Heir Of Deceit

HEIR OF DECEIT TRACI SEK CONTENTS Author Note Playlist Prologue 1. Matteo 2. Matteo 3. Emma 4. Matteo 5. Emma 6. Matteo 7. Emma 8. Emma 9. Emma 10. Matteo 11. Emma 12. Emma 13. Matteo 14. Emma 15. Matteo 16. Emma 17. Matteo 18. Emma 19. Emma 20. Matteo 21. Matteo 22. Emma 23. Emma 24. Emma 25. Matteo 26. Emma 27. Matteo 28. Matteo 29. Emma 30. Emma 31. Emma 32. Matteo 33. Matteo 34. Emma Epilogue Prologue Acknowledgments Ruler Of Defiance About the Author All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under the copyright above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted into any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of this book. This new adult romance is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and the trademarked owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. This book is licensed for your personal use only. This book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. Thank you for respecting the author’s work Created with Vellum AUTHOR NOTE *** Warning This book contains triggers of murder, torture, abuse, sexual tendencies, gang related violence, and alcohol consumption read at your own risk. *** Giovane d'onore — Associate, "cugino", or "connected guy", means man of honor. An associate is a person who is not a soldier in a crime family, but works for them and shares in the execution of and profits from the criminal enterprise. In Italian criminal organizations, "associates" are usually members of the criminal organization who are not of Italian descent, or junior members who may someday rise to become soldiers for the family; this process can take a decade or longer depending upon the family and the individual's qualifications. This can be tricky sometimes; associates with a history of making serious money often command respect beyond their title. PLAYLIST Confident- Demi Lovato Baby Boy- Beyonce feat Sean Paul Trouble- Neon Jungle Wild Thoughts- DJ Khaled feat Rihanna Sacrifice- Black Atlas feat Jessie Reyez Safety net- Ariana Grande, Ty Dolla Show Me- Black Atlas Woman-Doja Cat Arms around me- Starley All I am- Jess Glynne Bad things- Camila Cabello The cure- Lady Gaga For more songs and full playlist visit https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4AXf49DKDBbA0hpaty4FH0?si=aOp8K9vuSziPPFGvZM03wA&pt=f7ee29482de87073314124e34a0c9f3c PROLOGUE “Matteo, you’re eighteen now. Listen up.” My father grumbled, looking from side to side. His arms swung by his side as we marched through an unfamiliar alley. Our black combat boots were in sync with the other, dodging what I hoped were rain puddles. Instead of taking our normal route, my father decided it was best to take a shortcut as my mom was waiting for us with her signature dish I loved so much. She hated when we were late. “I’m all ears, pops.” I learned long ago not to ask questions. I never got answers anyway, so I gave up trying. Scurrying echoed in the shadows as dogs barked in the distance. An eerie feeling washed over me as I stuffed my hands in the front pocket of my hoodie. The dirty smell of rotten cheese hit my nose as I fought hard not to gag. “Never let anyone fuck with you. You could be the heir to a kingdom one day if you play your cards right.” I chuckled at that statement. “Right…” I trailed off, wondering if he was joking or not. He had his moments. “I’m serious, Matteo. It’s time to man up. Do not show weakness, for they will prey and feast on it. Promise me if anything bad ever happens to me, you’ll take care of your mom.” “Yeah, yeah,” I waved my hand in dismissal, trying but failing to hide my smirk. It was the same line he used after every job. My father nudged me, nearly causing me to stumble on my feet. Once I regained my stance, I nudged him back harder. He chuckled, but it was short-lived as the sound of metal crashed to the ground, making us both whip our bodies toward the noise. My father drew his gun, pointing it in the direction as a few jeers and sniggers ricocheted off the crumbling walls of the buildings. It was nearly pitch black, but I didn’t miss an outlined figure emerging from the darkness. Blazing green eyes taunted me from where I stood, but that was all I could see as the figure wore a black ski mask and black ensemble. “Who the fuck are you?” My dad yelled. “I’m here to teach a lesson to a man named Nicco.” The man in black steepled his fingers together, cracking them in one go. My heart thudded in my rib cage and my breathing became erratic. They trained me for this type of situation, but it didn’t make it any less scary. My dad, who never smiled or laughed, especially at times like these, guffawed. “Sounds like a personal problem. But I’d like to know you and what army?” The man in black said nothing, just stared at us. Before I knew it, three other men stepped out from the shadows, outnumbering us by a long shot. My father clicked his gun back and fired, missing as the large dude rolled like a fucking ninja. The other men spread out as I reached for my gun in my back pocket. I never made it to my pocket as my arm was snatched and pinned against my back, nearly popping it out of my socket. Another man swung at my