Kings of Mafia Series by Michelle Heard – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

Kings of Mafia Series by Michelle Heard – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:50:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 http://www.ilovenovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Kings of Mafia Series by Michelle Heard – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com 32 32 Vicious Devil (Kings of Mafia #9) Read Online Michelle Heard http://www.ilovenovels.com/vicious-devil-kings-of-mafia-9-read-online-michelle-heard Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:50:24 +0000 https://www.ilovenovels.com/vicious-devil-kings-of-mafia-9-read-online-michelle-heard Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Dark, Erotic, Mafia Authors: Michelle Heard Series: Kings of Mafia Series by Michelle Heard
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Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 84324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)

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From USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author Michelle Heard comes a new STANDALONE, full-length MAFIA ROMANCE novel.

At the lowest point in my life, I walk into the busiest club, hoping to get a job. Somehow, I end up on stage, being told to strip, and before I can even decide if I’m desperate enough, a terrifying man orders me to leave.

I do my best to ignore my fear as I follow him to his office, not knowing it’s about to cost me everything.

Turns out I’m more desperate than I thought, and I swallow my pride and beg.
But Adriano Rizzo doesn’t offer me employment.
Nope, he makes me a deal that’s hard to refuse.
I tell myself I can handle whatever he demands of me.
Boy, am I wrong.

Hidden in the fine print, I didn’t bother to read, is a clause I never saw coming.
Marry him. Or I walk away with nothing and end up back on the streets.

While I’m still trying to decide, he changes the rules, and before I know it, I’m saying my vows to a man I barely know. To make matters worse, just as we leave the church, he pulls out a gun and empties it into some poor soul. Right in front of me!
That’s when I learn the truth…

Adriano Rizzo isn’t just some heartless, filthy-rich club owner.
He’s a boss in the Cosa Nostra, and I’ve just married into a world that’s violent, ruthless, and deadly.

STANDALONE: A Standalone Mafia Romance

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

Family Tree

ADRIANO RIZZO

↓

Family Business: Cosa Nostra

Father: Angelo Rizzo (Tempted By The Devil)

Mother: Vittoria – Tori – Rizzo (Tempted By The Devil)

Brother: Remo Rizzo

Best Friends: Augusto Vitale (Craving Revenge) & Georgi Torrisi (Possessive Enemy)

Godfather: Damiano Falco (God Of Vengeance)

LAURIE BARNES

↓

She’s a regular person who knows nothing about the Cosa Nostra.

Father: Danie Barnes

Stepmother: Tracey Barnes

Half sister: Emily Barnes

Half brother: Tyler Barnes

Mother: Janet Reynolds

Stepfather: Mark Reynolds

Stepsister: Ashley Reynolds

Best Friend: Elise De Smet (Online)

Chapter 1

Laurie

Adriano Rizzo, 36. Laurie Barnes, 25.

After locking up, a tired sigh escapes me as I glance up and down the street.

I can hear a faint beat of music coming from the club, Fallen Angels, that’s situated on the corner. My eyes glide over the long line of people waiting to get in. Even though it’s chilly tonight, most of the women are wearing short dresses.

Wrapping my cardigan tighter around myself, I begin to walk toward the intersection.

I’ve been working late the past two weeks, crunching numbers and putting together next year’s budget for all the current and upcoming jobs.

I feel it’s a waste of time, though. The construction company I work for never sticks to the budget. I swear, Heather only makes me do them because she knows how much I dislike them. Ever since I started dating Austin, her younger brother, she’s been bitchy toward me.

I’ve tried bringing it up to Austin, but he always takes her side and tells me I’m too sensitive. He works on-site with Jason, the owner and Heather’s husband, so he’s never around to see how she treats me.

To make matters worse, I don’t even get overtime. When I think of my crappy salary, that hasn’t changed over the past three years, bitterness crops up in my chest.

The itch to look for a new job creeps under my skin.

Things haven’t been great between Austin and me. I feel like nothing more than his glorified maid. Even when I work late, he doesn’t bother helping around the house.

When we started dating, he wasn’t my type, but I gave him a chance because he seemed like a good guy. The first year was great, then things got a little stale the second year, and over the past few months, it feels like I’ve faded into the background. It’s as if I’m just another piece of furniture instead of the woman he’s supposed to love.

Am I the problem?

It’s the same with my family. After my parents got divorced and married other people, their new families were all that mattered, and I became the mistake from their past they were forced to keep around.

Stopping at a traffic light, a black G-Wagon draws my attention as it stops right in front of the club’s entrance.

Some of the women standing in the line become visibly excited, and when the back door of the expensive SUV opens, they start to shout, like the person getting out is some big-name celebrity.

Curious myself, I look at the man as he climbs out, and when he adjusts his leather jacket, my eyebrows lift with appreciation because he’s very attractive. The next instant, he glances in my direction and our eyes lock.

It’s only for a couple of seconds, but something about the dark expression on his face makes all my alarm bells go off, and while the other women lose their minds for him, I tear my gaze away and quickly cross the street when the light turns green.

I keep my head lowered and my arms wrapped around myself, but my curiosity wins out, and as soon as I reach the curb, I sneak another glance.

The man ignores all the women as he walks to the entrance, and I wonder who he is. He pats the bouncer’s shoulder, and just as I’m about to lose sight of him, his head turns, and once again, our eyes meet.

Shit.

My face turns beet red as I pick up my pace, darting down the street and away from the club.

During the forty-minute commute, my thoughts turn from the attractive guy at the club to Austin and the chores waiting for me at home.

Checking the time on my phone, I see it’s almost ten pm.

I have to do a bundle of laundry before we run out of clothes.

When I’m near the house, I dig my keys out of my handbag before stopping by the mailbox to check if there’s anything.

Seeing two envelopes and a bunch of flyers, I grab them, and when I go into the house, I’m met with the sound of a man’s voice droning on about ancient pyramids on the TV.

I place the mail and my keys on the side table near the front door. “Austin?” I call out while digging my phone out of my bag before setting it down as well.

“What?” he mumbles from the living room.

“I’m home.”

“Mm.”

I notice there’s a text from Elise, my only friend. I met her in a reader’s group, and we got along really well. One thing led to another, and after four years, she’s the only person who really cares about me. Even though she lives in Belgium and we’ve never met in person, I love her.

