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Chapter One

COLETTE

I’ve made some mistakes in my life—although not too many, seeing as my father has kept his thumb on me for most of my life. But one that I regret is losing my virginity to one of my father’s men when I was fifteen years old. I wanted it gone, thinking that if I were to get rid of that pesky thing, it would give me a sense of control and freedom.

It did not.

In fact, all it did was get my father’s man gone instead. I never saw him again after that night. I also never asked about him, either. I assumed that if I needed to know, my father would have told me.

Because that’s the way he was.

I wasn’t allowed to ask questions, I was barely allowed to exist, and if it were something that wasn’t my business, he’d tell me so. I stopped questioning anything a long time ago. My job was to quietly exist and follow orders, nothing more, nothing less.

My father acted no differently toward me, but something told me that he knew what happened between me and his man and that he took care of the cause. He didn’t know that I was the one who came on to him.

It was my one and only time of rebellion. But the result was also what made me shut down and never even attempt to rebel again. I’m sure that was my father’s entire intent. He does love a good mind game. It was the last time I tried to take control of my life… until I met him.

Merrick Steele.

Even his name drips with sex.

I shouldn’t have come on to him when I did. I’ve never done anything like that in my adult life before. Granted, I’m only twenty, but there was something about the man that made me want to trace every part of his body with my tongue.

It wasn’t just looks, but he is hot. It was more than just his out-of-this-world hotness, though. It’s the way he carries himself. The confidence he exudes. He isn’t afraid of anything. Not of my father, not of his men—nothing.

When Merrick Steele walks into a room, he is the one in charge—nobody else exists.

When I’m in the room, the biggest difference is that between us, I’m the one who doesn’t exist. I was drawn to him alone for that reason. I felt like if I could have a little piece of what radiated, then maybe, just maybe, I might have a chance at life.

There’s also the simplistic fact that this man is probably the only one who could take on my father and release me from my chains. The only man who could ever free me. And he tried. I give him an A for effort if nothing else.

Merrick Steele was worth every crack in my heart. He broke every single part of me, too. However, even with that, the few months of bliss and of belonging to him were worth the hell that I’m living right now.

It was worth my father using me as a pawn in his games. Something he was likely to do anyway. I’m sure he has some sort of long-term plan, which is why I’m not with my husband but instead back in New York.

Also, why I’m not in Florida detached from my father’s world the way I used to be. I fucked that up big-time… by fucking Merrick.

My father isn’t just some guy who hired Merrick’s security firm to install door locks and cameras.

He’s more than just a business owner.

My father is Adriano Bellucci.

He’s the head of the Bellucci Mafioso, which originated through my great-great-grandfather in Northern Italy. Venice, to be specific. I’ve never been to Venice, but my father has talked about it enough that I feel as if I’ve lived there for a whole lifetime.

Especially being locked up in either of his homes. Which I am, always. Either in New York or Florida, nowhere else and nowhere in between. Both of his homes are decorated in all ornate Italian art and furniture.

I always wondered why we didn’t just live in Venice. Maybe it would be better to be under lock and key in Italy rather than the US.

But the truth is that I’ve never been out of my father’s control, except when Merrick took me to North Carolina when he was forced to marry me against his will.

Living in Nights, North Carolina, was the first time I tasted a semblance of freedom. I didn’t know that life could be as sweet as it was when I lay beside that man. Sure, he was angry that my father forced his hand, but he never took that anger out on me.

Merrick might have ignored my existence during the day, but I was okay with that because the way he made me feel at night was worth it all.

Every single second.

He even took me to the wedding of one of his best friends and business partner. I was introduced to everyone there as his wife . God. Being Mrs. Steele was probably the sexiest thing in the whole world. I was never so proud to be me as I was that night.

But my father ruined it, just like he ruins everything when it comes to me.

Every single thing.

Merrick is probably relieved now, though, not to have to see me or deal with me ever again. He wasn’t in love with me. He only married me because my father caught us having sex and forced him.

He should have just walked away and never looked back. I’m not even sure why he didn’t. I can’t imagine he was scared of my father in any way. It would have been a lot easier on me. But then again, I’m not the one who matters in the games of men. I’m just the piece to be moved around.

Dangled like a carrot.

A little statue to be placed up on a shelf, only to be taken down when I’m needed for their personal gain. And that gain is about to happen again because my father has just sent one of his goons to collect me and bring me to his office.

I’ve officially been moved permanently to New York. All of my things from Florida have been brought to my room, and I’ve had to find places to put them all. Which, honestly, could go in the trash for all I care.

