The Devil's Den

THE DEVIL’S DEN A DE KYSA MAFIA ROMANCE PENNY DEE The Devil’s Den A De Kysa Mafia Romance Book 1 Penny Dee Copyright 2023 Penny Dee All Rights Reserved This book is a work of fiction. Any references to real events, real people, and real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, organizations or places is entirely coincidental. All rights are reserved. This book is intended for the purchaser of this book ONLY. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the express written permission of the author. All songs, song titles, and lyrics contained in this book are the property of the respective songwriters and copyright holders. Disclaimer: The material in this book contains graphic language and sexual content and is intended for mature audiences ages 18 and older. Please read Author’s Note for trigger warnings. CONTENTS Author’s Note 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 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Epilogue About the Author Also by Penny Dee AUTHOR’S NOTE Dear Reader, I’m so excited for you to read The Devil’s Den. It’s a Mafia romance, so you can expect some darker themes throughout the story which include assault, kidnapping, and murder. It also contains sexual acts and profanity. But the real focus of this scorching hot enemies-to-lovers romance is how love conquers all… with some high tense plot twists and lots of steam along the way. This book can be read as a standalone. No cliffhanger. PROLOGUE “You can’t do this to me!” I cry. I look at my father sitting behind his vast desk looking so calm and collected as he rips my world from under me, and I feel utterly hopeless. “I can, and I am,” he says calmly. “You will leave for New York tomorrow.” “This isn’t fair.” “Life isn’t fair, Bella.” “You think I don’t know that? I lost them too.” My father stands. He doesn’t like me bringing it up. What happened that night only six months ago tore our family apart and left me without a mother or any siblings. It stole his wife and two sons from him. It blew our family apart. “We’re moving to America, and that is that. New York will be home from now on.” He walks around the desk to the drink cart and reaches for the bottle of grappa. “Alberto will chaperone you, and you will finish your school year at one of New York’s finest schools. I will follow in a few weeks once I have wrapped things up here.” “I lose my mother and brothers less than six months ago, and now I’m losing my father and everything I’ve known too?” “You need a fresh start. We need a fresh start. This is it.” “No.” My father looks up from pouring his drink. “No?” “I won’t go.” I cross my arms over my chest. “I’ll be eighteen soon enough, and you won’t be able to tell me what to do anymore.” “You’re sixteen—” “And a half.” He replaces the cap on the grappa and turns to fully face me. “This isn’t up for negotiation, Bella. You will do as I say, or I will make you. Do you understand me?” My father doesn’t make idle threats. If someone doesn’t do as he says, he shoots them. Or he has Alberto, his right-hand man, do it for him. Or so the rumors go. I’ve never seen them do anything like that, but I’m not stupid enough to think it doesn’t happen. Not when you’re Mafia like he is. Not that either of them would ever hurt me. I am the apple in my father’s eye, and Alberto loves me like a daughter. His phone buzzes and briefly distracts him when he sees someone’s name on the screen. But he ignores it and refocuses on me. “We have outgrown Italy and have new interests to pursue in New York City. It’s time to move forward.” “My life is here. My friends are here.” I suddenly feel desperate when I think about all the things I’ll be leaving behind. Who I’ll be leaving behind. “You can’t ask me to give it all up.” “I’m not asking, Bella.” Again, his phone buzzes. Again, he ignores it. “You can’t stop me from seeing him.” Him being Domenico De Kysa. The boy I was born to love. Son to Gio De Kysa, my father’s best friend and don to the De Kysa. We were both born on the same day. Raised side by side by our mothers who were best friends. We were raised to be betrothed. The perfect union of the two houses. My father taking me away from all of that to move to America doesn’t make sense. Again, his phone lights up with a call. This time, I see the name. Mari. A woman. “Who is Mari? Why aren’t you answering her?” For a split second, I see the unease on his handsome face. It’s not there long, but long enough to ignite my next question. “Are you seeing someone?” I ask, my voice raised. “Mom hasn’t even been gone six months!” “Bella—” “Who is she? Is she the reason you’re sending me to live nine hours away? You want