My best friend married a mafia boss, and somehow, that pulled me into a world I never expected. We’ve been inseparable since middle school, so visiting her was nothing new. That day, we were lounging on her massive couch, laughing like we always did, lost in nostalgia. But there was something different—something lurking in the air.

Across the room, at the sleek marble bar, her husband Marcus stood with his second-in-command, Nikolas. I could feel Nikolas gaze, a heavy haze pressing against me, even as I pretended not to notice.