by Reed, Sophia
Dark King
A Mafia Romance
Sophia Reed
Contents
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1. Willow
2. Alessandro
3. Willow
4. Alessandro
5. Willow
6. Alessandro
7. Willow
8. Alessandro
9. Willow
10. Alessandro
11. Willow
12. Alessandro
13. Willow
14. Alessandro
15. Willow
16. Alessandro
17. Willow
18. Alessandro
19. Willow
20. Alessandro
21. Willow
22. Alessandro
23. Willow
24. Alessandro
Epilogue
A Message To My Readers
Other Books By The Author
© Copyright 2020 - All rights reserved.
It is not legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental.
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* * *
I’m on the verge of bringing an international drug cartel to its knees.
But... Cole’s irresistible body
brings me down to mine.
I’m an undercover narcotics officer,
and my job means everything to me.
But Cole’s become an even bigger obsession.
He’s a billionaire. A powerful CEO.
His bulging biceps make my brains melt.
Cole sees the darkness within me.
My own drug addiction.
And he’s the only one who can find me a cure.
Can Cole really save me?
Or will he be my ultimate destruction?
Synopsis
He’s part of the same family that’s responsible for my father being in prison.
So, why do I feel such love for him?
* * *
Alessandro and I were together as teenagers
before the pressure of being raised
by a mob family got to me.
I needed to move away from the house
to get my life back.
That also meant leaving Alessandro behind.
He begged me to stay, and I asked him
to come with me.
Years have gone by since I’ve seen him.
Now, fate is bringing us back.
And a big decision is on the table.
* * *
Can I fit into his family and accept a life of crime?
Or will be hold my hand and agree to start afresh?
1
Willow
“Babe, you’re going to look so good in that dress,” Sasha said to me, holding up one of the cute white numbers I’d picked out for my trip. “Like, seriously, those boys won’t be able to take their eyes off you.”
I sighed, grabbing the dress out of her hand. Maybe I should leave this one at home, I thought, not wanting to draw any more attention to myself as it was. This was already going to be a not-so-happy homecoming for me, and the last thing I needed was the attention of the Varasso brothers.
“I told you, that’s not the plan, Sasha.”
I was on edge, but I couldn’t help it—it’d been years since I’d seen the Varassos, Philly’s biggest and most undetectable mafia family, and I wasn’t exactly looking forward to the reunion.
“Besides, I’m going there to see my brother and to pay my respects to my grandpa,” I said, the last bit giving me pause. I loved my grandpa with all of my heart, and it pained me that I hadn’t seen him in several years, but I pushed through the pain and continued packing. Now wasn’t the time for tears.
Sasha heaved a sigh and scooted closer to me on my queen-sized bed. “Listen, I know that. I’m sorry. I’m just trying to get you to feel a little better,” she said, gripping my hand.
She gave it a brief squeeze before returning to her perch on my pink duvet cover, looking cute as ever with her long blonde hair and blue eyes. We could have been twins if it weren’t for my own brown hair, but everyone said we looked related anyway. I gave her outfit a once-over, straightening her perfect blouse, before winking at her.
“I do know how to dress you and me, it’s true,” I said, trying to break the tension a little.
“You’re not the number one fashion buyer in L.A. for no reason,” she said, smoothing out her hair.
“And you’re not the best dressed A-lister on the red carpet for no reason.” I winked at her again, smiling a little.
Sasha had been my best friend since college when I’d moved across the country to get away from the very people I was going to see in only a few short hours. She was also one of Hollywood’s fastest-growing movie stars under thirty, and we’d been inseparable since that first night we’d met watching the school’s performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. That night, she knew she wanted to study acting, and I knew I wanted to be in fashion. The performers’ killer costumes had completely done it for me, and I hadn’t looked back since.
Still, feelings of fear and dread filled me as I continued to pack while Sasha updated her Instagram. The black dress I folded into my suitcase matched my mood aptly—somber yet fashionable, as always. The Varasso family was the whole reason I’d decided to move to L.A. in the first place. I thought back about the night my father was arrested. He’d been an integral part of the Varasso’s well-oiled machine. We weren’t exactly family, but we were as close as someone outside of the clan could get. I’d spent all my time with the brothers growing up, and we’d grown close. That is until my dad was arrested, and I learned what he was really doing for the family. The police had offered him a deal—give up the names of his employers, and they’d free him, or he could rot in jail. Little did I know, it was their plan all along to put him in jail. My own father had chosen the Varassos over his actual family, and for that, I’d never forgiven him. He could stay in prison for all I cared.
