Shattered Stars; Forced to marry the Mafia boss

wning, her thin body pressed to the cold brick like it might swallow her whole. Water seeped into her shoes, her c

o the bone. Star

he wa

st behind her. Each drop of rain echoed a memory she had tried to bury, bruises,

time he hit her. Not in rag

h a question o

ispered, barely above a breath. "Or

is chipped plate. His gaze snapped up

hat for? So you can run

ing. "So I can... make somethi

sound-chair scraping

u're better t

dn't

eant it,"

had peeked in, face lined with wo

but he cut in like a blade.

e said gently. "You should

" he growled

. The older woman gave a small

he van

when it

adly calm. "Don't ever sp

was

ac

e staggered back, stunned. Tears w

her didn't just crack, it shattered

: he would ne

he l

a pulled a crumpled paper from her pocket.

leave," she had said at the pump, pressing the paper i

n't under

did

dnight. If she kept wal

but from the weight of her choi

for a second and let her min

like snowflakes. She wore midnight blue silk, her hair pinned with stars. She

na

. Not powerful because of his name but because of the way

You did it, he said. You

ision

rned. Ugly. L

idn't sc

ke hom

nce. A dog barked. Somewher

squishing in soaked shoes. The paper in her

Streets she didn't know. Li

ind

le

ui

man who never believe

ook a

ano

mise. A war cr

ey. No plan. N

mething strong

o

fu

ed to herself, her voice shakin

ht, she wasn'

chasing

no one could ri

it was, had no idea what