"Destroy the world?" "Well... yeah, we could do that." –––––––––––––– At just 21, Angela never imagined that working one of New York's most dangerous cases would lead to taking in Brianna-a 15-year-old girl with a deadly secret. She's the daughter of the city's most feared mafia boss. –––––––––––––– "Delinquent, huh?" His brows lift, brushing off my warning as if it were nothing. "Would you prefer criminal?" I counter. "I'd rather you not judge me based on how I look," he deadpans. "Am I wrong?" He scoffs, glancing away just long enough to sharpen the angle of his jaw before his gaze meets mine again. "I'm not here to take her," he says, dodging the accusation. "I just need to make sure she's safe."
ON A NORMAL Wednesday afternoon, Angela sat on the living room rug eating popcorn slightly hot from the microwave and flavoured in salt. Her brother, Vossi, sat on the couch, curled around a blanket and watching television with a glass of milk in hand.
Angela was always different from her brother; her long brown locks remaining straight while her brother's were short and curly.
It wasn't only that. She thought differently too.
Through her eyes, the world was numbers and shapes rather than colours and letters. She would calculate rather than observe, and think instead of enjoy.
Her parents brushed her off as just special.
Vossi yawned and stretched, pressing his cheek against his sister's leg.
Outside the sun was shining, scorching with the asphalt of driveways. Lawn mower engines whirred, and children splashed in the backyard pools.
Dad was somewhere out back, mom in the kitchen preparing dinner. It was an utterly normal and compliant day - nothing seemed to be out of place.
When in the far hallway a clatter of some left over boxes came, Angela hopped up to check on it. She hoped it might be her cat Whiskers, screwing around and in the mood to play.
Instead, a man stood in her hallway - how he got in she didn't know - and glared down at her through his face mask.
He wore a beige leather coat from his neck to his toes despite the blazing heat. His shoes were decorated with silver metals and more beige leather, and they rang in a deafening pitch as he stepped over the threshold towards Angela.
"Mom!" Angela yelled, "Someone's here!"
Her mother came from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her jeans. When she saw the man she stopped and stared in confusion, until it melted into fear.
"Go upstairs." She spoke. "Run."
"Whose child is this?" The man asked. His face wasn't readable as all Angela could see was his daring eyes, but his voice was oddly accented, "Mine? His?"
"No one's," Mom's voice croaked, "She's no one's child."
That wasn't right. Not one bit. Angela and Vossi looked just like their mom. Everyone said so. There was no denying the three of them were related.
Angela took a few steps towards the stairs but didn't want to go alone.
Vossi, Angela thought. He was older after all - definitely not wiser - but braver.
Yet Angela couldn't seem to make herself move any farther.
Mom seemed speechless. Her body was visibly still. Angela wanted to take her hand and squeeze it, reassure her, tell her that everything would be okay and he would leave soon, but she didn't dare.
The man stepped forward towards Angela's mother, and still, Angela couldn't move.
"Did you seriously think a happy ever after would be this easy?" The man asked again with a scoff, the notes on the ends of his words leaving rough cords with his accent.
Mom stared at him still, breathing heavier, shivering more clearly.
He took a step toward her, and she took a step back. He would make a move; she would fall.
As Angela watched what was happening, the numbers and shapes would come to life, and she'd see a bishop and a pawn.
There was something wrong with this man. He moved stiffly as though he was hesitant, but stiffly as though he was confident.
"I was never going to be happy with you," Mom said as tears glossed over her eyes, "Your world wasn't made for me, if I knew sooner, I would have never talked to you."
The tall man regarded her for a long moment before speaking five cruel and empty words. "But you made a promise, Hope." He said finally.
Mom lifted her chin. "And then I broke it."
Pawn doesn't move, not forwards, nor backwards, Angela thought, still not sensing the amount of danger she was in.
The man's gaze went to Angela.
Little eight-year-old Angela, a girl barely able to lift a bucket.
Although she should have been scared, Angela was still trying to decipher his mannerisms and figure out what his next move would be.
She couldn't figure it out. For once, her mind wasn't capable enough to transcribe his movements.
Angela dashed into the living room.
Vossi was still drowsy. The television was still on. He looked up with half-lidded eyes. "Who's at the door?" He asked, "I heard mom speaking."
"A stranger," Angela told him, "come upstairs with me."
With a sigh, Vossi unfolded from the couch and followed Angela into the hallway, expecting nothing of her ramblings.
As they started towards the stairs, Angela saw her father come in from the backyard.
He warily held a shotgun. It wasn't weird to see him holding one. What was odd was the way he held the weapon, as if he was going to-
Her father aimed the gun at the tall man.
The knight made his move.
Angela and Vossi's father never raised a hand on either of them, even when they got into big trouble. He wouldn't hurt anyone. He just wouldn't.
