Taken: A Dark Mafia Romance

by Piper Stone

  The sound of his voice continued to send a shower of quivers dancing down my arms and legs, the electricity soaring. His nostrils flared as he feasted with his eyes, the slight huskiness in his breathing alluring. “Fair enough.” I found him irresistible on several levels, the bad girl inside of me craving defying my parents. “I couldn’t agree more.”

  His chest heaved as he gazed down at me, the finger sliding down the nape of my neck. “A beautiful creature.” As he lifted my chin with a single finger, he offered a wry smile. “One to be devoured a morsel at a time.”

  Everything was at a standstill as the electricity soared again, my entire body on fire.

  “Over. And. Over. Again,” he added in a husky whisper.

  As he captured my mouth, he swept his arm down my back, lifting me onto my toes. I slid my arms around him, entangling my fingers in his curly locks, the scent of him making me lightheaded. He was the man of deep, dark fantasies, the magnificent alpha male who abducted you in the middle of the night, refusing to take no for an answer.

  The passion that erupted between us was explosive, heat searing our combined skin. He exuded all things powerful as he dominated my tongue, exploring the dark recesses of my mouth. Every part of the good girl inside was tossed away, a longing taking over. I could surrender to him easily, enjoying one glorious night of raw, unbridled sex.

  Then I could walk away feeling satisfied.

  Why did I have the feeling he might never let me go?

  When he broke the kiss, he nipped my lower lip, his eyes twinkling even more than the tiny lights. “Delicious.”

  “Imagine the entire feast.”

  The delight in the stranger’s eyes was unmistakable, his smile carved into a mischievous expression. “Be careful what you ask for, sweet lady. When I see something I want, I take it. No questions asked.”

  His words kept adding fuel to the flames, allowing me in contemplate doing something sinful.

  The crunch of gravel indicated we were no longer alone. I eased away, licking my lips. The taste of him would linger all night.

  When the intruder cleared his throat, I glared toward the door.

  Roberto stood in the doorway and even in the dim lighting, he was imploring in his mannerisms, a harsh look and a deep sigh. I’d run away like a bad little girl.

  The asshole didn’t even need to make a nasty statement or a request. He simply motioned for me to follow him. He gave the stranger a solid onceover before walking outside where I knew he’d wait.

  “Nice guy,” the stranger huffed.

  “Another pompous asshole. Sadly, I guess the festivities are set to begin,” I whispered, giving the delicious and dangerous stranger one last glance before tossing back the rest of my champagne as he studied me intently. “For good measure.” I allowed my impulsive behavior to take over once again, grabbing his glass and downing the contents. When I returned it to his hand, the slight touch of our fingers created another wave of heat, my panties immediately damp.

  “Perhaps we’ll meet again,” he said offhandedly. “And if so, there will be a feast fit for a king.”

  “Or a queen,” I countered.

  He smiled and winked. “I would suggest that you try and stay out of mischief. You do know what happens to bad girls who don’t follow the rules, now, don’t you?”

  “Hmmm,” I teased.

  Leaning in, his tone dropped to a dangerously husky level. “They get a hard spanking.”

  “Being good wouldn’t be any fun, now would it?” I gave him a slight smile and walked out, still shuddering from the intense connection. I could still feel his heated gaze sliding down across my provocative dress.

  Maybe this night wouldn’t turn out but so horribly.

  Roberto led me past the majority of guests, making certain after every few steps that I was still behind him. When he opened the outside door leading directly into my father’s office, my hackles were completely raised. Inside my parents stood, already arguing and it was early in the evening.

  “There you are,” my mother said softly, wringing her hands as she walked toward me. “We were going to have to start the ceremony without you.”

  The same fear remained in her eyes and it was obvious she’d already been drinking. My skin began to crawl. I had been right in my assumptions.

  “What the hell did you think you were doing?” my father demanded, his expression filled with anger. “And what are you wearing? You look like a slut!”

  “Donovan!” my mother chastised. “Darling, we purchased the right dress for tonight.”

  “The right dress? I looked like a bride in a grotesque movie.” Anger began to seep into every pore.

  “You dishonored your mother and your family! You had no right.” My father spewed the words, his face beet red.

  “I was taking a walk, enjoying the night. You certainly never mentioned some kind of ceremony. What aren’t you telling me?” I heard the demand in my voice and knew it would piss off my father even more. Another wave of nausea settled in, the sounds of the music and laughter sickening. I refused to back down. The least they could do was tell me the truth.

  He cursed under his breath, rubbing his eyebrow as he paced the floor once again.

  “Just tell her, Donovan. We’ve allowed her too many freedoms for far too long.” My mother’s voice had become exasperated. “That has to stop. She must understand what is expected of her. We should never have allowed her to believe she could be anything else.”

  “Freedoms? Expectations? Oh, my God. What have you kept from me?” A buzzing echoed in my head, the old memories becoming fresh all over again. I wanted to run far away but I sensed Roberto remained hovering by the door, ready to catch me in case I did.

  The Box...

  The two words were whispered in my mind.

