Deluca Crime Family – South Series by Fiona Davenport – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

Deluca Crime Family – South Series by Fiona Davenport – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com Mon, 21 Apr 2025 22:20:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.2 http://www.ilovenovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Deluca Crime Family – South Series by Fiona Davenport – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com 32 32 The Collector’s Temptation (Deluca Crime Family – South #3) Read Online Fiona Davenport http://www.ilovenovels.com/the-collectors-temptation-deluca-crime-family-south-3-read-online-fiona-davenport Mon, 21 Apr 2025 22:20:07 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/the-collectors-temptation-deluca-crime-family-south-3-read-online-fiona-davenport Genre: Alpha Male, Insta-Love, Mafia, Virgin Authors: Fiona Davenport Series: Deluca Crime Family - South Series by Fiona Davenport
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Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36890 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 184(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)

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In the shadowy world of the Mafia, art is not just passion—it’s business.

As the DeLuca’s best forger and the reason their smuggling operation was so successful, Aston Couillens was a master at orchestrating the art of deception. Until when he crossed paths with Kerrigan Vale, and his sophisticated facade began to crumble.

The brilliant museum curator presented a temptation he couldn’t resist, but Kerrigan was on a collision course with dark secrets rooted in the underbelly of the art world. Stumbling upon a forgery, Kerrigan unraveled a dangerous web of crime and deception that could jeopardize her budding career. But when her life was at stake, Aston was caught between love and loyalty.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

KERRIGAN

“It’s two in the morning. What’re you doing up so late?”

Looking up from my computer screen, I flashed my roommate a tired smile. “Doing a little research into a painting that’s coming up for auction soon.”

Melanie kicked the door closed behind her. “When you told me about your job, it sounded so cushy, but you work harder than anyone I know.”

Landing a position as an assistant curator at The Peachtree Museum of Fine Arts straight out of my master’s degree program was a major accomplishment, but I still had a long way to go to prove myself. Especially since I didn’t have any connections to the art world in Atlanta. “I need to show my boss what I'm capable of, which isn’t going to be easy when you’re the only person I know here except for my coworkers. Getting hired was the easy part. So far, Susan is treating me more like a cataloger than an assistant curator. If I want her to trust me with an exhibition or display, I need to impress her. Somehow.”

“With how hard you work, I’m sure you’ll figure it out in no time at all.” Melanie kicked off her shoes and padded closer to where I sat at the small round table next to our kitchen. “I have to admit, when you responded to my listing for a roommate, I thought you’d be totally different.”

“In a good way?”

Her nose scrunched. “You’re totally awesome, but I expected you’d be more…uptight, I guess? Your job sounded so fancy compared to mine. I wasn’t sure if you’d look down on me for just being a server.”

I was so lucky that Melanie chose me as her roommate. Between college loans from my bachelor’s degree and half of the rent on our two-bedroom apartment, my $40,000 a year salary only went so far. Doing it on my own, I would’ve needed to choose between a tiny studio to still be in Midtown with an easy commute to work or an apartment in another neighborhood farther away and not nearly as nice. It also didn’t hurt that Melanie was awesome.

“I actually love that you’re a server. That’s how I paid for most of my undergrad. So I know firsthand how hard you work.”

Melanie raised the carryout containers in her hands with a grin. “At least the kind of jobs my boss takes come with incredible leftovers.”

After closing my laptop, I stood and peeked inside the box. “Is that filet and lobster?”

“Yup.” She rubbed her stomach. “And the one underneath it has crème brûlée. We’re going to eat great tomorrow.”

I rubbed my palms together. “I can pick up some good buns from the grocery store if you’ll do those amazing lobster rolls you made a couple of weeks ago.”

“Sounds like the perfect plan to me.”

“Yum.” I licked my lips. “How could you ever think I would be mad about living with you when you so willingly share perks like this with me?”

Melanie shrugged. “I don’t know, but some people are weird.”

“Too true,” I agreed with a soft laugh.

She jerked her chin toward the top container. “In the mood for a middle of the night snack? I spent all night smelling this amazing food while running around to make sure the guests at the swanky dinner party had anything and everything they wanted before they could even ask for it. As tired as I am, I’m even more hungry.”

“I could eat.”

She beamed a smile at me. “That’s another thing I like about you…I don’t have to worry about you judging me because I eat more than just salad. One of the other people who reached out about my listing was a model who wanted to get into acting, and I hit delete so fast because no way was I going to live with the kind of side-eye I get from my mom whenever I eat carbs.”

“I have no room to judge.” I gestured toward my short and curvy body. “And I like food way too much to skip out on something delicious just because it’s full of empty calories.”

“Which is why I snagged four crème brûlées.” She set the boxes on the table and dropped onto the chair across from where I’d been sitting. “I think maybe one of the women at the party actually ate their dessert. The rest told us not to even bother bringing them out so they wouldn’t be tempted.”

