His to Own (Mafia Kingpins Book 1)

As we sneak through the house, we’re fortunate enough to only encounter three guards so far, and we easily neutralize them. The estate is well-guarded, but we’re like wraiths, moving silently as one. By the time they notice us, it’s already too late. And we’re not taking any chances. First, we bring him down; then we slit his throat.

The problem is this house is too damn big and we’re racing against the clock. At this point, I think the best thing we can do is split up. As if he can read my thoughts, Enzo turns his attention to me and speaks them out loud.

“We should split up.”

I nod. “I’m heading up to the master suite on three.”

“I can take the second floor,” Enzo states.

“I’ll check out four,” Vin offers.

“I’ve got five then,” Angelo says.

“Be careful and text the others if you find anything,” Enzo tells us.

I’m grateful my brothers know how to step up and take charge. Because right now, I need that desperately. My head is spinning and peppered with fear and doubts. I need to find Alessia before Rocco hurts her.

We start to climb the staircase and, halfway up, we run straight into a guard. His eyes widen in shock, but he recovers faster than I anticipate. Before we can reach him, he pulls his gun and fires. Fuck. So much for a quiet sweep and rescue. Going into survival mode, I yank my gun out and shoot back. The bullet hits him in the chest and he goes flying backwards.

“Go!” I urge my brothers up the steps. “Fast!”

We hustle up the steps, but stick to the plan and begin separating. Enzo rushes off on the second floor and then I break off on three.

“If you need backup, let me know,” Vin offers.

“Okay, thanks.” I’m waiting for chaos to ensue after those two gunshots were fired and it takes a minute, but agitated voices begin to echo up from below. Rocco and his men are about to find out they’ve been infiltrated. I need to find Alessia fast and I jog down the hallway, heading straight for the master bedroom.

Just before I reach it, three guards appear at the opposite end of the hall and I can see Rocco behind them. They raise their guns, but Rocco orders them to hold their fire.

“I should’ve known you were the one causing all this chaos,” Rocco says.

“I haven’t even begun yet, Bianche. When I’m through here there won’t be anything left except a burning hole in the ground.” I aim my gun at the group of men. “Where is she? Where’s my wife?”

“She was never meant to be your anything, Rossi. She’s mine. Always has been.”

“You’re delusional and I’m taking her out of here.” I sidestep toward the master bedroom, taking a quick look inside, but I can only see the sitting room. “Alessia!” I yell.

“Miceli!” Alessia immediately calls back. I can hear the relief in her voice. “I’m in the bedroom!”

“I’m here, baby. Come to me.”

“I can’t. I’m tied to the bed!”

A rage fills me and I’m going to enjoy killing Rocco. Slowly and painfully. How dare he steal my wife and put her through this hell. Stepping into the doorway, using it as cover, I fire off a shot followed by another. The guards dive out of the way and Rocco disappears into a bedroom. I slip into the suite and slam the door shut. I hit the flimsy lock then drag a chair and lodge it beneath the door handle. Hurrying across the sitting room, I fire a text off to my brothers—A on 3.

Alessia on three. They’ll know to come down and have my back.

Meanwhile, I burst into the bedroom, my attention moving straight to the bed where Alessia is tied up, spread eagle. “Alessia!” I race over and she looks up at me with those beautiful blue-green eyes.

“Oh, thank God, Miceli!” Tears fill her eyes and I do my best to suppress the rage threatening to blow.

Rocco isn’t just going to pay for this; he’s going to suffer first.

I immediately lay my gun down and start untying the rope securing her small wrist to the headboard. I’m so fucking angry, I can barely see straight. My hands shake and it takes me a minute to unravel the bond. “Are you okay?” I ask, checking out her chafed skin.

“I am now. I’m just so glad you’re here and you’re okay.”

“I’m fine,” I assure her.

“Rocco said he had men out looking for you. Hunting you down.” A visible shiver moves through her small frame.

“I’m good and I’m getting you out of here,” I promise. “Just hang on a little bit longer for me, okay?”

My wife nods bravely and my chest constricts. But, the moment the words are out of my mouth, I hear gunfire erupt in the hallway. Hurrying down to her ankle, I quickly start working on the rope when, out of nowhere, another gun fires. But this one is much closer.

With a curse, I realize the pillow beside Alessia’s head now has a bullet embedded in it and feathers float in the air. Spinning around, grabbing my gun off the bed and lifting it, I see Rocco standing there. There must be a connecting room, I realize, and he takes a step forward.

“I’ll kill her before I let you have her,” he threatens.

As much as I want to take this asshole out, I need to play this carefully. One wrong move on my part could be the difference between life and death. Alessia’s and mine. Keeping my hand steady and my aim true, I let out a low breath as different scenarios and their possible outcomes play through my head.

And I know without a doubt that one of us isn’t going to leave this room alive—either me or Rocco. There’s no way around that fact.

Ignoring the sounds of the gun fight happening out in the hallway, I focus all of my attention on Rocco. “You’re not going to get away with this,” I tell him.

