it and makeshift planets floating in the air.

Her gaze found mine, her lips parted in a silent “O” as she searched for words.

“What is all this?” she breathed.

“I’m ready for my favorite dessert.”

Her brows arched. “I thought my cookies were your favorite dessert.”

“Second. Eating your pussy is my first.”

A slight tremor rolled through her body and she pressed herself harder against me. “Maybe… Maybe I could return the favor.”

The picture her words drew in my mind had me almost coming on the spot, raging desire coursing through my veins.

“Some other time, Ari. When I’m more in control.”

She tilted her chin, studying me. “What if I want to see you lose control?”

I shook my head. “Trust me, you don’t.”

“I do. I want to see all of you.”

It was the most simple thing anyone had ever said to me, but her words seeped straight into my soul. She’d been in my heart for so long that I was accustomed to having her as a permanent resident there, but with her every kiss, every word, and every touch, she was taking over the rest of me. She was now in my body and soul, as well as my heart.

My body and soul came to life whenever she was near me.

I stopped in front of the bed and she slid down my body, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she reached for the zipper at the back of her dress, pulling it down.

She stood like a goddess, wearing nothing but her lacy white panties and a bra. Bare and exposed, while I stood there still fully dressed.

She unfastened my tie gracefully and discarded it on the ground as she said, “I mean it, Matteo. Give me all or nothing.”

My mouth smashed against hers and she instantly parted her lips. She tasted like Nutella and cookie dough, two of my favorite things.

She was so fucking right for me.

Her hands around my neck, her kiss turned demanding. My hands roamed her soft body, traveling down until I could grip her ass with my fingers. Tightly, needing every inch of her. I wanted to lay my claim on her. Never let her go.

Letting go of her ass, I brought up one hand and pushed it into her golden strands, gripping them gently. Needing her to be under the same spell.

“Look at me,” I demanded against her mouth, her soft breaths fanning my cheek. Her eyes fluttered open, the stars in her eyes blinding me.

I took her chin between my fingers, gently but firmly.

“I’ll give you my everything, but remember you asked for it,” I growled, letting a hint of my darkness seep into my words. “And I will never let go, never share you.”

She remained silent, watching me, while my heart pounded in my chest, worried she’d change her mind.

“You made that plenty clear, but know this, Matteo…” Her lips curved into a smile and she lifted onto her tiptoes, her lips brushing against mine. “I’ll kill any woman who dares come near you too.”

I peppered kisses over her neck and down her chest. “You have yourself a deal.”

My mouth brushed over the lace of her bra and I reached around to unclip it.

“These are my tits,” I murmured against her chest, my hands trailing down her flat stomach. She gasped when I cupped her through her panties, my fingers digging into her sensitive flesh. She was soaked. “And this is my pussy.”

My attention still on her full breasts, I tugged on her panties until she moaned at the friction. Wanting to hear it again, I removed the flimsy material, then gently slapped her pussy.

She yelped, shifting away from me, but I refused to let her put distance between us. I crashed my lips into hers, our tongues colliding. When I pulled away, she was breathless, her cheeks stained red and her eyes shining like diamonds.

“Tell me,” I demanded.

“They’re yours. Now stop talking and⁠—”

I silenced her with another kiss, needing to consume her.

Her body melted into me and her hands fisted my shirt as if she couldn’t get me close enough. I moved my mouth down her jaw, over the soft skin below her ear. Her hips ground against me, her moves jerky and unpracticed.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” I rasped, nipping her neck and hoping to leave a mark for the world to see.

With my hand between her thighs, I pressed my fingers to her soaking core. She rocked her hips, grinding herself against me as her head fell back.

“Ohhh,” she breathed. I increased the pressure and her pink lips parted as we stared at each other. “Please.”

“Please what? Use your words, Ari,” I demanded, tightening my grip on her hair and tilting her face up so she’d watch me.

She peered at me, her gaze heavy-lidded. “I need⁠—”

She ground her hips against my hand harder and faster.

“What?” I growled, needing to hear her say it.

“I need to come.”

“Good girl,” I groaned, rewarding her by thrusting a finger inside her tight entrance.

Her blue eyes darkened and a sense of satisfaction filled me. I kept sliding my finger in and out of her, watching her face, not wanting to miss the flicker of every single emotion that crossed her features.

Ari’s eyes dropped to my lips as her tongue swept across her lower lip. “Kiss me, please.”

I kissed her, sliding my finger in and out of her folds while my thumb circled her clit. She was so fucking tight, and I couldn’t help but imagine how she’d feel when I thrust into her. Her insides greedily clenched around my fingers as she moaned softly into my mouth.

I guided her gently onto her back, the rose petals getting tangled in her blonde hair. And all the while, my fingers rubbed her clit and my tongue teased hers. Her body shivered underneath mine, her hips rising frantically to rub against me.

God, she was so responsive. So fucking beautiful.

“Matteo,” she moaned, needy. Her hands gripped my shoulders, her fingernails digging into my muscles as she quivered underneath me. “Matteo, oh… ohh…”

Her body rocked against my hand, and I could taste her impending orgasm almost as if it were my own. Her arousal, sweet and delicious, permeated the air. Her juices drenched my fingers and I refused to let up. She writhed under me with her head thrown back, the rose petals surrounding her head like a halo.

“Look at me,” I ordered as I guided her closer and closer to the edge.

Shudders rolled down her body and she panted, her mewling getting louder. I rubbed at her clit faster and picked up the pace of my thrusting.

She was close, and I reveled in the knowledge that I was the only man who’d seen her through an orgasm.

Her hands tightened around me, and I loved how she needed me as she came unraveled, her body shivering and her pussy convulsing around my fingers with my name on her lips.

I couldn’t fucking wait to marry this woman.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

ARIANNA

Ididn’t know how or when it happened exactly, but somewhere along the way, I’d fallen for the very same man who stole my first kiss as a boy. The very same man my sister wanted for herself.

Maybe the feelings were there all along, waiting, idling by. Or maybe a switch was flipped when faced with a life-or-death situation. I wasn’t sure.

All I knew as I drowned in Matteo’s hazel gaze was that this man was everything I’d never realized I was looking for.

My body trembled against his as he cupped the back of my head, kissed me lightly, and then brought his forehead to rest against mine.

I molded my lips to his, inhaling his scent deep into my lungs, letting the headiness of the moment weigh me down.

“Are you going to… make love to me now?” I breathed out.

“We don’t need to rush,” he murmured against my lips.

“Rush?” I let out a groan. “Matteo, I’m twenty-five.”

“I’m well aware.”

“I’m ready, and if you aren’t going to do it, I’ll find someone⁠—”

He silenced me with a deep, hard kiss. It wasn’t until he had me panting and writhing that he pulled away and said, “Never… fucking ever say that again, Ari.”

“Okay.” I peered at him from underneath my lashes, studying his tense expression, then brought my palm to his cheek. “Same goes for you.”

“Baby, I’ve been chasing away every male for almost two decades. Do you really think I’d let any woman touch me now that you’re mine?” A whisper of darkness laced through his voice as he showered my face with kisses. He pressed his mouth to my ear. “Does that scare you?”

I shook my head. It was the truth. I wouldn’t call it fear, not with how hot my body burned.

“Although it was very wrong of you to do that.”

“I protect what’s mine.”

I scrunched my nose and pouted my lips.

“Yeah, but did you protect what’s mine? Did you refrain yourself from being with other women?” He remained quiet, giving me my answer. “So typical of a man to be a hypocrite. How many women have you been with?”

He watched me with a burning gaze. “Zero.”

“Be serious, Matteo. I heard enough about double standards men have to know it cannot be the truth.”

“It’s the honest-to-God truth. I’ve fucked zero women. I’ve only ever fantasized about you. I’ve only ever wanted you. So I’ve waited until you were ready for me.” I scoffed, and he continued, “I would never hurt you by lying to you. I’m not saying I’m a saint and never experimented, but I’m saying I saved myself for you.”

At that very moment, I knew there was no coming back from Matteo. He’d forever be ingrained into my blood, my marrow, and into my soul.

“Tell me you believe me, Ari.”

“Yes.” I swallowed, the rasp of his voice sending shivers down my spine. “I believe you.”

“I’m yours and only yours.” It was a growl that lowered into a promise. “And you’re mine.”

My lips parted as he ran a thumb across them.

“Yours,” I vowed. “Now make me yours in every sense of the word.”

Matteo

My cock strained against my pants, and I quickly shed my clothes, discarding them soundlessly on the floor.

I stood in front of her, naked, satisfied by the hunger in her eyes. She perched up on her elbow, reaching a trembling finger out, and I stood still as it trailed over my abs.

“I’ve been thinking about these abs since that night,” she whispered.

“What night?”

Her fingers stopped on the tattoo over my ribs, close to my heart.

“After the shooting,” she murmured, resuming her exploration only to return to the tattoo. I covered her small hand with my own. “I can’t believe you tattooed this on your chest.”

“Better believe it, because I plan on tattooing every milestone.”

She let out a soft chuckle. “You’re crazy.”

“Crazy for you.” Then I claimed her lips, crawling up her body. She looked like my own fallen angel, her eyes shining like stars above us. “Don’t ever forget that you’re mine.”

“I won’t,” she vowed, her lust-filled eyes on me. “But don’t forget you’re mine too.”

And nothing was truer.

Her legs parted as the moonlit glow threw light onto her naked body. I’d never wanted or needed much, but she made me insatiable.

I shifted down her body and Ari arched her back, rubbing her slick pussy against my abs.

“Please,” she moaned as I hovered my mouth over her breasts.

I tugged her nipple between my teeth, relishing in her shudders and small noises. I trailed my hands down her ribs and slim waist. All the while, she writhed underneath me, whimpering with need.

I parted her thighs, taking in her pink, soaked pussy, and fuck, my mouth watered.

The scent of her arousal seeped into my lungs, getting me drunk.

“You’re so beautiful,” I hummed, pressing a soft kiss on her inner thigh.

“Matteo,” she gasped, arching up, twisting underneath me and grinding herself against me. “P-please.”

“Want me to kiss your pussy?” I asked, watching her body shudder in response.

“Yes.”

“What else?” She watched me, her mouth slightly parted and her eyes sparkling with lust.

“Everything,” she panted.

I nodded and wedged my palms under her ass, lifting her pussy to my mouth and kissing her soaked folds.

“You like when I eat your pussy?” I murmured when her breath caught. Her scent was intoxicating. I parted her open with my thumb and lapped at her juices as she shook underneath me. “Tell me,” I demanded, then sucked her lips lightly.

“Yes,” she whimpered, grinding herself against my mouth. “I like everything you do to me.”

I circled her opening, then thrust my tongue inside her.

“Oh my God.” I lifted my head and she chased me with her hips. “Don’t stop, please.”

“What’s my name?”

Her brows furrowed in confusion. “Huh?”

“My name, Ari.”

“Matteo.”

I brushed her clit with my tongue, then growled, “That’s right. Remember that when you’re crying out.”

I closed my lips around her clit and began to suck, sliding my finger in and out of her. She was so fucking tight, and the thought of her gripping my cock with her walls had my dick throbbing with need. Another orgasm rolled through her as she quivered underneath me, her eyes hazed with pleasure.

“I need more of you, Matteo,” she pleaded, her face flushed, and I’d never seen anything more beautiful.

I pressed another kiss on her throbbing pussy before I moved up her body, nudging her legs farther apart. I lined my cock up with her hot entrance, her greedy pussy clenching already, and the feel of her nearly took me out.

“I’ve waited for this moment for so fucking long. Dreamt about it, too.”

I kissed the corner of her mouth as I shifted my hips so my tip teased her hot entrance. Angst flashed across her face, and I instantly froze.

“You okay?”

“Yes, but we should use a condom.” Fuck, I was so lost in the moment, it completely slipped my mind. “I’m on birth control, but it’s safer until we…”

I grinned. “Until you become my wife.”

“How about we have sex first?” She chuckled. “Now, for the love of God, get the condom before we both forget ourselves and forgo the protection.”

I quickly fished out a condom, her fingers wrapping around mine as I rolled it on, and fuck if that wasn’t the hottest thing I’d ever seen.

Positioning myself at her entrance, I kissed the tip of her nose. “You ready?”

“Yes.” My chest squeezed at the trust I found in her eyes.

“It might be painful,” I rasped. “Should I stop?”

“Don’t you dare,” she murmured, her hands wrapping around my neck. “I want this, Matteo.”

I kissed her temple, shifting my hips so the tip nudged barely an inch into her entrance.

“If it becomes too much, you tell me,” I said, my control hanging by a single thread. “Okay?”

She nodded, her legs wrapping around me as she gripped my biceps.

Kissing my lips, she murmured, “It’ll be exactly enough.”

I slid deeper, taking her mouth for a kiss, then thrust forward and swallowed her gasp. Her breathing turned ragged and her nails dug into my biceps, reminding me of her pain.

I drowned in her big blue eyes, worried I’d hurt her. “Still okay?”

“Yes.” She arched her back. “Don’t stop.”

My body obeyed before my brain even processed her words. In one swift thrust, I slid into her further, breaking her barrier, and groaned with pleasure. God, she felt incredible. The grip of her walls milking my cock was unlike anything I'd ever imagined or fantasized about before. It was because it was her. My Ari, in the flesh, and no longer a product of my dreams.

“You’re mine,” I whispered into her ear. “Nobody else’s.”

“Yours,” she whimpered, raising her hips. “Please, Matteo.”

The need to have her was consuming me. I began to move in small shallow thrusts. Her insides clenched me greedily, and I kept my eyes on her face, watching for any signs of pain or fear. There were none, and with every thrust, my control slowly slipped away.

“Fuck, you feel good,” I growled.

I pulled out slightly and then eased into her deeper, grinding my pelvis against her clit. Ari’s lips parted and flickers of pleasure danced across her face.

“More,” she demanded, her back arching off the floor.

My muscles quivered as I slid in and out of her, filling her to the hilt. My pleasure coiled, her moans grew louder, needy, and I pressed our mouths together, swallowing all her sounds like a greedy bastard.

“Oh my—” she panted. “Don’t stop.”

As if I could stop at this point. I was beyond control. Pleasure tingled at the bottom of my spine and my balls tightened. I reached between our bodies and rubbed circles over her clit as I pounded into her.

“Fuck,” I groaned, my thrusts becoming jerky.

“Oh… oh… ahhhhh…” Her back arched and I watched, mesmerized as pleasure crossed her face. She milked my cock with her pussy, leaving half-moon marks on my skin with the pressure of her grip, and it was enough. Too much. I shot my cum into her, my dick twitching.

“Mine,” I grunted as I buried my face into her nape, our breathing ragged.

We held each other, her warm breath fanning over my skin while her palms stroked my back.

Inhaling, I sighed at the feel of her soft body and our scents mixing together. I could stay like this forever with her and I’d die a happy man.

“Did I—” She tilted her face, looking at me. “Are you okay?”

She smiled, her cheeks flushed. “Never better. You?”

I slid out of her slowly, careful not to hurt her, and pressed my forehead against hers.

“Never better,” I echoed. “I love you, Arianna Carter Morrelli, and there’s nothing that will keep me from you now.”

She let out a soft chuckle. “Is that a threat?”

“Mmm,” I murmured, rolling over and tucking her into my side. I was floating ten feet above, weightless, untouchable.

If only I knew then how badly I’d soon fuck up.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

ARIANNA

Hannah and I were sprawled on the bottom bunk. She was scrolling through her apps while I studied positions, motions, and the properties of celestial objects, avoiding the physics textbooks that required my attention.

I convinced myself as long as I wasn’t slacking, I could spend a bit more time with black holes and asteroids.

Anya was with her brother, Amara had gone home to spend time with her family, Gianna and Francesca were nowhere to be found—probably shopping, and Penelope was out with a new guy. She hoped a lunch date would change her luck when it came to boys—something about daylight proving to be safer and whatnot.

“Want to watch True Blood?” Hannah asked in a bored tone.

“Yeah, why not.” My answer was immediate. We grew up watching TV series with our mom, and our recent favorite was this old vampire show. I loved it, switching my favorite between a certain blond vampire, and dark-haired werewolf. In addition, it was a perfect reason to defer physics for another day.

“Don’t sound too excited,” she teased. She wore a pair of gym shorts and a T-shirt that said I’ll call you daddy if you call me baby in bold red letters. “Are you sure you shouldn’t be studying?”

My eyes widened as I studied my sister who’d flopped onto her back and pulled a fleece blanket over her. “Are you trying to be a good influence?”

“Trying being the keyword,” she muttered, her words muffled.

She reached for the remote and searched through options, pressing play on season two. The automatic shutters blocked all the outside light and Hannah flicked the lights off, leaving us in a dark room with the only light flashing from the TV screen despite it being only noon. Hannah seemed off, like something was bothering her.

“What’s wrong?” I questioned, sneaking under the blanket with her and wrapping my arms around her. “Don’t tell me nothing. I know you too well.”

“I’m not sure.” Her voice was quiet, conflicting. “Do you agree that human traffickers need to be punished?”

I hesitated, unsure where this was going.

“I think so,” I finally responded. “But I don’t like you getting involved.”

She sighed. “I felt like it would make me closer with him, you know. Not sure it’s working though.”

I focused on the TV screen, my chest tightening. I didn’t know what to say, although something had to be said. Gathering the courage and hating myself for being the one to hurt her, I shifted so I could face her.

“Hannah?” I said softly, grabbing her hand.

“Kyran messaged me,” she said suddenly without looking at me, and I frowned in confusion.

“Uncle Kyran?”

“He’s not really our uncle,” she grumbled. We called him uncle—well, Hannah called him hot daddy—but he wasn’t related to us. “But yes, him.”

“Why would he message you?”

She handed me her cell phone.

Kyran: Don’t ever—fucking ever—show up in my club half naked again. In fact, you’re banned from coming altogether.

“Half naked?” I questioned. “And when did you go to his club?”

She shrugged. “I wore a short backless dress, hardly enough to get his panties in a twist.”

“I don’t understand you, Hannah.” I shook my head disapprovingly. “What is with you lately?”

Her gaze flitted to mine. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve been acting strange lately. You’re partying harder than before. You’re disappearing without letting anyone know where you’re going or with who.” Another shrug, but there was something lurking in her eyes. Fear. Or was it rebellion? I couldn’t quite pinpoint it, but I knew Hannah well enough to know I wouldn’t get anywhere with her if I pushed her too hard. “What about Matteo?”

“What about him?”

My heart trembled beneath my chest. “Well, how do you feel about him?”

Maybe I could come clean with her and she’d come clean with me.

“Same as always.” Her answer wasn’t much of one at all.

“Which is?” I pushed further. “Head over heels for him? Or just⁠—”

“Yeah, head over heels,” she repeated flatly.

“But why would you go to Uncle Kyran’s club, then?” I challenged. “That’s not really the behavior of a person head over heels for someone.”

“I don’t know anymore,” she whispered as we lay side by side, lost in our own thoughts. Then she added, “But if Kyran thinks he can keep me away from any establishment, he doesn’t know me at all.”

“There are plenty of other clubs,” I pointed out.

Then a thought occurred to me, and I studied her pensively. Her cheeks were flushed, her breathing was slightly accelerated, and she was twisting her fingers nervously.

“Oh no,” I murmured.

“Oh no what?”

“Hannah, please tell me…” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Please tell me you didn’t do something inappropriate with Uncle Kyran.”

Her nose scrunched. “He’s not our uncle.”

“Need I remind you that Kyran Callahan is almost twice our age? Not to mention everyone knows his clubs are exclusive because they’ve got some freaky shit going on.”

I could see there would be no reasoning with her. The only hope now was that he would hold strong on his ban. “If you try to sneak into his club again, he’ll just rat you out to Dad,” I warned.

She scoffed, her expression tightening with frustration. “No, he won’t.”

“Why wouldn’t he?”

My sister’s sparkling gaze came to me as she sat up. “Because I have him by the balls.”

I sat up. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing,” she piped up, her expression lightening.

Tell her. Tell her, my head—or was it my heart?—chanted over and over again. “Listen, Hannah. I have to tell you something about me and⁠—”

“Not now,” she cut me off. She jumped out of bed and stepped into her purple fuzzy slippers, calling out, “Kyran Callahan hasn’t seen the last of me yet,” over her shoulder as she sauntered out of my room.

“Dammit,” I muttered to the empty room.

Later that same day, when the sun was starting its descent, I found Matteo waiting for me in front of the building, leaning against his bike and holding up two helmets.

Matteo in a three-piece suit was hot, but in jeans, a white T-shirt, and boots, he was downright gorgeous. I couldn’t help admiring the tattoo on his chest playing peekaboo as he handed me a helmet.

I took it, inhaling his woodsy scent into my lungs.

“You look nice.” Matteo’s words sent a flush through me and stained my skin crimson from my hairline to my toes. “Ready for our date?”

Smoothing my hand over the flowery dress I wore, I nodded. “Where are you taking me?”

He laughed quietly. “It’s a surprise.”

With our helmets on, he mounted his bike and I followed, wrapping my arms around his waist. The handle of his gun pushed against my stomach and I tensed. I’d grown up around weapons, so it shouldn’t have surprised me.

“You okay?” he asked over his shoulder.

“Yes.” Liar.

Then since he knew me too well, he offered, “I’ll move it.”

I banded my arms tighter around him. “No, don’t.”

Because I knew from experience that in our world, trouble hit when you least expected it.

Seemingly satisfied with my answer, he revved his bike and took off.

The late afternoon sun breathed down our backs, but its heat had nothing on Matteo. I felt soft against his hard muscles as I melded my body to his. If he drove us straight to hell, I’d be fine with it.

It wasn’t a long ride, and when we arrived, there was a hot-air balloon waiting in a large field.

“Are we…?” I trailed off, absentmindedly handing him my helmet. “Are we taking a hot-air balloon?”

“Yes.”

I chewed my lip. “I’ve never been on one.”

“Me neither.” He pressed his lips against my ear, his breath scorching against my skin. “From now on, we’ll share many firsts.”

Taking my hand, we made our way to the men waiting for us. Matteo spoke Italian to them. I watched him, fascinated, as I waited for the men to come to an agreement. I tried to piece words together, but my Italian was elementary level at best.

“What’s going on?” I asked when they shook hands and one of the men opened the little hatch of the basket to the hot-air balloon.

“It’ll be just the two of us,” was all he said as we were secured inside.

I shot him a surprised look.

“You know how to maneuver this?” He nodded. “How?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve arranged with the men to keep us safe while airborne.” His dark hazel gaze locked on me, he watched me with amusement sparking in his gaze. “I’ve been waiting for you for a long time, Ari.”

His voice was gravel and silk, a seduction of promises, and my heart fluttered like a butterfly trapped in a jar.

He gave a nod to the men who started unbinding the ropes that kept the balloon together and suddenly we started the ascent. Higher and higher we went, and soon we could see the outline of New York City in the distance.

Matteo’s tall body stood behind me, his heat a comforting blanket, while he busied himself with maneuvering the balloon.

“You know, there’s a meteor shower tonight.” I sighed dreamily. “What a sight it must be from up here.”

“We’ll find out.”

I shot him a surprised look. “We will?”

“Why did you think I picked today of all days for this ride?” he drawled, amused. “We’ll have food, drinks, and some champagne while we wait.”

“Ah, that’s what that basket is over there. You really thought of everything.” I smiled as I gazed down at the stretches of farms, towns, and lakes passing beneath us. I’d never seen anything like it, even from an airplane.

Being out in the open like this felt like flying. Thrilling and exciting, but also terrifying and reckless. Except, I didn’t mind being reckless because I knew Matteo would always keep me safe.

“This is the best date I’ve ever been on,” I said after we’d been in the air for about an hour. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, feeling as if the stars were within my grasp.

Matteo’s lips sucked along my neck, marking every inch of my skin.

“Those dates with other men don’t count.” His rough voice below my ear caused my pulse to sputter. “You and me. We are the only thing that counts.”

I shot him a dry look. “Only because you worked overtime, chasing every boy away and ruining all my dates.”

A sly smile tugged on his lip. “You’re lucky I didn’t kill every one of those boys.”

I should be worried about his possessiveness, but instead, it made me jittery and warm inside. Turning my head to the side, I kissed him, hard and deep, while the stars reached for us and streaks of light burned all around us in the night as they entered Earth’s atmosphere.

It was only the beginning of our life together. Our future.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

ARIANNA

Our feet back on solid ground, Matteo handed a stack of bills to the waiting men who had been tethering the hot-air balloon so we wouldn’t wander off course. Truthfully, it made the whole experience even more enjoyable because it would have been terrifying to get lost in the air. Or God forbid, get into an air crash.

Matteo took my hand, tugging me along as he checked his phone with his other.

“Merda… Figlio di puttana…” He let out a string of Italian curses as we stopped in front of his bike, and I bit my lip as he typed on his phone. “Porca miseria.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked, the ridges of his face now hard, his eyes stormy. I’d seen the same look in Dad’s eyes when business called.

He handed me my helmet, smiling tightly. “Nothing. I just need to stop at my penthouse.”

My eyebrows shot up. “You have a penthouse?”

“Yeah.”

I let out an uncomfortable laugh. “Just yeah, huh?”

“I don’t use it all that much.” He swung his leg over the bike and revved the motor. “Come on, hop on.”

All the way there, I noticed Matteo checking behind us, but I didn’t notice anything unusual when I followed his line of sight.

An hour later, we arrived at a luxury building in the heart of New York City. After he parked the bike in the underground garage, we took the elevator to the reception area.

One guard stood right outside the door of the building and another sat behind the reception desk, eyes trained on a monitor.

“I’ll be right back, okay? I don’t have my keys on me, so I’ll need to grab one from the manager.”

I plastered on a smile. “No rush. I’ll be here.”

Once he disappeared from view, I studied the luxurious waiting area with marble floors, sofas, and floor-to-ceiling windows while I waited for him, observing the passing crowds as they rushed out into the night.

“Hello, Arianna. I’m surprised to see you here.”

I startled, a yelp falling from my lips as I whirled around and came face-to-face with a familiar face. It took a few seconds for my brain to place him, and the instant it did, I gasped. It was the man I hadn’t seen in years. Not since that frightful night I went after Gianna.

He was a bit older, darkness around him a lot more intense. But beyond a doubt, the same man stood in front of me.

“What are you doing here?” was my greeting.

He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his dark eyes as he towered over me.

“I live here,” he answered, a hand tucked in the pocket of his trousers. “And you?”

I didn’t know why I was unwilling to share any details about it. Yes, this man—who’d never divulged his name, I was now realizing—helped me free Gianna from the clutches of kidnappers, but there was still something unsettling about him.

“Visiting a friend,” I muttered.

“Does that friend happen to be Matteo Vitale?” The gleam in his eyes threw me off, something about it warning me to tread carefully. “Or is it Francesca you’re visiting?”

My brow furrowed. Matteo didn’t mention anything about sharing this penthouse with Francesca.

I steadied my breathing, taking a step back before I answered, “Considering I don’t know anything about you, I don’t think you’re in a position to be asking me questions.”

“You’d be dead if it weren’t for me, and so would your sister.”

Okay, well, he had me there. “Fine.”

“How is she, by the way?”

“Yeah, she’s good.”

He stared me down with darkness so tangible, I could taste it on my tongue. I couldn’t grasp his intentions, but I was certain I didn’t want to try. He saved us once, so he couldn’t possibly be that bad. Right?

After the whole incident with Gianna, I’d worked for years to uncover the identity of this man. Unsuccessfully. I even tried to use our family’s secure database, but I was only left with blank spots. It was as if he didn’t exist. I couldn’t even go to my dad and his friends, because he’d warned me not to tell a soul. The or else hung in the air, and there was no need for either Gianna or I to ever question it.

Yet here he stood.

“Who are you?” I breathed, hating that just seeing him brought all those horrible images from that day to the forefront of my mind. “What do you want?”

He took my elbow, lowering his head as he bored into my eyes. “It’s best if you don’t know. And make sure your sister and her friend stop sticking their noses where they don’t belong.”

“Which sister?” I rasped, but he didn’t answer.

Instead, he released my arm and I stepped back on wobbly feet. He left abruptly, storming out of the building and disappearing into the crowd.

“Who was that?”

I yelped for the second time, jumping out of my skin. Matteo. It’s just Matteo.

“Jesus Christ, you scared the crap out of me.”

“Sorry.” He slid his hand into mine and tugged me toward the elevators. “Who was that?”

For a brief moment, I debated whether I should tell him, but then decided against it. That man seemed every bit as threatening as when he’d sworn me to secrecy.

“No idea. He said he lives here,” was what I said instead, praying he didn’t look too closely and catch the beads of sweat gathering at my temples.

I’d have to ask Gianna whether she’d been snooping around. It had to be her because Hannah wouldn’t know anything about him. And then maybe—just maybe—with the help of the city’s CCTV, we could finally learn who he was.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

MATTEO

The guy didn’t live here.

And I knew that because it was my fucking building and I knew every single tenant. They weren’t just regular people, everyone leasing a flat here had connections to our criminal world and worked in it. That guy didn’t.

I could say with certainty, despite the fact that I didn’t get a good look at him.

Then there was the fact that Ari was visibly shaken by the encounter. Not wanting to spook her, I discreetly messaged the building manager and demanded he send me the surveillance footage from the past hour.

Once we reached the penthouse, I turned the key and punched in my code, the elevator doors sliding open. My hand at the small of her back, I urged Ari inside.

“Want something to drink?”

Her eyes darted around, studying the space around us. “This place is huge. Very sleek and modern.”

“Francesca insisted on decorating,” I muttered. “It was during that stage when she thought that might be her calling.”

She chuckled uncomfortably. “Well, she’s going to be a lawyer now, so you can kiss the free redecorating goodbye.”

“We’ll see.” My lips twitched. “How about that drink, Ari?”

“Ah, sure. Whatever you have.”

I headed into the kitchen and poured her a glass of wine and myself a bourbon before heading back into the living room, where I found Ari standing by the large windows.

“Here.”

She took the glass, flicking me a look. “This view is stunning.”

“It’s the main reason I bought it.” The run-down building and surrounding three lots it used to sit on were unrecognizable once I’d torn it all down and had this skyscraper built. The top two floors had views stretching so far you could see the Statue of Liberty. It was the reason Francesca had muscled her way into owning the floor below me. Honestly, I didn’t mind because I wanted her close.

Not that we stayed here much.

“You okay?”

She turned to face me. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“That man in the lobby⁠—”

She waved her hand. “I told you. I don’t know him. He’s nobody.”

I watched her for a beat, waiting to see if she’d change her answer. She didn’t.

“Don’t you trust me, Ari?”

She shifted, lowering her head. That alone told me more than any of her words could.

“Of course I do,” she finally said. I conjured all my self-restraint not to call her bluff. There had to be a reason she was staying tight-lipped, and I intended to uncover it. “Did you handle whatever you needed to?”

I had to hand it to her, it was a smooth subject change.

“No, not yet.”

“Go ahead, I’ll wait for you here. Is that okay?”

If it wasn’t an item that required my immediate attention, I would have protested.

“Yes. If you need me, I’ll be just down the hall, first door on the right.” I started to head that way, then stopped. “Should I have dinner delivered or would you prefer to go out?”

Her back was to me, tension in her shoulders visible from here. “Dinner here would be perfect.”

Once in the office, I powered up my laptop as I dialed Nikola and Gabriel.

“Took you long enough,” was Nikola’s answer.

“What do you have for me?”

They got right to it, likely registering my abrupt tone.

“The money used to pay the guards… Get this, it came from a corporation called Belles and Mobsters. A shell company, based out of the Bahamas.”

“Are you sure?”

“Well, yes and no,” Gabriel answered.

“Pull up the email I sent you,” Nikola chimed in.

My fingers flew across the keyboard as I set up my VPN and logged into my main server. Once inside, I opened the email and clicked on the link. The data started pouring in.

“Holy fuck,” I muttered as I stared at my screen in shock.

“My thoughts exactly,” Nikola grumbled.

“There’s an undercover agent in the FBI working with someone determined to restart the Belles and Mobsters with new and improved auctions,” Gabriel stated the obvious. “It’s uncertain whether the agent has flipped sides.”

“The question is who,” I said. “Who would benefit from it?”

“An heir to the late Benito King?”

Benito King’s only heirs were the children of Bianca Morrelli, Cassio King, and Luca DiMauro.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

ARIANNA

Aside from my run-in with the mystery man two days ago, the past week had been nothing short of amazing.

Late-night rides on the back of Matteo’s bike. Dinners in the most exquisite and romantic restaurants in New York. Private balloon rides so we could be closer to the stars. Secret dates in the planetarium.

The latter was our go-to and favorite place to meet. Nobody ever visited it, which meant we had it all to ourselves.

“Ride with me,” Matteo tried to persuade me again. It was the day of the Vitale party, and we met first thing this morning before the world even awakened. “We’ll get there before anyone else and have some time alone.”

I shook my head, stretching my legs out on the planetarium’s cool floor. “I can’t. I promised Gianna and Hannah I’d drive. Besides, we’re alone now.”

He ignored my comment, stubbornness etched on his face. I knew it well; I’d seen it plenty when we were growing up.

“Your brothers can drive them.”

“It might give me a window to talk to Hannah.”

He let out a strained laugh. “If I thought you would, I’d agree.”

It made me sound like a coward, but I just couldn’t force myself to rush into hurting my sister. So I dragged my feet, although deep down I knew this secret romance would be doomed with each day I delayed the conversation.

“Hannah hates motorcycles and Gianna isn’t any better. Besides, Penelope is coming along too and there’s no way in hell I’m letting my brothers drive my Jeep.”

“So possessive of your Jeep,” he teased.

“And my men.”

“Your man,” he corrected, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

I rolled my eyes, but there was no avoiding the way my chest trembled. Truth be told, I liked Matteo’s possessiveness.

“Who would’ve thought we’d end up here?” I said wistfully.

He chuckled. “You mean after you kicked me in the balls, broke my nose, and I pulled your hair every chance I had when we were teenagers?”

I glared at him playfully. “I hated that, by the way.”

He shot me an innocent look. “But you like it when I tug on your hair while I fuck you.”

My cheeks heated and I ignored the throbbing between my legs. It would take time to get used to Matteo’s filthy vocabulary.

I gently pushed him away, squealing when he slapped my ass. “I’ll see you later at your parents’ house.”

When we arrived at the Vitale manor around noon, the place was swarming with bulletproof cars, bored-looking armed guards, and a sea of both familiar and unfamiliar faces. Dark suits with guns strapped into holsters. Aviator glasses. Mafia bosses.

“This place looks like the godfathers of the world got together,” Penelope muttered.

“Let’s hope nobody dies,” I chimed in. “And don’t worry, once we change into formal attire, we’ll probably fit right in.”

I pulled around the circular driveway and the first face we ran into was my uncle Luca, pacing outside.

His dark eyes landed on all of us.

“Ah, my favorite girls are finally here,” he greeted, pulling his daughter, Penelope, into a hug. “What did I tell you all about driving with the top down? It’s dangerous.”

“What did I tell you about your paranoia?” I asked as I turned off the ignition and jumped out, my sisters behind me. “Besides, my car, my rules. You better worry about Aunt Margaret with your declaration of us being your favorites over her.”

Penelope chuckled. “That definitely won’t end well for you, Papa.”

It took only a glance to know that Penelope was a daddy’s girl through and through. She still got herself into plenty of trouble, but it was always her papa she turned to.

“What wouldn’t end well?” Aunt Margaret appeared, dressed in a showstopping silver ball gown, and it was no wonder Uncle Luca was head over heels for her. The woman was stunning.

“Don’t listen to these troublesome girls, mia bella,” he drawled, wrapping his hand around her waist.

“Pfft, we’re basically saints,” Hannah declared, gesturing a makeshift halo around her head. “Are Mom and Dad here?”

Uncle Luca nodded. “And your brothers. Nico caught them on the highway doing wheelies.”

Gianna grinned. “Oooh, busted. Idiots!”

“And your parents want to talk to you, Hannah,” Aunt Margaret added.

I flicked her a curious look, but before I could say anything, Penelope snickered. “Maybe someone else is busted too.”

“You better not take any of us down with you,” Gianna hissed.

Hannah flipped her off as she climbed the steps two at a time, but then she stopped midway as she passed Aunt Margaret’s brother, Kyran Callahan. Rich and unmarried, he had women younger than us chasing after him even though he was much older. I knew this because we attended his birthday party last year, where a woman literally threw herself at him—naked. Five other women soon “lost” their clothes too, and suddenly, it was a nudist party.

Dad said, and I quote, “That’s the last fucking party of his we ever attend.”

“I swear, if she blabs to anyone, I’m going to murder her,” Gianna growled under her breath, her eyes narrowed on Hannah, who was still talking to Uncle Kyran.

“About what?” I asked curiously.

She waved her hand and I narrowed my eyes, but before I could question her further, Uncle Luca was in front of us.

“Do I even want to know?” he asked, and Gianna shook her head. “Then I won’t ask.” My twin finally disappeared inside. “About your Jeep, Arianna⁠—”

I groaned. “You sure Dad doesn’t need me inside too?”

He chuckled.

“Count yourself lucky that he doesn’t,” he remarked dryly. “But seriously, the top down and wind in your hair makes for an easy target. I taught you better. No?”

“You did,” I agreed. “I promise you that I didn’t take unnecessary risks. The roads were empty, and I kept an eye on my surroundings at all times.”

“Besides, nobody would have been able to catch up to her,” Gianna deadpanned.

“Not even her own guardian angel from up above could have caught her,” Penelope chimed in.

I groaned. “You two are not helping, and if you continue this, you’ll have to hitch a different ride back.”

They both laughed, knowing it was an empty threat.

“Ari is one of the best drivers I know.” My heartbeat sped up at the familiar voice and my stomach did a few somersaults. I looked over my shoulder, oxygen escaping my lungs at the sight of Matteo’s tousled dark hair and powerful frame.

“Matteo,” I breathed. “You’re here already.”

He nodded, then gave me a pointed look. “I took my bike.”

“I sure hope none of these girls have been on that thing.” Uncle Luca’s eyes sharpened on him.

I smiled and answered before Matteo could. “Of course not. I would never let my family take such a risk.” Only me.

“I’d never let any harm come to Ari.”

Uncle Luca’s gaze flicked between us curiously, but he didn’t say anything further.

“It’s nice seeing you, Matteo,” Aunt Margaret greeted him, concern etched on her face while she glanced between us. “I didn’t think you could get taller, but you’ve proven me wrong.”

Aware of Uncle Luca’s sharp gaze on me, I excused myself, my heart racing. I was barely inside the Vitale manor when Matteo caught up to me, slipping his hand into mine.

“Jesus, are you trying to get us caught?” I hissed.

He swept his eyes over my face, concern etched in his brow. “We’re adults, and we’re not doing anything wrong.”

I let out a heavy sigh, then forced a smile. “I haven’t talked to Hannah yet.”

Disappointment flashed in his eyes and a darkness rippled beneath his voice when he said, “She’s bound to learn sooner or later. Unless you’re planning to change your mind.”

“Of course not,” I said, ignoring the stupid flutter in my chest. I stopped walking, ducking underneath the marble steps that led upstairs, then faced him. “I will tell Hannah everything soon, I promise.”

