Page 2 of Sweet Revenge

The crime lord lowered the gun, his face stoic. He turned to his men and gave a curt nod. “It is done. Let’s go.”

The men filed out of the room, their footsteps echoing down the hallway. I waited, my breath shallow and ragged, until the sound of their departure faded into the distance. Only then did I dare to move.

I emerged from the closet, my legs weak, and my heart broken. I collapsed beside my father's lifeless body as my sobs finally broke free.

“Papa,” I whispered, my voice raw with grief. I clutched his hand, feeling the warmth slowly seep away. The room seemed to close in around me, the walls pressing in with the weight of my loss.

As the reality of my father’s death settled over me, a cold, dark resolve took its place. I looked down at the bullet hole in his chest and the pool of blood surrounding his body, my eyes dry now and filled with a new, steely determination.

In that moment, I knew that my life would never be the same. The innocence of my youth had been stripped away, leaving only a burning desire for vengeance. I would not rest until those responsible for my father’s death paid for their actions. I bent down and placed a final kiss on Giuseppe’s forehead.

“Rest in peace, Papa,” I whispered. Then, I rose and quickly packed up what little I could carry. I had no other family to turn to, no one to help me. I ran away, spending the remainder of the night crouched behind a dumpster until dawn. In the morning, I found a small, dingy room in a rundown area far enough away from my old home that no one would recognize me, but still close enough to keep an eye on the Capuzzo operations. It wasn't much, but it was a place to start. I used the name Grimaldi for my last name, when really it was Gorga, even though the bleary-eyed, unshaven landlord likely didn’t care what my name was as long as I could pay.

The days that followed were a blur of grief and anger. I didn’t return to school, knowing that my high school diploma would be useless in the underworld I was determined to enter. Instead, I found work at two different restaurants, spending the hours of my days and nights trying to escape the pain by flipping burgers and cleaning tables. Grief became a physical thing, gnawing at my insides, leaving me hollow and empty by the time I collapsed into bed each night.

However, my mind kept replaying the events of that night over and over again, each detail etched into my memory. I remembered the look of fear in my father's eyes, the cold indifference on Carmine Capuzzo’s face, the sound of the gunshot that had shattered my world. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw it all again, a never-ending nightmare.

In the wee hours of the morning, I began training myself in secret, honing my skills in self-defense, learning to handle a gun, and studying the intricate web of the Capuzzo crime family. My transformation was not just physical. The grief and rage that had consumed me had turned me into a formidable adversary. My body became leaner and more muscular, and my once friendly and gentle demeanor was replaced by a cold, calculating exterior. When I looked in the mirror, my brown eyes, once filled with warmth and love, now reflected only darkness within me.

I discovered that Carmine Capuzzo had an heir, his son, Luca. Luca was known to be as ruthless as his uncle, if not more so. He was the rising star of the syndicate, his name whispered in the same fearful tones as Carmine's. My heart hardened further with each piece of information I uncovered, each name I added to my list of enemies as time passed.

By day, I played the role of a humble waitress, blending into the background, invisible. By night, I honed my skills and crept like a cat, secretly gathering intel, and slowly building my plan. I had to find a way in to the Capuzzo’s inner circles. But how? After discovering that the family owns an upscale strip club and bar called the Velvet Room, I enrolled myself in bartending school and began building my resume.

And then one day, four years after my father’s murder, the opportunity I’d been waiting for became mine.

Chapter One

Adriana

At twenty years old, I had become someone unrecognizable from the innocent girl I once was. The past four years had hardened me, each day a step closer to avenging my father’s death. Every smile I gave, every drink I served, was part of a carefully constructed facade. I was no longer Adriana Gorga, the girl who lost everything. Now, I was Adriana Grimaldi, making bank as one of the city’s best bartenders.

However, I’d always known that getting close to the Capuzzo family wouldn't be easy. It had taken years of planning, sacrifice, and waiting for the right opportunity. I had reinvented myself completely, shedding my past and adopting a new identity. Adriana Grimaldi was a facade, a beautiful, captivating mask I wore to hide the pain and fury that simmered beneath the surface.

When I heard about the Velvet Room, I knew it would be the perfect place to gather information about the elusive mafia boss. The man would be difficult to locate, for starters. Getting past his goons would be another story. The club itself was a hotspot for the city's elite, a place where deals were made, and secrets were shared. It was also owned by the Capuzzo family, making it a prime target for my infiltration. The first step would be getting a job there. I wanted it so badly I could taste it. However, the Velvet Room had a reputation for being exclusive, a den of sin and secrets, and their hiring process was notoriously selective. Getting hired there wouldn’t be easy, even though I’d developed a good reputation around town for my work ethic, speed, and showmanship tossing bottles in the air like they were the soft toys of child’s play.

That's when I met Vince. He was one of the bartenders at the Velvet Room, a man with a reputation for being sleazy but well-connected. I had seen him around the neighborhood a few times, always with a drink in hand even when he wasn’t working and a lecherous smile on his face. I knew he was my way in, but I also knew it would come at a cost. I’d never been with a man before, but if what I wanted came at the price of my virginity, I was willing to sell.

The night I approached Vince, I was determined to do whatever it took. After shimmying into a barely-there dress that left little doubt as to my assets, I found him at a local dive bar, nursing a whiskey on the rocks and chatting up a couple of young women. I waited until he was alone before making my move, sliding onto the barstool next to him and flashing him a smile.

"Hey, Vince," I said, letting my voice drop into a sultry tone. "Got a minute?"

He looked me up and down, his smile widening. "Adriana Grimaldi. For you, pretty girl, always. What can I do for you?"

"I've been thinking," I began, leaning closer so that he could get a view of my cleavage. "I really want to work at the Velvet Room like you. It’s the hottest place in town and I know I could get more tips there. But I heard it's tough to get in. Do you think you could put in a good word for me?"

Vince's eyes gleamed with interest, and he licked his lips. "I might be able to help you out. But what's in it for me?"

I forced a seductive smile, ignoring the revulsion bubbling up inside me. "Why don't we discuss that in private?"

He didn't need any more convincing. After downing the rest of his drink in one gulp, he slapped a few bills on the shiny surface of the bar and rose from his stool, leading me out of the establishment with his hand placed possessively on my lower back. I discovered that his apartment building was located only two blocks away and I teetered on my heels during the short walk there to make him think I’d had too much drink. Let him believe I was just another naïve, stupid girl who didn’t really know what she was getting herself into instead of using him as a means to an end that had nothing to do with a job. What would happen next would be a necessary evil, another sacrifice I had to make to get closer to Carmine Capuzzo.

Alone in the elevator, Vince grabbed me roughly and pulled me to him, cupping my ass cheek and giving it a squeeze. I could feel his dick harden against my thigh. He nuzzled my ear. “Show me how much you want to work at the Velvet Room, sweetheart.”

I rubbed his length beneath the fabric of his pants. “I’ve got a secret,” I whispered. “This will be my first time. You don’t mind, do you?”

Vince sucked in his breath and his cock got even harder. “Baby, if that’s true, you’re gonna make my night. Maybe my life.”

“It is,” I purred. With a boldness I hoped won’t fade before the deed was done, I dropped to my knees, grabbing his belt buckle to undo it.

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