KARINA
Two months later
I was so nervous. I couldn’t remember ever being this nervous. What if he did this, then regretted it a year from now, or five years from now—or twenty years from now? What if he woke up one morning and realized the price he paid to be with me was too much? My stomach was twisted into a thousand tiny knots, my lungs constricted to a point it was hard to breathe.
For the last few weeks, he kept reassuring me there was nothing to worry about, that this was what he wanted. Apparently, he had a huge change of heart after hearing Anderson’s story about his little niece’s murder and the justice my father had given him. I had to admit, hearing that story also gave me a new perspective over my family’s doings. Sure, they had their questionable operations, but I realized in the end they helped the people who needed it the most.
I glanced at the clock against my dad’s study wall. It had been over an hour, and my nerves were hanging by a damn thread. Even though I begged him to reconsider, told him he didn’t have to do this for me, that I would be with him no matter what, he still wanted to go through with it. Yes, a part of me was flooded with relief when he told me he wanted to do this. It would make my life so much easier. But it was his life I was worried about.
“Princess.”
I sucked in a breath and closed my eyes, letting his voice rush over me. We’d been together for two months, and our connection kept intensifying with every passing day. He stepped up behind me, his chest against my back. I’d never get used to the amazing electricity that always crackled around us whenever we were this close.
I didn’t turn around. “Is it done?”
“It’s done.” He leaned down and placed his cheek against the side of my neck. The warmth of his breath sent shivers throughout my body, all the way to my toes. I didn’t think I would ever get used to feeling this way about him. My body would never tire of all the amazing sensations he so expertly stirred within me whenever he was near.
“I meant it when I said there’s nothing I won’t do for you.”
“That’s how you feel now. What if you change your mind later?” Doubt was my worst enemy.
He swept my hair over my shoulder. “I won’t. I’ll never regret my decision as long as I have you in my life,” he pressed his lips lightly against my ear, “and in my heart,” his lips found the crook of my neck, “and in my bed.”
He gripped my hips and pulled me back against him, letting me feel how much he desired me. My own desire flared between my legs, and my body was electrified. I was sure it would never fade, this flame burning between us. It was too strong, burned too brightly for it to ever sizzle down to anything less than magnificent.
I leaned my head to the side, granting him more access to my skin. “I’ll always be with you, Lorik.”
“And I’ll never regret choosing you, princess.” His tongue lapped over the bare skin of my shoulder. During the last few weeks, the number of sleeveless dresses in my wardrobe had quadrupled, since Lorik insisted it was his favorite kind of dress on me.
His arms circled my waist, and I looked down to his hands. “Did it hurt?”
“I told you, you can’t hurt steel, baby.”
I snickered. “That’s what I love most about you, Lorik—your modesty.”
“And here I thought it was my bubbly personality and giant-sized cock.”
“Oh, yeah, it’s definitely because of your giant-sized cock,” I teased, loving the way his kisses warmed my skin.
Abruptly, he turned me around, and I looked up at him. “Then I will continue to remind you why you love me by giving you my giant-sized cock every goddamn day.”
“And I’ll make sure you never forget to remind me.”
I lifted myself on my toes, my taste buds tingling with the need to taste his mouth. My body was already primed to take him, to let him remind me. With his arms around me, he pulled me against his chest, causing me to clench my thighs for some relief from the ache he so expertly ignited. God, this man knew how to test the limits of my self-control. He knew it was probably the most difficult thing for me to do, to not always act on my desire and need for him. To start humping each other in the store or on your way to see a damn movie could get you arrested. But right here, right now, I was willing to risk it since my body was screaming at me to give it the release and the ecstasy only Lorik could provide.
“Ahem.”
I froze and glanced over Lorik’s shoulder. “Antonio.”
Lorik dropped his hold around my waist, and I took a step back.
“Did I interrupt anything?”
“No—”
“Yes,” Lorik sneered. “Antonio, how many times do I have to tell you, you have to work on your timing, bro?”
I cringed when I heard Lorik call Antonio “bro.” Antonio wasn’t as laidback as Dante, and he still needed to wrap his head around everything that had happened, and that Lorik was now a permanent part of my life. My entire family had made a sacrifice by bending one of their own rules, rules that had been passed down from generation to generation. They were willing to accept him as the man I chose to spend the rest of my life with, but they had their own terms and conditions Lorik had to accept if he wanted to be a part of my life.
I tried to convince him that no matter what my family said, if they didn’t accept him, I was willing to give them up for him. My love and my need for him were too strong for me to even attempt to live without it. But he kept saying there was no sacrifice too big for him to have me, to be able to lay claim on me. He didn’t want me to choose between him and my family. He wanted to give me everything he had in his power to give me.