  My father tossed back the rest of his drink and said nothing, his face flushed from anger.

  “What?” I hissed, wanting nothing more than to goad him, to see if he would dare tell me the truth. “This isn’t really about my birthday at all. Is it, Father? You planned an entirely different event. Tell me what the hell is going on. Or are you afraid that the sect will have stolen your soul if you do?”

  “Don’t you dare raise your voice to me. I am still your father.” He pointed his finger, his chest heaving from his fury. “This is a requirement!”

  “Stop. Just stop it!” my mother finally snapped. “We didn’t plan this. I mean not this way. We did want to make your birthday special. We were hoping that no one remembered, but... But they did.” She looked away, her face sagging.

  “Then who planned this, Mother?” I inched closer, trying to keep my cool. “Who? Who did you bow down to?”

  “The Sacred Sect!” As soon as she issued the words, a tear slipped past her lashes. Her lower lip quivered as she searched my eyes. Her fear had shifted into utter terror. “It will be all right. You’ll see. You can still live your life. Whatever is inside the Box is going to be very special for my perfect little girl.”

  Truth confirmed.

  My life was about to be over.

  “What a crock of shit. All these years you pretended that the sect didn’t matter. I should have known better.” I was able to get the words out without stuttering. “What did the Council promise you, Father? Wealth beyond your imagination?”

  “How dare you,” my father hissed.

  “Leave her alone, Donovan. It’s our fault for not making certain she understood the requirements sooner.”

  Requirements. I huffed as I shook my head.

  “It’s your twenty-fourth birthday, Winter. You are required by the blood oath to open your Box.” All the anger had drained from my father’s voice, only resignation remaining. “You must accept what you find, no matter what is asked of you. That is a requisite. You will do that for your family. Period.”

  The sect’s requirements. Perhaps I’d blocked out the information that all children had been taught very early on. Or perhaps my parents had attempt
ed to shelter me from the horrors. A flood of memories rushed into my mind, vile and ugly reminders that my family’s wealth and influence had been built on a sea of lies, a cruel twist of fate. Every family in the closely knit community followed the obligations of the great Council, a group of men who determined who was honorable enough to receive such a blessing, something many in secret called a curse.

  Yet everyone followed the ritual for fear of retribution.

  And my family was no exception, my father actually admiring the Council members early on. Then something had changed.

  “Upon your twenty-fourth birthday, you’ll receive the greatest gift, the Box. Inside, you will find your true destiny in life. This is a great honor and one that is not to be taken lightly. You will be required to honor the contents, including any connections made. If you do not, there will be severe consequences, not only to you but to your entire family.”

  The words returned as if from a nightmare.

  Only I was wide awake.

  The horror was about to begin.

  Chapter Four

  Matteo

  Lust.

  I was almost consumed by it, the taste of the luscious stranger still floating across my tongue. The softness of her beautiful skin continued to tingle my fingers, the heat of her body remaining. My cock ached just thinking about her.

  “Christ,” I whispered to myself. Since when had I allowed myself to become attracted to any woman that quickly? She was far too engaging, enough so I could have easily swept her away from all this bullshit.

  Except I was one of the two stars of the evening. What bullshit.

  Anger.

  Revenge.

  The words had already filtered into my mind more than once. I stood in the wings of the oversized white tent, even more disgusted than when Christian had been in my office. I’d switched from champagne to scotch in an effort to calm my rage. Even the pleasurable and very unexpected meeting with the lovely woman in the greenhouse hadn’t been enough to soothe the savage beast clawing from deep within my gut.

  For a few seconds, I allowed my thoughts to drift to the unexpected meeting, the insane connection that we’d had. If only I could choose who I wanted to spend time with.

  Yeah, if only.

  Everything about her had been unexpected, her brazen attitude and luscious figure drawing me in immediately. She’d even fueled the dominating man inside, my hunger raging to the surface. I’d wanted to take her right there, shoving away the pots and dirt, ravaging her body for hours. I hadn’t cared that guests could find us, spying on our carnal act. The thought of their gawks and cheers made my mouth water.

  Perhaps I was more like my brother than I cared to admit.

  One thing was certain. I’d wanted to shove my cock deep inside, filling her with my seed.

  Claiming her as mine.

  I chuckled at my barbaric attitude, the desire that continued to roar through me. She was a mystery girl in her sleek black dress, the silky material barely hiding a creature made from the very heavens. Long legs, a voluptuous hourglass figure, and silky red hair were too much to ignore. She was the kind of woman every man watched from afar, her perfume lingering for hours. I hadn’t looked at a woman in long enough that my longing was off the charts. She was a precious jewel to be trained and dominated.

  Owned.

  But that wasn’t going to happen, at least not in the traditional sense. I’d been betrothed to someone else, a girl who had no idea what she was in store for. I had no doubt Winter O’Brien would need significant coaxing as well as convincing to play by the rules.

  Hell, I would.

  My cock ached to the point I was in tremendous pain just thinking about the beautiful stranger. I only hoped Winter was mildly attractive. I rolled my eyes, loathing the ugly thought. What did I actually care what the girl looked like? The arranged marriage was in name only. My name. I had no intention of caring about the woman in the least.

