Prologue
I ’m lurking in the corner of the hospital room as my best friend and his family fawn over his newborn baby daughter. I’m the only person here who doesn’t share a scrap of DNA with anyone present, but I don’t feel left out, quite the opposite. I feel included … wanted . This is why I love being part of the Famiglia . It’s the first time in my life I’ve ever truly felt like I belonged somewhere.
It is a reminder that family isn’t always about blood. It’s about love, loyalty, and showing up. Sometimes, the people who choose you and stand by you end up meaning even more to you than those who birthed you.
Dante Mancini is like a brother to me, so I knew the second his face fell as he glanced down at his phone that whatever he’d read in the text message he just received wasn’t good news. He quickly schooled his features before anyone noticed, but it wasn’t quick enough to fool me. Over the years, I’ve come to know this man better than he knows himself.
After sliding his phone back into his pocket and running his flattened palms down the front of his trousers—another tell—his eyes briefly meet mine as he stands and crosses the room, heading straight for Alexander, his biological brother .
My suspicions deepen when he demands Alex hand back his daughter, giving him some flimsy excuse that holds no merit.
A knot of unease twists in my stomach when he finally manages to herd us out of his wife’s room, following us into the corridor. That can only mean one thing … I’m right. And whatever it is, he doesn’t want Arabella to hear.
My eyes don’t leave him, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that he’s now a father. He holds his little girl so effortlessly, so protectively, and with that unwavering confidence he’s always had despite her being so fragile and small.
It’s hard to believe the man he was before he became the Don of our Famiglia —the carefree jokester, always ready for a good time, the ladies’ man—is now a devoted husband and father.
A part of me envies him. Deep down, I’ve always hoped I’ll get the chance to have a family of my own one day … to be the kind of parent to my child that I never had growing up.
As soon as we were gathered outside, Dante motions for me to come closer. “Giuseppe Salvatori just boarded a plane to Australia,” he whispers in my ear, his voice low and tense. “You need to get Lucia to a safe house immediately.”
That knowledge hits me like a punch to the gut for two reasons. The first is the paralysing fear that Lucia’s safety is now in serious jeopardy. I’d hate to see what would become of her if Salvatori gets his filthy hands on her.
The motherfucker will marry that woman over my dead body.
My second concern, and probably the most dangerous of the two, is being locked away in a house with Lucia Rossi for the foreseeable future. That’s going to be a different kind of hell. It’s a temptation I don’t want or need. I’ve been avoiding her for months now, with good reason .
I blow out a frustrated breath because it’s an order, and I have no choice but to obey it. “Okay, boss,” I say.
“You’ll need to go to the house and grab some of her things. Take whatever food you want. I’ll make sure it’s all replenished by the time Arabella is released from here. I’ll come as soon as I can, but you may be in lockdown for a while.”
“Do you think Salvatori is bringing a war to us?”
He lifts one shoulder. “More than likely, I doubt he’s coming here for a leisurely holiday. For now, my first priority is Lucia. I guarantee he has his sights set on her. I’ll worry about the rest later. If you need to contact me, use the encrypted message app.”
“Alright.”
I wait until he disappears back inside his wife’s room before I stalk towards Lucia. “You’re coming with me,” I say, grasping her elbow.
“I am?” she answers as her pretty brown eyes widen. “Where are we going?”
“We’re leaving,” I grumble.
“Why?”
“Because I said so.”
“No!”
“What do you mean, no?” I growl.
“I’m staying here with my sister and baby niece.”
“This is not up for negotiation.” I bend my knees slightly, capturing her around the waist and hoisting her over my shoulder. She’s coming with me whether she likes it or not.
“Put me down, you … stronzo ,” she yells, and despite her calling me an arsehole, I bark out a laugh. I’ve always found her fiery side appealing.
When she starts to beat her fists against my backside, Alexander steps in. “I believe Lucia asked you to put her down.”
“I’m just following orders,” I reply, turning to face him .
“My brother told you to manhandle her? I highly doubt that.”
“He told me to get her to a safe house.”
As soon as those words are out of my mouth, Lucia pauses her assault on my body. “A safe house? Why?” she screeches.
“We have a situation.”
“What kind of situation?” she and Alexander ask in unison.
“Giuseppe Salvatori is currently en route to Australia.”
Lucia’s audible gasp is the first thing I hear, followed by Alexander’s “Fuck.”
“He’s come to get me, hasn’t he?” she asks.
The fear I hear in her voice tugs at my heartstrings. I slide her down the front of my body, and it’s not until she’s back on her feet that I realise my mistake. She’s close … too close.