“I’ll hold you to that promise.” Matteo leaned his forearm against the wall above my head, those bulging biceps cocooning me into a world of our own.

I tossed my hair over my shoulder and pasted on a brash smile. “Or what?”

His eyes pierced mine. “You trying to provoke me, Ari?”

“Why would I ever do that?” I blinked up at him, the picture of innocence.

“Maybe because you want to kiss me?”

“Nope,” I lied.

Anticipation climbed in my chest when he leaned forward, his gaze dropping to my lips. “Or do you need to be punished?”

He closed his hand around my wrist in an iron grip and yanked me toward a door underneath the steps—a storage room of some sort, I soon came to learn, as my back collided with a stack of paper towels and a broomstick. I rubbed my shoulder as Matteo shut the door, clicking the lock in place.

He walked toward me, each slow step sending another jolt of anticipation down my spine. His presence filled every nook of this too-cramped room, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

In the next breath, he claimed my lips in a bruising kiss.

Blood pounded in my ears as I yanked a fistful of his hair. He pulled my dress up and ripped my underwear off, never breaking contact. His fingers delved between my legs to find me already wet, and I moaned into his mouth as he dragged his fingers through my folds.

I pushed him away gently, meeting his blazing eyes.

“You’re mad,” I breathed, ignoring the adrenaline and desire coursing through me.

“I want to lock you in my room and tie you to my bed until you see it.”

“See what?”

“That I would give up everything for you. That there’s no sense in delaying this. That I don’t want lies. ’Cause I want you. I love you. The longer we keep this secret, the worse it will be for Hannah.”

He was right, and the worst part was that I knew it. But I didn’t want to think about that now.

I looked around and spotted a stack of boxes to his left. Deciding they looked sturdy enough, I guided him over to it. He sat, eyes curious, and followed my movements as I pushed myself between his thighs.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I love you too,” I murmured, heat burning inside me like an inferno intent on destruction. “I’ll tell her today, but now, please let me taste your cock.”

“Fuck, Ari,” he growled as I lowered myself onto my knees and reached for his belt buckle. “You don’t have to.”

But his hands had already taken over unbuttoning his pants, fumbling and eager. I had to bite my lip not to grin at seeing him so off-kilter. Although, to be fair, so was I.

“I want to.”

The sound of the zipper filled the space between us and I licked my lips. My hands trembled as I wrapped my fingers around his erection. He was smooth and hot, his length thicker than I remembered.

“Tell me if I’m doing it wrong,” I murmured, then gave him a tentative lick.

He let out a hiss as his stomach tightened. He pushed his hand through my hair, grabbing a fistful of it, and when I licked him from the base to the top, his grip tightened.

“Look at me, Ari,” he said harshly, and I raised my eyes to meet his gaze. “Good girl.” Shit, why did those words send sparks of pleasure through me? “Now suck.”

I ran my tongue around the head of his cock, then took him into my mouth, sucking as much of him down as I could handle.

It wasn’t long before Matteo took over, moving my head up and down. He withdrew until just the tip of his cock remained in my mouth, only to thrust all the way to the back of my throat.

“Fuck,” he rasped, repeating the move again while his free hand cupped my cheek tenderly. “This mouth is mine, isn’t it? Every inch of you.” An electric shiver ripped down my spine. “Tell me.”

My answer was a muffled yes and an eager nod.

“Mine,” he said, plunging down my throat in one sharp thrust.

His breaths came fast and heavy while I bobbed my head enthusiastically, the heat in my belly stoking hotter. My nipples and pussy were so sensitive, the lightest friction could tip me over the edge.

I gagged while he continued, up and down.

He caressed my jaw while his tight grip on my hair brought tears to my eyes. There was something intoxicating about this contrast. To know that I had this power over him.

“Can I come in your mouth, my love?” he asked.

I blinked up at him in agreement, and in the next breath, he finished in my mouth with a groan I could feel down to my core. I swallowed every drop, licking my lips while holding his half-lidded stare.

His hand traveled from my cheek down to my neck, his fingers curling gently.

“You and me,” he sighed out. “Nothing and nobody else matters. Remember that when the time comes.”

He released me and I watched him tuck himself back in and head out the door, wondering what exactly he meant by those words.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

LUCIANO

Istared at my good friend, disbelief etched on his face, while the same thought kept repeating itself in my mind. This isn’t going as smoothly as I’d hoped.

“Luciano, you got this all wrong,” Nico protested, the two of us in his home office in Baltimore while our wives did their thing—whatever that was today. Probably baking if Bianca had any say in the matter. “Matteo and Arianna… No, it’s impossible. Your son is sensible enough to know that. He must want Hannah.”

“Did I say Arianna?” Fuck if I know anymore. I was a mobster, not a matchmaker. To be frank, I couldn’t even remember Matteo saying a single word about Arianna. “I meant Hannah. After all, she declared she’d marry him the moment they met.”

“Yes, this wasn’t a surprise.” He released a grumble. “Why is he asking to marry her already? It’s kind of soon. No?”

I shrugged. “Nico, they’ve known each other for what… two decades at least? They are not kids anymore.”

“This is depressing,” he muttered.

“Why?”

“Because she’ll live with you. Which probably means her sisters will spend a lot of time at your house too.”

“Well, the house is plenty big.” The moment I saw my friend’s expression, I realized it was the wrong thing to say. Too fucking late.

“Maybe I can convince one of the boys to start courting Francesca.”

I winced. “You wouldn’t.”

“Oh, I fucking would.” It was my fucking turn to release a grumble, but I wasn’t overly worried. Francesca thought of Dominico and Cassius as her own brothers. “When my boys set their mind on something, there’s nothing that can stop them.”

I snickered. “I hate to tell you, but I don’t think either of their minds is set on Francesca.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “There’s still hope.”

“You know these children will do whatever’s necessary to be with the ones they love. Even if the whole world is against them. Just like we did.”

“I’m afraid you’re right.”

“So let’s be happy for them,” I said matter-of-factly. Fuck, I was doing pretty good with this matchmaking now. “Can I tell Matteo the marriage is arranged? We can announce it at the Vitale party coming up.”

My friend took an inhale of his cigar, his expression pensive. “I’ll ask Hannah if she agrees. I suspect she’ll say yes.”

“You still don’t look happy…” I grumbled.

“Honestly, I’m sick to my stomach to see the girls married off.” I glared at him, but he quickly continued, “Nothing against Matteo. It’s the thought of our children leaving the nest. And I fear this engagement will just be the beginning, and soon, they’ll all leave us.”

“They’ve literally been at D’Arc for a few years now. You should be used to this feeling.”

“Are you?” he scoffed, then reached forward to refill his glass and mine.

“Francesca is still way too young,” I muttered, grabbing the glass and letting the bitter liquid chase away the anxiety his words stirred.

“I’m sure she’ll text… Maybe.” Nico’s words definitely weren’t helping. “Are you sure Matteo isn’t too young to get married?”

Fucking hell.

I thought all these kids should wait until they were forty to get married, but if I said that, Nico might backpedal on this agreement. There was one thing I promised myself when I got my second chance with my wife. I’d always stand by her and my children.

“He’s ready,” I stated with too much confidence and then added a little white lie. “And from what I understand, so is Hannah.”

His sigh was deep and defeated, much like I felt.

“You think those two love each other?” I released a begrudged affirmative noise. Nico nodded and took a drink of his bourbon before adding, “But if Matteo makes her cry, friend or no, I’m going to⁠—”

“Don’t even think about being a dick,” I cut him off. “And stop being a papa bear.”

Nico shot me a glare. “I’ll fucking remind you of those words when Francesca shows up at your house with a boyfriend.”

He laughed. I tried to join in but couldn’t.

Because the thought of my baby girl having a boyfriend made me literally sick to my fucking stomach.

God, don’t you dare let any fucking boy take my girl.

CHAPTER THIRTY

MATTEO

Ifound my father in the office with his cousin, Massimo—Uncle Massimo as I liked to call him—discussing recent drug distribution routes.

“Have it go through Baltimore,” Pa instructed. “Have we gotten to the bottom of those rumors of flesh being moved through this territory?”

I took a seat in the chair across from his desk and chimed in, “I took care of that.”

They both shot me a surprised look. “You did?”

I brought my leg up, resting my ankle on my knee, and leaned back into the seat. “Yes, I was chasing a lead on the shooter and ran across the trafficked girls.”

“And you didn’t think to mention any of this?” Uncle Massimo asked dryly, rubbing his thigh. It’d become a habit of his since the accident that had bound him to the wheelchair.

“Slipped my mind.” I shrugged when he glared at me in disbelief. “Good to see you full of spirit, Uncle. Your wife sure is doing wonders for your mood. I wonder what activities⁠—”

“You better wipe any and all thoughts of my wife from your mind, Matteo.”

Pa snickered, probably detecting my evasion tactic, but the truth was, we were all happy for him. The years after Aunt Ella’s fatal accident was rough on everyone, but especially Uncle Massimo, who had scars of his own to deal with. Then his young wife swept in and somehow brought happiness into his life.

“Why were you chasing leads about the shooter?” Pa asked.

“Apparently he mentioned our family name.”

It was nagging at me that I still felt like I was missing a big piece of the puzzle. The girls had all been as much in the dark as us, and after giving them a choice, they all opted to go back to their parents. Hopefully they would be safe this time around.

“And?” Pa had killer instincts; he knew there was more to the story.

“And nothing,” I stated. “I found the girls and a few guards. The girls are back with their families, and the guards are dead.”

“Well, did you question them before killing them?” Uncle demanded.

“Yes, just one, but he didn’t know much.” I didn’t want to alert him about the rumors of the Belles and Mobsters Agreement resurrecting. Not yet at least.

“Why do I feel like you’re not telling me something important, son?”

It didn’t surprise me that Pa could sense it. After all, he taught me everything I knew. I sighed, knowing there was no fooling him, but also not wanting to alarm him. “There was a mention of… belles.”

Tension descended onto the room, thick like fog.

“You sure you heard that right?” Uncle asked in a measured tone.

“Yes. One of the girls thought we were getting them prepared to be ‘belles for the mobsters.’” Honestly, the concept was dumb as fuck, but for some reason, it’d worked in the past. “Maybe there is a copycat trying to reignite the Belles and Mobster auctions.”

“Not a word of this to your mom. Not until we have all the details,” Pa gritted. “I’ll alert the territories down the East Coast. We worked too hard to end that nonsense. I’ll be damned if I let it resurface.”

“Nico Morrelli might be able to pick up something on the dark web,” Uncle Massimo pointed out.

I cleared my throat. “Speaking of Morrelli, have you⁠—”

“Yes, it’s done. He was good with it.” My eyebrows shot up, surprised at how well this was going. “We’ll announce it at the party later today.”

I opened my mouth to ask for details when Luca King DiMauro and Cassio King strode in.

“You went all out, Luciano. Kingpins, Billionaire Kings, even some Omertà members are here, but where in the fuck are the Russians?” Luca drawled, both brothers taking a seat on the couch facing the terrace and gardens that Nonno used to nurture.

I missed the old man. A decade had passed since his death, but seeing those gardens was almost bittersweet. Mom took care of them now, but sometimes I wished she didn’t, because seeing them perfect like this almost made you believe he was still around.

“You know the Russians, they’re always fashionably late.” He raked a hand through his hair. “There are whispers about belles again.” Pa didn’t beat around the bush, causing me to let out a groan. He pinned me with a stare. “Son, these auctions are nothing to take lightly. If it were to resurface, our girls and women would be in danger.”

“Áine mentioned the trafficked girls you rescued.” Of course she would. She was Cassio’s wife after all. “They’re safe but not talking. Did they say something to you?” Cassio questioned.

“They couldn’t give me much, and the guards were useless. In fact, they didn’t even know who had hired them, but the fact that those girls even knew about belles isn’t good news,” I explained.

“It could be a mistake,” Uncle Massimo suggested.

“Quite a mistake,” muttered Luca. “Someone better tell Morrelli so his girls don’t go out looking for trouble.”

“Our nieces are the definition of trouble.” Cassio shot him a dry look. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they were robbing us blind as we speak.”

My lips curved. It was a running joke that the Morrelli daughters would one day rob us all. I wouldn’t care, since Ari was about to be my wife, but some weren’t as open-minded.

“We have your wife to thank for that.” Luca feigned a glare at my father. “She kept feeding them tips on how to improve, and now we have thieves in our midst.”

Luciano chuckled.

“If they manage to steal from you, then you had it coming.”

Three years ago, Arianna and Hannah got themselves invited to their uncle Luca’s house in Sicily for the summer. They robbed half of goddamned Italy, almost causing an international incident. The worst part was that Penelope, the apple of Luca’s eye, participated when they robbed Enrico Marchetti. Needless to say, it further strained the already tense relationship.

“I sure as fuck hope you get on their radar one day,” Luca grumbled. “Then we’ll talk.”

Pa laughed. “They could never get one over on me.”

Cassio leaned back, crossing his legs. “We’ll see. You should never underestimate my nieces.”

Pa looked smug, probably thinking they’d never rob him now that our families would be joined. But he failed to realize that those closest to Ari and her sisters were usually their practice targets.

Ari was within my grasp, and nothing and no one would stand in my way.

Thirty minutes later, I left Pa and his friends in the office, reminiscing about their old days.

I was almost to my room when I ran into my mom. She was already dressed for the party, wearing a flowy cream dress that made her look both regal and youthful.

“There you are.” She beamed, straining onto her toes to reach my cheek. She kissed it softly as she patted the other one. “Have you been hiding?”

“No, I just had to handle some business with Pa,” I told her, leaving out the key points—she didn’t need to worry herself.

I couldn’t help but recall the story of her and Aunt Ella being snatched to be sold as belles. The nightmare she’d endured led to night terrors that’d plagued her on and off since. There were days when I could feel their struggles when I was a young boy, and I hated how helpless it made me feel, how it weighed down on me.

“Always talking about business,” she grumbled, but there was no anger in her tone. “I’m guessing all his friends are in there too.”

“Some,” I admitted. “Raphael Santos just joined them, so I made myself scarce. There’s only so much of their bickering I can handle.”

She chuckled. “They’ve known each other a long time. Just wait until Sasha joins in.”

“I can only imagine. Nikola is one of my best friends, and his humor”—if you could even call it that—“supersedes his uncle’s.”

“I’m so happy you have good friends.” She stroked my hair away from my face. “They make all the difference in this world, especially when times get hard.”

I caught a sad expression and knew she was thinking about Ella’s passing. She was hit just as hard as Uncle Massimo.

“It’s okay, Mom.” I pulled her into a hug. “I miss her too.”

She cleared her throat, squeezing me tightly. “I’m also happy Massimo found someone to help him…”

“Move on,” I finished gently for her. “It doesn’t mean he’s forgotten her.”

“I know.” She straightened and grabbed my hand, holding it tightly. “And I’m so lucky to have you and your dad. Having a partner who’s also your best friend makes life so much sweeter.” The sadness was momentarily replaced with pride and joy. “I’m so happy you found that too.”

“Let’s hope she doesn’t hate me for blindsiding her,” I joked.

A soft frown etched across her features. “I doubt it, son. It’s been a long time⁠—”

“There you are. I’m starving. When is this party starting?” Nikola leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, thankfully with a shirt on. “More importantly, where is the food?” My mom crossed her arms and he added, “Hi, Mrs. Vitale,” in his sweetest voice. Suck-up.

I raised a brow. “Have you tried the kitchen?”

He waved his hand.

“Ever try to meddle in the kitchen when someone’s cooking?” Nikola rolled his eyes. “I love my mom, but when she gets distracted, food poisoning follows.”

Mom chuckled, then grabbed his hand and mine. “Come on, boys. I’ll feed you before the party gets going.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

ARIANNA

“Iwant to wear that dress.” Hannah tugged on the yellow gown while Gianna held on to it with firm fingers. “It’s my day.”

“Said who, bitch?” Gianna hissed. “It’s mine and it won’t fit you. Besides, it looks so much better on me. Yellow washes you out.”

“Hannah, let Gianna have it. There is another dress.”

Despite Hannah and I being identical twins, we didn’t always see eye to eye. This was one of those moments. Nonetheless, whenever we were together, I felt at peace.

“No, it washes you out, Gianna, not me,” Hannah argued back, although she knew full well it wasn’t true. With her complexion, Gianna looked good in almost every color. “Arianna, tell her.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose as I stared at my sisters fighting over a dress that didn’t belong to either one of them. It was one of Mom’s.

“Pick a side, Arianna,” Gianna demanded, yanking on it.

Before I could even open my mouth, a loud shredding noise filled the space, followed by a loud gasp and an immediate screech.

Gianna was quick and immediately let go of the dress.

“What’s happening here?” Mom’s voice pierced the air, her eyes traveling over the remains of the yellow dress my twin was still clutching. “And what happened to my dress?”

Hannah immediately dropped it. “Gianna said it’s hers.”

“Did not.”

“Did so.”

Mom’s gaze flitted to me, and I shrugged. “It’s ripped now, so no use arguing over it.”

“I was going to wear it tonight.” Gianna glared at Hannah, clearly pissed off. “I don’t know why you always have to be the center of attention.”

“Please,” Hannah huffed. “There’s only a closet full of your clothes here.”

She was right. Since we visited so frequently, Mrs. Vitale kept a room stocked with a full wardrobe for us. Although I doubted it had party dresses.

“Can’t we have an uneventful party for once?” Mom said softly, almost pleadingly.

My sisters and I shared a glance, then exhaled a long breath.

“Of course, Mom,” Hannah answered, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “I’ll just wear my Elie Saab.”

“And I won’t wear one at all,” Gianna retorted dryly. “Since this one is ripped and all.”

“I’m sure Francesca has⁠—”

“I brought two,” I told Gianna. “Pick one, and I’ll wear the other.”

Her eyes lit up. “Are you sure?”

I nodded and walked over to the chaise lounge, leaving the girls to it. I glanced at my mom’s soft smiling face. “All better, Mom?”

She tilted her head. “What would I do without you?”

“Survive just fine,” I said, grinning. “And probably have a wrinkle or two less.”

“You’re happy,” she pointed out. “I almost expected you’d be grumpy.”

“The short time at Yale was good, but St. Jean D’Arc’s even better, especially now with the planetarium.”

Mom brightened, clapping her hands. “I’m so glad you’re using it. Matteo and I put so much thought into it.” My cheeks heated at the memory of exactly how I’d been using the planetarium. “So you love it?”

I cleared my throat, then hugged her. “I adore it, Mom. Thank you so much.”

“Excellent.” She kissed my forehead. “I’m going to check on Grace. It’s the first party she’s hosting since⁠—”

I nodded in understanding.

Matteo’s aunt Ella had been gone for a while now, but she and Mrs. Vitale were very close and usually hosted parties together. Today had to be hard for her.

“I know, Mom. Go ahead, I got this handled.”

She patted my cheek affectionately. “I love you all so much.”

“Love you too, Mom,” Gianna yelled across the room, hopping into my strapless green dress.

“Yes, love you too, Mom,” I echoed.

“Hopefully that one loves me too,” Mom murmured, shaking her head as Hannah snatched my other dress. It would seem I’d have to go beg Francesca for a spare.

“She does,” I assured her.

After one more glance at my sisters, Mom slipped out of the room.

I heard my phone ping with a text as I sunk into the velvet cushion.

Matteo: Have a gift for you. Come to my room.

I smiled and my fingers flew across the screen as I typed.

Me: Are you trying to corner me and take advantage of me?

Me: Oh wait, you just did that.

Matteo: winking faceCan’t get enough of you. Need my tongueon your cat faceand my eggplant in your cat face.

Me: Even your texts are filthy.

Matteo: Meet me in my room and I’ll show you how much better it can be in person.

Me: Be there in five minutes. Better deliver.

Matteo: Cross my heart and hope to die. Now get over here. Want your cat facesmothering my face.

My breathing hitched and I started to fan myself, that familiar throbbing ache between my legs. It didn’t matter that we’d just hooked up under the stairs, I still craved him. At this rate, I was going to become insatiable for him.

“You okay?” Gianna glanced over at me, her eyes narrowing on my flushed cheeks.

“Yes, of course. I’ll be right back, just going to… Hmmm… Yeah… I’ll be right back.”

I left the room and made my way down the hall to Matteo’s bedroom. Before I could knock, the door opened and he pulled me inside, shutting the door behind me and pressing me against it.

“Took you long enough,” he rasped, his mouth on my neck.

“Had a dress emergency,” I murmured, shifting my head to the side to allow him better access and pushing my fingers through his hair.

“Ah, speaking of a dress,” he murmured, skimming his mouth all over my neck. “I have a gift for you.”

“Why do you think I’m here?”

He pulled back, smiling. “So enthusiastic…” He waggled his eyebrows at me. “And that smile. One day, it will be all for me.”

I smacked him playfully on his forearm. “I’m already excited when I see you. Don’t be greedy. Gimme my gift⁠—”

“At least I’ll know what to do when you’re mad at me,” he said with a laugh, then pulled me toward the box sitting on the bed. I frowned, following him to the bed where a red velvet box sat with a gold label marked Valentino.

My eyes were locked on the box as I carefully lifted the lid and pulled back the layers of tissue paper. I gasped when I saw the pool of deep red silk.

“Oh my gosh, Matteo,” I breathed, holding the delicate material against my body.

He chuckled, but I could tell he was pleased.

I twirled around like a ballerina, then stopped in front of him and kissed him on the lips. “I got you matching shoes too. Does that earn me another kiss?”

I squealed, then kissed him again. “Yes. A million kisses. Are they also Valentino?”

“No, something from the latest Louboutin collection.” My eyes widened, but it was impossible to keep the grin from my face. I was already kicking off my shoes and pulling the straps of my summer dress off my shoulders, and suddenly I was glad I hadn’t had time to change yet.

Matteo’s heated gaze locked on my lacy bra, sending a thrill down my body. We just hooked up, yet every time he looked at me it felt like it was the first time.

“You’re just going to watch me or…” I smiled seductively.

“I could watch you all day, baby. You make me want to be a painter, a sculptor… someone that could immortalize you for all eternity.”

My voice came out throaty when I said, “We can always find a painter that could⁠—”

He didn’t let me finish that thought. “Over my dead body.”

He reached out his hand, lightly tracing his finger over the lacy material. He pulled the cups of my bra down and gently twisted my hardened peaks. A soft moan escaped my lips, and I pushed into his touch, demanding more, but he pretended not to notice.

He pulled his hand back, and I missed his touch like stars missed the night.

“I can’t believe I have to share you tonight.” There was a hoarseness to his voice, and I couldn’t keep a smile off my face.

Matteo Vitale was jealous.

I laid the precious material back in the box before turning around and wrapping my arms around his neck. He bent his head, pressing his lips to mine into a long, searing kiss.

Until a knock sounded on the door and I startled, stumbling away from him. He let me, but that didn’t mean he was happy about it.

“Matteo, guests are starting to arrive.” It was his mother, and my eyes widened at the thought of being found. “Are you ready?”

Don’t let her see us, I mouthed, panicking.

I watched in horror as the door handle lowered but didn’t budge.

A relieved breath swooshed out of my lungs.

Thank God Matteo had the foresight to lock it.

“Not yet. Give me five minutes.”

Silence stretched seemingly forever.

“Okay, don’t be long.”

I released another heavy breath as her footsteps faded down the hall.

“I’ll tell Hannah soon,” I said, closing my eyes to avoid the look I knew I’d find on his face.

I reached for the straps of my summer dress, but his next words had me pausing. “No, not yet.”

My eyes darted to the door, then back to him. “We could get caught.”

He chuckled. “We’re adults. Besides, I want to return the favor and show my appreciation for our earlier… encounter.”

I rolled my eyes. “Very diplomatic choice of words.”

He grinned. “Fine, have it your way. I can’t stop thinking how beautiful you looked on your knees, my cock sliding between your lips.”

My cheeks burned. “Okay, I get the point.”

“You’re sexy as fuck like that. I think I’m going to fuck your brains out so you can feel me for the rest of the night.”

Heat rose up my neck, and every sensible part of me was urging me to take my gown and run, but I had to agree. The doors were locked. My body throbbed, demanding the pleasure Matteo’s words and looks promised. What could possibly go wrong?

I only hesitated for a heartbeat, glancing at the fancy dress sprawled on the bed. “Not on the bed. I don’t want to ruin your gift.”

He grinned. “The only thing I plan on ruining is your pussy with my mouth. Now. Come. Here.”

My arms banded around his neck. “So where are we going to do this?”

His lips met mine and he cupped my ass and lifted me against him, carrying me over to the desk facing the floor-to-ceiling windows. From behind the sheer drapes, we could see a few early guests already mingling.

Their voices and music muffled, I shook my head.

“Wait,” I said, pulling back from him. “Not here. Someone might see us.”

He smiled, trailing his finger against my lips, dipping it inside to brush against my tongue. “Let them.”

“Oh my God …” I tried to push him away, but he held me still, sliding his hand between my legs. “Are you trying to get caught?”

He smiled, then sat in the chair. “If you sit on my face, nobody will see who’s eating you out.”

“But—”

“One way or the other, I’m going to have your pussy, Ari. Pick a position.”

My cheeks burned, but the arousal that soaked my panties was unmistakable.

“Okay,” I whispered.

He grinned like a wolf circling its prey. “What have I said before, Ari?”

I blew out an exasperated breath, every inch of my body blushing at this point, probably matching the color of the dress he’d just gifted me. “To use my words.”

“So tell me what you want.”

“My pussy on your face,” I murmured.

“Good girl.”

“You really have to stop saying that,” I grumbled as he ripped my panties and pushed up my dress.

“Why? You are my good girl, and you make me so fucking hard when you listen.” Rendering me speechless, my mouth parted as he spread my legs wide open, my glistening juices dripping on his mahogany surface. “Your pussy likes my claim, doesn’t it?”

I nodded and he lowered down his chair.

“Words, Ari,” he purred, pressing kisses against my inner thigh. “I want to hear you say it. I love to hear you screaming my name, so please, indulge me.”

I groaned, suddenly overheated. “Yes, my pussy likes everything about you. Now please, Matteo, kiss me already.”

He chuckled, keeping his eyes on me.

“Kiss you where?” His mouth inched closer to my pussy, then before reaching it, he diverted back lower. “Here?”

“No, wrong way.” I scooted closer.

He shifted directions to the outside of my thigh. “Here?”

“Stop torturing me.” I dug my nails into his sculpted arms. “I want your mouth on my pussy.”

“Your wish is my command,” he said. “Now sit on my face.”

He gripped my hips and pulled me forward, helping me into position.

Without another word, he cupped my ass and held me still as he lost himself in my pussy.

“Oh, fuck …” I bucked against his mouth and ground myself against his stubbled face as his tongue toyed with my lips.

He sucked my clit in and out of his mouth, slowly driving me out of my mind.

Shutting my eyes, I tossed my head back as he kept up his relentless rhythm. The pressure built and the sounds drifting from outside faded. I couldn’t focus on anything but him and his mouth between my thighs, the feel of his tongue controlling my pleasure.

“Wait… Oh… Fuck…” I tried to hold on just a little longer. “Matteo…”

He groaned and slapped my ass.

“Oh… Oh…” My orgasm crashed into me, fast and hard, and I convulsed like never before.

Gently caressing my sides, he set me down on my feet next to the chair. I tugged at his belt, needing more of him, and he made a rough sound in his throat. In one swift move, he threw it on the hardwood and the sound of his zipper followed, sending a thrill down my spine.

Our lips inches apart, he thrust inside of me, deep. So deep that I didn’t know where he ended and I began.

“Who owns you?” he growled.

“You,” I breathed. “Just you.”

A rumble of satisfaction sounded in his throat as he claimed every inch of me for himself. His hand came to my nape, tilting my head so he rested his forehead against mine, and we both watched him work in and out.

“You’re mine to fuck,” he murmured, moving inside of me. “Every orgasm belongs to me.” I wrapped my legs around his waist, encouraging this madness. He bent his head, taking a sensitive nipple between his teeth. “Every hole belongs to me.”

He bit it—hard—then laved at it, easing the sting.

“Who do your holes belong to, Ari?” He growled, pulling my hair until my head was tilted up and staring at his burning gaze. Every thrust knocked a breath out of me, the obscene noise of flesh hitting flesh bouncing against the walls. “Who does your pussy love?”

“You. Only you,” I moaned, his dirty words doing unspeakable things to me. “Oh my… Yes… I’m going to…”

I gripped his biceps, and with a strangled moan, I felt myself slipping off the edge once more.

“Not yet.” I couldn’t help but cry out in frustration as he filled me completely with every thrust. He pulled my hair hard. “You’ll come when I say.”

All I could do was moan as he fucked me relentlessly, his pelvis grinding against mine. I was nothing but a burning flame and pleasure.

“Fuck, you feel so fucking good,” he muttered in my ear.

“Please… Please…” He covered my mouth with his palm, his other hand fisted in my hair. “I need to…”

The orgasm that washed over me was so violent it made my teeth chatter. Somewhere in my overwhelmed mind, I knew living without this—and Matteo—would be impossible.

When I finally came down, it was to Matteo still deep inside of me and the look of pure domination on his face.

“You came without my permission,” he growled.

“Yes.” I shivered. “Sorry.”

But I wasn’t sorry.

He smiled, pressing his mouth against mine, sliding and licking and biting. The kiss was wet and messy and rough. Heat blossomed in the pit of my stomach, my throbbing pussy clenching around his length as he started moving, thrusting inside of me with an intimacy that brought tears to my eyes.

“You’re going to come for me again, aren’t you, Ari? What’s that now, three? Four?”

I couldn’t find it in me to be embarrassed at how insatiable I was for him when he whispered such dirty words against my ear. He knew exactly what he was doing.

“Now come for me, baby,” he rasped, finding my clit with his rough fingers.

Another thrust had my inner muscles clenching around his length until he found his release, spilling inside me.

Our gazes locked and our bodies entwined, I held on to him like he was the only thing keeping me from drowning.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

MATTEO

The party was in full swing, but my attention was on the foyer entrance that Arianna would walk through at any moment.

“We should liven up this party,” Nikola suggested, taking a sip of his drink. “I can’t handle the oldie music and constant chatter.”

“You mean like you’re doing right now,” Gabriel deadpanned.

“Fuck you, motherfucker,” Nikola said, puffing his chest. “At least I’m not standing there salivating.”

Unlike most of the guests, he’d opted for a black T-shirt and jeans. Suits weren’t his thing, and I was fairly certain that he’d suffocate wearing one.

I smirked. Now there was a thought.

“One of these days, Nikola…” Gabriel’s attention darted to the opposite side of the ballroom as the Kingpins of the Syndicate strolled in with their entourage that consisted of a blended, fucked-up family.

Nikola chuckled. “Yeah, I didn’t think you’d finish that statement.”

But Gabriel was already checked out. There was a woman among the crazy DiLustro crowd who captivated him: Amara Brennan, the daughter of Killian Brennan and Emory DiLustro.

The girl’s gaze traveled around the room, landing on Gabriel at last. My friend inhaled a deep breath while Amara’s eyes narrowed with distaste. She was the only girl on this planet who couldn’t stand the sight of Gabriel Santos. Reasons unknown.

“Buddy, it’s best you let that one go,” Nikola muttered. “Those diabolical twins will never let you near her.”

Gabriel reached for a glass of Aguardiente from the tray that the waiter passed around and muttered, “Too late for that.”

Nikolai shrugged, raised a shot, and downed it. “Sorry, buddy.”

Gabriel downed his drink in one go, too. “I swear, I’m going to murder those fuckers one day. Jet and Elira are the bane of my existence.”

“Those fucking shits,” Nikola supplied, ready for action. “We’d have to drug them, of course. I don’t want the entire DiLustro and Brennan clan on me.”

“Don’t forget the Volkov clan,” I reminded him. “And Cortes.”

“That family,” Nikola grumbled. “It’s fucking complicated.”

“Tell me about it.” Gabriel reached for a shot glass. “You have eyes on your back, front, sides—and then something fucking hits you from the air.”

“That’s oddly specific,” I pointed out.

Gabriel flicked a glance our way. “True fucking story.”

It was safe to say we’d reached the point in our friendship where there was zero judgement, but I was so fucking happy that I didn’t have Gabriel’s problems. Nico Morrelli had agreed to my arrangement, and soon, the world would know.

“For fuck’s sake,” Nikola muttered, his eyes exploding with rage that rippled from him and toward… Ahhhh. There she was. Skye Leone. Dressed in a long blue dress, she strutted like a queen, ignoring Nikola. But then she turned around, scratched her nose with a middle finger, and flashed Nikola an arctic smile that would make the Queen of Narnia proud.

Nikola’s posture stiffened and he tried to ignore the mane of dark hair and blue eyes, his fingers twitching by his side.

It was almost funny because Dante Leone, who followed right behind his precious daughter while glaring at Nikola, didn’t make my buddy flinch at all. Only the girl who peered at him through her thick dark lashes could push my friend to disastrous decisions and nefarious ends.

But soon my friends and their love struggles were completely forgotten as the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

I slowly turned around, sweeping my gaze across the room for the woman I’d been waiting for my entire life.

I sucked in a breath as my eyes widened at the sight of her. Bellissima. A fucking vision, she was. Like a goddess made just for me.

My friends forgotten, I made my way to her through the crowded room, every so often stopped by guests, but my gaze remained firmly on the woman I couldn’t wait to touch again. Her curls cascaded down her back, brushing against her creamy skin. Our gazes met, and despite the fact that she’d showered and changed, she still looked freshly fucked.

Her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes were shining. And if you looked closely, there was a faint mark around her neck in the shape of my palm.

I knew it was wrong, but I wanted everyone to notice it and be suspicious of it. Was I going a bit overboard? Possibly.

As I continued to plow my way to her, Arianna began to wind through the sea of people on her way to me.

My cock hardened, fighting the urge to pound my chest.

Meeting her in the middle of the ballroom, we came chest to chest, a flush from her cheeks spilling down her neck and her chest.

“You look… Sei stupenda.” Stunning.

“Thank you.” She smoothed a hand down her dress, the slight tremor in it not escaping me. “It’s not too much?”

Her blue eyes met mine, the magnetic pull in them impossible to resist.

“Never.”

Hannah appeared next to me, two shots in her hands, and handed one to her sister.

“Where were you hiding that dress, sis?”

Arianna blushed, accepting the shot, although she didn’t drink it.

“She probably knew you’d steal it,” Gianna reasoned, appearing with her own drink in hand. “Nice party, Matteo. Too bad it’s all mafiosos and I can’t move a finger without risking becoming someone’s bride.” She took a sip and tilted her head. “Or Dad killing some poor fellow.”

Arianna shifted on her feet uncomfortably while Hannah threw her head back and laughed a bit too loud, her eyes locked on me. “What’s a life without a little risk. Right, Matt?”

“We don’t need bloodshed today,” I warned her, grinding my molars to maintain my control.

“You’re right.” She shot me a pointed look, blushing. I narrowed my eyes on her, believing my ears were deceiving me. There was no way I heard that right. Hannah always argued before admitting to being wrong. “Of course, no wrong moves today.”

What-the-fuck-ever. I’d take it.

“You look nice,” I stated, directing the compliment at Gianna and Hannah.

“Swoon.” Hannah fawned herself with a silly grin plastered on her face. What the fuck was wrong with her? Maybe she’d had too much to drink.

“Thank you,” Gianna answered, then wrapped her arm around her sister’s slim shoulders and pecked her on the cheek. “It’s all thanks to Arianna. She’s a lifesaver.”

“Lifesaver,” Hannah agreed, shooting a provocative look in my direction. Fucking creepy. Ari raised her shot glass, but before she could drink it, Hannah took it, drinking it in one go.

Yes, definitely drunk. Her behavior suddenly made complete sense.

Before I could suggest she switch to water, her parents stepped beside Arianna and Gianna.

“You are all having too much fun here,” Morrelli said, a wicked gleam in his eyes as he took both his daughters’ hands. “You girls won’t be giving me a heart attack today, I hope.”

“Of course not,” Arianna offered. “We love you too much for that, Dad.”

“What she said,” Hannah supplied, smiling affectionately at her father.

“Not today, Daddy,” Gianna teased, fluttering her eyelashes innocently. The gesture reminded me of Francesca. “Tomorrow, on the other hand… no promises.”

Their mother chuckled softly. “My children seem to have a knack for trouble. I’m pretty sure your brothers are getting into it as we speak.”

“Boom,” Hannah said, smiling with a boasting expression. “Those two are like a horror movie that never ends, wreaking terror on earth.”

“Hannah!” Gianna chastised. “They are not that bad.”

“Better them than you, Gia,” Hannah remarked with a murderous expression.

“Is there something I should know?” their father asked point-blank, which earned him a wide grin from Gianna.

“Of course not, Daddy.”

Fucking busted. Everyone knew that whenever these girls used Daddy, they were up to something. I glanced around for the familiar red curls, and after not seeing them anywhere, I turned my attention to the youngest Morrelli sibling.

“Speaking of trouble, where is my sister?” I asked her curiously. The two usually teamed up during these kinds of events.

She waved her hand noncommittally. “With your mom.”

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously, and just as I opened my mouth to ask the follow-up question, my parents joined in.

“Ah, this is where the party’s hopping, huh?” Pa drawled, shaking his old friend’s hand. “What did we miss?”

“Daddy, please don’t use slang. It just doesn’t sound right.” Francesca approached from behind me, grinning like a fool. It didn’t escape me she called our pa “daddy” too, which definitely meant she was doing something she wasn’t supposed to.

“Where have you been, sweetie?” Mom asked in a soft voice. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

“Gianna and Francesca are like slippery fish,” Mrs. Morrelli said.

“Why? What happened?” My own mom inched closer to her, her soft features creasing with curiosity. “Tell me what you know, because my daughter has been avoiding me all day.”

Gianna’s eyes darted to me, smiling guiltily while I glared at her.

“Excuse me,” Gianna muttered, sharing a glance with my sister. “I have places to be.”

“Umm, I have to go too,” Francesca claimed. “Got people to see.”

Those little shits.

“But you just got here,” Mom protested.

But neither were listening as they bolted away without so much as a backward glance. I had no doubt that she and Francesca were up to something, and I made a mental note to find out what.

Hannah soon followed, and our parents got wrapped into a discussion, leaving Arianna and me alone again.

“I thought they’d never leave,” I murmured, fighting the urge to kiss her. Soon, I reminded myself. Instead, I extended my hand. “Dance with me?”

She glanced around us before sliding her hand into mine and I tugged her onto the dance floor, where a number of people were already dancing. Just as we started swaying, one song ended and a new one started.

The soft melody drifted through the air, its jazzy tones setting a romantic tone to the evening.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Hannah standing with her uncle Kyran and Francesca and Gianna cornering poor Gabriel, but none of it mattered to me with my woman in my arms.

Pulling her flush against my chest, I put my hands on the small of her back as we moved as one. I spun her around, only for her to return into my arms. Her soft body molded to mine, and I imagined how her nipples must have hardened beneath the fabric. I wanted so badly to trail the flush from her neck down her chest with my mouth and taste her skin.

“Matteo,” she panted, her eyes shimmering like blue diamonds.

“Sei mia,” I murmured, our lips inches apart. “Promettimi.” You’re mine. Promise me.