And that was what my family did. They gave him the power to give me the best of both worlds—my family…and him.
Which was why we were here today, to solidify Lorik’s place in our family. His choice had been made, and his choice was me. He had even given up his old life, decided to adapt and embrace everything a life with a mafia princess entailed, and I didn’t think I would ever be able to repay him. The only way I would ever come even remotely close to thanking him was by loving him as intensely as I did now, for as long as we both shall live.
Antonio glanced in my direction. “You’re up.”
I looked at Lorik, nerves replacing the ache I had for him only a few seconds ago.
He noticed. He always noticed. It was like the man had a direct line to every emotion I ever felt.
“Don’t worry, princess. It will be over before you know it.”
There was a time in my life I was certain I’d never do this. To me, doing this meant my freedom, and I wasn’t willing to give up the little freedom I did have. But now, with Lorik by my side, I knew I had all the freedom I needed just by being able to love him and to be loved by him. Nothing in this world would ever make me hesitate when it came to proving my love for him, to make sure nothing ever tore us apart. But I had to admit, thinking about what was about to happen had my insides balled into tight little bundles of nerves. I never did well with needles.
Lorik lifted his arm, and I stared at the plastic wrapping around his hand. The freshly tattooed wolf symbol on his upper hand was only partly visible under the protective wrapping. But it was there, and it was not only the symbol of our family, it now became the symbol of the commitment Lorik and I shared.
He lifted his finger and showed me where it had been pricked. “This hurt more than the tattoo, believe me.”
I shuddered, thinking about the pain, and secretly thanked God I didn’t have to go through the entire initiation process. From what I heard, it was quite intense…and painful.
“I still can’t believe you did this for me,” I whispered, feeling a lump form in the back of my throat.
“It wasn’t that bad. I expected worse from the initiation, actually. The horror stories one hears about mafia initiation ceremonies gave me the cold fucking sweats.” He smiled down at me. “But your dad was gentle.”
I let out a laugh thinking about Lorenzo Valenti being gentle. He wasn’t the gentle type, but somehow, I suspected he was only gentle because of me, because he knew I would have brought down the wrath of hell on all of them like only an Italian woman could if they hurt my man.
My man. It all felt so surreal, us being able to be together.
Lorik quit the force to be with me. Gave up everything he believed in to join my family. It was something I would never be able to fully repay. And my father and brothers being willing to bend the rules they upheld with an iron fist to accept an ex-cop into their circle was the best gift they could ever have given me. Like I said—surreal.
“Karina, are you ready?” Antonio asked, shifting impatiently from one foot to the other. Okay, it was still going to take Antonio a while to get used to all the changes, but I was patient, and luckily, Lorik was too stubborn for it to bother him.
I rubbed my wrist. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
Lorik grabbed me around the waist and lifted me, planting a hard, desperate, passionate kiss against my lips. I melted into him, my heart no longer beating, but racing like crazy. I prayed the fire burning between us never faded, never died. But judging by the way it kept strengthening every time we were together, I doubted it ever would.
He peeled his lips from mine, cupping my cheek and rubbing his thumb softly over my bottom lip.
“Now, get inked, princess, so we can get out of here. I have a very pressing need to do some reminding.”
“That’s enough motivation for me.” I’d probably get twenty tattoos if it meant I could go home and spread my legs for the man I loved with all my heart.
I turned and walked toward Antonio. A life I never thought I wanted was the life I was about to embrace. I was about to accept the wolf, to permanently commit myself to my family, and all the while I had a future with Lorik to look forward to. That alone was worth everything.
Just as I got to the door, I turned back and smiled at Lorik. “I love you.”
His lips curved up at the sides. “I love you too…my mafia princess”
***
LORIK
I watched as Karina left with Antonio. She was nervous. It was written all over her face as she glanced back at me while walking out the door. I knew it bothered her, the decision I made. During the last two months, she kept trying to convince me to reconsider. Not because she didn’t want me to do this, but because she was afraid I would one day regret it. And the truth was, I wouldn’t. I would never regret choosing her, choosing a life with her above my old life. She was my life now, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. She was mine, and that was all that mattered.
Lifting my hand, I stared at the new tattoo on my skin. It hurt like a motherfucker, but I couldn’t tell her that. She was about to get the same symbol tattooed on her wrist, and I didn’t want to make her even more nervous.
The symbol on the top of my hand proved I was a wolf now. I vowed to be loyal to the Valenti family, to uphold their laws and do what was expected of me. And even though Karina was the most important reason for me making this decision, she wasn’t the only reason. After hearing Anderson’s story about how our justice system failed his niece and how Lorenzo gave Anderson and his family the justice they needed to be able to move on, I realized not everything in life was black and white. For years, I’d chased after the Valentis, believing they were the scum of the earth who didn’t give a fuck about any laws but their own. But I was wrong; I knew that now.
