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The estate looked smaller than she remembered.

It was still a substantial property, she expected nothing less from the De Luca’s, but somehow her memory of the place had become so inflated that it almost seemed underwhelming. But Dani supposed that was bound to happen when you haven’t been home in over eight years.

The last time she stood in this driveway, she had been fourteen and sobbing. Her father had decided to send her away because of a threat posed by another family. He was afraid they’d use Dani to get to him—because that’s exactly the trick he would pull if the cards had been reversed. So her parents had decided for her that she would be safer back home—in Italy. But that had never been her home. New York had been.

It hadn’t been fair. She had to leave, but Enzo got to stay. Her brother was only two years her senior, but in their father’s eyes he was already a man. And besides, he worked for the family, he had a job to do—he was needed. And it became very clear that Dani was not.

She had stubbornly fought them every step of the way until her bags had been packed and she was standing in the driveway about to be forced into the car, and then she had broken down. Dani couldn’t help as the tears spilled on to her cheeks, but her mother had taken one look at her and slapped her silly. She’d said that a Moretti never showed weakness. A trait that Dani had not yet mastered, but one Enzo had excelled at. Yet another reason they favored him.

Dani stepped out of the car and shut the door behind her as one of the grunts her father hired to pick her up from the airport lifted her suitcases out of the trunk. She could tell something was going on the minute their car drove through the property’s gates. The security was fidgety, too tense—like they were waiting for something bad to happen. And she knew better than to think it was because she was coming home.

Walking into the foyer felt like stepping into a different life, a different time. Dani had to remind herself that she was no longer the gangly, awkward young girl that once lived here. No, her time away at least had at least given her the opportunity to grow into herself. And it had given her clarity to decide what she wanted. Dani didn’t want to sit on the sidelines anymore. She never had. She wanted to get her hands dirty.

And she wanted to find Enzo. That had been the hardest part of leaving New York behind, leaving her brother. She had idolized him growing up, followed him everywhere—something that had irritated him to no end. Dani hadn’t seen her brother in over five years. In fact, he’d only ever come to visit her once while she was away. After that he’d become indispensable to Adrian and the rest of the De Luca’s that he couldn’t get away. But Dani knew that it would be considered rude to not greet the underboss first. It was Adrian’s house after all, even if it had once been hers too.

She set off toward the large office she knew lay at the end of the main hallway. The guards inside were on high alert as well and Dani couldn’t help but wonder what situation she’d returned to. Two guards to her left stopped their hushed whispering as she’d walked passed them, but she thought she caught the word Russo. The name itself basically had her blood boiling. The Russo’s had been an enemy of the De Luca’s since before Dani was born. If this extra security had something to do with them then Dani was definitely interested in hearing about it.

Just before Dani got to Adrian’s office, a blond walked out of it. The other girl threw the man at the door a sly smile and a twiddle of her fingers before starting toward the front doors on her sky-high heels. Dani was content to ignore her until the girl spoke.

“I wouldn’t go in there if I were you,” The blonde warned. “Adrian is a little…tense today.” Dani stopped and looked her over. She was stunning, and from the way she held herself, felt very comfortable here.

“Is he?” She feigned interest, but the blonde merely nodded.

“I’ve never seen you around before, I take it you’re here for one of the boys?” She asked nonchalantly. When Dani didn’t answer the girl held out her hand. “Molly,” the blonde offered.

“Daniella Moretti.” Dani felt no small surge of satisfaction as recognition flashed in Molly’s eyes. She watched as the girl swallowed and recalculated what she was going to say next.

“So Enzo is your…”

“Brother,” Dani finished for her. “I take it you two are…acquainted?” She asked carefully, not really wanting to know that particular detail.

“You could say that.”

“I’ll be sure to tell him you said hello.” Dani told her. “Nice to meet you, Molly.” And with that she turned back toward the door.

Standing guard was a familiar face. Kline had worked for the De Luca’s for years and Dani had known him since she was small. Which just went to know how damned good he was at his job. He looked roughly the same as he had when she left, just a few more wrinkles on his stern face. “Hello, Kline. Looking stoic as ever.” She greeted him. He genuinely looked surprised to see her, but he stepped in front of her, blocking the door.

“Mr. De Luca is in a meeting.” Kline had never been a man of many words. Dani placed a hand on his arm and flashed him a smile.

“This will just take a second, and then I’ll be out of your hair,” she said. He glanced back at the door, but before he could tell her no she deftly side-stepped him and pushed open the door. “Sorry, Kline.”

In the middle of the room, Adrian De Luca was leaning against his large desk. Dani’s eyes quickly shifted to where her brother stood with Nate, the two of them holding a dark-haired young woman who looked ready to spit venom. If it weren’t for those two holding her down, Dani wasn’t sure if any of them would have even stood a chance against her.

