Chapter 4: Mariana's Pov

Time and time again, I’ve heard People say that there’s a fire burning in my soul, a fire threatening to reduce me to nothing but ashes, a fire that might make or mar me—only time will tell.

But do I care? No.

I have not a care in the world about what that fire does to me because I’m twice as dangerous.

People might not see it, sometimes they look at me and think that I’m just another woman whose only concern is to whore around until her entire life is fucked up. Sometimes I’m overlooked because of my gender, especially in our world of crime.

But I’m the danger you should avoid. I’m the danger that comes at you without warning. Everything about me screams danger but I made a choice a long time ago to suppress my demons.

I suppressed the urge to be evil and all of a sudden, my life crumbled from every corner. And now, I’ve truly become just another woman. A daughter born to the Denaro’s. A daughter born to the most powerful family in Italy who’s been prepared to be married off to another powerful family in order to continue a long standing alliance perhaps form a new one.

That’s who I’ve become and I loathe it.

But today isn’t one of those days that I’d spend my time sulking about my life choices. It should be a new dawn for me, a day to incorporate a little bit of change in my life. And by change, I mean going into my room and washing the stench of alcohol off my skin.

Stumbling towards my front door, my ears pick up on muffled screams, causing me to halt in my tracks.

“How many times have I warned that strangers are not allowed to spend the night in my home?!”

I can hear my father screaming. The rage leaking out of his voice is enough to have someone pissing their pants. I’m certain that he’s screaming at Mariano and I’m left to wonder what he’d do to me when I walk into the house half naked.

Yes, I’m a party animal and after that good for nothing son of a bitch ruined my perfectly planned party, I resorted to going to the club with Iris to spend the rest of the night and a better half of the morning.

Shit.

A mistake.

I’m unable to stand straight considering that I’m still high as fuck and my very slutty dress isn’t going to help my case in anyway.

However, I gather enough courage and push the door open, knowing that there’s no escaping the great Matteo Denaro’s fury.

“Oh, for fucks sake!” Father yells, his eyes reddening with rage as those dangerously intimidating orbs of his rakes my body slowly.

Looking over to my side, a smile tugs at the corners of my lips when my eyes land on a familiar figure—a very disheveled Leah standing behind Mariano, squirming and shuddering with fear each time father’s voice resounds. I raise my eyebrows in questioning and she nods at me, giving me the confirmation I need.

That was quick. For Leah that is. Unless she has been stupidly and unhealthily obsessed with my brother as much as he has been with her.

My stupid brain makes an attempt at displaying a vivid image of my best friend writhing beneath my brother, causing me to shake my head with a faked gag.

Mariano scowls at me but the smile tugging at the corners of his lips warms my heart.

He’s waited years for this and I’m certain he must feel ecstatic but father being father will always be a killjoy.

For fucks sakes, the estate is his but this wing belongs to my brother and I. So why is he here so early in the morning, screaming like a man who was starved of pussy the night before?

“Mariano,” Father breathes and a low hum vibrates out of my brother, causing father’s nose to flare as he exhales harsh pants through his mouth. “This son of a. . .Mariano!” He roars.

“Sir!” Mariano’s shoulders are instantly squared up as he stands at attention like a soldier. They’re no longer conversing as father and son—it’s now a boss against his employee. A Don and his soldier.

“My instructions yesterday were made perfectly clear, were they not?”

“They were, sir!”

“Then tell me exactly why your sister is just returning home dressed like a whore and looking high out of her mind!”

I lower my head in shame but not before meeting eyes with that asshole who ruined my party last night. Why the hell is he still in my house? And why the fuck is he smiling at me?

“Papá, I—”

“Shut the fuck up, Maria! Why are you like this for fucks sakes?! Why have you chosen to be a pain in my ass?!”

“Matteo. . .please don’t use those harsh words on our daughter.” Mum tries to reason with him but he’s not having it.

“Don’t support them, Mirabella! They’re like this because you spoil them!” His fingers are pressed against his temple, applying pressure on his frontal bone to help him calm down. “First, my son disobeys me and brings one of his whores into my home and then I find out that my daughter has become a drug addict!”

What?

Me? A drug addict?

“Papá! I’ve told you over a million times that Leah is not my whore! She’s my woman and I demand that you respect her!” Mariano yells, rage seeping out of his voice.

“Speak to me in that manner one one more time and I’ll pull my gun on you!” Father roars and Mariano immediately clamps his mouth shut. Father turns to me with a disgusted look in his eyes. “When did you start sniffing cocaine? And who the fuck gave you access to all those cocaine you fed your friends yesterday?” He questions.

I squirm with a wince. “I don’t sniff cocaine, papá, I just made it available for most of my friends who do.”

“How did you get it?” He questions calmly and I look between him and Leah. He immediately understands and instructs Mariano to take Leah home. Mariano and Leah smiles at me with thinned lips and I return their gesture with a nod.

Leah is about to walk through the door but stops in her tracks, turning around to face father. “I’m sorry, sir, but with all due respect, I’d like to say that you’re the most uncultured human being I’ve ever come across,” she mutters and my eyes widen.

The old Matteo Messina Denaro threatens to surface, his eyes turning red, tightening at the corners as he takes predatory steps forward. “What did you just say to me?”

Mariano pushes his woman behind him, challenging our father to try and harm her.

Father smiles as though accepting the challenge. “What the fuck did you just say to me, young lady?”