"You want to act reckless? Fine. But don't think for a second you're not being watched. This city is full of men who'd love to carve a message into you just to make a point." "And what message would you carve?" I whispered. He reached out. Brushed the back of his knuckles down my jaw, rough and slow. "Mine." It wasn't sweet. It wasn't romantic. It was a brand. And then he dropped his hand. "You have ten minutes to get out of here before I make a fucking scene." ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Massimo Bianchi is ruthless, the kind of man who leaves blood in his wake and never looks back. At 29, he's the trusted enforcer for one of the most feared mafia bosses in America - my father, Lorenzo DeLuca, the ghost I never knew but can never escape. I, Francesca DeLuca, have spent my life in the shadows of wealth, too blind to see the truth behind my family's fortune. But when I confront the mysterious man who's been following me, I'm thrown into a world of blood and betrayal, where loyalty is bought and sold like a commodity. Massimo is everything I should fear - cold, dangerous, and bound by an oath to my father. But there's something in the way he looks at me, a dark hunger he refuses to acknowledge. I should hate him, push him away, but the deeper I fall into my family's twisted legacy, the harder it is to resist the pull. But loving a man like Massimo is a risk, and in our world, mistakes are paid for in blood. So the question is - will I be his downfall, or will he be mine?

Maya applied pressure to my wound. I hissed from the pain. "Stop fucking around." She rolled her eyes at me. Maya finished tending my wound, wrapping it with a bandage. As she got up to put the first aid away, I stopped her. My thumb rubbed against the cool skin of her hand. I pulled her to sit on my lap. My fingers ran through her hair. "You're doing it again." I ignored her, sinking my chin into her shoulder. "I have no idea what you're talking about." I placed small pecks on neck. Her breathing turning heavy. "Stop. Someone could walk in." "And? You think they want to watch? Shit, I would." _____________________________________ ~Maya Castillo~ Escaping her traumatic past, Maya and her brother, Santiago, run to New York. In hopes to run her family business one day along side with her brother, she takes a college program at NYU. But when a anonymous person threatens her, Santiago turns to a past trusted friend. His price for protection? Her. ~Noah Slade~ In Manhattan, Noah is feared around the entire city. New York bows to his feet. He works in multiple businesses and is known in the mafia world as well. When a old friend from high school comes to him for protection, he comes face to face with his friend's sister once again, knowing exactly what he wants in exchange. ~ H I G H E S T R A N K S ~ #6- badass 8/24/2022 #8- ongoing 10/31/2022 #6- maya 5/3/2025 #1- maya 5/4/2025 #5- enemiestolovers 5/8/2025 #5- interesting 5/14/2025