It’s just stuff.

“He wants to see you… now ,” Marcello announces.

When he beckons, I must go. It’s my duty as the obedient, silent daughter. It is what he’s made me, what he’s created, and if I act any differently, there will be hell to pay.

Smoothing down my skirt, I square my shoulders and follow Marcello toward my father’s office. Onward and forward with hopes that I survive another day at the hands of the monster.

MERRICK

I should be celebrating.

The wife who I didn’t even want is now gone. I thought this would be a good thing, that I would be glad to be rid of her, but I’m not. Sitting in my apartment, I look around, and it feels desolate.

It’s so empty now.

I should be happy. I can now live the life that I had before she was thrust on me. I can work and be free—nobody to answer to except for my brothers. Those are the only people I should ever have to answer to in my entire life.

And yet.

I miss her.

Reaching for the whiskey glass on my side table, I bring it to my lips and take a drink, hissing as it slides down my throat. Closing my eyes, I lean backward slightly, letting my head rest against the back of the chair.

Sitting in the dark, lamenting my short marriage and the fact that I actually miss Colette, has been my new pastime. I’m not sure why, but I feel uneasy about everything that happened.

Maybe it’s because it seemed as if her father had a hold over me—a big one. I felt forced into marrying her and, then again, forced to give her up. I’m not even sure why. Sure, I tell myself it’s because I didn’t want to deal with the damn Mafia, but the reality is I know that Colette needed out of that house.

She didn’t even have to tell me. I know what someone who is being controlled to a point where it could be considered abuse looks like. I know when someone craves just an ounce of freedom. I saw that in Colette, and I allowed my self-control to slip for a moment.

I tried to take her out of her world, but at the end of the day, it didn’t work. That world is hers, and this one is mine. She would never truly fit in with me. She’s nothing like Theron’s wife, Lucille. She would never put herself on a hit list just to force herself into my life.

She probably doesn’t even know how to search on the dark web, let alone have herself on it and ruin people electronically. God, Lucille is a force to be reckoned with and fits in with our group so perfectly. She’s even started working for Securus.

I have a feeling that Lucille will be the one to find the man who ruined our lives as kids— Ravet .

That motherfucker.

I can’t wait to enact my vengeance on him and whoever the fuck he surrounds himself with. It’s my life’s passion and goal to find him and end him, but not only that—I want to make him suffer as much as he made me.

It will happen.

We may have lost the battle when it came to finding him through the Willow Club, but we did not lose the war. The war will not be won—it will not be over until that motherfucker lies dead at our feet.

A knock on the door causes me to sit up straight. Glancing at my watch, I frown at the time. It’s well past midnight, and I can’t imagine who would be at my condo and how the hell they got up here without going through the doorman downstairs.

Standing, I make my way over and peer through the peephole. There is a man standing on the other side in an ill-fitting suit with a comb-over. Jesus Christ, I can’t imagine who this motherfucker is and what the shit he wants with me.

Wrenching the door open, I arch a brow as my greeting. “Merrick Steele?” he asks.

I want to tell him to fuck off. But the moment he asked my name, I already knew who he was. I’m just not sure why he’s here.

“Yeah, that’s me.”

“You have been served,” he states, shoving an envelope toward my chest.

Placing my palm in the middle of the envelope, I hold it against myself to keep it from falling to the floor. I’m in shock, mainly because I don’t know what the fuck he’s talking about or how he got here.

I watch as the man scrambles away as if he thinks I’m going to chase him down or something.

I couldn’t give a fuck about him.

I step backward and close the door, locking it before I flip the lights on so that I can dig inside and see what the fuck I’m being sued for. Walking back over to my chair, I flop down, hearing it groan beneath my body, and then I shove my hand into the envelope and pull out the bound papers.

Divorce.

Annulment.

Whatever .

I should have known this was coming, but honestly, I didn’t think it actually would. I thought that Adriano would have decided he really does need Securus and send her back home… here—to me.

Since Colette is Catholic, I assumed there would be some sort of annulment paperwork stating we didn’t consummate anything because we didn’t have kids. But I was hoping that it wouldn’t come.

Even though her father walked in on said consummation and saw that shit with his own two eyes, he’s still going to claim it didn’t happen because we didn’t have any kids. Fucking shit what people will say and do in the name of a semblance of self-preservation is astounding.

That memory still makes me chuckle.

The absolute fucking asshole.

I didn’t want to be faced with the truth of it.

Now I am.