Chapter 1
New Chapters will be loaded on to the Dark Mafia & Daddy Dom Romance & Complete Arabella Kingsley Tiers.
The black Mercedes drove up the long twisting road running through the fields up towards the large country estate.It was nestled between the hills in a valley outside of the village of Loja a precise hour from Malaga, in the Andalucian region in the South of Spain.Astor Harper turned to glare at the man in a suit next to her whose jacket was slightly open, more than likely for her benefit so she could see the firearm he possessed.The one he had just used to kidnap her after marching her out of the Corte Ingles department store in the centre of Malaga.She’d been talking to Maria, a sales assistant who had worked with her sister, Regan and may have information on why her sister had turned up dead in a hotel room in Malaga in the arms of a notorious Italian Camorra- De Luca clan Mafia boss.The urge to throw herself from the car was strong, if not reckless and probably a death wish.What the hell did they want with her?Astor had just arrived in Malaga from London a few hours ago.She’d left her Barrister Chambers early morning the day before, dropping her cases in court for the day as soon as the English police had informed her of Regan’s death.After numbly informing her devastated parents in the North of England on the phone, she’d decided not to wait for their arrival in London and had taken the first flight out to Spain to find out what had happened and to retrieve her sister’s body.
Astor had barely had time to cry or to think straight.She was afraid that if she did she wouldn’t be able to keep control and take charge to protect the family like she always did in a crisis.Now was not the time for grieving, her parents needed her to find out what the hell had happened.Astor would grieve later and alone.Regan and Astor were twins and she felt as though part of her had been taken away.She owed it to Regan and her doting parents to find out why she was murdered.The last thing she had expected was to be kidnapped at gunpoint.
“Where are you taking me?” she demanded for the tenth time since they’d left Malaga.
They passed the iconic large Osborne black metal bull on the side of the hill above the motorway that marked the boundary of the city by the coast.The man sighed and gave her an impatient look.He talked to another armed man in the passenger seat in what she recognised as Catalan Spanish, the version she understood at least in part.She frowned hearing him curse her.He shook his head at her and did not answer.She had a feeling she already knew the answer anyway.They had to work for Matteo De Luca and maybe they thought she had some answers.She wondered who had taken over from the man and whether he would be reasonable and let her go when he discovered she knew nothing.She shifted uneasily in her seat as the car neared the country estate.
The car stopped briefly at the gates to be acknowledge by a group of security men in dark grey suits and then drove in to stop in front of an elaborate gushing white fountain.It matched the beautiful two storey building spreading out in a large square with several other buildings around it.The place was huge and had to have at least thirty or more bedrooms.The car came to a halt and Astor found herself being pulled out by the arm.She placed her sunglasses over her eyes to keep out the blistering sun, listening to the cicadas as she was led around the main entrance into the middle of the square and to the side where a large rectangular pool sat underneath a long verandah.
Looking up Astor saw a man wearing a dark grey designer suit and sunglasses with his hands on the wall looking down at her with interest.Power and dominance emanated strongly from his tall lean athletic presence making her feel vulnerable, submissive to him without even realising when she lowered her eyes away from him with respect and reverence.He had to be one of the most handsome men she had ever seen.His dark features, smooth lightly tanned complexion, raven hair and light beard around his mouth made her pulse race just that little bit more.She felt her body temperature increase with his intense scrutiny feeling as though he were mentally undressing her.She nervously ran her hand through her mid length strawberry blonde hair trying to compose herself feeling unnerved she was about to face a Mafia don head on.Astor felt her eyebrow raise under her sunglasses.His attraction to her was unmistakable and she couldn’t fathom why a younger man like him would be taking any notice of her.Yet he was.
She was directed up some white steps up at the side and came to stand in front of him.He held out his hand.
“Alarico De Luca,” he announced with a dark velvet voice, warming her with that seductive Spanish accent.“I apologise for the manner in which you were brought here but it was necessary when you stubbornly refused to answer my calls.You are in a lot of danger, Ms Morgan.”
She hadn’t even looked at her phone she’d placed on silent and buried in the bottom of her bag under her make-up and God knows what else.She’d just poured everything in to it before she’d left home.
“I haven’t even had time to look at my phone and I don’t know what you are talking about. I take great exception to being kidnapped,” she snapped.
Alarico shook his head and smiled at her like she was a child.Astor frowned.He reached to take her arm but when she shrugged him away, afraid of what he might do, he took it more firmly.
