His Unwanted Widow, The Underboss's Coveted Queen

e in the city morgue was

feet behind me, playing the role of the gri

ing their identities so he could escape our marriag

d refused the pen and scr

g to steal his territory. The Family stripped my widow's benefits

yway, listening to Lorenzo and Valentina la

could sacrifice his own brother and

ul memory, a sharp b

ht back in the Sy

shed a single tear o

n and legally decl

tire empire, and then I was g

pte

na

avy it seemed to possess its own gravity, across the

vel, "or the Syndicate will strip your children of their

ment, my pulse a quiet, met

orpse in the city mo

a specter in his grieving twin brother's ill-fitting suit,

miasma of lilies, their funereal scent cloying a

m, I had refused the pen with a v

ole on the right foot of the charred corpse-a mark

nd the man behind me-my husband-had tw

ef attempting to seize Lorenzo's t

tipend and cast me and my two young c

lleyway, a quiet, brutal mugging orchestrate

rd them-Lorenzo and his mistress,

emory receding l

Reborn. With every betrayal

t ringing started in my ears, forcing th

up the

nor did I allow a

e dotted line, legally

oor, dabbing at her dry ey

children, Siena," she whispered,

the wall plaster. I didn't trust myself to look at he

forward. A hand settled on the back of my

o. My husband

brand against my scalp. In my past life, those same fing

rose in my throat and tu

ed, my voice flat. "Is

ly. "Lorenzo died

ed a heavy ledger. "As his lawful widow, yo

nd pushed it across the po

nty-two thousand, ei

t Lorenzo's legitimate business fronts and h

er. I lowered my head and let

essing my palms to my eyes. "How does a woman a

sion softened. He was

d dollars for the children until they turn eighteen," Romano said. "I wil

I murmured, wiping a nonex

my eye, I saw Lorenzo

ces, revealing a raw, twitching greed. That mone

. On my refusal. Leaving the terri

with a sharp click and walked out,

he door slid home, Loren

s," he started, his voice pitched to mi

f my chair screeching

ht," I said, each

es narrowed.

to my dead husband's," I told him, my voice

d no choice. He had to play th

l and left, Valentin

oor clicked shut,

five-year-old daughter, Mia, and my four-year

ies into my arms and bur

ne," I whispered ag

making a vow to the

y," I breathed. "And I will burn this e

I saw the alleyway agai

ld be the one la