And yet...
The gun fired, skimming the tall man's ear as he barely dodged it, the bullet biting into the wood trim of their front door.
The tall man drew a ridged dagger from beneath his coat.
Dad was trying to reload his gun when the man plunged his dagger into his stomach, holding it there before twisting it and shoving it upwards.
There was a sound, like sticks snapping, and then an animal cry.
Dad fell to the carpet, limp, and unmoving. Although now, the carpet was tracked with blood. Crimson, bright, red, blood.
Bishop takes knight.
Mom screamed. Angela screamed. Vossi screamed. Everyone seemed to be screaming except for him. Except the man with the actual blood on his hands.
"Come here." He said, looking towards their mother.
"You killed him!" Mom shouted instead, moving toward the kitchen, "You killed him." She sobbed as she did.
"Do not run from me," The man declared, "Not after what you've done-"
But she did run. She was almost around the corner of their kitchen island when his dagger struck her back.
She crumpled to the floor, arms knocking magnets off the fridge in the process.
The metallic smell of fresh blood was heavy in the air, like wet, hot metal. Like some cleaning equipment mom would use on her spring cleaning days. Smelly, overwhelming, and everlasting.
Permanent.
Something that would leave a scar.
Angela ran at the man, slamming her tiny fists against his chest and kicking at his legs with her feet. She wasn't even scared. She wasn't sure she could feel scared when all she could feel was rage.
The man paid no attention to Angela. For a long moment, he just stood there, as though he couldn't quite believe what he'd done. As though he wished he could take back the last five minutes.
Then, he sank to one knee and sobbed.
He cried. He cried after killing Angela's mother.
Angela could only feel more annoyed at what an inconvenience this all was.
If he was going to cry, then why did he do it in the first place?
"I'm going to fucking kill you!" Vossi roared, tears streaming down his face as Angela dropped to her knees and subconsciously soaked them in her mother's blood.
Even though Vossi was stronger than Angela, his fourteen-year-old self holding more years, the man didn't budge when he wrestled him.
Instead, the man abruptly stood up. He stared at them with his disinterested eyes before turning around, and leaving out the front door as sirens echoed in the distance.
Warning: This book is really dark, filled with imaginations of darkness you can can think of. If you're below the age of 18. I advise you that you read with discretion. He stared at me with cold, dark eyes. Pushing me against the wall with his hand around my throat, he growled, "Do you know the ways I could fuck the answer out of you? The things I could do to you, can you imagine it? I'll ask you again, what did you see in my black bag?" His dark eyes were scary but the thought of fucking the truth out of me was entertaining, I replied confused and scared "No-, Nothing" Maximo, a scary-looking bulky guy and the leader of the most feared Mafia on earth fell victim to a prank which I do occasionally, especially to scary-looking people. It's like a test to know how much power I have as a woman but this time it went south as the man I decided to prank one rainy Friday night became a bone stuck in my throat for the rest of my days, I could not get him out. My lovely sharp bone. Aurora, a lovely girl, gentle on the outside but wild on the inside, plays men like cards but she can't to this man, Max Lucado. He was everything she wanted in a man
Juliet Avery's life took a drastic turn when she went from one confined existence to another. Forced into marriage with her father's business partner, Jamie Santos, she found herself bound to a man known for his immense wealth and striking good looks. However, beneath his charming exterior lurked a dark and sinister nature - Jamie was a ruthless Colombian Mafia Boss with a cruel streak and an unhealthy obsession with Juliet. Jamie's devotion to Juliet knew no bounds; he was willing to commit any atrocity, from mass killings to setting the world ablaze, at her mere request. But Juliet had no desire for this kind of life. His lavish lifestyle and the luxurious cage he provided were not what she had envisioned for her future. All Juliet yearned for was freedom, not to be shackled to a man consumed by insatiable desires. She found herself trapped in a gilded prison, longing for escape from the clutches of a beast whose affections she could never reciprocate.
"If I were to kick the bucket, would you make a pilgrimage to my grave?" I quipped, motioning to the open graveyard around us. His lips curled into a wicked smirk, revealing flawless, pearly whites—a sinister expression that, by all accounts, should have prompted me to bolt in the opposite direction. Yet, it didn't. "If you ever found yourself six feet under, Beverley," he said, pausing to let his eyes roam over me, "trust me, I'd be right there in the damn plot next to yours." Bev My life had been charted out before I drew my first breath. I was thrust into the seedy realm of organized crime and illicit trade. After enduring torment and being left for dead, I finally secured my escape. I ran. Freedom was mine. And then my brother messed it all up, dragging me back into this warped version of hell. And then there was Shady, the devil in the most tempting guise. Shady I held the throne in the Boka Civente, the epitome of violence and corruption. In my world, there was no concept of losing. Down in the underground, the rules remained the same. Always had, and when your life was at stake, debts were settled accordingly. Her brother owed me, and if that debt went unpaid, someone would meet their end. And she, she was simply a means to an end. Right?