“It’s too hot out here.You look a little too hot.Please come inside into the cool air.”
Without waiting for her response or her agreement, he led her away from the hot sun into the room.
He removed his sunglasses to view her with piercing dark brown eyes.
“You are being followed, probably by the same people who killed my father and your sister just seven days after they were married.”
“They were married?My sister actually married your father?” Astor was shocked.
“Yes, they did,” he said softly.“And from what I am told they were very much in love.”
“My sister married into one of the most dangerous Italian Mafia families operating out of Spain?Without telling anyone.Without telling me?” she said to herself disbelieving Regan’s actions.
Alarico raised one of those sexy dark eyebrows but did not pass comment.
“That’s not all,” he was speaking softly to her again and his dark brown eyes rested gently on her.He moved closer and picked up her hand to run his thumb over her knuckles in a soothing gesture.Astor stared at him wondering what revelation he was about to assault her with next but she already guessed what it was.Tears gathered in her eyes.
“I am sorry but your sister was pregnant when she was murdered.A little girl.My father’s child.”
Astor put her hand to her mouth and snatched her hand away from him.She barely noticed the tears flowing down her cheeks until she felt them dampen her hand over her mouth.She quickly wiped them away
“I never had the pleasure of meeting your sister.I have been working for my father in Italy these past few months but I have seen her photograph.She was beautiful like yourself, Astor.”
The smile was there again and so was that possessive sweep of his eyes over her curves.
“Now, you are part of my family and it is my duty and I may add my desire, to protect you.I am going to stop at nothing to find the man who organised the hit on my father and your sister.We have discovered that there is a hit on you as well.You belong here now.”
Astor shook her head.
“Why?What have I done to deserve that? No, I do not want to stay here with you.I won’t let them trap me here with the Mafia.I can look after myself.I do not need your help.I will find out what happened alone,” she made sure her tone was flat, hard and determined despite the tremble of anger and anxiety she was feeling in her body.
Alarico laughed out loud making her eyes narrow.His voice turned cold and hard.
“These people are dangerous.You wouldn’t last five minutes out there.It is a brave sentiment but a very foolish one.”
“I have to go.I am sorry about your father but I want to do this on my own with the help of the police, whether you approve or not.”
“The police will be reluctant to help you.They are redundant in such matters.I will conduct this investigation and they will stay out of it at my request.”
“You are bribing the police?”
He didn’t answer.
“I have to go.I will not be party to this.”
“I am not letting you leave and be alone out there. You will stay here at the hacienda and that is final.I will be obeyed without question.” his tone was equally as blunt.
There was no way she was allowing him to hold her here against her will no matter what his good intentions were.And she certainly wasn’t obeying him.She wasn’t taking refuge with a damn ruthless Mafia family.Her mind was racing.She had to get out and think about what she had been told.How was she going to tell Mum and Dad?
“And if I continue to refuse, what will you do?” she asked walking away from him.“There is nothing you can do.You can’t hold me here against my will.”
It was stupid really.He was the Mafia and he could do what the hell he wanted with her yet here she was, poking the bear and daring him to try and stop her.She was stronger, better and could talk her way to freedom just like she did at Court when working a case as a Barrister.
“It is simple. I will lock you in the room that has been prepared for you and keep you there until you realise I am in charge of your life now,” Alarico said calling after her as she turned and marched towards the door.“You are part of the De Luca family now, Astor whether you approve or not and you will be protected even if I have to hunt you down and trap you in a cage,” there was a steely determination to his tone leaving her in no doubt he would carry out all of his outrageous threat if she pushed him.
Still it wasn’t going to stop her trying.Astor’s heart was thumping as she wondered how the hell she was going to escape the hacienda without him stopping her.She couldn’t breathe.Her life was changing in the blink of an eye and this . . . this dominant, infuriating man was taking command of it away from her.
Just as she reached the door one of the three men standing in the room moved to the side and closed it.They stood in front of her barring the way.Astor stopped dead in her tracks and growled.She opened her bag and dipped her hand inside to reach for her mobile amidst make-up, purse, documents and other assorted crap she was carrying in there.She turned on her heel typing in the Spanish emergency number 112 .
“If I can’t get myself out of here, then maybe the police can get me out.You can’t have bought them all.Hola . . .puede usted . . .Hey, what the hell are you doing?“