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Possessive Enemy (Kings of Mafia #8) Read Online Michelle Heard http://www.ilovenovels.com/possessive-enemy-kings-of-mafia-8-read-online-michelle-heard Wed, 13 May 2026 18:52:52 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/possessive-enemy-kings-of-mafia-8-read-online-michelle-heard Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Dark, Mafia Authors: Michelle Heard Series: Kings of Mafia Series by Michelle Heard
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Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 85834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >89

From USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author Michelle Heard comes a new STANDALONE, full-length MAFIA ROMANCE novel.
My father orders me to seduce a man most people are too afraid to even look at.
Georgi Torrisi.
Head of the Torrisi family and a Cosa Nostra Capo.
A brutal and powerful man who rules his world with violence and absolute control.

And I’m supposed to make him want me.

Turns out my father thinks he can use Georgi to get to Atanas Petkov, our family’s sworn enemy. If Atanas continues to grow in power with Georgi’s help, it will mean the end of my father’s reign of terror, and I’m the bait meant to make one of the most dangerous men in New York lower his guard.

Do I have a choice?
No.

Hours later, Georgi Torrisi is chained in my father’s basement while the man I helped betray is beaten and tortured.
My already messed-up life takes a turn for the worse because I didn’t expect the guilt.
I didn’t expect the way his eyes still burn when he looks at me.

And I definitely didn’t expect myself to unlock the chains and set him free.

The moment Georgi walks out of that basement, he turns into a violent monster that’s out for revenge. Once the hallways of my family home are painted red, he takes my daughter and me with him.

There’s no running.
No hiding.

And now all I can do is pray I survive being at the mercy of the man I betrayed.
STANDALONE: A Mafia Romance full-length novel

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

Songlist

Spotify

Holding Out For A Hero – Nothing But Thieves

Stronger – Thunderstorm Artis

Do You Really Want To Hurt Me – Denmark + Winter

Oats In The Water – Ben Howard

Such Great Heights – MILCK

Bring You Back – Gold Brother, LIIV

Here We Come – NOCTURN, Lexxi Saal

Knocking On Heaven’s Door - RAIGN

With Arms Wide Open – Tommee Profitt, Nicole Serrano

Love The Hell Out Of You – Lewis Capaldi

Family Tree

GEORGI TORRISI

↓

Family Business: Cosa Nostra

Father: Renzo Torrisi (Hunted By A Shadow)

Mother: Skylar Torrisi (Hunted By A Shadow)

Sister: Raya Torrisi

Best Friends: Augusto Vitale (Craving Revenge) & Adriano Rizzo (Vicious Devil)

Godfather: Franco Vitale (Craving Danger)

NINA PAVLOVA

↓

Family Business: Bulgarian Criminal Organization

Daughter: Simona Pavlova - Simi

Father: Boris Pavlov

Mother: Deceased

For clarity, Pavlov is the masculine form of the surname, and Pavlova is the feminine form in Bulgarian.

Chapter 1

Nina

Georgi Torrisi; 35. Nina Pavlova; 27.

Bracing myself for whatever fresh hell my father has decided to unleash today, I push the heavy door open and step inside the office.

Boris Pavlov never calls for me unless he needs something, and it usually means I’ll be forced to suffer through whatever horrid scheme he has planned.

God help me.

The office smells the same as always. Expensive leather, cigar smoke, and whiskey. Scents that seem permanently soaked into the dark wood panels and thick carpets.

Scents that make my stomach churn with dread.

Lifting my eyes, they lock on the man who’s nothing more than my jailer. Hatred and unspeakable pain are the only things I’ve ever received from him.

Dark memories, filled with indescribable trauma, shudder through my broken mind.

Slowly, my gaze goes to the spot where my mother bled out on my eighteenth birthday. We were both called into his office, and when he ordered me to sleep with Anton Belinski so he could secure a deal with him, Mom fought back.

Boris beat her to death right in front of me for daring to oppose him. Up until that moment, I thought being abused by him was the worst fate I could suffer.

I was wrong.

Mom died, and I was locked in a bedroom. That same night, Anton raped me for the first time. My virginity was stolen violently, and since then, I’ve been the payment for every deal Boris has signed with Anton.

The past nine years of hell tighten the noose around my neck a little more as I keep quiet while watching Boris as he sits behind the enormous desk that dominates the room.

His attention is fixed on documents spread out in front of him as if I am no more than a servant entering the room rather than his daughter.

I’ve never been his daughter. The only person who loved me is dead. I don’t even know what happened to her body.

Simi’s face flashes through my mind. Her soft, pink cheeks and dark eyes make her the spitting image of me.

Even though Anton is her father, he has ignored her existence because she’s not a boy.

My daughter’s future fills me with an ungodly fear. I’ve spent countless hours trying to come up with a plan to escape, but everytime I’ve tried, we’ve been dragged back. Boris separated us after my last failed attempt. As punishment, I was locked in the basement for a week while a recording of Simi crying was played on repeat.

It fractured my mind, and I haven’t been the same since.

My daughter is the only reason I’m still alive. Without her, I would’ve slit my own throat years ago.

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Forceful God (Kings of Mafia #7) Read Online Michelle Heard http://www.ilovenovels.com/forceful-god-kings-of-mafia-7-read-online-michelle-heard Thu, 26 Feb 2026 08:20:21 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/forceful-god-kings-of-mafia-7-read-online-michelle-heard Genre: Alpha Male, Angst, Contemporary, Dark, Mafia Authors: Michelle Heard Series: Kings of Mafia Series by Michelle Heard
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Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 70928 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >74

From USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author Michelle Heard comes a new STANDALONE, full-length MAFIA ROMANCE novel.

I was born into the Cosa Nostra, so I should be used to the blood, violence, and constant threat of death, right?
Wrong.

Every time one of the men I love gets hurt, another piece of me fractures beyond repair. But the moment I see the man who owns my heart fall, it annihilates me.

The fear of losing Christiano forces me to the edge of my sanity. I shut down and push him as far away as possible, convinced distance is the only way to keep myself from unraveling. Christiano is as cold and merciless as his father, raised to rule the Cosa Nostra with an iron fist. Obsession runs just as deep as power in his bloodline, so no matter what I say, he won't let me go.

Refusing to marry him doesn't drive him away. It changes him, making him an unforgiving and ruthless man who will use force to keep me exactly where he wants me. I hide my weakness behind lies, but they only seem to feed the darkness in him.