This hunger for her was an insatiable beast.

She opened her mouth, but before a word was uttered, the music stopped. Everyone ceased dancing, and I glanced at Arianna, wanting to tell her what was about to happen.

“I’m so happy to have everyone present here today.” My father’s booming voice traveled through the room and terrace and I held Arianna’s hand as we turned to face him. “It’s a special day for many reasons, but one stands out. Please welcome me in congratulating Hannah and Matteo’s nuptials and impending merge of the Vitale and Morrelli families.”

I opened my mouth, then shut it.

Wait. What?

The words—Hannah and Matteo—finally sunk in.

“Matteo?” Arianna stood stiffly next to me, alarm in her tone sending an alert through me while I gripped her hand in mine, unwilling to let go.

Her eyes shuttered and she yanked it away, taking a step back. I couldn’t blame her, but fuck, it hurt.

Physically unable to see her expression and at risk of losing my shit, I charged through the crowd and toward my father.

What the fuck just happened?

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

ARIANNA

My smile frozen on my face, I watched Matteo make a beeline toward his father.

My chest constricted and I struggled to push air out of my lungs. The pressure built and built, but I kept my composure. I stayed in control.

You and me. Nothing and nobody else matters. Remember that when the time comes.

And it hit me like an avalanche. He warned me about this when I—oh my God, I couldn’t think about that. How could he have done this?

I never—fucking ever—thought Matteo would cause my world to crumble around me like this. The least he could’ve done was warn me. He owed me that much.

Hannah skipped across the ballroom and gave me her biggest smile. She tugged on my hand like I was her own personal jumping rope.

“Oh my gosh, Arianna. It’s happening.”

Her blonde hair bounced while her eyes shone so brightly, I could almost see the sun sparkling in them.

I barely found the strength to say, “Congratulations.”

She turned to Gianna and hugged her, literally jumping with joy, and my baby sister’s gaze found mine. Mom and Dad came over and pulled us into a group hug. My brothers soon joined, and so did the other guests, while I pulled away and stood like a frozen statue. It was like watching it unfold through an hourglass, distorted images and voices.

“Come over here,” Mom demanded in a soft voice. Breathe in. I could do this. Breathe out. Mom wrapped me into a hug, pressing a kiss to my cheek, and somehow that made it worse.

The back of my eyes burned and I blinked furiously, trying to maintain control. Through my blurry vision, I found Matteo smiling while talking to his grinning father and mother. Smiling. He was fucking smiling.

I’d been a fool. He got what he wanted: his lies sweeping me off my feet. He’d already moved on to my twin, so I might as well find someone new too. It was a petty thought to have when the shockwaves were still hitting me, cracking my heart beyond repair, but I wouldn’t let him humiliate me like this.

First though, I had to get myself together.

“I have to use the powder room,” I croaked out and rushed away, scared someone would witness me fall apart.

“Hey, Arianna. Hold up.” Nikola’s big hand came to grip mine. “I have to admit, I didn’t see that coming.” His voice was light, but there was nothing easy about his posture.

“What are you doing?”

He rolled his eyes.

“Comforting you. At least I think I am.” I shot him a dumbfounded look. “Are you comforted?”

I blinked, then blinked again.

“I… guess… so… Not really.” I gave my head a subtle shake, not wanting to upset him. “It’s not that simple.”

The look in his pale blue eyes gutted me.

“If all else fails, I can marry you,” he offered.

“What did you just say?” Matteo’s frigid voice came from behind me, but I refused to turn around and acknowledge him.

“You heard him.” I motioned at Nikola while Matteo stepped around, almost as if he wanted to block him from my view. I shifted, purposely avoiding peeling my eyes away from Nikola. “He offered to marry me.”

Not that I would ever consider it.

Nikola smirked. “Brilliant, huh?”

To my shock, Matteo pulled his arm back and punched the smirk right off his best friend’s face. Here. In front of everyone.

Nikola wiped at the blood on his lip, grinning like a fool, his pale blue eyes glinting with… amusement?

“Over my dead body will he or anyone else marry you, Ari.” Matteo turned to face me as he chuckled, the sound dry and humorless. My spine stiffened. “Do you remember what I told you when we were kids?”

“You talked a lot of shit when we were kids, Matteo, and you still talk too much.” I was impressed by my level tone. “It seems to be a trait, an annoying one at that, amongst you men.”

He ignored my jab as he continued, his voice low and threatening, “I told you to be prepared to see any man you touch die. That includes my friends too.”

I twisted my lips into a taunting smile.

“You lost that right.” I started to move past him, but he stopped me by grabbing my wrist. I lowered my gaze to where he touched me, and even as a tremor shot down my spine, his touch rattling me down to my bones, I refused to show weakness. “Let go of me or you’ll regret it,” I snapped.

He seemed taken aback, but he refused to release me.

Without giving it another thought, I curled my hand into a fist and punched him in the face with all my fury. Crunch.

A wave of gasps rolled through the room, all eyes on us, while all my attention was on the boy who’d just broken my heart.

“Next time, I won’t hold back.”

The entire room was like a graveyard, everybody holding their breaths.

Until Nikola broke it with his booming voice. “Uncle Sasha was right. Morrelli and Vitale parties are like soaps, only better.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

ARIANNA

Dad and Mr. Vitale were at our sides in the blink of an eye while the guests pretended to mingle and sip on their drinks, failing big-time.

From my periphery, I could see Mom ushering my siblings to the opposite side of the room. My brothers protested the loudest, shouting threats across the room. My uncles, Luca and Cassio, had to step in, dragging the boys out while Mom pushed Gianna and Hannah toward the gardens.

What happened? Hannah mouthed, but I turned around and focused on Dad and Mr. Vitale surrounding us, blocking the view to the guests.

“Well, this is my cue,” Nikola cut in, ready to bolt.

“Don’t you fucking move,” Mr. Vitale ordered.

“What happened?” Dad asked, his gray eyes on me. I gave my head a subtle shake, refusing to speak, and it seemed the boys had the same idea.

“Why is it that every time my son ends up with a broken nose, your daughter’s around, Nico?”

Dad studied me pensively, then narrowed his eyes on Mr. Vitale before answering coldly, “Better question is why is he always running into things?”

“He didn’t run into her fist,” Mr. Vitale growled. “She punched him.”

“It was actually an accident,” Matteo chimed in, but nobody was buying it. They’d have to be blind and dumb to believe that shit. “I took her hand and she got upset.”

“You might want to advise your son never to touch Arianna again or I might⁠—”

“Nico, stop,” Mom ordered. She was the only one who could control Dad when he went into overprotective mode. “Matteo would never touch Arianna inappropriately.” She was so damn wrong.

“Yes, I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding and the kids will work it out,” Mrs. Vitale stated, then studied her son and me. “You two go into Luciano’s office, take a moment alone to work it out, and⁠—”

“No,” I cut in and everyone’s eyes turned to me. “Leave me alone with him and I’ll kill him.”

Nikola whistled. I whirled around and stormed out of the room, running straight into a broad, hard chest.

I lifted my eyes, up and up, and met the familiar pale blue eyes. The Nikolaevs were here.

“Hey, dollface,” Sasha Nikolaev greeted me. He was the cheerful one while his two brothers looked too brooding and serious. “What did we miss?”

I glanced at his wife, Branka, then Nikola’s parents—Vasili and Isabella Nikolaev—before looking at Alexei and his wife.

“You okay?” Alexei asked, and despite his arctic tone and cold eyes, I always found safety in them. “Or do I have to kill someone? Just say the word and Uncle Alexei will get it done.”

“I’m fine,” I lied. I’d called him uncle when we were small, but now it felt wrong to be so familiar with him.

“And you didn’t miss much. Engagement announcement and a broken nose,” I answered, glancing over my shoulder. “Oh, and Matteo hit Nikola.”

Was it petty? Yes, but it would buy me some time, because I could already see Matteo heading for me, his parents trying—and failing—to hold him back. “Don’t let Matteo catch up to me or he’ll have a lot more than a broken nose.”

I sidestepped the family and ran out of the house. Breeze in my hair, pushing the silk of my Valentino dress against my heated skin, I could hear my parents’ frantic voices as they tried to catch up to me.

But I was already in my Jeep, my tires screeching against the pavement.

I took a sharp turn toward the heart of the city when a grunt from the back had me looking in the rearview mirror. My brothers’ dark heads peered from the cargo area and I felt like banging my head against the wheel.

“What are you two doing here?” I hissed.

They climbed over the headrest and slid into the back seat with grace.

“Knew you’d be taking off,” Cassius declared as he settled into the seat, tugging on his sleeves like he was a sophisticated gentleman, not someone who’d just hidden in the back footwell of my Jeep.

“And we knew you’d need company,” Dominico added.

I groaned.

“You’re wrong. I don’t want company and I’m not taking off. Just—” I searched for a good excuse and settled for a lie. “Just going shopping.”

My brothers shared a glance, then Cassius said, “Coincidently, we need to do some shopping too.”

“This family has no respect for boundaries,” I muttered, pressing my foot on the pedal and watching the Vitale residence shrink with every passing second. “Ever heard of the concept of personal space?”

“Overrated,” Dominico stated, sliding into the front passenger seat.

“Until you desperately need it,” I mumbled.

Cassius leaned over the center console and pecked my cheek. “Nah, that’s not what you need. Not today at least.”

“I know a place that overlooks the river we can hit afterward,” Dominico stated. “It’s romantic.”

I shot him a look. “And you think I’d want to go there with you?”

He shrugged. “There’s a good ice cream truck nearby. They have a Nutella flavor.”

“Okay, whatever.”

Two hours later, the three of us sat on the hood of my military-green Jeep, wearing jeans and white T-shirts that when we sat together said Bang… Bang… Mudafuka. Yes, I was the one with the last word and we even commemorated the moment, taking a selfie, ensuring to capture our ice cream and the writing on the shirts.

The music from my speakers was the only thing to interrupt the constant cityscape.

Every so often, when we’d lapse into silence like this, I was reminded of the pain from earlier, and the emotions would crash into me. It was so unfair that I was even in this position. Matteo didn’t deserve my tears. He didn’t deserve me.

“I posted our photo on my Instagram,” Cassius said, breaking through my pity party. “The caption matches the writing on our shirts, and I tagged Matteo. Do you think he’ll know we plan on killing him?”

“He’ll certainly get the message now,” Dominico noted coolly.

I rolled my eyes. “Nobody’s doing any killing.”

“Listen, sis, I didn’t buy this God-awful shirt from that park vendor for nothing,” Cassius grumbled. “I thought you were going shopping.”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be a fucking snob. We shopped, didn’t we?”

Cassius shook his head. “Well, yes. The Converse store was okay, but park vendors… I have my reputation to uphold.”

I flipped him off, although it fell flat. I felt like shit.

“What happened, Arianna?” Cassius asked, and my eyes widened. Just when I’d thought I was in the clear. “Don’t tell me you were surprised to hear about Hannah’s engagement?”

Yes, it fucking surprised me that she got engaged to the man I’d been sleeping with for the past week. But I couldn’t—wouldn’t—admit that to my brothers. Matteo would probably end up with a lot more than a bloody nose.

“Are you worried you’ll have to share him?” Dominico asked. “It often happens that Cassius and I fall for the same girl, but we share⁠—”

“TMI. TMI. TMI. Dammit, Dominico, there are some things I really don’t need to know.”

They chuckled, clearly unfazed. “Mom always taught us that sharing is caring.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re sick.”

I loved my sister, but I couldn’t bear the thought of sharing a man I loved with her. Yet, the thought of breaking her heart seemed even worse.

So as I slid off the hood of my Jeep, I knew there was only one solution to this mess.

“Let’s go back to the Vitale manor.”

I’d accept this engagement and move on.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

MATTEO

The party was still in full swing, guests chattering and gossiping about what they’d witnessed while I nurtured my bloody nose in the library.

Once I corrected this motherfucking mistake, there’d be a lot more whispers and stares coming our way.

I’d been laying into my pa, about to explain that he arranged a marriage to the wrong goddamned sister, when I caught Nikola and Ari from the corner of my eye.

When I saw him touching her hand, the very same that was wrapped around my cock earlier today, fury unlike any I’d ever experienced before grabbed hold of me. I wanted to murder my best friend, to let his blood stain my mother’s marble floors as a warning to any other fucker who even thought of touching her.

I didn’t even know how I found myself standing behind her, but then I heard the motherfucker mention marriage and something in my brain short-circuited.

He was lucky I didn’t fucking murder him right then and there.

The fucking audacity.

The image of him touching her sent a new wave of rage through me and I forced myself to inhale a breath, pushing red mist out of my head.

It was exactly how I found myself in the library, trying to cool off. I knew one wrong word could send me flying off the handle, all because of the look I’d seen on the girl I’d been in love with for fucking decades. The look I put there.

I should have never followed the protocol of going through my pa. I should have gone and asked for her hand myself.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

The door to the library opened and I was about to snap at whoever thought to invade my privacy when I saw my two best friends stroll in.

Calm and reason flew out the window. I was on Nikola before the door could properly snick shut, shoving his body into a wall. The antique lamp rattled and a few books tumbled to the floor, but I couldn’t care less.

“What the fuck are you thinking flirting with… touching my woman?” I spat, getting into Nikola’s face. In all the years I’d known him, we’d never fought. That was about to change. “Do you have a death wish, is that it?”

“Let’s cool down.” Gabriel wedged himself between us. “And please, watch my suit.”

“Touch her again and I’ll tear you to pieces, Nikola,” I growled.

“What are you upset about, man?” Nikola deadpanned. “You just announced your engagement to her sister. She’s free for any man now.”

“Don’t fuck with me.” My ears pulsed with rage. “Or I’ll show you exactly how free you’ll be when you’re six feet under.”

Gabriel shook his head disapprovingly, stepping a little closer.

“You can’t expect Arianna to become a nun,” he said, still laughing. “She’s too pretty for that.”

“It was a mistake.” I could strangle both my father and hers for thinking I was into Hannah. For fuck’s sake, when had I ever shown the least bit of interest?

“I didn’t hear anyone shout ‘wrong sister,’ man.” Nikola chuckled, but he had a point. I should have roared and made it clear that Arianna was the one I’d asked for. “That’s what I would have done.”

Gabriel sneered. “Really? Because the way I see it, you’ve been avoiding a certain girl since she arrived.”

He shrugged. “I don’t have any claims on her. Never have. Never will.”

“Good to know.”

“And don’t forget, she’s almost related to me,” he muttered.

“Almost doesn’t count,” Gabriel drawled. “But if you have no claims, I have a good friend who’d love to—” Nikola grabbed him and hurled his body against the table behind them, its contents crashing against the floor and some of it onto my friend’s clothes.

Gabriel only sighed. “Didn’t I warn you about my suit?”

“She. Isn’t. Available.” Nikola’s pale blue eyes turned dark. “Don’t ever fucking say that again.”

I shook my head at the two idiots, but I was no better. If Gabriel threatened to set my woman up with some suave Colombian, I’d rip his head off too.

“Then stop ignoring her, or she’ll move on.” Gabriel shoved him off, straightening his suit. “Next time you wrinkle my suit, I’ll fucking kill you.”

“You and those stupid suits,” Nikola muttered.

“You should try them sometime,” he retorted dryly. “I know you like to show off your ink, and your girl certainly seems obsessed with them, but⁠—”

“Really?” he asked in surprise, and I rolled my eyes, despite this agonizing situation I was in. Even a blind man could see Skye always studying his ink. “Probably because she’s my almost-cousin or some shit,” Nikola justified.

I strode to the bar area, done with this conversation. There was only so much stupidity I could take in a day.

Gabriel joined me at the bar, then muttered, “Is he blind?”

I shrugged.

Nikola soon joined. “Can I have vodka, bro?”

“Help yourself.” I tilted my chin in the direction of the clear liquid. “All the staff are at the party.”

“Ahhh, self-serve.” He unscrewed the lid of the top-shelf vodka and poured it until it spilled over. “Generous portion it is, then.”

“You know that’s not a shot glass, right?”

He shrugged.

“I can hold my liquor.” He downed it in one go, then slammed the glass on the bartop. “So, are we going to talk about it?”

Gabriel made a noise of frustration. “Talk about what?”

“Amara’s cold shoulder and those diabolical twins glaring at you.” Nikola didn’t miss anything when it came to others, but insight into his own life… blind as a bat. He turned to me and pinned me with a stare. “And can’t you just move on from Arianna? I mean, the women look… well, identical.”

I let out a sardonic breath. If only it was that simple.

“The sisters couldn’t be more different. Ari is my missing piece and the only one for me.”

Silence thickened the space. Gabriel could relate, but Nikola looked like I’d just spoken Greek to him—not that I could speak Greek.

I could see it in his expression the exact moment he decided to give up trying to understand the words I’d just uttered.

“Sounds heavy.” Nikola yawned. He fucking yawned, then his eyes lit up and I could see an idea flicker in that pale gaze. “Tell her you’re dying,” he suggested, dead serious. “Terminal disease or some shit like that.”

No. Fucking. Words.

“Yeah, nothing works as efficiently as faking your own illness,” Gabriel muttered. “It’s exactly what he’s going for. Pity.”

Nikola shrugged. “Pity fuck is better than no fuck.”

“I can’t fucking wait until you’re in love, because I swear to God, I’m going to⁠—”

“Let me stop you right there.” Nikola raised his hand, his palm in Gabriel’s face. “Love is not in my vocabulary. Foreplay, on the other hand, definitely is, and let me tell you, women love it.”

Gabriel stared at him in disbelief. “Are you fucking with me right now?”

“You’re not my type.” He directed his next words at me. “Listen to me, buddy. If you’re insisting on not marrying Hannah, go all out with Arianna—stalk, leave a beating human heart at her doorstep, kidnap her. It worked for my uncle Sasha. Think of it as…”

I stopped listening, but as I left a babbling Nikola behind, I couldn’t shake off a thought. Damn crazy Russians and their ideas.

First, I’d do things the right way. If that didn’t work, Ari would get a taste of exactly how far I would go for her.

For us.

I found my pa in his office with Uncle Massimo. It was like déjà vu, except that everything had gone to fucking hell.

“Nobody is as good as Nico at following a digital footprint. We need his help to get to the bottom of this.”

The whole belles thing was weighing on Pa, and me if I was honest. If there was any chance of those medieval auctions resurfacing, Francesca would be first in line for the taking.

Uncle Massimo snickered. “Are you sure it’s wise to ask Nico for help after his daughter sucker-punched your son?”

“She didn’t,” I stated, taking a seat opposite my uncle and father.

“That’s right, you accidentally fell into her fist,” Uncle stated dryly.

“Which accidentally broke your nose,” Pa added with a grim expression.

“None of it would’ve happened if you hadn’t set me up with the wrong fucking sister.”

Uncle Massimo whistled. “That sounds like quite the pickle.”

I glared at him.

“I’m so glad you’re able to see humor in the shitshow that is my life.” I gave him a sarcastic smile. “But Pa fucked up big-time and⁠—”

“Hold the fuck on, son,” Pa cut me off. “There was never any talk of you and Arianna being matched. Ever since we met the twins, it was always Hannah who had claimed you. How in the fuck was I supposed to know you wanted the other twin?”

“We’d just rescued Ari and Francesca from the shooter,” I bellowed. “Why in the fuck would I say anything about Hannah?”

Pa shot me a blank look. “Well, Hannah has always claimed she’d marry you. Arianna has never said a peep.”

“But I did,” I roared. “After her near-death experience, I didn’t want to risk losing her.”

“Arianna?”

“Yes, Arianna, for fuck’s sake.”

“Well, the girls are… identical,” Pa tried to reason.

I pushed my hand through my hair. “How do you not see the differences between the two?”

“Son, there are only two women I notice and who matter in my life. Your mother and your sister. Besides, Arianna never even showed interest in you, and don’t think I don’t know she’s the one who broke your nose on your eighth birthday.”

I held my head between my hands. “There’s no fucking way I’m marrying Hannah. Get a meeting with Nico Morrelli and I’ll explain the whole thing.”

“I’ll ask him, but are you sure Arianna will say yes? Because Nico gave Hannah the choice and she accepted you.”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Good. And I’ll talk to Arianna.”

Uncle Massimo raised a brow. “What if you talk to the wrong twin?”

“Good point,” Pa acknowledged, then looked at me. “Can you get her a name tag?”

I groaned. “Pa, she’s not a dog.”

Uncle shook his head. “You’re digging this hole deeper, Luciano.”

“Bullshit. I’m just trying to be sure I talk to my correct intended future daughter-in-law. No more mistakes.”

A knock sounded and my mom peeked her head inside.

“Luciano, our guests are still here. Sasha thinks you’re hiding.”

“He’s not wrong,” Pa muttered. “I might shoot him if I hear a single smartass remark from him.”

Mom strode in, taking a seat next to me. “Nobody’s getting shot, but you need to come out of this office and visit with everyone. And we need to smooth things over with the Morrellis.”

“Why in the fuck would Hannah agree?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know.”

Mom straightened in the seat. “What do you mean? You wanted this, didn’t you, Matteo?”

Pa stood up and went over to the minibar, refilling his glass of bourbon. “Oh, our son wanted this, but with Arianna who, coincidently, looks just like Hannah.”

“Luciano!” Mom reprimanded him.

“They couldn’t be more opposite,” I told him. “And Arianna is the one I want.”

“Arianna?” Mom asked in a soft voice. At my nod, she leaned over and stroked my cheek. “You always manage to surprise me, Matteo.”

“The question is whether you’re willing to start something in order to have her,” Pa cut in.

There was no hesitation. “Yes. It’s her or nobody.”

My parents mulled over my words while Uncle Massimo held my gaze. “Better be ready to go to war, then.”

Mom put her hands to her chest. “I really hope it doesn’t come to that. I’ll talk to Bianca, and your dad will talk to Nico. Arianna is still out, but she’ll be back. She’s a reasonable girl.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

NICO

Everything went to fucking shit today, and that was putting it mildly.

“I made a mistake,” Luciano gritted. It must have shaved off a few years of his life to say that. “It was Arianna all along.”

When my daughter abruptly took off, I hacked into her phone and then Matteo’s. For the first time in my life, I invaded my daughter’s privacy, betraying the trust of my longtime friend, Luciano, in the process.

As for that fucking Vitale boy… I wanted to strangle him, throw him into a ditch, then leave him there until both of my daughters had happily moved on.

Of course, I couldn’t say any of this because no one could learn I hacked into Arianna’s private messages. They’d all turn on me, no doubt.

How in the fuck did we get here? Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“What in the fucking hell happened back there?” Alessio questioned, probably one of the few guests who’d steered clear of the gossip.

Raphael shot him a look. “Where in the fuck were you?”

“Autumn had an urgent… matter to discuss.”

Translation: he was banging his wife. Good for him.

Raphael snickered. “Isn’t Nico usually discussing an urgent matter with his wife?”

I glared at him. “I had to be present for my daughter’s engagement announcement.”

And the chaos that ensued.

“Shit, is this what I have to look forward to with my daughter?” Alessio muttered. “Maybe I should purchase a few more guns.”

“I own a whole artillery,” I grumbled. “It still didn’t help.”

“Maybe a remote island?” Cassio suggested. “It seems to work for Luca.”

Alessio scoffed. “His daughter is engaged to the eldest Marchetti boy, Enzo, so that didn’t really help him either.”

“Stop talking if you want to live,” Luca warned. The fact that his firstborn daughter was arranged to marry was still a sore subject for him.

Luciano scoffed. “These children will drive me bananas.”

“Why would Arianna punch Matteo if she wanted him?” Cassio questioned, putting a stop to the never-ending bickering. “The mistaken identity… fine, I kind of get it. We never saw signs of”—I glared at him and he cleared his throat—“affection between the two. But then Arianna goes and punches him?”

“You really have to learn a thing or two about kids these days,” Luca remarked wryly. “But let me spell it out for you, and if that doesn’t help, I’ll draw you a fucking picture.” Luca cleared his throat, and I almost expected him to pull out a pair of glasses. “Matteo probably told Arianna she was his one and only…” Luciano and I both growled. “Cut to today, where tensions were high with both girls in close proximity. He and Arianna danced and probably whispered sweet nothings to each other, and then the announcement came… Tada, Matteo’s marrying her sister.”

For fuck’s sake. How do I fix this without breaking Hannah’s heart? And it fucking killed me that Arianna was out there with her heart breaking right now.

The door to the study swung open and Sasha Nikolaev strode in, leaving the door wide open behind him.

“You fuckers certainly know how to throw a party,” he drawled, taking a seat next to me. Fuck. “And I’m talking to you, Morrelli.”

“It’s not my party,” I said dryly, downing my drink, the bitter taste trickling down my throat.

“You and the Vitales always know how to make normally boring-ass shit exciting,” he continued, completely disregarding my remark. “I’m sorry I missed the broken nose.”

Luciano glared at him. “His nose is not broken.”

“And the boy said he ran into Arianna’s… hand. So it was an accident.” Why in the fuck was I even commenting on this shit? I actually wished she’d broken Matteo’s nose.

Sasha snickered. “I’m sure he ran into something.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Is there surveillance footage I could see of the event?” Sasha asked, completely ignoring me. “Some popcorn and a movie would be good right about now.”

“Fuck. You.” Luciano’s hand twitched and I suspected he wanted to reach for his gun as much as I did.

Sasha turned to look at me. “By the way, I heard Nikola and your daughter might date.”

“Over my dead body,” I gritted.

“If my daughter ever even looks at any Russian, I’m going to kill the motherfucker,” Luca muttered. And that meant something coming from him because he knew how to egg people on. If he couldn’t handle goddamned Russians, I certainly wouldn’t.

“Tell Nikola to stay the fuck away,” I warned him. “From all my daughters.”

I liked the fucking kid, but as a distant acquaintance, not a son-in-law. I could already imagine how our Thanksgivings and Christmases would go. I pinched the bridge of my nose.

“You can’t stop love,” Sasha drawled, smiling like a shark. “When Cupid’s arrow hits you⁠—”

“You better worry about my bullet more than anything.”

“Where is your wife?” Luciano growled, chiming in. “Shouldn’t you be with her and your kids?”

Sasha lifted his legs up and set them on the coffee table, making the whole thing rattle under his weight. “Nah, they’re good, thanks for asking though.” As if on cue, Skye Leone passed by and glanced in the office, and the crazy fucker’s expression actually softened as he signed, murmuring at the same time, “You good, Skye? Need me?”

Her eyes darted around the room. Poor girl, she didn’t stand a chance with two crazy motherfuckers watching over her—Dante Leone and Sasha Nikolaev. Maybe she’d get lucky and the assholes would kill each other?

The girl simply nodded and kept on walking, clearly not wanting to get involved. Good for her.

“Arianna is back.” Grace appeared out of nowhere, breathless. “With shopping bags! She’s also wearing a shirt that says…”

“What does it say?” I questioned.

“Between her and her brothers it says… Bang… Bang… Mudafuka.” Her eyes were wide. Sasha threw his head back and laughed, Luca and Cassio soon joining him. Luciano and I were the only ones not amused. “Does Arianna have a gun? Can she shoot? Her brothers wouldn’t let her shoot Matteo. Right?” She shook her head. “No, she wouldn’t shoot Matteo. They’re practically brother and sister.”

Brother and sister, my fucking ass.

I sat back down, my head suddenly feeling like it was about to explode. I needed to end this, one way or another.

“Can you picture Arianna waving her gun around? I mean, that girl can shoot, but kill…” Luciano trailed off with a worried expression, pushing his hand through his hair.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. This day better fucking end soon or I would start shooting, starting with this pale blue-eyed crazy motherfucker across from me.

“Why would she get a shirt that says that?” Grace continued.

“Maybe she wants to wound Matteo,” Sasha drawled. “Hurt him just a little bit. It’s only fair since he hurt her.”

The sound of my molars grinding filled the space before I gritted, “Isn’t there somewhere you should be, Sasha?”

“Nope, I’m staying. You’ll thank me later.”

“I sincerely doubt that,” Luciano hissed, shooting to his feet and pouring us all a refill. God knows we would need it to survive our kids. “Grace, let Matteo know she’s back too.”

“I’ll go get her,” Luca offered, shooting to his feet. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure there are no weapons on her.”

I shot him a look, clearly conveying I wasn’t amused.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

ARIANNA

It was almost ten at night when my brothers and I strolled back through the Vitales’ front door. Chatter echoed around us the moment we stepped inside, and I wanted to turn back around immediately.

“Don’t people understand the concept of overstaying a party?” Cassius muttered.

I just had to find my way to my bedroom and then lock myself inside before I did something I might regret. But I barely took five steps before I was cornered, all my bags falling onto the floor of the grand foyer.

“Where have you been?” Hannah asked in a very slurred voice. She waved her hand, her movements sluggish as she staggered toward us. Gianna followed behind her, ensuring she didn’t faceplant. Meeting my gaze, she mouthed the obvious, She’s drunker than a skunk.

“We were⁠—”

“Never mind,” she cut off my attempt at an explanation. She flipped her hair and pointed a finger at me as she held an imaginary microphone to her lips. “Ladies and gentlemen, my twin has returned, gracing my engagement party with her presence.”

“Cut it out, Hannah,” our brother Dominico warned. “Today’s not the day to do your dumb shit.”

“It’s okay,” I said, but my little sister just huffed.

“No, it isn’t. Hannah has been on a rampage since you left without her.”

Guilt pierced my chest and I pulled my sister into a hug. “I’m so sorry. The announcement just surprised me.”

“Why?” She watched me with a furrowed brow. “I’ve only been saying I’d marry Matteo since we were toddlers.” She was right. There probably wasn’t a single guest surprised by the announcement. Hannah flipped her hair again and smiled. “Can you believe it, sis? All my towels will be embroidered with H&M.”

My throat filled with nausea, so many overwhelming emotions hitting me in the chest at once.

“Personally, I wouldn’t engrave those initials anywhere,” Gianna deadpanned. “Unless you want everyone to think they’re from the H&M store.”

Cassius snickered. “Considering Hannah’s taste, they might actually be from there.”

I jostled my brothers’ shoulders. “Stop it, you two. There’s nothing wrong with her taste.”

There wasn’t, but my twin had gone through an H&M day-dress phase, and there were pictures of her in yellow linen in the middle of winter to prove it.

“Hmm, maybe M&H then…?” Hannah tapped her chin pensively. “But I hate the idea of his initial going first.”

“Not sure why it matters,” Gianna grumbled.

Hannah sighed happily and swayed on her feet, looking up to the ceiling. “Can you believe it? He asked for my hand like a gentleman. It’s like that show you love so much. What’s it called again?”

“Bridgerton.”

“Except in that show, nobody is asking for permission before the banging happens,” Cassius deadpanned. “Did you two shag?”

My chest twisted with something ugly.

“Why in the fuck are you using British slang?” Gianna questioned, narrowing her eyes on our brother.

“Maybe he’s banging a British chick,” Dominico answered. “I know I am.”

“So much banging and shagging going on,” Hannah muttered. “It’s making my head spin.”

“I rather think it’s something else that’s making your head spin,” I bit out, but then immediately eased my sharp tone with a smile. It wasn’t my twin’s fault I was green with jealousy.

“Are you happy for me, sister?” Hannah questioned, falling into me. I hugged her tight, that familiar sense of belonging washing over me. She was my twin, my other half. I couldn’t—wouldn’t—be the one to break her heart. “My two favorite people in the world. Matteo and Arianna.”

The foul taste of guilt was heavy on my tongue.

“And what the fuck are our brothers and me?” Gianna spat. “Chopped liver?”

“Well…” Hannah smiled drunkenly, but then as if she forgot about her and our brothers, she turned to look at me. “You like him too, don’t you? I can’t have you two not like each other.”

I swallowed a lump in my throat, but before I could think of an answer, Uncle Luca showed up.

“Hey, kiddo.” He pulled me into a hug. “Glad you’re back. Your dad wants to talk to you in Luciano’s office.”

“Umm, I have to take my bags upstairs.”

“I got them,” Hannah slurred, shoving me in the direction of the office. “Go give our dad your blessing.”

With a grimace, I turned around and came face-to-face with Skye’s compassionate eyes. “Good luck. That room is like a ticking time bomb.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Thanks. Any chance you have a gun?”

Her eyes fell to my shirt, then darted behind me to my brothers’ shirts. “Probably best that you go without it. If they piss you off, rob them blind afterward.”

She winked and then disappeared into the crowd.

I puffed out my chest, squared my shoulders, and nodded once. “Let’s go.”

The scene awaiting me in the office would scare a normal girl.

Lucky for me, I was far from normal.

I’d grown up around these men, and much like my own dad, they’d always been there for me and my siblings.

“So we’re doing this with all your mates as witnesses, Dad?”

Sasha Nikolaev broke the tension. Sort of. “I’m here as your future something-in-law.”

My brows furrowed and I glared at Dad. “I swear to God, if you arranged⁠—”

“I didn’t,” he assured me quickly. “I promised all three of you I’d give you a choice.”

“Nikola is Arianna’s choice, isn’t he?” Sasha egged on, smiling. “You can call me Uncle Sasha, just like you did when you were a kid. Come sit with your uncle, kiddo.” He paused, his own brows furrowing. “Well, that sounded a bit wrong.”

“Something’s seriously wrong with you,” Uncle Luca muttered. “You’re losing your touch, dude. Instead of being funny and annoying, you sound perverted and twisted.”

Sasha’s face turned somber.

“Yeah, I didn’t like the sound of it either.” Dad and I sighed, pinching our noses, and Sasha’s face lit up as he wagged a finger between our identical expressions. “Well, would you look at that! Like father, like daughter. So damn cute.” Dad gave him a look like he wanted to kill him. “Come in, kiddo, and forget the first half of the conversation. I’ll just be your uncle-in-law.”

“Over my dead body,” Dad muttered.

“Arrangeable,” Sasha deadpanned while I glanced over my shoulder, eyeing the exit longingly.

“No sense in running,” Uncle Luca said, winking discreetly. “Ignore those old fuckers, and don’t worry, I got your back.”

“Uh-huh.”

I walked deeper into the room and took a seat in an empty chair, then crossed my legs.

“Whatever it is, I didn’t do it,” I muttered, drawing another round of laughter. Except I found nothing amusing. “Actually, correction. I did punch Matteo, and no, I’m not sorry.”

Dad locked eyes with me, studying me, but I remained perfectly still under his scrutiny. I planned to cough this whole thing with Matteo up to a misunderstanding and move on. How hard could it possibly be?

“There’s been a misunderstanding,” Dad stated matter-of-factly. “I’m afraid Luciano and I made…” The two shared an uncomfortable glance before Dad continued. “We made an assumption while executing the marriage arrangement.”

I swallowed. “What do you mean?”

“Well, Matteo wants… you.” My cheeks must have heated into flames. I glanced around the room, wishing a hole would open up and swallow me. Dad cleared his throat. “How do you feel about that?”

“I don’t understand,” I muttered. “We just announced Hannah’s and his engagement.”

Dad let out a heavy sigh. “We can amend it and⁠—”

“We’ll talk to your sister and explain it was a mistake,” Mr. Vitale supplied. “It’s not as if they’ve been engaged long. We’ll just do a quick switcheroo. Nico and I will plead mea culpa and move on.”

Hannah’s happy, beaming smile flashed in my mind. She was the happiest I’d seen her in… I couldn’t remember. This would tear her apart, and I didn’t think I could stand by and allow that to happen. Her pain was my pain, as were her struggles.

I straightened in my seat, meeting my father’s and his friends’ gazes head-on.

“Hannah’s been smitten with Matteo since we were children, not me,” I said, my voice unwavering, although a bit scratchy. “Why would it make sense to change it around?”

Mr. Vitale fixed that hazel gaze on me, watching me with a furrow in his brow.

“Are you sure that’s what you want, Arianna?” Dad’s stoic voice pulled my attention. “Matteo said he wants you.”

Conflicted, I churned through many options, my heart yearning to be Matteo’s. But I kept coming to the same conclusion—twenty and some years of my twin’s infatuation and love would be swiftly and irreparably crushed.

But that word remained knotted in my throat, choking me while my lips refused to move and say them out loud.

Dad let me marinate in my conflict for a long moment before he dealt me the final blow.

“Hannah will recover.”

I schooled my face, swallowing down a choke as my heart broke for the second time today. Except this time, it was of my own doing.

“I don’t want to marry Matteo, I’m not interested in him.” I flicked a glance at Mr. Vitale. “Sorry.”

Dad watched me for a beat. “Are you sure?”

No.

I nodded, scared my voice would betray me. As if on autopilot, I stood and made my way to the door when I slammed into a hard chest.

I froze, staring at a set of stormy hazel eyes threatening to swallow me into their depths. He towered over me, and unlike before when his size felt like a shield, now it felt downright ominous.

I blinked, then blinked again, murmuring a low “Excuse me” as I tried to sidestep him.

“Not so fucking fast, Ari,” he growled, wrapping his fingers around my wrist.

My heart slammed against my ribs, each beat a brutal warning that I wasn’t ready for this—for him. I wasn’t prepared to hear his voice rumble across my cheek, feel his touch, or face the undeniable pull that still existed between us.

Yet here he was, gripping me with a force just shy of bruising. Rough. Punishing. And dammit, my body still reacted, every nerve sparking with chaotic energy.

“This is over,” I hissed. “Now let me pass.”

“No.” His gaze dipped to my shirt before coming to rest on my face. “Our parents made a mistake. I intend to amend the announcement and tell everyone I’m marrying you.”

I yanked my hand out of his grip. “I won’t marry you.”

For a fraction of a second, pain twisted his features before it was gone, swallowed by a ruthless mask. His jaw clenched, his eyes darkening to something lethal.

Then he smiled. A sharp, merciless thing.

“You won’t have a choice.”

His voice curled around me, laced with something more dangerous than anger—determination. He took a step forward. I stepped back. My Chucks kissed the tops of his expensive Italian shoes. I took another step back, my back hitting the door, and he took another, taking up every inch of my space as his hand came around my neck.

“Matteo…” His father’s warning voice registered in the corner of my mind, but I was ensnared in the gaze of my sister’s fiancé.

He didn’t budge, ignoring all the commotion around us. “Tell me you don’t want me.”

“I… don’t… want… you…” I whispered between choked breaths, both my hands on his around my neck, my fingers digging into his flesh. “If you care at all, you’ll let me go.”

“Then I must not care, because I’ll never… fucking ever… let you go.”

The pressure around my neck tightened, shouts and the chaotic scene behind him registering through the fog in my mind.

“Get your hands off my daughter,” Dad growled, his voice arctic. “And step the fuck away from her or this floor will be stained with your brains and blood.”

“Nico!” Mom screamed, tugging Dad who held the barrel of a gun against Matteo’s temple. Uncle Cassio attempted to intervene, but Matteo wasn’t budging.

My vision blurred, distantly aware of my mom’s red face, Uncle Luca’s gun pointed at Mr. Vitale, and Sasha Nikolaev grumbling Told you I’d be needed while he tried to wedge his way between all the suicidal mafia men.

“Son, let her go!” Mr. Vitale ordered, his own gun pointed at my dad.

“What is happening here?” Mrs. Vitale whisper-yelled, appearing in the far corner of the hallway.

