Mafia Princess Read online

  Mafia Princess

  By

  Bella J

  MAFIA PRINCESS

  Copyright © 2016 by Bella J

  All Rights Reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This novel is a work of fiction. While reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imaginations. Any resemblance to people either living or deceased, business establishments, events or locales is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Any trademarks, service marks, product names or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used.

  Edited by Ansley Blackstock

  Cover Design by Under Cover Designs

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to everyone that believed in me, and supported me since day one.

  Thank you!

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  To my husband and kids, thank you so much for your support and for being so patient with me. I know it annoys the crap out of you (eyeballs hubby) whenever I’m planted behind my laptop and unable to respond to anything with more than just a nod or a shake of my head. I love you, and without you none of this would be worthwhile.

  To my editor, Ansley Blackstock, thank you for all the time you’ve put into this project. You saw the vision I had for Karina & Lorik, and you used your magic to make it shine.

  Then to Mary, the person I always run to for advice on everything, from story ideas—whether they suck just a little, or a lot—to how to get back at my husband when he pisses me off. Mary, your patience is admirable, and your tips on a healthy sex life much appreciated…and thanks for the mug!

  Last, but definitely not least, Sherri, I have two words for you…

  FUCK YES!

  Prologue

  KARINA

  Every mistake, every wrong decision has a way to demand atonement. No matter if it’s hours, days or years after. You might think your mistake is long forgotten and buried, but it’s not. You’ll never be free of it, not until you’ve paid in full.

  The day I returned home for nothing more than a family visit, I never could have predicted the events that were about to follow, that my past mistakes were about to exact payment. If I had, I never would have come home.

  But that’s the thing about mistakes, you never know you’re about to make one…until it’s too late.

  Chapter 1

  LORIK

  Once again I’m running down the streets of Boston, chasing a guy who thought it was okay to snatch and grab an old lady’s purse. And, of course, I just had to walk around the corner at the exact moment this shit goes down. So in other words, I had no choice but to run after this fucker’s ass. It’s my job.

  See, this shit right, this is why I joined the police force. This was why I wanted to become a detective, so that I could chase after pathetic little shits who think they can do whatever the hell they want on these streets. Not.

  I should be investigating big cases—cases that involve the Valentis and the Mancusos, the two families that have been ruling these streets for I don’t know how long. Not breaking a sweat chasing dumbass criminals who have shit for brains.

  Sweat pooled underneath my arms. “You little shit. You made me sweat, so now I’m going to have to kick your ass.”

  He made a sharp turn and ran into a grocery store. Rookie mistake. I mean, everyone knows you should never run into a shop unless you know for sure there’s a back exit. Obviously this little fuckface doesn’t since I know there’s no back exit to this particular shop.

  I stormed into the store behind him and launched myself forward, grabbing him by the back of his jacket collar, pulling him down and slamming his little shit face into the floor before I press my knee into his spine.

  I pulled his arms behind his back and cuff him. “No one makes me sweat and gets away with it.” Unless you’re a six foot tall brunette with a decent sized pair of tits and a mouth like a fucking Hoover vacuum.

  “Fuck you,” the little asshole spat out from the side of his mouth since his face was almost engraved into the cement floors.

  “Holy shit. Gio? I should have known it was you.” I pulled him up by his arms, turned him to face me, and shoved his back into the counter. “You’re a special kind of stupid, aren’t you? How many times do I have to drag your ass down to the precinct before you realize you’re too dumb for this shit?”

  “Suck my cock, officer.” He smiled, showing me a gold filling between his front teeth.

  I cocked a brow. “Oh, you got new jewelry. Whose corpse did you steal that from?”

  “And suck my balls while you’re down there, too.”

  I noticed Mrs. Rossi staring at us from behind the cash register. “Sorry about this one’s dirty mouth, Mrs. Rossi.”

  “It’s okay, dear. I hear more cursing than prayer these days anyway. What did this one do today?” She glowered at Gio.

  “Disrespecting the elderly again I’m afraid.” I turned him around and started frisking him when I felt a little bump in his jacket pocket. “Gio, is that what I think it is?”

  “No,” he replied over his shoulder.

  “How do you know what I think it is?”

  “Uh…I don’t.”

  I reached into his jacket pocket. “Then how can you answer that question?”

  “Because you’re an asshole.”

  I snorted before pulling out a little plastic bag with white powder in. Bingo. “Gio, is this cocaine?”

  “No.”

  “God, you’re a terrible liar.” I jerked him back around and held the little bag in front of him. “Gio, are you moving up in the world?”

  He smiled that disgusting gold filling smile of his. “I have no idea what that is.”

  “Really? Well let me enlighten you then.” I brought the bag closer to his face. “This is what you call a-real-fucking-stupid move.”

  Gio continues to grin like an idiot.

  “Where did you get it?”

  He turned his head and looked to the right, but I jerked at his collar forcing him to look back at me. “Who are you dealing for, Gio?”

