I knock on the bedroom door and step back as I wait for it to be opened. I'm not even dressed yet and the ball is set to start in an hour. The last thing I'm thinking about right now is getting dressed for this ball.

The last time I saw Nyx was yesterday before I left the penthouse early in the morning. I've been dying to see her again ever since then.

I was so busy running around the entire city for most of the time I left the penthouse because I went went looking for the best jeweller who could do the job short notice.

My brothers helped me out and we finished the job sooner rather than later.

After I was done with that, I still had to check if security was going to be at it's best tonight. I can't risk anyone in my family getting attacked, or my amore getting kidnapped or even killed by one of my enemies.

I need to keep her safe tonight.

By the time I got back to the penthouse last night, Nyx wasn't there. I went into a full panic because I couldn't find her anywhere. I spent most of the night looking for her and for some reason she wasn't even answering my texts or phone calls.

I even ended up going to her father's house to check if she was there. He wasn't so friendly when he first saw me standing outside his door, but his mood soon changed when I told him that I'm looking for his daughter.

And being by his doorstep at midnight gave me the chance to actually talk to him and ask him a few things.

My mother only called me this morning to tell me that she is sleeping at that mansion with the rest of the family.

Lorenzo and Enzo found it extremely amusing that I was going mad thinking that I have lost my woman when she was actually in the same house as them.

The door opens and a short girl with blonde hair and thick rimmed glasses stands there. She looks up at me with a bored look and I narrow my eyes at her.

"Don," she quickly says while bowing her head once she recognises me.

"I want to see my amore," I say to her and she moves out of my way. I walk into the room and Nyx smiles at my reflection when she sees it through the mirror.

She is sitting in front of the mirror in a black silk robe that's not really covering anything up. I can see her long, toned legs from where I'm standing and I just want them wrapped around my neck for an hour or so.

There is a woman doing something I can't really explain nor understand to the hair closest to her forehead while there is another woman who is about to start doing her makeup.

"Don't," I say while glaring at the woman with the make up. "She doesn't need make up," I say while walking closer to them. The woman nods and puts down the make up items in her hands.

The other woman steps away from Nyx's hair and she turns her head as she examines whatever the woman did to her.

"Thank you. I always seem to get my edges wrong," she laughs and the woman only nods with a smile spread across her face.

"What did you do to your hair?" I say while lifting one of her extremely long braids.

"Thought you would like it," she said while lifting her head.

"I do," I say while wrapping my finger around the braid. Nyx tells the women in the room to leave and they quickly scurry out.

She gets up and smiles up at me. I lean down and place a small kiss on her soft lips. Her tongue swipes across my bottom lip before her teeth sink into my bottom lip.

I pull her closer to my body, my one hand on the small of her back while I use the other to wrap her long braids around my hand in a tight fist.

I pull my fist back and her head pulls away from mine. She gasps as I pull a bit harder and I smile down at her. I bury my head in the crook of her neck and suck on her skin, sinking my teeth in her neck a second later.

Her arms come up to my neck and she wraps them around it. Her fingers tangle into my hair and she pulls at my hair a bit. I return the favour by pulling her hair to the side, giving me more access to her neck.

She whimpers close to my ear and I smile against her neck. "Don't get cocky," she says while grabbing my belt buckle. "I can also make you whimper."

"I'd like to see you try," I challenge her while lifting my head from her neck. I smirk at her and she does the same.

She keeps her eyes on me while using her fingers to skillfully unbuckle my belt. She pulls it from the loops of my pants and holds it up in front of me.

"Nice try, but not now," she says with a wink. She turns around and walks to one end of the room while wrapping my belt around her fist.

I roll my tongue around in my mouth, wishing I could do that between her legs, before chuckling. "It sounds like I can do something later on then," I say with a smirk and she rolls her eyes, smiling.

"Maybe," she says while bringing her eyes back to me. She walks back to me and stands on the tips of her toes. She kisses my lips for a short second, leaving me wanting more.

I grab the back of her neck and lift her head back up. "I'll take that as a yes," I say, brushing my lips over her bottom lip. Her breath hitches as brush my lips over hers once more.

My free hand comes down on her ass, catching her completely off guard as she gasps into my mouth. "That's for rolling your eyes," I say while pulling away from her.

