Emerald Malice - A Mafia Romance

I crashed a wedding. Got caught by the best man. Now, I'm pregnant with his baby... It's Katya's fault. (As per usual.) My BFF despises her ex and wants to hate-watch him marry the woman he left her for. Problem is, she didn't fill me in on that plan... Until we arrive at the ceremony. As soon as I find out, I run. Hop on the elevator and smash the Doors Close button like the Energizer Bunny on a sugar rush. But right before they shut... A hand comes shooting through. And attached to that hand, unfortunately for me, is the most stunning human specimen I've ever seen. Tall. Dark. Handsome. Dangerous. Also... the best man. He takes one look at me and knows I don't belong. "Who let you in here, little bird?" he growls. I gulp. Tremble. Open my mouth to lie... And then the elevator stops.

Chapters

Chapter 5

I peek over Katya's shoulder. I don't see Leo-or anyone else on the A-, B-, C-, or D-lists, for that matter. But I do see a veritable army of security guards herding straggling guests into the main ballroom.

As the crowd filters past our little hiding spot, I pay closer attention to the guests themselves. Some of them look like important, respectable businessmen, but the vast majority look more like what I'd generously call "hardcore criminals." We're talking thick golden chains, tattoos on necks, knuckles, or both, and the kind of furtive, aggressive side-to-side glances that all but scream, I dare you to fuck with me.

I shudder.

If this is the company the Kuznetsovs keep, it was a bad idea coming here today.

"Kat... We need to leave. These are not people we want to mess with."

She snorts. "I was wondering when Nervous Nat would rear her head."

I could slap her. I truly could. I love her, but I'm this close to cold-cocking her right across the face and dragging her limp body out of here.

Before I can, she doubles down. "Playing it safe is gonna take you exactly nowhere. Come on-don't you want to have adventures to look back on in your old age? Don't you want experiences to share with your grandchildren one day?"

"That's making the assumption that I even get to old age. Which, judging by the men outside this utility closet, is a stretch."

"You need to stop being so damn scared of everything," she says firmly. It's the same tone she used when she was trying to get me to go skinny dipping in her boss's pool that summer she was house-sitting for him. "You have to stop letting one tragedy be the crutch that keeps you from living your life!"

I should've hit her when I had the chance.

Because her words are as good as a slap across the face in their own right.

Tragedy-that's a funny word for what happened. It feels too clinical, too cold. Then again, what is the right way to talk about your parents getting dragged out of the car and murdered right in front of you?

I bite my tongue to keep the tears from spilling over. There's no way I'm gonna cry in front of her. "Low blow, Kat."

She sighs and clutches my hands. "I love you, you know that. And I just... I don't want to see you stuck in the past, Natalia. Life happens here. Now. In the present."

I'm still a little tongue-tied, but the opening chords of the wedding march coming from the ballroom save me from having to figure out what to say.

Katya squeezes my hands in hers once more. "We're just gonna sneak in there, find a couple seats way in the back, and judge from afar. Okay? Nothing risky. Besides," she adds, "if we leave now, we're only gonna draw attention to ourselves. Best to just blend with the crowd until after the ceremony and then we can leave."

"You promise?"

She makes a cross over her heart with her index finger. "Cross my heart and hope to die."

"Oh, you will die if you don't keep that promise. I'll make sure of it."

She laughs, grabs my wrist, and pulls me out of the utility closet. We join the last exodus of people streaming through the doors and find seats tucked alongside a looming onyx vase bursting with flowers.

Everyone settles into their places. The conversations slowly dwindle.

It doesn't take me long to spot Andrey Kuznetsov. He's standing at the head of the aisle, looking impossibly huge and impossibly gorgeous. A mountain in charcoal with eyes too bright to be real. My lips tingle with the flesh memory of his lips on mine.

"Damn, is that Viktor's brother?" Katya interrupts my guilty thoughts. "Forget Leo-I'll take one of those, please."

