The Mafia And His Angel Series (Tainted Hearts) Read online

  THE MAFIA AND

  HIS ANGEL

  Tainted Hearts Series

  By Lylah James

  The Mafia and His Angel Series

  Copyright © 2018 by Lylah James.

  All rights reserved.

  First Print Edition: July 2018

  Limitless Publishing, LLC

  Kailua, HI 96734

  www.limitlesspublishing.com

  Formatting: Limitless Publishing

  ISBN-13: 978-1-64034-365-8

  ISBN-10: 1-64034-365-2

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

  ***CONTENT WARNING***

  Not intended for readers younger than 18.

  This book contains dark—and sometimes violent—depictions of the world of organized crime, sexual assault, and suicide, and some events might be triggers for some readers.

  Table of Contents

  PART ONE

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  PART TWO

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  PART THREE

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  Alessio

  “We’ve got a problem,” a harsh voice said through the phone. It was my second in command.

  “I’m coming,” I told him. I didn’t like his tone. I could tell it was something really bad. His nervousness made me nervous. Viktor was a crazy bastard, and if something had him this riled up, then it was something big. Something I really wouldn’t like.

  I walked out of my office and found a few of my men standing in the hallway, lined up and on guard. They bowed their heads in respect as I walked by.

  As I stepped into the dark hallway that led to the soundproof basement, my body tensed. The air around me was stale and my steps were hard against the silence as I prepared myself for the worst.

  When I opened the door, I saw Viktor leaning against the wall, his head cast down in defeat. My entrance didn’t even faze him, he was so lost in his own thoughts. I cleared my throat and he glanced up.

  His expression conveyed horror and disgust. “It’s bad,” Viktor said, pointing toward the room. I nodded, then walked farther inside, leading the way while Viktor fell into step behind me.

  Stomping forward, I found a bloodied man strapped to a chair. The basement room was empty except for the chair in the middle and a table at the back. Four of my men stood around him. They were my right-hand men.

  I didn’t recognize the captive, but when he looked up at me, his eyes were filled with terror. As I got closer, his already pale face twisted in pain. He pushed back against the chair when I stopped in front of him.

  “What the fuck is going on?” My voice boomed around the room. I didn’t take my eyes off the man, but when I saw him flinch, satisfaction coursed through my body. The fucker better be petrified.

  Viktor walked around me to stand behind the man. He grabbed the captive’s hair and pulled hard until his neck snapped back painfully. The man screamed and thrashed.

  I lifted my eyes from the battered captive to meet Viktor’s disgusted gaze.

  “The fucker betrayed us. I heard him talking. The fucking Italians. He’s working for them,” Viktor growled.

  I looked down at the man and his eyes were closed. He refused to look at me. The anger that took over my body was indescribable. He fucking betrayed me. Me. The. Fucking. King. The person who owned his life.

  Nobody betrayed me and got away with it. I trusted all my men. They were my family, but when one of my own betrayed me, they paid the ultimate price. Death. Very painful death.

  Taking a deep breath and schooling my features, I stepped away from the strapped man.

  “Bring me a chair,” I yelled. I saw one of my men scrambli
ng back, doing as I commanded.

  “Here you go, Boss,” Phoenix said a minute later. He placed the chair behind me and slowly stepped away.

  I sat down and faced the motherfucker. He opened his eyes and stared directly at me. My temper flared. Leaning forward, I snarled into his face. “Why?”

  His body shook in fear but he refused to answer. I looked up and signaled Viktor. He let the man go and walked toward the table at the back of the room, only to come back with a cutter in his hand.

  I smiled almost maliciously and leaned back against the chair, crossing my arms over my chest.

  “Enjoy,” I said, nodding at Viktor.

  As he got to work, the man’s screams filled the room. Blood dripped all over the floor, but I kept my gaze fixed on him the whole time. When he started to lose consciousness, I raised my hand. Viktor instantly stopped his torturous ministrations.

