Page 1 of Sinful Daughter (Dark Mafia Sins 2)

PROLOGUE

“I’ve never claimedto be a saint, but you,il mio peccato(my sin), will destroy me,” I rasp into her ear. She wiggles under me, making those beautiful moaning sounds only I get to hear. The room is lit enough I can almost make out the smile on her lips.

The party echoes around us, and I wish I could kiss her in public. I wish she wasn’t planning on marrying someone who wasn’t me. Twisting her hair around my hand, I yank it toward me while biting down on her neck. The desire to mark what’s mine is strong, with theneedfor people to question who she was with. Even when I know it could get us both killed.

She moves her head as I increase my pressure but moans harder. That’s my girl. Aria Rossi has corrupted me. There once was a time when I was an honest cop, and I’d look down upon people like me. I strived to ruin their careers, but now no one could hold me back if it meant keeping her safe.

She is more addicting than heroin. Without her, my life would crumble. Yet, being with her adds to the cracking glass under my feet. In the end, I’ll fall no matter what. It’s just a matter of if I can catch myself before the fall and how deep the shards cut, as I hold on.

CHAPTER 1

The night’s airis crisp and prickles at my forearms. My earpiece is dead-silent as everyone waits on my command. There isn’t a star in the sky, the clouds casting a darker shadow than normal. The wind has stopped blowing as we wait for the right moment. Even the crickets wouldn’t dare rub their legs together.

The Rossis men should have been here by now, the drop to be done five minutes ago. As the seconds stretch in front of me, I become more nervous. I need this bust. Captain promised it would help me move up.

I handpicked this crew with men I could trust. Not having trustworthy men has burned me a few times while trying to go after the Rossis. They’re one of the two mafia families who live in Texas. Tonight, the raid is airtight; I made sure of it.

My smile slides down my face as the confidence I had an hour ago disappears. The air is too still. Cold sweat clings to my upper lip, running a chill down my body. My legs are restless as I stand in place.

“Let’s go,” I say more harshly than I intend to.

The crunching under my feet makes more noise than I’ve heard in the last hour. Each step adds to my anxiousness. The responsibility of my team sits on my shoulders as I lead them. The concrete crackles as we get to the doors of the dark warehouse. My night goggles light the area up for me. Lifting my two fingers, I signal to open the main door. They easily open, adding to the tension pinching at my shoulders and back. We should need to bust it in, raining down the law, but instead, we’re walking in like we own the place.

Inside should be crates of weapons of all types, waiting for their new owners. I can already imagine the war the Rossis want to bring with this influx of guns onto the streets. The violence between the Rossis and the other rival mafia family, the Mancinis, always finds its way onto my streets. Each year, more and more kids turn to them, and more of their bodies get buried from living the hard and fast life of a wiseguy.

A large crate sits in the middle of the empty bay. Putting my hand up, we all stop. Something is wrong. This is too easy. My mind is screaming that this is a trap, while it wars against the need to prove to everyone I’m the best at my job. Recognition sets me above everyone else. It’s what makes people take notice of my hard work. I live and breathe this job. It feeds my soul in a way no one understands.

I could take the easy route and be a dirty cop. Accepting bribes, making evidence disappear, and easily earning triple my current pay. But it goes against everything I believe in. Who would fight for the little guy who needs our help? It’s a breakdown of the system, and I believe in the system.

I’m not stupid. When you have two large, influential mafia families living in an area this close together, their surroundings grow to meet their needs. I want to be the person kids come to for help. The ones who are looking for another option.

I take a step around to the back of the crate. A large square has been cut out, and it sits up against the metal container. Hay falls out of the metal box… with no guns. A black brick with a red light blinks on the yellow insulation.

“We have a possible bomb,” I say, for the commander to hear me. He’s sitting in a safe, plush office, listening to my directions.

Using hand signals, I move my men out, not wanting to put their lives at risk. My neck cramps tighter, making it hard to move from side to side, and my molars squeeze at my jaw as they grind down with anger. All I want to do is curse and hit something. Attempting to take a deep breath does nothing to ease the blind rage I’m pushing down. This was my chance, and somehow the mafia screwed this up for me once again.

As much as it pains me, I’m forced to call in another department to clean this up. “We need the bomb squad down here ASAP,” I hiss, frustration squeezing my chest tight.

“Next time, we’ll get them.” A few of my guys slap my shoulder. I watch my men get into their cars like this is a normal night. We’ll be the ones cleaning up the consequences of those guns in a matter of days, no matter who has them.

Walking into the station, my captain calls me into his office. “Tough break,” he says and whistles out. I can’t even blame this on a mole. This was to be the largest number of weapons seized in the last three years. I suspect that the other mafia family, the Mancinis, got there before us. The families have been fighting with each other for decades. My father used to talk about when they had peace, but that was close to twenty years ago, before the generation in power now.

I scratch at my neck. “It’s not over. I’m going to find them and take both families down.”

“I like your ambition, Theo, but be careful. They might end up taking a bite out of you before you can get your jaws around them.”

I sit back, eyeing my superior. He’s not known for taking bribes, but his comment makes me have doubts.

“Are you telling me to stop looking into it?”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. I’ve been here long enough to see the noblest of men fall when they get too deep in the job. Just make sure you have an outlet and don’t let them consume you.”

I consider the warning. I have a life outside these walls. It’s waiting for me whenever I choose to embrace it. Next week, once this settles down, I’ll take some time.

“Take tomorrow off and go have fun tonight,” I’m told. I plan to lock myself in my office and find out what happened. My plans must show in my face, because he adds, “That’s an order.”

Quickly, I calculate the work that needs to be done and the leads that need to be followed before they become too scared to talk—or realize they know more than they should.

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