Excerpt – Chapter One: The Boss's Plaything
The rain slicked the streets of Palermo as Aria Russo stepped into the velvet-draped den of Club Inferno — the infamous nightclub owned by the man every woman whispered about, and every man feared.
Nico Moretti.
The youngest Don in Sicily's underworld, Nico was carved from shadow and smoke, with eyes like frostbite and a voice that wrapped around your throat like silk... or a noose. They said he once burned a man alive for betraying him. That he never let a woman spend the night.
So what the hell was she doing here?
Aria's heels clicked against the marble as she entered the VIP lounge. She wore a tight black dress, one slit running dangerously high. Not for him. Never for him.
Except it was always for him.
He sat on the throne-like sofa, a whiskey in hand, watching her like a lion watches a lamb. His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, tattoos snaking up his throat, a silver ring glinting on the hand that had ended more lives than she could count.
"You're late," he said.
"I wasn't aware I worked for you."
Nico chuckled — low, dangerous. "You don't. But tonight, you will kneel for me."
Her breath hitched. God, why did her thighs clench when he spoke like that?
"I'm not one of your girls."
"No," he murmured, standing. "You're not. That's why I'm going to ruin you slowly."
Before she could step back, he was on her — caging her against the wall, his hand fisting her hair, mouth hovering at her ear.
"Tell me to stop, Aria."
She didn't.
He kissed her like he owned her mouth — biting, claiming. His hands roamed, exploring every curve like he had every right. Her body betrayed her, arching, moaning as his lips trailed down her neck.
Her dress slipped. His teeth grazed her shoulder. Every nerve sparked like fire.
"Nico," she breathed, "this is insane—"
His voice was gravel. "You want me to stop?"
"I want you to destroy me."
And so he did — with his mouth, his hands, his words.
But she didn't know that behind every kiss, there was a secret.
And one day, it would break them both.
Chapter 2 – The Devil's Bargain
Aria didn't remember walking out of Club Inferno.
She remembered his hands. His mouth. The sound of her own breathing caught between pain and pleasure. Her body still buzzed with the echo of him — like he was carved into her bones.
But when morning came, so did the shame.
You want me to destroy you.
She'd said it.
She'd meant it.
Now, seated in the back of a sleek black car that had mysteriously arrived outside her crumbling apartment that morning, she wondered how deep she'd already fallen.
When the doors opened at the Moretti estate — a fortress masquerading as a mansion — Aria's breath caught. Marble. Iron. Armed men in black suits. She wasn't in her world anymore.
She was in his.
Nico waited for her at the top of the stairs, hands tucked into his pockets, black-on-black suit tailored like a second skin. His eyes devoured her like he hadn't already had her.
"You came," he said simply.
"I didn't have a choice. Your man said if I didn't get in the car—"
"You'd be picked up a different way," he finished. "Yes."
Her spine stiffened. "So I'm your prisoner now?"
"No," he said, descending toward her. "You're something much more dangerous."
His finger brushed her jaw.
"You're my weakness."
Aria blinked. "Then why do I feel like your prey?"
He smiled — sharp and cold. "Because in my world, they're the same thing."
Inside, he didn't offer her tea or comfort. Instead, he led her to a room filled with screens — surveillance footage, maps, names. Her face was on one of them.
"I've been watching you, Aria Russo," he confessed. "For months."
She froze. "What the hell is this?"
"You think you walked into my club by accident? I don't believe in accidents. I believe in leverage."
Her voice cracked. "What do you want from me?"
He turned, his face unreadable.
"I want loyalty. I want obedience. And if you give me both, I'll protect you from the people who are hunting you."
Her heart dropped. "What people?"
"Your father's old enemies. The Bravado family. You think they don't know who you are?"
Her throat dried. "My father is dead."
"And they want to make sure his bloodline dies with him."
Silence.
A storm raged behind her eyes. She'd spent years trying to outrun the sins of her family name. Now they'd found her — and so had the devil who might keep her alive.
"If I say no?" she asked.
Nico stepped closer. "Then I'll bury you before they do."
She should've run.
She should've screamed.
Instead, she whispered, "What's the deal?"
His hand slid into her hair, his voice velvet and vicious.
"You wear my name. You follow my rules. You belong to me."
"And in return?"
He kissed her, slow and scorching.
"In return," he breathed against her lips, "you live."
Chapter 3 – The Collar of Control
Aria awoke tangled in silk sheets, her body sore in all the ways that reminded her what had happened the night before. Nico was already dressed, standing at the window in nothing but slacks, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers.
"I'm not your toy," she said, breaking the silence.
He didn't turn around. "Then stop acting like one."
Her cheeks flushed with both anger and shame. "You used me."
He turned then, slow and lethal. "I warned you. But you begged for it. Don't rewrite history, dolcezza."
She hated how her body still burned for him, even as her heart screamed. She dressed without another word, but before she left, he slipped something into her hand — a velvet box.
Inside: a choker. Black. Leather. A silver 'M' dangled from the center.