Like the predator he is, he watches me, waits for me, corners me. Every explosive encounter strips away my resolve until there's almost nothing left.

The threat of the five families being torn apart is the only thing that finally makes me give in to his advances, but as I say my vows to Christiano, I know it's only a matter of time before he realizes I'm not the perfect mafia princess he thinks I am.

What will happen when the capo dei capi discovers I'm too fragile to be his Cosa Nostra queen?

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

Chapter 1

Sienna

The past… Christiano Falco; 22. Sienna Vitale; 25.

Sitting at a table in Gabriella’s, one of the Falcos’ restaurants, I glance around the crowded room.

The five families are gathered to celebrate my engagement to Christiano. Even though I’m surrounded by people I’ve known my entire life, anxiety buzzes in my chest.

Three months ago, Christiano stepped into the role of the capo dei capi of the Cosa Nostra. That very same day, he cornered me in the garden at his parents’ place and admitted he had feelings for me.

At first, I was apprehensive because I’m three years older than him, but since I gave him a chance, there’s been no stopping him. Honestly, dating him has been one hell of a rollercoaster ride and very overwhelming.

We haven’t slept together yet, because I asked to wait until we got engaged. That’s when Christiano proposed, and even though I said yes, I’m not sure either of us is ready for marriage.

Still, here I am, and tonight he will put his ring on my finger.

Raya, my best friend, draws my attention as she weaves through the tables to get to me. With a wide grin on her face, she plops down in the chair beside mine and chuckles when she sees her brother flirting with a server. “I don’t know how Georgi does it,” she says. “Every week, there’s a new girl. I’ve stopped showing an interest in who he’s dating because they never stick around.”

I pat her hand before my eyes sweep through the room again. “He’s having fun.”

When Uncle Damiano and Enzo walk into the restaurant and make a beeline for Aunt Gabriella, my heart beats a little faster because it means Christiano should be here as well.

The three Falco men had last-minute business to take care of, which made them thirty minutes late for the celebration.

Getting up from my seat, I tell Raya, “I’m going to greet Uncle Damiano.”

I walk toward my future in-laws, unable to keep myself from constantly glancing at the doorway, and the moment Christiano comes in, my lips curve up in a relieved smile.

Whenever he has to go to work, I’m filled with a sense of dread. Someone might think being raised in the Cosa Nostra would make a person immune to danger and violence, but it’s not the case for me. Every time I’m forced to watch one of the men I love get hurt, something inside me fractures beyond repair.

I’ve lived my whole life fearing the worst might happen to one of the men I care about, but since I’ve fallen in love with Christiano, that fear has grown into something crippling. I only find some relief when he’s by my side.

The instant Christiano’s eyes land on me, he stops dead in his tracks and places his hand over his heart while his eyes sweep over the light pink dress I’m wearing.

Despite the fact that he’s only twenty-two, he looks older, his muscled body shaped by hours of relentless training. He inherited his height of six-five, as well as his black hair and eyes, from his father.

The merciless expression always carved into his handsome features softens with love, and for a moment, we just stare at each other.

Even though I can see how much he cares about me, apprehension slithers around my heart.

What if this is a mistake? We’re both so young.

I glance at my family before looking at the Falcos, wondering what they would do if I called off the engagement. Everyone is smiling, and laughter fills the air as my gaze lands on Christiano again.

The corner of his mouth lifts, and when he begins to walk toward me, the tension eases in my chest.

I love him. More than I’ve loved anything in my short life. It’s both exhilarating and scary.

I’m just nervous because he’s so intense and a lot will be expected of me as his wife.

“Everyone down!” Nico, the head of security for the Falco family, shouts by the doorway. “The Irish!”

I have no time to process the warning, chills rushing over my skin. My eyes widen a fraction, my body freezing on the spot. The noise of chairs and tables being toppled over as everyone drops to the floor fills the air.

“Sienna!” I hear Augusto roar while Christiano breaks out into a run.

His features are cut from stone, and shoving a table out of the way, he lunges at me. Just as his arm wraps around my waist and my feet leave the floor, bullets shatter the windows and screams fill the air.

“Stay down!” I hear Uncle Damiano holler above the violent noise, his voice filled with so much danger that more chills scatter through me.

Christiano’s weight slams me into the floor, then his chest almost suffocates me for a few seconds before he braces a hand beside my head while reaching for his gun.

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Craving Revenge (Kings of Mafia #6) Read Online Michelle Heard http://www.ilovenovels.com/craving-revenge-kings-of-mafia-6-read-online-michelle-heard Thu, 25 Dec 2025 22:03:43 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/craving-revenge-kings-of-mafia-6-read-online-michelle-heard Genre: Alpha Male, Angst, Contemporary, Dark, Mafia Authors: Michelle Heard Series: Kings of Mafia Series by Michelle Heard
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Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >81

From USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author Michelle Heard comes a new STANDALONE, full-length MAFIA ROMANCE novel.

For years, I've been groomed to be my brother's shadow. To protect my father's heir, who will one day take over from him as the Kumichō of the Yakuza, I'm forced to dress and act like a man when I'm out in public.

The ruse works, and when I'm grabbed off the street by the Sicilian mafia, I'm in for a world of pain.

Augusto Vitale, a ruthless and unforgiving capo, wants revenge for what the Yakuza did to his younger brother, and I'm the one paying in blood.
That's until Augusto realizes I'm a woman and I'm set free.
I think it's the last I'll ever see of him, but then my father comes up with a plan that will ensure I live the rest of my life in hell.

Once again, I find myself at Augusto's mercy, but this time he has no intention of letting me go.

STANDALONE: A Mafia Romance full-length novel

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

Songlist

Spotify

One Last Breath – Tommee Profitt, Nicole Serrano

The Sound Of Silence – Lexxi Saal, NOCTURN

Masquerade – Euphoria, Bolshiee

Just A Girl – Astyria

Born To Die – Euphoria, Bolshiee

Hero – Alan Walker, Sasha Alex Sloan

With You Til The End – Tommee Profitt, Sam Tinnesz

Take On Me – Wendy Wang, Inga Roberts

Until The Hurting Is Gone – Billy Raffoul

I Won’t Let You Down – Erin McCarley

Iris – Valerie Broussard

Synopsis

For years, I’ve been groomed to be my brother’s shadow. To protect my father’s heir, who will one day take over from him as the Kumichō of the Yakuza, I’m forced to dress and act like a man when I’m out in public.

