BONUS

Levi, my father's friend and right-hand man, desires me intensely, making me forget his age.


Nico, my bodyguard, annoys me endlessly, but his willingness to take a bullet for me draws me in.

Charles, my childhood sweetheart, knows all my secret fantasies, both good and bad.

Ryder and I might be a match made in Hell, but his sensual ice-blue eyes are breaking down my defenses.


Each of these irresistible men is fighting to win my hand in marriage.

Together, we'll unite our families and become the most powerful Mafia in NYC.


But a rival gang thinks we're weak since my father's death and decides kidnapping me is a smart move.

I know my four fierce protectors will rescue me from these enemies.

But who will rescue me from them?

They all own a piece of my heart, so why should I have to choose?

I am their princess, and I will have what I want.

And I want them all.

--

Geneva

Levi Evangelista draped his arm over my shoulders, and I felt a flutter as he kissed my temple gently. "Don't worry about a thing. You're going to do great."

I blushed uncontrollably, hiding my face with a handkerchief to mask my tears. Now wasn't the time to think about Levi, not with my father freshly laid to rest.

But thoughts of Papa overwhelmed me, and soon I was sobbing into my handkerchief, unable to contain my grief. Papa was gone. What was I supposed to do now?

Levi's presence was a comfort. He pulled me close, offering a hug that momentarily eased my pain. When I looked up into his deep blue eyes, my sorrow momentarily faded.

Yet guilt crept in. I shouldn't be losing myself to feelings for Levi, who was practically family. But in these past few days, our relationship had taken on a new, more serious tone... perhaps because Papa was no longer here.

I'd always admired Levi, a crush I'd brushed off until my father's death. Now, those feelings had intensified beyond measure.

Levi's comforting gestures and constant presence only highlighted my feelings—though I doubted he felt the same way. That was just like Levi.

Trying to compose myself, I glanced downward, inadvertently leaning into him. His strong, solid frame in that moment steadied me. "Thank you. I'm just... nervous."

"Don't be." He kissed my forehead again, causing my heart to skip a beat. "You've got this."

I tried to gather my thoughts, but thoughts of Papa brought fresh tears. Levi gently released me and walked to the window, gazing out at the driveway of our family estate.

"They're here. It's time to go."

As I moved toward the door, a tall, muscular man in black appeared. He briskly approached the lead limo, holding the door open.

I buried my face in my handkerchief. "Does he have to come with us?"

"Yes, Princess. He's necessary," Levi explained softly. "You know the Navaro family is causing trouble. They've been targeting our assets in Manhattan. Nico Greco is here to ensure your safety."

"But him?" I shot a disdainful glance at Nico. "I can't stand him."

"You don't have to like him. He's here to protect you—nothing more."

"Maybe you can tell him to stay quiet then," I muttered. "He spews venom every time he opens his mouth."

Levi smiled gently. "He may not be the smoothest, but he's the best we have. Everyone else is already occupied with the Navaro threat. I trust him with your life."

Levi didn't give me a chance to argue further. He opened the grand door of our estate, and we stepped outside.

Surrounded by a high granite wall, the estate shielded us from the city's bustle only yards away. Despite the tranquil setting, the distant traffic noise reminded me we were still in bustling Manhattan.

Nico stood alert, holding open the limo door as Levi and I settled inside. I avoided looking at him, wishing he could just disappear.

Next to me, Levi exuded strength and authority, a stark contrast to Nico's rough demeanor. Levi might be aging, but his presence only seemed to grow stronger after my father's passing.

Nico's sharp, black eyes bored into my soul from across the seat. The white scars of a thousand fights crisscrossed his knuckles, and several crooked gashes marred his face. That cruel, merciless, chiseled visage matched his personality.

I should have been happy that someone so capable, loyal, and ruthless was in charge of my security, but I could never be happy with Nico around. He made my life a nightmare, especially now that he was my bodyguard. I had no choice but to spend practically every waking minute around him, and Levi wouldn't let me out in public without Nico.

Nico's eyes darted sideways when Levi started talking again. Then Nico went back to glaring at me.

