2. Jordyn Reese (heroine): Twenty-one-years-old, blue eyes, black, curly hair with a streak of maroon behind her ear. Works at a strip-club, but she isn’t a dancer. Instead, she’s a server who also takes care of the club and the working girls. Her mother died when she was thirteen from a heroin overdose. She’s affiliated with The Sons of Hell, a dangerous MC gang. At twenty, her long-time boyfriend and member of TSoH was killed, leaving Jordyn without his protection. The leader of the gang cares very little for her and has made every effort to hurt her in whatever way he could.
3. Kate Catrolli Grovatti: The wife of Lucian’s biological father, Johnathan. She’s an angry, bitter woman who makes no qualms about trying to hurt her dead husband’s son that was born from his mistress. Younger sister of Cecelia Marcello. Daughter of a former Cosa Nostra Don. Late forties. In her early twenties, she was arranged to marry Johnathan for the sake of business, but the man never loved her, which she resented.
4. Dante Marcello: Twenty-six, going on twenty-seven. Dark hair, green eyes. The second oldest son (biological) of Antony and Cecelia Marcello. Works alongside his father at Marcello Industries, as well as in la famiglia as his father’s underboss. He sometimes has a cold disposition, but he’s fiercely protective of his family and loves his brothers.
5. Will Vetta: President of the Brooklyn chapter of The Sons of Hell. Involved in drug and weapons trafficking. Has a drug and drinking problem, along with some anger issues. In his early forties, cruel, and has a serious hate-on for Jordyn. He was, at one time, involved romantically with Jordyn’s mother, but the now deceased Sandra refused to give him what he wanted—a commitment. He is suspected of being somehow involved in Sandra’s death.
6. Giovanni Marcello: Twenty-five-years-old. Dark hair, green eyes. The youngest son (biological) of Antony and Cecelia Marcello. He owns a few businesses, mostly clubs, but the majority of his work is spent for Cosa Nostra on the streets as the Skip—a Capo. His family believes he has some substance abuse issues, and parties a lot. He, like his other two brothers, is proud of his Italian lineage and Cosa Nostra roots, and is extremely protective of his family.
7. Antony Marcello: Father to his three sons Lucian, Dante, and Giovanni. Husband to Cecelia Catrolli Marcello. The leader—Don—of his Cosa Nostra crime family. Italian-American. An extremely wealthy, successful business man on the legal side of his life, and an especially vicious and prosperous crime boss on the illegal side. He doesn’t trust outsiders easily. Killed his father-in-law for murdering his best friend. God, honor, Cosa Nostra, family, and his home are the most important things to him.
8. Johnathan Grovatti: Deceased biological father to his illegitimate son Lucian (whom he named Luciano). During his life, he was arranged to marry Kate Catrolli so he could receive his inheritance from his father’s side, and gain control over Kate’s father’s Cosa Nostra crime family. Had a mistress on the side, Lucian’s mother, and they had a child together which he kept a secret, one he took to his grave to protect his son from his father-in-law. After being accused of beating his wife, a statement that by all accounts was a lie, his father-in-law had him killed. (Note: While John is deceased during the time of the novel, his character is an important one, which is why he was included in this list.)
9. Cecelia Catrolli Marcello: Mother to her three sons Lucian, Dante, and Giovanni. Husband to Antony Marcello, and they married for love. She was the daughter of a former Cosa Nostra boss who was later killed by her husband. Older sister to Kate Catrolli Grovatti. She holds God and family above all else. She’s incredibly good in the kitchen, but is overly anal about the space, therefore insuring her sons’ and husband stay far away. Supportive of her husband and sons in every way. Regal, graceful, and as her son describes, “mafia royalty”.
10. Ron Daney: Vice President in the Brooklyn chapter of The Sons of Hell. By all outwardly accounts, he appears to be only the right-hand man to Will Vetta, but in reality, runs most of the club’s business himself. Respected by his men, but not feared as Will is. He was the father to a now deceased Gabe, the man Jordyn was previously involved with before his death. Owns and runs Legs and Leather, a popular strip-club for the MC club. Boss to Jordyn. He tried to protect Jordyn from Will’s cruelty after Gabe’s death, but eventually gave up.
