A Debt Owed

A DEBT OWED MARISA MASUCCI CONTENTS Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 2023©MJ Masucci This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental. Although every precaution has been taken to verify the accuracy of the information contained herein, the author and publisher assume no responsibility for any errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for damages that may result from the use of information contained within. All Rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without prior written permission of the publisher, except in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. ISBN 978-1-950175-44-4 Trigger Warning: This book is for 18+ and contains verbal abuse, pregnancy complications, attempted assault, kidnapping, blackmail and steamy sex scenes. “A ruler must remember that whatever brings success is due to power. Men look at power as a success.” Niccolo Machiavelli PROLOGUE Alessandro Greco. Mafia Don, murderer, thief, and my lover. He pursued and seduced me until I gave in to his charms. Now an ambush, a broken engagement, and a pregnancy have fractured our relationship. He doesn’t want me, and all I have left of him is the child growing in my belly. CHAPTER 1 Vivienne It’s been two weeks since I revealed my pregnancy with no word from Alessandro; nothing. I should’ve known we wouldn’t last. He was a mobster, head of a violent crime family, and I was just arm candy. “What are you doing?” McKenna said as she came out of her bedroom. My sister and I shared an apartment on the east side of Central Park. My salary as an associate editor and financial stash from my late husband helped pay for the place until my sister could handle her share of the rent. I put my laptop on the coffee table. “Working. It’s a thriller.” She raised her eyebrows. “I thought you were doing romance?” I snorted. “Romance is bullshit. I’ve given up, and I don’t want to be reminded by reading fairy tales.” She raised her eyebrows. “You’re crazy. Your relationship with Alessandro was a fairy tale. You had him wrapped around your finger. He loved you.” “Thanks for using the past tense,” I muttered. She put her hands on her hips. “I’m sorry. He loves you. He’s working through some shit. Can you blame him for what happened?” I frowned. “Do you happen to remember I was there? It happened to me too, but no one seems to care.” The ambush left me with nightmares, ones that were vivid and filled with bullets and blood. She plopped down next to me. “I care. I know it’s hard. Maybe you should see someone.” “No. I can deal with this on my own.” McKenna took my hand in hers. “I love you, and if you ever need to talk, let me know.” I put my head on my sister’s shoulder. “You’re right; he doesn’t love me.” “I don’t really believe you and I didn’t say he doesn’t love you,” she replied. “Bria said he asks about you.” “Then why doesn’t he call me?” I asked, pulling back to look at her. “Alessandro is dealing with his own crap,” she reiterated. “Drugs are showing up where they’re not supposed to. Plus, his injury.” My eyebrows slammed together. “Are you on his side or mine?” I asked. She winced. “Yours, always yours. But I wanted you two to work.” “Well, we didn’t. I’m sorry he got hurt, but I wanted to help.” “Have you tried to call him again?” “He blocked me. I’m not going to chase him. If he wants to see me, he knows where I am.” McKenna changed the subject. “I have a job interview this afternoon.” “Really? Where?” I asked, pepping up. My sister had been lax in her job search and I was wondering if she would ever get one or leave me to pay all the bills. “An import/export company. They mostly ship to and from Europe.” I furrowed my brow. “And your marine biology degree is going to help you how?” “It’s not. I want something different, and this is an entry-level position.” I narrowed my eyes, suspicious of the opportunity. “And they don’t care about a degree?” “No. In fact, they called me. They said they found my resume online.” “Doesn’t that seem strange to you?” She shrugged nonchalantly. “Not at all. What do I care about where they found my resume? I just want a job. It pays well, too.” How could she not be suspicious? Especially because I’d never heard of someone being contacted for a position they didn’t apply to. Even if she had a ton of experience in the field which she didn’t. “Stop worrying,” she assured, rising from the couch. “It’s a job.” “Where are you going?” “I need to iron my blouse. I want to look my best.” “I still think it’s strange,” I emphasized. “What is the name of this company in case they kidnap you?” “Ciandio Import Export.” I grabbed my laptop from the table. “Do they have a website?” “Ciandio.com.” I typed in the name, and up came the website. It looked like they mainly imported items from Italy: olive oil, olives, tomato products, pasta, leather, iron, and steel, along with several other items from surrounding countries, and they exported items from the United States. Despite my reservations, however, I was satisfied when I checked who the executives were on their about page and found they had an office in midtown. “Looks like they ship