She stared at the scene in shock for a second, maybe more, before she came running.

“Jesus Christ, Matteo. What are you doing?” she cried. “Let her go!”

Matteo’s and my mom screamed, their tear-streaked faces flushed red and painted with agony.

“Nico, get away from my son,” Luciano growled.

“Tell your son to get the fuck away from my daughter,” he shot back, his finger still on the trigger.

But Matteo refused to move, glaring at me. My limbs trembled the more I stared at his eyes, glazing with intensity.

“There’s no moving on,” he mouthed, ignoring the chaos around us and keeping all his focus on me. Then, louder, he added, “Not for you. Not for me. Not for us.”

The pain on his face must have mirrored my own, because I felt it deep in my heart. And as much as I wanted him, I couldn’t do it at the cost of my twin’s pain.

“I’m sorry,” I rasped. For what I’m about to do.

His hold around my neck loosened, and gathering all my strength, I kneed him in the groin, pushed him away, and ran.

I had to get out of here before I made a fool out of myself or did something stupid.

I was almost to my Jeep parked in front of the manor where the sounds of the party were nonexistent when footsteps registered.

“Ari. Don’t.” Two simple words, but they held all the pain and anguish in the world.

I whirled around, my eyes burning as he closed in on me, stopping five feet away.

“Enough, Matteo,” I pleaded, gathering the courage to say the words that would sever all that we’d ever shared.

A low growl rumbled from his chest.

“Don’t,” he warned, an unspoken threat rolling off him.

“I don’t love you.”

The biggest lie I’d ever told.

I turned and bolted, unable to look back at him. I was too sickened, too scared that I’d cave if I stopped.

The man I knew… He smiled, he teased, he comforted. Yet with each step, I could almost feel him fading away.

I closed the distance to my car, my hands shaking so violently it took me several tries to start the engine. It wasn’t until I was far enough down the driveway that I dared to look in the rearview mirror.

Matteo was down on his knees, staring after me.

Shit. Shit.

How would I ever stop yearning for my sister’s fiancé? How could I kill these feelings that were throbbing in my chest, threatening to burst like a meteor?

There was one thing I knew for certain as I shuddered, my face wet with tears.

A piece of my heart was left behind with Matteo, and the rest of it was forever altered.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

BIANCA

Happiness was hard-earned for every couple.

Nico and I were no exception. Yes, we’d built a warm and loving home and had amazing children that made us proud. But every so often, something ugly would rear its head and interrupt our tranquility.

Just as it did a week ago when the engagement was announced and everything seemed to implode. Our daughters. My friend’s son. My husband.

I paced back and forth in the bedroom, waiting for Nico to wrap up his meeting and praying he didn’t kill poor Matteo. Or even the other way around. People did dumb things in the name of love.

And I had no doubt that Matteo loved our daughter.

It wasn’t until the incident at Luciano Vitale’s office that I saw it, plain as day. Honestly, I couldn’t believe we were all so blind to it up until that point.

Matteo watched Arianna the way Nico looked at me, the way Luciano looked at Grace.

I feared that, despite Hannah’s stubbornness, there would be no way around it. Matteo Vitale was his father’s son and nobody—not even God—would force that boy to marry her.

My phone rang and I jumped out of my skin, then flicked a glance at the screen.

“Grace,” I answered. “He’s here. They’re in the office.”

“Alive, I hope.” I could almost feel the tension across the line.

“He promised me nothing would happen to him.”

“Our husbands aren’t helping matters,” Grace grunted.

“Neither is Hannah,” I said reluctantly. “I tried talking to her, but…” Failed.

“Did you tell her it’s what Matteo wants?”

I sighed.

“No.” The truth was that I didn’t want to cause a rift between the girls. “I was testing the waters and tried to explain that there was a misunderstanding and that Matteo isn’t ready to settle. That he might be interested in someone else.”

“What did she say?”

“That she’d wait,” I said.

“That seems so unlike her,” she commented dryly. “Hannah hates playing second fiddle to anyone.”

I completely agreed with Grace, but the fact of the matter was that unlike Arianna, Hannah’s stubbornness knew no bounds. It was a trait of hers that reminded me of her biological father, something that had constantly gotten him in trouble during his life.

“What was Matteo’s plan?” I asked, shaking off the dark thoughts before they could consume me.

“I’m not sure,” she muttered. “He’s been tightlipped about everything except the fact that he will not, under any circumstance, marry Hannah.”

“I don’t know if I can handle this four more times.” I let out a heavy breath while tugging on my hair. “Why did I have so many children?”

She chuckled despite our predicament. “Maybe we should start with staying out of their romantic lives.”

My lips curved. “You might have a point there.”

Over the years, I’d grown close to Nico’s friends’ wives, but with Grace being geographically near to us and our children being similar ages, it was inevitable that our friendship had blossomed.

We remained silent for a short moment when Grace said, “I overheard something, but you can’t repeat it. Not even to Nico.”

I tensed. “I don’t like keeping secrets from him.”

She cleared her throat uncomfortably. “Neither do I, but my guess is he already knows.”

An unsettling feeling crawled up my spine. “Go on…”

“There are rumors that someone is trying to resurrect the Belles and Mobsters Agreements, but with new and improved auctions.”

“How can that be?” I rasped, knowing this news must’ve knocked her off her feet. My mother suffered through one of those ordeals and it cost her dearly—her life.

“I don’t know, but let’s keep our ears open.”

I finally understood why my husband had been on edge lately. I contributed it all to the mishap with the engagement, but it was so much more than that. The extra security he’d implemented. The constant chiming of his phone with alerts to anything out of the ordinary.

My husband definitely knew about the auction’s resurrection.

Nico

I stared at Matteo Vitale, so fucking tempted to get rid of him.

He shouldn’t be here, demanding Arianna’s hand. Not after he had his wrapped around her neck less than a week ago. Not when he looked at her with his heated eyes like he would fucking burn her alive.

Why in the fuck couldn’t he want Hannah? She was more resilient and would fuck him up if he broke her heart. Arianna was… fragile.

“You shouldn’t be here, Matteo.” I placed my gun on the desk, the barrel facing him.

The boy kept his expression blank.

“This is exactly where I should be,” he commented dryly. “I want to make it clear to you that Arianna is the only woman I will marry. Consider the other arrangement null and void.”

I scoffed. “The fuck it is. Hannah wants to marry you.”

The truth was I believed Hannah would eventually bail out, but until she did, I’d keep this shit going.

Arianna said no—thank fuck—and I would ensure her wishes were respected. My daughter needed someone… I didn’t know, but I knew it wasn’t a mini version of my best friend. She needed to be nurtured, not get swept up in someone else’s drama. Arianna was a dreamer and so damn close to finishing her post-graduate degree in astrophysics. Matteo would be nothing but a distraction.

“I’ll talk to Hannah and explain, but I won’t marry her. Ever. It’s high time she learned it from me.”

“You will do no such thing,” I gritted. “And it wouldn’t matter if you did. Arianna will not marry you.”

Jesus F. Christ. I should have conjured an expedited plan and murdered this fucker. Luciano was my friend—although the tension between us was at an all-time high—but his son wasn’t suited to any of my daughters.

“Mr. Morrelli, with all due respect, Arianna and I have⁠—”

“Better think twice how you finish that sentence.”

“Ari and I have grown close.” Fuck.

I glared at him, seriously considering all the ways how I could murder the little fucker and dispose of him without his father learning about it.

“Close,” I finally repeated.

He held my gaze, his expression neutral. “Yes, very close.”

Once again, I fought the urge to put a bullet in him. Deep down, I knew what very close meant, but, fuck, I couldn’t go there.

This had to be Matteo’s doing. He’d seduced her.

“Arianna has been perfectly happy focusing on her studies, and then you come along and…”

The little prick raised a brow and my finger twitched to squeeze the trigger. But before I could reach for the gun, my wife strolled into the office. Her gaze bounced between us as she strolled over, taking the heap of metal and delicately placing it in the drawer.

“Hello, Matteo. How are you?” she asked him, her soft voice matching the smile on her lips. I narrowed my eyes at him.

Another point against the fucker.

“Hello, Mrs. Morrelli. Very good.”

“I know things have been a bit tense with a… mistake your father and Nico made.”

Bianca grabbed my hand and stroked it softly, which didn’t help at all. I was a goner whenever she touched me.

“Wasn’t a mistake,” I grumbled.

Bianca smiled at him, ignoring me. “Would you like to join us for dinner? Kids are all here too, so we’ll have a full house.”

“He’s busy.”

“I’d love to,” Matteo answered at the same time. He even had the audacity to smile at her. This would not fucking do.

“It’s settled, then,” Bianca answered, ignoring me.

I took a deep breath to remain calm or risk wringing his neck.

“You’re not to speak to Arianna. Do not sit anywhere near her.” I stood up and so did Matteo as Bianca strolled ahead of us and I made an I’m watching you motion with my fingers. “And you’re not spending the night. Are we clear?”

“Crystal.”

The Morrelli hospitality was officially revoked.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

MATTEO

Nico Morrelli knew about my impending arrival even before I left New York City, what with the numerous security cameras tracking my every movement since I entered his state. And here I thought my father took our family’s safety to the extreme.

I would have refused the dinner invitation if I wasn’t so desperate to lay eyes on Arianna, who hadn’t replied to any of my messages.

Dinner was a loud affair, as they usually were, but there was an undercurrent of tension that had more to do with other things than my presence.

“Ari, have you been baking lately?” I asked conversationally, taking a bite of my steak.

A deliberate pause before she gave a curt answer. “Yes.”

“Anything special?”

“No.”

I grinned, deciding to move on to the next topic. “How are your classes going?”

“Fine.” One-word answers it is.

“What do you plan on doing after you graduate?”

“Nothing.” My molars ground as I actively avoided her father’s and brothers’ glares.

“I heard this phrase ‘feck your arse’ mentioned somewhere,” Hannah announced, her eyes locked on her phone. It would seem Hannah was nervous too, because she only word-vomited when she was on edge. It was her tic, just like baking was Arianna’s.

“What does it mean?” Hannah added, causing her brothers to snicker and her parents to choke on their drink.

“Hannah, not today,” her mother said softly.

“Even I know what ‘arse’ means,” Gianna added, rolling her eyes. “Use your imagination with feck.”

“Where did you hear that?” Nico demanded. “Whoever it is, he’s a dead man.”

“What makes you think it was a man?” Hannah challenged.

“Why are you saying ‘ass’ with an r?” Arianna wondered, her brows furrowed. “Are we Irish now?”

“And why all these questions, Hannah?” Mr. Morrelli stated calmly while pinching the bridge of his nose. “It’s like the whole world has gone crazy.”

“Yeah, like it’s on steroids,” Hannah agreed, adding another comment that made no sense. She really had to be having a bad day today. “Did you know that family hormones sync up and undergo changes at the same time?” Hannah continued innocently. I honestly didn’t think there was any hope deciphering that one.

“Are you gonna be a doctor now?” Gianna questioned. “Or psychiatrist? Gynecologist? Because I’m not even sure how to categorize that question.”

“Gianna, be nice,” Mrs. Morrelli scolded. “Hannah, sweetie, how about we talk about the latest book you’re reading?”

“Or we could talk about the upcoming wedding,” she suggested, but there was an uncomfortable gleam in her eye. “Or religion?”

Jesus fucking Christ. I was about to have my own nervous breakdown and kidnap Arianna, right here and now.

“Let’s leave the wedding topic for another day,” Mr. Morrelli suggested. “And I don’t think the devil, angels, or anything in between wants to deal with us today, so we’ll table the discussion about religion as well.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Gianna muttered.

Hannah stabbed her fork into the piece of chicken on her plate, which led to Arianna stuffing spinach into her mouth like her life depended on it. Everyone knew she fucking hated spinach.

Her father gave his head a subtle shake, and I swore he muttered, “These girls will give me a heart attack.”

I should feel sorry for the man, but I didn’t. This visit was my last courtesy, hoping to make him see reason. He didn’t, and so I was moving on to the second stage of executing my plan.

“Francesca and I have a date,” Cassius announced casually and I narrowed my eyes on him, forcing my body to relax. “I’m thinking about taking her somewhere… romantic?”

Gianna snickered. “Yeah, right. She’d never go out with you.”

“Maybe when hell freezes over,” Arianna muttered, her eyes meeting mine before looking away.

“I made hell freeze before,” I interjected. “I’ll make it freeze again if it’s the last thing I do.”

A heartbeat of silence followed, her parents’ gazes darting between the two of us before Hannah continued with her rambling.

“Don’t the Callahans have an Irish club? Take her there.”

“Don’t you fucking dare,” I gritted, shooting daggers at Hannah while downright scheming for her murder.

“How do you know about their club?” Nico asked his daughter.

“What kind of club is it?” his wife asked innocently, taking a sip of her wine. Poor woman would need a whole bottle tonight to survive this shit.

“It’s some hardcore sex club,” Cassius drawled, and his mother spluttered all over the table.

Gianna and Arianna shared a conspiratorial look. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Morrelli girls found a way to sneak into it. I made a mental note to kill any Callahan who touched my girl.

“Oh relax. I wouldn’t call it that,” Hannah chimed in, finally done torturing the poor piece of chicken. “We should go out tonight.”

Her father shut it down immediately. “Tonight’s no good.”

Her eyes darted to me. “But Matteo is here and⁠—”

“No.”

Hannah looked to me for help, but reading my unhelpful expression, she turned to her brothers.

“Not tonight, sis.” was all she got.

“That’s bullshit,” she grumbled. “At twenty-five, you shouldn’t be allowed to control our movements.”

I suspected Morrelli’s reason for wanting to keep the girls home had everything to do with the Belles and Mobsters rumors. It was the same reason my dad had insisted Francesca and Mom stay within the compound. If he could stop Francesca from going back to D’Arc, he would.

“I heard something interesting,” Mrs. Morrelli cut in. “Anyone care to share what they know about the Belles and Mobsters auctions?”

Nico’s jaw clenched. “Not now, cara mia.”

“What the fuck is Belles and Mobsters?” Hannah muttered. “Some twisted, kinky shit?”

“Feck, fuck. Imagine that twist of a syllable,” Gianna noted. “Nobody is thinking kinky but you, Hannah.”

“Good luck with that one, Matteo,” Cassius mused. “But make her cry and you’re a dead man.”

“Hannah, I have to talk to you before I leave,” I said coolly, ignoring her father glaring at me.

Arianna’s gaze lifted and found mine, her face a deep shade of red, but then she shook her head and for the rest of the night pretended I wasn’t here.

“You should have told me, Nico,” Mrs. Morrelli scolded him.

He took her hand in his. “Don’t worry, cara mia. We have it handled.”

I’d never heard a bigger lie since nobody seemed to be capable of getting any leads on that matter, but when Morrelli’s eyes darted to mine, demanding my confirmation, I played along.

“Yes, everything is handled.”

I hoped I’d earned a point or two. For later.

“What did you want to talk about, Matt?”

I gritted my teeth together so I wouldn’t snap at Hannah. I fucking hated that nickname, but Hannah being Hannah couldn’t be told otherwise.

She sat on the armrest of the couch, crossing her legs. The living room was empty, yet I wasn’t stupid enough to think we were truly alone. All Hannah had to do was raise her voice and her brothers and father would appear.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yes, I’m fine.” She stared at me expectantly, a smile pulling at her lips as if she couldn’t help herself. It was really remarkable how the twins looked so alike yet were so different. “We need to discuss this engagement.”

“Mom said you want a long engagement to come to terms with… everything.” She waved her hand nonchalantly, her fingernails painted dark green like it was St. Patrick’s Day and not Labor Day around the corner. “That suits me fine.”

“No, it’s this engagement that doesn’t suit me,” I stated firmly. “At all.”

“Then why was the marriage arrangement put in place?” Her delicate brows furrowed. “Kind of late to play hard to get again, no?”

I drew a deep breath into my lungs, praying for the first time in a long time. Do. Not. Lose. Your. Fucking. Temper.

“Hannah, I was never playing hard to get,” I said slowly, holding her studious gaze. “I never wanted to marry you.”

There was no chance she could have misinterpreted those words.

“That’s okay. But it’s all arranged now, so… yeah. Let’s not rock the boat.”

“Rock the boat?” I repeated.

She flashed me a smile. “Yeah. You and I… It’s just perfect.”

Okay, one twin was delusional and the other sat firmly in denial.

“No, we’re not perfect.”

She smiled, rolling her eyes. “I didn’t say we are perfect. I said it is perfect.”

“Meaning?”

She jumped to her feet and closed the distance between us. She pretended to remove a speck of nonexistent lint off my shoulder.

“It means I’m not letting you off the hook, Matteo.”

Why wasn’t I surprised one fucking bit?

CHAPTER FORTY

ARIANNA

How was it possible for a boy you’d known for decades to suddenly become the center of your universe?

If I knew the answer, maybe I’d be able to cut it out. Instead, I feigned a brave face while my eyes burned with tears until it felt like I couldn’t breathe.

In our dorm room, I listened to Gianna and Hannah bicker while my heart wreaked havoc from the inside out. Each day I told myself it would get easier, but instead, it got harder. It’d been two weeks since the engagement was announced. One week since Matteo appeared at our family dinner.

One week since he snuck inside my room and vowed he’d never give up on me—on us.

“You can’t be here,” I hissed when he appeared in my bedroom. The crazy man had pretended to leave after dinner, only to climb up like some acrobat—in a suit, at that—and appear on my balcony, looking like the latest version of James Bond.

“Wrong, baby,” he drawled, tugging on his cuffs. “Wherever you are is where I need to be.”

I shook my head. “Matteo, it’s no good. I’m not changing my mind and⁠—”

“You’re not happy. A blind man could see it.”

“Irrelevant.”

I stared up at him, at the slight furrow in his brow, at the disappointment I could feel rolling off of him.

“Remember what I told you when we were kids?” I shook my head once. “I said that you’ll be the death of me. Funny thing is, I’m okay with that. I would rather be with you for one day and meet my death than live a thousand lifetimes without you.”

I wanted to cry. Scream. But instead, I said, “You’ll have to learn to live without me. Just as I—” My heart thundered in my chest as I was about to tell him another lie. “Just as I have learned to live without you.”

He shook his head with a tight expression. “No. You’ll be my wife, and I’ll be your husband forever.”

“Didn’t you hear what I said?” I shook my head frantically. “I can’t—won’t marry you.”

He leaned in, the scent of his familiar cologne filling my lungs, causing me to shudder.

“Don’t,” I breathed, afraid I’d cave into him. “Don’t kiss me.”

“Scared you won’t be able to resist these feelings and attraction between us?” he said, moving his hand between us. “This fire between us will burn forever. In this life and the next.”

“It’s just lust.” Although it felt like so much more.

“You and I… We are strong alone, but together, we’re unstoppable. I won’t rest, I won’t stop until you’re my wife, Ari.”

Then he slipped off the balcony and into the night while I stared after him, fighting this doomed longing.

“Arianna, tell her.” Hannah’s voice pulled me from the memory, demanding my attention. My twin was pacing around restlessly, wearing white shorts and a green T-shirt that had a leprechaun on it.

“Tell her what?”

“That I’m making a difference.”

My brows scrunched and Gianna sighed, then proceeded to explain. “She thinks painting her face and chasing men through the woods is balancing the scales or something.”

My younger sister wore a shirt in honor of my twin that had Feck, Fuck… Love? screen-printed across the chest.

Maybe there was a point to her shirt. Love and lust were often confused, and that could be my problem. Matteo made me feel incredible when he fucked my brains out, but it didn’t necessarily mean he was the love of my life.

“Hello?” Gianna waved her hand in front of my face.

I gave my head a subtle shake and turned to look at my twin.

“What kind of difference are you hoping to make?”

“Kill every human trafficker we get our hands on, of course.”

I shot her a surprised look. “That’s why you joined them?”

“I want to help somehow.”

I sighed heavily. “Why didn’t you just call Aunt Áine or Uncle Cassio? She always needs help with her organization.”

“What happened wasn’t your fault, Hannah,” Gianna added, tilting her chin in that same way Mom would.

Guilt was such an endless, vicious circle, and it would seem we were all victims to it.

“No, it wasn’t.” I echoed my sister’s words, my throat thick.

“I blame myself.” She scratched at her hand, her voice raw. “For what happened to Gianna.” I touched her arm and stopped her scratching. “For what happened to you.”

“Me?”

“You almost burned alive,” Hannah croaked. “If Matteo hadn’t⁠—”

“But he did.” Tears gathered in her eyes as I grabbed her hand. “Gianna and I lived through it all.”

“I heard Dad say they were human traffickers. They were going to—” She released a long sigh, cutting her words short. “And I walked her right into their lair.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks now, rendering Gianna and me speechless.

My twin was usually the strong one. The stubborn one. She never let anything or anyone get her down, plowing through every emotion and person who dared to bring her down.

I choked on my tears and pulled her to me, squeezing her tightly. “But they didn’t.”

“That’s right,” Gianna whispered, choking up too. “Aside from a few bruises, I escaped unharmed.”

“But—”

“No buts,” I stopped her. “We both fucked up.”

Gianna snickered. “The three of us did. Or did you forget how I threatened to snitch on you if you didn’t take me along?”

I had forgotten, honestly, and judging by the expression on Hannah’s face, so had she.

“Stop crying, Hannah,” I rasped softly. “Or Gianna and I will join in and then all hell will break loose.”

Dad always said when his daughters cried, weaker men better cower because he’d unleash hell.

“I love you both so much,” Gianna murmured. “I’m so lucky to have such loving—if slightly annoying and overbearing—sisters.”

That made Hannah cry even harder.

“Okay, okay. No more kind words or Hannah will be a puddle,” I half teased.

She let out a strangled laugh. “I’m such an ugly crier.”

Gianna scoffed.

“Show me a beautiful crier. No such thing.” She stepped forward and hugged both of us with such force we tumbled onto the ground of the empty dorm room.

“Ouch,” I grunted, rubbing my tailbone. “When did you become so strong, Gianna?”

Her back against the carpet, stuck in between us, Gianna turned her head my way and smiled. “I’ve been taking lessons with a… friend.”

“A friend?” I asked cautiously, the three of us still sprawled on the floor.

“Yes.”

“We should run a background check on him,” Hannah stated seriously, wiping her face.

A heartbeat passed, then another.

“Likely nothing would come up.”

My sister’s comment surprised me and I narrowed my eyes on her, studying her. “Are you… in love with this guy?”

She laughed. “God no.”

My twin and I each exhaled a relieved breath. “Thank fuck. You’re only nineteen. Love is… too complicated to worry about at that age.”

Despite my own somewhat tragic circumstance, I let out a strangled laugh. “Says the one who fell in love with a boy when we were toddlers.”

She grinned while I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. That smile right there was the reason I refused to entertain Matteo’s grand ideas of us. Hannah always acted tough, but deep down, she was breakable, just like the rest of us.

“I have a secret,” Gianna blurted, and I grinned.

“Don’t keep us in suspense, woman,” Hannah said after a minute, both of us waiting with bated breaths.

“Promise you won’t get upset, but since we’re talking about kidnapping…”

Hannah and I shared a curious look.

“Yes?” I encouraged.

“I learned the identity of the man who snatched me that night.” Gianna lifted onto her elbows. “You know, the-night-that-shall-not-be-named because we all start this blame game and tears flow?”

Ignoring that familiar terror in my chest, I smacked her arm. “Don’t drag it on. Who is he?”

“He’s our Welsh cousin.”

“Huh?” I sat up while Hannah watched her with a downturned expression. “I don’t understand.”

Gianna shifted so she was kneeling now. “I don’t have all the facts yet, but I know one thing for certain. He is our cousin.”

“But how can that be?” I questioned. “Uncle Luca or Cassio… they would never cheat.”

“Mom had another half brother,” Gianna stated confidently. “Marco King. He and his father were Welsh.”

Make sure your sister and her friend stop snooping. Why did the stranger’s words linger in the back of my mind? He had completely slipped my mind with all the events that had happened.

“What does this cousin look like? Is it that man who told me to go back into the car when I came searching for you?”

Gianna shook her head.

“No, that guy set me free. But our cousin…” She shuddered, wrapping her arms around her waist almost as if the memory of him alone sparked the need to protect herself. “Simón King. Our cousin. Son of Marco King. Mom’s half brother. He’s an entirely different breed. There’s something terrifying about him.”

We were all grandchildren of Benito King. The legacy of heathens phrase had never made more sense than at this moment.

“I’m confused,” Hannah muttered. “So our cousin kidnapped you?”

Gianna nodded. “He and the men who work for him and their organization.”

“None of it makes sense to me. Why?”

“I didn’t understand it either. Until I found this.” Gianna reached for her phone and scrolled until she handed it to me. “I hacked into Dad’s network and… Well, read it.”

I did, Hannah reading the same words over my shoulder, and understanding dawned on me.

“The Belles and Mobsters Agreement,” Hannah read aloud on a shallow breath. “Didn’t someone mention⁠—”

I lifted my eyes and met my sisters’ gaze. “Holy shit. Our grandfather, Benito King, ran the auctions and Mom killed him.”

“But Uncle Luca took the blame,” Hannah murmured and pointed to a section. “See, right there.”

It was remarkable how good Gianna had gotten at digging up information. She found that the cousin was born and raised in Wales by an influential family, which made all of this even more confusing.

“But that’s not all,” Gianna whispered, although it was just the three of us here. “The very same man that kidnapped me is now working on resurrecting the auctions.”

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

ARIANNA

The next day, my sisters and I were in the lobby of Matteo’s penthouse, nagging the receptionist for information.

After Gianna’s revelation, I shared with my sisters that I ran into the man who saved us. His identity was still a mystery at this point, and not knowing made me uneasy.

The world sure was a small place.

“I’m certain he’s been here,” I stated.

“I’m sorry, miss, but I don’t know anyone by that description,” the receptionist answered, lowering the volume on the screen in front of him.

Gianna groaned. “This guy is useless. Maybe we can ask Francesca.”

The words from the stranger rang in my ears like a warning. Make sure your sister and her friend stop snooping.

I turned to look at my sister, arms crossed. “What have you and Francesca been up to?”

“We’ve just been exercising our rights.”

I frowned. “What rights?”

She grinned. “To snoop around.”

Hannah shushed us, shooting us a warning glare to shut up. Then in the next breath, she plastered on a smile and leaned over the counter, displaying her ample cleavage.

“Listen carefully,” she drawled. “Don’t tell me you don’t know any handsome, tall, dark-haired men when I’ve seen at least three walk through this lobby just since we arrived. Now, you’re going to look at the sketch my sister made, or I’ll smash your face against this counter.”

The man’s lips thinned and he glared at Hannah. “Fine, let me see it again.”

Gianna gaped at Hannah like she’d never seen her before, a slightly awed expression on her face, and silently handed over the sheet.

“He doesn’t live here,” he said, and my heart pounded. “But he visits someone in this building.”

My heartbeat skyrocketed. “Who?”

“That, I can’t tell you. We value our tenants’ privacy around here, and no threat from you will convince me to risk my job.”

“But—”

“Look at this,” a familiar voice came from behind. “We have triple trouble going on in here.”

I slowly shifted around, lifted my head slightly, and my gaze collided with cold hazel eyes.

Angry eyes.

Nikola and Gabriel emerged from somewhere and stepped forward, both wearing leather jackets.

Gabriel observed us. “What are you three doing here?”

“Obviously harassing the staff,” Nikola deadpanned.

Hannah pinned him with a stare.

“The only one harassing someone is you, Nikola.” She arched a perfectly shaped brow. “Have you figured out how to deal with your psychotic tendencies? We can’t have your shit touching our precious Skye.”

Nikola nearly got into her face, but Gabriel grabbed him and pulled him back.

“That wasn’t nice,” Gianna scolded her, then turned to Nikola. “Stop glaring at her. It won’t get you anywhere.”

“I’m not glaring.”

“You are,” Matteo deadpanned.

“You should be on my side,” Nikola huffed under his breath. “I’m here helping you.”

“Helping with what?” I asked curiously.

“Shut it, Nikola,” Matteo growled and the two shared a staredown that I had no interest in participating in.

“Well, this was… yeah. But we must get going,” I cut in, tugging at Hannah, but my sister refused to budge.

“Not so fast.” Matteo’s expression was calculating. Callous, even. “What are you three doing at my place?”

“Your place?” Hannah asked, surprised. “Well, what a coincidence, because—” I stepped on my sister’s foot, causing her to yelp. “Arianna!”

“Whoops,” I murmured, then yanked on her. “Let’s go.”

Gianna piped up next. “We came to visit Francesca.”

I feigned a smile. “But she’s not here, so we’ll be on our way.”

“You three are not supposed to be off campus without guards.” Matteo blocked my path.

Nikola grinned. “Thought you were off the hook, didn’t you?”

“If you wish to be our ‘bodyguards,’ you’ll do well to stay at a distance.” I pushed past him, fighting the urge to look at Matteo. “Lest any violent, irritating, leather-clad men try to grab us.”

With that, I turned on my heel, praying the hitch in my voice was drowned out by my sisters’ peals of laughter.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

ARIANNA

Iwas late for my first class.

Our detective work over the last few days had led us nowhere, and the resulting exhaustion was leading me to madness.

Running through campus, dark shadows seemed to trail behind me. My limbs stiffened and muscles tensed, but I didn’t stop to look or slow down because I knew exactly who it was. It had been like this every single day since the engagement was announced.

Matteo’s watchful eyes were on me, following my every move, refusing to let me go. Whenever I left campus, I’d catch his motorcycle turning a corner in my rearview. When I got lunch at my favorite café, he’d be propped up against the wall outside, legs crossed at the ankles, typing away at his phone while he waited. Barely even sparing me a glance, like he wasn’t interested in much beyond my safety.

Once inside the math building, I exhaled. I didn’t know how long it would take to get over him, but I was looking forward to it. My whole body was so attuned to him that I sometimes felt him in my dreams too.

I was climbing the steps two at a time, and when I reached the third floor, an arm wrapped around my shoulder. I froze for a moment before I released a breath as familiar pale blue eyes registered.

“Nikola, what are you doing?”

“Late for class?” he asked.

I answered with my own question, wanting him gone more than anything. “Do you not know how to button up a shirt?”

He smiled at me, the first real smile I’d seen on his face in a long time. It was boyish, and the sight of it reminded me that, beneath the hard exterior, Nikola was a decent guy. Annoying and definitely unhinged, but decent.

He lightly tapped his index finger across my nose. “Want to button it for me?”

“No.”

He grinned. “Your loss.”

“I sincerely doubt that.”

“Being late is not like you,” he remarked. “Did you party last night?”

“No.”

He grinned, towering over me like a skyscraper. “Maybe you should be partying. Sometimes those result in… interesting revelations.”

“Like what?”

He hooked his arm over my shoulder and we started walking together up the steps and down the hallway.

“Like forgetting shit.” He leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Forgetting troubles and heartaches.”

“It sounds like you’re speaking from experience, Nikola.”

“I’m telling you, give it a try.” He waggled his brows. “Trust me, Ari.”

The nickname had me gritting my teeth, but I didn’t say anything. I wouldn’t be the one to bring up Matteo.

Nikola smiled mischievously at me, almost as if he was reading my thoughts, and continued. “By the way, I was serious when I offered to step in as Matteo’s replacement.”

I stopped ten feet from my classroom and narrowed my eyes on him. “You and Matteo are good friends. Why would you care whether or not I have a replacement?”

“It could be mutually beneficial.” Unsurprising, his answer was vague. His eyes flitted behind me and darkened to deep frozen pools. When I looked, it was to find Skye running to class from the opposite direction. Looks like I’m not the only frazzled one today, I thought to myself.

“How could it be beneficial?” I asked hesitantly, although I suspected. Scratch that, I knew.

“It’ll deter one infatuated girl away from me and my deviant tendencies. And you’ll get to show Matteo what he’s missing.”

“So you’re trying to scare her away?”

He lifted his one shoulder. “She’s delusional and thinks I like her. I don’t. What better way to convince her I don’t give a damn about her than by dating her friend?”

“Skye’s my friend and I would never do something like that to her.” I poked a finger at his chest. “Besides, you’re crazy if you think I’d ever invite your…” I paused, looking for the right words, but settled for blunt and direct. “…deviant shit into my life.”

Nikola scoffed, his pale blue eyes returning to me. “As if I should be crazy enough and you lucky enough that I would touch you. Trust me, I don’t have that kind of death wish.”

He was rambling and I was done listening to this man—any man for that matter—speaking nonsense. As if they ever spoke anything else these days.

“Well, if you’re looking for someone to fake date, look elsewhere. I’m not doing that to Skye, and if you were decent, you wouldn’t either.”

“Who said I’m decent?”

“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes, sick and tired of the crazy Russian. “Besides, why not just find someone in one of those exclusive clubs? Surely they share the same interests.”

“Thank you, but no. I’ve been told through the grapevine that Skye has started paying membership fees.” My brows shot up, but before I could comment, he added pensively, “You think… she’d be into⁠—”

“Please stop or I’ll have to bleach my brain,” I said, wrinkling my nose, but he didn’t seem to hear me.

“Or maybe… hmmm, maybe I should test how far Skye will go.”

“I really don’t want to know,” I muttered. “Break her heart and you’ll have to handle her father and your uncle Sasha. But it’s your funeral. I’ll try to make it. Even bring flowers.” Not.

If he touched Skye and word got out, anyone associated with this crazy idiot would be on the hit list by default.

Skye was lucky—or unlucky—enough to have two equally crazy father figures that would tear anyone who hurt her into shreds. If Nikola had a death wish, may the gods be with him. I might be brokenhearted, but I wasn’t suicidal.

“You know what?” he piped up as he grinned. “I’m up for the challenge.”

“Well, I’m not,” I said dryly. “And for the love of God, button up that shirt.” No sooner had the words left me than guilt burned my throat. This shitty situation with Matteo wasn’t Nikola’s fault.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose, and against my better judgment, I continued. “You shouldn’t discount Skye. She’s more badass than all of us combined, and if you want to have the approval of her parents, take it… slow.”

“I didn’t ask for relationship advice,” he grumbled.

“Well, you got it anyhow. Consider it my relationship advice quota for the day.”

My phone buzzed and I sidestepped him, erasing this whole conversation from my mind as I read my sister’s message to all the girls in our dorm.

Hannah: I have a brilliant idea. Let’s do a bikini car wash. It’s my bridal shower after all.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

ARIANNA

That brilliant idea took place two days later, before the official kickoff of the fall semester, beside a run-down bowling alley in the middle of nowhere twenty miles outside D’Arc’s massive campus.

The turnout for the bizarre car wash was surprisingly large, considering there was nothing but fields for miles in every direction. But social media was a powerful tool and images of young women clad in nothing but bikinis, high heels, and bubbles were apparently enough to draw the masses.

Lines of luxury cars, sedans, old beat-down trucks, and expensive sports cars stretched as far as the eye could see. Some waited in the scorching sun, others joined in on the party, and others just parked and watched like fucked-up voyeurs.

The girls and I leaned against a crumbling wall, watching the boys from a nearby college polish a row of cars under Hannah’s detailed instructions. Every so often she’d take selfies and post them on Instagram, making all of our phones chime with notifications.

“I’m seriously tempted to mute this thing,” Penelope grumbled, staring at the device in her hand.

“God, my feet are killing me,” I grumbled as I kicked off my heels and stretched my traumatized toes, breathing a relieved sigh. Some of the girls mimicked the move too. Washing cars wearing heels was idiotic, yet here we were.

My eyes darted to my twin who was laughing a bit too loud, spraying one of the students who was clearly infatuated with her. Her behavior made no sense. She got Matteo, yet she was still flirting away.

“What possessed her to do this?” Skye signed, looking at me for answers. “I’ve never heard of a bikini car wash being a bridal shower event?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, but she wanted it, so…” I shrugged, trailing off. But Hannah tended to do things when she wasn’t in the right frame of mind, and the harder you pushed her, the more chaos followed.

A Tate McRae playlist blasted through the speakers, and Hannah shot the college guys with a bubble machine gun, but her attention wasn’t on them. Instead, she was eyeing the parking lot almost as if she was waiting for someone.

“She’s been acting strange,” Penelope echoed my earlier sentiments. “Is it the engagement?” Then realizing it was inconsiderate, she shot an apologetic look at Francesca. “Sorry, I’m sure your brother is great and all⁠—”

Francesca raised her palm and stopped her. “No apologies needed, but from what I understand, she was given a choice and could have said no.”

Gianna scoffed. “As if Hannah would ever turn down a challenge.”

That familiar pain pierced through my chest, but I ignored it. I’d become really good at it by now.

“What do you mean?” Amara questioned.

“She’s been infatuated with Matteo since we were toddlers,” I offered. “The moment she saw him, she announced she’d marry him.”

“Good for her for recognizing her mate,” Anya grumbled. “Seems kind of… over the top, though, if you ask me.”

“A mate?” Penelope teased. “You make it sound like she’s a dog.”

“Too many shifter romance novels,” she muttered, drawing a round of laughter.

“There’s one thing I don’t get,” Gianna said. “Why is she flirting and acting like that if she finally got the man she wanted?”

“I’d like to know too,” Francesca agreed, flicking me a curious glance, but I just shrugged. I had no idea what had gotten into Hannah, and she refused to confide in me. But I knew that when my twin was ready, she’d reach out and I’d be there for her.

“We don’t need to understand all of Hannah’s motives,” I said sharply, instantly regretting it. I flashed them an apologetic smile. “Sorry, just cranky.”

“What’s wrong with you lately?” Francesca took a sip of her drink, eyeing me. Matteo’s sister might come off flighty sometimes, but it was all a front. She was more perceptive than an average twenty-one-year-old.

“Maybe I need therapy,” I joked, shrugging nonchalantly.

“Nah, you don’t need therapy,” Skye signed, her eyes sparkling mischievously. “You just need a five-finger necklace. Some hottie to bend you over, pull your hair, and call you a good girl.”

Francesca sputtered her drink and I choked on mine.

“What the fuck, Skye?” I coughed. “Give a girl some warning next time.”

“What do you even know about that shit?” Francesca inquired.

“What are we talking about?” Amara asked curiously, her attention on us.

Skye shrugged and signed with a straight face, “Hannah.”

“She certainly has the skill of persuasion,” Amara pointed out, her eyes narrowed on the scene across the parking lot. “Those college boys know they’re being used, yet they don’t care.”

“Truthfully, I’m curious how Hannah managed to convince them to join this charade,” Skye pondered.

“I was really hoping for a wild Las Vegas girls’ trip,” Anya muttered. “Not… this.”

“It’s her bridal shower,” Penelope chimed, dismissing her. “For yours, we can go to Vegas.”

She scoffed. “We might be waiting a while, then.”

“Thank God fall semester is just around the corner,” Amara stated. “I’ve taken a cue from Arianna and registered for extra classes to finish my bachelor’s degree early. I’m planning to take a backpacking tour of Europe.”

“Are you sure the Colombiano will allow you to go?” Skye signed.

“What Colombiano?” Amara asked, but her crimson cheeks betrayed her. It would appear she wasn’t as indifferent to Gabriel as she’d led us to believe.

“There’s only one that matters,” Anya grumbled. She, and everyone else here, knew something was going on with Amara and Gabriel. “But fine. Be like that. Hold out on us.”