She is exactly what he didn’t know he was looking for.
Jordyn Reese spends her time trying to stay under the radar of a man who wouldn’t think twice about killing her. Unwillingly affiliated with a dangerous MC gang, her life is dominated by the men surrounding her and her future rests solely in how useful she can be for them. The last thing she needs is some Mafioso gaining her more unwanted attention from the club.
He is everything she should stay away from but can’t.
Notoriously violent when it comes to getting what he wants, Lucian will stop at nothing to make the target on Jordyn’s back disappear. But sometimes the worst threats are the ones you can’t see until it’s too late. The truth behind Lucian’s history is about to take center stage in more ways than one, and it’ll either save him … or kill him.
This world leaves everyone a little filthy.
* “Hello, guys. I’m Jordyn. I’ll be serving you tonight, or something close to it. What’ll it be?”
* The sultry tone of her voice was something Lucian and his body noticed the moment she spoke. It was almost like a mixture of innocence and experience, if that were possible. She didn’t sound entirely bored, but she didn’t sound like she was in it to win it with her job, either.
* Dante looked to his father, his earlier comment about not consuming the drinks being silently said again. Antony must have took note.
* “A bottle of Jack, unopened. Four—” Antony stopped up short, his lips tugging down into a frown as he passed a glance towards Gio. The youngest brother certainly didn’t need to be drinking tonight. “Make that three glasses. We’ll pour.”
* Leaning forward was the worst mistake Lucian made since waking up that day. He certainly hadn’t expected to see her again. At least not in a place like this. She was on his mind all damned week, those eyes of hers, cream-like flesh, and a mouth that just at the sight alone, make his own water.
* What’d she call herself? Jordyn, was it?
* Merda.
* Shit was right—he was in so much of it.
* Suddenly, Lucian was not in the zone like he needed to be.
* He was so incredibly fucked.
* Also, Lucian realized he was right about his first assumption when he thought she had ink under her dress that day at the confessional box. Cherry blossoms started somewhere beneath the lace and leather bottoms she wore and trailed up over her side, before crossing over her left breast which was also covered by nothing but a lace and leather brassiere, and then curved over her shoulder.
* There was another tattoo, too, but in the darkness, Lucian couldn’t read the scripted words.
* Strangely, the immediate rush of possessiveness that flooded his veins surprised him. She was still so beautiful, like crazy. The more skin his gaze crawled over, the tighter his pants became. Lucian caught himself wondering what those blossoms would taste like under his tongue.
* Yeah, he was not where he needed to be. This unknown woman knocked him off kilter and she probably didn’t even know it. What was wrong with him?
* Unfortunately, his father seemed to realize his son’s abrupt change in posture and mood. “Lucian?”
* At the sound of his name, the girl’s—Jordyn, he reminded himself—eyes flashed to meet his in the corner, those dark lashes of hers blinking rapidly like she also didn’t believe what she was seeing. Lucian swallowed the thickness building in his throat. Thankfully, Jordyn didn’t act like they had ever met or seen one another before. She simply went on doing her own business.
* “Unopened bottle of Jack and three glasses. Anything else?” she asked, avoiding Lucian’s piercing gaze.
* “Yes,” Antony said, still watching Lucian closely. “The owner is Ron Daney, correct?”
* Jordyn stood a little stiffer, her shoulders squaring. “I beg your pardon?”
* “The owner is Ron Daney, Vice President of the Brooklyn chapter of The Sons of Hell,” Lucian said gruffly, trying to swallow back the huskiness forming. “We’re not ATF or the feds, let’s just be clear on that, sweetheart. Ron, he’s in tonight, yes?”
* Jordyn nodded warily. “Always is.”
* “Good,” Antony replied with a grin. “Send him a drink, whatever he likes. Do be sure to tell him it’s from a guest. Antony Marcello and his crew. Do not mistake my name when you tell him. Be sure to point me out so he sees me. Understood?”
* “Got it.”
* With that, the woman Lucian simply needed to glance at to turn his skin ablaze and his heart stuttering, was walking away.
* She didn’t look back.
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Thank you for joining us here today, Bethany-Kris! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.
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