“I’ll never let that happen,” I answer, using the tip of my finger to sweep a lock of her long, dark hair from her forehead.
It’s a move that feels way too intimate, one I shouldn’t have made, especially now that those damn cartoon-heart eyes of hers—the ones Dante always teasers me about—seem to have returned.
For the past few months, I’ve been lucky if I even get a smile from her. Since I pulled away, creating some serious distance between us to show her I wasn’t interested, she’s been scowling or turning her nose up every time our eyes meet.
I place my hand on her shoulder, turning her towards the lift. “Come,” I say as I start walking.
When she falls into step beside me and slips her dainty hand into mine, I freeze. I immediately shake it from her hold because I can’t let her get the wrong idea. She needs to understand this isn’t a romantic getaway. She’s in grave danger, and there’s no room for mixed signals or distractions. If I’m going to keep her safe, I need to stay focused, which means keeping my distance .
“If I’m going to protect you, Lucia, you’ll need to get over whatever infatuation you think you have with me. It’s distracting, and frankly, I don’t like it. So, before this goes any further, you must understand one thing. I’m not the guy you’re imagining, and this … whatever this is … it can never happen.”
Her lips purse, and that damn scowl of hers returns as she crosses her arms over those perky tits that I’m trying so hard not to notice.
“Infatuation? Huh. Don’t get ahead of yourself, hotshot. I can barely stand to be in the same room as you.”
“Good, let’s keep it that way,” I mumble, grasping hold of her elbow again. “Now that we’ve got that settled, let’s get the fuck out of here.”
“Oh my God, you have a puppy,” Lucia coos when we pull up out the front of my place. “I always wanted a puppy growing up, but Papa wouldn’t let me get one.”
“It’s a fully grown guard dog, not a puppy,” I growl, barely keeping my patience in check.
I’m already at my wit’s end with this woman. We went to Dante’s house first to pack some of Lucia’s belongings, and I swear, I’d rather wrestle with a tiger than deal with her antics right now. She’s been teasing me all day, acting like she’s completely oblivious to the effect she has on me.
I had to stand there and watch her pack every skimpy piece of clothing she owned, including her underwear. Each garment was more revealing than the last, and by the end, I was struggling to act unaffected as my cock continued to swell in my trousers.
No matter how fiercely I resisted visions of her in that cursed lingerie, they clawed their way into my mind. It felt like a sadistic game designed to break me, and I was the unwilling player.
They’re now filed away in my memory like the real-life image of her in that barely there bikini she came waltzing out of the house in months ago, when I was guarding her and Arabella while Dante was in Italy.
That memory still haunts me. Her flawless olive skin glowed in the sun, every delicious curve on display, and that damn flirty look she gave—like she knew exactly what she was doing—still plays on repeat in my head. I’ve tried to scrub that day from my mind countless times, but it’s useless. It’s ingrained into my brain.
I clench my jaw, trying to push those thoughts aside, but it’s useless. She has a way of getting under my skin and pulling at every thread of restraint I have left.
“If you value your hands,” I grumble, turning off the ignition and removing my seat belt, “I wouldn’t attempt to pat him.” I glance over at her, my tone dry but edged with warning. “Since you woke me at some ungodly hour this morning to take you to the hospital, I didn’t have time to feed him, so there’s a good chance he might eat you.”
I catch the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes as she looks at the massive guard dog pacing back and forth along the fence line, and I can’t help but feel a small surge of satisfaction.
“What’s his name?”
“Killer,” I growl.
“Ha ha, very funny.”
“True story.”
“That’s a stupid name,” she says, reaching for the door handle and exiting the car.
“It’s a great name,” I counter as I round the vehicle and join her on the footpath.
“Has he ever killed anyone?”
“No, but given half the chance, he would. He’s very protective, and I spent a small fortune having him professionally trained.”
That gives her pause as she takes a step closer to me. “I might just wait out here by the car,” she says.
“Nice try, but I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“You may be Dante’s underboss and best friend, but if anything bad happens to me, you know he’ll have your balls for breakfast.”
“I’m well aware. Nothing is going to happen to you on my watch. Sit, Killer,” I command, punching in the code for the gate. Like the obedient dog he is, he does as I ask. Lucia could take a lesson from him … knowing when to follow orders without question.
“Hi, Ki-Ki,” she says in that sweet voice of hers that I’m beginning to despise.
“His name is Killer,” I snap when I see the dog’s tail wag. That’s something he’s only ever done for me. Usually, he’ll growl at strangers while sizing them up.
