Page 1 of Stolen Compliance

Welcome to the first book in the Deceit & Defiance series! We’re so excited for this series, it’s been years in the making! For those who have followed from the Vendetta series, you’ve waited a long time for Luca’s story. All we have for you is…be careful what you wish for.

Luca has…an interesting story to tell, one that will shock you, twist you up, and make you question your sanity. This is DARK. If you’re coming from the Crimson Bonds and Vendetta series, this series will go darker than Castigo, Frayed Threads, and Fractured Pieces combined. It dives deep into the depravity and how far someone will go for love, power, and submission.

If this is your first book from us, we should probably apologize. Should, but won’t. We hope you like our writing. Good luck.

We hope you take the warnings seriously, because there’s no going back once you enter the Hell of the Midwest Martellis, but your mental health matters to us, so please proceed with caution.

For all the Luca lovers who have waited for his story, we thank you for trusting us and putting your faith in us. Giving him the ending he deserved is fulfilling, and we wouldn’t be here without your support. Just…remember you asked for this, and not everything is as it seems.

For those who have read the Crimson Bonds series, this series will overlap that timeline. It begins shortly after the end of Vendetta’s timeline, and will end after the Crimson Bonds timeline. This first book spans the few months between the end of Vendetta and the start of Crimson Bonds. While we’ve done our best to mitigate spoilers, we highly suggest if you’re starting with Luca’s series, that you continue on and read the Crimson Bonds books. You will get a deeper look and understanding if you read both series.

As always, thank you for picking up one of our books, and if we haven’t scared you off…enjoy. We highly suggest you grab some comfort items before diving in. Other than that…happy reading. And remember, you never know what’s hiding in the dark…

Abri & Leigh

To the Luca lovers who waited this long...

be careful what you wish for.

For a moment, I just stand and stare at the mansion in front of me. It’s a weird feeling to take it in. It’s been my home for the majority of my life now. Having just come from my last handover as a Second, it feels odd to know I’ll be leaving. Even if it’s at Il Padrone’s command.

My heart clenches at that. Il Padrone. The Boss of the Martelli Family. At least, here on the East Coast. Allesandro. A man who was my best friend before his father stole me from my family and helped twist me into the first Boy.

Fuck. It won’t make sense to anyone else, but what Il Padrone created was an inner circle of Boys, ones who were supposed to be completely loyal to him. To serve him. We served at his pleasure—for his pleasure. The sex, the violence, yet the loyalty was real.

Except I broke it once. The whisper is loud in my mind, and I shake my head, trying to dislodge it. It’s a mark on my record as a Second. No matter how much he assures me this will always be my home, it feels wrong to follow his directive. To take over another’s territory.

Sighing, I give up on the thoughts that taunt me, that twist me. The fear that lives inside me. Walking up the steps, I ignore the guards. Instead, I enter the mansion and accept that the feeling of home, of right, is here. No matter how much blood has been spilled or how much innocence was stolen.

I turn and head toward Il Padrone’s office. My brief knock is answered immediately, and I’m relieved. It means Allesandro’s fiancé, Lio, isn’t in the office as well.

Entering, I incline my head toward Il Padrone. A respect that’s as natural as breathing. I take my seat without being offered. The one that’s always been mine, except for the time I foolishly tried to take his place. Never strong enough to end that tie, however.

The Martelli Crest is hung behind the desk where Il Padrone sits. It taunts me. Haunting me. Loyalty. Courage. Victory. The words, in Italian, are meant as a reminder—and a warning. After all, it’s in front of that motto that Allesandro handed me my father’s gun and told me to prove my loyalty after my betrayal. Thank fuck there was only a blank.

Everything may have been forgiven after that, but a chasm was formed between us. One that has steadily grown. Nothing we’ve done has fixed it.

Il Padrone clears his throat, drawing my attention to him. Sighing, I look over his shoulder before asking tightly, “You really think I can do this?”

“Absolutely,” Il Padrone responds confidently. “It won’t be easy, but it needs to be done.”

Taking over a territory is definitely the opposite of easy. But he’s right, it needs to be done. While our ethics are…flexible, human trafficking is against our beliefs. Il Padrone’s cousin doesn’t feel the same.

“I know,” I murmur, but concern fills me. “But will you be alright with this? Your cousin will likely die.”

“You saw what the Martelli name was used for here,” Allesandro says slowly—a reference to the fucked up way his family ran the territory, I’m sure. “We’ve fixed it as best we could. Now it’s time for the Midwest to change. And the only way Sergio will allow that is by might. So yes, I know he will. I can’t focus on that, though.”

“I’ll try to make it quick.” It’s the only words I can give him, even though he waves it away.

“You may not have a choice how it goes,” he reminds me. “Just know that out of everyone, you’re the one I trust to handle this. I know you’ll be a good Boss.”

“Is this where I’m supposed to compliment you and say I learned from the best?”

Chuckling, my friend says, “I’d prefer to think you learned from my mistakes, Luca.”

Humor dissipates as I think about what’s before me. I’ve asked before, but I try again. “Are you sure there’s nothing you can tell me about them? About what I face?”

Allesandro frowns, frustration flashing in his eyes as he shoves his fingers through his hair. A taunt silence fills the room. Finally, he sighs.