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Prologue

Sienna

The man of my dreams ruined my life. He was my lover, my universe, my everything. I promised myself I wouldn’t be naïve. I promised myself I would remember the hatred I should feel for him.

Yet his kisses dissolved my resolve. This exquisite gown erased my convictions. I fell victim to his beguiling smile and the assurance that he was different from the others. The life he offered: distant dreams coming true, a genuine opportunity for love. He claimed no resemblance to those who killed my mother.

I stumble down the corridor, breathless, the damning paper clutched in my trembling hand, my chest constricting as though my heart might burst.

Person of Interest: Nico Moretti. Fleeing the scene. Witness statement redacted.

But I refuse to let his betrayal go unpunished. Before, I entertained the fantasy that we might forge a relationship worthy of a fairytale. We’d defy the odds: a mafia kingpin and a woman who’d eternally despised the underworld. What preposterous delusion.

I straighten my spine, inhaling deeply, composing myself.

I won't waste precious moments on tears when vengeance waits. Blood is what I seek now. Red has always been my favorite color.

Tonight, the Don will bleed, or I will.

ChapterOne

Nico

Weeks Before

Marriage and true love are concepts I'd prefer to avoid contemplating, but my mother is in a persistent mood. Gianna Moretti resembles a wolf unwilling to relinquish her prey. "I'd be delighted to see you find a companion."

The Cattle and Vine exudes sophistication without ostentation. Secluded booths, leather upholstery redolent of Fort Worth craftsmanship, floors gleaming like freshly spilled oil. Their steaks are perfection here. Dry-aged, sourced locally.

Towering windows line one wall, capturing just enough of the downtown skyline to establish where you are. Reunion Tower twinkles in the distance. Palpable tension permeates the atmosphere, unfortunately, with Viktor Barinov and his entourage occupying the restaurant's opposite side. He's already raised his glass repeatedly, he and his Bratva cohorts growing increasingly boisterous, like untamed bulls asserting dominance.

I sip my whiskey deliberately, still nursing my first glass, though I claim no virtue in this restraint.

"Did you hear what I said?”

"I heard," I respond. "But we should focus our attention on Adrian."

"Your new consigliere," Mother remarks with heavy sarcasm. "Fortuitously, Viktor and his thugs' presence this evening serves a purpose. We'll be able to observe Adrian's conduct around them."

Mother's elegant attire and plentiful jewelry project her status as the Moretti Family matriarch, widow to the fallen patriarch. In reality, she functions as my partner, possessing intellect as formidable as her rhetoric.

"He'll assume authority. Power invariably reveals one's basest nature."

She knows what I’m referring to. My father governed this Family and city like a failed regime, emulating Cartel-controlled territories. Luka, my elder brother and designated successor, while he perished in a car crash, followed the same methods. My leadership differs fundamentally.

"Don't deflect." Mother nudges me playfully. “I'll have to resort to enrolling you in speed dating."

"My schedule doesn’t allow for such indulgences."

"For a single evening? For a potential connection?"

For once, my cousin's arrival brings relief. Adrian is my uncle's offspring. Since my uncle's demise, Adrian has overseen several districts. Rumor has it he’s been dealing, maybe even nastier shit. Hence Mother's strategy to offer him the position as my second-in-command.

Let’s see who he really is. I harbor no desire to eliminate family, but if it prevents innocent overdoses or atrocities against women, merely attempting to exist peacefully...

He swaggers in, sporting a lustrous blue suit, slicked-back hair, and a gleaming silver watch. In his late twenties, younger than me, he emanates restless energy. Not that my energy appears diminished at thirty-nine.

"You're late," Mother says.