I can only pray this woman is not going to work her magic on him as well, and distract him from his job.
“And like I said earlier, it’s a stupid name. It’s cruel and degrading.”
“It’s a fucking name, Lucia. Get over it.”
“You are labelling him to be something he’s not.”
“It’s not labelling when he’d willingly commit to his namesake.”
“You said yourself he’s never killed anyone before.”
“That’s because he’s never had the opportunity to. Would you like me to test that theory by throwing you over the fence?”
When she gasps, I roll my lips to hide my grin. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“You’re right, I wouldn’t. But trust me when I say he’d rip you to shreds if push came to shove. He identifies as a killer. His pronouns are ‘Try’ and ‘Me’. ”
I find myself smirking when she takes a wide berth as we enter my property, moving to the side that’s furthest away from my dog. And I’m glad she’s finally beginning to take me seriously.
“Nice place,” she says, once we step inside. I watch her eyes moving around the main room as we pause by the front door.
My house doesn’t even compare to the kind of luxury she’s used to. It’s not a mansion, just a humble three-bedroom, one-bathroom home, but over the last ten years, I’ve spent all my spare time renovating it and making it my own. I’m proud of everything I’ve accomplished here.
“Thanks,” I reply, running my fingers through my thick, dark hair.
This is the first real home I’ve ever had. Growing up, my mum moved us around constantly, and there were plenty of nights when I wasn’t sure if we’d even have a place to sleep. That kind of instability leaves a mark on a kid. So the moment I could afford it, I bought this place.
Joining the Cosa Nostra was one of the best things I could’ve done. It made me see that my struggles didn’t define me. I always believed I had the power to change my mother … to get her on the right track eventually, but I was wrong. I’d soon learnt I had the power to change myself and my circumstances, though. I haven’t looked back since.
Becoming part of the Mancini Famiglia gave me purpose, a safe space, and a family that cared about me just as much as I did them.
For the first time in my life, I had somewhere safe. A place where people had my back. I was surrounded by a group of men who understood the weight of survival and the rules that come with it. In the streets, no one cares about you unless you’re useful.
The Mafia gave me the kind of stability I never knew as a kid, and maybe that’s why I clung to it so tightly. It wasn’t just about power or money; it was the only constant I had ever known.
In a world full of chaos and broken promises, it was the one thing that never wavered, never walked away or let me down. It wasn’t love, but it was loyalty, and for someone like me, that was everything.
Lucia follows me into my bedroom so I can pack some clothes. When I exit my wardrobe with a suitcase in hand a few minutes later, I find her lying on top of the covers on my bed, her arms and legs spread wide, like a starfish.
It’s an image I don’t want or need in my head.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I bark with way more venom than I intended.
“Your bed is so comfortable,” she says, scissoring her arms and legs back and forth like she’s making a snow angel.
In all fairness, I don’t know if it’s an innocent move or part of a calculated plan, but the fact that my cock seems to be enjoying the sight means I need to shut this shit down immediatly.
I drop the suitcase in my hand, and stalk in her direction. “Get off,” I grumble, reaching for her arm and lightly tugging on it.
“Hey,” she replies, abruptly sitting up and shrugging out of my grip. “What’s your problem?”
“Get off my bed; I don’t want you on there.”
Her face rears back in shock as she stares up at me. “Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack.”
Her eyes narrow to slits as she shuffles to the edge of the mattress. “You don’t have to be such a stronzo about it. It’s not like I’m contaminated.”
“Go and wait for me in the main room, and stay the fuck away from my dog.”
I stand there, waiting for her to give me more lip, but this time she doesn’t. When her face drops, and she starts moving towards the door, I feel like the biggest bastard alive.
As soon as I’m alone, I take a seat on the side of the bed and bury my face in my hands. I’ve faced some pretty tough times in my life, but this is one task I’m not sure I’ll get through unscathed. Dante has warned me to stay away from Lucia, and the consequences that come with breaking his trust will be dire.
If I lived in a different world, one where time and circumstances didn’t have such a tight grip on me, I’d be all over a woman like Lucia Rossi. She’s got a fire and resilience that draws me in like nothing else. But she’s young, too innocent, and untarnished by the darkness I carry.
I’ve never known what it’s like to be loved by someone without them expecting something in return. A part deep inside me is fractured, broken beyond repair. Lucia has this sparkle and light that someone like me will only tarnish over time. She deserves a love that’s pure, untainted … something real. She deserves more than I could ever give, and that’s the hardest part to accept.