She shakes her head and puts her hands on her hips. "Is the security fine?" She asks while unwrapping my belt from her hand.

"Yes, no one who isn't supposed to be here is getting in."

"And that would be?"

"Well, I have too many enemies to count, but there is someone who would try to kill me now," I say and she narrows her eyes at me, her eyes telling me to continue

"Some Spanish boy who thinks he can take me down, the leader of the most power drug cartel, well he is still behind me when it comes to drugs." Nyx laughs at my attempt of humour and thus makes me smile.

"And also the leader of the Bravta."

"I thought you were on good terms," she says with a confused look.

"We had a falling out recently."

"No Russians and Spanish men," she says and I nod. "Ok, now, go get ready," she says while pushing against my chest.

I turn around and make my way out of the bedroom. The three women who were in the room earlier bow their heads as I walk past them.

"If I see any make up on her face, I will kill you without hesitation," I threaten and all three of them nod. They run back into the room and I just laugh.

I'm not actually going to kill them, it's just funny scaring people sometimes.

I walk back to the room where I was before coming down here only to find my brothers laying around. Neither of them are dressed and the don't seem like they are in the mood for this, nor am I.

"You are back so soon," Enzo says while sitting up in the couch on the right side of the room. "I guess she didn't let you do anything."

"What happened to your belt?" Riccardo laughs and I playfulky glare at him.

"Can we just get ready so we can this night over and done with?" I ask while folding my arms.

"Yes," they answer in unison.

————

I fix my tie before pulling the black coat over my shoulders. My mother said this going to match with Nyx's dress so I'm guessing the dress is maroon because my dress shirt is a dark shade of maroon.

"Looking sharp," my father says while walking closer to me and I smile at him. "You ready for the night?" He asks while handing the box over to me.

I thought I lost it, but turns out I was overthinking everything that I even forgot to pick it up. My father was more than happy to head over to the jewellers and get it for me.

This thing cost me over a fortune, but no price tag is too large for my amore.

Simp.

Shut up.

You know I'm right either way.

I put it inside the pocket of my coat and my father nods. We walk out of the room and head down to the ballroom. I can hear the buzzing of conversations being held by all of the guests.

The guards standing by the doors bow their heads when they see my father and I coming. I acknowledge them before pushing the doors open.

Everyone in the ballroom stops talking when they see me standing by the doors. From where I'm standing, I can see the entire ballroom.

My father and I move to the second floor where the rest of my family is seated. I stand by the balcony and everyone looks up at me, waiting to hear if I have something to say to them.

"Welcome!" My voice echos throughout the entire ballroom. Everyone bows their heads and keep there until I tell them they can look up. "Before continuing, let's recite the word of the Mafia."

I hate this part. I sound like a mindless zombie whenever I have to recite the word of the Mafia.

"The Mafia is my life," everyone in the ballroom says with me.

When growing up I was taught that everything I do will either benefit the Mafia or destroy it.

"I live for the Mafia."

At first I thought I lived for the Mafia, but now, I'm only still breathing for one reason and one reason only.

"I'm a man of the Mafia." I am a man to the Mafia, but not to just it.

"Everything I do is for the Mafia."

What I do in the Mafia now is to protect my family and my woman. I wouldn't be the man I am today if I didn't care so much for my family and my woman.

"And the only way out is Death."

I can't escape the life I'm living now. I tried before, but now, I can say I'm glad to be the Don of he Sicilian Mafia.

I raise my hand then close my fingers, telling everyone with that single hand movement that they can get back to whatever they were doing.

"Where is Nyx?" Enzo asks and I turn around. My other brothers shrug and my mother lifts her hands, also not knowing.

"She's on her way," Loredana says while getting up from her seat.

Everyone in my family is wearing all black outfits just so Nyx and I would stand out. I don't know what her dress looks like, but from what my mother and Loredana said, it will have men staring.

"Let's go," she says while waving her hand in the air. The entire family follows her down the stairs to the main floor of the ballroom.

"Don't fuck up," Enzo says to me while patting my back and I grumble, causing him to crack a smile. People start to come closer to us as they greet me and try to start a conversation.

This is going to be a long night.

————

And the only way out is Death.

————