The Enemy Mafia's Little Sister

The rain hammered at the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of the cliffside estate but inside the only sound was the heavy breathing that echoed in the dimly lit master suite.

Dante Vance did not do things by half measures. As the undisputed head of the Vance Syndicate-a ruthless empire that controlled every harbor, council seat, and underground market from the coast to the capital-he took what he wanted, when he wanted it. And right now his interest was solely focused on the woman beneath him.

Heavy silk sheets pooled around their hips as Dante bent his head, the muscles of his powerful frame flexing as his lips trailed a blistering path down her throat. He gripped her waist with hands that bore the light scars of a past long left behind. He was devastatingly handsome with a sharp profile that could knock a woman off her feet in an instant only to cut her down to size with a smirk that made his dark eyes glitter with something dangerously unrestrained. His fingers tightened around the fabric of the sheet, his dark hair falling across his forehead as he murmured against her ear of what he intended to do to her.

She gasped, her fingers digging into his shoulders as passion, a dizzying mix of heat and excitement, curled between them and threatened to consume them both.

A sharp crack filled the room making Dante freeze.

It came from the adjoining study down the private corridor-a sound like beaker glass smacking against the heavy marble.

The expression on Dante’s face hardened instantly. In a blink it was as if the languorous lover had been switched off and in its place stood a cold, lethal killer who sent shivers of something far more wicked than pleasure racing down her spine.

“Dante?” She reached for him, fingers brushing against his shoulder as she frowned up at the sudden change in him. “What is it?”

“Stay here.” His voice was a rough growl as he rose to his feet, yanking on a dark silk robe as he moved. She barely registered the bare hint of skin revealed at the open front as the hard planes of his chest was thrust forward.

No one walked into this wing of his private bungalow. Not with the dozens of heavily armed men he had posted outside this building who all looked to a single man, Marcus, his second in command who would sooner die than let this happen. If someone had just slipped past them then either Marcus was dead or someone had walked a suicide mission through the defenses.

Naked save for the silk of his robe and barefoot, Dante stalked into the hall.

It was never wise to enter an enemy’s lair armed. It was also seldom necessary.

He rounded the corner on silent feet, his dark gaze sweeping across the empty room until he stopped, his brows knitting together.

On the floor lay the broken pieces of a glass beaker, the remnants of some heavy chemical still pooling on the floor. An almost imperceptible draft teased the edges of the heavy velvet drapes that lined the balcony doors but the scent of the garden was thick and welcoming in the otherwise still air. Someone had run, making a mess of things as they had bolted.

His lips curled into a slow, dangerous smile.

He liked a challenge.

“Marcus.” Dante’s voice was a growl as he tapped into the comms built into the wall. “Lock down the eastern perimeter. I have a rat in the house.”

He strode back from the study doors, his gaze sweeping toward the balcony as he stepped out onto the cool night air. The rain washed over him, darkening his hair as his sharp gaze zeroed in on the shadowy figure that was scrambling down the stone trellis towards the lower rose gardens.

It didn’t take long for Dante to reach them, landing effortlessly on the lawn ten feet below the balustrade. He caught sight of the intruder’s head just before they slipped and slid on their backside across the wet cobblestone.

He was on them before they could get up, yanking them upright by the collar of their shirt, shoving them back against the fountain with brutal efficiency.

He loomed over them, his powerful frame blocking out the night as his fingers brushed over the damp hair clinging to their cheek.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t snap your neck right now, little bird.” Dante’s voice rumbled against the curve of his ear as his eyes locked onto the heavy hooded cloak they wore.

A flash of something unfamiliar flared in his chest at the sight of the young woman’s defiant glare. She was stunning, all wild beauty but it was the hungry, wanton look in her blue eyes that had him flexing his fingers against the back of her neck in warning.

The heavy folds of her hood slipped back, revealing damp hair as she glared up at him, her gaze burning with a ferocity that made the breath catch in his throat. Her heart pounded frantically against her ribs, her hands curling around the front of the large jacket she wore as if willing it to shield her from him.

It did little considering she was soaked to the bone and shivering.

Dante’s dark eyes narrowed as he bent his head, his mouth hovering just above her ear as his fingers skimmed down her jaw, thumb brushing against her bottom lip.

“Well, well,” he rumbled, his voice a dark whisper as a slow smile tilted his lips. “What is a little bird like you doing in my cage?”

Author’s note

Hey everyone! Atlas Vance here. Welcome to the first episode of our brand new web series! This will be a seriously intense 62-episode journey that will be coming out every day. I would love to hear your thoughts on this opening scene as to why do you think she broke into Dante’s high security bungalow and what you think is on the silver drive. Make sure to comment your theories below and don’t forget to bookmark the series so you don’t miss tomorrow’s episode! See you in the next chapter!