"Bria's destiny is closely connected to the Alpha, and the red mark on her hand is clear proof of their special bond. Her tough journey began when the human government took her away when she was young. They trained her to be a weapon against the wolves. She knows her job well, and she's eager to go undercover as a failed kidnapping attempt to learn the wolves' secrets and hurt the Alpha. But, she didn't expect to meet an Alpha who would change everything she thought she knew. This Alpha tells her a different story from what she was taught, and introduces her to a community that goes against everything she believed."
Warning- This rated R, sexually explicit and gun and knife violence, reader's discretion is advised It all started when he was 19 and she was 17, teenagers in love who bared their souls without judgement from one another. Innocently, they thrived purely on love, but unknown to them, their families had other plans. Rather than letting them naturally thrive in true love, Danni had already arranged for Ghost at her tee that when she's older and a woman enough, she will become Ghost's wife. Giuseppe Giordano, popularly known as Ghost, was an heir had he had the time and has become ruthless and violent in approaching things that he doesn't trust, and Daniella Lopez is the innocent, beautiful woman who was betrayed by the Mafia boss. The Lopez and Giordano families had an agreement since their kids were young that they were going to give each other's children to one another once they came of age to strengthen the bond between both families. By the time she was of age, Ghost was invited to come and get his bride, despite the aggravations of her brothers, but it was to no avail. The union was rocky at first, as Ghost, who's been trained throughout his life to be cold-hearted and viscious, was to be married to the innocent and easy-going Daniella. Daniella didn't find Ghost any good for her, as he was never gentle with her and always treated women like commodities, but as time unravelled, she started to see him and see the Angel that was hiding behind the devil. This was the inception of a forever love story as Ghost, despite his shady and dark ways, became Daniella's knight in shining armour as she gradually shaped him to see the world and women differently.
"The King of Grita once found himself in a life-threatening situation, saved by a mysterious woman whose identity remained concealed, save for her enchanting deep green eyes. However, as quickly as she had appeared, she vanished overnight, leaving the King in a state of restlessness. On that fateful night, he owed his very life to her, and those captivating green eyes had stolen his heart. Years later, circumstances compelled the King to enter into a marriage arrangement with the daughter of a prominent general. To his astonishment, this young woman had the same bewitching green eyes that had haunted his memory since that life-altering night. The mysteries began to pile up. Two different women with the same mesmerising eyes—questions filled the King's mind. Who was that enigmatic woman who disappeared from his life years ago? Could it be possible that these two women were one and the same, and if so, why did they possess different appearances? As the King grappled with these unanswered questions, he embarked on a quest to unravel the secrets hidden behind those deep green eyes. Would he finally unveil the truth and solve the mystery that had haunted him for so long?"
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
Bailey seems to be never destined to fit in, a little geeky, but under it all, a hidden beauty that so many seem to miss, but still not what her pack Alpha is looking for in a fated mate... so he is determined to reject her and make her life hell. Bailey, knowing her life will likely never be the same focuses on what she can control, her future, and heads off to study; becoming a teacher. Asher is the Beta of Autumn Valley Pack, a neighbouring pack. A broken man having suffered the loss of his mate after a rogue attack, Asher is slowly crumbling. Falling to pieces. A shadow of his former self, and not a man that anyone wants to be around anymore... Until, Autumn Valley Pack require a new teacher, and Bailey finds herself there and pushed together with the Beta. Is there a connection building or is that in their imaginations? And what will happen when Bailey's mate comes back to claim what is his?
Chandler Su who had cheated by her boyfriend then got drunk at a bar. To take revenge, she grabbed a man randomly and took him to the room. After a crazy night, Chandler found the strange man was a super handsome guy the next morning. Shy and shocked Chandler run away after leaving 150 RMB and scorning the man of his poor bed skills. However, she never thought the story would become so dramatic as the next day, she found out that the new coming president of her company was exactly the man she slept the last night! Worse than that, this new boss seemed very narrow-minded as he asked Chandler to come to his office on the first day.
"Sign the divorce papers and get out!" Leanna got married to pay a debt, but she was betrayed by her husband and shunned by her in-laws. Seeing that her efforts were in vain, she agreed to divorce and claimed her half of the properties. With her purse plump from the settlement, Leanna enjoyed her newfound freedom. The constant harassment from her ex's mistress never fazed her. She took back her identities as top hacker, champion racer, medical professor, and renowned jewelry designer. Then someone discovered her secret. Matthew smiled. "Will you have me as your next husband?"
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”
The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."