Prey: A Dark Mafia Romance

by Piper Stone

  A freaking blog.

  Who the hell actually did that any longer?

  He flipped through a couple of pages before accepting the fact the written words actually belonged to her.

  “Sweet Sophia. No wonder you don’t get that close to anyone.” The blog was hers. While the concept in general certainly shouldn’t have any effect on her job, the FBI was a conservative group. They wouldn’t take kindly to one of their own openly admitting such kinky desires. As he began reading, her words frank, open, and very personal, he became more intrigued by her. Sophia wrote about her desire to submit, admitting her hunger as the words flowed.

  In the selective pieces, her words were poignant, a telling of the woman buried underneath conservative clothing and highly skilled profession. They’d been written just before her time spent with him. Jesus.

  He finished his drink by the time he’d read only two entries, refilling and sequestering himself until he’d read that last two months’ worth.

  Submission...

  The word lingers in my mouth, creating tingles dancing throughout my body.

  There’s never been a man who understood my needs, the kind of control that would squelch the rebel inside, a girl bursting at the seams.

  The longing has never been shared, not even to a friend.

  The shame is relentless, unforgiving in its grasp. I can’t want this, refuse to believe I’m this kind of woman. How could I desire a man to take control, punishing me for even the slightest infraction? It’s unnatural. It’s terrible.

  It’s breathtaking.

  It’s as if opening up, sharing something so personal would place me in a different light.

  So, I remain haunted.

  By the time he was finished reading, he was mesmerized. She was conflicted, more so than any woman he’d ever encountered, putting her desires and needs on the backburner.

  Because of her career.

  Because she’d never accepted her true nature.

  He knew exactly how to tame her, controlling the woman he’d become infatuated with. She’d only allowed him to see a small portion of the woman inside, but his instincts had indeed been spot on. There were so many delicate nuances, danger zones that should keep them apart.

  Forever.

  Damn his life.

  Damn his requirements.

  Sighing, he envisioned the very first time he’d spanked her, her utter embarrassment, but there’d been so much more. She was the perfect rosebud, merely waiting for the right man.

  “Fuck.”

  He thought about the consequences of what his mind was mulling over. Was the risk worth the reward? Could she learn to trust him again?

  To hell with everything, including the rigid guidelines set forth by the Dark Haven. They were no longer in the nineteen-forties, a time where the consortium led by brutality. This was the dawning of a new regime. He snickered at the thought.

  Easing his phone from his jacket pocket, he set the plan in motion. Every detail would need to be perfect and he was taking a significant risk, but in his mind, every aspect of Sophia was worth the danger. The decision was his alone, delving into the unknown. This could cost him everything he held dear, as well as his life, but he didn’t give a shit.

  Fifteen minutes later, everything was in place. He was excited, even sweating along the back of his neck. Another drink was in order then he’d prepare for the night ahead. Just seconds before he clicked off his computer, he noticed that she’d recently been online. He had a streak that had never been controlled, not by his dominating and harsh father or his brothers during years of being trained, groomed into the man he’d become. The devious aspect to his personality simply would not be denied.

  And so, he began to type.

  Wrath was going to require her full and complete submission to him, body and soul. By the time he was finished, he would own her once and for all.

  And this time, it would be forever.

  * * *

  “Gather round, boys and girls.”

  Sophia dropped her head into her hands, trying to ratchet down her rage. There was no doubt the director was pissed and his target of the day? Their team.

  Again.

  She dragged herself off the chair, heading toward the small group gathered just below the alcove. Every agent had been called in given their recent fiasco. When a few nasty glares were shot in her direction, she smiled, the plastic response her norm. She’d gotten too close to the assassin, allowing her desire to cloud her judgment.

  Wait a minute, she no longer gave a fuck about him.

  Liar...

  She’d spent far too many nights alone digging through files, finding out everything she could about Wrath and the Dark Haven. Phone calls had been made, calling in favors owed. What she had learned should terrify her. Certainly, the two informants she’d talked with had been terrified, barely giving her anything useful then disappearing out of sight for fear of retribution.

  They feared for their lives from an organization that was halfway across the world.

  She’d collected enough information that she should also share her findings, but she wasn’t ready just yet.

  Was this about the glory of taking the man down herself? Perhaps.

  Her heart continued to tell her otherwise.

  She sucked in her breath, clenching her fists and digging her nails into her skin. Pain. She longed to feel pain, craving the endorphins released. Wrath had taught her that with his dominating ways, his controlling mannerisms.

  A warm flush crept up her jawline, the quiver in her pussy a dead giveaway that she was too close. If she were truly as married to her work as she claimed to be, she’d ask the director to take her off the case.

  At this point, she might not have to ask given the director’s level of anger.

  Director Montgomery shook his head and gave her a single glance before leaning over the railing, the separation between the agents and the big man in charge. She could swear he was reading her thoughts.

  She resisted shuddering at the thought. While hierarchy wasn’t her style, she was going to keep her mouth shut for now. She was playing with fire and there was no chance she wasn’t going to burn in hell, but she’d already gone out on more than one limb by herself. There was no turning back. She either managed the arrest or went down in flames.