The ruse works, and when I’m grabbed off the street by the Sicilian mafia, I’m in for a world of pain.

Augusto Vitale, a ruthless and unforgiving capo, wants revenge for what the Yakuza did to his younger brother, and I’m the one paying in blood.

That’s until Augusto realizes I’m a woman and I’m set free.

I think it’s the last I’ll ever see of him, but then my father comes up with a plan that will ensure I live the rest of my life in hell.

Once again, I find myself at Augusto’s mercy, but this time he has no intention of letting me go.

Craving Revenge

Mafia / Organized Crime / Suspense Romance

STANDALONE in the KINGS OF MAFIA

Book 6

Author's Note:

This book contains subject matter that may be sensitive for some readers.

There is triggering content related to:

Graphic and extreme violence

Physical abuse

Mental abuse (not by MMC)

Degration (not by MMC)

Kidnapping

Trauma & PTSD

The MMC tortures the MFC, thinking she is a man.

There is grovelling, but please note he’s not aware that she’s a woman due to her hiding her true identity.

18+ only.

Please read responsibly.

Kings Of Mafia World

Vitale Family Tree

Augusto Vitale

↓

Family Business: Cosa Nostra

Father: Franco Vitale (Craving Danger)

Mother: Samantha Vitale (Craving Danger)

Best Friends: Georgi Torrisi & Adriano Rizzo

Godfather: Renzo Torrisi (Hunted By A Shadow)

Yuki Tanaka

↓

Family Business: Yakuza

Father: Masato Tanaka

Older Brother: Ryo Tanaka

Mother: Deceased

Translations

Japanese:

Bastard – Yaro

Fuck – Kuzo

Head of the family – Kumichō

Idiot/Fool – Baka

Shit – Kuso

Chapter 1

Yuki

Augusto Vitale; 32. Yuki Tanaka; 22.

My face is expressionless as I lie down on the medical table.

Just like always, the doctor and Masaki exchange words before he comes to stand beside me.

Masaki is in charge of me, making sure I don’t cause any trouble and do everything I’m told. In the beginning, when I used to put up a fight, he’d whip my back raw. Eventually, the punishments just weren’t worth it anymore, and now I do as I’m told.

Dr. Hagita has been on the Yakuza’s payroll since I can remember. He’s the one who’s made sure I’ve looked like a boy since the age of eleven. With dermal fillers and Botox, he contours my jawline, enhances my chin, and gives my cheeks, nose, and brows a more masculine definition.

I haven’t seen Ryo in eleven years. Growing up, I was very close to my older brother until Father forcefully separated us. While I fill Ryo’s shoes in the public eye, he’s stashed away somewhere, training to take over as the Kumichō of the Yakuza so he can retire.

Retire, my butt.

Father is power-hungry and will never want to lose his seat at the head of the table. That’s why he’s going to place my brother in the seat of power, so Father can continue to rule by making Ryo do his bidding.

While Dr. Hagita starts with the injections, I close my eyes, my thoughts revolving around Ryo. I wonder if he’s doing well. Does he think of me? Father never answers my questions about him.

My heart clenches because even though so much time has passed, I miss my older brother. He was the only person who showed me any kind of love before he was ripped away from me.

(Eleven years ago…)

“Yuki! Over here.”

I carefully jump from one rock to the next as I cross the stream to get to where Ryo is crouching. Placing my hand on his shoulder, I bend down and peer into the puddle. Seeing the small fish, a smile stretches over my face.

Slowly, Ryo pokes his finger into the water, and it makes the fish scatter, looking for hiding places between the rocks.

I let out a chuckle, then getting up, I jump onto the grassy embankment. “Leave the fish, Ryo.”

He listens and follows me, and as we walk through the bamboo trees, we find sticks to use as swords and pretend we’re Samurai warriors.

“You’re too pretty to be a Samurai,” Ryo says as he jabs his stick at me.

The smile fades from my face as I stare at my favorite person in the whole world, and the next second, I burst out in tears.

Yesterday, Father told us Ryo is going away to train while I’ll stay behind.

Ryo quickly comes to hug me. “I don’t want to go away.”

Clinging to my brother, I sob my little heart out. “If you leave, I’ll be all alone.”

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God of Vengeance (Kings of Mafia #5) Read Online Michelle Heard http://www.ilovenovels.com/god-of-vengeance-kings-of-mafia-5-read-online-michelle-heard Mon, 23 Sep 2024 09:23:19 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/god-of-vengeance-kings-of-mafia-5-read-online-michelle-heard Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Contemporary, Crime, Dark, Mafia, Virgin Authors: Michelle Heard Series: Kings of Mafia Series by Michelle Heard
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Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 84756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >85

From USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author Michelle Heard comes a new STANDALONE, full-length MAFIA ROMANCE novel.

I was born into the Cosa Nostra, so I've always known an arranged marriage loomed in my future.

When the Capo dei Capi of the Cosa Nostra comes to Sicily to give his approval for his cousin, Stefano, to take me as his bride, I know my fate is all but sealed. Marrying Stefano is the last thing I want, but being a woman, I don't have a say in the matter.

Damiano Falco is merciless and rules the Cosa Nostra with an iron fist. Everyone fears him and won't dare go against him.
I'm still trying to accept that I'll have no choice but to marry Stefano when Damiano utters the last word anyone expects to hear.

"No."

He doesn't give his approval, nor does he offer any explanation.

But if I think his refusal will set me free, I have another thing coming. Instead, my bags are packed, and within hours, I find myself sitting on a private jet with the head of the Costa Nostra.
The ruthless man doesn't tell me anything, and I have no idea what my future holds.

To say I'm terrified is the understatement of the century.

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

Songlist

Keep On Fighting – Tribal Blood

Trust is a Cruel Friend – Tessa Jackson, Darius Timmer, Glenn Herweijer & Ben Sumner

Everybody Wants To Rule The World – Lorde

Castle – Halsey

Keep My Head Up – Anna Mae

With the Devil I’m Going Down – Steelfeather

Control – Zoe Wees, 2WEI & ABBOTT

Let Me Hurt – Emily Rowed

Anything Can Happen – Tors

Here – Tom Grennan

I Will Rise – Steelfeather & ASHBY

Who We Are – Tristan Prettyman

Anyone – Tommee Profitt & Fluerie

“All is fair in love and war.”

