The rise of an empire. The start of it all. The Matteo legacy.

My father is the leader of one of the world's most notorious families, an Italian mafia family that is. It was passed down to him from my grandpa months before I was born and The Matteo family have been up on top, running things in New York City for years now. My best friend, Iridiana, her dad, he just so happens to be my father's second in command, his right hand man. And I just so happened to be madly in love with his daughter. I wasn't supposed to fall in love with her. I'm supposed to be her protector, her guardian, I guess I took that to a whole different meaning. Both her father and mine have warned me to stay away from her, to not cross any boundaries and start creating problems within the faction. At the end of the day my dad's second in command will put his daughter above everything else and I definitely don't want to be the reason why their friendship gets strained. I'm trying to keep my distance because I know I can't have her, but I want her so bad. After all, I am my father's son, I am a Matteo, and we're used to getting what we want, even if I have to go against my own father and hers.

Hailey Summers. I knew she was gonna be a problem for me the second my eyes fell on her in the school hall way that day. I didn't know anything about her, I didn't even know she existed, but I knew that I had to get to know her, which was a big problem for me. I'm about to turn eighteen in a week, and coming from an Italian family, a mafia family, that's a big deal. It meant that i was finally old enough to take over the family business, over my father's kingdom. It came with great power and responsibilities, there was absolutely no room for weaknesses. Little did I know was that Hailey would be my down fall. I fell in love with her when I shouldn't have. She was so pure and innocent, a person like me would only destruct her. I was a monster. I couldn't drag her into this life, but I also couldn't let her go. I wish things could be different, I wish that I could be different, but this is my life, this is what I was born to do, and I will do anything for her. She is my weakness. ---------- Isaac Matteo and Hailey Summers come from two opposite different worlds, up until they cross each other's paths one day at school. Never in her wildest dreams does Hailey ever think that she would fall for the bad boy himself. He turns her world completely upside down, going from quiet, calm, and even boring as she would like to say, to adventurous and thrilling. Isaac shows her a whole new different world, bringing all sorts of new changes into her life, new problems even, his problems.. But can Hailey really handle Isaac's world? Highest ranking in Drama #1 August 17th, 2019. Started May of 2017. Completed Dec 6th, 2018.

Mob wife. Married to the Kingpin himself. With a little blessing on the way, ALL before my twenty first birthday, how crazy is that? Life has definitely drastically changed over these past few years. Fear was an old feeling that was instantly beginning to settle back in as I think of our little blessing being raised in Isaac's world, The Mafia world. The life Isaac lives definitely Isn't easy, it definitely isn't safe, and even though I've grown accustomed to it, accepted it and him, anything could happen to any one of us at any given moment. Isaac and I have been through so much already that the next time either one of us is in the hospital it better be for our baby's birth, but The Matteo's lives, ways, continue to put a strain on our relationship, family, and I don't know if we'll be able to survive this.

Months after Isaac's and Hailey's traumatic incident, weeks after their graduation, Hailey's finally off to college, attempting to put her past behind her along with Isaac's problems... Book Two.

Avyaan Vedang Vishwanathan "He never believed in love. Until she became his wife. Now he believes in nothing else but owning her." ............ Udita Avyaan Vishwanathan. "He felt like danger... but for once, I wasn't afraid. I wanted to fall-if it meant falling into him." ....................... Join the beautiful journey of Avyaan and Udita finding their peace in each other

Vicenzo Ferrari Hernandez is a devilishly handsome mafia King. Despite being cold hearted and beyond cruel, he has fallen in love with the woman of his dreams. But can he hold on to her? Or will he lose her because the threats he faces all come with heavy prices, sometimes even death. He has everything he's ever wanted but that could all be taken away in an instance. ------------------------ I checked the scope of my gun, looking through the lens. I clicked a button and a red laser shot out, pointing ahead with sharp precision. Deadly. This mission would be deadly. Raf and I went on many missions so we weren't even bothered. What bothered us was the snow, the cold and the ice. I pulled the machine gun around me, the strap being flush against my chest. In my belt sat a couple of smoke grenades, flares and a chain. I looked across at Raf who was inspecting his guns, checking which ones he would use first. His belt held several gleaming knives, some longer, some shorter. I only had the one knife. I only needed the one anyway. Raf's tan skin was hidden underneath his black long sleeved top, on-top of which was a bullet proof vest. He pulled the straps tighter, so that the vest outlined his muscled physique. ------------------------ BE AWARE: Trigger warnings: MATURE CONTENT 18+ (SMUT) SWEARING VIOLENCE/GUN VIOLENCE SELF HARM/SUICIDE (REFERENCES) EXPLICIT LANGUAGE REFERENCES TO RAPE SMOKING/ALCOHOL/DRUGS BLOOD/DEATH/GORE ©️ All rights reserved ™️ The Walnut Tree BOOK THREE OF THE MAFIA SERIES