"You wear it," he said, "and everyone in this city will know who owns you."
---
Chapter 4 – Her Cage, His Rules
The next time Aria saw Nico, it wasn't in his bed — it was at a private dinner with his top lieutenants. She hadn't planned to go. But curiosity, or maybe masochism, dragged her back to his world.
She wore the choker.
Everyone stared.
Nico said nothing until dessert, then leaned over and whispered into her ear, "You wear my mark well."
"You don't own me," she hissed.
His fingers slid under the table and found the inside of her thigh.
"You say that, but your legs are opening for me right now."
Heat flared across her skin. She hated him. She needed him.
After dinner, he took her in his office, against the wall, her moans swallowed by the roaring fire behind his desk.
"Say it," he groaned into her neck.
"What?"
"That you belong to me."
She didn't say it.
But she didn't stop him either.
---
Chapter 5 – The Knife Behind His Kiss
The next day, Aria tried to walk away — for good. She returned the choker. She packed her bags.
But Nico showed up at her apartment.
With blood on his hands.
"Don't scream," he said calmly.
"What the hell did you do?"
"I protected you. That man who followed you last night? He was Bravado's mole."
Aria's stomach twisted. "You killed someone. For me?"
"I kill for what's mine."
Tears welled in her eyes. "I didn't ask for this life."
He stepped close, his hand cupping her cheek with surprising tenderness. "Neither did I. But now you're in it. And I won't let you go."
Their kiss was desperate — a collision of violence and vulnerability. She let him in, again. And again. Until her soul no longer knew where hers ended and his began.
---
Chapter 6 – Soft Lies, Hard Truths
She woke in his penthouse this time.
He brought her breakfast. He brushed her hair. He made her laugh.
It was terrifying.
"I need to know who you really are," she whispered.
"I'm the man who will burn down heaven to keep you safe," Nico said. "But I'm also the devil who dragged you into hell."
That night, he tied her wrists with silk.
Not as punishment — but trust.
Their bodies moved like fire and oil, her cries echoing in the dark, sacred and raw. When she came apart beneath him, it felt like a promise.
But in the morning, she found a file on his desk.
Her name. Her address. Her father's name.
And stamped across the top:
BRAVADO: TARGET ACQUIRED
Her blood turned to ice.
Nico hadn't just found her.
He had been hunting her.
Chapter 8 – The Monster and the Muse
Aria didn't confront Nico about the file. Not that day.
Instead, she watched him.
The way he ran the Moretti empire — ruthless, efficient, terrifying. But with her, he was different. He brought her books. Coffee. He kissed her like he was afraid she'd vanish between sips of whiskey and war.
But still, she couldn't unsee it.
Bravado: Target Acquired.
Her name stamped like a bounty.
At night, he held her like she was fragile. In bed, he broke her open with slow, deliberate control. She found herself whispering secrets into his chest. And Nico... listened.
"Do you think I'm a monster?" he asked one night, lips at her temple.
She didn't answer.
Because she didn't know.
---
Chapter 9 – Bloodlines and Betrayal
A storm broke over Sicily.
And with it came the truth.
Aria confronted him — holding the file like a loaded gun.
"You knew who I was before I ever walked into your club."
"Yes."
"You lied."
"I protected you."
"You hunted me."
Nico slammed his fist against the wall. "You don't know what Bravado did to your family. I do. Your father wasn't just a bookkeeper — he was their executioner. He tried to run, and they made him watch while they bled out your uncle. They were going to come for you next."
"And you thought collaring me like a dog would keep me safe?"
"No," he said, voice raw. "I thought loving you would."
The word hit her like a slap.
Love.
Was this love?
Or just another form of control?
---
Chapter 10 – The Ring of Fire
Nico took her to a private villa in the countryside.
A decoy. A hideout. But he called it a sanctuary.
She didn't trust it. But she trusted the way her body reacted to him — even now, after all the lies. She hated that his touch still undid her.
But she craved it.
And he knew it.
That night, he brought her to the edge — blindfolded, tied, worshiped. She came with his name on her tongue and her heart in his palm.
When he untied her, he placed a ring in her hand.
Not a proposal.
A vow.
"You wear this, and no one in Sicily touches you. Ever."
"What happens if I take it off?"
"I burn the city down."
---
Chapter 11 – The Girl Who Burned Him
Aria left the next morning.
No note. No goodbye.
She ran.
To Rome. To a woman who once knew her father. To a truth she couldn't unlearn.
Nico Moretti hadn't just saved her from Bravado.
He had worked with them.
Years ago. Before he became Don.
He was their enforcer. Their weapon.
And she was just collateral.
When she returned to Palermo, it wasn't with forgiveness.
It was with fury.
"You were one of them."
"I was seventeen," Nico said, his voice hollow. "I didn't have a choice."
"There's always a choice," she spat. "And you chose blood over mercy."
He didn't deny it.
He just whispered, "I chose survival."
---
Chapter 12 – The Wedding Invitation
A white envelope arrived at the villa.
No return address.