  David remained sheepish as he flanked her side, trying his best to stay in the background.

  “Listen up and let me be very clear,” Director Montgomery started then exhaled. “We are in a crisis. One of Miami’s most colorful citizens was shot dead tonight. George Marguiles.” He allowed the statement to linger. “A man with powerful influences. Now, we might not appreciate the man’s style of business, but it was our job to protect him.” He tipped his head, his eyes connecting with Sophia’s. “And. We. Failed.”

  The murmur in the room was ugly.

  “No great loss,” Sophia said with no inflection. George found his wealth in dealing cocaine and Ecstasy, rumored to have killed a solid dozen enemies in the process. Unfortunately, he’d ridden under the radar for years, pretending to be nothing more than a real estate developer. Interesting that an assassin would kill a man of such significant... stature. She resisted chuckling. What else could the drug dealer be into that was vital to the consortium that he be eliminated?

  Neither she nor David had picked up on anything out of the ordinary.

  They’d found nothing useful at the crime scene, other than one terrified high dollar hooker, who’d been otherwise engaged in a bathroom during the execution. The hotel suite was one of the most expensive in the city and Mr. Marguiles had enjoyed an entire day of debauchery. The shot was clean, Wrath in and out in less than a minute. The kill could have been performed by anyone, except Wrath had left his mark—a change in his methods. A crisp white business card with the single letter of ‘W’ written in script. The man was playing them for fools.

  He’s testing you...

  The thought had stuck in her craw
the entire night.

  The director snapped his head in her direction, his chestnut brown eyes cutting. “There is no proof of any illegal activity. As far as we’re concerned, Mr. Marguiles is simply a victim of a horrible crime. Understood?”

  David coughed and took a step back.

  The others in the room remained dead quiet.

  “Let’s take a look at what we have. Shall we?” A clicker in his hand, the director pointed toward a small screen on the adjacent wall, flipping up a picture. “You’ve heard some of this before, but we’re going through it again. Meet Ricardo Constantino, Wrath as he is better known for his skills in perfecting the kill. This man has been on our radar for almost six months. That means we haven’t caught him in six months. Which means, in case you were wondering, that the governor is breathing down our necks. Specifically, my neck. I won’t talk about the words spoken from the offices of the Pentagon. Brutal. Career-ending. Which means I’m shifting responsibility to all of you. We could have had this man three. Fucking. Times. Three.”

  Flinching, Sophia tried to maintain her composure. The director never lost his cool.

  “Now, given we just lost a prominent citizen, we are going to be working long hours in order to catch this violent criminal. Do you understand what I’m saying?” the director started. “That means there are no days off and zero time with your families and yes, you have Agents Waters and Camden to thank for this.”

  “Ah, come on,” a voice came from the group.

  “This is ridiculous,” another hushed voice stated, his tone full of anger.

  All eyes turned to her. Hell, yes, she was pissed at herself, but there had been other agents assigned to the case. Sadly, only she and David had gotten close. And lost him. The rub was nasty.

  “Maybe so, but the bloodshed is going to stop in this city. Period. We’re also taking heat from the CIA, who wants to yank this away from us. That’s not going to happen, boys and girls. This is our case to solve and by damn, that’s what we’re going to do.” The director looked around the room. Now, take notes because I’m not going over this again. We will catch this man before he kills again. This Dark Haven consortium group is pissing me off. There have been almost a dozen assassinations in less than sixty days throughout the world, which means there are certainly several assassins. Whatever their plan, they’re expediting the timing.”

  “What if the entire group of assassins target the United States?” David asked sheepishly.

  The entire room glared at him.

  “Okay. I’m just asking,” he huffed under his breath.

  “Do we know who his next target is?” one of the female agents asked, raising her hand tentatively.

  Sophia snorted, the sound floating into the room.

  “At this point we do not.” Director Montgomery slowly turned his head in her direction. “Why don’t you do the honors of filling us in on Wrath, Agent Waters? You’ve certainly gotten closer to this man than anyone else. Perhaps you can shed some light on his intended targets.”

  She hesitated, tamping back a nasty comment before moving through the group and closer to the screen. She continued to have the feeling the director knew she was withholding information. This time, she was unable to stop the shiver from crawling down her spine. “May I?” she asked the director, holding out her hand.

  Director Montgomery lifted a single eyebrow as he handed her the clicker. “By all means.”

  After flicking through several screens, she found the exact picture she was looking for, the very one she’d taken only moments before four FBI units closed in. How he’d eluded them at that point still remained a mystery. The grainy shot taken on her cell phone in a speeding car did little to highlight the man’s features, especially given he was wearing sunglasses.

  But she could describe him from head to toe.

  Sophia shoved aside the thought, swallowing before opening her mouth.

  “This is the only partial we have of his face. Wrath is no fool and he is well connected, his Mafioso family considered royalty throughout Europe. Money. Weapons. He has access to everything he needs. Wrath is also extremely dangerous. No one else has even been able to get close. From what we’ve learned about the Dark Haven, and the information is still sketchy, the other families involved are just as powerful. Italy. France. Germany. Sweden. Those are the countries we suspect they are from.”