–— John Lyly

Chapter 1

Gabriella

Damiano Falco; 38. Gabriella di Bella; 23.

“This is a great honor for the family,” my mother says as her eyes slowly sweep over every inch of me. “Don’t disappoint us.”

She’s referring to my impending marriage to Stefano Ferraro. That’s if the Cosa Nostra approves of the union.

Or rather, Damiano Falco. The Capo dei Capi of the Cosa Nostra. He’s the only one who still has to give his approval, which he’ll do tonight at the dinner party that’s being held in his honor.

The stories I’ve heard about Damiano are enough to make my blood run cold in my veins, and I’m not looking forward to meeting him.

But first, I need to get through an entire afternoon of smiling and pretending I want nothing more than to become Stefano Ferraro’s wife.

God help me.

A chill creeps down my spine because the last thing I want is to marry Stefano. The man is in his late forties, and I’ve only seen him a handful of times. Every interaction with him didn’t bode well for my future.

Not once has he offered me a smile or a kind word, but instead, I’ve been treated like I’m nothing more than a pawn in the great game called the mafia. His touch is always brutal, and his words demeaning.

My mother’s eyes stop on my hair, and she lets out a displeased sigh. “I wish you didn’t cut and color your hair. It looks awful.”

The corner of my mouth almost lifts, but I manage to keep my face schooled with an obedient expression.

My hair used to be black and reached to my butt, but I colored it light brown with blonde streaks and cut it in a stylish bob. I did it because Stefano started calling me his black beauty, always pulling my hair to force me to look up at him. It was my way of giving him the middle finger.

My parents prefer that I wear modest clothes, no makeup, and keep my eyes lowered when we have company, and Stefano seems to be cut from the same cloth as them.

But that’s not me. It never has been.

I love playing with makeup and different hairstyles.

Her gaze drops to the tight silk dress I’m wearing, which stops mid-thigh, and the black five-inch heels on my feet.

I’m aware the outfit is risky and a little too revealing, but today, I can’t stop my stubborn streak from showing.

Shaking her head, Mother mutters, “Did you have to spill coffee on the dress I chose for you to wear?” She lets out a disgruntled huff. “I suppose it will have to do. We can’t keep the men waiting.”

Without checking to make sure I follow her out of the room, she continues to say, “Remember, Stefano is Mr. Falco’s cousin. You’re marrying into the greatest family, so you’ll wait hand and foot on Stefano. Do whatever the man wants to ensure you get him to the altar.”

When I keep quiet, my mother stops in the middle of the hallway to glare at me. “Do you understand, Gabriella?”

I do, but I sure as hell don’t agree.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >85

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Drawn to Darkness (Kings of Mafia #4) Read Online Michelle Heard http://www.ilovenovels.com/drawn-to-darkness-kings-of-mafia-4-read-online-michelle-heard Thu, 13 Jun 2024 07:54:32 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/drawn-to-darkness-kings-of-mafia-4-read-online-michelle-heard Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Dark, Mafia, Suspense Authors: Michelle Heard Series: Kings of Mafia Series by Michelle Heard
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Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 72973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >74

Poverty is an understatement when it comes to describing my circumstances. My mother is a lost cause I can't get rid of, and I work my fingers to the bone just trying to keep my head above water.

To ease the stress bearing down on my shoulders, I like to dance. Working as a janitor at a ballet company makes it easy for me to steal thirty minutes at night when the place is empty.

Or so I thought. Just my luck that the dangerously handsome owner catches me red-handed. He thinks I'm a hardworking ballerina, and I don't bother correcting him... because, you know, I'd like to keep my job.

Dario La Rosa has every girl at the company swooning, hoping she'll be the one to end his bachelor status. Me? I just want to keep my secret and try to avoid the man at all costs. But then my mother's sins burst through my dilapidated front door, and my life takes a turn for the worse.

Turns out Dario isn't who I thought he was, and the man has the power to not only change my entire life, but to keep me from losing it.

Even though I'm drawn to the darkness coming off him waves, I'm not sure whether I should run or stay.

What would you do?

STANDALONE: A Mafia Romance full-length novel.
WARNING: 18+ only. Please read responsibly.

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

“Let us read, and let us dance;

these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.”

–— Voltaire

Chapter 1

Eden

Dario La Rosa; 31. Eden Taylor; 24.

Opening my eyes, I listen to the sirens blaring around the neighborhood. It’s something you get used to when you live in Brownsville. It’s one of The Bronx's poorest and most dangerous areas, but I’ve learned to navigate the streets.

Sadly, it’s home.

The air is stuffy with the early autumn heat, and it has me kicking the covers off.

The AC must be broken again.

I have to talk to the building manager about the faulty heating and broken AC which is a conversation I never look forward to having.

I have to make a plan to buy another blanket, seeing as winter is only a couple of months away, and having heat in this apartment is never a sure thing.

I also have to talk to Sylvia about working extra shifts so I can pay the overdue gas bill.

God. Rent was due last week.

Letting out an exhausted sigh, I drag myself out of bed.

Digging clothes from the drawers of the dresser, I walk to the bathroom and turn on the faucets in the shower. While brushing my teeth, I pray the water will warm up, but when I hold my hand beneath the spray, there’s no luck.

I’ll have to ask Sylvia for an advance, or it’ll be me and cold showers for the next two weeks.

Taking off my underwear and favorite sleepshirt, I step beneath the cold spray and shiver as I rush to wash my hair and body. I keep hopping from one foot to the other as if it will help to warm me up, and the instant I’m done, I dart out of the icy shower.

I grab a bleached towel and dry myself at the speed of light before throwing on my jeans and T-shirt.

“Jesus.” I shudder from the cold, and rushing back to my bedroom, I put on my socks and boots.

When I’m fully dressed, I hurry to the kitchen to see if I have any coffee left. Not finding any, I open the fridge and take a sip of the last of the orange juice.

Wanting to avoid Winston, the building manager, until I have the money for rent, I open the window in the small living room and step out onto the steel grate to go down the fire escape.

Just as I head down the stairs, my neighbor, Tyrone, opens his window and pokes his head outside.

“Don’t run off. Your mother is passed out in the hallway.”