“What about you?” Penelope pinned her with a stare. “Are you holding out on us, Anya?”

My eyebrows shot to my hairline as I prayed my friends’ attention wouldn’t dart to me. One of Hannah’s helpers approached, smiling shyly, thankfully halting all further discussion.

“Hey, ladies. Would you like something to drink?” He glanced over his shoulder and pointed to a group of college boys. “If you’re up for it, we have a cooler full of…”

“Beer?” Anya asked.

“Yes, among other things.”

We shared a glance. As a usual practice, we tended to avoid normal boys, but every once in a while, we’d cave into temptation.

It would seem today was one of those days because I heard myself answering, “Sure, why not.”

Two hours later, we were all smiling, most of our gloomy thoughts chased away by the shots we’d taken. Each time we’d taken one, we earned Hannah’s approval and drew everyone’s attention.

All remaining cars had been sent away with the excuse that we ran out of soap, but the truth was that Hannah wanted to use it to drown us in bubbles. With the alcohol traveling through our veins though, somehow it seemed like an excellent idea.

Dancing, drinking, and howls of laughter almost kept us from registering the moment a loud sports car pulled up.

“Holy shit, is that a Bugatti Chiron?” one of our new friends whispered, wide-eyed. Awed gasps traveled around while our friends looked unimpressed.

Hannah stood stiffly next to me, her expression several shades paler than it’d been a mere minute ago.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, leaning toward her.

“What color is that Bugatti?” she rasped against my cheek.

I flicked a gaze that way before answering.

“Bluish gray with red trim?” The chatter faded away while the two of us remained standing still. I took both her arms and shook her gently. “Hannah, what’s going on? I don’t like all these secrets.”

The hypocrisy didn’t escape me.

She reached for her discarded summer dress, then slid it on.

“Everything’s okay,” she assured me, flashing me a smile. “Hey, girls,” she called out. “Uncle Kyran is here and needs me. Can you all finish this up?”

“Why is Uncle—” My words trailed off and my brow furrowed at the realization. She’d refused to call him Uncle Kyran for as long as I could remember.

But before I could form my thoughts, she was already gone and I was left staring at taillights.

An hour later, I sat on the stone wall watching my girls continue downing shots while I sipped on water. Hannah still hadn’t returned, and although I was worried, she’d texted me thirty minutes ago not to expect her back and that everything was fine.

I had no idea what that meant, but I took comfort in the knowledge that Uncle Kyran wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

“So, do you have a boyfriend?”

I had completely forgotten about the guy who’d been entertaining me with stories I was only half listening to. His ruffled blond hair and clear blue eyes held no ruthlessness, only curiosity.

He still wore swim shorts, his tanned chest exposed and inviting admiration. Despite the fact that my pulse didn’t skip nor did anything about his smile make my heart race, I gawked at his muscular abs. Unfortunately, it was to compare every ridge of those abs to another set that I’d kissed and touched only weeks ago.

“No, I don’t have a boyfriend,” I finally answered, the words slightly bitter on my tongue.

I slid off the wall and he mirrored my move, leaving us standing close. He was nowhere near as tall as Matteo, but he was pleasing enough. With hesitant steps, I closed the distance between us and put my hand on his chest.

Not even a blip, I thought, willing my heart to get excited. It didn’t.

“Do you work out?” I asked.

“Three times a week.”

“It shows,” I observed.

“You’re stunning,” he said, eyeing my body unabashedly. “And your voice is so beautiful. Are you a singer?”

An amused laugh left me. “I’ve barely spoken a word. Where did you come up with that?”

He flashed me a smile filled with charm.

“I get goose bumps whenever you speak.”

I threw my head back and laughed. I laughed so hard, tears brimmed the corner of my eyes. He watched me with an easy smile.

“How many times have you used that line?” I mused.

“Never,” he vowed, but the twitch of his grin told me otherwise.

“What’s your name again?” I asked, although he’d told me several times already.

“Brian.”

“Well, Brian. How many times did that line actually work?” I asked, amused and slightly curious.

He chuckled awkwardly. “You really want to know?”

“I really do.”

He leaned in, his sunscreen scent invading my senses. His breath brushed against my earlobe. “I’ve⁠—”

Movement caught in the corner of my eye, and before I could process that Matteo was striding toward us with something volatile in his expression, Brian’s body was flying through the air and slamming to the ground.

“What are you doing?” Matteo growled at me.

Before I could answer, Brian was back, shoving him away from me and punching him square in the jaw. “What the fuck, dude?”

I stared in shock as Matteo wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, smiling darkly before pulling his own fist back and punching Brian so hard his back hit the ground.

He stood over him. “Stay out of this… dude. Or I’ll have that carved on your gravestone.”

“Fuck I will,” Brian gritted. “She said she doesn’t have a boyfriend, so she’s a free woman and this is a free country. She can talk to and be with anyone she wants, which is obviously me, so fuck off.”

“Gravestone it is, then.” Smiling viciously, Matteo pulled his gun out of the back of his waistband and pointed it between his brows. His expression didn’t even waver as he pistol-whipped Brian.

“Stop it, Matteo!” I screamed.

“It’s clear she doesn’t want you,” Brian said, trying to appear unaffected by the blood spurting from his right ear. “Move on.”

I cringed. “Stop talking if you want to live.”

“You said you were single,” he said.

Matteo cocked the gun, pressing it against his skull, and we all froze.

“She’s not single, fucker.” Matteo punched him again. “Repeat after me. ‘I will stay away from Arianna.’”

“Fuck. You.” Brian clearly had no sense of self-preservation.

“Here it comes,” Gabriel, who seemed to materialize from the ether, said with a sigh. “These boys never know when to fucking stop talking.”

As if in a daze, I watched him brush a piece of lint off his suit, then lean against the car with his hands in his pockets.

“Stop him, Gabriel,” I begged, noting the sounds of screams, gasps, and cries. But Matteo’s fists against Brian outweighed them all. “Please… He’s going to kill him.”

I glanced around and saw that everyone had gathered and was now staring at us.

“I’m pretty sure that’s the goal,” Gabriel drawled, his accent bleeding into his voice.

With nausea churning in my stomach, I shoved Matteo out of the way before I threw myself on top of Brian’s bloodied body.

“Enough, Matteo,” I screamed, my ears ringing in fear. If he killed him in front of all these people, he’d undoubtedly end up behind bars. “Please.”

Matteo’s eyes coasted to me, burning. “Get away from him, Ari.”

“No,” I breathed as the sound of approaching sirens registered. “Police⁠—”

“Did you let him kiss you?”

I blinked. “What?”

“Did. He. Kiss. You?” All the lightness disappeared from Matteo. A shiver ran down my spine as awareness settled over me. Matteo would never let me move on.

“N-no,” I stuttered.

Sirens blasted all around us, police officers jumped out of their cars, yelling orders, but all my attention was on Matteo. Gabriel was now next to him, his usual suave aura replaced by hard lines and hurried movements.

“Matteo, we need to pause this for now,” he drawled.

“I will fucking kill you if you touch her again. Hell, if you even look at her,” Matteo growled, his coarse words feeding the frenzy and violence in the air. The man had no regard for the police officers who were approaching us with their weapons already drawn.

“That’s him,” one of the college boys yelled.

“He attacked him unprovoked,” another shouted.

“That’s not technically true,” I said, shaking my head frantically.

“Put the gun down.” The police officer’s order echoed through the air. “Final warning.”

“Do what they say,” I breathed quietly to Matteo, scared to see him shot dead in front of me.

“Arianna, stop touching the bastard,” Gabriel said in a quiet tone. I blinked. I’d completely forgotten I was shielding Brian’s body. I pushed away from him and stood up, putting distance between us.

It was only then that Matteo lowered his weapon, his eyes never leaving me.

“A slight lover’s quarrel, officers. All good,” said Gabriel.

But the officers were already on Matteo, reading him his rights as they placed cuffs on his wrists while another officer rushed to Brian’s side to help him to his feet.

Francesca strode to me, looking disapprovingly at her handcuffed brother who didn’t seem perturbed at all.

“This isn’t going to end well,” she said, breezing to my side.

“I don’t imagine it will. Your brother’s in handcuffs.”

She shrugged, shooting me a pointed look. “He’ll be okay, I’m sure. Besides, he seems more concerned with staring you down.”

I opened my mouth to explain—to say what, I didn’t know—when the rest of the girls crowded around me. I returned my attention to Gabriel and Matteo, who were speaking in hushed tones.

“Did he think you were Hannah?” Anya asked.

Penelope rolled her eyes. “I sincerely doubt that.”

“Hannah shouldn’t have invited those guys in the first place,” Skye signed. “Clearly they don’t understand boundaries.”

“Agreed,” Amara grumbled.

The police officer led Brian over and I winced at the state of his bruised face.

“Hey.” He walked over to me, attempting a grimace of a smile. “Thanks for… you know.”

Matteo pushed against the police officer, his hands still cuffed in front of him, and got into Brian’s face, glaring at him. “Don’t ever, ever, talk to her again. Don’t even fucking look at her. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Mr. Vitale, are you threatening him?” the officer asked.

“Not at all, officer.” Gabriel played the diplomat while Matteo’s gaze, narrowed at the edges, found mine, hard and intimidating.

“Any man who touches this woman will answer to me.” Matteo’s voice was cold, but his gaze burned me hotter than the pits of hell. “And that’s a threat and a promise.”

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

MATTEO

It’d been a long day, and I knew it would be an even longer night.

Arianna’s statement that Brian started the fight combined with my father’s and Gabriel’s efforts had convinced the preppy college boy to drop all charges.

I was free to go.

Yet, the fury I felt at that prick who thought he could touch my woman still simmered under my skin. The way Ari looked in the bikini and fuck-me heels, laughing and smiling. At. Another. Man. Maybe I was sick, too possessive, but I didn’t want her smiling at anybody else. I wanted all her smiles, all her tears, and all her words to belong to me.

I wanted to jump on my bike, head to his shitty campus, and kill him, but if he miraculously disappeared, I’d be the first suspect.

“Thanks for handling this, Pa.”

“What the hell were you thinking?” I wasn’t, and that was the problem. When it came to Arianna, all my brain circuits seemed to fry. “I thought you were busy chasing leads.”

“I’m pretty good at multitasking,” I deadpanned. “I take after my parents, don’t I.” He narrowed his eyes on me.

“Yet you’re incapable of keeping away from this girl,” Pa stated as he drove down the dark backroads toward D’Arc. “Do you have a death wish?”

I shrugged. “No, but I made it clear to you and Morrelli that Arianna is mine and I refuse to follow through with this charade with Hannah. Fucking find her another husband.”

“Where was she during this so-called bridal shower?” he questioned.

I shot him a dry look. “Don’t know. Don’t care.”

Fishing out my phone, I started scrolling through unread messages. The only one I read was from Arianna.

We’re done. Please accept and respect my decision.

The fuck I would. We weren’t done and never would be.

Ever since the engagement disaster, the two of us had been stuck in a cycle of her giving me the cold shoulder while I stalked her from afar. Okay, maybe not afar, but definitely beyond her reach.

And all the while, I’d been devising a plan.

“You’re running from one sister and chasing after the other,” Pa muttered. “How in the fuck do you have time for your thesis?”

“I finished it already.”

“Then why are you still on campus?”

I scoffed. “I’ll give you one guess.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

“I’m not leaving until she agrees to be my wife. You wouldn’t either if you were in my shoes.” I’d heard plenty of stories to know he wouldn’t. Pa relentlessly searched for Mom for three long years, refusing to let go of his obsession. “You never gave up searching for Mom while she was on the run. This is no different.”

He knew I was right, although I doubted he’d admit it.

“Some distance would do you some good, son.”

“Did that help when you and Mom were apart?” I retorted dryly.

“That was different,” Pa stated as I leaned my seat back and closed my eyes. “Her own uncle was after her. The same uncle who, if you must know, wanted to auction her off.”

My brow furrowed as I considered his words.

“Speaking of, there’s still buzz about the auctions,” I noted, opening my eyes to look at him. “Talks of Benito’s heir and some others joining forces to lead it.”

“So I heard.” His lips thinned. “I just find it hard to believe that Benito had another bastard hiding around somewhere and nobody knew until now.”

“It must be Marco’s heir,” I wondered aloud. “The man wasn’t a saint by any means.”

“Benito and Marco were both sick bastards, always obsessed with power.” Pa slammed the wheel with the palm of his hand. “If belles auctions are back, that puts Francesca and the Morrelli girls in danger.”

He had always been overprotective of Francesca, and so had I, but jumping into panic mode wouldn’t do us any good.

“They’re safe on campus.”

Pa nodded. “I’ll assign an additional bodyguard for Francesca. I’m guessing Morrelli will be putting extra layers of security on his girls too.”

Tense silence followed.

“Still at odds with Nico Morrelli?”

He shot me a dry look. “What do you think?”

“I’m sorry. If I could go back, I’d go to him and ask for Ari myself. Or better yet, ask her when the time was right.”

“I’m sure it’ll all get resolved. Emotions are just high right now, and he’s been extra protective of Arianna and Gianna ever since…” He shook his head, and I filled in the blanks. None of us would forget how close we came to losing the girls. “Hannah seems to land on her feet, but those two somehow always pay the price.”

He wasn’t wrong about that. Even when the twins conjured up their shenanigans, Hannah usually escaped unscathed.

I was so close to murdering Hannah that day. She’d been the one to insist on sneaking out the night Gianna was snatched, but it was Arianna who blamed herself. Arianna who went after Gianna and almost died in the process.

“Son, just push her out of your mind for a while and wait. Everything will work out.”

I threw back my head. “I don’t have it in me to wait.”

“Then what?” My father’s eyes, replicas of my own, slid to me. “Don’t even think of kidnapping her, Matteo.”

“I won’t.” Because I already decided.

“I hope you’re telling me the truth,” he muttered, shaking his head. A humorless smile painted his lips before he continued. “I’m going to give you the advice your nonno gave me. Treat her right and she’ll find her way back to you.”

I stared at him for a silent beat.

“I will. I hope she can forgive me for this screwup with the engagement and hurting Hannah’s feelings.” Pa raised his brow but remained silent. “Fuck, Pa. What if she doesn’t forgive me?”

“She will.”

“You seem awfully sure of it.” I pushed my hand through my hair when he turned in to campus. “Pull over by the planetarium.”

He did, but as I reached for the door handle, his voice stopped me.

“You know how I know she’ll forgive you?” I waited, turning to look at my father who, for the first time ever, looked uncomfortable. “Your mother would kill me if she knew what I’m about to tell you.”

“Now you’ve got my attention.”

“I fucked up majorly with your mom. Not once, but three times.”

“How so?”

“Well, first I kidnapped her and forced her to marry me.” The corner of my lips twitched. It seemed to be a running theme in our world. “And then I… I put a gun to her head. To make matters worse, I went after her again and dragged her back, making her an easy target for her uncle and Benito King.”

“Bullshit.”

The expression on my father’s face told me he wasn’t joking.

“Unfortunately, it’s the truth. After I played Russian roulette with her⁠—”

“What the fuck, Pa!”

“The chamber was empty, but that’s no excuse. Convinced she betrayed me by working with her uncle, I dropped her off at his doorstep. Your mom ran, not only from him, but also from me. That was the reason you were born in Italy. Why I wasn’t there for the first few years.” He grabbed me by my shoulders and shook me lightly. “I fucked up, but she forgave me. All I’m saying, Matteo, is give it time and don’t be impulsive. Arianna will forgive you.”

“I’m not marrying her sister.”

“I’ll talk to Nico again.” He patted my shoulder twice before releasing me. “You talk to Arianna and don’t give up until she finally sees that Hannah isn’t meant for you. Whatever you do, don’t repeat my mistakes.”

Too late, because my plan was already in motion.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

MATTEO

Ifound Ari at the planetarium, and much to my dismay, she was no longer wearing those fuck-me heels.

Although, she didn’t need them to get me all worked up because my cock was already hardening, arousal thrumming low in my gut at the sight of her.

Bent over the table, it looked like she was jotting down notes. She was barefoot, her hips swaying with the music. The soft material of her white dress gave me a glimpse of her panties with hot-pink print that read Bite me. The flimsy material clung to that ass, tempting me to do exactly that.

I could only imagine the front view with that tight dress she wore, her generous breasts pushing against the white material.

The dim lights of the planetarium reflected against her mane, making it look like twenty-four-carat gold.

God, that hair.

Long and thick. I wanted nothing more than to wrap it around my fist. Right the fuck now.

Tension hardened my jaw as my cock begged to feel her pussy again.

She owes me, the devil on my shoulder claimed. I agreed. It was thanks to her that I ended up locked up tonight. Yes, it was temporary, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat, but she still ought to be punished.

I strode over, stopping directly behind her, and closed my eyes for a moment while her scent seeped into my lungs.

My cock strained against my zipper and my fingers burned to touch her.

“Miss me?” I whispered and she whipped around, her assignment forgotten. She stared at me with eyes wide open and her mouth parted. Fuck, at this rate, I’d rip her clothes off and thrust into her in the next breath.

“How… They let you out?” Her voice was breathy. Her chest rose and fell with every hard breath. My eyes fell down to her chest, her lacy bra under her dress playing peekaboo, taunting me.

“Baby, I thought you’d be happy to see me free,” I drawled, a hard edge to my voice, taunting her. This had to be a two-way street.

“You thought wrong,” she murmured, moving to turn her back to me.

With a growl, I tugged her hair, just the way I knew she liked. “Stop these games, Arianna, or you won’t like how it ends.”

I’d called her by her full name, and judging by her expression, she didn’t like it.

“It’s already over,” she hissed, her eyes flashing angrily. “We’re done here.”

Giving in to the urge, I wrapped her hair around my wrist the way I’d fantasized these last few weeks.

“We will never be done,” I grunted. “Fucking ever. Now kiss me.” When she made no move to do so, I brushed my nose against hers and said softly, “Kiss me until I’m sick of it.” I’ll never—fucking ever—be sick of it.

“No.” I could feel her resistance faltering in that one single word.

“You know you want to kiss me. Stop fighting it.” She shook her head, panic reflecting in those coral-blue eyes. “You can lie all you want, but it’ll only cost us time.”

Her gaze narrowed. “It doesn’t matter what I want. I’ll hate you and myself if I kiss you now.”

She closed her eyes as if to block me out, but I refused to let that happen. There would be no more distance between us.

“Open your eyes,” I commanded. She refused, and I lowered my head, taking her bottom lip between my teeth and nipping it. Hard. Her eyelids flew open, the resistance in her eyes hardening.

“You don’t get to demand anything of me, Matteo Vitale. You are engaged to my sister! And as long as you are, you need to stay the hell away from me.”

Her chest heaved with her words. I’d never seen her this upset, this angry, but I was angry too.

“I have no intention of marrying Hannah. You know that,” I yelled.

“But she doesn’t know that, does she?” she spat back. “You never gave me the chance to tell her, and you sure as hell haven’t done it yourself. You had to go and take matters into your own hands,” she said. “And now that you’ve fucked it all up, I can’t tell her. She’d never forgive me. She’s wanted you since we were children. I can’t take that away from her.” Her last words choked on a sob.

I couldn’t stand to see her like this. I pulled her closer to me and she didn’t resist.

“Baby, we’ll figure this out. You know that you’re the only one for me. Hannah only wants the idea of us together, you know that. You’re the other half of my soul.” I placed my hand just below her collarbone. “This heart beats for me.”

I could feel it as if it were my own. We were meant for each other.

She shook her head, but I could feel her walls crumbling down. Her body became pliant in my arms and her expression softened.

“That’s right, baby,” I murmured. “I’ve got you. Now kiss me.”

Her lips took mine and a groan vibrated in my chest. It felt like getting a drop of water after weeks of roaming the scorching desert.

I released her hair and brought my hand to her ass, scooping her up. Her legs wrapped around my waist, kissing me hungrily, like I was the source of her oxygen.

She ground herself against me, the heat of her pussy calling to me.

“I missed you,” she moaned against my lips.

Three simple words yet they sent me into a spiral. She fucking missed me.

I took over the kiss and my tongue swept through her mouth, matching the rhythm of her thrusts as she made those breathy little noises.

Her fingernails ran against the skin at my nape and a shiver went down my spine. I moaned—long, satisfied, deep—and shuddered hard against her.

Carrying her as she clung to me, neither one of us willing to break the kiss, I walked us over to the window that overlooked the forest behind the planetarium and pressed against it, breathing her in.

She slid down my body, pulling her dress over her head and unclasping her bra, and I thought I’d explode at the sight of her tits.

“Your panties too,” I ordered, my voice hoarse. It was a miracle I could stand here and watch without touching.

She reached out, smoothing her trembling fingers down my thigh, running them down my chest and stomach. I wanted to tear off my clothes so I could feel her hands on my skin.

I didn’t.

My throbbing dick protested, but I simply interlocked her fingers with mine.

Until she whispered her next words. “Touch me.”

Her consent. It was always about ensuring I had her consent. Yes, I was determined to make her mine, but I wanted her body, heart, and soul willingly, and I would work as hard as I needed to for it.

“Please, Matteo. Just touch me.”

Fuck.

The flames inside me threatened to engulf us both, along with this planetarium. Maybe it’d take us to a remote place where only we existed.

With my free hand, I cupped her full breast. I pinched her nipple and a loud moan echoed against the glass walls surrounding us.

“That feel good, baby?”

She nodded, and I trailed my hand down her flat stomach until it came between her thighs. She parted them slightly and I dragged a finger over her hot entrance.

“Fuck, you’re drenched,” I rasped, pushing it inside her. Her lips found mine and she kissed me, moaning as the wet sounds of my finger thrusting in and out filled the space.

Ari’s body falling in rhythm with mine drove me fucking insane. Her body was pliant, caving into mine and begging for everything I needed and wanted.

“Mmm,” she breathed. I forced myself to pull my fingers out and she arched her hips, a frustrated noise on her lips. “I need you inside me.”

I pulled away and discarded my suit jacket, then gun holster, soon followed by every single piece of clothing. And all the while, she watched me with shimmering blue eyes, crimson staining every inch of her flushed skin.

“Turn around.”

She didn’t. Instead, she stepped forward and pressed her mouth to my throat, slowly kissing her way up. But she was too short to reach my lips, even on her tiptoes, so she barely grazed my jawline.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it, that I wanted to cave and fuck her senseless with her back against the window.

But I had a plan to execute.

Grabbing her nape, I kissed her deeply and spoke into her open mouth. “I said… Turn. Around.” I shifted her so her back was pressed against my chest, then slapped her ass cheek, bringing my finger to her forbidden hole, circling the rim. “One day… I’m going to take this too.”

I slid the tip of my finger inside and she groaned, her head falling back. Her hole clenched, tempting me to take it now, but she wasn’t ready. So I brought my hand around to her wet pussy and slowly fucked her with my fingers, my cock sliding up and down the crack of her ass.

“You’ll let me, won’t you?” She nodded and heat erupted in my groin as I rasped, “My good girl.”

Then, as if she’d realized what she’d said, she stiffened.

“No,” she breathed. “I meant it when I said no. Never!” I wrenched out my fingers and smacked her ass hard this time.

“Tell me it’s mine.” She shook her head and I slapped her ass cheek again and again, her cries and moans mixing. She ground against me and then I saw it: her arousal trailing down her thighs and dripping onto the hardwood beneath us.

Fuck, my woman enjoyed a little roughness.

“Ari, tell me it’s mine,” I growled, slowly losing any semblance of control.

“That…” She arched her back as I landed another spank. “I’ll only give that to my husband.”

My lips twisted into a smile, satisfied.

Because she didn’t know it yet, but we were well on our way to making that happen.

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

ARIANNA

This was wrong. I knew it, and he must have known it too.

But it was the last time he’d be mine. We’d share this last touch. Last kiss. And then… never again.

“You drive me fucking crazy, baby,” he rasped, nudging his cock against my aching entrance. “Your greedy holes were all made for me. Only me.”

He thrust all the way in, eliciting a growl from him and a deep moan from me.

“Ahhh… Fuck…”

“Look at me, baby.”

I twisted my head to the side, meeting Matteo’s hooded eyes.

Stop this, my mind warned. He’s your sister’s fiancé.

As if he could read my thoughts, he grabbed my hips and drove forward with shallow thrusts—a pace that didn’t last long as he went feral, his hips jerking, fucking me harder and deeper. Almost as if he wanted to punish me for rejecting him. For avoiding him. For… not loving him.

But I did love him.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop. I loved him so fucking much it fractured something in me. Every day that passed I wanted to talk to him. Touch him.

He pulled out only to pause with the tip of his crown at my clenching entrance, then drove all the way in with a grunt. My head fell forward, my forehead pressing against the fogged-up window.

His hands moved everywhere—down my spine, gripping my hips, slapping my ass, nipping my neck. Matteo marked my skin, and that movement alone almost sent me to another galaxy.

He tightened his hand in my hair, pressing the rough words against my ear. “That’s it. Feel me fucking you? I never want you to forget.”

“Harder,” I hissed, seeing stars behind my eyelids, feeling as though the moon was watching us. With envy? With disapproval? I didn’t know. The only thing I knew was that I’d die if Matteo stopped.

Keeping one hand on my hip, he reached over and pulled my head by a fistful of my hair. “Eyes on me when I fuck you.”

My fingers splayed on the foggy window, he tugged on my lower lip with his teeth, plunging his tongue into my mouth as he drove into me without mercy, taking everything and leaving behind nothing but wreckage.

“Oh, God, oh, God.”

“You feel so… fucking good… Fuck…” he grunted, voice hoarse against my mouth as he reached around and rubbed my clit.

I cried out, my mind blanking except for the sensation of his hot skin against mine.

“Come with me, baby.” The demand drew a long moan from me. “Now.”

I climaxed, and with a punishing last thrust, he shuddered, twitching inside me.

He softly nipped my neck, murmuring words I couldn’t quite hear over the ringing in my ears and our heavy breaths.

Matteo pulled out of me, whatever he said ending in a growl as my skin flushed and my lips parted, his cum running down my thighs.

Then, to my shock, he kneeled down, his fingers finding the wetness and pushing it back inside me.

“What are you doing?”

His growl vibrated against my throbbing core. “Cleaning up my girl.”

He didn’t stop there, spreading my legs open and licking my back hole. He wedged himself between my legs and licked my throbbing pussy, using his tongue to push it back inside me.

“Oh… Ahhh… Matteo…” I released a long moan, my bare breasts pressing against the cool window that did nothing for my heated skin. I was burning up from the inside.

I tried to wiggle away, but his grip on my hips kept me in place. “Stay still, baby.”

By the time he’d licked every drop of our mess clean, my entire body was shuddering and a sheen of sweat covered my skin.

I stared down at the dark head wedged between my legs through a pleasure-filled daze, rocking my hips shamelessly against his face. The position was awkward at best, but I was too far gone to care.

He licked me from entrance to clit, his growl vibrating against me, then thrust his tongue inside me. In and out. In and out. I moved my hips against his face with the desperation of an addict.

My trembling legs gave out, but he caught me before I could collapse, his tongue never ending its thrusting, stroking, sucking, licking.

I cried out, squirming against his firm hold, while sparks burned hotter, igniting every inch of my body. Another orgasm was imminent as the pressure built and built, then finally erupted.

My head fell back, staring at the wide-open sky as I struggled to catch my breath.

Fatigue and a strange kind of peace pulled on my muscles and mind.

But then reality set in and the lust withered from my mind as I blinked a few times, shifting away from him.

Matteo got to his feet, my arousal still glistening on his face, and he didn’t even bother wiping his mouth.

“Here, put this on.” He placed his suit jacket over my shoulders, then turned me around so I could face him. There was a look in his eyes that I couldn’t decipher, and something about it set me on edge.

“Hands,” he instructed, tension rolling off him. Wordlessly, I pushed my hands through the sleeves and wrapped the material tightly around me.

He stood and dressed himself, facing away from me, seeming distracted as he studied the entrance of the planetarium. All the while, my guilty conscience blared.

How could you betray your sister like that? He knows what we did was wrong too.

An anguished, familiar voice halted all my thoughts. “What the fuck is this?”

Hannah stood at the door, wearing her favorite Dior pajama set and fluffy slippers, glowering at the scene that was louder than a thousand words. And I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I was staring at our destruction—my sister’s and mine.

“Arianna? I’m waiting for an explanation,” Hannah screamed while it felt like my world was burning down.

“Hannah, please—” My voice was brittle, cracking with each syllable.

My sister shook, the betrayal in her eyes gutting me in the worst way possible.

“What the fuck are you two doing?” Her scream pierced the air, and foolishly, I glanced at Matteo, who looked unfazed.

Tears escaped my eyes, but they didn’t have anything on the cutting hurt on my sister’s face. My world was falling apart while I stared at the two people I loved most through blurry vision.

“Hannah, it’s not—” That simple. Let me explain. I should have told you. Please forgive me.

The words lingered on my tongue, but my voice failed me.

“What does it look like?” Matteo cut in, his voice cold, his lips curved into a cruel smirk. The ruthlessness dripped from his every pore, not even his bare chest and six-pack abs could hide it.

Hannah shook her head, hiccupping as tears streamed down her face.

“It smells like sex in here.” It wasn’t until now that I spotted Nikola leaning against the doorframe, his arms folded across his bare chest. He glanced at me, then Matteo, and winked.

He. Fucking. Winked.

“How could you?” Hannah’s voice turned vicious, the expression on her face turning furious as she looked at Matteo. “You had to bang my own fucking sister to get your point across?”

She looked at me with her fists balled at her side, her face flushed and her cheeks tear-streaked. But it was the look in her eyes that sent panic through me.

“I swear to fuck, Arianna, I’m going to kill you if I ever see you again. Don’t ever fucking talk to me again.”

I gasped, my heart shattering as a raw ache squeezed my chest, making it impossible to breathe.

“Don’t ever fucking threaten her again, Hannah,” Matteo seethed, his voice harsh, but the look in his eyes lethal. “I warned you that I never wanted you, but you refused to let go.”

“You never told me it was about my sister,” she screamed, glaring at him and me. “My other fucking half.”

My cries and those of my sister filled the space as we locked eyes, and all I could see was the betrayal on her face. I did that. I hurt her.

And then she disappeared, leaving me choking on a sob from a pain so deep I was sure I’d never survive it.

“What the fuck, Nikola?” Matteo glared at his best friend. “I said wait for my signal.”

He shrugged. “I was tired of waiting.”

He turned around and walked out, leaving me reeling as understanding dawned on me.

He staged it all. He meant for Hannah to catch us.

My gaze fell to the discarded holster on the ground and I reached for it, whirling around and facing Matteo, letting my anger and fury consume me.

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

MATTEO

I’d come up with a plan weeks ago.

I was prepared to deal with the consequences, but the plan hadn’t included Ari looking at me with hate in her coral-blue eyes.

“Ari, put the gun down. Let’s talk.”

She scoffed. “Oh, now you want to talk… After pulling a scheme like that. I never want to see you again.”

My jaw clenched.

I didn’t like feeling this fucking guilt about doing what I had to do. Neither twin had given me a choice, and now their stubbornness would be our downfall.

But seeing Arianna’s tears, her body shaking from head to toe, tugged at my soul.

“I told you, Ari,” I said calmly while a storm brewed inside me. “Hannah was never the one for me. It was all a misunderstanding.”

“I know, but you fucking hurt her!” she screamed. “She’s loved you since she was a toddler. You were the center of her universe and now…” Her lips quivered. “And now she hates me too.”

“She doesn’t hate you.” Tears streaming down her cheeks, she stepped back, still pointing my own gun at me. “And trust me, she definitely doesn’t love me. But you… you do, and I won’t let you take your words or your love back.”

She shook her head, staring at me with disgust. “If she doesn’t love you, as you claim, she would have eventually broken it off. But you had to have it your way, didn’t you, Matteo? You always have to have it your way. Well, congratulations. I fucking hate you.”

My insides coiled at that. Fury unleashed.

At her. At myself. At her twin who was so fucking selfish, she didn’t care if she was stomping on anything or anyone as long as she got her way.

“You were the one!” I roared. “You were supposed to stand by me my whole damn life, not be okay to let your sister have me. I told you and I told her… She’ll never fucking have me.” My chest burned so hot, every fiber of my being a wreck as I breathed harshly. “You were supposed to choose me.”

Her whole body trembled, but she kept her finger firmly on the trigger.

“You weren’t supposed to make me choose,” she whispered.

I took a step forward. She took one back.

“You’ll forget about this.” Eventually. “Your sister won’t matter and we’ll—” Live happily ever after.

But before I could utter those words, a shot rang in the air. I swayed on my feet and pain exploded through me. The gun hit the floor with an echo, but it had nothing on the deafening crack of my own heart.

I steadied myself, my gaze never breaking from her horror-filled eyes as her knees hit the ground.

Fire blazed through my veins as our gazes collided. It was hot… so hot that I could feel it licking at my flesh.

The wind howled. Another crackle and an explosion of light—orange and blue.

The planetarium was on fire.

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

ARIANNA

What had I done?

I stared at Matteo’s forearm, blood dripping on the floor of the planetarium. Drip. Drip. Drip. So much blood. So much red.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” I whispered over and over again, pain spreading through me. “God… Oh God…”

There was red, and then a flash of orange.

My mind struggled to comprehend the sudden heat, staring at all the red that I’d caused. I’d hurt him. I’d shot him.

Nausea clogged my throat, and the sensation of drowning pulled me under. I felt like throwing up when a strong hand curled around my throat. I felt something sticky and warm on my skin and brought my hand to cover his. They brushed over Matteo’s knuckles and I lowered my gaze to find crimson stains on my fingers.

The blood I drew with the gun I shot.

Closing my eyes, I willed it all away. If I kept them closed, this scene would vanish and I’d wake up.

There were words spoken, shouted, but my ears were deaf to it all. The only thing I registered was the ringing in my ears.

“Arianna…”

Slap. I blinked at the light force against my cheek.

“Snap out of it, Arianna!”

I stared at Matteo through blurred vision, unable to get out of this stupor.

“Blood… I… did it…”

I dragged wheezing breaths into my lungs—lungs that I could’ve sworn were failing.

“It’s just a graze.” He grabbed me by my shoulders and shook me with enough force that my head flopped like I was a rag doll. “Look at me!”

The sound of glass shattering yanked me out of my stupor and I watched in horror as fire engulfed the beautiful room. Broken glass reflected orange as the fire crept closer to us.

“We have to get out of here,” Matteo growled, and air rushed into my oxygen-starved lungs at the realization that I didn’t hurt him that badly.

“You’re not dead,” I croaked, my eyes burning from the smoke.

He smiled, although it was nothing like the one I loved so much. “Not even death could keep me from you, Ari.”

Matteo yanked me by my arm, forcing me onto wobbly feet, and we ran toward the glass wall, the only side of the planetarium not on fire where our clothes lay discarded. Matteo picked up the shirt, wrapped it around his unharmed arm, and then punched it through the glass.

Grass and forest stretched in front of us, a safe haven from the violent flames, and fresh air hit me as I dragged a deep, desperate breath into my lungs.

Matteo

We leaped forward just as another glass panel shattered behind us. I gripped her hand in mine, running barefoot until we were a safe distance away at the forest’s edge.

The fire roared, its flames lighting up the sky, as screams and shouts traveled through the air, fast approaching. It didn’t take long for sirens to echo in the distance.

Arianna whirled around, her blue eyes staring at the scene, not comprehending. Her mouth opened and closed, her silent questions somehow more deafening than anything else.

Nikola’s shadow appeared, a scratch marring his cheek.

“What the fuck happened to you?” I asked.

“Hannah is even crazier than me,” he growled. “She poured gasoline all around the planetarium. Had to fight her tooth and nail for the fucking match.”

Arianna’s breathing turned to jerky gasps and she paled. “H-Hannah?”

She was a fucking dead woman. I’d tear her limb from limb. Make her scream. How fucking dare she set that place on fire with her sister inside?

Yes, Arianna shot me, but she didn’t mean to kill me. Emotions were running high in the heat of the moment. And if I was being honest with myself, I was asking for it; it was only a matter of time before she snapped.

But Hannah… all signs pointed to her intention. She wanted Arianna dead.

“Are you sure it was her?” I demanded, my voice a stark calm compared to my raging insides.

Nikola shrugged.

“Why aren’t you wearing a shirt?” Arianna’s off-the-wall question pulled our attention to her pale, tear-stricken face. She stared at us with huge eyes, her pupils blown so wide her usual coral blues were swallowed by black.

Nikola raised his brow, shooting me a look that clearly told me he thought Arianna had lost it.

“Dollface, it’s not like you’re fully dressed yourself,” he pointed out, and it was only then that I realized she was still only wearing my suit jacket. Glimpses of her smooth skin and breasts played peekaboo with each breath she took and I yanked her to me, quickly buttoning up the jacket.

Satisfied that she was covered adequately, I turned to Nikola with a glowering gaze.

“Where is she?”

“Don’t know. She was running like a maniac. I ran after her but lost her in the woods, and then I saw the fire and came back.” Nikola pushed his hand through his hair. “And now we have an audience.”

Fire engines pulled up at the side of the building. People ran toward us. Some I recognized, others I didn’t.

“I’ll take her to her dorm,” I told Nikola as I wrapped my arm around Arianna’s waist. “I’ll be right back.”

But just as I turned, I came face-to-face with Agent Llyod. And, judging by the way Arianna stiffened next to me, she was also acquainted with the man.

“So, Mr. Vitale, first you eliminate the Yale shooter… supposedly,” he drawled. “And now you’re starting fires at this campus?”

“What the fuck is the FBI doing here?” I asked, narrowing my eyes on him. I really didn’t like this prick. “I didn’t realize your agency dealt with such trivial matters?”

He wasn’t fazed. “When it’s a matter of security… Besides, I was in the neighborhood.”

“You just happen to be on our campus in the middle of the night?” I said, letting sarcasm seep into my tone. “Maybe you are the security issue here.”

His eyes narrowed, then flicked to the raging fire. “It seems to me your concern should be on the burning building, not me.”

I made a mental note to send an inquiry to Alexei Nikolaev’s wife. She used to work for the FBI and could offer more insight, because it made zero sense that this guy would be here.

“Well, I’m not worried. It’s a matter of⁠—”

“It was an accident,” Arianna breathed, cutting me off. “It was a romantic date and… we must have knocked a candle over.”

“A candle,” he repeated incredulously as he looked over his shoulder and flagged some people over. “And the gunshot wound on your arm, Mr. Vitale?”

“It’s barely a graze,” I gritted, the cold tenor in my voice matching his expression. “I would think they would have taught you better at the agency, Agent Lloyd.”

“Have it your way, then.” A coy smile tugged at his lips and his eyes found Arianna.

I pushed her behind me, hating how he was looking at her. “My girlfriend is going back to her dorm to get dressed.”

Silence for one, two, three seconds…

“Very well. She can go, but you two will remain.”

“And if we don’t?” Nikola challenged as more men appeared behind the smug agent.

“Then we’ll arrest all three of you.”

“But—”

“We’ll stay and help you do your job,” I said, cutting Nikola off before he could make this worse. I turned to Arianna. “Wait for me in your dorm.”

“O-okay.”

