by Via Mari
Reign
The Larussio Legacy, Book 3
Via Mari
Reign Copyright © 2020 by Via Mari
This book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. This book is for the adult readers ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you are in. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by underage readers.
This book is rated: For substantial explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable.
This book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Portions of this work have been previously published in interconnecting novels. The work, in whole, has not been previously published and is not in the public domain.
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First Edition
v. 1.1
Contents
Acknowledgments
Serena
Gio
Serena
Gio
Serena
Gio
Serena
Gio
Gio
Serena
Gio
Serena
Gio
Serena
Gio
Serena
Gio
Serena
Gio
Serena
Gio
Serena
Gio
Serena
Gio
Serena
Gio
Serena
Gio
Serena
Gio
Serena
Gio
Jay
Gio
Epilogue
Do you want more?
Books by Via Mari
About Via Mari
Acknowledgments
Wayne, my husband, thank you for always believing in me, supporting my passions, and helping me make my crazy dream come true.
My parents and family who have been a solid and steady reminder that goals can be achieved with determination, hard work, and commitment.
Karla, my dear friend, thank you for your unconditional support through all the insanity! Who read the first book first and encouraged me to keep going. Who also recommended getting other beta readers, because, “You can only read a book for the first time once.”
I will always be grateful to all the people who in some way, shape or form have contributed to these stories along the way!
Serena
I wake to the Vegas sun shining brightly into the room, completely sated after a night of lovemaking, but filled with a dread that will not go away. I squint, stretching to check my phone for the time. It’s early, but Giovanni is already gone. Early meetings are a reality for him and his high-powered friends. It is what I counted on, and the only reason I allowed myself to sleep in. I am a coward, but there is simply no way that I can do this face to face. He will be as devastated as me, but it is the only way to ensure my family’s safety.
I slip out of bed and get dressed for the day, eyeing myself critically in the mirror. The mango-colored capris and cream-colored button blouse with wedge sandals reflect a woman who is outwardly confident, but that’s a far cry from reality. My heart is pounding heavily in my chest while my blood races a million miles a minute through my veins. I inhale deeply, trying to calm myself, taking in large quantities of air. I’ve made my decision and it is for the best, but that doesn’t stop the anxiety or the ache in my heart as I gather my things, place them in a large shoulder bag, and walk out of the penthouse, away from the man that I will love forever.
I nod to the bodyguards who enter the elevator with me as I make my way to the main floor of The Larussio Resort and Casino. While these men are big and intimidating to those around us, they are anything but, to me, usually friendly and cheerful. I have a feeling they won’t be too friendly shortly.
“Gio is still in a meeting, but we have instructions to escort you to the café on site. It’s one of the few places in the casino that’s already finished and open for business, outside of the actual gaming rooms. Gio had it and one of the restaurants finished for all of the workers, along with your penthouse and our security area,” Nick says as the others leave us to take up their stations within viewing distance.
I nod and inhale a deep breath before I drop the news. “He’s thoughtful like that, but I won’t be having breakfast here. I’m going to Italy and need to be on a plane very quickly.”
He starts to say something, but I cut him off with a show of my hand. “I know Giovanni won’t be pleased, but he will be even more displeased if I ditch my security team with everything happening,” I say, sincerely remorseful that I’m putting Nick in this position.
His eyes go wide. “He’s not just going to be displeased, your boyfriend is going to hit the ever-loving roof! You should have seen him last night when he thought you were taken by Dominic Mancini’s men. No disrespect, Serena, but you’re really going to put him through that again?” he says.
I turn, because his words give me pause. I know exactly how I would feel if Giovanni were in danger, but this cannot be helped. The only way to save my family from the hell that will eventually rain down on them is to remove myself from the equation. Giovanni knows this. He tried to push me away for the very same reason, to keep me safe, but I ruined that little effort.
If I am not with the future don of Italy, then my family will be safe from his enemies. I thought I was strong enough and I could go head to head with them. I can, because I have been trained, I am prepared, but only if they come after me and not my family, not my beloved nonna.
I inhale deeply, as if the breath alone will give me the strength I so desperately need to pull this off. “Don’t think this is easy for me, Nick. I love Giovanni with all my heart, but I will not allow my nonna, brothers, and their families to be harmed because of my selfishness. I thought somehow it would be okay, that Giovanni could fix this, but it will never go away if they want to see him broken.” My voice cracks, but I refuse to let my tears fall in public. “I’m trying to do this with as little drama as possible. Please, just take me to the airport and get me to Italy. I’ll take it from there.”
