PROLOGUE
NATALIA
I fall in love with the wrong men.
Which is why I’m on my knees with my best friend’s father’s cock shoved down my throat.
The man who also happens to be the head of a Mafia family.
You might think you know me, but I promise, you have no idea.
I’m Natalia Carprio—the woman who fell in love with two dangerous men and started a war.
CHAPTER 1
NATALIA
I don’t want to die.
That’s why I’m here, standing in front of Cristian Marchetti’s office door.
A door that leads to a room where the devil plays his cards.
The fates of so many lives have been determined within those four walls.
And tonight, mine will be too.
He’s expecting me. I requested to speak with him—not his daughter, him.
My knock on the door creates the only sound in the Marchetti mansion’s foyer. It’s a mere hint of a noise, but from the adrenaline pumping through my veins, you’d think I pounded on the thing and demanded entry.
“Come in,” he calls from the other side, his tone thick with dominance.
Here goes nothing.
I wipe my sweaty palms down my dress before opening the door and stepping inside the devil’s lair.
“Shut the door.”
I do as he ordered, and even though I’m the one shutting the door, I flinch when it slams shut. I adjust my eyes to the light and scan my surroundings. The room exudes power and wealth from its high ceiling, oak crown molding, and ornate fireplace. The smell of fresh leather, spicy cologne, and cigar smoke hangs in the air.
He silently watches me from behind his desk, as if he’s a predator waiting for his prey to fall into his trap and come right to him.
I’m about to beg for my life from the man deemed New York’s most dangerous.
A man known for his cruelty and ruthlessness.
Cristian Marchetti.
The boss of the Marchetti Mafia family.
My best friend’s father.
My last resort.
His name is only spoken in whispers.
A silent monster, rarely seen but highly feared.
I’ve been best friends with his daughter, Giana—Gigi for short—since I was sixteen, but I have caught glimpses of him in passing only a handful of times. Before his earlier demand, he’d never spoken a word to me, never paid me any mind.
He’s the epitome of tall, handsome, and Italian. His thick hair, as black as his heart, is trimmed short. Black stubble covers his smooth cheeks and jawline—a jawline so sharp that he could cut people with it. An olive complexion, one people spend hours in the sun to achieve, complements his sea-green eyes—eyes so scary yet beautiful that they draw you in. Black-inked tattoos spread along his chest and disappear beneath his shirt.
“Natalia.”
My stare-a-thon is interrupted when he says my name.
“How can I help you?”
On the drive here, I rehearsed word for word what I’d say. The problem is, I didn’t expect him to be so intimidating. Hearing scary stories of monsters is one thing, but encountering one—being in their presence—makes your blood run cold.
“I need your help,” I answer with a stressed breath.
“What could you possibly need my help with?” There’s a hint of mockery in his tone.
“Protection.” That’s putting it lightly.
“Protection from?” He scrubs a palm over his jaw. “I need you to be more specific.”
“Vinny Lombardi.” AKA my lunatic ex-boyfriend who placed a bounty on my head for thousands of dollars.
“Now, why would a sweet girl like you need protection from Vinny Lombardi?” That mockery intensifies.
I chew the corner of my lip. “Women aren’t allowed to break up with men in that family, apparently.”
I wish Vinny had disclosed that little rule prior to me agreeing to be in a relationship with him.
“My favors don’t come for free.” He steeples his tattooed fingers together and rests them against his lips.
“I’m your daughter’s best friend.” Surely, that must mean something to him.
His silence confirms it doesn’t.
“What’s the price then?” I throw my arms up in frustration. “Do you accept payment plans? Give daughter’s best friend discounts? Or … I don’t know … do pro bono work to prevent an innocent woman from being murdered?”
“Payment plans?” Cristian scoffs. “Natalia, sweetheart, you couldn’t afford me in your lifetime.” He raises a brow. “Which might be fairly short if you have the Lombardi family on your back.”
I recoil at his words. “I don’t know what else I can give you.”
He’d better not say sex.
There will be no sex with my best friend’s father—even if he is gorgeous, has a body better than half the men my age, and I’ve dreamed of having sex with him more times than I can count on my hands … and toes.
He drums his fingers along the edge of the desk, as if running ideas through his head and waiting for the perfect one. Suddenly, he grabs a pen and points it at me. “Tell me everything you know about the Lombardi family.”
“Are you kidding?” I shriek. “They’ll kill me.”
“It sounds like that’s already in your future.”
Fair point.
His callous gaze penetrates mine as he waits for a response.
He creates a show of checking his Rolex when I take too long. “The way I see it, you have two options. You tell me what I want to know, which is every fucking detail, and in return, you’ll receive protection. Otherwise, handle the Lombardis on your own. I wish you luck because you’ll need it.”
I raise a finger. “But—”
“There are no buts. Agree or get out of my house.”
A bitter taste fills my mouth.
I’m no rat, but my life is at stake.
“Natalia, do we have a deal?”
Yes. No. Yes. No.
The two options swing through my head like a pendulum.
I’ll be making a deal with one monster to escape the other.
“My offer ends in five seconds.”
I stutter, searching for words.
“Five.”
I can try to run, but Vinny will hunt me down.
“Four.”
To do this or not.
“Three.”
And who’s to say Cristian will keep his word? I wouldn’t exactly call him trustworthy.
“Two.”
I have Gigi on my side. He won’t kill me because of her.
“One.”
“Yes!” My pulse is on fire. “We have a deal.”
“Perfect.” His smile is sinister as he plays with the pen in his hand. “I’ll have a driver take you home to gather some belongings.”
“Wait …” I blink at him. “For what?”
“I can’t protect you if you’re not here.”
“I was thinking this would be more along the lines of being protected at my home.”
“I’m not wasting my resources on someone who’s yet to become worthy of them. Want protection? Do as I say.”