Rubies and Revenge

ZARINA GALLO

I’ve spent my whole life being a good princess to my mafioso parents, helping them amass more power and money however they ask. But when they ask—no, tell—me to marry Marcus Accardi, I put my foot down.

First of all, he’s a man (ew). Second of all, he’s a brutal, violent man.

I don’t care what kind of trouble we’re in. There must be a way to solve our problems that doesn’t involve sacrificing myself to the altar of familial duty. And I’m going to find it.

Except I need time. So I run to the only queer gangster in town who...

ZARINA GALLO

I’ve spent my whole life being a good princess to my mafioso parents, helping them amass more power and money however they ask. But when they ask—no, tell—me to marry Marcus Accardi, I put my foot down.

First of all, he’s a man (ew). Second of all, he’s a brutal, violent man.

I don’t care what kind of trouble we’re in. There must be a way to solve our problems that doesn’t involve sacrificing myself to the altar of familial duty. And I’m going to find it.

Except I need time. So I run to the only queer gangster in town who (probably) won’t surrender me to the Accardi family or my own—Andrea Tamayo—and propose a deal. We claim we’re engaged, she protects me from my parents and the Accardis, and I use the time to figure out how to get me and my family out of this mess. In exchange, she gets more money, more power, more territory.

I expect her to accept. I don’t expect her to force me to my knees. Even more, I don’t expect to like it.

ANDREA TAMAYO

For years, I’ve sought one thing—revenge on the Cardinal Family that betrayed me and left me for dead. Every move I’ve made to build up my family, to expand our territory, to create a reputation, has been in service of that goal. I thought it’d take another decade or more to achieve.

But then their only heir and princess, Zarina Gallo, marches into my club and asks for help.

More like demands. A princess through-and-through. She wants three months of asylum and my family’s safety laid on the line for her freedom from the Accardi prince in exchange for territory and an open-ended favor.

I accept. But not before I make her beg.

And I won’t let her go until I ruin her as well as her family ruined me.