𝐑 𝐔 𝐓 𝐇 𝐋 𝐄 𝐒 𝐒 ───── ☠

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.”