  Leaning forward again, I asked, “Why and who?”

  I laughed when he glared at me. Viktor leaned forward and punched him. “Show respect.”

  “I will ask one last time. Why and who?” I said menacingly as I took his face in my hand. My fingers pressed hard into his cheek until blood oozed badly from his wounds.

  When he still wouldn’t answer, I let his face go and stood up, pushing my chair away. I wasn’t going to get my hands dirty this time. But the man strapped against the chair in front of me forced my hand. The rest of my men needed to see me kill. They needed to see the consequences of betraying me.

  They needed to see the worst of me. How brutal I could be. It appeared they had forgotten.

  I was feared by all and nobody fucking betrayed me.

  Walking toward the table, I picked up the pliers. As I turned, all the men took a step back. Viktor smiled sadistically and shook his head. “Fuck, yeah. Now you’re talking.”

  Viktor held the captive’s head against the chair. I stood in front of him and roughly grabbed his chin, not caring if I hurt him. I forced his mouth open and held the pliers to his teeth.

  The man tried to scream, but I never gave him a chance. It took me hours to be satisfied.

  And when I was done, he was no longer breathing.

  May this be a lesson learned.

  ***

  Ayla

  Run, keep running, I told myself.

  Escaping wasn’t easy. I had planned it for years but never found the courage to actually do it.

  But tonight I had to escape from the nightmare I’d been born into.

  My father never cared. It didn’t matter that I begged him to listen. He always turned a blind eye. My father only cared about his profits. After all, he was the Boss. The Italians, the Famiglia respected him. He was the feared leader.

  And I was just a pawn in the cruel game.

  I had no choice, no will. No respect. No love.

  I had nothing.

  My engagement to my father’s second in command hadn’t been my choice either. After all, what choice did I have at sixteen?

  At twenty-three, after all the years of torture I went through by Alberto’s hands, I decided to escape. For years, I wished my father would put a stop to the violence against me, but it never happened. Alberto did whatever he wanted with me.

  I was just a toy for pleasure and for pain.

  After he left me bloodied and beaten up from yet another torturous night, I crawled out of the bed and climbed out the window. No matter how much I thought of it and planned for my escape, it wasn’t easy. Nothing was ever easy.

  But I still ran for my life.

  Whatever was left of my sanity depended on it.

  “Stop!”

  I heard yelling behind me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

  “No. No. No,” I gasped, panting. I was almost off the property, my legs burning as I ran.

  Run, keep running.

  I just needed time, but the men were closing in on me.

  “Miss Ayla. Stop. Stop,” I heard one of them yelling behind me.

  Shuffling deeper into the forest, I forced myself to move quicker. I pushed hard, running until my body felt like it was breaking. I was already bleeding badly.

  Everything hurt, but I kept going. Only my escape mattered.

  I kept running into the darkness until the screams of the men faded away. When I couldn’t hear them anymore, I stopped and leaned against a tree.

  My safety wasn’t guaranteed yet, but I had to rest. My heart was pounding and my legs were shaking too hard for me to continue.

  But when I heard a noise to my left, my eyes widened and I pushed myself from the tree, taking a few steps away. The sounds got louder.

  Without sparing another glance in that direction, I turned away and started running again, praying that I would find someone who could help me. There must be a good person left in this cruel world.

  When dawn approached, I was too tired to keep going. I was no longer in the forest, but at the side of a deserted road. I knew my father’s estate was on the outskirts of New York City. He’d said something about one day ruling the whole city. But for now, it belonged to someone else. Someone more powerful than him.

  Limping along the side of road, I continued until I came across houses.

  A sigh of relief escaped my lips. I was safe. Someone would help me.

  I walked over to one of the houses and knocked softly at the door. An old woman opened the door and gasped at the sight of me. Before I could say anything, she slammed the door in my face.

  My eyes widened and I stared at the closed door in shock. What?

  My fist came up to knock again, but I saw something else from the corner of my eye.

  Alberto’s men. They were walking around, looking for me.