“Their loss is our gain.” I grabbed a couple of bottles of water from the fridge before sitting back down and sliding one across the table to her.

As we munched on cold filet straight from the box, not even bothering with a fork or knife with how tender it was, Melanie asked, “What’s up with the painting you were researching?”

I opened my laptop, typed in my password, and turned the screen toward her. The dramatic interplay of light and dark of the painting on my screen was breathtaking to me, but my roommate didn’t seem impressed.

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The Bodyguard’s Vow (Deluca Crime Family – South #2) Read Online Fiona Davenport http://www.ilovenovels.com/the-bodyguards-vow-deluca-crime-family-south-2-read-online-fiona-davenport Thu, 17 Apr 2025 13:13:33 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/the-bodyguards-vow-deluca-crime-family-south-2-read-online-fiona-davenport Genre: Alpha Male, Erotic, Insta-Love, Mafia, Virgin Authors: Fiona Davenport Series: Deluca Crime Family - South Series by Fiona Davenport
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Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36109 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)

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The mafia king’s personal bodyguard never let himself get close to anyone...until he developed feelings for his boss's sister.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

GABRIELLA

“Vincent is driving you, and that’s final.”

I was perfectly capable of going into town by myself since I had my own car and license, but I knew better than to argue with Rafa when he used that tone. He wasn’t just my big brother but also the head of the DeLuca Crime Family’s Southern branches. Although I usually saw his softer side, he’d earned his nickname as the Mafia King of the South, and there were times when he didn’t bend with my sisters or me.

“Whatever you say, brother dearest.” I gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “Just so long as he’s ready to leave now and doesn’t mind waiting around for a couple of hours. You know how Opal and I are when we’re together, and this is my last chance to have a face-to-face gabfest with her for an entire year. I refuse to be rushed.”

“Vincent is already waiting out front for you. Take all the time you need. Even if he complained—which would never happen—you’ll be gone too soon for it to bother you much.”

I beamed a grin at him. “Good point.”

I was so excited to spend an entire year in New York, but I would miss my friends and family. And a certain bodyguard who’d caught my eye, but I’d never admit that to anyone because it would get me into all sorts of trouble with Rafa since Domenico was his best friend and an entire decade older than me.

I hadn’t even told any of my friends or sisters about my crush. Saying it out loud would make my feelings too real…and the pain of him not returning them that much stronger.

While I was thrilled to get a little time with Opal before I left, I also needed to watch what I said to her. We met all the way back in kindergarten, so even though we didn’t see each other as often as we’d like since our homes were about as far away from each other as they could get and still go to the same school, she knew me well enough to catch on when I was hiding something.

Her ability to know I had something on my mind had gotten awkward a few times growing up since my brother’s place in the DeLuca Crime Family meant there were instances when I had to keep stuff that I’d overheard to myself. And it had only gotten more complicated when Opal’s brother joined the crime syndicate that ran the town where they lived because it put Rafa and Oswald at odds with each other. But we never let their issues get in the way of our friendship.

Any worries I had about the secret I was keeping from her flew out of my head ten minutes later as I approached the booth in the local diner where Opal was waiting for me. There were dark smudges beneath her eyes, her hair looked as though she hadn’t brushed it in days, and her cheekbones were more pronounced than usual, making me think she’d lost a lot of weight since I last saw her only two weeks ago.

Rushing forward, I slid onto the bench across from her and reached out to grab her hands. “Have you been sick? Are you okay? Maybe I should put off my trip out to New York for a week or two, and you can come stay with Mamma and me. She’ll make all your favorite foods to put some meat back on your bones.”

“I’m not sick,” Opal whispered, her gaze darting around the diner before she leaned closer. “And going to your house will only help me for a little while.”

My brows drew together. “What do you mean?”

Her lips flattened into a thin line as the server approached our booth. “What can I get you?”

“Just a water for me.”

Opal’s answer worried me even more because she always got a milkshake when we came here. The only exception was when she found out that Oswald had killed someone to prove to the other members of the syndicate that he was strong enough to step in as their leader when the previous one died.

“Two strawberry milkshakes, please.”

The server took down my order and hurried away to fill coffee cups for a few tables. As soon as she was out of earshot, I demanded, “What in the heck is going on?”

Her red-rimmed eyes filled with tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. “Oswald is trying to negotiate a deal with a crew down in Florida. Their operation is bigger than his, so he apparently doesn’t have the upper hand. And the guy who does wants a big concession from him to clinch the deal.”

My eyes widened as I gaped at her. “How do you know all of this?”

Opal wasn’t close to her brother, and he never shared syndicate business with her. The only reason she’d found out what he’d done to become the local leader was that she’d accidentally overheard the tail end of a phone call he’d taken a week later.