The three men looked like ghosts of the boys she’d known growing up. They’d been young, lanky, and rabid for the most part—though Nate seemed to not have completely grown out of that trait. Enzo looked nothing like the brother she’d left behind. He had the same dark eyes and straight nose, but he had grown and packed on more muscle since she saw him last. He had the shadow of a beard, and he radiated a lethal calm. Nate and Adrian though—if she hadn’t known them as boys, then their towering, serious frames would have intimidated her. But Dani merely lifted her chin a little higher and crossed her arms over her chest.

“I hope my welcome home party is a little more festive.”

The plan had been relatively simple.

Adrian had planted a driver to take Camille Russo to a secondary location where he and Nate would be waiting. From there all Enzo had to do was get Camille from one car to the other with as little of a scene as possible. Seemed easy enough.

They’d been waiting by the black Sedan for over an hour, and Enzo leaned against the hood of the car, his arms crossed. He was dressed in all black—his go to uniform when he was on a job—and he kept glancing down at the watch on his wrist. He was typically the patient type, but the importance of this job and the fact that they’d done nothing but wait around for the girl to show up left him more anxious than he cared to admit.

“They should be here by now,” Enzo said to his partner. Though it was an obvious statement. They’d both gone over the plan with Adrian dozens of times before today. He glanced over at Nate and could tell he was growing just as impatient.

They’d grown up together—he, Nate, and Adrian—and had worked together on nearly every job since they were boys. When Adrian moved up in rank, Enzo and Nate were brought up with him. There was no one else he’d rather report to. And while his blond friend could be a bit…unhinged, at times, he was one loyal bastard.

“I really don’t want to be the one to tell Adrian they never showed,” Enzo admitted, pulling a phone out of his pocket.

Just as he was about to fire off a text to Adrian about the delay, a car rounded the corner. Enzo elbowed Nate and nodded in the direction of the approaching vehicle before pushing himself off the hood of the car. He brushed his fingertips across the handle of the gun sticking out of the waist of his pants, reassuring himself that the weapon was there. He waited as the car came to a rolling stop, dust swirling around the tires. The back door opened and a stilettoed heel stepped out. The plan was falling into place—until a burly, darkly dressed man with an earpiece got out of the car behind the Russo girl. That had definitely not been part of the plan.

The bodyguard caught one look at Enzo and the Sedan behind him before he reached for his gun. Before Enzo could pull his own, Nate appeared behind the man—the barrel of his pistol pointed at the back of his head, and he pulled the trigger.

Enzo didn’t flinch as the man dropped. And just like that, the plan was fucked.

“Dammit, Nate,” he yelled, pulling his gun out of the waist of his pant. “I believe the exact word Adrian used to describe this job was subtle and that definitely was not fucking subtle.”

He lifted his gaze from the body on the ground to the woman next to it, his eyes trailing up her body until it finally landed on her face. Camille was devastating in that little black dress, but what was more intriguing was that she didn’t seem as terrified as she should have been—no, she seemed pissed. Enzo used his gun to point toward their black Sedan as hers pealed away. “Alright Russo,” he spit her name like a curse. “Get in the fucking car.”

Enzo weathered the verbal assaults from the girl as he stalked forward, gun still pointed at her chest. “I’m not saying it again.” His intimidation tactics seemed like smoke on the wind to this girl. So he tried a new approach, and he pressed the barrel against her skin. “I can promise you, I’m the more reasonable one. And if you get on my bad side, that means you’re going to be dealing with him,” Enzo nodded his head towards Nate who had a near feral look in his eyes. “And I don’t think you’ll enjoy it.”

Then she bit him. Hard.

“Shit,” Enzo pulled his hand back, switching his gun to the other. “You know, I heard you had a mouth on you. But that’s not what I was expecting,” Enzo barked. The bite mark throbbed. “I warned you,” Enzo looked past her to his partner. “Nate?”

He left the Russo girl to his partner while he investigated the body of her guard who hadn’t so much as twitched since Nate had shot him. Enzo toed the body with his boot. Then he loosed two more rounds into it. Could never be too careful. Normally, he was in charge of cleaning up Nate’s messes but maybe they could play this one to their advantage. Leave it for Camille’s father to find—as a warning.

Behind him, the girl was thrashing and yelling and spitting as Nate tried to corral her into the car. Enzo helped his partner as best he could without getting bit again, or punched, or kicked. This girl had more fire than anyone he had ever seen. But finally, the pair managed to force her into the back of the Sedan, tie her hands together, and get a blindfold around her head. But that didn’t stop her talking.

If Adrian wouldn’t have killed him for it, Enzo would have knocked the girl out cold. Instead, he was just contemplating driving them all off an overpass just to get her to shut up. “Remind me why we didn’t gag her?” He asked nonchalantly to his partner in the passenger seat.