My grandfather’s death did pose a few problems, though, namely, Allesandro Varasso. We hadn’t parted on the best terms. My brain liked to play a fun game where it would randomly remind me of the feeling of his fingers laced in mine, or the soft caress of his lips. My heart yearned for it, even though it wasn’t good for me. It’d been the love of a lifetime, and I hadn’t been with anyone since. He was so much a part of the mafia lifestyle that it’d eventually driven a wedge between us after my father was imprisoned. I grew to hate the family, even Alessandro, and we’d broken things off when I told him it was either them or me. He’d chosen what I’d already known he would; blood runs thicker than water, especially for a Var
asso.
“So, you’re going to see this mysterious Alessandro you always talk about,” Sasha said, pulling me from my revelry. When I didn’t respond, she continued, “A mafia prince. Is it anything like the movies?”
I snorted, closing my suitcase. “It’s worse,” I said. “They’re killers, Sasha, and fiercely loyal, which means they probably won’t be too happy to see me after I left.”
“But Alessandro will be happy to see you,” she said hopefully.
I raised a brow and shrugged. “I doubt it. Hopefully, he won’t even notice I’m there. I missed his father’s funeral last year anyway. He probably wants me dead,” I said, only half-joking. “Besides, I’m going to be spending all of my time with Ricky.”
Ricky was my twin brother and a thriving defense attorney in Philly, at least, he would be if he wasn’t dedicated to being the Varasso’s personal lawyer. He was still living with my mom, something he claimed he was doing to keep her company and not for him, but I knew the truth. They led a comfortable, healthy life, and the only thing I was even mildly grateful to the Varassos for was continuing to fund my family’s luxurious lifestyle. They owed my father a life debt, after all, and they paid out their noses for it through my mom’s lavish spending. Still, it wasn’t like they couldn’t afford it. I was, however, proud of myself for getting away from them and out from under their thumb. I’d made a nice name for myself in L.A., and I didn’t intend to ever go back.
“Tell the kid I say hi,” Sasha said before scooting off the bed. She walked over to the full-length mirror in my room and took a selfie, posing like the most expert of celebrities.
I walked over to her and posed with her for one, watching as she added it to her Instagram story. I continued to pull the image up several times for comfort over the next day as I trudged through the airport to catch my flight back to Philly. Any time I passed an exit or even a window that I felt like I could successfully jump through, I considered leaving and not going back to Philly. If it weren’t for my brother’s near incessant texts, telling me how much he missed me and couldn’t wait to see me, I probably would have leaned into my better judgment. I loved my family dearly, but there was nothing for me in Philly, and it didn’t take a psychic to know that going back, even if only for a few days, was going to bring me nothing but trouble. Through my flight and even as I walked through the familiar PHL airport, I wished that the world would open up and swallow me whole.
“Willow!”
I turned in the direction of the overjoyed voice that beckoned me almost as soon as I stepped out of the airport. My eyes sifted through the crowd until they landed on Ricky. He was waving excitedly and nearly glowing. He’d beefed up since the last time I saw him. He now stood just over six feet, and the new lifting regimen he was always going on about had done its work.
“Hey!” he shouted.
I couldn’t stop myself from rushing toward him. I loved that little, or now large, kid. We’d always been close. I wished every single day that I could protect him from the Varassos, but he was committed to being involved with them, like my dad.
I threw myself into a huge hug, and he lifted me off the ground. He smelled of wood chips and cologne that was probably cheaper than what he could afford. It was comforting and made me slightly less upset to be home.
“Aw. I missed you!” The words left my lips without my command.
“I missed you, too.” He set me down. “You look great. L.A. has been good to you.”
“It’s an amazing city, Ricky. You’d love it.” Ricky grabbed my bags and started to approach a luxurious, army-green Ford Expedition. “Whoa. Is this your car?”
Ricky chuckled. “Yeah. My law school graduation present from Mom.”
Translation, a graduation present from the Varassos.
“Wow,” I said. “I certainly never got anything this nice.”
Ricky scoffed. “Yeah, because you refused to accept anything from her. Whose fault is that?” He loaded my bag into the truck and rushed back to the passenger’s side door to open it for me.
I walked over and stood in the opening. “I don’t—”
“I know, I know. You don’t accept anything from the Varassos, I get it.” He kissed on my cheek. “In you go.”