Nick’s eyes narrow at me and he shakes his head. “You know I won’t leave you, Serena. I’ll take you where you need to go, but not making Gio aware is out of the question. I’ll give you ten minutes, and only because you didn’t try to slip out of my sight and were up front and honest. Ten minutes from now, I’m going to let Giovanni know that you’re heading to the airport,” Nick says, texting out a message before grasping my arm gently, intending to guide me outside into the fresh air.
“That is not long enough. It’s no time at all! You know Giovanni will have one of your security friends come after me or stop me at the
airport. Maybe I should have just ditched you,” I huff at the burly security guard.
He laughs out loud. “They told me you were pretty mellow, no drama. Ha! A ten-minute head start in this traffic is all you need and that’s all you’re getting. The jet is being inspected as we speak, and the crew is preparing for the flight. You and I will be on that plane before Gio has time to get to the airport.”
I stop walking and turn to him. “Wait one minute! You are not going with me past the airport. The entire point is to disappear, to get clear of Giovanni and all of his Family. I can’t do that if one of his security team is with me!”
His jaw sets firmly as he glares down at me. “You don’t have a choice in the matter, Serena. I’m not about to lose my job because I let the future don of Italy’s woman put herself in danger. Sorry, but you’re not going anywhere without my protection, and that’s the end of this discussion,” Nick says, taking my arm gently again.
I’m not going to win this argument, and I know it. He’s clearly got everything in motion, and I grudgingly respect it. “Fine,” I huff, allowing him to guide me to the limo that pulls up curbside. He assists me into the back seat just as the mammoth man they call Cole slides into the seat next to me, then Nick hops into the front seat and slams the door closed.
Nick turns to make sure I’m buckled, and I narrow my eyes at him. “Really? And how is Cole a part of this? Why is he here? What happened to giving me ten minutes?”
He shrugs unapologetically and grins at me. “We’re your team, you need twenty-four-hour coverage, and one man can’t do it alone. Stop scowling at us like that or I’ll give Giovanni a text now instead of waiting another six minutes,” Nick says, tapping his watch and chuckling under his breath as the driver veers out into the heavy Vegas traffic.
I glance around outside, half expecting Giovanni and the rest of his team to come barreling out of nowhere to stop me, but then relax. For some reason, I believe that Nick is honorable and will keep his word not to alert Giovanni right away. The airport isn’t far away. The driver seems to know his way in and out of the morning traffic and we’re soon pulling onto the private tarmac of the Las Vegas airport. It takes us moments to get through security, and as soon as we’re cleared, Nick and Cole guide me up the ramp and onto the sleek white Larussio Gulfstream.
Nick gestures for me to go ahead of him as we enter. “Make yourself comfortable. I just let Giovanni know that you’re gone, and he may have a team coming after you. I asked the pilot to take off immediately,” Nick says as the plane door closes and the engines roar to life.
I’ve been on aircraft like this thousands of times, working as a service attendant on some of the most luxurious private jets ever built, but the opulence of the Larussios’ is remarkable. I take a seat in one of the soft white leather recliners and try to swallow down my nerves as I watch out the window.
“This is the captain. We’re about ready to take off. Buckle up, ladies and gentlemen,” he says, and the aircraft begins to move, quickly gains speed, and begins barreling down the narrow concrete runway. It is only by sheer will and determination not to cry that the tears which have pooled, blurring my vision, do not fall.
We careen past the palm trees, cactus, and yellow desert life that are all waving in the breeze. The jet lifts into the air, climbing slowly, and then gathers speed, soaring into the whitest, puffiest clouds and clear blue sky that I have ever seen, while taking me farther and farther from the man that I love.
Nick and Cole stay seated across from me, until I assure them that I’m fine alone and that once we level off I will be heading into the master bedroom to sleep for at least part of the flight between Vegas and Italy. I slide out of my shoes and settle my feet underneath me, watching as the clouds swirl around us, and pull a blanket around me to dispel the cold and emptiness inside. Nick and Cole head into the security room behind the main cabin, and I turn on my cell phone, bracing for the inevitable.
I will find you! BTW- You have just earned a punishment spanking.
Gio
This business meeting is one of the last needed to finalize The Larussio Resort and Casino in Vegas. It’s the only reason I’m here and not in bed with my dark-haired beauty wrapped around me, with my cock deep in her heat. The scantily clad waitress dressed in a black-and-white ensemble prances around the conference room, placing orange juice in front of us, while a fully dressed waiter balances a heavily laden tray of breakfast plates.
