Mob Mistress

Prologue

Stefano

Lily.

I would recognise the mound under the blanket even with my eyes closed. How many times had I held her until she fell asleep since her attack?

How many times had I held her sobbing body against mine like the protector she saw me as? I had saved her once but I had wanted her weeks before that. From the very first moment, I set eyes on her. She was like a beacon of light in the darkness of my world. I had made myself into something I wasn’t just to be close to her and she had almost friend-zoned me because of it.

Almost.

But anything, even being nothing but her friend was better than the cold indifference she had given me since she had met my wife.

Now she just plain hated me, which was going to make the next few months very difficult indeed.

”Lils” I knelt by the side of the bed keeping my voice low, softly I pushed back the bright red hair where it had fallen across her face. And my eyes roved over her.

Fucking perfection.

I loved watching her sleep, even if that made me sound like a creeper. Gently with nothing but the tips of my fingers, I touched her cheek, tracing down to the pouty lips I had kissed only once and couldn’t get out of my mind.

She was out of bounds. The best friend of the wife of my Don. Luca was a scary son of a b***h but luckily for me, we were closer than brothers and that gave me certain privileges. His wife Alice though? She was god damn mafia royalty and would overhaul the entire structure of our organisation. She might just be as ruthless as me just in a tiny, blonde, sweet-talking package. People underestimated her but I didn’t. And she didn’t underestimate me either which is the reason she trusted no one but me to keep her friend safe.

She would also kick my ass if I hurt her … more than I had already anyway. I knew Lily had feelings for me, hell I returned them. Something I never thought I would ever say about a woman. The appearance of the woman I married hadn’t just hurt Lily. It had almost shattered her. And that was something I would have to live with. Even if the coldness in her eyes when she did look at me directly, which wasn’t often was like a gnawing pit in my stomach.

Even if I wanted her more than I had ever wanted another woman in my life.

“Lils baby” Her cheek was warm under my hand. Baby, I had never called her that when she was awake but when she was asleep. Yeah then I could be softer, I could pretend that she was mine for real.

She gave the smallest of sighs, pressing her cheek into my palm as if she was craving my touch even in her sleep. She smiled, as she pressed her lips against the roughness of my hand. It was the smallest of kisses but it might just be the most important moment of my life so far. “Stefano?” Her voice was sleep-filled as her lashes fluttered.

She had been thinking of me in her sleep. She had nestled into my touch and called my name.

My heart thundered in my ears as her eyes fluttered open. Confusion clouding them for a second as I smiled down at her. With her, I could be softer.

“I’m here Lils but you need to get up now” I watched as recognition filled her eyes.

That was the moment gone I could see it in the way coldness came down like a shutter over her features. “Why are you touching me, Stefano?”

I dropped my hand to my side guiltily.

“We need to get going Lily,” yeah the moment had gone. “Up and dressed, we have things to do before we catch our plane” Straight back to business. If she could be cold then so could I.

“I’m not going anyway with you” She folded her arms, all traces of sleep gone as she realised the day had come where we had to run.

Things were about to get bloody, and Alice wanted her out of the way before that happened.

“I don’t have time for this Lils, get up and get dressed or I will dress you” I raked my eyes over her, not hiding the fact that I was checking out her breasts as they strained against the thin material of her T-shirt. She already thought I was a jerk so ….

“It’s happening then?” Stiffly she clambered from beneath the sheets and my eyes followed her every movement but I didn’t answer her. “Can I at least say goodbye to Alice”

“No Lils, we have to go. You have an appointment with my kid sister”

She blinked rapidly, confusion clear on her face. “You have a sister? I didn’t know you had a sister.”

“There's a lot you don’t know about me Lils. But you probably should seeing as we will be living as man and wife when we leave this hotel”

”I have already said I won’t play your wife Stefano, you already have one of those.” Her voice was bitter.

”The paperwork and passport are already arranged, Lily.” And was I hell going to be able to watch her flirt with other guys. Easier all round if everyone thought she was my wife.

”I need to pack”

She was stalling and we both knew it. ”I have a case packed for you, my sister did it for you we can grab it when you go for your makeover”

“Makeover?” She shook her head but her lips thinned. She was going to start arguing with me I could see it in on her face. And we really didn’t have time for this s**t.

“Look, Lily, every minute we stay here puts Alice in more danger. She has given me a job to do and I plan to do it. Whether you walk out of this hotel on your own feet or slung over my shoulder is up to you but we are leaving in two minutes”

“You wouldn’t dare”

I reached for her face, pinching her chin between my thumb and forefinger bringing her eyes up to meet mine. I hated seeing the flicker of fear in their moss coloured depths but I didn’t back down. “Do you want to take that chance?”

“I hate you Stefano” She tore her face away, reaching for her discarded sundress with a loud humph.

“I know Lils”

Hating me was better than dead.

“I kn