It's weird how instantly my hackles rise. I have absolutely no claim to that man. So why do I care if Katya is attracted to him?

I don't, I tell myself firmly. I don't care one little bit.

Luckily, Katya's quickly distracted by the bride's entrance. "Oh my God, look at her dress. My freaking grandma would've encouraged her to show a little more skin. Is she the bride or a nun?"

I shoot her a glare. "Hush!"

Katya rolls her eyes, but falls silent while the bride is walked down the aisle by her short, balding father. People rise to their feet as I try to make sense of the little lump that's forming in my chest.

What the hell is that?

It's only when my fingers reach instinctively for the locket around my neck that it hits me.

I'll never have this. A father to walk me down the aisle, someone to hand me off.

Tragedy. There's that word again.

I hate it more and more every time.

The bride looks like a shrinking violet. She's pale as snow, with strawberry blonde hair styled into a tight chignon.

"We're veering into pedophile territory," Katya jeers. "She looks like she's twelve years old."

Viktor looks bored as he accepts her hand from his soon-to-be father-in-law. Then the ceremony starts. Katya chews at her nails as the officiant goes through the blandest marriage vows in recorded history.

"Is it almost over, do you think?" Katya whispers.

"I sincerely hope so."

She nods once, her blue eyes glowing a little brighter. Up on the altar, the officiant plows into the home stretch. "Do you, Viktor Kuznetsov, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Another nod, like Katya is preparing herself for something. It leaves a sinking feeling in my belly.

"Kat-"

Viktor opens his mouth, "I⁠-"

"I OBJECT!"

I stare after Katya, my jaw hanging to the literal floor.

I'm not the only one. The crowd twists in their chairs.

And just like that, Katya has stolen the show.

All eyes are on her-including Viktor's.

"Katya...?" he stutters in disbelief, while his bride lists to the side as though she's in danger of fainting at any moment.

"Viktor Kuznetsov is a liar and a cheater!" Katya continues loudly. Rather than be deterred by the eyes on her, it's like the audience is giving her life. "He prowls the city at night looking for his next conquest. And trust me, he's made many!"

Andrey Kuznetsov is the only one who looks even remotely calm during this abrupt little detour the wedding has taken. His eyebrow flickers up as he regards Katya with pure, acidic disdain. Then he looks off to the left and gives a nod to someone I can't see. I'm guessing Katya has about ten seconds before she's hauled out of here like the crazy-ass intruder she is.

The thing is-and I know from experience-Katya can do a lot of damage in ten seconds. As it turns out, she doesn't even need that long.

"Viktor has a secret mistress," she cries out. "She's pregnant with his baby. And she's standing right over there!"

I blink over at Katya-who's pointing in my direction, for some inexplicable reason.

I actually glance over my shoulder to see this pregnant mistress she's apparently brought along to humiliate Viktor.

But there's nothing behind me except an onyx vase filled with calla lilies.

And that's when it hits me.

I'm supposed to be the pregnant mistress.

I'm the prop.

I'm the naive idiot who let myself get roped into Katya's revenge ploy.

Before I can jump in and correct her lie, Andrey Kuznetsov steps off the raised platform. He no longer looks disinterested or calm.

Now, he looks pissed.

Those ethereal silver eyes land directly on me and he growls three terrifying words into the microphone. "Security... grab them."

Continue to next part

Three days after my fiancé publicly dumped me for my stepsister, the Supreme Don issued a command that silenced the entire estate. I wasn't being cast aside. I was being sold to Damien Russo. The "Broken Don." A crippled, scarred monster rumored to have murdered his last two wives. My adoptive mother, Elena, didn't cry for me. She smirked. To her, I was finally being disposed of. She was so confident I was walking to my death that she decided to loot my corpse before I even left. She forged documents to steal my entire inheritance—my biological mother’s trust fund—to pay for my stepsister’s lavish wedding to my ex. "She won't need money where she's going," my stepsister laughed, wearing a dress bought with my stolen funds. They thought they were sending a lamb to the slaughter. They thought I was too weak, too stupid, and too afraid of the monster to fight back. But they made a fatal mistake. With my aunt’s help, I didn't just find the proof of their embezzlement; I found a weapon. I’m not running from the monster. I’m going to marry him. And when I hand him the evidence that the Herrera family stole from his bride, he won't be my executioner. He will be my vengeance.