'We need to transfer our Tribeca operations to a new warehouse, but none of them are secure enough," Levi was saying. 'We still need to deal with the insurance companies to get back the funds we lost when the Navaros hit the bowling alley we were using to launder our funds."

'Do you have any idea where the Navaros will strike next?" I asked.

"None at all. That's the issue. It's completely random. They attack unexpectedly and vanish into thin air. It's making me crazy."

'Why now?" I asked. 'They've always been against us, but they've never openly attacked like this before."

'Isn't it obvious? They're striking now because they think we're vulnerable. Your father passed away last week. They believe we're without a leader who can fight back. They want to invade and grab as much of our territory as possible to claim a bigger piece of New York. I hate to admit it, but I haven't put up a strong enough defense. They probably think they were right about me."

'No way!" I squeezed his wrist. 'You're the best thing that's happened to our family—after Papa, of course. The Navaro family is going to see how strong you are. You're already doing everything humanly possible. We just need to find a way to beat them."

He smiled and glanced out the window. 'I'm doing my best, Princess. As the consigliere, it's my duty to step up for your father until a new boss takes charge."

'I'm so glad you're here. You've been my rock this past week. I don't know what I would've done without you." Tears welled up again. Without Levi, we really would be lost.

I hugged him tightly, and he hugged me back briefly, but I pulled away quickly with Nico watching and listening. He made me uneasy.

'Oh, speaking of which…" Levi squinted as the limo entered the cemetery. Dozens of other limos were already there, mourners heading toward the Levine family monument.

'Oh my God! Look at all of them!"

'You can't blame them. Every other mob family in New York wants to pay respects to Don Alonzo Levine and support his grieving daughter."

'Let's not pretend. We both know why they're really here."

'You can't fault them for that either. Our family is vulnerable now that your father, without a son, has passed away. Whoever you marry will become the new boss, inheriting his empire, wealth, and power."

'So, everyone wants to marry me. Great," I muttered. 'They're all here to suck up and get on my good side."

'The best way to strengthen our family's grip on the city is for you to marry a rising boss from one of our allied families. We can merge our empires and form a stronger alliance… but deep down, we both know the real reason we're here, don't we?"

He gave me a playful grin, and I blushed. 'Let's not talk about that."

He nudged me. 'Come on! You're nervous because of him, aren't you? You can't wait to see Charles Terranova."

'You're making it sound like a huge deal and making me even more nervous."

'Just be yourself. You know you've always liked Charles. You spent most of your summers with him when you were younger."

'That was ages ago. I haven't seen him since he left for college."

'Oh, look! There he is!"

Levi leaned toward the window, but I pulled him back. 'Don't let him see you!"

'Keep your shorts on, Princess. We're here to see and be seen… especially by Charles. If you two hit it off, you could get engaged to him and marry him. That would be the best outcome we could hope for. His family is the biggest and the strongest after the Levines. They're also our allies, so it would be good to pay that forward by forming a stronger alliance with them."

I didn't have time to say anything else before the limo pulled up to the curb. Nico opened the door for Levi and me to get out.

Levi looked around at the crowd and then held out his hand to me. I slipped on my sunglasses so no one would see how puffy my eyes were.

I slipped my hand through Levi's arm and did my best not to look around at the mourners who were all staring at me. Was Charles in the crowd somewhere?

Levi had been in constant contact with Don Vincenzo Terranova, Charles's father, about Charles and me meeting up at my father's funeral. Levi and Don Vincenzo had been angling non-stop for me and Charles to get engaged. Was I really ready for that, especially so soon after Papa's death?

I used to love Charles when we were growing up. We spent all our time together, and we even talked about getting married when we got old enough.

Then everything sort of fell apart when we actually did grow up. He was seven years older than me, so 'loving" each other turned out to mean something different when he went through adolescence while I was still a kid.

Charles got involved in his father's business and then left for college before I even reached puberty. I hadn't spoken to him since. Now he was thirty years old while I was still only twenty-three.

I still had fond memories of him, and my stomach squirmed just thinking about him. What would he be like? Would he be as nice as I remembered? Would he be someone I'd like to marry?