Signed To The Mafia King

ALINA

I just walked into THE MONSTER'S home.

I stood stiffly in Luca Marino's study, trying not to stare at the blood on the floor near the corner.

The dry smell of cigars and whiskey filled the room. The huge desk in front of me looked like it belonged to a king-or a very dangerous man.

This was a bad idea.

A terrible idea.

But my father was dead, my family was falling apart, and my younger brother and sister were depending on me.

There was no turning back.

The door slammed open behind me. Heavy footsteps followed, then stopped.

"Who the hell are you?" The voice was deep like the depths of the ocean. Deep and cold.

I turned into the darkest pair of eyes I'd ever seen.

Luca Marino. The Monster.

My mouth went dry.

He was tall, with messy black hair and sharp dark eyes that felt like they could pin me to the wall.

His black shirt was rolled up to his elbows, revealing strong arms, one of which was stained with blood.

A tattoo of a beautiful mermaid was on his forearm, so clear it looked alive.

He curled his lips, but his eyes didn't smile. "I asked a question."

"I'm Alina Costa." My voice came out stronger than I expected considering how scared I was suddenly. I knew that Luca knew exactly who I was. There was no way he'd be here to see me if he didn't.

His head tilted slightly. "You're the Costa girl. The one with all the family problems."

My jaw tightened. Everyone knew the Costa family. Everyone knew my father was dead. "I didn't come here to talk about my family."

Luca leaned against his desk, folding his arms. I wanted to squirm under his harsh eyes. "Then why are you here? I was in the middle of something." He held up his bloody arm like it was a joke. "You interrupted."

"I need to marry you."

The curl of his lips disappeared. For a second, he just stared at me, his dark eyes searching my face like I was a puzzle he didn't understand.

Then he laughed like I'd said something very funny. A real laugh. His eyes lit up and I realized they were more brown than black.

"Marry me?" He shook his head. "You're out of your mind."

I didn't flinch. I could be dead if he didn't agree. Out of my mind was easy. "Probably. But I don't have another choice."

His laugh faded, but he still looked amused. "If you're desperate for a husband, you should pick someone else. I am Luca Marino, The Monster".

He was the monster because it was said he could crush a man's head with his hands. Looking at him, I almost believed it. He was huge, at least six feet, two inches tall. And heavily muscled.

He could certainly crush me if he wanted to.

I nodded slowly, my fingers shaking now. I wiped them behind my back. "That's exactly why I picked you."

His eyes narrowed. Now he was paying attention. "Go ahead, explain."

I dragged air into my chest which was beating too fast and hard. "My father is dead. My uncles are fighting over the Mafia. The rivals see me as easy prey. My family is falling apart. If I don't act, my brother and sister won't survive this. And neither will I."

"And you think I'm your solution?"

"You're the only one everyone's afraid of. No one will touch me if I'm your wife."

Luca raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I won't kill you myself?"

My heart pounded, but I held his eyes. If I didn't convince him, I had wasted my time coming here. "Because I have something you don't."

He leaned forward, smiling like he didn't believe that was possible. "And what's that?"

"Loyalty. Connections. And the one thing all those men out there want-control of the Costa family."

For a moment, the room was silent except for the ticking of the clock on the wall. Luca didn't look away, and I refused to back down.

I spent weeks repeating these words over and over again. Telling myself that fear was a luxury I couldn't pay for.

Payment would be my father's hard work, my family's life. My life.

"I should throw you out of here," Luca said finally.

"Then do it." I lifted my head, hiding the snake in my hands. "But you won't. Because you're too smart to pass up a chance like this."

Luca stared at me, his face blank.

"Why me?" he asked suddenly.

"My father's most trusted man helped me make a list," I said simply. "The most dangerous men alive. Your name was at the top."

The corner of his mouth curved, and he flattened it, almost like he was trying not to smile.

"And you thought, 'Hey, I'll marry the most dangerous guy in the world'? That's your plan?"

"I need someone who can scare them. Someone who can keep my family alive." My voice went soft. "And I need someone I can trust not to stab me in the back."

His head tilted again, studying me like I was some rare animal he hadn't seen before. "You think you can trust me?"