  “The Valentis.” His answer was clipped, and immediately I felt that familiar tingle in the back of my neck. It happens whenever I hear the name Valenti.

  I cocked a brow. “You answered that pretty quickly. You sure about your answer?”

  “What the fuck, man? You asked me and I answered.”

  I studied his ugly face for a few seconds wondering why the hell he answered that question so damn fast. Around here people didn’t go telling everyone who they worked for on the streets—especially to a cop. So either Gio was incredibly stupid, or he was lying.

  I pulled him away from the counter. “I’m sorry for the mess, Mrs. Rossi. I’ll come back around later and help you clean up, okay?”

  Mrs. Rossi smiled. “You are such a gentlemen, Lorik. I’ll make sure I have some of my mushroom risotto packed for you.”

  “Ah, Mrs. Rossi.” I winked at her. “You know exactly the way to my heart.” I pulled Gio away from the counter and smile warmly at the old lady I’ve come to know during the last two years. A good old soul.

  “So, Gio, did I ever tell you about this girl I knew a few years ago?” I start dragging him to the door. “She also had this whole gap thing going with
her front teeth, only she didn’t fill it with a gold filling. But let me tell you, that girl sucked my cock like a champ.”

  “That’s because your dick was small enough to fill her gap,” Gio shot back. And then his face just happened to collide with the wall right next to the door. “Motherfucker!”

  Again his face hit the wall. “Gio, you need to go through the door, not the wall, my man.” I smiled wickedly, like I was trying to shove the fact that I have perfectly spaced teeth in his face.

  “You’re the one slamming me into the damn wall, you psycho.”

  “Me?” I feigned a look of innocence. “I would never do such a thing.” And then Gio’s face slammed against the wall for the third time, right before I finally led him through the door to the sidewalk.

  The precinct was about a block away. Since this all happened on my lunch break while I was on my way back from the cozy, little Italian restaurant that I recently discovered serves the best damn pizza in town, we’re going to have to walk to the station. Where’s a fucking squad car when you need one?

  People stared at us while we made our way down the sidewalk. I don’t care. If I had to care about what other people thought I’d be bat-shit crazy by now. The fact that I’m half Albanian made for some serious gossip, and some piss-poor jokes back at the station. Especially since I was the best damn detective, and those donut-eating, useless lazy asses I was forced to work with on a daily basis were jealous as fuck. And not only am I the best detective Boston had seen in a long time, I’m also the prettiest. I get more pussy and ass in one week than those fuckers get in a year—combined.

  I glanced at Gio walking with his head hanging down.

  “Oh, come on, you and I both know that getting arrested makes you even more bad-ass on these streets. And let’s face it, snatch-and-grabbing an old lady’s purse is real bad-ass.”

  “Go fuck yourself, Stone.”

  I noticed a pole about six feet in front of us. “Mind the pole.” Too late.

  The sound of Gio’s face hitting the pole vibrated next to me, and Gio cursed the longest f-bomb sentence I’ve heard in a while.

  “You should really watch where you’re going, Gio.”

  He opened his mouth, but then I glanced down the street at the ten-odd poles all lined up. Gio shut his mouth. Good boy.

  We finally walk through the revolving doors of the Boston Police Station, and immediately I could smell the fat-induced, sugar and spice scent of a fuck-load of donuts. Really? No wonder all cops get stereotyped as donut eating slobs—because it’s true.

  “It was real nice seeing you again, Gio.” I shoved his ass into a chair. “Monroe, book him for snatch and grab. I found this on him, too.” I toss the bag of cocaine to the uniformed cop standing around like he had nothing better to do. It’s not like there’s drugs, child kidnappings, or mafia fuckers soiling our streets, so let’s just stand around and look pretty in our cop uniforms.

  “And it was a real pleasure doing your fucking job for you, Monroe. Again.”

  “Fuck you, Stone.”

  “Funny enough, you’re not the first one to say those exact words to me today.”

  “That’s ‘cause you’re a Greek cocksucker.”

  I frowned. “I’m Albanian, you fucking dildo. Get a fucking a map.”

  On my way to my desk I spotted Anderson sitting at his desk across from mine. Motherfucker. My day just keeps on getting better.

  “Anderson.” I take my seat. “So nice of you to finally join us on the job. How long has it been? Two, three weeks?” I leaned back.

  “Lay off it, Stone.” Anderson glowered at me with his blue-green eyes while strands of his light brown hair fell across his forehead. There was a yellowish tint on his cheeks which wasn’t there the last time I saw him.

  “You should really lay off the scotch that’s burning that hole in your liver. Maybe then you’d be able to put in a decent day’s work every once in a while.”

  “I would say fuck you, but something tells me you’ve been hearing that a lot lately.”

  I shrugged. “You’ve got that right. Those words don’t quite have the same effect anymore. It’s like fucking a prostitute. The first time is exhilarating since you know it’s so fucking wrong and dirty. But after a while it just gets boring and bland—unmemorable.”