I shake my head and continue down the stairs as I answer, “Not my problem, Tyrone.”

“She’s your mother,” he shouts. “She stinks like the dead.”

“Just because the woman gave birth to me doesn’t mean shit. Let her sleep in the hallway until Winston throws her out.”

When I reach the alley, I glance up to see Tyrone shake his head before shutting his window.

Mandy, the woman who brought me into this world, has never been a mother to me. When I was younger, Tyrone always made sure I had something to eat while Mandy was out getting drunk or high.

The woman doesn’t have a motherly bone in her body and is nothing but a thorn in my side. I had to put extra locks on the front door to keep her out. She keeps breaking in and stealing my shit so she can pay for her next hit or her tab at the bar.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I shake my head while I walk to Ben’s Burgers, the diner that’s responsible for my second income. I always work the twelve to seven shift before heading over to the Ballet Company, where I work the night shift as a janitor.

If I’m lucky, Sylvia will let me work the morning shift as well.

Who needs sleep when they have bills to pay?

When I reach the diner, it’s to see the place is busier than usual.

The second Sylvia lays eyes on me from where she’s pinning orders up so Jaden, the cook, will see them, she orders, “Take care of Destiny’s section as well as your own. She’s not in today.”

“Okay,” I answer while I quickly walk to the back so I can stash my handbag in my locker. Grabbing my apron, I tie it around my waist before digging my notepad and pencil out.

I get to work, and for the next couple of hours, the place is a madhouse. The sounds of dishes clattering, burger patties sizzling, and orders being given and taken fill the air, along with the smell of old cooking oil.

I don’t know why I bother showering before coming in for my shift because I always leave feeling sticky all over.

As soon as there’s a lull between customers, I walk to the counter with an apprehensive smile.

Sylvia’s eyes flick at me, and with a frown, she says, “What do you want, Eden? If it’s time off, you can forget about it. We’re already short-staffed.”

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >74

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Hunted by a Shadow (Kings of Mafia #3) Read Online Michelle Heard http://www.ilovenovels.com/hunted-read-online-a-shadow-kings-of-mafia-3-read-online-michelle-heard Tue, 27 Feb 2024 19:57:52 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/hunted-read-online-a-shadow-kings-of-mafia-3-read-online-michelle-heard Genre: Alpha Male, Angst, Contemporary, Dark, Mafia Authors: Michelle Heard Series: Kings of Mafia Series by Michelle Heard
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Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 77824 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >79

From USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author Michelle Heard comes a new STANDALONE, full-length MAFIA ROMANCE novel.

When I finally get a life-saving kidney transplant, I think the worst is behind me.
Boy, am I wrong.

I start feeling eyes on me wherever I go.
I’m being watched. Stalked. Hunted.
It’s downright scary.

Then the hunter steps out of the shadows, and my life implodes.
I’m taken by Renzo Torrisi, a dangerous and unforgiving man.

Turns out the kidney I received belonged to one of his men and I have to repay the debt. Only the terms are unclear, and the rules change on a whim.

Held prisoner in his penthouse, I have to serve the ruthless mafia boss like the god he is.
Whether I’ll survive being Renzo’s captive is up for debate, though.

STANDALONE: A Mafia Romance full-length novel.
WARNING: 18+ only. Please read responsibly.
THIS NOVEL CONTAINS TRIGGERING CONTENT.

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

Songlist

Click here - Spotify

Thousand Eyes – Of Monsters and Men

Oats In The Water – Ben Howard

In The Shadows – Amy Stroup

Raise The Dead – Rachel Rabin

Do You Really Want To Hurt Me – Denmark + Winter

Warm Shado – Fink

It Had To Be You – Tommee Profitt, Tiffany Ashton

When It’s All Over – RAIGN

Silhouettes – Of Monster and Men

Crystals – Of Monsters and Men

Get On The Road – Tired Pony

“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.”

–— Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Chapter 1

Skylar

Renzo; 35. Skylar; 30.

Life used to be amazing.

Dame, the restaurant where I worked as a sous chef, had just gotten their first Michelin Star because of me.

I had an interview lined up at one of the top restaurants in New York.

If I got the position as head chef, I would’ve been able to create my own signature dishes.

I was on fire and was ticking off one goal after the other.

But the higher you fly, the harder you fall.

And boy, did I fall.

Lying in the hospital bed with a dialysis machine humming next to me, I try to process what Dr. Bentall said.

End-stage renal disease. I’m out of time. If I don’t get a transplant soon, I’ll die.

At thirty.

My fabulous life came to a crashing halt three years ago when I was in a car accident with Mom. Mom was in a coma for eight months before we made the heartbreaking decision to take her off life support.

I thought that was the darkest moment of my life, but things just kept getting worse. Dad has flown in the best doctors from around the world and paid so much money, but nothing has worked.

After the car accident, my shattered pelvis healed. My reconstructed bladder is functioning. But the damage done to my kidneys is irreversible. If it weren’t for dialysis, I would’ve died months ago, but now, not even that’s enough.

I need a kidney in the next couple of weeks, or I’ll die.

Slowly, my gaze shifts to the tubes filled with my blood.

Twenty minutes ago, Dad left with Dr. Bentall, and I haven’t seen them since.

The past three years have been torturous for me, but it’s been a hell of a lot worse for Dad. He lost Mom, and now he’s going to lose me as well.

Every time I look at him, I see the feverish panic in his eyes. The desperation to find a kidney for me is etched in deep lines on his face.

I hate seeing what my deteriorating health is doing to Dad.

I hate that he has to watch me slowly die.

I hate that I’m stuck in this hospital bed, and a machine is fighting to keep me alive.

Is it even worth it?

There are dark moments where I feel it would be better for me to die right now. It would stop the torture, and Dad would be able to mourn my death before going on with his life.

I’m tired of the sword hanging over my head.

I’m tired of just existing until my next dialysis.

What is life if it’s not filled with hopes and dreams? What’s left when all possibilities have been stripped from it?

It’s morbid and soul-destroyingly tiring.

I can’t do this anymore.

Movement by the door pulls me out of my dark thoughts, and I lift my eyes to where Dad’s staring at me with excruciating grief already carved into his face.

Unable to wallow in the death blow that I’ve been dealt, I have to be strong for my father.

Somehow a smile curves my lips. “It’s going to be okay, Daddy.”

