THE MAFIA BOSS OPENED THE WRONG DOOR—AND SAW THE ONE WOMAN HE WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO WANT

worked.

Until I grew up.

When I was sixteen, my mother sat me down after one of his visits.

“He’s a good man in a bad world,” she told me.

“But?” I asked, because there was always a but.

“But that world kills, Avery. I don’t want you near it.”

“He wouldn’t hurt me.”

“No,” she said firmly. “He’d cut off his own arm before letting anyone hurt you. But his world continue reading …