Season 1 Chapter 1
Forza, Emilia
Estimated reading time:5m read
Emilia
Chapter text
I grind my teeth as Mason drags me up the stairs.
Not leading.
Dragging.
Polished travertine clicking with each stumble.
Asshole.
Rips me out of a fucking flight simulation.
Flies me across the country.
“Relax,” he says, poking my back.
If he wasn’t my blood—
I’d kill him.
“No sass. No flirting.”
I roll my eyes so hard it hurts.
“Capire?” he says, shoving.
I shove back.
“Fuck off. Yes. Fine. I’m already a dead woman — might as well play corpse.”
“Yeah, don’t be cute either. You’ll die faster.”
“I hate you.”
“Me too, sis.”
This time he pats my shoulder.
His pace doesn’t slow.
The air tastes of smoke and expensive perfume.
Whispers slice through the din around us.
“Emilia…”
“Mars…”
“The Bear…”
Each hiss sharper than the last.
My pulse leaps.
Why is Mason pushing so hard?
“Stellina!”
Her voice is like honey.
Thick. Accented.
Annoyed as I am, I can’t help but smile.
Katerina Alfonsi.
One half of my benefactors.
She pulls me into a tight embrace.
“Emilia. Bellissima.”
Holds me out, touches my face —
“You make the Alfonsi proud and the Ragossi weak.”
I want to admonish her for drawing attention to it —
To him —
Immediately before her son puts a blade to my hand and rips my free will away.
“Basta,” Mason cuts in before I can respond. “She’s meeting L’orso, and we’re almost late.”
He checks his Rolex —
Probably aiming for early.
“You go,” Katerina says, patting my hands. “For now, ignore the bear. Lanzo will catch you later.”
I nod.
If I make it out alive, it sounds like I’ll be caught either way.
Mason grabs my wrist.
Sweat in his palm —
Panic, not poison.
“Yes. No. Nothing else. Space? Don’t. Just shut your fucking mouth,” he mutters, trying to whisper and failing.
At the entrance to the hall, I look around for the last time.
Possibly ever…
So many familiar faces.
Fuck them.
I can’t wait to leave them behind.
Eh —
Except that one.
Octavia Alfonsi waves from across the room.
A shared darkness of days gone by.
I blow her a little kiss.
Mason yanks.
“Stop pulling me, dick.”
I snatch my wrist back.
Take two very angry breaths.
“You are not in the right headspace for this,” he says, finger in my face.
“Serve, Emilia.”
Serve?
What the fuck does he think I’ve been doing?
“All I do is serve. What’s your purpose?!”
We’re approaching the door to Lanzo’s office.
A portal to another place —
The underworld.
Mason’s dread is palpable.
Part of me wonders if the office has changed.
Because if it hasn’t —
I’m not scared of Lanzo’s office.
I might still have a secret upper hand.
Except that inside that room —
There’s a new ferocious Boss waiting for an oath I’ve been skirting my whole life.
“Forza, Emilia,” I whisper.
Steady.
Steel.
“Don’t. Do you hear me? Don’t. Fuck.”
He says the last part to himself.
Yeah, his Boss must be fucking unhinged.
We’re at the door now.
I run my fingers over my intact palms —
For the last time.
At least it’ll heal before Mars training.
Mason knocks.
“Please, God, please. Just shut up,” he whispers.
“Come.”
Oh.
Kind of sexy voice.
Okay.
Young?
Mason opens the door.
The room is the same.
I feel a surge of power before—
My stomach drops like re-entry.
Controlled but inevitable.
Oh.
My.
God.
Behind Lanzo’s desk —
The new Boss sits.
Fuck yes — young. Late twenties, maybe.
Handsome — smooth menace carved into his face.
And he’s absolutely covered in tattoos.
Ink coils from his sleeves.
Climbs his throat.
Brands even his face.
My breath hitches.
Mason kicks my foot.
Focus, Emilia.
“Boss, this is my sister — Emilia Monte.”
With those few words he’s both introduced and vouched for me.
And he can’t wait to leave.
Being associated with me right now could be detrimental.
The slam of the door snaps my attention back to the very attractive Don in front of me.
“Sit,” he demands.
I sigh.
Just shut up. Just shut up.
I sit.
The chair is a dead man’s chair.
Dented. Uncomfortable.
But I’m part mafia princess.
Intimidation doesn’t hit the same.
I cross my legs gracefully.
“Uncomfortable?”
He thinks I’m like the rest.
Idiota.
“Only because you’re staring.”
Shit. That’s flirting.
He blinks, but doesn’t look away.
“Miss Monte. You’ll find me to be of one focus.”
Shut up, Emilia.
Instead of telling him exactly where he can train his focus—
I nod.
Why is he so hot?
Why didn’t Mason mention it?!
Why didn’t anyone?
Why is this the first time I’m seeing him?
I wonder if he’s asking himself the same thing.
Because his eyes are still trained on me.
He licks an incisor like a predator.
My breath falters—
The silence has stretched too long.
How did Mason manage to tell me so many stupid things and nothing useful at all?
I close my eyes in frustration for half a second.
Then break the silence.
For both of us.
“Your focus is searing. I get it. Kill me now.”
Oops.
His eyebrow arches.
Left one.
His earrings glint.
Wow. Look down. Think of something else.
“How the fuck have you lived this long?” he asks.
It makes me want to punch him.
Underestimating swine.
But he’s the new Boss, so I say:
“Carefully.”
From under my lashes.
“In my New York, you’ll be eaten alive.”
Holy shit.
The room constricts.
Clenching like a fist around us.
Maybe Mason was right.
Maybe now I die faster.
Things are sharpening.
Fuck.
I was too distracted.
His jacket shifts —
Twin bulges.
Guns.
My pulse stutters.
All I have is one.
And it’s totally inaccessible.
Up my dress.
Think, Emilia.
I try calm.
“It’s a good thing I’m off the menu. Monte,” I say, pointing at myself.
Feigning ease.
It’s true.
The Montes have clout.
Mafia royalty.
Princess.
He shakes his head.
No.
Leans forward.
Lets his jacket fall open.
Lets his guns hang free.
Terror rips through me.
He’s not taking my oath —
He’s going to kill me.
“Who said you are?”
Each accented word is a slug to the chest.
Totally off the rails —
Straight to hell.
He’s fucking with me, right?
He can’t feed me to New York.
His focus narrows —
He sees the panic —
And decides on the spot.
Whether I like it or not.
