Page 1 of The Gangster King

CHAPTER ONE

DANTE

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“Adelina!” I hiss and toss another stone at her window.

I know she’s ignoring me.

I could break into the Baldoni mansion, but getting inside the property grounds without being seen by one of her father’s soldiers was difficult enough.

Notthatdifficult.

Plus, there was that one guard...but he’ll wake up shortly with a headache, sore ego, and live to see another day. God knows enough people have died tonight, and I didn’t want to add anymore to the body count.

A gangster with a conscience. Go figure.

I hear voices from the side of the house and curse under my breath.Where the fuck is she?

“Adelina!!” I hiss again, louder. I hear the metallic clang of the latch, and the window bangs open.

Jesus.

Can she be any noisier?

“What do you want Dante?” Adelina growls loudly.

I narrow my eyes and prop my hands on my hips, ignoring the sheer nightie she wears and the hint of dark nipple I can see underneath.

When I say “ignore,” I mean take a really good look. As I have every other minute of my life when I’m near her.

“So, you did know I was out here?” I growl.

My cock twitches despite my annoyance as the fabric flutters in the breeze.

Despite the situation.

Then again, it would take a nuclear explosion to stop me noticing anything about this woman.

“I was sleeping.” She glares down at me from the second story, and there’s not a hint of sleepiness in her voice. “Go away!”

Goddamn brat. But Adelina Baldoni is a sexy brat. For some insane reason, I’m in love with this beautiful, dark-haired Italian mafia princess. She’s rude, sassy, argumentative, and says she has no feelings for me.

Liar.

And I’m done with her lies.

“I need you to let me in,” I say with a bit more urgency.

“I’m not fucking Rapunzel. Go find someone else to play with,” she replies, and I roll my eyes so hard I give myself an instant headache. Tonight, I don’t have time for her attitude so I say the one thing that will get her attention. “Frank Baldassare is dead. Let me in.”

Adelina blinks.

Then blinks again, and I watch her green eyes soften.

Frank “The Fire” Baldassare was the head of the Baldassare crime family until a few hours ago. He was also my father. She understands the ripple effect this is going to have across those in our world. Gangsters. Crime families. Mafias.

Here in the United States and farther afield.

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