My decision to become a part of the Valenti family didn’t mean I was blinded to all the questionable businesses they ran, but it meant my eyes had opened to all the good they had brought to the people of Boston over the years. The Valentis took care of the people who needed it the most, brought justice to those who deserved it. Everything they did, they did for the greater good, and I was willing to live with that—to be a part of it.
I rubbed the finger Lorenzo had pricked earlier. Watching my blood drip on a card bearing the image of St. Francis while Lorenzo said, “This drop of blood symbolizes your birth into our family. We are one until death,” then witnessing him setting that card on fire was real powerful shit.
I’d heard about the mafia initiation, and I always found the notion of it absurd and creepy. But while I stood there watching the card with my blood burn into nothing but ash, solidifying my place in their family, it gave me a strong sense of belonging. By doing this, I didn’t only vow to be loyal to the Valentis, I also showed the depth of my commitment to Karina—to the daughter of the man who had now become my boss.
Like I said, powerful shit.
I inhaled and dragged my hand through my hair before deciding to pour myself a drink while I waited for my woman to get branded as well. My woman. God, it felt good thinking of her in that way.
I flopped down on the very expensive leather couch and let my mind drift to thoughts of the future. Thoughts of how Karina was now mine, and how I was going to enjoy every goddamn minute of it. For a while, there, her pussy had “forbidden” written all over it, but now because of a symbol marked on my skin and because of my vow to put her and her family first, I had every fucking right to claim that sweet Heaven between her legs every time I wanted—and no one could do shit about it.
“With that look on your face, I shudder to think what the hell is going on in that dirty mind of yours.”
I looked up and spotted Dante standing in the doorway. “Oh, you have no idea how dirty my mind really is.”
“Oh, God, stop.” Dante held his hands up. “If those dirty thoughts have anything to do with my little sister, I’m going to be forced to put a bullet in your spine.”
I grinned like a fucking idiot. “Then you better load that gun…brother.”
“Good God, you’re an asshole.”
I laughed as Dante took a seat on the couch across from me. Dante was the brother I liked most. He didn’t go around acting like he had a stick up his ass like Antonio did. In fact, I would even go so far as to say Dante and I had some sort of friendship brewing. We might end up being drinking partners very soon—which was a big fucking deal in the world of manly friendships.
“For the life of me, I don’t know what my sister sees in you.”
“Oh, that’s easy. It’s because of my big—”
“For the love of Christ, do not finish that sentence.”
I burst out laughing, and Dante snickered.
I nodded toward the door. “She done?”
“Yeah. The tattoo she got isn’t as detailed as ours.”
“Where is she?”
Dante got up and walked to the table and poured himself a drink. “I think she’s having a little father-daughter bonding time.”
“Ah.” I nodded.
When Dante took his seat again, I noticed the hard look on his face and knew something was up.
“What is it?”
Dante glanced up at me while twirling the crystal tumbler in his hand. “You’re officially a part of this family now, Stone. That means you’re gonna have a lot of catching up to do, starting with the Mancusos.”
I leaned forward, placing my elbows on my knees. “What’s going on?”
“This war between us and the Mancusos is far from over. In fact, I suspect it’s only just begun.”
“What makes you think that?”
When he glanced away like he was unable to look me in the eye anymore, I knew what it was.
“It’s me, isn’t it?”
He gulped back his entire drink and slammed the glass down on the table in front of him. “You killed Enzio Mancuso, the heir to the Mancuso throne, so to speak. So, I’m pretty sure all hell is about to break loose.”
I jerked out of my seat. “That fucker kidnapped Karina and tried to force her to marry him. God knows what he would have done to her if we didn’t find her in time. And let’s not forget he had a motherfucking gun aimed at my head. What was I supposed to do? Give him a medal?”
“I know. But the fact remains you killed him, which means the war that lies ahead would make the past battles seem like child’s play. We are open game for the Mancusos now. By killing Enzio, we have given them all the ammo they need to come for us, guns blazing.”
With anger pulsing through my veins, my vision nothing but shades of red, I started to pace, the itch to take care of those fuckers once and for all crawling all over my skin. “They won’t get near her, Dante. I will kill every motherfucker who dares to come near her.”
Dante’s expression settled into a somber look when his eyes finally met mine. “I don’t think this is about Karina anymore, Stone.”
The prickle of warning in the back of my skull traveled all the way down my spine as the realization dawned on me. Of course, they didn’t want Karina anymore. The only reason she had been the target was because of Enzio’s sick obsession with her. But he was dead, killed by my hand, and that meant…
“They want me.”