  They actually knew shit, the informants used all over the place. What she’d learned indicated the controlling country was Italy, the Constantino family irreproachable as far as the Italian police were concerned. They’d been zero help. She had a feeling that the consortium owned several law agencies. Glancing across the room, she moved from slide to slide, highlighting the bloody accounts of his most recent victims.

  “He gets personal with the majority of his kills, preferring the use of a knife, signifying a revenge kill and he is very skilled,” Sophia continued.

  “Then why the use of the pistol?”

  The question came from the back. Sophia gave a knowing smile. She’d seen nothing but a gun in his possession during their... time together. Curious but not telling. “Time. He knew we were on the hunt.” Why was she actually tingling telling the story? The answer was far too easy.

  The sexual attraction was unbridled. The connection was something she’d never be able to understand, but she would now use the knowledge against him. “As far as his next intended victim? There is no way of telling. The connections bring us back to the Dark Haven, the victims powerful in their respective businesses with worldwide customers. However, the connection ends there. We know about Stephen Wallace and his business. The Dark Haven certainly needs access to computers worldwide. The second victim doesn’t fit any scenario. John Baker was a financial advisor. And Mr. Marguiles, well, his connections with a cartel could certainly have the muscle to cause interference to the consortium.”

  “That’s not much to go on,” an agent scoffed.

  “No, it’s not. We need to find that connection in order to facilitate an end to the Dark Haven’s reign. Bear in mind, when he’s finished his operation, he will move on to another city, another country.”

  “What are your thoughts about his motive? World leadership as suggested?” David moved closer, this time his eyes gleaming.

  She shook her head, giving him an evil eye. How many hours had her partner been forced to hear about her theories? She’d put out feelers to her own slim stock of informants, just in case there was chatter on the street. She loathed the guessing game. “He’s settling scores for his family on one hand, making certain muscle doesn’t try and take down this consortium. That’s just my guess regarding Mr. Marguiles. The others? There are reasons and that’s why we’ll play pin the tail at this point.”

  “Maybe the next kill will be more helpful,” David teased.

  “There will not be another murder!” the director snapped.

  Everyone groaned.

  “All right, ladies and gents, let’s get to work. Agents Waters and Camden will be happy to share what they know.” The words out of the director’s mouth weren’t a request. They were a demand.

  Sophia rubbed the back of her neck. A headache had formed the moment she learned about the last hit. And she doubted this one would leave without liquid libation. She resisted glaring at the director. Getting herself on suspension wouldn’t help solve the crimes or expedite the plan forming in the back of her mind. As she walked over to her desk, she pictured Wrath’s face in the Ferrari, the smile she’d managed to capture. The fucker was toying with her. She’d used every contact she had putting out feelers on the Italian. Someone had to know something.

  Her nipples ached, an intense longing filtering into her system. “Damn it,” she whispered. Her response was unacceptable. The desk phone rang, dragging her out of her daydream. “Waters.”

  “Agent Waters, you asked me to call you if I found anything.”

  Sophia could hear the terror in the man’s voice. The call was legit. Gra
bbing a pen and pad, she darted a glance from right to left before answering. “What do you have, Harry?” The informant was trustworthy, aiding in two important captures.

  “Might not be anything, but I heard a few guys talking. Had to piece together what they said, but they used the name Wrath. Said this dude was gonna kill some bigwig coming in from out of town, maybe as early as tonight.”

  “Any idea where?”

  “No address. I swear, but they said KB. I don’t know what that means but maybe you do. They didn’t say anything else. Enough though? Did I give you enough?”

  Sighing, Sophia wanted to smash the phone. “Harry. I’ll take good care of you. Okay? Appreciate the info.”

  “Thank you. Thank you.” His voice quavering, he was coughing by the time he hung up the phone.

  Great. The first real almost lead and the kill could be over before she figured out what KB meant. “What the hell is KB?” she muttered, tearing off the note and shoving it into her pocket.

  “Key Biscayne.”

  “What?” She darted a look at David. “As in the island?”

  “You know, expensive real estate, hot babes on sizzling beaches. The kind of place we’ll never be able to afford. Why?” David stood over her desk, sucking back coffee.

  “You’re a genius. Thank you.” She grabbed her things, jerking to her feet.

  “Where the hell are you going?”

  Flashing him a smile, she winked. “I’ll be back in a few. Just a weird tip I need to check out.”

  “Why don’t you wait for me?” David insisted.

  She waved him off as she took the back way out of the office, running down the stairs. This one she was going to check on her own. If she was right, she’d get the bastard one way or the other.

  Game on.

  Chapter Nine

  Sophia spent the better part of two hours delving through real estate information and records only able to be obtained by someone in her profession. Given her level of security clearance, there was little in the way of records in which she wasn’t allowed access. When she was finished, she’d determined a single estate located on Key Biscayne that was a possibility. If she was wrong, she’d face the wrath of her director.