The Darkest King: A Dark Mafia Romance (The Dark Kings of NYC Book 1)

The roses arrive to the minute I am expecting them. Connor texted to say he was sending them and I was to tell my colleagues they were from him.

He completely took the lead after I agreed to his fake proposal.

I lay awake most of the night, questioning what I was doing, but in the end, I just told myself to stay focused on the prize at the end. My freedom.

Tomorrow, we are announcing our engagement, so Connor thought the flowers were a way to break the ice and let my work colleagues know I’m dating him.

So far, everyone has swooned over the enormous bouquet. Donna raised her brows at me and went back into her office.

I’m not sure what that means.

“Holy shit, there are at least thirty roses in here. So beautiful!” Sienna says, pressing her nose to them. “But Mia, when the hell were you going to tell me you were dating Connor Barrett?”

I hear the hurt in her voice. We tell each other everything.

Well, except the bit about my family.

“I can’t believe I said those things on Saturday night, and you’re banging him,” Sienna continues, and I choke on my saliva.

“It’s not completely new. He asked me to keep it quiet. We met, um, earlier and just hit it off.”

God, I am crap at this.

I have this entire story prepared and can’t remember one single bit of it.

“Hit it off, my ass. There are thirty-six red roses here. Long-stemmed, with individual little water tubes on every stem.” Sienna is still running her fingers through the bouquet. “That’s serious.”

Which is what Connor wants you to think.

I shrug and put them on the table in our office. It takes up half the round space. “Well, he’s rich, so—”

“A multi-billionaire isn’t rich. That’s filthy rich.” Sienna flops into one of the chairs. “And hot.”

I bite my lip.

Connor is most definitely hot. Smoking hot. And I get to sleep with him for the next six months. I keep flopping between being creeped out by it and horny as hell.

“Yeah, he really is. And he’s also caring and cuddly,” I say, lying through my teeth. I doubt he is either of those things, but I am going to be marrying the man, so I have to appear to be head over heels.

I have to lie to everyone. My friends, my family. Donna.

Everyone.

Tomorrow, the world will learn about our engagement and my real identity. Not that I’ve used a false name. I’ve just never told them who I truly am.

I’m not sure how they will react, and honestly, I am more nervous about this than the fake relationship. My father’s reputation is well known and bad. There is no way it won’t reflect on me.

“Wow, you really like him, huh,” Sienna says with a sigh.

“Yes.” I cross the room and close the door to the office we share.

Sienna’s eyes follow me, her brows dipping. “What’s going on?”

“I have something to tell you. Please hear me out before you freak out,” I say quickly.

“Oh shit. Are you pregnant?” She gasps, sitting up straight. “To Connor Barrett. Oh God. Sorry, freaking out.”

I laugh.

“No, I’m not pregnant.” I make a mental note to make sure we use double condoms and to religiously take my birth control. “I’m moving in with him.”

I hold my breath, waiting for her response.

“Oh.” Her eyes widen, and she sinks back into her chair. “That seems…fast.”

And in three, two, one…

“He asked me to marry him last night,” I add, “and I said yes.”

Sienna’s mouth falls open, then she jumps to her feet. “Shut the front door!” she cries, staring at me. “Is this what you want? Do you love him?

I nod, smiling.

She crosses the space between us and throws her arms around me. “Congratulations, honey. My God.”

I close my eyes for a second, welcoming her warm loving embrace, and hope she can forgive me for all the lies I am about to share next.

And soon, when this is all over.

“Sienna, there’s something else.” I pull back out of her arms. My smile fades, and regret rushes through me.

Sienna leans her hip against the desk and frowns. “Okay, I’m all out of ideas. No baby…You’re getting married. So, go. Tell me.”

I walk to my chair and sit down, then sigh.

“My name is Mia Mancini, but I haven’t told you who I truly am.” I wince at her reaction. “My father is Joseph Mancini.”

I let that hang, while Sienna stares blankly at me. Then I see the moment she figures it out. She straightens away from the desk, and her mouth drops open.

“Mancini,” she says, staring at me, like I’m a freak.

I nod.

“The mobster.”

I nod again.

“Daughter.”

I press my lips together.

“My God. Are you…I don’t even know what to ask.”

I reach for my bottle of water and take a long sip. After two sleepless nights, I’m exhausted and emotional. This lying business is not for the fainthearted.

“I couldn’t tell you. No, that’s not true. I want to tell you the truth.” I wince, knowing that’s only half true. Goddamn. “I didn’t want to tell you. I wanted a life independent of the mafia, and I have. For two amazing years. Your friendship is so important to me, and I was hoping you would never need to know. I’m sorry.”

“Why tell me now?” she asks. “God, all this time, Mia.”

“Tomorrow, we’re announcing our engagement to the press. They know who I am. I’m boring, so never in the news, and I don’t think they’d even recognize me. Now I’m marrying Connor. It will be all over the news,” I say. “You can’t say anything. Please. Not until it’s released.”

“Yeah, of course. No one wants to cross the mob.” She lets out a dry, awkward laugh.

I hate it.

I hate that this is out and between us now. She’ll never look at me the same. I want to say it’s not like that, but it is.

Sienna glances around the room, then back at me. “I guess you can’t tell me anything.”

“No.” I shake my head. “Trust me, you don’t want to know.”

“Is it horrible?” she asks, and I can see my friend once more.

“Yes.”

“Is this why you are marrying Connor?” she asks perceptively but not as accurately as she might think.

Now the lies begin again.

When will I be free of them?

“No. I love him,” I reply firmly. It’s going to be imperative people believe me, so if I can get Sienna on board, then surely, I can sell the lie to others. “Apparently, love at first sight is a thing.”

She sits there, shaking her head in disbelief. Not at my lie, as she should, but at the truths I’ve told her.

“Wow. You’re going to be the wife of a billionaire. And you’re a mobster,” Sienna says, and I hear the unsaid words.

You’re not one of us anymore.

You are not who I thought you were.

I remind myself this is temporary, and at the end of everything, I’ll be free and can once again just be Mia.

Which is just one more damn lie.