“Really? Because I think I have,” Rocco states arrogantly. “There’s nothing you can do. If you spill my blood, the wrath of the Five Families will descend so fast your head will spin, and you’ll be blackballed.”

“Same goes for you.”

Rocco shakes his head. “No, because you, Rossi, are going to be the victim of an unfortunate accident. Just like my dear, darling Mercedes was. God rest her defiant soul.”

From the corner of my eye, I can see Alessia working on her bonds, so I do my best to keep Rocco’s attention on me. I need to keep him talking. Play to his enormous ego and let him believe that he actually has a snowball’s chance in hell of carrying this ridiculously bold stunt off. Of defeating me and making Alessia his.

“You killed her, didn’t you?” I prod, referring to his missing girlfriend.

He shrugs an unrepentant shoulder. “Let’s just say she and I weren’t seeing eye to eye. We had a fight and, really, what happened was her fault. She brought it on herself.”

“How can she be blamed when you’re the one who ended her life?”

“That wasn’t my intention!” he yells, face turning crimson with anger. “That dumb bitch came after me with a knife and I had to defend myself. I knocked the blade from her hand and shoved her. Shoved her really fucking hard because she turned on me. Showed me her true colors.”

“What happened?” I ask in a low voice, doing my best to keep him talking. Alessia just freed her other wrist and I am so damn proud of her. She only has one ankle left and I need to make sure Rocco remains distracted.

“When she fell, she hit the side of her head on a table. Knocked herself out.”

I take a step sideways, moving away from the bed and keeping Rocco’s eyes on me. “Knocked herself out?” I echo.

“There was blood everywhere. At first I thought she was dead. But, unfortunately, she was still breathing. So, I had to take care of it. Finish her off.”

“What did you do with her body?”

His brown eyes light up. “It’s long gone. She’ll never be found.”

It almost sounds like he’s bragging and my gut curdles. Rocco Bianche is a disgusting human being and I can’t wait to end him. But, I need to bide my time and let Alessia get that final leg free. I’m about to ask him another question when Rocco turns and looks straight at Alessia. When he sees her trying to untie the final rope, his face twists and he shoots in her direction.

“No!” I launch myself across the bed, grab her and roll us right off the edge of the mattress. There’s enough slack in the rope that she can land on the floor, but her ankle is caught and up in the air. I fire my weapon at Rocco and manage to graze his upper arm. He lets out a horrific scream and I quickly look down to make sure Alessia is unharmed.

Thankfully, Rocco’s aim is absolute shit. Reaching over, I quickly finish loosening the rope and Alessia pulls her foot free.

“Stay down,” I warn her. Using the bed as cover, I crawl forward and peer around the corner, but Rocco is gone. Fucking coward ran off. Straightening up, I realize he must’ve gone out the way he came in—through the adjoining room. “Stay here.”

As I stalk across the bedroom, Alessia calls after me. “Be careful!”

It’s time to end this, I think, my gait determined, my mouth set in a grim line. Staying to the side of the open doorway, trying to make myself a smaller target, I walk into the next room just in time to see Rocco unlocking the door to the hallway. Without thinking twice, I fire my gun and a bullet lodges in his back, most likely shattering his spine. With another ungodly scream, Rocco slams forward then slowly sinks to the floor, leaving a bloody trail down the door.

Stalking over to him, I kick the gun away that he dropped. He’s lying on his back, eyes wide in disbelief.

“You’d shoot a man in the back?” he rasps, glaring up at me.

“Don’t worry. I’ll shoot you in the front, too.” With zero hesitation, I put a bullet in his skull. I don’t want to drag out his death. All I want is to end this, get my brothers out of here and take the woman I love home and wrap her up in my arms. Make sure she’s safe. Always.

Rocco’s eyes are glassy, unstaring, and blood oozes from the bullet hole in the center of his forehead. Maybe I allowed his death to be too swift, but I was never one who took a perverse enjoyment out of torturing an individual.

The point is, he’s finally dead. Thank fuck. Slowly, I lower my gun, relief pouring through me.

“Miceli!”

I hear Enzo on the other side of the door, calling my name and pounding on it, so I unlock it and throw it open. My brothers swarm inside, assuring me the rest of the guards have been dealt with.

“The house is clear,” Vin states.

I nod. “Rocco is dead.” My voice is flat and I don’t feel any sense of triumph over taking his life. I’m just happy it’s finally over. My brothers stare down at his body, but no one says a word.

“Miceli?” It’s Alessia and I spin around to see her standing in the bedroom doorway, looking unsure and a little wobbly on her feet.

Hurrying over, I sweep her up off her feet and cradle her in my arms. “You were so brave,” I coo, pressing a kiss to her lips. “So damn brave, my sweet girl.”

Alessia’s arms wrap around my neck and she’s clinging to me for dear life. “I was so scared I’d never see you again,” she says softly, burying her face in my chest. I can feel the hot wetness of her tears soaking my shirt.

“You’re okay now. I promise.”

“Take me home, Miceli. Please.”

And that’s exactly what I do.