  Anderson’s expression remained stoic. Nothing fazed the old bastard. He was like a rock, granite that had been around long enough to prove it would never crack. And unfortunately I’ve been stuck with him as my partner for the last few months. What these fuckers didn’t seem to realize was that I only needed one partner—Lucy. She was sleek, powerful, and gave me an instant hard on whenever I touched her…she’s also my Glock 22 safely tucked away at my side.

  “Are you still investigating the Valentis?”

  Not only was Anderson an asshole, but apparently a straight shooter, too.

  I crossed my arms in front of my chest and placed my feet on my desk. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “I’m telling you, Stone, leave that shit for the feds, okay? Let it go.”

  I roll my eyes. “Okay, Elsa. Just don’t go around erecting any ice castles, would you? This place is fucking cold enough during winter as it is.”

  Anderson continued to stare at me unblinking. I swear to God, I would make this man crack before I die. That’s bucket list shit right there.

  “Stone.”

  The sound of that voice gave me an instant headache. I groaned as I pulled my palm down my face thinking that I’d rather be having a conversation with Satan right about now.

  I turned in my seat and stared up at a tall middle-aged man with a serious widow’s peak going on. “Commander Peephole.”

  “It’s Pipole. As in Pi-po-lee.”

  “Damn, I just can’t get it right.”

  Commander Pipole placed his hands on his waist. “It’s been three years, Stone. You should get it right by now.”

  “It’s a mental block, I swear.”

  “Cut the crap, Stone. Now please enlighten me as to why there’s a certain Gio Boroni bleeding all over my goddamn floor.”

  “Not my fault he’s dumb enough to walk into a wall.”

  The Commander lifted a brow. “Three times?”

  “Yup. The dumb bastard walked into a pole as well. He should get his eyes checked. I think his sight might be out of whack.”

  “You’re hanging on your last damn thread around here, Stone. Right now I want your fucking badge so much I can taste it.” He leaned down, putting his face closer to mine. “So keep on fucking up, I dare you. I don’t care if you solve more cases than anyone else around here. Give me just half a reason and your ass is out that goddamn door so fast vertigo will be your friend for a month. Do I make myself clear?”

  The urge to punch this man in the face was so overwhelming, it was like finally feeling that welcome pressure after being constipated for a week.

  “Crystal clear, Commander,” I replied, the words leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. I’ve never been the kind who does well with commands and orders. Fuck knows why I decided to become a detective.

  “Good.”

  Commander Pipole turned around and walked off, his expensive navy-blue suit making it easy for anyone to see exactly who was in charge around here.

  I turned back to Anderson and noticed him staring at me. True as fuck a grin started up at the corners of his mouth almost reaching his eyes. Seriously? That’s all it took to crack any kind of expression onto this guy’s face? Un-fucking-believable.

  I leaned over my desk. “You know, we’re supposed to be partners, and among other things that also entails you having my back.”

  Anderson’s dark brows slanted down on the inside. “If I remember correctly you said you didn’t need a partner. Your exact words, I believe, were, ‘I don’t need no motherfucking middle-aged bastard being my partner.’ Ring a bell?”

  “None whatsoever.”

  Anderson snorted, and got up from
his seat. “Whatever, man. Just make sure you keep your nose out of the feds’ business with the Valentis. Believe me, you don’t need to get caught in the middle of shit like that.”

  “Thanks for the warning, partner.”

  “Anytime.” He grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and sauntered out of the building. I can’t believe they teamed me up with his weird ass. There was something seriously wrong with that dude. It was like he just didn’t run right. Like the silver Porsche 550 Spyder that James Dean crashed to his death in. No matter how much time and money you put into renovating and fixing it, there would always be something about it that just wasn’t quite right.

  “Stone. There’s a woman here to see you.”

  I glanced at my watch. She's right on time. Of course she’s right on time. Women like her have punctuality drilled into their pretty little heads from the age of three.

  “Thanks, Monroe. Put her in the interrogation room.”

  I got up from my chair and noticed that Monroe hasn’t moved.

  “I said put her in the interrogation room.”

  Monroe lifted a brow. “Why the interrogation room?”

  “She’s a criminal.” I narrowed my eyes.

  “What did she do?”

  “Failed to pay her parking tickets?” It was meant to be a statement, not a damn question.

  Monroe shook his head. But thank fuck he didn’t press the matter, otherwise I would have been forced to use the juicy info I had on him and the married Mrs. Talecki from finances, and I don’t like to waste my little blackmail cards on shit like this.

  I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and dialed my mother’s number. It’s been a week since I last called her, and she was probably going to spend the first three minutes of our conversation yelling at me for making her worry.

  Now was probably not the most ideal time to make this kind of personal call, but I wanted the woman currently waiting for me in the interrogation room to sweat a little. I wanted her mind to run in three hundred and sixty degree circles wondering why the fuck I asked her here and then placed her in the interrogation room of all places.