My chest squeezed watching her walk away from me barefoot, and I fought the urge to go after her. It was my job to protect her, even though she’d shot me. Even though she’d screamed that she hated me.

None of it mattered.

For now, I’d have to focus on the man in front of me because something was warning me that he was a threat.

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

MATTEO

“So what do you need, Agent Lloyd?” I inquired once Arianna disappeared from view.

The man’s eyes fell to my arm and he raised a brow.

“Maybe I should be asking you that.” The drawl of the agent rubbed me the wrong way. “Looks like a gunshot wound, Mr. Vitale.”

The perception of this man is unmatched, I thought sarcastically.

“It’s just a graze, and no gun involved,” I lied.

“Perhaps, but somehow I don’t believe you.” He rubbed his jaw. “No matter though. There have been reports of suspicious activities on campus.”

Nikola and I shared a glance. If there were suspicious activities on campus, nobody would call the authorities. It would be handled by the mafia families running this place.

“Maybe elaborate, Agent Lloyd,” I drawled.

“You want me to explain to you what suspicious activity is?” Agent Lloyd deadpanned. “Maybe I should get you a dictionary.”

Nikola laughed. “Matteo was having a romantic night with his girl and I was chasing another one. What’s suspicious about that?”

“I’d like to know who reported it,” I inquired. “And how did you get here so fast?”

He let out a sardonic breath. “Maybe you should ask your family.”

Alert shot through me, but I kept my façade firmly on.

“Elaborate,” I demanded.

“I’m the one asking the questions here,” he said, amused.

My eyes narrowed. “Then ask away, Agent.”

“Have you seen anyone strange—outside you two and the girls you were chasing—on campus?”

“No.”

“No strangers roaming around that you noticed?”

Tension rolled through me. “Outside of you, no.”

“It’s my understanding that surveillance was installed around the planetarium building,” he said, and I tensed. There was no way he’d know that unless he had insider information. “I’ll need access to it.”

“You’re mistaken. The building was just built recently and we haven’t gotten around to getting the surveillance set up yet,” I lied.

The agent watched me, then nodded, seemingly satisfied.

Then he proceeded with many other questions, getting nowhere. Soon, the school authorities showed up. Just as we wrapped it up with Agent Lloyd and he started walking away from me, my phone rang.

“Yes, Francesca?” I answered, watching the agent’s back stiffen for a flicker of a second before he resumed walking.

The taut silence should have been my warning. “I think… The girls are gone.”

“What girls?” I snarled, but I fucking knew.

“Hannah and Arianna.”

“What?” I roared, but I was already running in the direction of their dorm which was clear across the campus. “Why didn’t you stop them?”

“I just got back.”

My brows furrowed. “From where? It’s the middle of the goddamn night.”

She scoffed. “Hypocritical much, brother?”

I’d have to deal with Francesca and her outings some other time.

I took a calming breath before saying, “I’ll be right there,” and hung up.

“What’s wrong?” Nikola asked, and it was only then I realized he was at my side. “Did Hannah do something else?”

“They’re gone. This is all Hannah’s fault. If she hurts her… I don’t give a fuck whose daughter or sister she is. I’m going to…”

We were already at their building, where we found Francesca waiting for us. I wanted to go inside, barge into that goddamned suite, and tear into it, looking for clues. But my sister blocked my path.

“Move,” I warned.

Her small frame didn’t budge. “No. She’s gone and her stuff’s missing. Also, the others are sleeping. Don’t cause more of a scene. Shit’s already bad enough.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” I roared.

“You don’t think there’ve been whispers since your shitshow of an engagement party?” she hissed, her hands on her waist. “Arianna is gone. You won’t find any clues in the room.”

“Dude, she’s right,” Nikola muttered. “And with the fire… It’s best we don’t add anything to the situation.”

“Fuck gossip. Let them talk.”

“You’re only going to make it worse, brother. Trust me.” She stared at me pleadingly. “Matteo, the girls are close. You’ve known that since day one.”

Ignoring her, I went to sidestep her but Nikola pulled me back. “Listen to her, man. Yes, Hannah is crazy and I guess she’s dealing with some shit, but those two are still tight.”

Francesca nodded, shooting Nikola a grateful glance, before she added, “Don’t deepen their rift. Go after Arianna, and then… Fuck, I don’t know.”

They both had a point. Arianna wouldn’t allow herself to be found—she was too smart to be underestimated. She definitely wouldn’t have left clues behind. And the sooner I went after her, the easier it would be to track her down.

“Follow through with your plan,” Nikola urged.

I turned to leave when Francesca grasped my arm.

“What plan, Matteo?” I yanked my arm from her grip, but she grabbed me again. Her eyes flashed, and she added another question. “And what happened to your arm?”

“Just a graze. I’ll take care of it.”

“And the plan?” she inquired stubbornly.

“It’s none of your business. I’ll deal with this my way.”

She shook her head. “No. Do it the right way, Matteo. Don’t⁠—”

I cut her off. “I tried doing it the right way. I talked to her father, trying to make him see reason. I fucking told Hannah I didn’t want her and never would. For fuck’s sake, I begged Arianna on my knees to choose me.”

My sister inhaled a shuddering breath before releasing it. “She loves you. She just needs time.”

“She loves me,” I gritted. “And she’ll get all the time in the world once she’s my wife.”

CHAPTER FIFTY

NICO

Today—much like the past several weeks—had been an absolute clusterfuck.

It was close to midnight when I got a call from one of my men about suspicious activity in Havre de Grace, a little touch at the mouth of the Susquehanna River and the head of Chesapeake Bay where nothing ever happened.

I was tempted to let someone else handle it, but something urged me to rush to it. There were whispers of resurrected belles auctions and trafficking. If that was the case, I had to make sure those didn’t touch my territories.

Thirty minutes later, I pulled over at the address, expecting to see my men there, but not Luciano and Cassio King.

“What are you doing here?” I hissed when I reached them, crouching behind a vehicle merely ten feet from the building. Their men, and my own, were strategically positioned all around the building and on top of it, waiting on me to attack.

My old friend’s response was curt. “I followed a lead.”

Annoyance flared inside me. Tensions were high between Luciano and me since the trainwreck at the Vitale party. But they reached an all-time high when my daughters vanished.

“To my territory,” I grumbled. “Must I remind you that⁠—”

“Can we argue later?” Cassio cut in. “Or would we rather get killed because we’re busy yapping like some old men?”

“Who are you calling old?” I snapped.

“I’m in my prime,” Luciano chimed, his brows puckered in distress. “Just ask my wife.”

“I’d rather not,” I grumbled. “Now do we know what we are dealing with here?”

“Not sure,” Cassio retorted. “There are five men and a doctor inside.”

“A doctor?” An uneasy feeling crept up my spine. “Why are we alerted by a doctor?”

“Because there are organ trafficking rumors,” Luciano snapped. “It would seem they are starting to hit our territories in revenge for shutting down Benito King two decades ago.”

“Or maybe you’re being paranoid and you’re just looking for excuses to fuck with⁠—”

The sound of a door smashing against the wall interrupted our bickering and all our attention shifted to the dark building, light streaming out from it. The guy lit up a cigarette, leaving the door propped open and fury slithered through my veins at the sight before me.

Two women were sprawled on what looked to be a surgical table, and I found myself struggling to keep my composure. Their naked bodies were cut open, from the top of their chest all the way down to the abdomen.

“What the fuck?” Luciano’s tone was low and deadly.

My eyes snapped to Cassio and I growled, “Keep the doctor and one guard alive.”

Straightening up, we charged after them. Since they were caught off guard, it wasn’t much of a battle. Everyone except for one guard and the doctor was dead.

While my men worked on securing the doctor and guard to the chairs for their torture session, I let my gaze travel over the filthy room. Blood-stained operating tables with two dead women butchered like animals. Cooler boxes with marked organs to indicate which is which. Little notes on them to indicate where they were headed.

“They fucking slaughtered them,” Luciano growled, his eyes on the battered young women.

Rage filled me as I whipped my head to the two tied men who were whimpering like cowards. I snatched an unused scalpel from the surgical table and strode to them.

I shoved the blade against the doctor’s throat and pressed it, cutting through the skin.

“What in the fuck were you doing there and where did you get those women from?” I shouted, shoving the blade harder against his carotid artery. Being a doctor, he would know how easy it was to end his life like that. “You better start talking or I’ll slice your throat and watch you bleed out, right here and now.”

“Please,” he begged. Cassio swung a bat at the guard’s kneecaps while the doctor shook with fear, his head whipping back and forth between Cassio and me. “Don’t kill me.”

“After what you did to them, you think you deserve mercy?” I roared, my body vibrating with the need for destruction. I pushed the sharp blade harder, his throat trickling with blood.

Cassio paused his beating of the guard and turned to look at me. “Nico, maybe we should all take a moment and calm down.”

“No,” I stated, my voice ice fucking cold. “I’ll calm down when I get my answers.”

Luciano slammed his fist in the doctor’s face. “You better start talking. My friend isn’t one to play around.”

“Who are you working for?” I demanded.

“I only… get email… instructions,” he whimpered, his words laced with a heavy Eastern European accent. I pressed the scalpel into his skin again. The doctor turned his head and spoke frantically to the man. “Tell him. You tell him.”

“Please,” the guard pleaded through snot, terror trembling in his voice. “We were just doing what we were told.”

“Tell me fucking everything,” I growled.

“If we do, will you set us free?” the doctor asked with hope.

I smiled cruelly. “Oh yeah, you’ll be set free.”

“The Belles and Mobsters auctions… they are a way to p-procure o-organs,” the guard stuttered. “A demand for organs on the black market is everywhere. There’s been a buzz about it in Europe for months.”

“Who’s giving the order?” Cassio demanded.

“W-we… don’t know,” the doctor cried. “We just receive an email with a location. This is the first transaction we’ve done in the States. So far, all transactions that I know of have been conducted in Europe and Asia. That’s all I know, I promise.”

My eyes locked on Luciano and Cassio, their expression mirroring my own rage.

“Give me the device you use to receive those emails,” I ordered.

The guard and the doctor shared a terrified glance. “It’s gone. We get a new burner phone delivered to us ahead of each shipment and we’re required to destroy it right after receiving instructions via email. But the email address is always the same.”

“What is it?”

“Th-the email?” the doctor stuttered and I nodded. “It’s always from @kingsforever.com.”

My brows furrowed. “Anything else?”

He shook his head. “Please let us go. We know nothing else.”

“These guys are useless,” Luciano muttered, pulled out his gun, and shot them dead. Then he turned to face Cassio and me. “Why is it that every lead we chase with this gives us nothing? Crumbs at best.”

“The person behind it all is good at covering his tracks,” Cassio answered.

“They ensure none of the men know much,” I grumbled. “But that’s not even the worst of it. Why would anyone want to bring the Belles and Mobsters Agreements back? The key players have long been dead.”

“We’ll find out,” Cassio stated matter-of-factly.

“Nothing and nobody remains a secret for long in our world,” Luciano quipped. “It’s probably a copycat that somehow heard about the belles and decided to play. Although there is one thing Matteo mentioned and now that this doctor mentioned that email handle⁠—”

He stopped mid-sentence and I stiffened at the mention of the fucker.

“What about the email handle?” I gritted.

“There are rumors of Benito King’s heir roaming this earth. Somehow I don’t think it’s a coincidence that these auctions and the heir resurfaced at the same time.”

“Fuck.” If I never heard that fucking name again, it would be too soon.

“My thoughts exactly,” Luciano muttered.

Dropping the bat that clanked against the floor, Cassio turned to one of the men and instructed, “Clean up the mess and get rid of all the evidence.”

“Snap pictures of the women’s faces.” When Cassio and Luciano shot me a curious look, I explained, “Their families should know what happened to their daughters.”

We owed them at least that much because these women paid the ultimate price for our sins.

“I’ll see you tomorrow—” Cassio glanced at his wristwatch before he corrected himself. “—today at the D’Arc celebration, right?” Cassio asked.

“Don’t refrain from going on my account,” Luciano deadpanned, but I chose to ignore him.

“Yes, I’ll be there.” I pinched the bridge of my nose as I exhaled a tired breath. “We should probably alert other families of the possibility of poaching and organ trafficking on their territories.”

Because it would seem our ancestors had come back to haunt us.

“Cara mia?”

Bianca didn’t hear me, her eyes glued to the remnants of the planetarium she’d built with so much love.

It’d been a week since Hannah had set the building on fire. Allegedly. I insisted on using that word in my statement. Even though I had footage that showed her pouring gasoline around the planetarium, I would ensure it never saw the light of day.

The part that worried me was that nobody had seen or heard from her since. Hannah had disappeared into thin air, everything pointing to her running.

And then there was my other daughter. Arianna was on the run too—whether going after her twin or running from that fucking boy, I didn’t know.

Arianna had stolen a few million from Luciano’s safe and then disappeared without a trace. I would have been fucking proud and impressed if not for the irony that I couldn’t locate either one of my daughters.

Yes, I’d taught my children a thing or two, but there was something unnerving about the fact that both their digital footprints kept getting erased. Neither of my daughters were tech-savvy enough to be able to pull that off.

I would have suspected the Vitales, but it seemed unlikely. If they were capable of making them vanish, they’d do a better job of hiding Matteo’s tracks. The boy was flying around the world looking for Arianna.

The fact that I couldn’t easily locate the kids and fix this mess terrified my wife and made me feel so fucking helpless.

“Bianca,” I called out again, and she finally slid her attention to me. Her face was pale and there were dark circles around her eyes that worried me.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” she murmured.

It was the tenth anniversary of St. Jean D’Arc and the celebration meant a lot to Gianna and the boys, but the absence of my other two daughters was weighing us all down.

“We’ll do it together,” I said calmly, despite the raging storm inside me.

I wanted to find that Vitale boy and murder him. But of course, he’d disappeared too. Motherfucking prick.

“Yes, the boys and Gianna need us too,” she murmured.

I exited the vehicle and came around, helping her out of it.

“I got you, cara mia,” I said as I wrapped my hand around her waist, and together we walked toward the gathering across the lawn where other families buzzed with excitement and gossip.

She released a long sigh. “I can already hear them talking about us.”

“Don’t concern yourself with them. They don’t matter—our girls are what matter. If they upset you, I’ll massacre them all.” She gasped, watching me wide-eyed, and I forced myself to smile, then added in a collected tone, “I’m joking of course. I’d massacre them metaphorically speaking.”

She shook her head. “I don’t think there is an ounce of metaphor in you, Nico.”

My wife knew me all too well.

“What if something terrible happened to them, Nico? The auctions…” She trailed off, her breathing escalating as sheer terror marred her face.

“We raised them well. They’re strong and smart… They’ll be just fine,” I assured her, although I had no business making that claim. Especially after learning that there were people—Marco King’s son among others—roaming this earth intent on destroying my family and many others by resurrecting those fucking belles auctions.

Our worst nightmare had come true. The auctions were back, but their sole purpose was to sell the victims’ organs, which meant that all our children were in danger.

If nothing else had come of our daughters’ recent disappearance, it had broken down walls between generations. Pooling our resources, we had been able to piece together some of what had been happening. Including the fact that Marco King had a son who was working behind the scenes with others to resurrect what we ended two decades ago.

But there were bastards roaming this earth who were hellbent on revenge and destroying our families. Our legacies.…

After our incident at Havre de Grace, I checked all my intel, and sure as fuck, the dark web was buzzing about it. Just like the doctor insinuated. The first auction had been kicked off in Albania years ago. Then it moved to Serbia, Poland, Turkey, Russia, Italy, and a few other countries before it shifted to the States roughly six months ago. Six fucking months!

I would’ve been putting all my focus on the matter—if only I could locate Arianna and Hannah. As it was, for now, we were all working overtime to protect our territories while Luciano and I multitasked. We were either monitoring online chatter, or at each other’s throats while our old friends played mediators.

What? You can’t blame me for making Luciano pay for his son’s mishaps, ultimately causing my daughters’ disappearance. They were both running from him and there wasn’t a soul on this fucking earth that would tell me otherwise.

My brothers-in-law thought I went a bit overboard, tearing into Luciano’s assets as my revenge. First my daughter stole from him, then I started wiping out one asset he owned each day. I started with the nightclub in which he met his wife, and I would end with the Sicilian villa he gifted her when they found their happily-ever-after.

The fucker could afford to lose a few buildings, and at this very moment, someone or something had to pay, regardless of our long-standing friendship. Judging by his reaction after losing the nightclub, the sentimental value of that Sicilian villa would hurt him, so he better deliver his son on a silver platter.

He wasn’t good enough for my Arianna.

Of course, nobody was, but that was neither here nor there.

I stroked my wife’s waist soothingly, the movement relaxing her and comforting me.

“Better, cara mia?” I asked in a soft voice.

“Yes. Now let’s get through this,” she sighed.

We greeted the DiLustros, then moved on to the Ashfords, before we stopped to chat with the Nikolaevs. Our children were all around, yet they managed to steer clear of us, as though we embarrassed them.

“How are you doing, Bianca?” Isabella, Vasili Nikolaev’s wife, asked. “You’re pale. Are you getting enough⁠—”

“I’m fine, Doctor,” Bianca said, playfully rolling her eyes. “Just tired.”

Isabella flashed us a sympathetic look. “Understandable. If there is anything I can do…” Her voice trailed off, knowing full well this was beyond any kind of medicine she could offer.

Vasili extended his hand, and I shook it. “Anything I can do, just let me know.”

“Is it true that Arianna stole from Luciano?” Sasha’s shadow appeared out of nowhere, probably waiting for the opportune time to stir up more shit. It was his forte after all. “I’m so fucking impressed. If she ever needs a job⁠—”

“She doesn’t,” I cut him off.

Bianca sighed, but unfortunately, Sasha continued talking. “Nikola and Arianna would make such a lovely couple.”

“Shut up, Sasha,” Vasili hissed, his expression tight.

Unfortunately, lack of sleep made it impossible for me to keep my cool.

“Nikola better stay away from all my daughters.” My voice hardened, all his attempts to rile me up working too well. “You’re fucking crazy if you think I’d ever allow my daughter to be with⁠—”

“Now wait a minute,” Sasha drawled, smiling like a fucking lunatic. “Are you saying your daughters are too good for our Nikola?”

My jaw clenched and I took a step forward to get into his face, but my wife’s hand on my chest stopped me.

“Nikola is wonderful. Nico is just overprotective,” Bianca assured him with a sigh, playing the diplomat. “Right, husband?”

“I see the party started without us.” I turned around to find Luciano with his hands in his pockets, Grace looking annoyed next to him.

“I swear to God if you start shit, you’re sleeping in the guest room for the foreseeable future,” she hissed, plastering a smile as she glanced around to face the spectators.

“Nobody is starting shit,” he drawled, smiling at me smugly. “Right, buddy?”

Note to self: wipe all his assets.

“Don’t fucking buddy me. Your son better not touch a single hair on Arianna’s head or I’ll tear him into pieces.”

“Nico!” Bianca’s brow furrowed as she watched me like I’d lost my mind.

“Too late, buddy. I think the two of them are pretty set on each other.”

“Arianna. Doesn’t. Want. Him.” My molars were about to grind to dust.

“I’m pretty sure she does,” Luciano deadpanned. “Might as well accept it.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Grace murmured.

“Nico, don’t,” my wife warned.

“Why don’t they ever serve fucking popcorn at these things?” Sasha asked, his tone serious.

Everyone’s words registered like a faraway noise, all my focus on Luciano. “If anything, fucking anything happens to either one of my daughters, there isn’t a corner on this earth that Matteo can hide where I won’t find him.”

“Maybe if you’d listened to my son instead of catering to Hannah’s every whim, we wouldn’t be in this mess, worrying that our children were being snatched and having their organs harvested.”

Bianca paled. Grace froze. Gasps from the Nikolaevs echoed.

“Nico,” my wife whispered. “What is he talking about?”

Luciano’s eyes darkened to almost black forest pools, his posture stiff. “Don’t tell me you didn’t share with your wife that her half brother’s bastard is scouting this earth and auctioning off our children’s organs?”

The buzz of the chatter around the lawn faded into tense silence, or maybe it was that my ears rang so loud I couldn’t hear shit.

All I could see was that fucking smirk on Luciano’s face.

“Make no mistake, Nico, my son will find Arianna. And this time, he won’t be asking for permission to marry her, because she’s already his.”

My fist collided with his jaw, a burn traveling through my knuckles, but at least his smirk was gone.

Luciano only let out a sardonic breath, holding my gaze with dark amusement. He swiped a hand over his mouth, then turned around and left.

Grace said something to Bianca, but I couldn’t hear a goddamned word.

All I could hear was the thunder of my own heart and feel the loathing for the Vitale men.

The fuckers wanted annihilation? I’d offer it on a silver platter.

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

ARIANNA

Ididn’t want Matteo.

I didn’t want his attention. I didn’t want his eyes on me, watching my every move, even in broad daylight. I didn’t want his obsession.

At least that’s what I’d told myself every morning I woke up and every night before I fell asleep for the past two weeks, hoping my feelings for him would die.

Yet, I couldn’t help feeling like my soul was caught in the icy grip of winter whenever I thought of him. Nor could I ignore my body’s traitorous response to his proximity.

He knew it. And so did I.

After learning what Hannah had done, I’d had enough. Returning to my dorm, shell-shocked, I found a single note on my bed scribbled in her unmistakable handwriting.

The words cut. Yes, we’d faced hardships over the years, but we’d always stuck together. Always.

This thing with Matteo though… I crossed the line. He crossed the line. I hurt her badly, and I was so damn sorry.

If only I could explain it to her. Although, if I was honest with myself, I knew deep down that this thing with him was bound to end. It was the reason I’d insisted on secrecy in the first place.

So, I deferred my studies and left. I wasn’t strong enough to resist him, and if I stayed, he’d continue feeding both of our obsessions. He refused to let go even after…

God. I shot the man I loved. What the fuck was wrong with me?

Everything had gotten so out of hand, and that night I knew what I had to do.

Run.

My destination: Ireland.

After Hannah disappeared, I went searching for Uncle Kyran. If Hannah would listen to anyone, it would be him.

But when I arrived at the club, I learned he’d left for Ireland the previous night.

Hence how I found myself here. I’d been on the move for the past two weeks, chasing Hannah through the wilds of this beautiful country.

After I returned to the dorm, Gianna had caught me halfway packed. She understood what I had to do. For better or worse, I needed to make things right.

But first I needed funds. I could withdraw a large sum from my accounts, but I knew it’d alert Dad. The tensions between the Vitales and Morrellis worked to my advantage. I came up with a plan to visit the Vitales. Gianna, my clever baby sister, came along, entertaining Matteo’s parents with a made-up problem she needed help with while I snuck into Mr. Vitale’s office and stole all his cash.

I probably didn’t need the comfort it afforded me, but I wasn’t about to complain. I’d seen castles, rugged coastlines, national parks, and listened to chatter in Gaelic, pretending I understood what the heck they were saying.

It was… lonely. For the first time ever, I had no one to bounce ideas off, no one to sit and talk through what was worrying me.

I’d been moving from city to city, visiting sights that I’d read about and eating delicious foods that didn’t quite compare to my mom’s cooking.

I stared up at the white ceiling of my hotel suite in Dingle, the excited chatter of the outdoor adventure seekers filtering through the open window. I couldn’t quite relate, finding zero enjoyment in climbing cliffs or jumping off them.

Fuck, I missed my parents. My siblings. Hannah.

I’d sent her two dozen messages, but they all remained unanswered. I tried to tell myself that maybe she didn’t recognize the number since I was using a burner phone, but I was just fooling myself.

Sliding out of bed, I padded into the bathroom and went through the motions of getting ready for my next stop.

Shower. Clothes. Pack all my belongings that mainly consisted of sweatpants, T-shirts, and sweatshirts. Wig.

I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, the image off-putting even after two weeks of wearing that damned thing that made my scalp itch.

Maybe I was going overboard, but something told me Matteo wouldn’t give up easily. I had a feeling that the scene he pulled to ensure Hannah caught us red-handed only scratched the surface of how far he’d go.

Pushing all thoughts aside, I shoved all my toiletries into my bag, zipped it shut, and strode into the bedroom, where I proceeded to drop my bag to the ground and slap a hand over my mouth to cover my shriek.

There, in the overstuffed armchair, his dark hair messy and his crisp white shirt rolled up at his sleeves, sat Matteo, gun in hand.

I swallowed. “What… How… What are you doing here?”

His posture relaxed, he almost appeared nonthreatening. Almost. But his darkened expression and flaring nostrils were enough to warn me of his malice.

“I told you to wait for me in your dorm.”

“I had to go.”

“You had to go,” he repeated slowly.

“Housekeeping will be up in a minute to grab my bags,” I lied. “Please leave.”

His eyes darted across the room to my small duffel. “It’s a good thing you’re leaving too.”

I shook my head. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

He rose from the chair, stepping forward to tower over me like a stormy cloud. “Yes, you are.”

I jerked my head from left to right, my body trembling. If I said it was from fear, I’d be lying. Every cell in my body urged me to run to him, to feel his strong arms fold around me. “I’m not going anywhere with you, and if you try to take me against my will, I’ll scream.”

A look I couldn’t decipher passed across his face. It had traces of vulnerability in it, enough for me to step forward slightly.

“Life without you isn’t an option for me. There is no before you or after you. There’s only you, Ari.”

“No. Before we hurt each other even more, we need to stop,” I said with a conviction I didn’t exactly feel. “I shot you, Matteo. Is that something people do when they’re meant to be?”

My mind had been replaying that nightmare every night, the terror I felt inside thinking I’d killed him. But for now, I shoved that into the darkest corner of my mind along with other fucked-up things.

“I’ll forgive almost everything, but running off like that… I was worried sick that they’d taken you.”

“Who?”

“Never mind that now. Let’s go.”

I shook my head. “You’re not listening to me. I don’t want to go with you.”

He raised the gun and shock slammed into me, rendering me speechless.

“Matteo, are you insane?” My voice trembled while I stared at him in disbelief.

He lifted a shoulder. “When you’re not around, yes.” We stared at each other like old lovers, new rivals. “It’s a good thing I found you right on time for my birthday.”

What was he…?

“I already told you,” I murmured softly, staring down the barrel of a gun for the second time in the span of a few weeks. “I’m done with you, Matteo. After that stunt you pulled…”

Water filled my eyes as my thoughts strayed to Hannah, and I remembered how badly I fucked up.

My heart had chosen Matteo, but my reason and loyalty refused to take it any further. I chose my twin’s happiness over mine, and I’d been dying a slow death every day since.

My scalp itched under the wig I wore, and I felt out of sorts in the sweatpants and oversized hoodie that had been my go-to uniform since fleeing campus. I thought distance from him would bring clarity, but instead, it only brought on a wave of despair and dreams in which I missed him terribly.

I couldn’t think around this man, so I forced myself to take a step away from him. It was my survival instincts kicking in, I told myself. No sooner had I put more space between us than he yanked me back closer to him. Not roughly, but close enough to feel his body heat and inhale his scent.

And just like that, my longing won out, clouding my judgment and common sense of self-preservation.

“I’m not done with you. We are not done. We won’t be done until there’s no breath left in my body.”

Tears burned my eyes but I blinked them away, fighting this reaction to him. Every fiber of me came alive around him and I hated myself for it.

“Willing to start a war, are you?” I asked, trying to buy time. To delay the inevitable. “You’re really content to ruin our parents’ friendship? You already turned Hannah against me.”

His brows pinched as he studied me with an angry expression.

“I’d wage a thousand wars for you, Ari. Yet you run from me at the first sign of trouble. You’ll be punished for it.”

I stared at him as the first tear slid down my cheek, and then I yanked myself from his grip.

“I’m begging you, Matteo, don’t do this. Killing me won’t accomplish anything. Marry Hannah and⁠—”

“Fuck Hannah.” I flinched. “You think I’d hurt you?” he roared. “After everything we’ve been through, you think so low of me?”

I shook my head.

“Please, Matteo. Don’t make this worse than it already is. Don’t make me hate you.” Because surely one day it would come to that. When the passion cooled, we’d realize how many people we’d hurt. I pleaded with my gaze, hoping he was stronger than me. It made me a coward, but at this point, I didn’t care. “You know how much Hannah means to me. She’s my sister, Matteo. I couldn’t choose⁠—”

Her over you, so I ran. But my words died in my throat as I glimpsed the fury in his gaze.

“Me. You couldn’t choose me. Just say it, Ari.”

“Let’s just talk about this.” My body trembled, mirroring the chaos in my soul. If he only knew how hard this was for me too. “Please, let’s find a way for all of us to move on.”

My throat closed as I stared through my blurred vision at the boy turned man who’d quite possibly had my heart since the day I met him.

“There’s no moving on for me, and nothing to talk about.”

He turned his back to me, and for a moment, I thought he’d leave. But in the second it took me to chance a look at the door, I felt a prick in my neck.

I tried to move and managed a few unsteady steps, but it was no use. I collapsed into his arms, my entire body numb. His familiar scent filled my nostrils and I tried for words, but my tongue was too heavy.

In the reluctant comfort of his strong arms, I let the world vanish as my vision went black.

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

MATTEO

Ididn’t know how long I held Arianna before I placed her on the unmade bed.

Her wig slid sideways and I reached out, removing it completely before tossing it in the nearest trash bin. She looked like the personification of innocence laid out on the bed, her blonde hair splayed around her head like a halo.

Now that she was asleep—okay, tranquilized—I couldn’t help but feel a smidge guilty.

But she’d given me no choice.

I caught up to her four days ago. I had planned to snatch her up and take her home, but my pa’s words kept repeating in my mind. How he forced my mom to marry him, forced her to return to the States from Italy.

Those words wouldn’t let me rest.

So while I kept busy in the background, lurking in the darkness, I arranged it all.

Color me curious, but I also wanted to know what she’d been up to over the past few weeks while on the run and figure out why she came to fucking Ireland. Of all places, she came here, and I couldn’t help but shake off the feeling that I was missing something.

She mostly kept to herself, asking around about Hannah or the Callahans, before moving on to the next place along the coastline.

Fishing out a phone, I sent a message to the pastor whom I’d paid handsomely to be available at my beck and call.

Me: Prepare everything.

Then I dialed my father.

“Has your game of cat and mouse come to an end?” was his greeting.

“Yes, Pa.”

“Excellent.” I could hear pride in his voice. “When are you coming home?”

“I’m not,” I answered. “Not yet.”

Silence followed. “Do you need money?”

“No.”

I loved my parents, and over the last few weeks, they’d shown support for my choice. I only hoped what I was about to tell them wouldn’t change that.

But if I took Arianna back to the States right now, we’d be back at square one, stuck in an endless loop driven by the wedge Hannah had started.

“Then what is it, Matteo?”

“Ari and I might have to lie low for a bit.” My gaze locked on her peaceful form on the bed. “We’re about to be married.”

“Son, I’m not sure if that’s wise. From what you’ve told me, she loves you. Bring her back, let her work things out with her family and her sister. Stay persistent… Break her walls and she’ll come around. Then you propose.”

I slid my hand through my hair. “It might be too late for that.”

“Is she pregnant?”

“No, Pa.”

“Then what the fuck is the rush?”

I stared at the woman on the bed for a silent beat. “I aimed a gun in her general direction and am about to kidnap her.”

“What. The. Fuck?” Pa roared so loudly that even Arianna stirred.

“Well, you can’t blame me for trying,” I deadpanned. “After all, you did it too.”

“You got this out of the story I shared with you?” he bellowed. “The point of my story was to not repeat my mistakes, Matteo.”

“Ari and I have some things to work through,” I continued as if he wasn’t losing his shit on the other end. “Before the Morrellis get wind of it.”

I had no doubt that they would. The man and his sons could find out what cereal people ate for breakfast.

“I’d fucking say so.” He took a deep breath, then released it. “Son, I’ll always have your back, no matter what, but I swear to God, you’re going to be the death of me.”

Pa had always been larger than life in my eyes. I’d always viewed him as a hero. But this moment was the first time I’d seen him so vulnerable, and it strengthened my love for him.

I smiled. “Just wait until Francesca starts dating.”

“I’m sending her to a convent,” he muttered. Then he cleared his throat and said in a serious tone, “Listen, Matteo. Nico and I have been friends for a very long time. He isn’t the giving-up type.”

“I expected nothing less,” I remarked wryly. “Although, I’m surprised he didn’t find her before me.”

“I heard from Cassio that someone’s been following the girls and erasing their tracks. That’s the reason it’s taking Nico longer than usual to find them.”

“It could be Agent Lloyd,” I stated pensively, more to myself than to my father.

“Huh?”

“Nikola and Gabriel learned there is an undercover agent connected to these belles agreements. I wonder if Agent Lloyd has something to do with it. He seems to be everywhere lately.”

In fact, I even caught him in my own building, talking to Arianna. At first, I thought he was sniffing around to get shit on my family. It was an everyday occurrence when you were in our line of business. But that didn’t really make sense. Not with him showing up on the campus. As a rule of thumb, our business was never conducted on any college campus.

“I’ll see what I can dig up on him. Aurora Nikolaev still has contacts in the FBI,” Pa stated matter-of-factly.

“Agreed.”

“Now back to your plan⁠—”

“I’m doing this,” I cut him off before he could waste his time. “Still no trace of Hannah?”

I was still furious with her, but that didn’t mean I wanted harm to come to her.

“No, which is the reason I’m going to let Nico know you found Arianna.”

“So much for being on my side.”

“I am on your side and I’ll have your back. But if someone kidnapped Francesca, I’d tear this world apart. Nico is no different, and he has an advantage with his unlimited access to facial recognition and databases all over the fucking world. But more importantly, the Morrellis are going through hell, so I can’t withhold from them that Arianna is safe and sound… with you.”

“It’s a good thing I haven’t told you the next step of my plan,” I said dryly, begrudgingly seeing his point.

“Yes, it is, son, because my guess is that Nico will probably get his hands on this conversation.”

I admired Nico Morrelli like I did my own father, but there was no fucking way I’d let him—or anyone for that matter—take Arianna from me. I’d given them plenty of chances to do the right thing. They didn’t, so I had to take matters into my own hands.

“So, you’re telling me he’ll probably find out that I pointed a gun at his daughter?”

“Probably.” Well, I guess a peaceful relationship with my in-laws was out of the question. “He’s been targeting one of my assets each day, so you have about three hundred and eighty days to convince your woman to agree to your proposal.”

“Don’t worry, Pa. I’ll get them all back for you.” I wasn’t without my resources, and Nico knew the Vitales wouldn’t take it lying down. “Also, when Morrelli hears this, take note that the gun was devoid of bullets.”

“Like father, like son.” Pa released a humorless laugh. “Nonno, wherever he is, must be laughing at me right now.”

“Nah, he’s probably fixing it all for us from up there,” I joked.

“Listen,” Pa said seriously. “Nico will come after you with all he’s got. You better have that girl head over heels in love with you by the time he finds you or there’s no telling what’ll happen.”

“Don’t worry. I got this.”

“Sending Francesca to a convent sounds like a mighty smart idea right about now,” Pa muttered, releasing a deep sigh. “I know of a remote one, where there isn’t a man in sight for miles on end.”

I chuckled. “You have my support, but now… I have to go get married.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

ARIANNA

Iwoke up feeling slightly groggy, my thoughts a jumbled mess.

My skin prickled and the feeling of being watched stabbed me in the chest. I forced my eyes open and lifted my heavy head. I paused as the world shifted and waited for the blurriness to cease.

Then my eyes locked with my sister’s fiancé’s and my lips parted. For a moment, all I could do was stare. Those haunting eyes that appeared in every dream, swallowing me. The same ones that had no business looking at me with so much… possessiveness.

“I’m so glad you’re finally up, Sleeping Beauty.”

Then I remembered. Him showing up in my hotel room, us arguing… A gun pointed at me.

“Wh-what have you done?” I asked, blinking and trying desperately to orient myself, realizing we weren’t in the hotel suite.

“I kidnapped you.”

His deep baritone was calm, doing things to me once again.

“That’s illegal.”

“So is shooting your boyfriend.” I flinched, the coldness that coated his voice like a slap in my face.

“You’ve lost your goddamn mind, Matteo,” I breathed, sitting up.

“You have no fucking idea.”

I lowered my gaze, realizing I was no longer in my sweatpants. “Did you… Did you change me?”

“Yes. That wardrobe really wasn’t you.”

Although his voice was calm, unnerving, his expression was cold, with a sinister edge to it.

“You had me naked while unconscious?”

“I’ve seen you naked before, but don’t worry, I kept it strictly… PG-13.”

My temper flared, but my limbs trembled as I stared at the eyes that used to watch me with so much warmth, but now were full with callousness.

Something about it didn’t sit well with me. Maybe the fact that I was the cause of it. Or maybe that my ex-lover now wanted—no, demanded revenge.

“Where have you taken me?” I said, my tone composed. “And when my dad finds out about this…”

I didn’t finish the statement, but unfortunately it didn’t have the effect I’d hoped for because the man who stared at me had determination and cruelty radiating off him.

“It will be too late by then.”

My brows furrowed. “Too late?”

“Can you get up?”

I shifted around, letting my feet touch the ground while I let my gaze stray in search of an escape. There was only one, and Matteo was blocking it.

“What is this place?” I asked, standing up and feigning to study the room while fishing for information. It was simple and had little furniture—a bed, desk, and a bookshelf. Dark wooden beams curved above us at an angle, almost in a slanted, church-type roof.

“It’s my place.”

“Okay,” I said slowly. “Where are we?”

“Rural village of Lahinch.”

Thankfully, we hadn’t made it far. I could still escape him and get to the train station.

A dark shadow came over me and I looked up, realizing he’d closed the distance between us. His hand wrapped around my throat and he gently squeezed, demanding my attention.

“You have no idea what you’ve done, Ari.”

My nails dug into his wrist. “I’ve done nothing, Matteo.”

Except for shooting him and refusing him. But what choice did I have?

“You’ve created a monster.” His fingers stroked my throat, right where my pulse throbbed. “I’m going to need you to read something for me.”

My brows furrowed in confusion. “Read?”

“Yes. Can you do that for me?”

I pursed my lips. “If I do, will you leave?”

The moment stretched into eternity. “Yes.”

Just because she’s a good girl doesn’t mean she isn’t a bad bitch.

He reached into his pocket and handed me a crumpled piece of paper. “Read that.”

His hand was still on my throat, but he allowed a bit of distance. I looked at the words, my eyes darting over the handwriting that dripped with confidence.

“What is this?” I asked, staring at the words that made no sense. Yes, I understood them, but they had no relevance here.

“Please read them out loud.”

I looked back at the paper and sighed, my hand twitching with the urge to pinch the bridge of my nose.

“In the presence of God, I take this man to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, until death do us part.” I shook my head. “Matteo, this is⁠—”

“I take this woman to be my wife, promising to care for her, love her, and protect her until the end of time.”

I blinked up at him. “Seriously, Matteo. Maybe you should see a psychiatrist, because this is getting out of hand.”

He completely ignored me and looked over his shoulder, just as a man wearing a cassock stepped into my line of vision.

“Does that work, Father?” Matteo asked, tension rolling off his body in waves.

“It does.” The man smiled as his gaze flitted to me, full of guilt or pity, I wasn’t sure, and as he turned, disappearing from view, I heard his words. “Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Vitale.”

