Lila's POV
The SUV's tearing through the city, tires screaming on wet asphalt. I'm wedged in the backseat, wrists burning from fresh zip-ties, the stink of leather and cheap cologne choking me. Tony "The Hammer" Moretti's up front, barking at the driver to "lose any tails," his voice all gravel and rage.
I'm trying not to puke from the speed or the fact that I just got yanked from a shootout into this mess. One minute, I'm staring down Vinny Russo's cocky smirk, playing along with his fake marriage stunt to save my mom. The next? Smoke, screams, and some goon dragging me into this car. Oh, and Frankie, Vinny's traitor buddy is sitting next to me, smirking like he just won the lottery. What in the ever-loving hell is happening?
I shift, testing the zip-ties. They're tight, but I've slipped worse. Growing up in Chicago's underbelly, you learn a few tricks especially when your dad's a "businessman" who arranges marriages to keep the peace. Yeah, my family's deep in this Mafia crap, and I was supposed to be Tony's ticket to their loyalty. Screw that.
I'm nobody's pawn, not Tony's, not Vinny's, and definitely not the goons eyeing me like I'm dessert.
"Will you stop squirming, Princess?" Frankie growl, his nose bled from been busted from earlier. "Your presence is making me feel nervous."
"Good," I snap, glaring. "Maybe you'll have a heart attack and save me the trouble." He laughs, but it's forced. He's scared of Vinny, probably. Guy's got a rep for making traitors beg. I saw it in his eyes back there: betrayal cut him deeper than bullets.
Tony twists in the front seat, his gun glinting. "Will you keep her quiet Frankie, or I will." he yelled, his face sharp with crazy eyes that looks like a cat that has been hit so many times.
I don't flinch. I've stared down worse.
"Try it," I say, voice steady. "You need me alive for your little power trip." He wants this arranged marriage to lock in my family's muscle. Without me, he's just a loudmouth with a gun.
Tony's lip curls, but he turns back, muttering. Score one for me. I lean back, mind racing. Vinny's probably tearing the city apart looking for me, but I'm not holding my breath for a rescue. Guy's hot, sure those amber eyes and that smirk do things to me but he's got his own war. I need a plan, fast, before Tony figures out I'm more trouble than I'm worth.
The car swerves into an industrial district, all rusted warehouses and flickering streetlights. My stomach twists. This is where they're holding Mom tied up, scared, because of me. I clench my fists, the zip-ties biting deeper. I'm getting her out, even if I have to burn this whole operation down.
We pull into a warehouse, the doors slamming shut behind us. Frankie hauls me out, and I stumble, my torn gown catching on the door. Inside, it's dim, smelling like oil and fear. Mom's in the corner, tied to a chair, her face bruised but alive. My heart lurches. "Mom!" I yell, lunging forward, but Frankie yanks me back.
"Easy, doll," he says, grip like iron. "You'll get your family reunion."
Tony strides over to Mom, smirking. "Look who's here, Mrs. Caruso. Your little girl's gonna make us all rich." He grabs her chin, and I see red.
"Touch her again, and I'll rip your throat out," I growl, thrashing against Frankie. Mom's eyes meet mine, strong despite the gag. She raised me to fight, not fold.
Tony laughs, but there's a new voice, cold, smooth, like a blade on silk. "Enough, Moretti. You're embarrassing yourself." A woman steps from the shadows, maybe forty, in a tailored black suit, her dark hair pulled tight. Her presence sucks the air out of the room. Tony freezes, and even Frankie tenses. Who the hell is she?
"Madame V," Tony stammers, bowing his head like a kid caught stealing. "I didn't expect you."
My brain's screaming. Madame V? The Commission's top dog, a ghost in the Mafia world. Nobody's seen her face and lived to talk about it. She's the one pulling Tony's strings? This just got a million times worse.
She ignores him, her eyes locking on me. "Lila Caruso," she says, voice dripping with amusement. "You've caused quite a stir. Russo's boy is tearing up my city for you."
I swallow hard but keep my chin up. "Good. Maybe he'll find you first."
She smiles, thin and sharp. "Bold. I like that. But you're not here for Russo's games or Moretti's pathetic proposal." she added and walked closer.
I got a glimpse of her exotic perfume, definitely expensive and cool.
"But, you are here because you belong to something big, you are the key."
My pulse spikes. "And what is that supposed to translate?"
She smiled. "You're not just a Caruso," she says. "You're my daughter. Adopted into that pathetic family to keep you hidden. But now, it's time to claim your place in my empire."
My jaw drops. The room spins. Her daughter? No. No way. I'm a Caruso, born and raised. Mom's right there, staring at me, her eyes wide with… guilt? Oh, God. It's true. My whole life's a lie. Madame V, the Mafia queen is my real mother, and she's been playing me like a chess piece this whole time.
"Lila," Mom croaks, gag loose now. "I'm sorry. We had to protect you."
I can't breathe. Tony's gaping, Frankie's pale, and Madame V's just standing there, smug as hell. "You arranged this marriage nonsense to flush me out," I whisper, pieces clicking. "You used Tony, Vinny, all of us."
"Smart girl," Madame V says. "Now, you have a choice: join me, or watch everyone you love die, starting with her." She nods at Mom, and a goon cocks a gun against her head.
My heart's pounding, but I'm not crumbling. I lock eyes with Madame V, my maybe-mother, and force a laugh. "Do you believe I am afraid of you? I've dealt with worse tonight."
Her eyes narrow, but before she can respond, the warehouse shakes. Explosions plural rip through the walls, fire blooming like hell's flowers. Screams erupt, and I hit the deck, dragging Mom with me. Through the smoke, I see Vinny, Mikey, and Sal storming in, guns blazing, their crew tearing through Madame V's goons like paper. Vinny's eyes find mine, wild with relief and rage.
"Lila!" he shouts, cutting through the chaos. But Madame V's already moving, grabbing me by the arm, her grip like steel. "You're mine," she hisses, dragging me toward a side exit as Tony bolts like a coward.
I twist, kicking at her, but she's strong, and the smoke's choking me. Vinny's fighting to reach me, but goons swarm him. Another explosion rocks the warehouse, and the ceiling groans, chunks of concrete crashing down. I scream for Mom, for Vinny, but Madame V's pulling me into the dark, her voice cold in my ear.
"This isn't over, daughter. You'll rule with me or burn."
The exit slams shut behind us, cutting off Vinny's roar. I'm alone with the Mafia queen, my supposed mother, and the world's collapsing. She thinks she's won, but I'm not done fighting. Vinny's out there, and I'm betting on him. But as she drags me into the night, one question burns: if she's my mother, who the hell's been pulling her strings?