Page 4 of Shattered King

Luca

I park outside the Marino family’s mansion but don’t get out yet. A fountain trickles nearby, and the wind blows through the bushes and the trees. A couple of armed guards stand nearby, ignoring me. I lean my head back and breathe in through my nose.

What the fuck was I thinking?

Fiorella took me by surprise. She was like a storm breaking out of clear blue skies.

One moment I’m saving her life, and the next we’re fucking on my desk like desperate animals.

I don’t do that sort of shit—I don’t lose control like that—but the moment her lips touched mine, it was like all my carefully built protections exploded into nothing.

She ripped into me like a bomb.

I couldn’t help myself. Not when I tasted her mouth.

Definitely not when I stripped off that ugly, baggy shirt to reveal a toned and gorgeous body.

Full breasts, tanned skin, pink nipples.

Fucking abs like she does sit-ups every day.

The girl was hard but also deeply feminine.

She was strong and sexy at the same time, and all I could think about was filling her to the brim and fucking her into submission.

To break a woman like that. God, what a fucking miracle.

My phone buzzes. I pick it up, grateful for the distraction. “Yeah?”

“Garage is all clear. Serrano sent his men in to help with the disposal.”

“You take anyone alive?”

Enzo grunts. His voice is strained. “Tried to, but no luck.”

“Fuck.” I close my eyes. “Any guess who did it?”

“I don’t recognize any of these men. Could be the Russians or maybe the Poles, but I doubt it. Something stinks about this.”

“What’d Captain O’Reilly say?”

“The same old shit. Just that he heard what he heard, and he won’t say anything else. You know that crooked fuck.”

“Yeah, I know him.” I blow out a breath. “Alright, keep looking into it.”

“There were a few survivors. If we can track one down, that might help.”

“Make it happen.”

Enzo hangs up. He’s my right-hand man, and I’ve known him since grade school. I trust him with my life. If anyone can untangle this mess, it’s him.

I push open the truck door and get out. The guards nod to me as I walk through the front door. Donatella comes bustling over, smiling warmly, and gives me a quick hug. She’s in her mid-fifties, a little rounder, big with black hair and a bigger smile.

“You’re keeping him waiting,” she says, lightly touching my arm. “But that’s good. Don Marino needs to keep that ego in check.”

“Just been a long day. How are you, Donatella?”

“You know me, always a ray of sunshine.”

“Lucy around today?”

“In the baby wing with Alessia. They’d be happy if you visited.”

I consider it, but I’m beyond exhausted. A gunfight and some vicious sex on my desk. That takes a lot out of a man. “Another time.”

“Adriano’s in his office.”

I thank her and head down the familiar halls.

It wasn’t that long ago when I was Adriano’s driver and bodyguard, at least until he turned me into a Capo.

That was one of the proudest moments of my life.

My little sister Carmie’s always been the powerful one in our family—she married an important member of the Zeitsev Bratva—but now I’m taking on more and more responsibility.

My crew runs shipping for the Famiglia, mostly moving products that come in from Canada out across the United States to wherever it needs to go.

I find my cousin behind his desk, hunched over a laptop. He’s typing away and frowns at me as I enter. “When I became Don, I thought it’d be all gunfights and chases.” He taps a key, then slams the lid shut. “Instead, it’s mostly fucking paperwork and emails.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad to me right about now.” I slump down into the chair across from him.

“How’s the Serrano girl?”

“Alive.” I lick my lips at the memory. “Her sister took her home.”

“That’s good.” Adriano leans back, watching me carefully. “We’re lucky your informant tipped you off.”

“O’Reilly knows about your alliance plans. He’s not a stupid man.”

“Still, it’s lucky. If the Serrano girl had gotten hurt—” Adriano frowns slightly, head tilted to the side. “It would’ve caused problems.”

“What kind of problems, exactly?” I sit forward, suddenly on edge. I don’t like the way he’s looking at me now, like he’s got some very bad news to break but doesn’t know how to do it yet. “It’s not like it would’ve stopped your plans.”

“About that.” He folds his right fist into his leg palm. “Of all the decisions I’ve made since becoming the Don, you’ve been one of the best. You run our shipping lanes to perfection. Under your leadership, we haven’t lost a single major shipment. It’s been smooth, Luca, and that’s thanks to you.”

My eyebrows raise at the sudden praise. “Thank you, Don Marino. I appreciate you saying that. But why do I get the feeling you’re setting me up for something?”

His smile is uneasy. “Am I that obvious?”

“We’ve been working together for too long. I’ve known you since we were young. I have a good read on you at this point.”

“I guess you do.” He leans forward on his elbows and looks me straight in the face. “No bullshit then. I’m going to ask something big from you, Luca. I need you to say yes.”

I meet his gaze head-on. “You know the Famiglia is my life.”

“That’s why this is a request, not an order. I won’t force it on you.”

“Tell me what you need.”

“The Serrano Famiglia is falling apart. Everyone knows it by now. Their chop shop business is bleeding money. Debts are killing them. Several of their high-end vehicles have been stolen. Don Serrano is in bad health, worse than he’s been letting on in public.

They need help, and I want access to their operations.

I think we can turn them around and make them into a profitable associate organization.

But that’ll take serious investment. An alliance on this scale needs real blood to make it stick. ”

My palms go sweaty. I stare at my cousin, stomach roiling. He looks back at me, his face grim. We both know where this is going.

“Just ask, Adriano.”

“I need you to marry the girl. Don Serrano is having a similar conversation right now. I need you to marry Fiorella Serrano and make this alliance real.”

I let the words sink in and almost laugh.

It’s absurd. Almost obscene. An hour ago, I was balls-deep in my future wife, fucking her like the world was about to end.

“Why me?” I ask, my voice sounding distant.

“You’re my cousin. That makes you blood. You’re also one of my most trusted Capos and high up in my organization. That makes you important. You also know that I’d never ask this of you unless it was important.”

I nod, barely hearing him. “I know that.”

“Think about it. You don’t have to answer now. But Don Serrano’s breaking the news to Fiorella, and they’ll want to start making plans soon.”

I push my chair back. The memory of Fiorella’s mouth on mine is like a bell ringing on a crisp black night. Everything inside me wakes up at the memory, at the taste of her. I know it’s dangerous, wanting her this badly. It goes against everything I believe.

I’ve lost too much over the years.

“After Aunt Sofia died, I made a promise,” I say very quietly, staring down at my clenched fists. I don’t want this. I can’t have this. “I’ll do whatever the Famiglia needs. Anything you ask of me, no matter what.”

“That was a long time ago, Luca. Nobody blames you anymore.”

“Tell Don Serrano I’ll do it.” I stare grimly at my cousin. No part of me wants this. But I owe the Famiglia everything. I owe them my life and so much more, and I’ll repay that debt for as long as I’m breathing. Even if it breaks me in the process. “I’ll marry the girl.”

I turn and get out of his office before I can think too much about the hell I just signed myself up for.

Vicious, strong little Fiorella.

Moaning under my touch.

She’s going to be the death of me.

I can already feel it in my bones.