He shakes his head, his red-rimmed eyes welling with tears.

Coming closer, Dad sits down on the side of the bed and takes my hand in both of his. With his head bowed it looks like the weight of the world rests on his shoulders.

“It’s okay,” I whisper.

He shakes his head again and clears his throat before his eyes meet mine. For the longest moment, Dad just stares at me as if he’s memorizing every inch of my face.

He clears his throat again, then says, “We’re not giving up. Be strong for a little while longer. Okay?”

I don’t have any strength left, Daddy.

Knowing I can’t speak the words out loud, I lie, “Okay, I will.”

From his hopeless expression, I can see he doesn’t believe me.

That’s all we’ve done for the past few months. Lie.

Not a single word of truth has passed between us.

I stare at the man who’s raised me as his own. When he met Mom, I was six years old, and not a day has passed where he’s treated me like a stepdaughter.

He’s the best person I know, and I hate seeing him like this.

Unable to keep up the act, tears flood my eyes, and I whisper, “I love you, Daddy.”

He lowers his head and presses a kiss to the back of my hand. His fingers tremble as he tightens his grip on mine.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >79

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Craving Danger (Kings of Mafia #2) Read Online Michelle Heard http://www.ilovenovels.com/craving-danger-kings-of-mafia-2-read-online-michelle-heard Fri, 15 Dec 2023 11:43:30 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/craving-danger-kings-of-mafia-2-read-online-michelle-heard Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Dark, Mafia Authors: Michelle Heard Series: Kings of Mafia Series by Michelle Heard
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Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 84219 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >84

At the office, Samantha is mouthy AF and hellbent on testing my patience. So you can imagine my surprise when my new personal assistant walks into my club with a very specific fantasy.

When the man Samantha’s paired with doesn’t stick to the rules, I step in to take his place. Wearing a mask protects my identity, and soon the little wildcat from the office is telling me all her darkest secrets and fantasies.

During the day, she gives me hell, but at night, she becomes my wounded kitten.

I know I’m playing a dangerous game.
She doesn’t know I’m one of the heads of the Cosa Nostra.
She doesn’t know her boss and her nightly visitor is the same person.

With my enemy on the attack and her past coming to haunt her, our secrets come out in the most explosive way possible, threatening to rip Samantha away from me.

But my wildcat has another thing coming if she thinks I’ll ever let go.

A Mafia Romance full-length novel. 18+ only. Please read responsibly.THIS NOVEL CONTAINS TRIGGERING CONTENT.

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

Songlist

Click here - Spotify

Unsteady – X Ambassadors, Erich Lee

Going Down Fighting – Phlotilla, Andrea Wasse, Topher Mohr

Shadow Preachers – Zella Day

War Of Hearts – Ruelle

The War – SYML

Love In The Dark – Adele

Breathing Underwater – Hot Milk

Take Me To Church – MILCK

I Won’t Let You Down – Erin McCarley

Hero – Alan Walker, Sasha Alex Sloan

Everything I Did To Get To You – Ben Platt

“Reality doesn’t impress me. I only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy, and when ordinary life shackles me, I escape, one way or another. No more walls.”

–— Anaïs Nin

Chapter 1

Samantha

Franco Vitale; 35. Samantha Blakely; 26.

I’ve only been Mr. Vitale’s personal assistant for two weeks, and I’m already considering quitting.

God, the man is impossible.

Letting out a huff, I suppress the urge to kick the printer. The stupid machine keeps giving me error messages.

I’m starving. I could wolf down an entire pizza on my own right now.

My phone starts ringing for the millionth time today, and I feel like whining like a puppy as I dart to my desk to answer the internal call from Mr. Vitale’s office.

“Yes, Sir?”

“Where’s the contract?”

I close my eyes and take a deep breath before I explain for the fourth time, “The printer is giving error messages. I’m waiting for Andy from IT to fix it.”

“There are hundreds of printers in this building! I want the contract on my desk in five minutes,” he barks before hanging up.

Impatient ass.

I’ve worked at Vitale Pharmaceuticals in the administration department for the past eight months, and until I got promoted to Mr. Vitale’s PA, I loved my job.

It’s only been two weeks. Give it more time. You just need to get used to how Mr. Vitale wants things done, then it will get better.

I roll my eyes because my gut instinct tells me it won’t improve. Mr. Vitale is just one of those people who’s never satisfied with anything.

All the employees in the building cower in fear whenever he’s near. I should’ve known I was in trouble when I got promoted and the admin team gave me looks of pity as if I was on death row.

While I worked on the third floor, I didn’t see much of Mr. Vitale, but the few times our paths crossed, he always looked like he was a second away from wringing someone’s neck.

The past two weeks as his PA have shown me the man is always grumpy, and he loses his temper at the speed of light. He’s downright rude and impossible to please.

I quickly email the contract to the admin department’s printer, which is still linked to my profile, before hurrying to the elevators.

While heading down to the third floor, I wiggle my toes in the high heels I’m wearing. It gives my tired feet some relief before the doors slide open, and I rush toward the printer. I lose precious time when I have to sift through all the printed documents and ensure I have the whole contract before hurrying back to the elevators.

Who needs to go to a gym when you work for Franco Vitale?

In the elevator, I quickly pull my bra strap back into place. I’ve lost weight from all the running around and need to get new underwear.

The doors open, and I shoot forward like a bullet, but my heart sinks when my desk comes into view.

Crap.

Mr. Vitale is standing by the printer in all his six-foot-five glory, his arms crossed over his broad chest as he watches the machine spit out page after page.

When I reach him, I hold the papers out to him. “Here’s the contract, sir.”

His dark brown eyes flick to me, and I feel the punch of his intense gaze in my gut. I swear, whenever this man looks at me, I feel like I’m nothing but a worm.

I’ve worked with intimidating people in the past, but Mr. Vitale overshadows them all.

The first time I laid eyes on him, I was struck speechless by how handsome he was, but the attraction died a quick death after I watched one PA after another leave the building in tears.

As the printer spits out the last page, his dark gaze remains locked on me while he swipes the contract from the traitorous machine.

His tone is low and filled with a world of warning as he mutters, “If you can’t do something as simple as printing a document, we’re going to have a problem, Miss Blakely.”

I suck in a deep breath as I watch him stalk back to his office, and the moment the door shuts behind him, I glare at the printer. “Sure, for him, you’ll print.”

