Title: Thug Author: Leslie Georgeson Series: Something Real #3 Genre: Mafia Romantic Suspense
She’s the wife of my archenemy. My chance for revenge. Could she also be my heart’s salvation?
—–
I have three simple rules. Put family and the bratva first. Show no weakness. Never bend.
Then Siena Russo explodes into my life, knocking me off my feet. And I forget all my rules. Siena is witty and kind with an inner strength befitting a Mafia queen. My dream girl in the flesh.
It is all smooth going but for one giant hurdle. She is the wife of my archenemy, Salvatore Romano. Prince of the Italian Mafia.
Siena is in a fix, but if I help her, I will violate the Mafia truce. Crossing the ruthless Romanos means certain death.
Sal wronged me once, and I was forced to let it go. To protect my family and keep the peace.
Now is my chance to get even. Save Siena and steal Sal’s wife. Revenge is sweet but complicated. How do I choose between love and family?
“There’s movement at the gate,” Adrik announced, drawing all our gazes.
We were parked across the street from the address Siena had texted me, having only just arrived moments ago.
We’d shown up just in time.
Sal’s property was fenced like most of the fancy homes in the area, and while we watched, the gate opened, and two vehicles emerged: a Tahoe and a sedan.
My gut said Siena was in that Tahoe, probably with Sal.
“Follow them,” I ordered. “But stay back. Don’t let them see you.”
Once the vehicles rounded the corner, Adrik pulled away from the curb and followed.
It was nearly five a.m. now, and the streets were empty, which made it easy to follow them. We stayed back so they wouldn’t get suspicious, and about fifteen minutes later, they turned into the Romano estate in Beverly Hills.
Dom’s gaze darted to mine. “If she’s in one of those cars and they take her inside, our chances of getting her out are slim.”
Enzo Romano’s property was like a fortress, much like the Popov mansion. He had thugs guarding it from all sides, not to mention the security fence that we would have to get past without alerting the guards. Odds of us getting inside undetected were slim to none.
Adrik pulled the car over several houses away and waited for my instructions.
I ground my jaw. We didn’t have enough manpower with us tonight to take on the Romanos. We shouldn’t even be here. I had put everyone in this car in danger just by being this close to the Romano estate. To venture any closer would be suicide. His men shot first and asked questions later.
I dragged a hand down my face. We had no choice but to back off for now. We would have to wait for another opportunity to free Siena.
“Fuck!” I slammed my fist into the back of Timofey’s seat, startling him. “Fuuuuck!”
Tension filled the car. We all watched in silence as the gate opened and the two vehicles drove inside the property.
I bowed my head, not wanting to admit defeat. Hundreds of scenarios flashed through my mind of ways Sal might torture Siena. In that moment, I was reminded of what the son-of-a-bitch had done to Cara, and my stomach heaved.
Be strong, Siena. Don’t let him break you. I’ll get you out of there as soon as I can.
“Now what, boss?” Adrik asked, eyeing me in the rearview mirror.
Leslie Georgeson writes romance and suspense, sometimes with a dash of sci-fi or paranormal tossed in to make things more interesting. She is the author of the popular military romantic suspense series, THE DREGS, which was nominated for the 2018 TopShelf Indie Book Awards. Her other titles include the UNLIKELY HEROES series, the UNDERNEATH series, the standalone romantic mystery, NO SON OF MINE, and the newly released romantic suspense duet, THE PACT. Book one, The Mocking Man, is now available on Amazon.
Leslie lives with her husband and daughter on a quiet country acreage in Idaho. She is currently working on The Honest Liar, the second book in THE PACT, and anticipates an early May 2020 release.
The thought of leaving Della here all alone for the next twelve years is almost too much to bear. I wish I could wait until Dad is at work, load her up on a bus, and disappear somewhere across the country. We could be safe and happy. She would be loved.
But Dad would find us.
I know he would. His resources are endless and his wealth runs even deeper. We’d be plucked from whichever obscure town we landed in and planted right back in this condo. But his wrath would end up destroying us in the end. Especially Della. His trust and adoration of me—my only tool in my arsenal—would be completely wiped away.
But twelve years feels like forever. We can’t last that long. I have to figure something else out.
My mind fights to go back to a night not long after Mom passed away. That night he struck me for the first time. I was in his office, trying every number combination possible on his safe, looking for pictures of Mom since most had disappeared after her death. It took weeks for the bruise on my face to heal and I wasn’t permitted to leave my room until it did. All my teachers thought I had the flu.
No, I can’t bring that on us both. I’ll figure out a way to get us out of his crossfire.
“I suppose a few nights away each week won’t hurt,” I say in a shaky voice, forcing a smile. “You always know best, Dad.”
His features soften and his blue eyes twinkle as he looks me over. “Good girl. Your father does know best. I have another surprise for you. It’s what you’ve wanted for a long time.”
I frown, unsure of what this could possibly mean. The only thing I want, and have for a long time, is freedom for me and Della. Nothing else.
Well, there’s one thing, but he doesn’t know about it…
He pulls an envelope from his inside pocket and slides it across the table toward me. I glance down at the emblem on the envelope with Landry Croft scribbled in someone’s neat handwriting across the front.
Oh my God.
I reach for the envelope. NYU. College. I didn’t even bother applying. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I couldn’t leave Della. Mom was a stay-at-home mother and Dad always told me my trust fund would make it so I’d never have to work a day in my life.
“What’s this?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
“You’ve been accepted.” His eyes flash in a knowing way. “You know I always keep tabs on my little girl. You’re too precious to me for me to let anything ever happen to you.”
He’s been spying on me—my computer search history to be exact. What else could I have looked at that he might have seen? Terror burns in my gut. I hope to God I didn’t look at anything that might come back on me and Della.
“I didn’t apply.” I gnaw on my bottom lip to keep it from shaking.
“I pulled a few strings. Anything for you, my love.”
“Thank you,” I force out. “I didn’t think it was something you’d allow me to do.”
“You’re eighteen now, sweetheart. You’re a woman and you’re going to do great things.”
I nod as if to agree.
But I don’t. Because leaving to “meet people” and to “do great things” means leaving Della. I don’t like this sudden need to separate us. It feels like the beginning of something far more sinister.
K Webster is a USA Today Bestselling author. Her titles have claimed many bestseller tags in numerous categories, are translated in multiple languages, and have been adapted into audiobooks. She lives in “Tornado Alley” with her husband, two children, and her baby dog named Blue. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and researching aliens.
You can easily find K Webster on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads!
Can’t find a certain book? Maybe it’s too hot for Amazon! Don’t worry because titles like Bad Bad Bad, This is War, Baby, The Wild, and Hale can all be found for sale on K’s website in both ebook and paperback format.
USA Today Bestselling Author Renee Rose loves a dominant, dirty-talking alpha hero! She’s sold over a million copies of steamy romance with varying levels of kink. Her books have been featured in USA Today’s Happily Ever After and Popsugar. Named Eroticon USA’s Next Top Erotic Author in 2013, she has also won Spunky and Sassy’s Favorite Sci-Fi and Anthology author, and Romance Reviews Best Historical Romance. She’s hit the USA Today list ten times with her Chicago Bratva, Bad Boy Alpha, Wolf Ranch books, and various anthologies.
Lee Savino has grandiose goals but most days can’t find her wallet or her keys so she just stays at home and writes. While she was studying creative writing at Hollins University, her first manuscript won the Hollins Fiction Prize.
he lives in the USA with her awesome family You can find her on Facebook in the Goddess Group (which you totally should join).