By the time the three of them returned to the estate, Enzo was already nursing a headache. This girl was definitely more trouble than she was worth, but he guessed that was Adrian’s call to make, not his—lucky for her. Getting Camille out of the car proved as much of a challenge as getting her into it, but the two managed. And they somehow managed to steer her through the corridors of the house and into Adrian’s private office too.

Enzo caught a glimpse of blonde hair leaving through the office’s main entrance and he raised an eyebrow at Adrian. At least he’d been enjoying himself. Nonetheless, he still seemed less than pleased about their late arrival. “We ran into…” he threw a look in Camille’s direction. “complications. But we handled it.”

He and Nate held the girl still as Adrian sized her up before approaching and pulling down her blindfold. He looked like a lion playing with his food before making the kill. Enzo almost felt sorry for the Russo girl. Almost.

Enzo heard the door to the office open and his head snapped to the figure standing in the doorway. All he saw at first was a flash of blonde hair, and for a moment he’d thought it was only Molly again, but before he could tell her to get lost he realized it wasn’t Molly at all. No, it was his baby sister. His sister who was supposed to be an ocean away.

“Dani?”

The bastards were running late.

Even with the detailed plan Adrian had given them, practically foolproof even for those fuckers, they were still behind schedule of when he had been expecting them. By a lot. Either they were dead and he had put his trust into the wrong men, or Camille Russo had more balls than the both of them and was giving his best men a run for their money. Adrian smirked at that thought, his hands weaving into the blonde strands of the girl currently on her knees before him. Her red-stained mouth around his cock. The anticipation of waiting had given Adrian De Luca a bit of an edge, for he was a very, very impatient man.

He checked his watch as she sucked him, one hand still gripping her head while both of hers wrapped behind his knees. The fabric of his black suit crinkled at the impact. Her name was Molly, sort of a regular around the house -- whether she was for Nate or Enzo or himself, it didn’t matter. As long as she got her money, which they gave her plenty of. Adrian knew that those brown eyes saw more about their business than she let on. Part of her rate was for her job, but the other was to buy her silence.

Except for when they asked her to be loud, of course.

“Fuck,” Adrian hissed lowly, his gaze drifting from the ceiling to glance down at Molly’s work. He was close. By the time he finished, he better have Camille Russo in his hold and Nate and Enzo back by his side. This plan had been in the making for months and Adrian had been tense the entire week. If they executed this perfectly, the De Luca’s would have a hold on New York entirely. While politicians and greying men in suits may look like they run this city, the men with the guns and the confidence to match were the real ones in charge. Like the Sinclair’s, for example. Ryan Sinclair was outed by a few of Adrian’s men for getting into some… compromising situations. One’s that could affect his re-election for senator. So, for collateral, Adrian asked for his daughter, Theresa Sinclair, while Ryan paid for their silence. Once the debt was owed, Tessa could return to her family and Adrian and his men would have yet another politician by the balls. The girl hadn’t even left her room since she got here two days ago. And, well, he didn’t exactly blame her. Especially with his dogs roaming around.

Molly smirked around him and looked up to meet his eyes. Adrian knew it was for show, she was aware of what that position did for him and he gritted his teeth at the sight of it. Pleasure coursed through his form, tightening in his stomach as Molly quickened her pace. His hand in her hair knotted into a forceful fist as he guided her exactly where he wanted. She let him without any protest. Release nipped at him and with one last stroke of her tongue, it finally claimed him. He let out a low growl as his head leaned back, his eyes fluttering shut as he rode out his climax. Only when his hand released the back of her head did Molly stand, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and giving him a perfect smile.

“Want me to stick around?” she asked, fixing her hair as he stuffed himself back into his pants, already looking at his phone again. Adrian, still not meeting her gaze, merely shook his head once.

“No, private business today. Kline will give you your rate on your way out.” He sent another text to Enzo while he spoke, rounding the black desk that sat in the middle of his office before sliding into the leather chair with ease. A cool, practiced maneuver.

Any minute now.

Molly pouted slightly, her eyes boring into his, though he did not meet her stare. “What about the others, then?”

“No,” he snapped, still on his phone. “They have their own toys to play with now. Kline?” Like clockwork, his security opened the ornate, raven door. His stern face showed nothing other than obedience like the proper guard dog he was. He looked at Molly once and craned his neck to the side -- an order and a threat.

She had the audacity to roll her eyes before passing Adrian a sly smile. “Bossy, bossy.”

Adrian’s eyes lifted to meet her, finally. Mischief sparking inside of them at her words. She had been with them for a little over a year now and she had finally started to press their limits with her witty retorts and sensual gazes. Adrian would be lying if he didn’t like the occasional defiance. Made his time with her all the more interesting every now and then. “Thank you, Molly,” he told her, his tone slightly warmer than before while the hint of a smirk fiddled on his face.