“What’s the problem?” Andy, one of the IT guys, asks from behind me.

With a tired sigh, I set the now spare copy of the contract down on my desk and gesture at the machine. “It won’t print for me. I’ve checked everything, but it keeps giving me error messages. It printed for Mr. Vitale, though.”

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >84

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Tempted by The Devil (Kings of Mafia #1) Read Online Michelle Heard http://www.ilovenovels.com/tempted-read-online-the-devil-kings-of-mafia-1-read-online-michelle-heard Wed, 25 Oct 2023 18:31:25 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/tempted-read-online-the-devil-kings-of-mafia-1-read-online-michelle-heard Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Dark, Mafia, Virgin Authors: Michelle Heard Series: Kings of Mafia Series by Michelle Heard
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Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >77

From USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author Michelle Heard comes a new STANDALONE, full-length MAFIA ROMANCE novel.

Attending a party with my stepbrother, I’m in for the surprise of my life.
It’s not a regular party, but instead, my wedding.
To Angelo Rizzo.
A coldhearted man who’s feared by all. Including me.

Turns out my stepbrother owes the Cosa Nostra money, and I’m being used to repay his debt to Angelo Rizzo.

Do I have a choice?
No. Not when it comes to matters concerning the Cosa Nostra.

Three hours later, I have a new shiny wedding ring on my finger and a husband I’m terrified of standing by my side.

Yep, my life just took a turn for the worse.
There’s no hiding. No running.
All I can do is face the nightmare that awaits me and pray I’ll survive being married to Angelo Rizzo.

STANDALONE: A Mafia Romance full-length novel.
WARNING: 18+ only. Please read responsibly.
THIS NOVEL CONTAINS TRIGGERING CONTENT.

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

Songlist

Click here - Spotify

Knocking on Heaven’s Door – RAIGN

Metamorphosis – MILCK

Here Come The Monsters – ADONA

What a World We Live In – Oshins

Stand By Me – Ki:Theory

Caught In The Fire – Tommee Profitt, Sam Tinnesz

Save You – Turin Brakes

The Heart Wants What It Wants – KELSON

Have A Little Faith In Me – SYML

Where It Stays – Charlotte OC

Life Begins – Shelly Fraley

“Fear cuts deeper than swords.”

–— George R.R. Martin,

A Game of Thrones.

Chapter 1

Tori

Angelo Rizzo; 34. Vittoria – Tori Romano; 23.

“Mark my words,” Giorgio says. “By the end of the year, I’ll be one of the bosses.”

I almost let out a snort. Listening to my stepbrother go on and on about how important he is in the Cosa Nostra is ridiculous.

He wishes.

Giorgio is…well, he’s a narcissistic asshole. There’s no other way to put it. Everyone knows there are only five bosses in the Cosa Nostra – Rizzo, Torrisi, Vitale, La Rosa, and Falco. The five families run New York, and no one dares go against them.

Giorgio is all talk, and one day, it will get him killed.

A girl can hope.

Instantly, I’m hit with a wave of guilt for wishing my stepbrother dead.

Forgive me, Father.

Since my father and stepmother died in a car accident seven years ago, Giorgio took over Papà’s place in the Cosa Nostra. It went straight to Giorgio’s head, and he’s become downright unbearable to live with.

My aunt on Mamma’s side of the family asked Giorgio to let me live with them, but he wouldn’t hear of it. Sadly, my mamma died of pneumonia when I was three years old, and my aunt, uncle, and cousin are the only family I have left.

I was only sixteen, but Giorgio’s word was law in our family, so no one dared go against him. Now I’m twenty-three and still stuck with the bastard.

I suspect he’s only holding onto me to get my share of the inheritance that will pay out when I turn twenty-five.

He’s already blown through more than half of his share, wasting it on gambling, alcohol, and women.

Giorgio was the perfect stepson to my father. Papà even adopted Giorgio as his own, so I can’t blame Papà for leaving him in charge of our finances. Even I was shocked when I learned what a vile person Giorgio really is.

Cettina, Giorgio’s mother, and Papà got married two years after Mamma died. I was five, and Giorgio was thirteen, so we grew up as brother and sister.

But overnight, he changed into a different person. One that’s violent, selfish, and greedy.

I don’t know what I’ll do when I turn twenty-five in two years, but Giorgio won’t get a dime from me. I’m hoping I can cash in my inheritance and run to somewhere he won’t be able to find me.

Clearing my throat, I murmur, “Excuse me. I’m going to the restroom.”

Giorgio’s eyes are on a beautiful woman who just came in, and he doesn’t pay me any attention as I get up from my chair.

Walking to the back of the restaurant, I glance around the establishment. The place is packed, and even though I’ve grown up around these people, they all feel like strangers.

Every Friday we have lunch at Piccola Sicilia. The restaurant belongs to Angelo Rizzo, and I’ve only seen him a few times. It’s never long enough to get a good look at him.

Not that I want to. The five heads of the Cosa Nostra terrify the living crap out of me. They’re known for being brutal when it comes to business.

Growing up in the Cosa Nostra, I’ve learned to fear the five families like the rest of the Sicilians who call New York their home.

Even Giorgio is shit scared of them. He talks big in front of me, but when he has to speak to one of Angelo Rizzo’s men, he’s pathetically humble.

Whenever he’s forced to eat a slice of humble pie, I’m the one who suffers. The last time Big Ricky scolded Giorgio for being late for work, Giorgio broke two of my ribs.

He seldom leaves marks on my face because he loves to parade me in front of the single men in the Cosa Nostra. I know he plans to marry me off to one of them, but he’s holding out for my inheritance.

The only solace I can find in the crappy situation is that Giorgio can’t force me to marry him. We live in a tight-knit Sicilian community who would disapprove if he tried to marry me. After all, we were raised as brother and sister. It’s my only saving grace and also the reason he hasn’t looked at me in a sexual way. To Giorgio, the only thing that matters is getting his grubby hands on my inheritance.

I slip into the restroom, and after relieving myself, I wash my hands and touch up my lipstick. My eyes flit over the light peach summer dress I’m wearing, making sure the fabric isn’t stuck in my underwear. It happened to Aida when we were fourteen, and I almost died of second-hand embarrassment for my cousin. Since then, I always check my clothes to ensure nothing is out of place.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >77