I’m the first-born son of the mafia king. The favorite. Destined to rule, I’m a dangerous man, a ruthless one. But in my world, you have to be.
Then Natalie stumbles into my life. Wrong place. Wrong time.
Twice, fate put her in my path.
Twice, fate placed the innocent lamb at the mercy of the monster.
I gave her a chance to walk away. Told her it would be better for her if she did.
But she didn’t listen.
And now it’s too late.
Because I’m not good. I never wanted to be. And I won’t let her go anymore. See, I’m not the hero. When I touch her, it’s with dirty hands.
I know my reckoning is coming though. I know I’ll burn for the things I’ve done, the sins I’ve committed. And I don’t deny hell is where I belong, but I want my time first. I want my time with her.
She’s mine.
Forever.
No matter what.
Then Natalie stumbles into my life. Wrong place. Wrong time.
Twice, fate put her in my path.
Twice, fate placed the innocent lamb at the mercy of the monster.
I gave her a chance to walk away. Told her it would be better for her if she did.
But she didn’t listen.
And now it’s too late.
Because I’m not good. I never wanted to be. And I won’t let her go anymore. See, I’m not the hero. When I touch her, it’s with dirty hands.
I know my reckoning is coming though. I know I’ll burn for the things I’ve done, the sins I’ve committed. And I don’t deny hell is where I belong, but I want my time first. I want my time with her.
She’s mine.
Forever.
No matter what.
Author’s Note: Sergio: a Dark Mafia Romance is an intensely emotional, steamy and dark standalone romance set in the Benedetti Brothers Mafia world. Be prepared: this is not a traditional romance.
Natalie’s POV
I unlock the door and step inside. The first thing I do is slip off my shoes, leaving them on the mat as I walk to the kitchen table to set down the portfolio. I realize it’s strange Pepper didn’t greet me tonight. I’m later than usual and she’s probably hungry.
“Pepper, I’m home. Sorry I’m late. You wouldn’t believe my day.” I walk around the table to open the cabinet under the sink and get her food. “Come on, honey. Dinner.”
Nothing. Not even when she must hear the sound of food filling her bowl.
I stop. “Pepper?” My heart races. Shit. She’s so old. What if…
I straighten, thinking the worst, and turn to head into the living room. I switch on the light and let out a scream because I’m not alone.
Sergio’s here. Sitting in the middle of the couch, arms spread wide, eyes hard.
And right now, he looks like a fucking Godfather.
Pepper’s on the floor, her head on his shoe, sleeping.
“I fed her.” He’s pissed, I can hear it in his voice, feel it coming off him. There’s a half empty bottle of whiskey on the coffee table.
“What are you doing here? How did you get in?”
“She was hungry.”
“How did you get inside?” I repeat. I can match his anger.
“I told you I had a key.”
Fuck. That’s what he’d meant last night. “You can’t have a key. I never gave you one.”
“You switched off your phone.”
I walk over to Pepper, squat down to pet her. I don’t look at him when I answer. “Because I didn’t want to talk to you.”
“When I call you, you answer.”
“Doesn’t work that way.” I say, standing, spinning on my heel. I’m about to walk away when he captures my wrist, his grip firm, more firm than he’s ever been with me. I make a sound, try to pull free, but he tugs on my arm, kicks my feet out from under me so I fall face down onto his lap. “What are you—”
He slaps my ass hard ten times in succession.
I’m gasping, instinctively reaching back to cover the spot. He captures my wrist, so he has both now, and holds them in one of his hands. I crane my neck to look up at him. He keeps his eyes locked on mine and rubs one hand over my ass, then spanks it again, ten more times on the other cheek.
“Stop!” It fucking hurts.
“When I call you, you answer, Natalie.”
I tug at my arms, but his grip is vice-like.
“Do you understand?” he asks.
“Let me go.”
“Do you fucking understand?”
“Yes!”
He gives me one more hard smack before releasing me, and I stumble to my feet. I feel hot, embarrassed, and I’m clutching my ass.
“I just want you safe.” He gets to his feet.
I step backward.
He’s wearing a suit, the jacket of which is hanging over the back of a chair. He gently moves Pepper’s head off his foot before he walks toward me.
I’m mute as he approaches. There’s a darkness to Sergio Benedetti. It clings to him, like a shadow. It’s the one thing that scares me about him because I trust that he won’t hurt me. And I believe that he wants me safe. I may not understand it, but I believe it.
But this shadow, it’s not one he casts. The opposite. It seems to cast itself over him. To have a claim on him. Some strange, powerful hold over him.
“Pepper, I’m home. Sorry I’m late. You wouldn’t believe my day.” I walk around the table to open the cabinet under the sink and get her food. “Come on, honey. Dinner.”
Nothing. Not even when she must hear the sound of food filling her bowl.
I stop. “Pepper?” My heart races. Shit. She’s so old. What if…
I straighten, thinking the worst, and turn to head into the living room. I switch on the light and let out a scream because I’m not alone.
Sergio’s here. Sitting in the middle of the couch, arms spread wide, eyes hard.
And right now, he looks like a fucking Godfather.
Pepper’s on the floor, her head on his shoe, sleeping.
“I fed her.” He’s pissed, I can hear it in his voice, feel it coming off him. There’s a half empty bottle of whiskey on the coffee table.
“What are you doing here? How did you get in?”
“She was hungry.”
“How did you get inside?” I repeat. I can match his anger.
“I told you I had a key.”
Fuck. That’s what he’d meant last night. “You can’t have a key. I never gave you one.”
“You switched off your phone.”
I walk over to Pepper, squat down to pet her. I don’t look at him when I answer. “Because I didn’t want to talk to you.”
“When I call you, you answer.”
“Doesn’t work that way.” I say, standing, spinning on my heel. I’m about to walk away when he captures my wrist, his grip firm, more firm than he’s ever been with me. I make a sound, try to pull free, but he tugs on my arm, kicks my feet out from under me so I fall face down onto his lap. “What are you—”
He slaps my ass hard ten times in succession.
I’m gasping, instinctively reaching back to cover the spot. He captures my wrist, so he has both now, and holds them in one of his hands. I crane my neck to look up at him. He keeps his eyes locked on mine and rubs one hand over my ass, then spanks it again, ten more times on the other cheek.
“Stop!” It fucking hurts.
“When I call you, you answer, Natalie.”
I tug at my arms, but his grip is vice-like.
“Do you understand?” he asks.
“Let me go.”
“Do you fucking understand?”
“Yes!”
He gives me one more hard smack before releasing me, and I stumble to my feet. I feel hot, embarrassed, and I’m clutching my ass.
“I just want you safe.” He gets to his feet.
I step backward.
He’s wearing a suit, the jacket of which is hanging over the back of a chair. He gently moves Pepper’s head off his foot before he walks toward me.
I’m mute as he approaches. There’s a darkness to Sergio Benedetti. It clings to him, like a shadow. It’s the one thing that scares me about him because I trust that he won’t hurt me. And I believe that he wants me safe. I may not understand it, but I believe it.
But this shadow, it’s not one he casts. The opposite. It seems to cast itself over him. To have a claim on him. Some strange, powerful hold over him.
USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance, Natasha Knight specializes in dark, tortured heroes. Happily-Ever-Afters are guaranteed, but she likes to put her characters through hell to get them there. She’s evil like that.
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