"No," I admitted. "But I can't trust anyone else, either."

He let out a low whistle, shaking his head. "You've got guts. I'll give you that."

"I'm serious," I pressed. "Leave the love or romance. It's a deal. You protect me, and you get something in return."

"And what's that?"

"My name," I said. "The Costa name still carries weight. If you marry me, no one will question your power. You'll be untouchable."

His gaze flickered with something I couldn't quite read. He pushed off the desk and walked closer, stopping just a foot away from me.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Alina Costa."

"I know."

He stepped even closer, towering over me now. "Do you?"

My breath caught. His voice was low, almost a whisper, but it sent shivers down my spine.

"I could destroy you," Luca said. "Everything you love. Everything you're trying to protect."

I swallowed hard, meeting his eyes. "Then do it."

Silence sat between us, heavy and electric.

Finally, Luca chuckled, shaking his head. "You're either the bravest woman I've ever met or the stupidest."

"Maybe both," I said. I could be both.

He took a step back, still watching me. "You've got my attention, Costa. Let's see if you can keep it."

I exhaled slowly, my heart pounding like a drum. I had him.

"Why don't we start with why you think I won't kill you?" he asked suddenly, casual but his eyes deadly serious, and he pulled a knife from his waist.

And just like that, the room felt colder.

I froze.

LUCA

The girl bit her lip, and for a moment, I froze.

Alina gave a small smile at the knife, her blue eyes huge in her face. "Put the knife back, Luca. If you kill me here, you might as well declare war, and my family will win."

No one had ever proposed to me before, let alone walked into my study, uninvited, and done it with this kind of force.

"Oh, not to worry, this knife isn't for you." I shifted forward on my chair to take a closer look at her eyes. Cobalt blue.

Most people could barely look me in the eye, yet here she was, holding her ground like she belonged here.

She didn't.

"And no, Alina. If you're dead, your family is too." I laughed. The Costa Mafia was like every Mafia. If the head was gone, so was the body if care wasn't taken.

She was scared. I could tell from the way she held herself so stiffly. Yet looking at her face, you'd never know.

I leaned back in my chair, studying her, playing with my tiny dagger, a gift from my mother before she died giving birth to Sofia.

Alina Costa.

I'd heard of her family, of course. Everyone in Chicago had. But her? She didn't fit the family. Too clean, too polished. Too innocent. And beautiful, in a way that didn't make sense for someone in this world.

Her family was bloody, cruel, evil.

Before I could ask another question, Marco pushed the door open. He didn't bother with manners, his large body filling the doorway.

"Boss, the men are getting restless," Marco said, crossing his arms. Marco was my right hand man. He controlled the men, and they took orders from him in my absence. "They're asking if they should finish him off without you."

I raised an eyebrow, annoyed by the interruption but not surprised.

"Lock the door," I said, waving him off. "They'll wait as long as I tell them to."

Marco's eyes went to Alina for half a second before nodding and stepping back out. The lock clicked behind him, leaving us alone again.

I turned my attention back to her. "You know, most women who walk in here aren't looking for a husband. Especially not me."

Her chin lifted, anger flashing in her eyes. "I'm not most women."

I nodded, trying to understand the woman in front of me. "Clearly. So tell me, why me? Why not some idiot who doesn't have blood on his hands?"

"I have a feeling someone in my family might have killed my father."

My mouth parted in shock. I wasn't one to show emotions, but this was a secret. Her eyes didn't flinch. "It is a secret for now. I'm sharing it with you so you understand how badly I need an ally."

I sighed. I had the Marino empire to run. I didn't need the Costa family wealth even though it was tempting. But what was really tempting was her.

Alina Costa. Her pink lips parted softly open, her blue fixed on his, her hands shaking behind her back. I wanted her.

"How old are you?" I asked, cutting straight to it.

"Twenty-four," she answered, blinking like she wasn't sure where the question had come from.

I tilted my head. Old, but barely old enough. "Do you know my age?"

"Yes. You're twenty-nine."

I nodded, impressed. She'd done her homework, at least. But it still didn't explain her being here.

I stood, shoving my chair back and waved for her to follow me. "Come on. Let's see if you know what you're asking for."