Dante didn’t move. “Not all of you.”
“What does that mean?”
“What they want is revenge for what has been taken away from them—their blood. They want payment for the wrong that has been done to them.”
“Wrong? What wrong has been done to them? Karina was the one who got kidnapped, for Christ’s sake.” Good God, I was about to have a fucking aneurysm. “Their son was one twisted son of a bitch with issues, issues only a bullet in the chest could cure. How can they exact payment if I did the fucking world a favor?”
Dante got up and straightened in front of me. “They don’t see it that way.”
“Well, someone should help them open their fucking eyes.”
“Stone.” Dante pinned me with his stare. “The only way the Mancusos will let this go is if they have your head.”
I froze, no longer feeling the need to pace, since everything inside me turned into ice. How did I not figure this out sooner? Of course, the Mancusos would want revenge. No one went around killing Mancusos and got away with it. They would want to inflict the same kind of pain, the same kind of loss they were forced to experience, on me.
Oh, God…
“Fuck.” My legs weakened as a thought popped into my head, and I fell back onto the couch, staring but not seeing anything but the dread spreading through me.
“What is it?” Dante took a step forward, and I looked up at him.
“I think you’re wrong, man.” I pulled my palms down my face.
“Why do you think that?”
“Dante, they don’t want my head.”
“Stone, what the fuck are you talking about?”
“Jesus Christ.” My skin went damp as fear wracked through my body. “Dante,” I glanced up at him, “they want her head. Karina. They’re going to go after her.”
Dante fell on the couch beside me. “What are you saying?’
“I’m saying they’re going to go after what I couldn’t bear to live without. They are going to exact revenge by inflicting pain that would be worse than death for me.”
The way Dante’s face turned from a natural to a deadly pale color, it was clear he realized what the fuck I was trying to say.
“Karina,” he whispered, and my heart skipped a beat when he said her name. Just the thought of losing her, of letting one of the Mancuso bastards lay another hand on her, made the animal in me want to tear everyone the fuck apart. I would go on a rampage through Hell if it meant keeping her safe—which was exactly what I planned to do.
I stood and stared at Dante. “We keep this between us, you hear?”
“We need to tell Antonio.”
“I agree. But I don’t want this getting to Karina. We handle this on our own, and we’ll take care of it without her knowing.”
Dante shrugged. “It’s going to be a tough one keeping this from her, especially if we need to double security when it comes to her. She hates being chaperoned and guarded.”
I let out a breath. “I know.”
“Listen, Stone, maybe we should tell her. It’s going to be easier to protect her if she knows why we’re doing it.”
“No.” I scowled at him. “She’s my woman, Dante, and I am telling you she is not to know. Okay? She’s been through enough.”
Dante cursed, threw his head back, and stared at the ceiling before he finally looked back at me. “Fine. But believe me when I say war is right at our fucking doorstep, so you need to be prepared.”
“I know. But we wait for those cocksuckers to make the first move. Hopefully, they’re not as stupid as we suspect they are, and they won’t attempt to take us on.”
“Who is stupid, and who is going to take you on?”
I jerked around when I heard her voice and stared at Karina as she glanced between me and Dante.
Her face, her skin, everything about her always managed to make my heart beat a thousand miles an hour. And now, even after what Dante and I had just discussed, I was more determined than ever to hold on to what I had found in her. Love, passion, devotion—a fucking reason for living, and I’d be damned if I let anyone take that away from me.
“Oh, nothing.” I started toward her and plastered the biggest smile on my face. “I was just telling your brother my plan, and that anyone who was stupid enough to take me on would get their ass handed to them on a silver platter.”
I grabbed her and pulled her hard against me, allowing her sweet scent that always made my cock twitch to surround me.
She yelped and smiled as she stared up at me with those beautiful irises that had me completely and utterly pussy-whipped.
“And what is this plan of yours?” She bit her lower lip, and all I could think about was how goddamn much I wanted to be the one biting that lip. I made a mental note to do a lot of biting later.
With one arm around her waist, I pulled her up and pressed my lips against hers. Every fucking time I kissed this woman, it was as if we literally melted into each other. It was like something out of this fucking world.
In the far corner of my mind, I heard Dante clearing his throat like an asshole, but I ignored him and forced my tongue deeper into her mouth, loving the way she tasted. With a lot of goddamn effort, I eventually tore my lips from hers and gazed down at her before pulling a box out of my pocket, flicking it open.
She glanced at the open box, and her eyes widened when she saw what was inside.
“Lorik, what is this?”
I smiled one of my trademark smug, happy, bordering on arrogant smiles. “This is my plan, princess.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Which is?”
I leaned down, brushing my cheek against hers, and whispered into her ear, “To make you my wife.”
—The End—