Did he just⁠—

No, it couldn’t be.

In stunned silence, my heart smashed into pieces all around me. Yet, a part of me still refused to believe the boy I’d known almost my whole life would do something like this.

“What did you do?” I breathed.

Matteo didn’t give me a chance to ask again before he crashed his lips against mine, devouring me while his hand around my neck kept me in place. Not that I fought him.

Time paused. The universe stopped turning. Every thought dispersed as Matteo’s mouth ravaged mine. He thrust his tongue inside, his grip on my neck tightening, and soon, I was kissing him with the same desperation.

Clash of teeth. Twist of tongues. Moans and groans.

He was claiming me, reminding me I’d always belonged to him. And I just couldn’t fight him. He kissed me hard, feasting on me like a starved man.

My hips rolled against his hard muscles, my pussy aching. I needed to touch his skin and feel his warmth under my fingertips. I reached for his tie, my hands fumbling with it and tugging on it desperately.

“You and I… We were always meant to be,” he growled, breathing heavily. “There’s nobody else for me.”

It was exactly the reminder I needed.

Planting both palms on his chest, I pushed him away, his hand falling down the side of his body.

“No. This—whatever that was”—I waved my hand in the direction of the long-gone priest—“is not legal. It’s not real.”

He smiled harshly. “I assure you. It’s very real, wife.”

My mouth opened, closed, and opened again, yet I couldn’t find the words.

“Our marriage will be announced in every paper and website around the world,” he finally said. His eyes found mine as he fixed the tie I had so shamelessly tugged on mere moments ago. “Now, it’s time for our honeymoon.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

MATTEO

Arianna and I were at a standstill.

She’d shut me down completely since I forced our marriage—hadn’t said a word to me or even acknowledged my presence since we got to this snow-covered island with only a few hours of daylight. Which should be our honeymoon paradise, not the cold, lonely prison she insists on making it.

We’d been in this limbo of silence and cold shoulders for weeks. It certainly made for long, lonely nights.

So I resorted to writing her letters. Nikola would laugh his head off if he got wind of all these love letters scattered across my desk.

I’d written one letter for each day we had been married. Those were all the words I wanted to tell her, if only she’d let me.

It’d been four weeks of pure silence and my personal hell.

The man I hired wasn’t due back with supplies for another few weeks. We didn’t need anything, but I had to admit that monologues had started to get old. I had written a whole book full of love letters. They sat in front of me, stuffed in a folder that was thicker than an eighty-year-old medical file.

And at this point, I wasn’t sure how long it was going to take for my wife to submit.

I was so fucking desperate for a conversation that I was tempted to call her father. But thankfully, I had enough sense not to do that and kept my cell phone turned off, like it had been since Ireland. Arianna’s burner phone was also history.

Maybe I could have gone about marrying her and kidnapping her a different way. Even I wasn’t too proud to admit that.

When we first arrived on the island I bought in the Barents Sea, I could see excitement flicker on Arianna’s face, but then her eyes landed on me and all of it was extinguished.

I wasn’t deterred though. I truly thought I could make it work.

I had never been more wrong in my life.

There were a few moments of hope, like the time we went for a walk, bundled up and snow crunching at our feet as the blue and green lights of the borealis shimmered above our heads.

She stared in awe for hours but refused to say a single fucking word.

I was almost jealous of that natural fucking wonder.

But I was nothing if not a determined fucker who would make our honeymoon something that my wife never forgot.

She appeared at the table now, wearing nothing but a bathrobe. Her hair was damp, falling down her back, and her face glowed, but her eyes… They were sad and broken.

And that was fucking killing me.

“I was thinking we could take the boat out for a ride,” I said as she took a seat.

She shrugged, then her gaze darted out the glassed dome that’d been our home for the past four weeks. It was an Arctic glass igloo with two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a den.

A cozy, romantic honeymoon turned catastrophe.

At least it had two bedrooms because the moment we arrived, she promptly shut the door of her claimed room in my face and had kept me out ever since.

Of course, I could barge in, or even remove the door. But I needed her to want me, to let me touch her, to crave me as much as I craved her.

So I held on to this last shred of integrity.

“Magerøya Island is nearby,” I continued conversationally. “We can see the North Cape plateau and more of those lights you seem to love so much. We’ll just have to make sure to dress warm.”

No response.

I sighed.

“Ari, this has gone on long enough.” Her chin trembled, but she refused to look at me. “Please, baby. Talk to me. Use your words—” She stiffened and a flush crawled up her neck.

My brows furrowed and then understanding sunk in. I couldn’t help but smile smugly. She still remembered what those words meant when we made love.

“Use your words, and you’ll get whatever you want,” I said softly.

“I hate you.”

Okay, not exactly what I was hoping to hear after weeks of silence.

“I love you.” Someone told me once you have to kill them with kindness. Maybe this would work.

“I hate you,” she repeated.

“Hate and lust feel the same in the dark, you know,” I drawled. “Want to test it out?”

Her coral-blue eyes met mine. “Sure.”

My dick instantly stirred. “Really?”

“No.”

“What if I begged?” Silence stretched, the daylight already dimming and reflecting in her eyes. “What if I begged you to touch me?” I leaned across the table, invading her space. “I’m fucking dying, Arianna. I can’t eat, focus, think. I can’t sleep for fuck’s sake, and this place is shrouded in darkness twenty hours a day.”

Her eyes shimmered, but she remained silent, moments stretching into minutes.

“I know you’re angry, but I tried, I really did, to go about it the right way. Your father and Hannah refused to listen. I wouldn’t have chosen Hannah even if you weren’t in the picture. And the thought of living without you…” I shook my head, a whirlwind of emotions squeezing my chest. “I don’t want that existence.”

I waited and waited, watching her lips tremble and her eyes study the scar on my forearm. Her shaking hand reached out and traced over it.

It was the first time she’d touched me in weeks and the motion caused my chest to rise and fall in harsh breaths.

“Ari, I just want you to need me. To choose me. To love me.” Again.

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

ARIANNA

Matteo’s words nearly broke my heart.

As he watched me longingly, dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt, looking like a Roman god visiting the Viking lands, I wondered how long could I possibly last like this.

I was hurting as much as him. I hated myself for wanting him, needing him.

Yet I couldn’t help but ask myself, how could something that felt so right be wrong?

Matteo was home, safety, and everything I’d seen and wished for as I observed my parents’ relationship growing up.

I sacrificed Matteo’s happiness and mine for my sister’s, but what good was it if Matteo refused her regardless?

I spent the past several weeks tossing and turning, sinking into depression only to yank myself out of it and into a numb state. It was the only way I could function these days.

A part of me hoped everything would resolve itself.

The problem was that even if it did, I wouldn’t know, because we were cut off from the world here.

My gaze fell to the folder on the table in front of him.

“That’s for you,” he said, sliding it across the table.

“What is it?”

“Letters. From me.”

My hand was reaching for it before my brain processed his words. I slowly opened the folder, finding neatly stacked letters in Matteo’s handwriting. There were many.

“Why did you write them?” I breathed, my heart drumming against my ribs.

He shrugged. “It’s the only way I could talk to you.”

I picked up the first letter and started reading with trembling fingers and my heart stuck in my throat. It was no wonder I loved this man. Maybe I was biased, but his words were the most beautiful thing I’d ever read.

When I finally lifted my gaze to meet his, I was an emotional mess, at a loss for words. My doubts about Hannah doubled and I started to wonder if maybe I should just focus on us.

Focus on my husband. The word was foreign, but it also felt so right that it sent a soothing wave through me.

“I’ll get dressed for the boat ride,” I finally said, then pushed the chair back and headed back to the bedroom that was the only witness to my struggles over the past four weeks.

Luckily—or unluckily—Matteo had been meticulous in his plans because he packed everything for this kidnapping.

Winter clothes, check. Dresses, check. Lingerie, check. Toiletries, check. Phone, no check.

When I returned, I found him dressed in winter gear, holding a thermos and a parcel wrapped in butcher paper. “You can eat and sip your coffee while I drive.”

This Matteo was the one I grew up with. Thoughtful and kind, always ready to ensure my comfort. It was no wonder I fell in love with him, probably even long before that school shooting.

Gosh, that felt like ages ago.

Two hours later, the boat—more like a mini yacht—drifted across the dark seas while lunch was being served on the enclosed top deck. The space was surrounded by all glass, gas flames flickering in the fireplace centered in the middle of it and keeping us warm as classical music played in the background.

“Do you like the food?” he asked. “It’s fish and chips. The cook is British and insisted on English food.”

I shrugged. “It’s alright.”

He tilted his chin to the plate I’d made up.

“Those cookies aren’t as good as yours.” His eyes locked on me. “Do you want to ask him to make you something else?”

“No.” His lips thinned, which I noticed happened whenever I gave him one-word responses. “I can make something when we get home.”

He went silent, stoic, and remained so for several moments before he asked, “Do you think of it as home?”

The truth was that I felt at home wherever he was, but how could I say that knowing those thoughts were a betrayal to my sister?

Clearing my throat, I said instead, “My dad will find us and then all hell will break loose.”

“You’re my wife. He won’t be taking you away from me.”

“Have you talked to him?” I asked.

Silence.

“Have you talked to Hannah? Gianna?” My voice cracked, but I was only met with more silence. “You can’t keep me from them forever.”

He clutched his fork and knife, cutting into his food, then brought it to his mouth, chewing slowly.

“Matteo!”

“Yes?”

“Are you going to answer me?”

“Considering you were already on the run, Arianna, I’d hardly say I’m keeping you from them.”

My lungs deflated. “But I should at least let them know I’m okay.”

“They know.”

“How?”

“Because I made a global wedding announcement,” he reminded me. “And your dad is a pain in my ass who loves you.”

The corner of my lips tipped up.

“Is he mad at me?”

He poured himself a glass of bourbon, then leaned back in his chair, watching me with a smile. “At you, no. At me… fucking furious.”

Oh.

It dawned on me then. Maybe he was keeping us here because he thought Dad would kill him.

“I can tell him not to hurt you. That I… wanted this.”

One of his brows met his hairline.

“Really?” I nodded slowly. “You’d tell them you want to stay with me? Choose me over your family?”

I released a frustrated breath. “First I have to work out my issues with Hannah.”

I could practically feel the disappointment rolling off him.

“Tell me something. Has Hannah reached out to you since you robbed my pa and took off for Ireland?” Judging by his expression, he already knew the answer to that. “I didn’t think so.”

“That doesn’t mean⁠—”

He stopped me. “But you reached out to her, didn’t you?”

“Yes.” There was no point in denying it. “Why are you making everything so complicated?”

“I’m not. You are though, by constantly giving in to your sister.” He took a sip of his drink, wearing a dark expression. “But I’ll tell you this, Ari. She better have a damn good explanation for setting the planetarium on fire.” Silence. “Let me give you a hint… There isn’t an answer that could justify putting your life in danger.”

I tilted my chin stubbornly. “I refuse to believe she did that on purpose.”

He brought his drink down with force, making the silverware rattle.

“From now on, it’s you and me, Ari. And as far as I’m concerned, everyone else can fuck off. Staying on this island suits me just fine.”

He went back to eating and silence stretched, broken up only by the soft tunes I didn’t recognize in the background and the scraping of our silverware against the plates.

“You don’t really mean it,” I stated matter-of-factly.

He frowned. “Mean what?”

“About everyone fucking off,” I said. “Firstly, you love your parents and your sister. Secondly, you’re taking over your father’s empire.”

“Whatever’s left of it,” he muttered. “No matter though, because I love you more.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What do you mean?”

He scoffed. “It means, my darling wife, that I love you. You are my life, Ari. My life is pointless and aimless without you.”

Dammit, when he put it like that, how was I supposed to resist him? I shook my head, rephrasing my question. “What did you mean when you said whatever’s left of your dad’s empire?”

“Your dad’s dismantling it. One asset per day.”

My mouth dropped. “And you’re letting him?”

“I’m working on getting it back, but I really wish he’d stop and focus on other issues.”

I frowned.

“What issues?” A dark look entered his eyes but he said nothing. “Fine, I can go back to not talking.” I stood up and went around the table when he grabbed me by my wrist and dropped me on his thigh. “What⁠—”

“Don’t you dare deprive me of your voice ever again.” His scent instantly hit me and I took a sharp inhale, heat blossoming in my core as I practically rode his thigh. His stubbled chin brushed against my cheek as he whispered in my ear, “Do you hear me, wife?”

I rolled my eyes, feigning this position wasn’t impacting me at all even though every fiber of my being was trembling.

“It’s impossible not to hear you.” There was a thickness in my voice, probably giving me away, and I could feel my walls crumbling down with each passing hour.

“Arianna.” His voice vibrated through my chest. “I have my limits too.”

I licked my lips, my heart thundering as I whispered, “What are they?”

His hand wrapped around my throat, forcing me to look at him while aurora lights reflected in his hazel eyes. “They all start and end with you.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

MATTEO

It was the second semi-normal day of our honeymoon.

Could it still be called a honeymoon five weeks later? Fuck if I knew, but I was going for it.

Yesterday, we stopped at the nearby island and visited the local shops. It was quite something seeing the little town under the darkness, the northern lights our only guide. We grabbed dinner in a local restaurant and then returned.

Much to my dismay, my wife didn’t call me to her bed.

No matter though. Patience was a virtue, and God as my witness, I was working at it.

Earlier, we prepared dinner together, sticking to neutral subjects while we ate, then washed the dishes.

But with each passing minute, tension crawled through the air, building and brewing. It descended on us like an iron curtain, but I refused to let it shut on us.

Arianna disappeared into her room, using the excuse of needing a shower.

The sound of the water running crept beneath the closed door, and even though I promised myself I’d take it slow, I found myself in front of it with my fingers curled around the doorknob.

Pushing the door open, I stepped inside. This room was a mirror image of the other one but larger—meant for us to share. I had the other room designed as a guest room to be turned into a children’s room when that day came.

The lights danced through the glass dome, but they had no awe-inducing effect on me. There was only one thing—a woman—who could captivate me right now.

That scent, so uniquely hers, was everywhere. I let it pull me under its spell, my cock tenting in my pants.

A soft moan captured my attention, and as if pulled by a magnetic force, I found my wife’s hazy silhouette through the foggy shower glass.

Her shoulders trembled as her breathing hitched and another moan slipped from her lips, her blonde head falling back against the glass.

I held my breath, my hard cock throbbing painfully as I watched my wife rub her pussy. I pictured her naked body behind that foggy glass, her wet and swollen lips asking for my mouth, and just as I was about to grip my cock, a frustrated groan left her lips.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she breathed.

“What’s the matter?” I asked and she whirled around, giving me a glimpse of her glistening body. “Do you need help?”

“What are you doing, Matteo?”

“It seems we have a habit of meeting in the shower, baby.” I opened the shower door and found Ari’s body flushed from the heat, her eyes hazy with a need I could feel in the marrow of my bones. I reached out and turned off the shower, then stepped inside it.

Slowly, I dragged my thumb across her parted lips. When her tongue darted out, licking the tip, I almost fucking lost it. The need to bend her over and rut into her like a beast clawed at me.

Instead, I grunted a question, my voice thick with desire. “Want me to leave?”

I didn’t know if I’d have the strength to turn around and leave now that her naked body, needy and so fucking hot, was so close to me.

“No.”

The word barely left her lips before I lowered myself to my knees in front of her, the water soaking through my jeans. But I didn’t give a shit, because I got to touch her. Finally.

I slid my palms up her slim calves, behind her legs, then spread them. My face right in front of her pussy, I couldn’t resist leaning forward and dragging my tongue over her mound.

I groaned. She moaned.

She threaded her fingers through my hair, grabbing the strands as she watched me with hooded eyes. Her chest rose and fell as she took rapid breaths.

I kissed her inner thigh, the scent of her arousal making me rock hard.

“Not there,” she whispered, rocking her hips.

“No?” I groaned, the smell of her arousal filling my nostrils and driving me crazy. “Show me.”

She guided my head to her swollen sex. “You want me to eat your pussy?”

She nodded. “Words. I want your words, Ari.”

I circled her clit, harder and harder. “Eat my pussy, Matteo. Please.”

“Your wish is my command, wife,” I rasped. “Hook your leg over my shoulder.”

She complied eagerly, and I rewarded her with a long lick. I sucked and licked her, loving the way she rolled her hips, grinding herself against me.

“Ahhhh…” She released a long moan, throwing her head back and banging it against the shower door. “I missed you.”

Fuck, those words.

I lapped at her needy clit, shoving a finger inside her. Her fingers curled in my hair and I ate her like I was a man starved.

“Ohhh… P-please…” she panted.

I groaned, thrusting my tongue inside her as she rocked back and forth against me. When I drew her clit between my lips and nipped it gently, she climaxed. Her body jerked and trembled against my face and would have collapsed if I hadn’t gripped her hips.

When she finally slumped, our gazes met, her heavy breaths and flushed cheeks the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

I stared up at her, ravenous and desperate, my cock straining against my fly.

“I want to make love to you,” I grunted, my control hanging by a thread. “I need my wife.”

She licked her lips, her hooded eyes darting to the left, and I readied for disappointment.

“Should we go to the bedroom?”

I sprang up and made quick work of shucking off my pants. She reached for my shirt and pulled it over my head, discarding it onto the floor.

Then I scooped her up bridal-style and carried her to bed.

“I need my wife’s pussy strangling my cock. It’s been too long.”

We fell on the bed and she immediately straddled me, putting one hand on my chest as she guided my cock to her wet heat.

She began lowering down, her tight channel an oasis. Unable to control myself, I bucked my hips, eager to fill her up, and impaled her fully.

“Ohhh, fuuuuck,” she panted.

“Cazzo, that feels so good,” I gritted, my eyes closing in bliss.

“We haven’t even gotten started,” she moaned, rolling her hips tentatively.

I grabbed her by the back of the neck, pulling her down to me, and released a breath on her breasts.

I fisted her hair and pulled hard, my mouth at the shell of her ear. “Better ride me, baby, because if I fuck you, I’ll be too rough.”

She rolled her hips, sliding my dick in and out of her soaked pussy. She ground her pelvis against mine, the blissful expression making her appear almost surreal, her long lashes resting on her flushed cheeks.

“Open your eyes and look at me.”

Her coral-blue eyes met mine, hazy and full of desire.

“Oh… oh… oh…” Her inner walls clenched around my length, her body trembling and her moans getting louder.

Fuck, I wouldn’t last much longer.

Reaching between our bodies, I found her clit with my thumb and brushed it lightly while with my other, I took her nipple between my fingers and twisted, squeezing hard.

She upped her tempo and moaned, her pussy strangling my cock.

My fingers toying with her clit, it wasn’t long before her walls were milking my cock.

Flipping us over so she was beneath me, writhing with pleasure, I thrust hard and deep inside her, fucking her through the orgasm. Flesh against flesh. My grunts against her moans. Erotic sounds filled the igloo as my body seized, a tingling sensation starting at the base of my spine.

“Ari,” I said in a guttural voice as I came harder than ever before.

I shuddered against her, my cum filling her and smearing both of us, then wrapped her in my arms and rasped in her ear, “You’re my sun. My star. My galaxies. Without you, I don’t exist.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

ARIANNA

Four weeks of utter silence. Five days of blissful sex and romantic dates. And still, I felt a storm brewing.

Maybe it was because we hadn’t resolved anything. Maybe because we kept resorting to sex rather than talking.

Yes, my body came alive around Matteo, but my mind and heart needed more.

But maybe for one more day, we could have this bliss and pretend we were alone.

As a snowstorm raged outside, with the power out and no electronics or social media to entertain us, we decided to play a game of hide-and-seek.

“Found you.” His breath tickled my nape and I whipped around to find him grinning. “You have to do better than hide under the table.”

I sighed. “I guess I’m fucked.”

He wrapped his arms around me and lifted me up in the air.

“Yes, but only by me.” He carried me into the bedroom and set me down. “Now strip.”

This man had the capacity to make me deliriously happy and completely unsettled. There was no in between with Matteo. It terrified me.

“You first.”

He was already pulling his T-shirt over his head, exposing his bare chest and those rippled muscles. He knew they made me weak in the knees.

“Come on, wife. Start taking it all off,” he drawled, smiling boyishly for the first time since the Vitale party.

I winced, a tinge of pain flashing through me at the thought of Hannah. Stuck on this island—cut off from the real world—something had to give.

“Ari, don’t make me repeat myself,” he grunted.

One more day, I promised myself. I’d take one more day to get lost in this, and then I’d brave it. And so would Matteo.

I had come to terms with it. I was his. I’d always be his.

There was no denying it anymore.

With shaky fingers, I pulled down the zipper of my dress and let it fall soundlessly to the floor. His gaze fell to my lacy lingerie and heated.

“All of it,” he grunted as he unbuckled his pants and pushed them down.

I unhooked my bra and soon my panties followed, and his gaze swept over my naked body while I stared at his.

Matteo Vitale might be a lot of things, but his body was a work of art that would give Michelangelo a run for his money.

He took a step forward and so did I, meeting him halfway.

He reached out and stroked my collarbone, then lower until he reached my nipple, making me moan. His palm slid down my flat stomach until he reached between my legs. I pressed up on my tiptoes, eager for his fingers inside me.

I bit my bottom lip and my eyelids fluttered shut when he glided his fingers into my throbbing entrance, but a moan still vibrated between us.

“You’re ready for me,” he murmured. Then, without a warning, he slapped my pussy.

My eyes flew open as I yelped. “What the fuck?”

“Eyes on me, wife.” He slapped my pussy again, then thrust his finger inside me, pain and pleasure twisting and weaving like a vine.

I shot him a glare despite the fact that it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

“Slap my pussy again, husband, and I might get that gun back out and shoot you.”

His nostrils flared. “Say that again.”

I looked at him with uncertainty. “Slap my pussy and I’ll shoot you?”

“No, not that.” His fingers thrust inside me and I grabbed on to his bicep for balance.

“H-husband?” I moaned.

His mouth slammed onto mine, kissing me deeply.

“I like you calling me that,” he rasped against my lips. “And duly noted, no slapping. Can I tie you to the bed and fuck your greedy pussy?” He curled his fingers and thrust.

“What if I don’t like it?” I breathed harshly, every muscle in my body wound tight.

“Then we’ll stop.” He took my earlobe between his teeth and bit gently. It might have been silly, but I loved that he asked for my permission.

“Okay.”

He pulled out his fingers and brought them to my lips.

“Suck.” I parted my lips, licking them clean one by one. “Good girl. Now lie down.”

His words sent jolts through me and my stomach tumbled over.

I scooted back, following his demand, as Matteo reached inside the bedside table and pulled out two silk ties. Then he joined me, the mattress dipping beneath his weight, and I sucked in a sharp breath when he fastened my hands to the posts.

My pulse beat in my ears. My breasts were achy, my nipples hard.

Then, to my surprise, he moved to my ankles and soon I was spread-eagled on the bed. I couldn’t help but blush at the image I must have portrayed.

Naked and aroused, there for his taking.

A dark, hungry gleam flickered in his eyes as he approached me.

“You’re perfect,” he murmured, his breath skating over my skin. His fingers found my swollen, drenched entrance and teased while he kissed my neck, trailing his mouth all the way down to my breasts. He took a nipple between his teeth and tugged.

“God…” I whimpered, my back arched off the bed. He thrust his fingers inside me, filling me to the point of discomfort.

“Not God, baby. Just your husband.”

“I need you inside me,” I begged.

He chuckled. “Always so impatient.”

His mouth trailed farther south until his shoulders were wedged between my thighs and he buried his face in my pussy.

I couldn’t think, all my focus on the sensations ricocheting through me as he licked me. Fast, then slow. Fast, then slow. Bringing me to the edge with the lap of his tongue until lust strained my muscles.

I was a puddle of pure need, grinding against my husband’s face in a relentless chase for my orgasm, when a shrill ringing startled us both.

Matteo tensed, lifting his head, his face glistening with my arousal.

“Ignore it, whatever it is,” I panted, lifting my hips, but he was already crawling up my body. “Please… Please…”

His breaths came in harshly, his hard length dragging over my stomach and making my pussy throb as he reached the bedside table.

“Husband… Please… I need you inside me… Please…” I sobbed.

It must have worked because he forgot all about the noise and straddled me, his eyes like burning flames. Then in one thrust, he entered me, filling me to the hilt.

Matteo pounded me into the mattress, my fingers curling around the silky ropes as I held on. A tingling sensation blossomed in the pit of my stomach, his every ruthless thrust bringing me closer and closer⁠—

Then the same shrilling ring echoed between us.

“Fuck,” he grunted, and I vaguely registered him reaching for something. “The power is back.”

He pulled out only to thrust inside me again as he glanced at his cell phone screen and my eyes widened.

“Don’t you dare answer that⁠—”

His hand came to my mouth, covering it as he answered. “I see you hacked into my cell phone, Mr. Morrelli.”

He wasn’t moving, but he was still hard and buried deep inside me. While I gaped at him in shock, he didn’t seem one bit perturbed that he was still inside me while on the phone with my dad.

“Arianna’s with me.” His expression turned cold. “She’s my wife and belongs exactly where she is. With me.”

Angry words were spat on the other end, but I couldn’t make them out.

He rolled his hips and my eyes bulged out of my head, the flames of desire reigniting despite my own father being on the other end of the phone call.

“Sure, you can talk to her yourself.”

What? I mouthed. No, no, no. Not now.

He rolled his hips, in and out, shallow thrusts drawing soft moans from my lips.

I didn’t want to talk to my family when he was buried to the hilt inside me. “Yes, she’s been asking to call, but we had some things to work out. But since you hacked my cell, we might as well have a family reunion now.”

Another thrust and a wanton whimper echoed.

He brought his cell to my ear while I shook my head, all the while fighting the bubbling moans in my throat.

“What am I supposed to tell him now?” My voice was barely a whisper, every inch of me blushing. The worst part… I was still turned on.

“Tell him you’re tied up,” he said, smiling devilishly. “And that you’ll call him back.”

“Arianna?” Dad’s somber voice came through and I closed my eyes, trying to block all the sensations Matteo was drawing out of me.

“H-hi, Dad. I’m okay.”

“Did that fucker hurt you?” he asked menacingly. “I’m going to kill him for everything he’s put us through.”

This was so fucked up. I should be upset at Matteo for putting me in this position, but I was so turned on that I couldn’t even find the strength for it.

“He… didn’t hurt me.” Matteo’s thrusts hit the exact right spot inside me and I swallowed, steadying my voice. “Please don’t worry.” His thrusts picked up their rhythm and I fought the impending orgasm. “I’ll call you later. Is… that… okay?”

“You’re sure you’re safe?”

“Y-yes.”

“Okay, but if I don’t hear from you, I’m coming for him. I have his GPS coordinates now.”

Matteo took the phone and ended the call, then he slammed into me hard, causing the bed to screech. His hand fisted in my hair, his grunts in my ear as I chased the impending pleasure. His pelvis ground against mine as he fucked me so relentlessly that all I could hear was the thundering pulse in my ears.

And then he hit that spot and my back arched off the bed as I came so hard my body shuddered and a million stars exploded behind my eyelids. And, with a last thrust, he finished inside me, murmuring soft words in my ear.

Our heavy breaths filled the silence—full of contentment and love.

I opened my eyes, meeting his steady pools of hazel, and we stared at each other.

“Fuck, I missed you so much, baby,” he murmured, then softly nipped my neck. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” I murmured.

“I want your all, Ari. Your love, passion, anger, sorrow, troubles… everything.”

“I’m all yours. Only yours.”

He smiled that boyish grin that made me weak in the knees.

“Good, because I’ve been yours for a very long time.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “I’ll probably make you mad over our lifetime together, but don’t ever leave me again. My love is possessive and obsessive, and knows no boundaries. You’ll always be the most important person in this universe. Do you want to know why?”

“Why?”

“Because all the stars shine for you, but you, baby… you’re the only star that shines for me.”

A noise tore from my throat and I couldn’t help but love him more. If that was even possible.

“The two of us forever,” I whispered.

For the next hour, we were lost in each other, but the reality was way too quick to catch up.

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

ARIANNA

It’s strange how a single event could flip your world upside down.

A few hours ago, I started thinking—maybe foolishly hoping—that Matteo and I would have a future together. Yet as I listened to my dad’s words, I didn’t know what to think.

“I can’t find a trace of her.” His face on the phone screen was murderous. “First I thought… hoped… she was after you. But now⁠—”

“I wish she was with me.” I released a trembling breath. “You’re the best at tracking people. Isn’t it odd that you haven’t been able to find her?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. She vanished, but then so did you. It took me over a month to track you down.”

“I was surprised you didn’t find me right away,” I muttered.

He let out a sardonic breath.

“Someone was wiping your tracks behind you.” My eyes darted to Matteo who was sitting opposite me, his expression inscrutable.

“It wasn’t me,” Matteo answered.

“It wasn’t Matteo,” Dad confirmed at the same time. “It was thanks to him that I found you.”

“So whoever was making sure you couldn’t find me is doing the same thing with Hannah,” I stated slowly.

“Exactly. Now let me see your so-called husband.” Dad’s calm voice reverberated through the phone, the last word uttered with a slight clench to his teeth.

Matteo came around and lifted me effortlessly, then sat in my seat, placing me on his lap. Dad’s expression on the screen darkened ominously.

“Here I am, dear father-in-law.”

I winced at his tone and pinched his thigh, but he didn’t even flinch.

“You and I… We’re not square yet. I specifically told you to stay away from my daughter, yet you go and kidnap her, threaten her with a gun… You married her! Without our permission and against her wishes.” Dad wasn’t happy at all. In fact, I didn’t think I’d ever seen him so mad. “And then you keep her from us.”

Matteo stared at the screen unblinkingly, his hand on my thigh. He didn’t look the least bit worried.

“With all due respect, I have repeatedly told you that Arianna is mine.”

Being here was a small blessing because I was fairly certain that if my dad was present, this discussion would have gone a lot worse.

Dad’s stormy eyes returned to fix on me. “You’re sure he didn’t hurt you?”

The way he asked, it almost sounded like he was hoping I’d say yes so he could end him.

“Yes, I’m sure,” I said confidently. “And whatever problems we have, they’re between Matteo and me. Promise you won’t interfere.”

Matteo’s hand on my thigh tightened its grip while Dad let out an incredulous breath. “I can’t make that promise. He pointed a gun at you. You’re my daughter, and anyone who hurts my children⁠—”

He didn’t have to finish that statement. “He would never hurt me. Besides, it’s worth noting that I pointed a gun at him first. Shot him too.”

“You did?” I nodded, and he smiled proudly. “That’s my girl.”

Matteo’s eyes burned holes into the side of my cheek, but all my focus was on my dad. “Promise me you’ll leave the Vitales alone and stop tearing through their assets, Dad.”

His eyes shifted to Matteo, shooting him a glare as he made an I’m watching you gesture with his fingers.

“Fine, I promise.”

A small smile grazed my lips. “Thank you, Daddy.”

“Matteo?” Dad turned his attention to him. “Next time I see you… you’re going to regret your methods.”

“Fair enough, sir. Just let me live so I can recover and live the remainder of my life with your daughter. With my wife.”

“I’ll think about it.” Dad pinched the bridge of his nose and released a heavy sigh. “Now let’s turn our focus to finding Hannah.”

I felt the same worry in the marrow of my bones and I stilled my spine, sending a silent prayer that Gianna would forgive me for what I was about to do.

“There is something I have to tell you,” I started hesitantly. His expression softened as it locked on me. “Our cousin could be responsible for erasing Hannah’s and my tracks.”

His brow furrowed. “What are you saying? Your uncles were worried out of their minds, just like us. None of their children—your cousins—would⁠—”

I shook my head. “No, not them. Mom’s other brother’s son.”

Dad stiffened and his hand curled into a fist. “How do you know about him?”

I inhaled a deep breath and released it slowly. “Remember Gianna’s kidnapping?”

As if anyone could forget it.

Dad pushed his hand through his hair. “I do.”

“Of course, silly question,” I mumbled, shaking my head. “Anyhow, the man who kidnapped her… he’s our cousin. Marco King’s son,” I clarified.

“Why didn’t you tell me before, Arianna?”

“I’m telling you now. Marco King’s son…” My voice got stuck in the back of my throat at the sheer memory of it, and I cleared it. “He kidnapped Gianna. I didn’t know he was our cousin until recently.”

Matteo and Dad were stunned into silence, my husband’s jaw flexing.

Dad’s expression turned thunderous. “I’m going to murder him and all the men that work for him when I get my hands on them.”

I shook my head. “There’s one man you can’t hurt.”

“What?” Dad and Matteo questioned at the same time.

“There is a man who had helped Gianna and I escape. You can’t kill him.”

“What’s his name?” Dad grunted, clearly not happy about sparing anyone’s life.

I hesitated. “Well, I’m not… sure.”

“What does he look like?” Matteo chimed in.

I chewed on my bottom lip before answering, “I ran into him recently.”

“Yes?” Dad encouraged.

I took a deep breath before releasing it slowly.

“Agent Lloyd… He’s the one who helped us escape all those years ago.” I met Matteo’s eyes. “I didn’t know who he was until that night of the fire.”

“Jesus fucking Christ.” Matteo’s voice came out raw. “Agent Lloyd is working undercover.”

Dad nodded. “The agency must have been aware of organ trafficking for a lot longer than us.”

“You guys know him?” I asked, flabbergasted.

“I don’t,” Dad retorted wryly. “But I would very much like to meet him and at least thank him for saving my daughters. However, the priority is putting a stop to organ trafficking.”

“Ditto,” Matteo agreed.

“But one thing doesn’t make sense,” Dad continued. “The FBI only deals with domestic matters. When we questioned the doctor who was part of the organ trafficking, he mentioned their dealings have mostly been overseas.”

My jaw dropped. It was shocking to think that there were men out there willing to butcher human beings for their organs.

“There has to be more to it,” Matteo reasoned. “Also, there’s no way one man is a mastermind behind the resurrection of the Belles and Mobsters Agreements and these auctions. There had to be others working with him.”

“There are,” Dad confirmed, rubbing his face tiredly. “The moment I heard about Marco’s son, I knew trouble would follow. Fucking heathen.”

“We’re all descendants of heathens, Dad.” I leaned forward and gripped the screen. “But this guy… yeah, he’s decidedly not good news.”

“I really hoped you’d never hear about Benito King and Marco.” His calm voice didn’t fool me. It was obvious there was history between them and my parents. “My intel shows that Marco wasn’t even listed on his son’s birth certificate. The fact you were able to connect it all is a miracle.”

“Sheer luck,” I muttered, not willing to throw my sister completely under the bus. If Dad knew, he’d lock her up and throw away the key. “I just went digging through online Welsh birth records.”

I really hoped Dad would buy into the story I was spinning.

“Why Welsh?” Matteo asked.

“Benito King was Welsh and so was Marco,” Dad explained. “So it makes sense that Marco’s son has roots in Wales.”

I nodded. “Exactly.”

“Send me what you have, Arianna. I’ll run it through my system. Do you have agent Lloyd’s picture?”

“I only have a sketch. I’ll send that.”

“Good.” Dad glared at Matteo. “Bring her home.”

Matteo glared back. “When our honeymoon is over and she’s safe.”

“Son, you don’t want me as your enemy.”

The two stared at each other as if it was some kind of competition.

“We’ll be home soon, Dad,” I said before hanging up, then turned to face my husband.

This wouldn’t be easy, but we’d make it work.

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

ARIANNA

After putting on my snow boots, I knotted my hair on top, grabbed the keys to the snowmobile and Matteo’s gun, and made my way out of the igloo.

“You can’t keep running off, Ari.” I froze, not saying a word.

Suddenly, rage flooded my system and I whirled around to skewer him. He was barefoot and shirtless, wearing nothing but jeans that hung low on his hips, and I had to press a hand to my racing heart that always seemed to get excited around him.

“I’m not running off,” I spat angrily. “I’m leaving so I can cool off and not kill you.”

We’d spent the past two days arguing. He wanted to stay here longer, keep me in this bubble that he’d created for us. I wanted to go home. It wasn’t that I didn’t like it here—not that I would tell him that—but I couldn’t stay here in our protective bubble while the world was imploding out there.

“I don’t care if you shoot me, just stay.”

I let out a frustrated groan. “It’s time we leave, Matteo. Our families need us home. My sister needs me. Both of them do.”

“Arianna, I promised to help you, but first… we need to keep you safe. Hannah cannot keep coming in between us.”

“She could be in danger, Matteo,” I hissed. “You’re asking me to put her safety on hold while I—we—work on our ‘happiness.’” I threw my fingers up in air quotes for good measure.

He leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his bare chest.

“Hannah is a big girl. A killer,” he pointed out evenly, tilting his face to the side with a blank expression. “A very competent and skillful killer.”

He was wrong, but I didn’t utter a word.

“Besides,” he continued. “I have a hunch about her location, and if I’m right, we cannot go there.”

“Where is she?” I demanded.

“With the Callahan twin.” I tilted my chin. It was plausible that Matteo was right—after all, it was the reason I went to Ireland in the first place—but I couldn’t just hope she was alright. I needed to be sure.

“I still want to go back,” I stated calmly. “We can’t stay here while everyone else could potentially be in danger. We need to help our parents find this cousin and end him.”

He pushed away from the counter and started walking toward me slowly, shadows playing on his face. He stopped two feet from me.

“Let’s not forget that you’re my wife,” he said calmly. “Your safety is my priority.”

A pinch of hurt hurled inside my chest at his lack of understanding, but I shoved it away, determined to stay on track.

“I need to be alone,” I finally said. “Or we’ll be back at square one.”

Matteo’s eyes flared, but he didn’t move to stop me when I turned around and made my way out the door and onto the snowmobile.

I found myself on the opposite side of the island where the northern lights shone the brightest, sitting in the hard-packed snow and looking up at the Milky Way passing through the eight constellations. For me, the sky was at its most beautiful at night, and here, away from the city lights, it was simply magnificent.

Ever since we arrived, this specific spot was the place I had been drawn to most. Being out on the edge of this cliff, closer to the sky than any other place on earth—or so it seemed—made me feel like I was on the precipice of something… new. Different. Special.

There was nothing here—only the rough sea crashing on the rocks below, the wind whistling through the trees, the constellations, and my own shaky breaths.

Something bigger than just Matteo and me was at play, and my spidey senses were flaring, contributing to this sinister feeling. Hannah and I had a connection I couldn’t explain to anyone who wasn’t a twin—we felt the same pain, same anguish, same sorrow.

How could I make Matteo understand that Hannah’s safety was as important as my own?

I’d made a lot of decisions lately that were all about me, but it was time I started putting others first. These people were ruthless and dangerous, and we couldn’t pretend things were fine.

I lay back on the soft snow, trying to sort through the conflicting feelings in my stomach. Despite the circumstances, I was glad that Matteo had bought this island and chose it for our honeymoon.

But forgetting the outside world and getting lost in my husband would have to wait.

There were too many unanswered questions left about the Belles and Mobsters auctions and why he and his accomplices decided to resurrect them. Maybe there was no explanation, maybe he was just evil. I’d learned there weren’t too many things in the mob that were explainable.

A hard shiver wracked my body, goose bumps erupting all over my arms, and I forced myself to recenter.