She shook for a second but followed as I led her down the hallway.

We passed two men standing guard at the door leading to the basement. One of them looked at her, confused, but knew better than to say anything.

They saluted as I reached, nodding silently as I unlocked the door and stepped inside.

The air changed immediately. Damp, cold, and smelling of blood and sweat. The lights were low and created deep shadows on the wall.

This wasn't a place for someone like her, and yet, she didn't say a word.

A man was tied to a chair in the center of the room, his head slumped forward. His shirt was torn, his face swollen, blood falling to the floor. The man wasn't moving, but he wasn't dead yet. Not completely.

My men stood nearby, leaning against the walls, watching silently.

I stopped a few feet away from him and looked back at her. She stood still, her face blank.

No fear. No disgust. Just nothing.

Interesting. Too calm. The nothingness pissed me off.

Her eyes moved to the blood, the ropes, and finally, the man's swollen face. She didn't even blink. Maybe I wanted her to be scared.

"You're full of surprises," I said.

I stepped closer to the man and slapped him hard across the face. His head jerked up, and he let out a weak cry, blinking through the blood and sweat covering his eyes.

"You know why you're here," I said coldly. "You stole from me. You thought I wouldn't notice?"

He didn't answer, his eyes running around the room like he was looking for a way out.

I turned to Alina. "Do you understand now? Do you see why they call me The Monster?"

She met my eyes, her face still blank. "I already knew who you were, Luca."

Her calmness threw me off.

"Please," The man choked. "I didn't mean to..."

I raised a hand, and he shut up.

The man cried out again, pulling weakly at the ropes. I pulled out my gun and aimed it at his forehead.

"Wait!" the man cried. "Please, I can..."

I fired.

The shot blocked my eyes for a second, and the man bent forward, blood pouring out of his head wound. The guards didn't move.

I looked at Alina again, expecting fear, disgust. Something. Anything.

But she just looked back at me, her face too calm, her eyes large.

"Do you understand now?" I asked.

"Understand what?"

"Why they call me The Monster."

She shrugged. "Yes. And I still want to marry you."

The words hit me like a slap. I stared at her, trying to figure out if she was crazy or just stupid. Maybe she was stupid. Beautiful and stupid.

"You're serious about this?" I asked.

"Yes," she said simply.

I stepped closer, walking around her like she was prey. "You just watched me kill a man. What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with you?" she shot back.

I couldn't help it-I laughed. A short, sharp sound.

"Of all the people you could marry, you chose me," I said. "Why?"

"Because I need someone dangerous," she said, her voice steady.

"And you think I'll protect you?"

She nodded.

For the first time in years, I didn't know what to say.

I stopped in front of her, my arms crossed. "You don't know anything about me."

"I know enough," she said.

I opened my mouth to argue, but a loud knock interrupted us.

Marco's voice came through the door, almost shouting.

"Luca," he said, "you're going to want to see this."

Marcos barely got disturbed. If he was shouting, something was very wrong.

I looked down at Alina. She barely got up to my shoulders, yet she was so fierce just standing there. Yet. "Stay here," I said, heading for the door.

But something about the way she grabbed my arm stopped me.

"Take me with you."

I looked at her hand, then at her face. She wasn't calm anymore-she was scared and didn't want to be left in the dungeon. Whatever was waiting outside that door, Alina knew it wasn't good.

"Fine," I said, pulling her along. "Let's see what mess you've brought with you."

ALINA

We stepped out of the door to find Marco already turning away. He hesitated, looking at me like I was in the way. Luca caught it and waved him on. "Spit it out."

Marco cleared his throat. "Someone left us a message. Out back."

My stomach twisted. A message? I wanted to ask what kind, but something in Luca's face told me I wouldn't like the answer.

There was an edge to him now. Something sharper. Dangerous.

I knew then he'd been playing with me before. I pressed my eyes closed and sighed. I remembered the blood spilling down the man's face. I'd nearly vomited my breakfast then.

We followed Marco out to the back of the property.

The air was heavy, the kind that settles in your chest when something terrible is about to happen. I followed Luca, my heart pumping in my chest.