  I didn’t need instincts to tell me what to anticipate when the poor O’Brien girl opened the Box. My name would be the one nestled inside, as if placed there twenty-four years before. Bullshit. That wasn’t possible, but only three people knew that was the case.

  And we were all family.

  I had to wonder if the other two Council members were also in on the decision, condoning the reasons why my name had been purposely placed in the Box. Yeah, they were. The Council would stop at nothing to protect the fated secrets, keeping everything in the expanded family.

  I was beginning to grow weary of the term. Family honor. Christian had tossed the term into my face as if I had no concept of what it meant. He had no idea the kinds of sacrifices I’d made or the nightmares that plagued me. I shifted my gaze toward the front of the tent, still able to see over the heads of the majority of guests. Even the subsequent nasty conversation I’d had with Christian had done little but toss gasoline onto my rage.

  “You expect me to marry a woman I don’t know?”

  Christian laughed, studying me intently. “This will be good for you, Matteo, as well as for the sect.”

  “Bullshit,” I snapped, pounding my fist on his desk. “Why are you lying to me, Christian? We both know the boxes were configured based on power, which means that you and the other Council members selected me on purpose. Are you that terrified that whatever issue we’re facing can’t be overcome?” When he didn’t answer, I took a deep breath. “That’s exactly what’s going on. What threats are you receiving? What the hell aren’t you telling me? Is this about the new land development deals or something else entirely?”

  He jerked up from his chair, moving to the window and shoving his hands into his pockets. “I need to get a handle on the situation, brother. I don’t want to jump to any conclusions.”

  “That means you don’t trust me. Is it because I’m only your half-brother? Is this selection because of who my real father is? Is there some unsaid fear that because of what happened to Father McGivney that his son deserves a push into another level within the sect?”

  When he didn’t say anything, I shook my head.

  “My God. That’s what’s really going on here. This is all because I’m a bastard son.” I spat the words with more hatred than I felt, at least for my brother. We’d both suffered from the events months before.

  I’d never seen such hurt rush into him before. He smashed his fist against the window before swiftly turning, snapping his hands on his desk as he leaned over. “Don’t you ever say that to me again. Ever! You are my blood and that is thicker than water. I am also the leader of the sect so you will follow the rules like everyone else. I know you better than you know yourself, Matteo. You crave the kind of domination that runs in the blood of our family. You hunger to have a woman surrender to your every desire, punishing her as necessary. You long to have her wear your marks proudly after she’s succumbed to a night of extreme passion. Don’t bother attempting to lie.”

  I glared at him, the ugliness of what he was saying settling in, every cell in my body sizzling. Perhaps he was right, but I also wanted more. “And what about love, Christian? You pretend to be a man of authority, flaunting your need to control everything, including your wife. But I know how much you adore her and that you would die in order to keep her safe.”

  Inhaling, he rose to his full height, never blinking. “What I am telling you is that you can have both. Winter O’Brien will be good for you. In turn, your coupling will continue to give credence to the ritual’s value. Was the choice of selecting you the only one that made any sense? Absolutely. I don’t need to tell you the reasons why. We must maintain our value.”

  He was right, at least about one aspect. I wanted my version of a fairytale, only in my world, the idealistic parameters were dark and filthy. I’d never fully admitted my intense longings, sinful cravings of utter domination over a beautiful woman. I could have everything my heart desired and all because of an ancient ritual. He’d seen through my carefully positioned mask, peeling aside the front I’d
maintained my entire life. We were exactly alike.

  Merciless.

  Dangerous.

  Unforgiving.

  Touché, Christian.

  I took a swig of my drink as I thought about his caustic words. He was hiding more information about our enemies, including the Taglionis. In my mind, whatever it was could be dangerous for our entire community. I’d made some inquiries with a few of our esteemed colleagues outside of the sect, realizing quickly that certain city officials were under pressure to approve land development deals. If they did, the Taglioni casinos would be in direct competition to those recently approved for Capodanno Enterprises.

  An ingenious way of moving in on our turf.

  The word my brother had spoken the most that left me the most concerned was ‘value.’

  Fortunately, other Council members had asked minimal questions about what had occurred surrounding the death of Father McGivney given the money he’d stolen. However, even though several members of law enforcement were privy to our power and influence, questions had still arisen, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of politicians who would continue to try to destroy us.

  However, the main secret remained intact, the one Father McGivney had spouted on his death bed.

  Or so I hoped.

  More secrets and lies.

  My decision to come to the illustrious party had been after significant soul searching, coming to a difficult conclusion. Whatever transpired was in the best interest of our community as a whole. However, Christian would be forced to come to terms with the fact I would have a say in the next members selected to hold a revered seat on the Council. Whether he liked it or not.

  The sounds of a Frank Sinatra crooner brought me back to the ridiculous festivities. I could barely stand the pompous arrogance that surrounded the entire group of guests, all pontificating on their latest adventures or acquisitions. I wanted no part of the ugliness.

  Yet I was smack in the middle.