Action Mafia Romance

8.7

GLACIER TRUCE

8.7

Meet Two different Families. They are the two most dangerous Mafias in the whole of Italy, across Sicily and to this day, no other clan stands a chance against them. First Family. Name: Cactus Clan Name: Nightshade Clan Godmother, Serena, the head of the clan. A woman who is feared even by powerful men. She's a definition of craziness. She's well know for being a crazy witch that nobody wants to mess with. Erica, 25 years old, the first daughter, another witch who took after their mother without any single difference in character. She is very obedient to the core as she follows whatever their mother says without bothering to think about it. She's a badass fighter and can't go a day without spilling blood. Venetta, 23 years old. Second daughter and the craziest girl you might ever encounter. You can never understand her mood. It fluctuates... one minute she's smiling, the next second she's something else...and the reason is she's a drug addict. She sniffs like her life depends on it. Jazzlyn, 21 years old. She has no single similarity to her other siblings. Not like she was hated but she wasn't loved like the others. She was not allowed to go to any mission because she wasn't trained and was regarded as weakling. Her offense was that she had a weak heart. She had never gotten things right. She has badly wanted to train, wanted to go to mission but it was basically her fault and nobody's that she wasn't good. She keeps on trying and still can't. She can't even handle a gun. She was always left out during missions. One crazy thing she enjoys doing is cutting herself. She loves making herself bleed. * Second Family. Name: Truce. Clan Name: Hades fruit Clan Godfather, Padrino. The only one who's not scared of Serena. Instead he's also feared by everyone and every other clan in Italy, except Serena's though. Renzo, First Son, 25 years old. A playboy, bully and a dangerous killer. Padrino trust him more than anyone in the world cos he does not believe in love. Ace, second son, 24 years old. He's a playboy also and a drug addict. He went schooling in the states and ended up making a transfer back to Italy. He's a nice person and at the same time cold. And then we have, Glacier. 24 years old. He is merely a tool. Crazy, right? The son of Padrino, a tool? He's the most hated one in the family and clan. Even though he's one of them. He was never trained, not even how to defend himself but surprisingly, he had his first kill at the age of ten. He gets beaten up even when Renzo and Ace makes the mistakes. He gets beaten like a thief and he was used to the countless and ugly bruises all over his body. He doesn't talk, always alone, a weirdo. Amidst all this, Glacier is a strikingly handsome young man. He is the very definition of what it means to be devoid of mercy. He has no heart....he has been taught never to smile, laugh or frown. His expression is always unreadable. No one can decrypt his thoughts. After his first kill at the age of ten which was a shock to Padrino, he started leading every mission and decides who will accompany him. Everyone knows better to avoid his wrath, except for Renzo, who never backs down, though he is no match for Glacier. * Everything is all about competition to both families. Both families are sworn enemies for reasons unknown and they succeeded in passing the hatred on and on to their children. In a single word, they are bloody enemies and there's even a rule guiding that. A Nightshade must not be seen getting intimate with an Hades fruit and vice versa. They shouldn't be seen talking or chitchatting. They should keep hating on each other. Now let's talk about the school they all attend... Acme University. The school popular slogan which was common among the students is if you can't beat the rich, melt away. Acme University is an institution where the sons and daughters of the wealthy and powerful Mafia families ruled the halls. This elite school was notorious for its lax academic standards And rampant bullying, where family connections and social hierarchy dictated the pecking order there. At the top of the food chain were the *Capi*, the heirs to the most powerful Mafia families[Hades fruit Clan and Nightshade Clan] Below the Capi were the *Sottocapi*, the children of mid-level Mafia families, who aspired to climb the ranks and gain favor with the Capi. The *Bourgeoisie*, the offspring of wealthy business families, often caught between loyalty to their families and the allure of Mafia power. At the bottom of the hierarchy were the *Plebeians* Let's stop here.... A war begins. But what happens when this war transforms into something unexpected, something forbidden? What dark secrets will be revealed? Curious to find out where the dark forbidden romance comes from. You can't miss this book for anything.