  With my heart in my throat, I quickly hid behind the house. As I tried to figure out my next plan, lights flared around the corner. I looked to my left and saw a black vehicle slowing to a stop.

  I stood still as a large man stepped out of the car. He was wearing a black suit, similar to what Alberto and my father wore. I couldn’t see him well, the darkness hiding his face. He went inside one of the houses.

  Looking back at the car, I made up my mind. After making sure that Alberto’s men were not looking, I quickly walked away from my hiding spot and ran toward the car. I pulled on the handle of the back door.

  The door opened. Tears of relief blinded my vision and I hiccupped back a sob.

  I looked on either side of me, making sure nobody saw me. My path was clear when I climbed into the car and closed the door behind me.

  My body folded into itself as I crouched down between the seats, trying to make myself as invisible as possible. My eyes closed as I tried to calm my breathing.

  After a few minutes, the door opened and the man sat down. I jumped slightly when he slammed the door shut. My stomach twisted in knots as my breathing slowed. My hands shook in fear.

  I heard some shuffling noises and then he started talking. “Viktor, I’m coming home. Get everything prepared.”

  My body was strung tight with tension but when the car suddenly lurched forward and the man began driving, I let out a sigh of relief.

  I was safe. For now. And that was all that mattered.

  Chapter 1

  My body trembled with tension during the drive. The man was silent but the air surrounding him was intense and brooding. When the car finally came to a stop, I froze.

  My heart skipped a beat when he opened the door. I waited for a reaction from him. But he only stepped out of the car and the door closed behind him.

  Then, utter silence.

  I breathed out a sigh of relief, my body sagging against the back of the car seat. I was safe. After waiting for a few more minutes, I climbed to my knees and stared outside through the tinted window.

  I gasped, my eyes widening in shock. The beauty beyond the window took my breath away.

  There was a long circular driveway lined with pine trees and tall red glass garden stakes. Beautiful shrubs surrounded a gigantic fountain in
the middle of the driveway. The central fountain was mesmerizing, made of glazed ceramic tiles and surrounded by flowers.

  I could see trees in the distance, which continued down the long driveway toward the main gate. This place was serene.

  When I felt sure I was alone, I quickly opened the door and stepped out. When I had left my father’s estate, it was still dark, dawn just slowly approaching, but now the sunlight was bright. I winced and had to blink to get used to the glare.

  Turning around, I was speechless.

  This estate seemed much bigger than my father’s. There were white marble pillars around the entrance to the mansion. The towers were topped in silver domes and intricate stonework decorated the walls. A large wooden double door probably cost more than I could imagine.

  My father was wealthy, but I had never seen anything like this. The mansion I lived in was much smaller compared to this one.

  Sudden realization came crashing down on me and it occurred to me that this man was much wealthier than my dad, and possibly just as dangerous—if not more so.

  I had learned my lesson. Rich people were blinded by their power and they stopped acting like human beings. They had no emotions. And I wasn’t going to take the risk with this stranger.

  Taking several steps back, I bumped into the car. I swallowed and then closed my eyes. I had to go. I had to find somewhere safer.

  I turned away but my eyes widened in shock when I saw two men striding toward me. They were looking at each other, away from me. Taking the chance, I quickly hid behind the car.

  My body was shaking with fear and I felt myself sweating.

  I had to leave. Now! But my safety was compromised. When the men entered the mansion, my body dropped forward in relief, but tension still coiled tight inside me. Fear lodged deep in my gut and my stomach cramped. As I turned back toward the main gate, I froze again.

  There was no escape. It was impossible.

  For the first time, I noticed four men standing at the main gate, guarding it. Nobody entered or left without them noticing. It was the same way at my father’s estate. There were always guards on the ground, making sure there weren’t any impending attacks.

  I swallowed and looked behind me. My heart stopped beating for a moment when I saw the doors open. Going through the main gates wasn’t an option anymore. And I wasn’t familiar with the grounds.