Inside: a single black card.
You are cordially invited to the union of Giulio Bravado and Aria Russo.
The date? Three days from now.
The signature?
Consider this a declaration of war.
Nico tore the card in half, then threw a crystal glass against the wall.
"They're using you as bait," he snarled. "They know I'll come for you."
Her voice was calm. "Then don't."
His eyes narrowed. "What?"
"Let me do it. Let me walk into the lion's den. I know how to end this."
"Aria—"
"I want vengeance. You want blood."
She touched his face.
"Let's give them both."
---
Chapter 13 – Velvet Vows
The dress was black.
The vows were a lie.
The wedding was a trap.
Aria walked down the aisle with a knife strapped to her thigh and rage curled in her heart. Giulio Bravado waited at the altar, smiling like he'd already won.
He didn't notice the glassy glint in her eyes.
Didn't notice the man in the rafters with a sniper rifle.
Didn't see the bomb hidden in the chandelier — Nico's final gift.
Just before she was to say I do, Aria leaned in and whispered:
"Tell my father I said hello."
Then she drove the knife into Giulio's gut.
The chandelier exploded.
Gunfire.
Screams.
Smoke.
And in the chaos, Nico found her — blood on her dress, fire in her eyes.
"You came," she whispered.
"I told you," he said, lifting her into his arms. "You wear my name. You follow my rules."
"And I belong to you," she finished.
"No," he said, kissing her hard. "We belong to each other."
Chapter 14 – The Smoke Settles
The Bravado estate still burned in the distance as Nico drove them through the mountains.
Aria's hands were stained red, her dress torn, the ring Nico gave her glinting like a promise kept through violence.
Neither spoke until they reached the villa.
"You saved me," she said, voice hollow.
"I had to," he said. "You're all I have left."
But Aria didn't want to be saved.
She wanted revenge.
And it wasn't over yet.
---
Chapter 15 – Blood Isn't Loyalty
The Bravado family wasn't dead. Not completely.
Someone had warned Giulio. Someone from inside.
Aria began watching Nico's inner circle — quiet, calculating.
She found the leak in his second-in-command: Luca Ventresca.
A boy Nico had once called brother.
"He sold you out," Aria whispered, sliding the proof across the table.
Nico stared at the papers, face unreadable.
Then, calmly, he reached for his gun.
"Where is he?"
---
Chapter 16 – The Devil's Mercy
They found Luca in Palermo, hiding behind fake names and thicker lies.
He begged.
Aria stood beside Nico, a gun in her own hand now.
"This is what you wanted," she said. "Power. Betrayal. Blood."
Luca looked at her — not Nico. "You made him weak."
She shot him before Nico could.
Nico watched her, eyes full of something darker than pride.
"You didn't hesitate," he said.
"Neither did you," she whispered.
---
Chapter 17 – In the End, Only Us
Days passed in silence.
Nico barely left the villa. Aria spent her nights pacing, her skin crawling with memories of fire, leather, and lies.
Until one night, she slipped into his office — found him staring at a velvet box on the desk.
He didn't look up.
"I thought you'd want to leave," he said quietly.
"I did."
"And now?"
She walked to him. Took the box. Opened it.
A ring — black diamond, silver band. Sharp. Like a weapon.
"I don't need a crown," she whispered.
He stood. Took her face in his hands.
"You need a partner."
"And you," she asked, "need a queen?"
"I need you," he said.
---
Chapter 18 – The Chapel on the Cliffs
At midnight, they drove to the ruined chapel overlooking the sea — where Nico's mother once prayed for a life that never came.
There were no vows. No priest.
Just firelight, their hands joined, and silence thick with unsaid things.
Nico placed the ring on her finger.
"This world," he said, "will never love us."
Aria pulled him close.
"Then we'll make it fear us."
They kissed under the shattered cross.
And something in both of them healed.
---
Chapter 19 – Inferno
Aria returned to Club Inferno not as prey — but predator.
The staff bowed. The guards stood taller. The whispers followed her like smoke.
In the upper lounge, Nico waited with a glass of bourbon and a crooked smile.
"You look like sin," he murmured.
She straddled his lap, kissed him like she owned him.
"I am sin," she whispered. "You just wear me better."
They didn't make love that night.
They claimed each other.
On velvet. In heat. With teeth and promises and scars.
---
Chapter 20 – Velvet Vows
The world knew now: Aria Russo wasn't just Nico Moretti's weakness.
She was his weapon.
Bravado was gone. The Moretti name ruled with silent terror.
Aria sat beside him in meetings, gave orders in cold Italian, and when Nico's enemies looked at him, they also looked at her.
One didn't exist without the other.
At the end of the night, she stood by the glass walls of their villa, watching the fireflies blink against the dark hills.
Nico came up behind her.
"You regret it?" he asked.
"No," she said, resting a hand on her belly — just barely beginning to swell. "Not even a little."
His arms slid around her.
"You wear my name," he murmured.
She smiled.
"And now," she said, "I burn the world with it."
The End.
---