His Ultimate Regret: Losing His Shield

ian, the city's most ruthless Mafia Don. I managed his legitimate fron

The gold-leaf name next to his was not mine, but Serena'

to her family for weapons three years ago, right when he was promising to crown me as his Queen. He had been

old me coldly, demanding my obed

m his door, believing every lie he fed me. Yet to him, my five years of absolute devotion meant nothing

e and dropped my ironclad se

ement proposal to Silas Russo, his deadliest rival Don.

pte

a

lid across the worn green felt of the underground casino table, I realized

n whose influence was felt in every crooked de

gs by midnight, I would be a permanent fixture

he photographic proof of the leak, the sound a

icate gold lettering

say something?

rk eyes scanning my face f

or five years, Mia. You are

touch the

y lap, the knuckles of one pr

ad swept through the city's alleys, leaving a tide of red on the c

rendered him everything-and

. The war was technically over by then, but the aftermath was bloodier than the battles-retaliation killings, power grabs, a hundred Capos who smelled weakness. The Donna, her l

You're the only one I trust with her life," he had said, gripping my shoulders in that safe house hallwa

at place-a cloying mixture of antise

ch shallow breath, while Capos huddled in the hall

ked at me with the whites of his eyes showing on five separa

as I signed it-taking full responsibility for her death on the table-because Julian wa

na had

nd as it held mine weakly. She had told me

uld marry me with full honors

made that s

iffside on the Sicilian coast, t

chest, his hands a strong,

e as his Queen the moment the

nded a ring duri

ood the weigh

erritory w

resting between Chloe and me, was th

s two months ago," I said, my vo

herself a drink from a

iate," she muttered. "The on

ing a sharp, physical

t sorry f

blivious to the unspoken viol

itimate businessman whose assets they were acqui

rom the darker aspects of our world, treating

ad been vanishin

ess business. Territory di

im, because I al

ame ye

fice unannounced to drop off a

ed black walnut had swung ope

tanding behi

anding far to

sting on the sm

arged with an intimacy that sent

noticed me, she

he tilted

essing gaze-it was the exact look of

his hand, but he

looked

ule. I had worn the diamond earrings he gave me on our second anniversary, hoping

muscles in his face settling in

e Capos tonight, Mia. I wi

d me as he woul

oe, the memory receding, leaving t

felt suf

let him do anythi

And I'm taking everything

ne, her screen lighting u

t, her jaw

id, sliding the phone across the tab

pute. He was just spotted walking

Julian's hand pressed against Serena's lower back, their bodies an

eeze mid-pour, "get me everything your informants have on Serena

decanter. "What a

ing invitation, the gold lea

exactly what kind of al

oing to burn i