As soon as everyone has been served, I start the presentation for the city’s elite, letting the group know the progression of The Larussio. I don’t go into much detail about last night's exclusive members-only grand opening because it’s been splashed all over the local papers, which, along with every entertainment magazine that caters to the who’s who around the globe, have been extremely positive. Instead, I share plans for finalization and elicit their feedback for a more public-focused grand opening in the near future for the city that never sleeps. Uncle Carlos, head of the New York crime Family and the man responsible for The Larussio vision, has joined the meeting via teleconference and is all smiles this morning as he listens to what his daughter Katarina and I were able to achieve.
The men and women who run the city of Las Vegas are excited about the opportunities the new and expansive resort provides in terms of employment, and especially the draw that it will have on privileged and monied members who will spend many of their dollars in the community. I can see wheels turning as the leaders contemplate not only the profits, but what being able to engage with global tycoons of this magnitude can provide in terms of monetary assistance with other endeavors to enhance their city in the future.
The well-dressed brunette at the end of the table has just broached the topic that was on my mind and that I would have engaged the group in had she not done so by the end of the meeting. Always best to let them raise the idea themselves. Let them own it. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received from my Uncle Carlos, the man who was my mentor when I was a young entrepreneur trying to break free from the Family mold.
The woman leads us into a discussion of private airstrips and tarmacs. The clientele we intend to bring in will not be flying commercial, and they certainly won’t want their arrival announced at a public airport. Discretion on every level is expected, and the people around the room are well versed in the necessity for this. I let them banter different options around as they eat breakfast, amused and intrigued by some of their ideas, but glance down at my phone as it buzzes.
Serena wants to go to Italy without telling you. Cole and I are with her. We will keep her safe.
I read and then reread the message, and my entire chest tightens with fear. I knew Serena was unusually quiet last night. She was exposed to what being with someone like me really means, and believing her nonna had been taken by the enemy shook her to the core—the very reason I was unable to sleep, got up earlier than normal, and then listened to the damn recording our security team made of her attempted kidnapping last night. The threats to harm her nonna, the woman that practically raised her, would shake anyone, especially someone new to this ugly world where attempts on our lives happen daily, something that will never change, because the Larussio crime Family has enemies everywhere.
I should have known it would cause her to contemplate continuing our relationship. The expense of her family, one that she cherishes deeply, is too steep a price to pay. I thought I could keep her safe—I know our security team can keep her safe—but hearing firsthand what someone would do to her nonna was clearly too much for her.
I send a message to Jay, the head of our security team, and my cousin Salvatore, asking them to meet me in my penthouse in fifteen minutes, before texting Nick to care for Serena until I give him further instructions.
I then message my spirited dark-haired beauty, letting her know that I will find her, adding that she has just earned a punishment spanking for her trouble. She had
her chance. I tried valiantly to do the right thing to keep my enemies from learning about her, but whether she is with me or not, they now know what she means to me, and that alone means she is at the top of every single one of my enemies’ lists.
The next ten minutes of the meeting I should be heavily invested in but don’t give two fucks about right now passes in a blur. It’s unlikely I’ll recall in half an hour a single word anyone has said. All I can think about are the heads that are going to roll when I get Jay alone. I blame him and the entire security team for Serena being distraught enough to leave!
The meeting ends with the town’s assurance to contribute to a new private airstrip and a helipad space where the resort’s guests can land and avoid the Vegas traffic and paparazzi. I thank everyone for their time and contributions and am the first out of the conference room, stalking my way toward the elevator that will lead me upstairs to the penthouse that was completed just one week ago for me to share with Serena, the woman who is now miles above us, completely unreachable, flying away from me instead of lying in my bed naked and needy and awaiting my return.
Two security members get into the elevator with me to head upstairs. Small talk is not something I’m interested in right now, and they seem to sense this, a survival instinct I’m sure, and they are smart not to say a goddamn word. The doors open into my penthouse living room and Jay and Salvatore are already there, which doesn’t give me one minute to contemplate what to say, or to cool down, which is not good for anyone.
I march directly to Jay, grabbing his lapels. “You and your shadow games. Serena is petrified for her nonna and she left!” I say, barely controlling my rage.
He nods. “You’re not going to like what I have to say, but please, just hear me out. She knows exactly what could happen to her or any of her family if she decides to stay with you. From a security standpoint, she needs to be fully aware of the dangers. You knew that. We talked about it, and you wanted me to make sure she fully understood. It was the only way to keep her safe last night, when things started to go down, and to make sure she was fully aware of the danger. The fact that she took her security detail with her this morning, and didn’t run off alone, means that she fully comprehends the dangers. We need her to understand the full reality of what we’re dealing with if we’re going to protect her from Mancini.”
