Saved By A God (Kings Of Mafia #10)

Chapter 1

Rosie

The Past…

With my eyes glued to Enzo, my futile crush of four to five years, I dreamily drink in every glorious inch of him.

God, he looks hot in those faded black jeans and a charcoal shirt with the top three buttons undone.

The rolled-up sleeves allow me to drool over all the corded muscle, visible veins, and tattoos on his forearms.

There are times his black hair, the scruff on his jaw, and light brown eyes with green flecks make him too beautiful to look at.

Sadly, Enzo views me as nothing more than a friend. Or even worse. A little sister.

Eww. Don’t even think that shit.

Even though he sat me down three years ago and told me he’s not interested in a relationship with anyone and that our friendship means too much to him, I still harbor a crush on him.

Remembering the embarrassing day, I scrunch my nose, then let out a sigh.

The stupid crush will probably never go away, which annoys me. I wish I could switch off whatever part of me finds him so damn attractive.

Christiano, Enzo’s older brother and the Capo dei Capi of the Cosa Nostra, is having a birthday party at their parents’ house in Manhattan.

I glance over the people who make up the Cosa Nostra family. Some are standing by the pool while others are gathered near the barbecues.

The soft outdoor lights have turned the backyard into an intimate setting, but I see the guards moving in the shadows.

Dammit, what’s keeping Gianna?

She needs to stop taking her sweet time and get her butt to the party.

We’ve been best friends forever, and since she started dating Riccardo, one of Enzo’s closest friends, the four of us have spent a lot of time together.

Unable to stop myself, I stare at Enzo again, watching him talk to Christiano near the table that’s covered with sodas and a variety of alcohol.

Enzo became his brother’s underboss four years ago and made it look like the easiest job on the planet.

They’re both armed, their guns tucked into the waistbands of their pants. My eyes dart to Georgi, Adriano, and Augusto, the other three capos, and seeing their weapons as well, I let out a sigh.

Right now Dad’s training me to take over as the Cosa Nostra’s hacker and IT expert. I know everything when it comes to computers, but Dad’s giving me time until my twenty-first birthday because he knows the other part of the business bothers me.

With my birthday around the corner, I’ll become the head of my family and the fifth capo in the Cosa Nostra, and the title will come with responsibilities I’m not ready for.

Yeah, I’m good with everything IT-related, but I’m not so sure about going to meetings with other criminal organizations or dealing with our enemies.

I know how to handle a gun, and I’ve had combat training, but it doesn’t mean I like it. Quite the opposite. I’m comfortable with computers, not violence.

Sigh. I’m Dad’s only heir, and Christiano has made it very clear he expects me to fill the position of a capo.

Adriano, who’s ten years my senior and everyone’s big brother, glances at me, and when he comes closer, I grin at him. “Hey, grumpy. Having fun?”

“Hmm…” He drops down beside me on the outdoor sofa, and placing his arm around my shoulders, he tucks me against his side. “You look worried. Tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it.”

I shrug while resting my head on his shoulder. “I’m just nervous about taking over from my dad.”

Adriano presses a kiss to the top of my head. “Why?”

“Because everyone keeps acting like being a capo is no big deal.” I gesture toward the men scattered around the veranda and backyard. “You guys make it look easy.”

When Adriano lets out a soft chuckle, I scowl at him.

“I’m serious.” My eyes drift toward Enzo and Christiano again.

“I can spend hours in front of a computer without blinking. I can find people, track money, monitor communications, break into systems, and build better security than half the governments in the world.”

“Only half?”

I roll my eyes at him before continuing. “But being a capo isn’t just computers.”

“No, it isn’t,” he agrees.

“It’s being out there that scares me,” I admit, a vulnerable tone to my voice. I pull back so I can look at Adriano, who has a pensive expression on his face. “Every time I leave a damn meeting, I feel sick.”

“Why?”

“Because the people sitting around those tables with us aren’t normal criminals.” I lower my voice. “Some of them are monsters.”

Adriano doesn’t argue.

“I’ve spent my whole life looking at information on a screen.

That’s different. I can disconnect from it.

Close a file. Shut down a monitor.” My stomach tightens with apprehension regarding the future.

“I don’t know if I can sit across from someone who sells drugs to kids and act like I’m not disgusted. ”

A muscle jumps in Adriano’s jaw, but he doesn’t interrupt me.

My eyebrows pull together as I admit, “I don’t know if I can shake hands with men who traffic people.

Or smile through a meeting while listening to monsters talk about things that should make anyone sick.

” The air suddenly feels much colder, and I rub my hands up and down my arms. “Half the time I walk into those meetings, all I can think is that I want to go home, take a bath in acid, and lock myself in my bedroom.”

Adriano lets out a slow breath, surprisingly being very patient tonight, so I keep going, “I watch you, Christiano, Georgi, and Augusto walk into dangerous situations like it’s any other Tuesday.

” I shake my head. “You meet with rival organizations. You negotiate with people who’d kill you if they thought they could get away with it.

You walk into rooms knowing there are armed men on the other side of the door. ”

Adriano lets out a heavy breath. “That’s part of the job, Rosie.”

“Exactly.” I throw my hands in the air. “And I hate that part.” I glance at the gun at his waist. “If something goes wrong, your instinct is to move toward the danger. Mine is to run in the opposite direction.”

Adriano’s arm tightens around my shoulders.

“Kid, nobody likes those meetings. None of us walks into a room full of depraved assholes, thinking it’s going to be fun and easy.

” He nods toward the other capos. “The difference is that we’ve been doing it for years.

We were all uncertain in the beginning.” He locks eyes with me before saying, “The day you stop being disgusted by people like that is the day you should worry.”