Mafia Modern Romance

9.1

Pampered By The Assassin Family

9.1

I drowned in freezing pool water, the mocking laughter of the elite Savage family echoing in my ears. When I opened my eyes, I was an eight-year-old orphan again, right on the day those monsters came to adopt me. Terrified of repeating my hellish past, I ran down the hallway and desperately grabbed the shirt of a random, dumpy IT guy, begging him to take me instead. I thought I had chosen a weak, boring suburban dad to hide behind. But I was completely wrong. My new mom greeted me with a ceramic tactical knife hidden in her apron. My clumsy dad sliced dinner ribs with the terrifying precision of a seasoned hitman. My ten-year-old brother was a dead-eyed sociopath who immediately calculated my bone density. They were a family of lethal underworld monsters, yet they frantically pretended to be a normal, pathetic household just for me.

Action Mafia Modern

8.8

She Was Unwanted, Now She's Queen

8.8

For three years, I swallowed a bitter pill daily, suppressing my royal white wolf bloodline for a normal life as the Alpha's Luna. That morning, my husband Santino coldly announced a crucial announcement, then entered our grand hall with another woman, declaring, "Alessia, she will be living here from now on." She was pregnant, he announced, carrying our late Beta's child-yet her neck was unmarked. My scoff met his furious Alpha dominance, threatening my title, forcing my bow as he settled her into the suite next to ours. Her sickening scent soon permeated my private study. Later, I found him intimately grooming her in the kitchen-a sacred act for mates-while he snarled mental insults, branding my jealousy pathetic. Watching his hands violate our vows, a slow, cruel smirk pulled at my lips. My three-year marriage was officially over. I had already paused my royal trust fund's capital, then severed our mind link with a chilling declaration: "Don't touch me with the hands that just touched her."

Mafia Romance Werewolf

8.7

Sleeping with My Best Friend's Alpha Father

8.7

I wasn't supposed to be here. Girls like me don't belong to Alpha parties. I came as a favor. As a waitress. As the poor best friend nobody notices. Until he noticed me. Fresh from the shower. Bare chest. Water sliding down hard muscle. Eyes like a predator that already chose its prey. My best friend's father. The Alpha King. He helps me with my dress when the zipper gets stuck. His fingers brush my skin. My breath stutters. The air changes. He looks at me like he knows me. Like he owns me. Then the party turns ugly. Hands grabbing. Drinks forced to my lips. Laughter is too loud. And just when everything almost breaks He comes for me. Carries me out like I'm something precious. Something is his. That night shouldn't have happened. But the moon was high. My body burned. And when he whispered "mine" against my ear, I forgot every rule I ever lived by. I woke up in his bed. In his scent. In his world. I'm about to lie to my best friend... say I'm already home... When I hear her voice outside his bedroom door. "Dad? Breakfast's ready." Dad. Oh God. The Alpha King isn't just my mistake. He's hers. And now he says I'm his mate.

Mafia Modern Werewolf

8.0

Sold To The Mafia Queen

8.0

Desperate to settle a massive debt, a man finds himself sold into the service of a cold and formidable Mafia Queen. Thrust into a world of organized crime and lethal secrets, he must navigate his dangerous new reality as her personal property. What begins as a transaction of survival soon evolves into an intense and complicated bond. Surrounded by enemies and betrayal, the two must decide if their growing connection is a liability or their only salvation.

Mafia Modern Romance

Emerald Malice - A Mafia Romance

Chapter 5

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