I climbed into the car and had to admit I was impressed. From the high-tech LED panel that sat in the center console to the glowing neon green lights that underlit the lining of the interior, it was a gorgeous car, all decked out in Ricky’s favorite color. I suppose my mom could be a mom when she wanted to. Ricky made his way over to and slid into the driver’s side, and then we were off. He expertly navigated through the menus on the screen until he got to a selection of music, but he didn’t blast it, which let me know I wasn’t getting through the car ride without some uncomfy questions.
“Mom’s excited to see you,” Ricky started.
“Yeah. It’ll be nice to see her.” It wasn’t entirely the truth. I loved my mom, but ever since my dad went to prison, she stopped being the mother I knew. “How’s she doing?”
Ricky shrugged. “You know mom. She’s a mess. Her latest buying habit is birds.”
I looked over at him with wide eyes. “Birds? Like living, winged creatures?”
Ricky nodded. “Yes. Stupid expensive. These really rare, exotic ones. She has a fucking toucan.”
My jaw dropped. “The Fruit Loops bird?”
“That’s exactly what I said!” Ricky laughed, and when his laugh faded, so did all joy in his face. “You know, she doesn’t know herself anymore. If she isn’t spending money, she doesn’t know what to do.”
I thought of my mother, who used to love to garden and sew and read. Even though my family had been supported by the Varassos for most of my life, she was a whole person before my dad met them. She had hobbies, interests, and even a dream of becoming a professional writer. When my dad started bringing in six figures, she slowly started to change into this trophy wife, and then when he went to prison, and she started getting the Varassos’ weekly anti-snitch stimulus checks, she turned into a woman who only knew how to be rich. Vila Moretti didn’t exist anymore, only the Varasso’s lap dog.
Ricky put a hand on my head. “Sorry, I probably shouldn’t have brought it up. I guess you’ll see for yourself.”
“No, thanks for the heads up. The fewer surprises I have during this trip, the better.”
“Then I guess I should also mention that Angelo died. Last year. A hit.”
I nodded. I wasn’t a monster, even if my trust in almost anyone was paper-thin. I kept tabs on the people who took care of my mother and brother, if for no reason other than to make sure my own family was safe. “Yeah, I heard. I suppose the boys are probably pretty upset with me. I didn’t reach out to any of them to pay my respects. I thought about sending flowers to the funeral, but I figured it was best to stay gone.”
Ricky shook his head. “I haven’t heard, but I know Sandro has already mentioned he wants to see you. He’ll be at the funeral.”
I let out a moan of disappointment. I was hoping that wasn’t the case. “Why?”
“What do you mean, why? Pop Pop loved Sandro like his own kid, and that’s not on me. You were the one who brought him over all the time, telling Pop Pop that Sandro was the man that was going to take care of you.”
Point taken and fault accepted. “Still.”
“He wouldn’t miss it for the world, even if he wasn’t looking for an opportunity to see you.”
My heart did a backflip at the thought. Deep down, I wanted to see him too, but I wouldn’t allow myself to fall back into him again. He made his choice—when I said we were done, I meant it. “Well, you can tell him not to expect much. He turned his back on me the day I left for college, so I turned my back on him. I’ll be cordial because this is about Pop Pop and not me or Alessandro, but I don’t have anything to say to him. Not him or the rest of his underhanded family.”
2
Alessandro
Sometimes, when I stood in my
dad’s old office, staring out at the huge, verdant green yard, I liked to pretend that he was going to walk through the double cherrywood doors, his square jaw, curly brown hair, and deep brown eyes an elder depiction of my own. I’d stand at attention and greet him as sir, and then we would both chuckle at the formality of it all. I fiddled with the rings on my fingers, the ones he’d left me in his will, trying to imagine what he’d say if he saw them barely hanging on to my much more slender fingers compared to the sausages he had.
“At least if you’re gonna wear ‘em, make sure they fit. Only my bonehead kid would walk around with rings that don’t fucking fit.”
I chuckled at his phantom voice ringing through my head. “Got it, Pa. I’ll grow into ‘em.”
“You gonna go see Willow with rings falling off your fingers? She’ll take one look at you and laugh her ass off.”
I nodded. “I know, Pa. I’m good.”
Willow. My eyes landed on the stone fountain in the middle of the courtyard below, the one my dad had erected in the image of my mom as an angel. It was the last place I’d looked into Willow’s beautiful, blue eyes. I had no idea when she asked me to meet that day that she was going to tell me she was leaving for California, and I either had to leave my family behind and go with her or lose her for good. I loved her more than myself. Why couldn’t that have been enough?
