After having her heart broken by the boy she'd been in love with her whole life, Brimmy Somell decides to take a little...vacation. Little does she know, it turns out to be much more permanent than she had originally thought. After meeting tall, sexy, and mysterious Marcello Pietro, Brimmy finds herself having to make a life-changing decision and putting herself in a dangerous position she'd never imagined to be in. °•°●°•°●°•°●°•° "I love you." He says with no hesitation. It takes a moment for my hazy mind to catch up. I'm still in a daze, mesmerized by his perfections, and the deep dimple set in his cheek. I blink, "What?" "Don't make me say it again." He says, sounding frustrated, but I catch the hint of embarassment in his voice as he runs his hand through his hair and takes a step back. I grab a hold of the neckline to his shirt and yank him back within close proximity of me. "What if I want you to say it again?" I ask, studying his eyes. "Isn't it enough that I said it once?" He scowls, trying to pull back, but I restrain him from doing so. "Nope. Just say it one more time and I'll be satisfied." I state bravely, feeling a boost of confidence I didn't have earlier. He glances down, then looks back up into my eyes, allowing me to spot the vulnerability and uncertainty he feels. "I love you." He says, putting more strength in his voice than he looks to have. I grin, pulling him in for a kiss, but right before I do, I say the one phrase that will seal my fate, "I love you too, big, bad mafia boss." ••••• The story may be rough but the comment section makes up for it. ••••• Word count: 51,173 ••••• Written and published 2018-2019

After a devastating tragedy shatters the renowned Romano crime family their fate weighs heavily on Don Leonardo Romano's only heir twenty-two year old Valentina. Determined to uphold the family's power Val will go to any means necessary even if it means selling her heart to the highest bidder. As the Romano family's most notorious hitman Matteo Costa knows the most depraved corners of New York's underground. So when Val arrives home after college he is confident she won't last long. The New York mafia would chew her up and eat her alive and yet... Serving as Valentina's personal guard Matteo realizes Val has grown into a beautiful, smart and cunning woman. He knows it won't be easy keeping the principessa safe especially when the Romano's rivals set their sights on her. But as their relationship grows Matteo realizes that his own desire might be the greatest threat to the Romano dynasty. Season 1 of The Hitman's Mark WARNING: This story contains depictions of violence that may be upsetting for some readers.

❝ Things are only as beautiful as you make them, Charlie. Including murder. ❞ It's the opening night of Burton Abbey's production of Romeo and Juliet and all is going smoothly - that is until the climactic death scene. Romeo takes a big gulp of the poison to be with his lover, except it really is poison and Elijah, who plays Romeo, is now dead. Charlie Monet, in charge of props, is the first suspect but soon the suspicion around her turns to worry as it seems she's the next target. Khaleel Rahim, an aspiring writer, is dying for a mystery to solve at his new school. When he sees Charlie sneaking around at night he thinks he's finally found something worth writing about. After discovering Charlie's ability to see visions of the past, Khaleel decides that they're the perfect pair to solve the mystery. With threatening notes, a quiet library and poison disguised as props; somebody in the school is blurring the lines between theatre and reality and the fast friends are about to discover that there's more to boarding school than just silly rumours. [2022 Watty's Shortlist]