I was the person they called to take care of problems, a legend among hitmen.
I’ve spent the last few years trying to suppress the killer inside, desperate to find a different side of myself.
But Dimitri Ivanov ripped open Pandora’s Box and I’m not sure it’ll ever close again.
I was ready to unleash my inner demons once more, letting the old me take over… until her.
Dimitri might have freed the murderous man I am, but I’ll do everything I can to battle my own darkness and be the man she thinks I can be.
My only hope is that her love can withstand the truth of what I’ve done.
Mature Reader warning: This book contains raw sexual language, violence, and tons of heat! It contains MM and MMF sexual scenes.
It is intended for readers 18+ and fans of the naughty stuff. Previously published as Vincenzo: Book Two by LC Taylor
Excerpt
“VINCENZO?” My voice echoed off the dumpster.
“Go back inside.” He lowered his head, staring at the blood pooling around his shoes. His hand was still wrapped around the blade that he’s obviously just buried into the man laying inches away from his feet.
“You know I can’t do that, Vin.” I swallowed down the bile threatening to spill.
“Yes, you can. Turn around and walk through that door.”
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”
“Goddamn it! Please. If you really love me like you say you do. You’ll turn around and leave me to deal with this.”
The tears threatened to fall as I stepped toward him. “You know why I can’t walk away. Don’t make me choose.”
“Seems like you’ve already done that.” He dropped the heavy metal to the ground, the sound echoing through the alleyway. “Can you at least call my brothers first?”
“It didn’t have to come to this. There was another way, Vincenzo.”
“Another way? This piece of shit tried to ruin my life. He tried to have my sister kidnapped. And then,” He took a breath. “He nearly killed Antonio. There wasn’t another way. You know as well as I do, he would have walked if the police were involved. He was too powerful.”
“And now what? He’s dead and you’ll be a martyr in jail. You say if I loved you, I’ll walk back inside. What about you?” My voice cracked with desperation.
“What about me?” He snapped. “If you loved me, you wouldn’t have let it come to this.”
I shook my head, tears finally burning a trail down my skin. “Sometimes we have to decide what path to take. This is the path I chose. My family means everything to me. Everything!” He balled his fists against his thighs. “I thought you realized this by now.”
“I told you I wouldn’t walk this path with you. I can’t. Your family means too much to you. Well, so does mine. It just looks a little different from yours.”
“Family? You think your so-called family is going to stand beside you when they learn you’ve been fucking the enemy?” His voice was laced with venom as he turned to face me. His face was a mask of rage, making me suck in a breath. I stiffened at his sudden change in demeanor.
“Fuck you, Vincenzo.” “Just do what you have to. This road was going to lead here at some point. We both knew we couldn’t last.” He brushed past me, pausing beside my ear. “But never forget my words, il mio Tesoro. When I was buried inside that pussy of yours, I meant every word I said. I love you. I’m sorry it has come to this. I’ll be inside waiting.”
I couldn’t stop the sharp intake of breath as he pushed inside, leaving me alone in the dark. I was torn between doing the right thing and my love for him. Deep down, I knew it would come to this. He hadn’t been wrong in saying our path only had one destination—he was right. Only the path was one that led to an end.
I felt sick to my stomach as I took in the bloody man in front of me. Truth be told, Dmitri Ivanov deserved everything he’d gotten. As I stared back at the closed door, I knew I had been wrong when I said my family looked different. He was my family. Not the FBI. Dmitri had taken my mother from me, and this… this was Vincenzo’s way of protecting me. I tugged my cell phone from my pocket and called the one person who could help me. She answered immediately.
“Hello.” “Remember when you said you would help me if I needed it?”
Madison replied without hesitation. “Yes.” “Massimo needs to come get Vincenzo from the restaurant. I can stall the FBI long enough for him to take Vincenzo from here.”
“Riley, what’s happened?” Madison’s voice was a whisper. “Dmitri Ivanov is dead.” “What?” She sounded as shocked as I felt.
“All you need to know is he’s dead. If Vincenzo was here when the police show up, I wouldn’t be able to protect him. Do you understand what I am saying? Madison, he isn’t going to leave willingly. That’s why you need to convince Massimo to come and take him.”
She was silent for a moment, but I knew she understood what was at risk. “Yes. I understand.”
I shoved the phone in my pocket and waited. Vincenzo would not like what I was about to do, but it was the only way. He’d made his decision—now I was making mine. Staring at the dead form laying in the dark alley for what felt like hours, I jumped when someone spoke behind me.
“Riley.” Donny’s voice reverberated off the dumpster, snap‐ ping me from the trance I was in. I bent down and picked up Vincenzo’s knife. “Donny.”
He watched in shock as I wiped the blade handle off on my shirt. “What are you doing?”
“What needs to be done?” I twirled the blade in my palm. “You need to get him out of here. He can’t be here when I call this in.”
Donnie looked at the knife, staring at it in confusion. “We can get rid of the body.”
“No. You can’t. Not this time. The Feds have been waiting to catch this man for a decade. If he vanishes, the suspicion will be back on Vincenzo. This must be called in.”
“He’ll go to jail, Riley.”
I shook my head. “No. He won’t. Just trust me, okay?”
The door opened to reveal Massimo and Antonio. They stared at my blood-stained shirt and crimson stained hands. “Riley?”
Antonio stepped forward and reached out to take the knife. “No.” I jerked my hand back. “It has to be this way.”
“Your prints are all over that blade. You’re going to implicate yourself. Just hand it over.”
“I can’t. You need to leave. All of you. If my plan is going to work, you can’t be here when they come. Please.” Hot tears fell freely as I pleaded with the men surrounding me. Antonio glanced at Massimo.
“He won’t like this.”
“I don’t care. He did this because I asked him too—I won’t have him in jail. Please. Just go. Take him as far away as you can. I don’t need him fucking this up.”
“Are you sure about this, Riley?” Massimo’s eyes held part respect and part worry as he spoke.
“Yes. Please go.”
“Brother.” Antonio held his hand out. “Vincenzo won’t forgive us if we let her do what I think she’s about to do.”
“It’s not our decision.” Massimo tipped his head. “We won’t walk away from you, Riley. This makes you family. Come Antonio. We need to muscle Vin out of here. Donny, we will need you too. Let’s go.” He paused. “I’ll text you when it’s done.”
I waited until they left me in the alley alone before slipping my phone out again. As soon as Massimo’s text came in, my thumb hovered over the call button. Once I did this, there was no going back. I’d be turning my back on my oath, on the FBI. But the dead man at my feet left little room for options. He’d led me to this moment. He’d driven these people mad with vengeance—hell, he’d sent me crazy with it as well. I pressed my hand to my stomach and took a deep breath.
“Lawson. I didn’t expect to hear from you.”
My voice was cold as I spoke the words I knew I could never get back. “Something’s happened, Jackson. I need you to bring a crime scene van and the coroner to Bellissimo.”
“What the fuck? Vincenzo finally slipped up?”
“No. He didn’t.” I swallowed the burning acid in my esophagus. “I did.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Look, just get here, okay? I haven’t called the Anastasi’s or Vincenzo. They don’t know what’s going on yet.”
“Don’t know what? You’re not making any sense, Riley. If Vincenzo didn’t do something, why do you need the crime unit and coroner?”
“Because.” I took a deep breath. “I’ve killed Dmitri Ivanov.”