Raised in the Mafia, I have known no other life other than cold calculated violence and discipline. A life where brutality is praised and weakness is ridiculed, I became the best of my parents and the worst the world has ever seen. Young and still gaining control of my mafia, love is never an option for me, that is until one night at a Mafia ball where I spy a woman who has me to my knees. I want more, more, more. She's reckless and cunningly beautiful. Too good for me and yet the only one for me. We fight for survival and for each other because neither one of us will let go. ------------------------- I sat in the back, legs apart and looked at her with my head tilted. She licked her lips and squeezed though the front seats all the while looking at me. I pulled her towards me and she chuckled as she sat on my lap. Her legs were either side of me and her breathing was ragged. I ran my hand down her cheek and pulled her into me. I kissed her lips and soon our tongues whirled around. Hungry and rough. She held her head back and I began to plant rough kisses onto her beautiful neck. "Am I a bad influence?" She breathed. Her hands were on the back of my neck. I stopped kissing her and looked up at her. "Everyone needs a little bad in their lives." I whispered back making her smile. My hands found her waist and I noticed her short dress had ridden up exposing her thighs. She wore it to tease me and I loved it. Fuck, I loved her body. She breathed into my neck and I pulled off her dress in one slick motion. My hands were all over her back, feeling her, touching her. Her soft skin drove me crazy. ------------------------- BE AWARE: Trigger warnings: MATURE CONTENT 18+ (SMUT) SWEARING VIOLENCE/GUN VIOLENCE SELF HARM/SUICIDE (REFERENCES) EXPLICIT LANGUAGE REFERENCES TO RAPE SMOKING/ALCOHOL/DRUGS BLOOD/DEATH/GORE ©️ All rights reserved ™️ The Walnut Tree BOOK TWO OF THE MAFIA SERIES

Alessia Ferrari is the Don of the Italian Mafia. Whip-smart and dangerous, she is a woman in a man's world, surviving against all odds. Born and raised to become a lethal killer, even the ground she walks on bows at her feet. She has it all, until that is, her father gives her hand away in marriage. Ace Hernandez is the boss of the American Mafia. He's a cold cruel hearted monster. He knows the game all too well and does whatever it takes to win and if that means breaking someone, he could do that with his eyes closed. Fate is vicious when the two are forced to marry. Will two monsters find solace in each other's arms or will they kill each other? ---------------------------- "I don't recall signing up for strip poker." She replied. Her full lips frowned softly but her eyes were filled with amusement. She knew she couldn't beat me, not at this game. "Are you quitting? Are you a quitter?" I mocked getting under her skin. Her lips twitched before she pursed them tightly. The blues of her eyes deepened and she threw me a dangerous smirk. She shuffled and pulled off one of her sandals. Fuck. So we're doing this the long way. She raised it in the air, dangling it off her finger before tossing it aside. She raised a brow at me, she challenged me. I knew I got under her skin. Just as I had anticipated. -------------------------- BE AWARE: Trigger warnings: MATURE CONTENT 18+ (SMUT) SWEARING VIOLENCE/GUN VIOLENCE SELF HARM/SUICIDE (REFERENCES) EXPLICIT LANGUAGE REFERENCES TO RAPE SMOKING/ALCOHOL/DRUGS BLOOD/DEATH/GORE ©️ All rights reserved ™️ The Walnut Tree BOOK ONE OF THE MAFIA SERIES

BOOK 2- This is the continuation of Renzo and Kat's story, with added BONUS chapters from characters like Dante, etc. If you HAVEN'T read the Original 'Slow burn' then please hop onto my page and start there :) -(A Shade Darker series)