His Remorseful King

His Remorseful King A Dark MM Mafia Romance A.N. Stauber Copyright His Remorseful KingCopyright © 2023 by A.N. StauberAll rights reserved.No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental. Contents Preface Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Epilogue Read On Acknowledgments About the Author To the hopeless romantics who fall for the antihero. Sometimes all you need is a good cry, and some dirty, filthy smut. Preface CONTENT WARNING: This mafia story is NOT a clean romance. I do NOT condone any situations or actions that take place in this fictional story. AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you don't have any triggers, please feel free skip the rest of this message. This book includes but is not limited to:Profanity, sexual asphyxiation (breath play), alcohol, PTSD from military experiences, murder, SA, Rape (off page), drugging, and cheating* *Cheating: Please know that while Paddy is portrayed to have cheated, there is more to the story and you should read on. Prologue I’m a dead man. Griff is going to kill me when I show up on his doorstep. Swallowing hard, I try to ignore the burning in my chest while I drive through Boston to get to his townhome. I hate myself for offering to bring Haley’s clothes to her, hate myself for hurting Griff, and hate everything about the last month that has caused both of us so much heartbreak. Most of all, I hate that I’m a lying sack of shit. A coward, too afraid to come clean with the people that I love. All of this could have been prevented if I’d just been honest with myself and done what Griff wanted of me. Instead, I’m knee-deep in a pile of shit, no shovel in sight. “Fuck.” I slam my hand against the wheel of the Tahoe, then exhale a deep breath. “Get it together, Paddy,” I mumble, running the same hand through my hair. I can do this. I can go there and make sure Haley is okay for my brother, Callum. That’s all I’m doing. I don’t even have to talk to Griff. Even though I want to. I want to pull him into my arms and tell him how sorry I am for fucking everything up. Because I am sorry. Truly. I hate all the wrong turns I made that led to this moment. That led to him hating me so deeply. He was the only one who ever got me, and I fucked it up. Today will be the first time I’ll face him since he dumped me last week, and I’m not ready to see the pain I’ve caused him all over his face. Groaning, I pull into a parallel parking spot outside of his house. I’m doing this for my brother. I’m here to help him out. Because, fuck, when Haley left his penthouse this morning, Cal was about ready to set fire to the world to bring her back. And the only thing that could calm him down was if I promised to check on her this evening. Now, I’m regretting the fuck out of that decision. I put the car into park and shut off the engine. Glancing at the duffel bag beside me, I run my tongue along the top row of my teeth. “Come on, Paddy. Let’s get this over with.” But the burning in my chest is still there, and I don’t want to fucking do this. God damn, for the second in command of the Irish Mob, I sure am a fucking pussy. I can kill a man without a second thought. But I can’t face the love of my life after I’ve torn his heart from his chest. It doesn’t matter that we were meant to be together from the beginning. Some of the greatest love stories end with two people who should be together… apart. That doesn’t make the heartbreak any less. With one last heavy sigh, I open the door and step out of the truck. The walk to the door feels like forever, my feet heavy like lead as I take each step closer toward my impending doom. Haley’s duffle bag is heavy in my hands as I rap on the door of Griff’s home. My heart rate picks up and sweat breaks out on my forehead. Will he even let me in? Will he look at me and see the true villain that I am? God, maybe Haley will be the one to open it and I won’t have to deal with him at all. The door swings open, and there he is. Michael Griffin, my childhood best friend, the man I deployed with, the only man I’ve ever been with, the only person I’ve ever loved. And he’s glaring at me as if I’m the biggest asshole he’s ever known. And I am. “Go away.” He moves to slam the door in my face, but I force my foot into the foyer before he gets it closed. I grip the edge of the door and shove it back, pushing him against the wall. Griff lands against it with a heavy growl. “I told you not to fucking come here again.” His words cut through my chest. He’s always so patient and understanding. When I told him I wasn’t ready to come out to my family, he didn’t care. He just wanted me. But even he has his limits, and