I blinked up at the sky, counting my breaths—longer for the exhale, up through my stomach, then to my chest, and finally out my nose. For several moments, that was all I did, until the crackling of a tree branch startled me.

I looked around, dread crawling over my skin.

I stood up quickly and started to walk toward the snowmobile. It wasn’t until I was on it, fumbling to get the key into the ignition, that I breathed a sigh of relief.

I revved the engine and was about to take off when a gunshot pierced the air. Acting on instinct, I threw myself on the ground, the snow breaking my fall as another bullet rang out.

Heart in my throat, adrenaline flooding my system, I began to army-crawl. Blood pounded in my ears and my muscles burned.

“Your husband is dead,” an unfamiliar voice shouted. “Your twin too. It’s time for you to follow them.”

The ground shook with a nearby explosion, sending a gust of hot air my way and knocking the breath out of me.

I rolled onto my back, the greens and yellows and blues in the dark sky above me, inviting me into its embrace.

No. No no no no.

Matteo. Hannah. My family.

No, God, no.

I wouldn’t be able to bear the pain of their deaths.

Tears burned my eyes as I reached for the gun in the pocket of my jacket. Letting my rage consume me, I took in my surroundings, my heart hammering.

Then I saw them. Hiding in the trees like cowards.

They wanted death and destruction? I’d deliver it to them on a silver fucking platter.

I rolled onto my stomach, slowly creeping toward them, until I had a clear shot.

And I pulled the trigger.

CHAPTER SIXTY

MATTEO

Fury infusing me, I crouched down and inched toward the backs of the trespassers who dared to shoot at my wife.

I didn’t bother with a silencer since the only people around to hear the shots would be the ones who were about to die.

When I got an alert about a disturbance on the island and footage showed a boat cloaked in the night docking on the shores, I rushed out the door, desperate to reach Arianna. I knew my wife could handle a gun, but she didn’t stand a chance against ten men.

So I crept closer, then pointed the gun at the snowmobile parked about a mile away from Arianna’s favorite spot. There were four men standing around it, waiting for their accomplices.

Narrowing my eyes, I aimed at the gas tank. The explosion was instantaneous, engulfing each man in angry flames.

Four down, six to go.

Snow crunching beneath my feet, I ran hard, praying to anything or anyone who was listening to keep Ari safe.

I moved silently through the snow, but my tracks were impossible to cover. I used trees as my cover as I approached the cliff and a bone-chilling terror shot through me, seeing my wife cornered on the ledge.

If she fell, it would be to her death.

Aiming my gun, I shot the man closest to her and her gaze jerked up to me. A terse nod, and we worked in tandem.

Five down, five to go.

Leaping from tree to tree, I aimed and shot while Arianna did the same from her end. Until we were down to the last one.

Before Ari had the chance, I pulled the trigger, making sure to only wound him.

I closed the distance to find my wife’s pale face locked on me, her mouth opening and closing in silent gasps.

Dropping to my knees, I gathered her in my arms, feeling her trembling against me.

A sob tore from her lips and I tightened my arms around her. “Shhhh, I’m here.”

“I thought⁠—”

I pulled back slightly, examining her body and her face, but was relieved to find only a small scrape on her cheek and the material at her knees torn.

She buried her face in my neck, her body shaking against me. “They said you were dead. Hannah too.”

Fuck.

“They lied, baby.” A whimper had me tearing my gaze from Arianna to the last surviving attacker. “I’m sure Hannah’s safe too.”

She gripped my jacket, shaking me with force. “But you can’t be sure. Matteo⁠—”

The anguish in her voice gutted me and I cupped her cheeks.

“Let’s question the assailant.” We both glanced at the guy bleeding out and whimpering like a pig. “He won’t last long, so we need to act fast.”

I shot up, helped Ari, and then headed over to the wounded man. His breath was coming out in jerky gasps, his face starkly pale against the crimson stain on his white snowsuit.

Arianna remained standing as I crouched in front of the dying man.

“Who sent you?”

“Fuck you,” he rasped.

Not willing to waste time roughing him up, I reached inside his pocket and pulled out his wallet, then said, “Don’t make this more difficult for yourself. Who are you?”

His upper lip twisted in a snarl. “Fuck. You.”

I flipped through his wallet, finding his identity, along with a few family pictures tucked behind a key card.

“You can tell us or I’ll find your family and ask them these questions, Mr. Johnson.”

Arianna gasped, but she didn’t say anything.

Of course I wouldn’t hurt his family if they were innocent, but this man didn’t know that. Arianna understood our world, but I imagined she was in a good amount of shock, unable to keep herself contained.

I casually pulled a knife out of my pocket, flipping the switchblade.

“Last chance.” I smiled darkly, rammed my knife into his kidney, and twisted as I shoved the photo of his family in front of his face. The scream that ripped from his throat sent birds soaring from the trees. “Who sent you?”

When he remained quiet, I slashed through the pants of his snowsuit, exposing his limp dick.

“I don’t know,” he screamed, his eyes darting to Arianna wildly. “I swear. It was a job we got through the dark web. It was supposed to be a… quick one. In and out.”

“And my sister?” Arianna asked. “You said my twin⁠—”

When he remained quiet, I brought the knife to his shriveled dick.

“We have her.” He coughed, spitting up blood. “We have her, okay?”

“Her?”

“The crazy twin.” Fuck.

I shared a glance with my wife, then returned to glare at the killer whose face was getting paler with each breath.

“Who sends you instructions?” I demanded. When his eyelids closed, I shook him hard. “Who?”

“The King heir.” He laughed, spitting up blood. “Every family that worked against the Belles and Mobsters auctions is on the list.”

Within seconds, his eyes grew vacant and his chest stopped moving as his head lolled to the side.

I stood up and met Arianna’s stunned gaze. “You’re right, baby. It’s time we go home.”

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

BIANCA

An ominous dream wrenched me from a deep sleep, only to find myself cocooned by a warm, strong body.

I stared up at my husband’s sleeping face and my heartbeat slowly returned to normal. Nico had always had that effect on me. He made me feel safe and protected. I reached out and stroked his stubble, and my heart rate eased the more I touched him.

Two decades with this man and everything about him still caused a flutter in my chest. When I thought about how our marriage started, I couldn’t help but smile. Yes, he forced marriage on me, but it was the best thing that had ever happened to me. He had given me a beautiful life, beautiful children, and adopted my babies as his own.

I wouldn’t have changed a moment of our life together for the world.

His big hand came to cover mine and I met his gaze.

“What’s the matter, cara mia?”

“Bad dream.”

“Tell me about it,” he urged.

“I don’t want them to go through what my mom did,” I murmured my admission. My mother had been a victim of the Belles and Mobsters auctions. I had never thought those auctions would return to haunt us.

Yet here we were.

“Arianna is safe with Matteo,” he said begrudgingly.

He still hadn’t forgiven Matteo for forcing Arianna into marriage, although I didn’t think my daughter minded. Once everything had come to light and Matteo tried over and over again to correct the mistake his father and Nico had made, I could finally see it.

Arianna was in love with him. Her eyes shone and her cheeks flushed whenever she was around Matteo. She was always happier around him, even as a child. And more importantly, our children were old enough to make their own decisions.

“I’m worried about Hannah,” I admitted. “I have a bad feeling about it all. She might be upset, but she would never cut us all off.”

Yes, my daughter liked to wreak havoc while Arianna always wanted peace, but Hannah wasn’t cruel. She wouldn’t disappear without letting us know she was okay.

I could see on Nico’s face that he thought the same, but he was always so protective. He’d rather solve it all himself to spare me the stress. But we were in this together.

“She’ll turn up,” he assured me. “We’ll find her, safe and sound.” I considered what to say, but our morning was interrupted when his phone lit up with a video call from Matteo. He instantly sat up and answered with an alarmed expression. “What’s happened, Matteo?”

“They have Hannah,” was his answer.

“Oh my God, how… what…” I couldn’t form a sentence, leaning closer to the phone so I could see him. “Where is Arianna?”

“She’s safe here with me.” Her face appeared in the frame and relief slammed into me despite her tear-rimmed eyes. “Somehow they found us. We managed to question one.”

“Did he say where?” Nico demanded while I struggled to get myself together.

“No, but I went through their equipment⁠—”

“Their?” Nico questioned. “How many men attacked you?”

Matteo hesitated for a moment. “There were several, but we—Arianna and I—managed to eliminate them.”

“Arianna, baby, please tell me you’re okay?”

“I’m fine, Mom,” she murmured, chewing on her bottom lip. “I’m just worried sick about Hannah. Matteo thinks he knows where they have her.”

My husband and I answered at the same time. “Where?”

“Their location history shows all of them at Benito King’s old place in New York,” Matteo answered. Tears gathered in my eyes as memories assaulted me, but I quickly wiped them clean. I needed to be strong now. For Hannah’s sake.

“We’ll need Cassio’s help.” Nico was already typing a message to my brother.

“I also messaged my pa. He’s standing by and ready to help,” Matteo offered.

“Thank you, Matteo,” I accepted quickly before Nico could refuse.

“Mom, Dad, please—” Arianna’s voice faltered, sobs swallowing her words.

“She’ll be okay,” I said firmly. “Right now, I need you to be okay.”

“You’re not mad?”

My little baby was always worried about everyone’s feelings. She and Hannah were identical but so different, and Matteo could see that.

“I could never be mad at you. I love you all, and I just want you to be happy. You and Matteo found love together and now you deserve to enjoy it. Hannah will find it too. Trust me, okay?”

My little angel hated causing any pain to anyone, even if it hurt her in retrospect. Until now.

“I love you, Mom. You too, Dad.”

“We love you too,” Nico assured her, already out of bed and heading to the walk-in closet with me following next to him. “We’ll bring Hannah home. And you, Matteo, bring our daughter home. Safe and sound, or else.”

“That’s the plan. Keeping my wife safe and in my home.”

The jab didn’t escape Nico, but before the two could waste precious time, I chimed in, “Matteo, keep my baby safe. We’ll see you when you’re back.”

The line went dead and I turned to Nico who was in full mobster mode, getting dressed. I watched in silence as he loaded his weapons and secured them in his holster. In times like this, I wanted to go with him and fight, but I’d only be a distraction. Nico would be worried about my safety, and at this moment, the most important thing was Hannah.

I could hear the roaring of the helicopter engine in the distance and my husband stopped in front of me, cupping my cheeks.

“She’s strong,” he murmured. “Before the day is over, she’ll be out of their clutches.”

He pressed his firm lips to mine and kissed me before striding out of the bedroom while I prayed to anyone who was listening to keep my family safe.

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

ARIANNA

It took us two days to clean up the mess on the island and get back home. As soon as the attack happened and Matteo updated Dad and his papa on the information we learned, he ordered his pilot to come and get us.

We stepped out of the private jet and a much warmer breeze than we had been used to for the past few weeks slapped us in the face. So did the unfamiliar airport.

“I thought we were going to New York?”

“Not anymore.”

“But this isn’t Baltimore either,” I pointed out.

“No.”

My brows furrowed, but I didn’t say anything. Instead, I checked my phone again. No messages.

Uneasiness filled my chest as Matteo stared at the line of vehicles waiting for us, and then urged me forward with his firm hand on the lower part of my back.

By the time we were inside the vehicle, I was combusting with questions and anxiety. I was eager to get home, see Hannah, ensure she was alright, and alert others to the resurrection of the Belles and Mobsters auctions.

I stared at his profile as he drove out of the airport, waiting for an explanation, and when it didn’t come, I asked again, “Can you tell me where we’re going?”

“Not yet.”

“Matteo—”

“Trust me.” I narrowed my eyes and he flicked me a dark look. “You do trust me, right?”

“I do, but I need to know what happened. Did they get Hannah? Why are we taking a detour? I want to⁠—”

“She’s safe.”

My heart came to a halt before it resumed its beat while a relief unlike any other washed over me.

“She is?” I rasped while tears stung my eyes. “For real?”

He nodded. “Now, no more questions, and when we arrive at our destination, I’ll explain.”

We drove for a while, the vaguely familiar landscape a blur as Matteo sped down the highway. Various landmarks came into view. The church. A big open field. A large colonial home with its white columns and wraparound porch.

“The private clinic?” I asked, furrowing my brows.

My dad had funded this place for victims of human trafficking. Matteo drove another mile, pulling over in front of the entrance before he turned my way with a serious look.

He stared at me for a bit, and unease slowly crept up my stomach until it was an agonizing pain in my chest.

“What is it?” I breathed. “It must be bad.”

“Hannah is here,” he finally said, his tone cautious. My instincts flared, dread pooling in my stomach. My hand was already on the handle, opening the door, when Matteo’s fingers wrapped around my other hand, pulling me back.

“She’s recovering,” he added.

One heartbeat passed before I found my voice. “From… what?”

He went rigid, his presence darkening, and his gaze locked on me. “From surgery and an overdose.”

“Surgery,” I repeated. “And an overdose?” My mouth went slack, my head shaking. “N-no… that can’t be. What surgery? What overdose?”

“They’ve taken her kidney,” he said slowly. “She’ll be okay. Thankfully our parents got to Benito King’s old mansion right on time. One kidney was gone, but the other⁠—”

“Oh my God,” I breathed.

Hannah was going through hell and I was on a fucking honeymoon. As if he could read my thoughts, Matteo took my face between his big palms. “None of us could have known.”

“I went to Ireland to look for her, but she was here all along,” I croaked, releasing a pained gasp.

“None of us knew,” he repeated. “Your dad is one of the best and even he couldn’t find her.”

I shook my head.

“No, I should have known, Matteo.” I tapped my chest over and over again. “I should have known.”

“Baby, Hannah has had some problems that none of us knew about. She’s gotten good at hiding things.”

“Maybe… they drugged her. Hannah would never use. Not willingly.”

I didn’t like the look in Matteo’s eyes. I saw things I didn’t want to see. Things I’d overlooked but shouldn’t have.

“Her organs… They don’t lie, and she’s been using cocaine for a while.”

“A while,” I repeated in disbelief.

“Yes, for a while. It was a shock,” he offered. I blinked, trying desperately to calm the thoughts that were whirling in my mind. “To all of us.”

“I don’t understand,” I murmured, although it was fairly clear.

“It’s the main reason they didn’t harvest all her organs right away. They started detoxing her, which is the only reason she’s alive.” I stared at him, bewildered, unsure what to think. “Listen, baby. Right now, she is safe. We’ll help her get better. And then we’ll go from there. Okay?”

“And Simón King?” I asked, a thirst for vengeance flickering inside me. “Is he alive?”

Matteo smiled cruelly. “He’s wishing he’s dead. Death will come, but first, he’ll regret ever being born.”

“Good.”

I still struggled to understand how I could have missed the signs. My sister had been using drugs and I was too self-absorbed to see it. How did I not know? Her behavior had been erratic lately, but I attributed it to her engagement.

“It’s my fault,” I murmured.

“We all should have seen the signs, but it’s not anyone’s fault,” he placated. “The main thing is that Hannah is recovering, getting the help she needs. She’s strong, probably stronger than both of us together, and I know she’ll get better.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “When was she brought in?”

“Early this morning, and she’ll remain here for a bit.”

“She should be home with us. With her family,” I said, shaking my head. “This place is for victims of human trafficking.”

Cupping my face, his eyes bored into mine. “That’s true, but she just lost a kidney. She’s getting care from the top doctors in the world here.”

“But—”

“You want what’s best for Hannah,” he said carefully. “We all do, and staying here will make sure of it.”

“Was she—” The lump in my throat grew, suffocating me to the point where it hurt to talk. “Was she assaulted?”

“I don’t know, baby,” he answered. “She’s not talking to anyone.”

“She needs us,” I murmured. “We have to stay here.”

He nodded. “We will. She’ll have our support, and we’ll be here for her for as long as necessary.”

The moment we stepped into the room, the first thing I saw was my twin’s deathly pale face. The second, the bruises that marred her exposed pasty-white skin, and suddenly, it felt as if my life shattered around me.

I stood, surrounded by the scent of copper and bleach and the constant beeping of a machine that monitored the immobile body. I felt like my heart, my soul, and my sanity all took a plunge to the pristine, bleached hospital floor.

“Ari, are you okay?” Matteo’s voice finally filtered through the suffocating silence and smell of death. It was the scent I woke up to after my car accident with Gianna. “Want to step out for a bit?”

I shook my head. I couldn’t leave. Not now, not when my sister and family needed me.

Please, God, save her. I’ll do anything to have my sister back.

It was only then that my mom’s cries registered. Gianna was hugging her and crying. They both looked exhausted, black circles under their eyes, their faces tearstained and pale. My brothers stood beside them, fatigue evident on their faces too, but they kept themselves somewhat together.

But Dad… He almost looked terrifying, like a devil with the purpose of leveling the earth with his enemies’ ashes. I’d never seen him so upset. So angry. So hopeless.

“Mom?” I croaked, my throat so tight I could barely push that single word out.

Five sets of eyes shifted to me, and with Matteo’s hand firm around my waist, I took unsteady steps, closing the distance between us. I practically fell into my parents’ embrace, their arms tightening around me. Gianna continued to sob somewhere in the background, our brothers soothing her with their whispers.

“How is she?” I finally rasped in a voice that sounded far away even to my ears. My gaze locked on the bed where my twin rested, the only reassuring sound that of my sister’s heartbeat on the monitor. “Where are the doctors?”

A pained expression crossed my dad’s face. “They did all they could. Now we… wait.”

“Wait for what?” My voice choked. “They don’t think she’ll⁠—”

No, I couldn’t utter those words. Hannah would wake up and wreak more havoc. She had to.

“She’ll come back to us,” Mom said with conviction I only wished I had while she attempted to hold back more of her tears. “The doctors believe she’ll recover nicely. She just…”

“She just has to wake up,” Gianna said, her voice strained.

Mom panted through her tears, holding on to her chest, and I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore. They spilled like a broken dam, along with long whooshes of breath that made it hard to breathe.

“She’ll wake up,” I whispered, tasting salt on my tongue and hyperventilating. “She’ll wake up, if for no other reason than to take revenge.” I met the gaze of the man who’d raised us. The man who’d always been here for us. “And you, Dad, will keep that fucker alive until Hannah’s strong enough to make him pay.”

After all, we were all legacies of heathens and revenge was in our blood.

CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

ARIANNA

My head whipped up when my twin’s body stirred, and an overwhelming, crushing feeling of relief surged through me.

“Hannah,” I called out and her eyes fluttered open.

She blinked once, twice, then whispered, “Arianna?”

Her voice was barely audible and a myriad of emotions started to suffocate me. I didn’t think, I just reacted, wrapping my arms around her frail frame. She had lost weight during her captivity, even in the last three days since I returned from the island.

“I’m so sorry, sis.” I squeezed her to me, her heartbeat against mine. “I should have been there for you. I’m so, so sorry.”

She stared at me, that usual spark in her eyes gone. “You have nothing to be sorry about.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, shaking my head. “I do. I was selfish and⁠—”

She shook her head, pain filling her features. “You must be talking about me. You’re never selfish.”

“I let you down.” It was getting harder and harder to breathe as the lump in my throat grew. I dragged in a heavy breath. “I wasn’t there for you and I’ll never forgive myse⁠—”

“No,” she cut me off. “You are always there for me.”

“But—”

“No buts. Whenever I cry or feel sad, you jump through hoops to fix it all and make me laugh. That sums up sisterhood. And what have I done?”

“You’ve been there for me too,” I reminded her.

She shook her head. “Not lately. For Christ’s sake, you were willing to sacrifice your love for Matteo for me.”

I gasped and our gazes locked.

“You knew?” I breathed.

“I didn’t know for sure until—” Until that night the planetarium burned down. The unspoken words lingered in the air and she let out a tired breath. “You should have told me.”

I hung my head with guilt. “I know. I was a coward.”

“You’re not a coward, but you should have trusted me enough. You’re my other half. Don’t you know I love you more than anything?”

A shuddering breath swished through my lips.

“You’re right. If I had, none of this would have happened. You wouldn’t be lying here.”

“Don’t blame yourself.” I didn’t say anything, but how could I not? I didn’t even know she was using drugs. How could I have been so damn blind?

“Why did you—” I faltered, unsure how to frame my question. I didn’t want to sound accusatory. “How long have you been using?”

The familiar, identical eyes met my teary gaze as I tried to keep it together. “It started shortly after Gianna’s kidnapping. You and I coped with it differently. You sombered and tried to be the best version of yourself.” She hesitated for a heartbeat. “I didn’t.”

“Damn it, Hannah,” I croaked. “You should have talked to me. I should have seen the signs. I should have⁠—”

“Don’t.” Her hand came to my mouth, silencing me gently, and she shook her head.

She lowered her arm, letting it fall onto the bed. So many unspoken emotions swirling around us. “I went to Ireland, thinking you were there. I was so off. You were tortured here and I was fucking vacationing.”

Self-disgust curled in the pit of my stomach.

“Remember what Gianna told us when we blamed ourselves for her kidnapping?” she asked after several heartbeats of silence. I nodded, but she continued just the same. “She said they would have just waited for another chance. They were waiting to strike, following us at every turn.”

“Dad said someone was erasing our digital footprint. It was the reason they couldn’t follow us. Do you think it was the evil cousin?”

She shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. He was too busy with me.”

“Then who?”

She shrugged.

“No idea.” Silence stretched for several heartbeats. “I do regret one thing,” she said, closing her eyes for several heartbeats. “I really wish I could give that evil cousin a taste of his own medicine.”

My lips curved into the first smile I’d managed the whole week. “When you get better, you can. Dad’s keeping him alive just for you.”

Surprise flashed in her eyes. “My sweet twin sister is ruthless. I like it.”

“He deserves it, and so do you.” I took a deep breath in, then slowly exhaled before I found the courage to ask the next question. “What have they done to you?”

Her eyes darted to the window, something in them unsettling.

“Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

And right there, I knew my sister had been in a bad place for a long time. She hid behind her wild ways and charming smiles, shoving whatever demons she was battling deep, somewhere they could never be found by anyone but her.

But with the right support, therapy, and a fuckton of love, she’d recover, because Hannah was one of the strongest women I knew.

“Where is everyone?”

“Right outside. I should have gotten them right away.” I went to get up but her hand stopped me. “What’s wrong, Hannah?”

“You and Matteo…” My eyes clashed with my identical ones. “Did you two work it out?”

“We did.” My heart jittered, a puddle of emotions making a mess of it.

“I’ve suspected for a while you had feelings for him.”

“How?”

“I know you, Arianna. I love you.”

I bit my bottom lip, trying to keep my questions in. Except I couldn’t. We had to clear this tension between us and move forward.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and whispered, “And the fire at the planetarium? That note saying you’ll never forgive me…”

“Simón forced me to write it.” Her eyes met mine, muted with pain and vacant for the longest time before they focused on me. “I’d kill for you. Burn the fucking world for you.” I stared at her tight expression as she continued, “But I’d never hurt you. I didn’t set the fire at the planetarium. Yes, I was upset and poured gasoline out, but I didn’t light the match. I could never hurt you like that. It was that fucking lunatic cousin of ours.”

I closed my eyes briefly in relief and soaked in that knowledge. Maybe deep down, I knew it wasn’t her. I certainly hoped it wasn’t.

“It’s in the past now,” I whispered. “All I care about is that you’re here and you get better.”

“I need you to know that I wouldn’t hurt you like that, sis,” she breathed out. “I can be a bitch, but I would never… ever hurt you.”

Fresh tears spilled down my face. “But I’ve hurt you.”

“You didn’t.”

“But Matteo⁠—”

“Matteo was never the one for me.” She shook her head, then gripped my hand. “I used him to make someone jealous.” I suspected I knew who, but I didn’t interrupt her. “In the process, I hurt you. I hurt Matteo. And I’ve caused harm to myself. It was all me.”

“I don’t want to lose you,” I murmured on a sob. I could handle a lot, but losing my sister wasn’t on the list. “Please, please, Hannah… Whatever you need, just talk to me and I’ll help.”

She pulled away and sucked in a deep breath before she spoke. “I just need time and help. For now, that help cannot be from you.”

Her words nearly split my heart in two.

“Why?”

“I love you and you’ll always be my other half, but this I need to do on my own,” she said, watching me with an expression that was tearing me into pieces. “Please, trust me.”

“I trust you.” My chest heaved, our harsh breaths echoing in the silence of the hospital room. “And I love you. Don’t ever forget that. We all love you.”

“I love you too. Always have and always will.” She released a shaky breath before she whispered, “I just need time to come to terms with… everything. Particularly with myself and the things I’ve done.”

With no words left to say, we hugged.

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

NICO

Matteo was here to stay.

That fucker forced marriage on Arianna, but judging by my daughter’s face, she didn’t mind it. In fact, she was so deeply in love with him that she took it upon herself to protect him from my wrath. Of course, she knew I was a sucker for making any of her wishes come true, so naturally, I couldn’t rough him up a bit for daring to point a gun—albeit an empty one—in her direction.

That didn’t mean that I missed any opportunity to throw jabs at him. The fucker took that with grace and a wide, happy smile which certainly made it lackluster.

“Are we going to stare at this guy or get started?” Matteo growled, eager to dish punishment at Simón King, the child we never knew Marco produced. Jesus fucking Christ. How many people were part of this organ trafficking scheme?

“You’re only extracting information,” I muttered to my son-in-law. “Remember, the final punishment is for Hannah to dish.”

I must admit being surprised when I heard that demand, but if it helped my daughter get the closure she needed, so be it.

Matteo stood over the fucker who lay on the ground with his mouth taped, arms and legs bound together. He stared up at us with those same dark eyes that his bastard father and grandfather had. The very same eyes I hoped never to fucking see again.

I crouched in front of the man and yanked the tape from his mouth without a care.

“It’s bonding time,” Matteo said with a twisted smile and an expression I hoped my daughter would never see on his face. “You tried to have my wife killed and for that you’ll regret ever being born.”

“Let’s not forget you kidnapped my youngest and took the kidney from my eldest,” I growled with a scary smile.

“Think about your mistakes as we bring you to the brink of death, only to heal you and restart the torture,” Matteo growled. “This place, Simón King, will be your tomb.”

We were in the basement where once upon a time, I’d tortured a woman who dared hurt my wife. Today, this man would meet the same fate, minus the killing. Because I always kept my word to my family.

Placing a gun on the nearby table, where torture tools sat, I yanked Simón by his collar and Matteo reached for the hook and hung him by his tied wrists.

I reached for my knife and our prisoner’s eyes filled with terror.

“Now, time for conversation,” I drawled, while Matteo circled him. “Trust me when I tell you, my son-in-law is a master at torture. And I know exactly how to keep you alive for Hannah.”

Simón tried to kick himself off the hook but failed.

In the next moment, Matteo lunged, smashing his fist into the man’s face and the sound of crunched bones and a howl filled the basement.

“Tell me who you’re working with,” Matteo snarled. “Names. Your connections. Everything.”

“I’m not telling you shit.” The man tried to appear strong, but I knew that would soon change.

I smiled cruelly and dragged the knife across his chest, cutting him open. The next cut I inflicted was on his arm. Matteo smashed his fists into his sides, over and over again.

It took five minutes for the bastard’s screaming pleas to start.

“Let’s try again, shall we?” I said matter-of-factly. “Who are you working with?”

“I… don’t have a list of names,” he cried. “It protects and ensures that the cause goes on.”

“Organ trafficking,” I hissed. “You call that a cause?”

“And the FBI?” Matteo asked.

Luciano had filled me in on the potential undercover agent who worked the case and we knew his name. We think. Unfortunately, Aurora Nikolaev and her contacts haven’t been able to share any details. The case was classified as top secret and we had yet to identify a contact that had proper classification to be able to access the files on it.

“Wh-what d-does the FBI have to do with anything?”

Matteo and I shared a look before I reached into my pocket for the sketch Arianna shared. It was the man she claimed helped her and Gianna escape. Agent Lloyd. The very same agent that constantly crossed paths with Matteo.

I shoved it into our prisoner’s face who was heaving as he stared down at us.

“Who’s this?” Blood, sweat, and tears smeared all over his face, he blinked harshly. “I hate repeating myself. Who. The. Fuck. Is. This?”

“O-one of the men,” he cried. “He works for the organization.”

“What’s his name?”

“R-Ryker,” Simón sputtered before his eyes widened. “H-he works for the FBI? No… no… It couldn’t… be.”

But something in his eyes told me he just realized that indeed it was, but it was too late. Matteo clocked him with the handle of his gun, knocking him out cold.

“Why does it feel this organization is much bigger than we realize?” Matteo grumbled, facing me.

“If it’s on the FBI’s radar and they have undercover agents working it, it must be,” I admitted reluctantly.

It would be on our children to end it. Just as my friends and I’d ended it two decades ago.

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE

ARIANNA

Weeks had passed since we returned from the island, and life would never be the same.

It was a given considering the witch hunt that was about to happen hit the families who had once worked so hard to eliminate human trafficking. They wouldn’t only fight our families, but those of the Omertà, Kingpins of the Syndicate, Yakuza, and Billionaire Kings. Now, we would all be targeted for our organs, and something told me the years to come would be hard.

For everyone.

Since we were back in the States, Matteo, being Matteo, refused to stay with his parents. Considering the tension that still lingered between my dad and my husband, staying with my parents was out of the question too. Matteo was still working on smoothing things over with Dad, who wasn’t as forgiving with him as he was with me and my sisters.

The penthouse in New York City was our first choice, but my parents complained that it showed favoritism to my new in-laws.

So, my dear husband found a solution that worked for all. A large estate between New York and Baltimore.

It was exactly where everyone had flocked to this afternoon, mere weeks after we left the island and our honeymoon-slash-kidnapping getaway.

Gianna and my brothers hugged us to death. So did Francesca. Our parents—mine and Matteo’s—were no better, and although there was a dark cloud that hung over all of us, I knew that we’d prevail. Our parents did it decades ago, and we would too.

After all, we were legacies of heathens too. We had one thing these evil men and women determined to restart these auctions didn’t have: the love and support from families and friends all over the world.

“It’s a good thing I picked a house with a large living room,” Matteo muttered, our fingers interlocked as our families filled the space. The large family room had two couches, two fireplaces, a large bar on one wall, and floor-to-ceiling windows on the opposite which led to the terrace and pool area.

Knowing our families, we ensured we had room to accommodate them all should they ever want to stay. Although, Matteo made it clear that he’d prefer they didn’t.

Every single family member had visited except for one. I understood why she couldn’t be here, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt. Despite everything, I’d hoped she’d make her way here after her release from the hospital. She didn’t; instead, she made her way to Ireland. My only consolation was that she’d be under the Callahan clan’s protection.

As if she read my thoughts, my younger sister left her spot at the bar and made her way over to me. Gianna’s eyes filled with tears as she handed me a note and my heart tripped over itself recognizing my twin’s writing.

I unfolded the letter and read.

“You okay, love?” Matteo’s voice pulled my attention to him as I fought the emotions squeezing my throat. All I could do was nod and show him the note. His eyes darted through the lines before his hold on me tightened. “She’ll come around, you’ll see.”

During the past few weeks, Matteo and I had finally found common ground and started working together—to eliminate organ trafficking, to protect our territories, and to make decisions together. He saw me as a person and his equal, not just the object of his obsession. He’d treated me like I was his queen, including me in his decisions, discussions, and worries during the day and at night.

He owned me in every possible way—physically and mentally—and I owned him. Together, we just fit.

We even got a tattoo together. Mine was on my spine, and said, “M&A. Strong alone, unstoppable together,” and no truer words had ever been written. Matteo’s tattoo had the same words but with flipped initials, and it circled his Roman numerals. The date of our first kiss.

“We’ll get through it all. Together.” My husband’s eyes locked with mine, and I couldn’t help but smile. He always knew what to say and how to make things better. Despite our rocky beginning.

“I love you, Matteo.”

He smiled and his hand wrapped around my neck as he pulled me over to him and pressed his mouth to mine. “You really do?”

“I really do.”

“Even though I pointed a gun at you?”

“Yes. You’re my life and…” My voice cracked with the emotions I felt for this man. “You’re my everything.”

“Good,” he grunted against my lips. “Because I love you too, and I’m never letting you go. I can’t live without you.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re too possessive.”

“I don’t care. Now say it again.”

“I love you, husband.” I sighed when his lips found mine in a kiss that made my pulse flutter every time.

“And I love you, wife.”

It was my turn to question him with a soft smile. “Even though I shot you?”

“Even so.”

EPILOGUE

MATTEO

One Year Later

The past year hadn’t been easy, but I wouldn’t have traded it for the world. I’d learned that I could handle anything life had to throw at me as long as Ari was by my side.

And by my side she was.

I’d come to the realization that my wife was the most beautiful woman in the world—inside and out. Every time I looked at her, I felt like the luckiest man alive.

I brushed my fingers against her strands of hair, moving them off her forehead. She leaned into my touch and I couldn’t help but smile. It was always like this with us, a magnetic force pushing us to each other.

The gentle breeze swept through the open windows while the sound of the waves crashing against the shore of the Sicilian villa mixed with my wife’s soft snores. We were in the villa my pa bought Mom, enjoying our second honeymoon.

My gaze fell to the letter I’d written for my wife. It’d become sort of a tradition, and I had to admit, seeing Ari melt against me after reading each one was addictive.

“I love you, baby,” I murmured softly. More than you’ll ever know.

I pressed a kiss to her cheek, placed the letter on her nightstand, and slipped out of bed to prepare her breakfast.

Today we’d visit Nonno’s grave where he was laid to rest next to the love of his life—Nonna—and his daughter. I couldn’t wait to share the news with him.

He would have loved this.

EPILOGUE

ARIANNA

Six Months Later

Istared at the little bundle in my arms with the dark hair and the complexion of his father. Our little boy decided to make an early appearance and I couldn’t say that I was upset about it, because he was born in Italy. Just like his papa.

“I hope Matteo’s back soon,” I muttered, missing him already. My husband went to buy a car seat since our son made an early appearance.

“I’m sure he will be.” Gianna sat at the foot of my bed, stretching her back. Matteo’s and my parents went to grab some food, putting Gianna in charge of my well-being. I wasn’t sure how smart that was because she eyed my son like he was some sort of alien. “Well, he looks like his papa. Huge and hairy,” Gianna drawled. “Hope your… pussy… survived such a big baby.”

I pursed my lips and met my sister’s gaze while my son slept safe and sound in my arms.

“My pussy’s just fine, thanks for your concern.” Her attention fell back to my son and I softened my voice as I asked, “Would you like to hold your nephew?”

“It feels wrong,” she muttered.

My brows furrowed. “Wrong? Of course not. It’s the right thing to do. He’s your nephew.”

She smiled. “I feel like I’m cutting in line.”

“I don’t understand.”

She waved her hand. “You will.”

I sighed. Sometimes it was impossible to keep up with all the brilliant minds in our family. “If you say so.”

“My baby nephew is perfect.” Her expression softened as she watched his face.

“The offer to hold him is still up for grabs,” I teased.

She flashed me a smile. “I’m going to take you up on it, I promise.”

I chuckled. “Okay. Now tell me what have you been up to?”

This time she grinned. “Oh, do I have a scoop for you!”

“A scoop?” I asked slowly. You never knew what you’d hear from Gianna. “Please tell me you’re talking about gelato. Matteo would probably love some ice cream right now.”

She scoffed. “What do I look like, an ice cream freezer? No, I have a scoop on the man who helped us escape.”

I stiffened and pressed my son to my chest protectively. “You found his location?”

Over the last two years, she had been unsuccessful in learning the location of the man who saved us. Not even Matteo could dig up anything.

“No,” Gianna answered. “But I know he’s on our side.”

“I doubt that any FBI agent is on our side,” I whispered. “You do know what our families do.”

She shrugged. “Well, the guy is definitely on our side.”

“How do you know that?”

She shrugged. “I asked him.”

“You asked him,” I repeated slowly.

“Yep.”

“You talked to an FBI agent?” She must have thought me dense because she gave me a “why do you keep asking dumb questions” look.

“Yep.”

My eyes widened and I glanced around us, although my hospital room was empty. “Are you crazy?”

“No, I’m not, but thanks for asking.” She waved her hand nonchalantly. “Don’t go into panic mode. I have him and this whole situation under control. We regularly exchange cryptic messages.”

I waved my free hand. “Under control? What cryptic messages?”

She shot me an exasperated look.

“The kind of messages nobody else can read.” Gianna was sharp and smarter than most men, although at this very moment, I had a hard time believing it myself. As if she read my thoughts, she flashed me a confident smile while her eyes twinkled mischievously. “Trust me, sis. He’s under my spell.”

“Hello, are you delusional? We’ll all end up in jail if he⁠—”

“Oh. My. Gosh.” She squealed so loud that my son stirred in my arms. “Is that a diamond? It’s freaking enormous.”

She yanked my hand and stared at the large stone. Matteo had given it to me after the most beautiful proposal a few months ago. Of course, we were already married, and the rascal had tattooed his name on my wedding finger, but I loved the gesture nonetheless.

But before anything else could be said, the door opened and my husband strode in, announcing, “Your surprise is here.”

I chuckled. “Don’t tell me you forgot I already gave birth to⁠—”

My words halted when I saw who was behind my husband.

“Surprise!” Hannah’s identical eyes watched me with that familiar sparkle and I sat up to run to her but she was faster. “Don’t you dare jump out of that bed like you didn’t just birth a giant.”

“Oh my gosh,” I cried, hugging her with my free hand while my son protested between us. I pressed a kiss on my sister’s cheek. “You look so good. So healthy.”

“I am. And so happy. I missed you so much.”

“Ditto.” Matteo made me so happy, loving me without reservation and with such possessiveness. But there was a piece of me that still missed her. “I can’t believe you’re here,” I breathed incredulously, then cooed at my son. “Your aunt Hannah is here.”

Matteo gently nudged me and took our son into his large arms. “That’s right, my son. Your aunt is here and she’s here to stay.”

My eyes darted between my twin and my husband. “Really?”

I met Gianna’s gaze, her previous words finally making sense. “I’ll hold my nephew after Hannah. The world is as it should be.”

“It certainly is,” Mom chimed in as she walked in, Dad’s arm wrapped around her. “All my babies are finally happy.”

“I object to still being called a baby,” Gianna grumbled, pressing a kiss to my son’s forehead. “For the love of God, Hannah, please hold the boy so I can finally hold him too.”

A laugh erupted and my heart glowed in my chest as I met my husband’s loving gaze, the chatter of our families a mere background noise.

Our family was finally whole again.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Thank you so much for reading Matteo! If you liked it, please leave a review. Your support means the world to me.

If you’re thirsty for more discussions with other readers of the series, you can join the Facebook group, Eva’s Soulmates group (https://bit.ly/3gHEe0e).

Next up in the series is Nikola (https://amzn.to/4l2VU81).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Curious about Eva’s other books? You can check them out here. Eva Winners’s Books https://bit.ly/3SMMsrN.

Eva Winners writes anything and everything romance, from enemies to lovers to books with all the feels. Her heroes are sometimes villains because they need love too. Right? Her books are sprinkled with a touch of suspense, mystery, a healthy dose of angst, a hint of violence and darkness, and lots of steamy passion.

When she’s not working and writing, she spends her days either in Croatia or Maryland daydreaming about the next story.

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