Molly strode across the ornate office, her sky-high heels clacking loudly against the wood floors. She brushed past Kline with barely any fear, even passed the brute a wicked grin, before exiting the room. “Anything for my boys,” she called right as the door shut behind her.

As if on cue, a tall and familiar body barged through the other door on the opposite side of the office -- one reserved for his men and his men only through a secret hallway. Adrian saw Enzo first, the shine across his black leather jacket catching his eye. He looked as if he had been through the wringer, and rightfully so, for behind him entered Nate and two other men who were gripping onto a flailing form tightly. Curses were being thrown around the room like wildfire and Adrian, with a heavy sigh, merely arose from his chair, rounded to the front of his desk, and leaned against it with his arms crossed. Waiting.

“You’re late,” he told them, watching his men set his prize in front of him like a cat bringing its owner a dead bird. However, this one was still attempting to fly, so it seemed. They had her blindfolded with a piece of black silk and Adrian gave the rest of his men the nod of dismissal, leaving only Nate and Enzo and now Camille Russo in the room. Nate still had his hand gripping her arm fiercely, an almost feral look in his eyes as he did so, as if he were enjoying the thrashing and kicking their new guest had given him. However, knowing the reputation of his blond friend, that assumption wouldn’t be too far off. Enzo still had that aloof nature, as if he was also annoyed at their delayed arrival.

And then his eyes finally landed on her. On that inky black hair and the form-fitting dress that hugged every curve. Adrian took a predatory step forward, and then another. Part of him wished that she didn’t have the blindfold on, just so she could see his lethal approach. He towered over her small frame as he finally reached her before leaning down slightly, grabbing the blindfold with his fingers and tugging it down so that it rested around her neck. A collar for a pet.

Adrian nearly grinned at the utter disgust in her eyes.

Good. She came to play.

“Welcome home.”

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ 𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐀 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐑 ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ RESPECT THIS RADIANCE. THIS ELEGANCE. ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░

Twenty-Three | The Dancer | Heterosexual | Taurus

𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄: Tessa stands on the taller side, around 5'8'' with long, well-toned legs from her years as a trained ballet dancer. She has very defined features and an angular face with a sharp jawline and blue eyes that were made to perform. When her caramel hair is not slicked back and into a bun, it often sits in neat curls that reach the middle of her back. You'll often find her dressed in some shade of pink or white and always with a glittering accessory, courtesy to her father.

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘: Underneath the layers of privilege and entitlement, giving off the assumption that she is nothing but a brain dead brat, Tessa is actually a very smart girl. She graduated with a degree in English and, when not dancing, will always have her nose in a book. She fits perfectly into the mold her family had created for her: poised, elegant, the face of femininity. She puts off a front of being a very tame, very innocent individual who rarely causes trouble or gets into scandals. Part of that is due to her family having a hell of a good publicist, but also part of it is due to Tessa being too frightened of her father to escape the cage she has been put in. She knows there is more to her than being a poster child and a piece of arm candy for a man, she just needs to courage to take matters into her own hands. Her sense of morality has always been contorted and twisted due to her father, a man who will not rest until he gets what he wants, and some of that was passed down to her, as well. However, she now must decide whether to use that judgment to further herself along, or to once again be under her father's control.

𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐒: impatient, ambitious, innovative, mischievous, tame, strong-willed, practical, perfectionist.

𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃: Senator Ryan Sinclair is her father, a very prestigious man with a knack for control and winning. While Tessa's mother is more of the subdued type, never stepping out of line and speaking when spoken to, her daughter on the other hand inherited her father's personality, but had has been told to act like her meek mother. With the election coming up and some of Ryan Sinclair's dirty laundry threatening to be aired by De Luca's men, Tessa's father had no choice but to offer his daughter up as collateral in order to save not only his family name, but the election as well. In their agreement, Ryan must pay for the silence of his wrongdoings from De Luca. Until his debt is paid, Tessa belongs to the men that really rule New York -- one's that don't need a title to know their power.

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐒: 7 Rings - Ariana Grande, Champagne & Sunshine - PLVTINUM, Heaven - Julia Michaels

─────────── 𝐀𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐀 ───────────

✠ DIVINE VIOLENCE. LETHAL JUSTICE. ✠

Twenty-Five | Underboss | Heterosexual | Scorpio

𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄: Adrian stands at a sturdy height of 6'2''. He has tattoos across his chest, neck, and arms, but most are hidden by the crisp and clean suits he wears, usually in a grey, black, or navy blue. On his fingers he always wears a few silver rings, most are gifts or family heirlooms passed down to him. He has a tanned complexion due to his Italian heritage and has a solid layer of muscle. Adrian takes his physical appearance very seriously and never has a hair out of place. His hair is a dark black, a stark contrast to his light green eyes.

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐒: Mount Everest - Labrinth, Into It - Chase Atlantic,