Thirty or so men were there, all armed. They shifted as Luca walked through, their silence saying everything I needed to know about his authority.

My breath caught when I saw the body.

Blood pooled around the man, staining the dirt a deep red. A note was pinned to his chest. I forced myself not to look too closely, not to focus on the lifeless eyes staring at nothing.

Only an hour with Luca and I had already seen two dead bodies. Was this how our marriage would be?

Even though my father had been evil, he had made sure to protect his family. Until his death, I'd known barely nothing about the Costa Mafia.

Luca bent beside the dead man, his fingers brushing the note pinned to the man's chest. He read over the words, and something shifted in him.

It wasn't anger. Not exactly.

It was colder than that. An icy fire that made his back tense.

When he stood, his jaw was tight, his eyes dark. He looked like he belonged to another world entirely.

Dangerous. Unstoppable.

Gone was the man who had calmly poured himself a drink in his office. This Luca was cold, calm, and his eyes burned with quiet rage.

This was The Monster.

For the first time, I truly understood why they called him that.

Marco stood nearby, waiting for orders. Luca didn't speak at first, and when he did, his voice was low. "Marco, take her inside."

I shook my head quickly. "No."

Luca turned to me, his dark eyes locking on mine. "Alina."

"If I'm going to be your wife," I said, forcing my voice not to shake, "then this is the sort of thing I'll have to get used to. Isn't it?"

Something passed over his face-approval, maybe? Or amusement. "You think you're ready for this life?"

I nodded, even though my heart was racing.

He studied me, and for a second, I thought he'd argue. Instead, he sighed and muttered something under his breath. "Have it your way."

He turned back to his men. "Fan out," he ordered. "Check the entire property. No one leaves until we know who did this."

The men moved, splitting into groups, guns in hand. They were efficient and strong.

And I? I felt utterly useless. I didn't have a gun. I didn't know how to fight. What was I supposed to do?

I stood there, my hands at my sides, trying not to flinch at the sight of so many weapons. This wasn't my world. But it would be soon.

Luca ran ahead of the men. "Marcel and Rock, you two stay there with her."

He was gone for five minutes. When he came back, his face was calm. One of his rivals, I was certain, had just sent him a dead body.

A dead body with a note was a death threat. And they had thrown it over his wall.

Luca's hand brushed against mine, pulling me from my thoughts. "Come with me," he said.

I followed him back into the house, unsteadily. His hand was warm around mine, firm but not rough, and despite everything, I closed my fingers around his.

We entered his office, and he let go of me to grab a bottle from a shelf. He poured two glasses of whiskey, handing one to me.

"Whiskey, drink," he said.

I took a sip, and the burn hit me immediately. I coughed, my eyes tearing as I tried to force the drink down my throat.

Luca patted my back, his dark brows lifting. "Never had whiskey before?"

"No," I admitted, wiping at my eyes.

"Then why didn't you say something?"

"Because..." I lifted my shoulders, refusing to look weak. "Whatever you throw at me, I plan to handle it. I plan to win."

"You've thought this through," he said.

"Yes."

"And you think this will work? Marrying me?"

"Yes."

He swirled the whiskey in his glass, his eyes never leaving mine. "What do I get out of it?"

I set my glass down, my hands steady even though I felt anything but. "You can sell your product in my family's territory. No one else. Just you."

His eyes darkened with greed. He wanted it. Everyone wanted it. And I knew I had his attention.

"The Costa family controls the largest territory in New York," I said. "It's worth millions. You'd have exclusive access."

"You think you can trust me with that much power?" he asked.

"No," I said honestly. "But I don't have a choice."

His lips twitched again, but this time, it wasn't almost a smile. It was the real thing. A small, sharp smile that made my stomach flip.

"You're smarter than you look," he said.

I didn't take the bait. "So, do we have a deal?"

He didn't answer right away. He drained the rest of his whiskey, setting the glass down with a soft clink.

"I'll think about it," he said finally. "You'll have my answer in three days."

Then he opened the door and nodded for me to leave.

As I stepped out into the hallway, my heart was pounding, my mind racing. Three days. That's all I had. Three days to secure the deal that could save my family-or destroy me.