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The Mafia King’s Stolen Fiancee (Deluca Crime Family – South #1) Read Online Fiona Davenport http://www.ilovenovels.com/the-mafia-kings-stolen-fiancee-deluca-crime-family-south-1-read-online-fiona-davenport Wed, 19 Mar 2025 15:57:42 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/the-mafia-kings-stolen-fiancee-deluca-crime-family-south-1-read-online-fiona-davenport Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Contemporary, Mafia, Novella, Virgin Authors: Fiona Davenport Series: Deluca Crime Family - South Series by Fiona Davenport
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Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 38670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 193(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)

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Raffaele DeLuca was considered the mafia king of the South, ruling his branch of the DeLuca Crime Family with an iron fist. He’s never had a woman to stand by his side, but he finally found his queen—the runaway fiancée of a powerful politician.

Vivienne Blackwell was only eighteen when she agreed to an engagement that would benefit her family. She has grown to despise her fiancé but was trapped with no easy way out. Until the night he went too far, and Vivienne finally ran…straight into Raffaele’s willing arms.

Vivienne had no idea who he was, but she trusted the determined gleam in his dark eyes when Raffaele promised not to let anyone hurt her again.  The man threatening to take Vivienne back from Raffaele was about to learn a dangerous lesson—nobody crossed the DeLucas without paying a steep price

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

1

VIVIENNE

It felt as though this night was never going to end. The dress my mom insisted I wear was too tight and scratchy, the food was overly salted, and the company was boring me to death. The topic of conversation should’ve been a bright spot since it was my wedding, but it only made me feel worse.

“I was thinking we should tell the florist to change to orchids.” My future mother-in-law told my mom. “The Worthingtons are planning to use mini callas for their daughter’s wedding, and I don’t want it to seem as though we’re copying them.”

Neither flower was what I would’ve picked since purple roses were my favorite, but that didn’t matter to either woman. Although I was the bride, none of the wedding decisions had been made with my preferences in mind. Everything was being planned for maximum effect on our guests and the press. Not that any of this really mattered to me since I was dreading the whole event.

My mother considered the suggestion as she took a sip of her martini. “What about lily of the valley instead? They’ll be horribly expensive since the wedding is around when they’re only starting to bloom, but we’ll be the first to use them during this wedding season.”

I held back a grimace. Now wasn’t the time to remind my mom that I was allergic to lily of the valley.

Mrs. Chanler’s lips curved into a satisfied smirk. “Perfect.”

That certainly wasn’t the word I would have used.

Growing up, I thought I was so lucky because my parents spoiled me, buying me just about anything I could ever want. But as I got older, I learned that my sheltered upbringing hadn’t done me any favors.

My mom had prepared me to be arm candy to a powerful man, just like she was. And I didn’t know how to be anything else. This was why I agreed when they set me up with the only son of the Chanlers, a powerful political family they wanted closer ties with. I’d known it was my path in life since I was a little girl.

I barely knew Chet, so I didn’t see through his gentlemanly mask during our two dates before he proposed. It took a while for me to realize just how horrible of a person he was. By then, it was too late because our parents had placed an engagement announcement in all the papers. Backing out after everyone knew we were supposed to get married would embarrass everyone.

It had taken me several months to gather my courage, but the day I planned to talk to my mom about not wanting to marry Chet, he announced his run for governor. With his political aspirations on the line and facing my parents' disappointment, I knew getting out of my engagement would be next to impossible. So, here I was, still engaged and stuck sitting at a table next to the world’s worst fiancé.

Chet leaned close, his hot breath on my ear, and a shiver of unease slithered down my spine. “All this talk about flowers has me thinking we should go for a stroll in the gardens.”

He pretended to speak intimately to me, but his voice was just loud enough for the others to hear.

My dad sent an approving smile his way. “Excellent idea.”

“Yes,” my mom agreed with a nod and beaming smile. “I’ve heard they’re the best in the area.”

“A romantic walk in the garden sounds lovely.” Mrs. Chanler sighed, sending a longing look in her husband’s direction, but he was too busy ogling the server to notice. Something he had in common with his son. I’d brought up his roaming eyes to my mother once, and she’d assured me that he was just looking and was surely being faithful. I didn’t share her confidence.

Somehow, I’d been able to limit my alone time with Chet during the two years we’d been engaged, but there were instances like this when I had no choice. So I put a smile on my face and pretended I didn’t feel the need for a scalding shower after I was close to him.

He gently took my hand and helped me up from my seat. Then he put his palm on my lower back, uncomfortably close to my butt, and nodded at our parents before guiding me toward the doors. He didn’t say anything until we were outside, but the tension I could feel coming off him in waves made me nervous.

“Why are you acting like a spoiled brat tonight?” he growled, wrapping his hand around my upper arm now that we were alone. “My future wife should be overjoyed to talk about her wedding. People are going to notice your sulking.”

I let out a squeak of surprise when he jerked me behind him, making me stumble. “My dress is uncomfortable,” I muttered, the only excuse I could think of besides telling Chet that I hated him and didn’t want to go through with the wedding.

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