“Yeah, and what do I do about the fear part?”

“You trust us to keep you safe.” He leans a little closer while wrapping his fingers around the back of my neck. “Trust me to keep you safe.”

My gaze searches his before I whisper, “I know you’ll keep me physically safe, but what about the mental part? What if we attend a meeting and I have to watch as victims are paraded for sale, or someone is killed?”

“Shit like that doesn’t happen often, Rosie.” He moves his hand to my face and cups my cheek, and I lean into the comforting touch. “Stop overthinking everything. You’re going to be fine, and I’ll be there every step of the way. Got it?”

“Yeah,” I mumble while relaxing against his side, and Adriano hugs me tightly, making me feel better.

Movement catches my eye, and seeing my best friend signaling to me to come into the house, I say, “Gianna’s here. Thanks for listening to me.”

While I get up from the outdoor sofa, Adriano gives me a rare smile. “Always. Stop worrying and go have some fun.”

I quickly walk into the house and follow Gianna to the kitchen. Before I can ask where she’s been, she grabs my hand and says, “First things first. You look so pretty in that dress.”

Seeing excitement all over her face, I ignore the compliment and ask, “What took you so long?”

She drags me around the side of the island and tugs me down to sit on the floor. “Guess what just happened.”

From the happiness that’s shining in her eyes, it’s easy. “Riccardo finally proposed.”

She shoves my shoulder before letting out a happy shriek while nodding like a crazy person.

“Yessss!” I grab hold of my friend, hugging the crap out of her.

A sob bursts from Gianna. “I’m so happy.”

“And I’m happy that you’re happy.” Pushing her back, I demand, “Tell me everything. How did he propose?”

She quickly glances around the side of the island to make sure we’re alone before she whispers. “We had sex last night, and this afternoon he asked my parents for their blessing before he proposed to me. His entire apartment was covered in red roses.”

My eyes go wide as saucers. “Hold up. There’s a lot to unpack there. You guys finally had sex!”

“Shhh…” Giggling, she nods, then her expression turns dreamy. “It was perfect, Rosie. He was so gentle with me.”

Knowing Gianna was a virgin, I ask, “Did it hurt?”

She shakes her head. “Not at all.”

When her cheeks flush red, I chuckle. “You lost your V-card and got engaged in a matter of hours. Damn, girl. Sooo…” I widen my eyes slightly. “Did you orgasm?”

With a cheesy grin on her face, she nods. “My freaking toes curled.”

Only then do I think to look down at her hand, but not seeing a ring, I frown. “I’m going to slap that man upside the head if he proposed without a ring.”

Gianna lets out a soft giggle. “It was a size too big. Riccardo has it, so he can take it in to get it adjusted.”

Before I can respond, we hear footsteps and Riccardo and Enzo’s voices.

We peek around the island toward the doorway, and the moment the men enter the kitchen, we pull back. Gianna presses a finger to her lips, signaling for me to keep quiet.

Staying hidden behind the island, we listen as Riccardo says, “Your father put the fear of God in me when I asked him for his blessing.”

Enzo lets out a burst of laughter, the sound deep and a little dark. “What did you expect? Gianna’s the baby in the family.” There’s movement by the fridge, and we duck even lower while covering our mouths with our hands. “Damn, brother. You’re getting married soon.”

“I can’t fucking wait.” There’s so much love in Riccardo’s voice, I swear my best friend melts right beside me. “I hope you find someone who’ll make you feel the way I feel about Gianna.”

Enzo’s tone is dead serious when he mutters, “Not gonna happen. You know I don’t do relationships. Besides, look at where that got Christiano. He was willing to give Sienna everything, and now he’s stuck loving someone who doesn’t feel the same about him.”

Riccardo sighs heavily. “Let’s not get into the shit show that’s your brother and my sister.

Fuck knows what’s going on there.” He clears his throat, then says, “Going to Paradiso to get off will only satisfy you for so long, Enzo. At some point, it will lose its appeal, and you’ll start thinking about settling down like the rest of us. ”

“I’m perfectly happy with no names, no faces, and no getting to know some fucking woman just to get laid.”

Enzo sounds so cold and clinical about sex, it reaffirms that my dream of being with him is just that… a futile dream.

“Have you seen Gianna?” Riccardo asks.

“No.”

“She’s probably somewhere with Rosie.”

When the men leave the kitchen, I exhale a sigh as I climb to my feet.

Gianna knows all about my crush on her brother, and giving my hand a squeeze, she whispers, “How are you holding up?”

I shake my head and force a smile to my face.

“Don’t stress. Enzo didn’t say anything we didn’t already know.

I’m not holding out for a miracle.” Wanting to make my point, I don’t think it through before saying, “In fact, I’m going to take a page out of his book and make an appointment at Paradiso for my twenty-first to lose my virginity. ”

Gianna’s lips part as shock ripples over her face. “Say what now?”

“With all the overprotective men in the family, I’ll never get to date, and I don’t plan on dying a virgin. If it works for Enzo, why not me? I’ll go to Paradiso and request no names, no faces, no talking.”

“That’s insane, Rosie!” Gianna shakes her head wildly. “Your first time can’t be with some random stranger.”

“Why not? If we’re being honest, I already lost my virginity to a vibrator. I just want to know what sex is like with something that isn’t battery-operated.”

She keeps shaking her head while grabbing my forearms. “It’s going to be cold and emotionless. It won’t mean anything.”

Not wanting her to worry, I lie and say, “You’re right.” Walking to the doorway, I see Riccardo coming down the stairs and heading outside, where everyone is socializing. “Go put your man out of his misery, Gianna. He’s still looking for you.”