Malice (Malice Mafia, #1)

by Coralee June

I refused to pity him; a man like Anthony, who had overcome so much, deserved nothing but awe.

Anthony brought out my vulnerable side. My trauma. My broken innocence. He felt the safest to me because we bonded over our shared damage. He was the most open with me, and I saw parts of myself in the way he interacted with the world. He didn't make me feel crazy for still holding hope about my mother. He was my fly swatter. My harbinger of death.

William was my complex analytical side. Like me, he observed the world. He processed. He unpacked a situation and faded into the background. Restrained and secretive, I related to his martyrdom and the way he viewed the world.

And Malice, dark, dangerous Malice. He brought out my inner destructiveness, my power, my deepest, darkest curiosities. Every bit of my filthy soul, he dragged to the light. He personified my most thrilling nightmares. He coaxed passion from every pore in my body. Malice was the wildest parts of my spirit. He was the hardest to love, but the most rewarding too.

"Oh great, we can skip past the awkward 'I'm probably going to put a baby in your best friend' conversation then," he said with a shrug. "By the way, I think I have a breeder kink."

we love a comedic relief king!!!

Vicky let out a dark laugh. "So that's what's going to happen? You're just a fuck doll getting passed around by my brothers now? I didn't realize you were such a pathetic slut!" I opened my eyes in time to see spit flying from her mouth at her cruel slur.

oh i'm gonna start swinging on this bitch... don't act like you weren't going to COMPLETELY ABANDON HER and now suddenly want to get territorial girl BE SERIOUS

"Juliet is my guest. That necklace is my gift to her. She will stay here indefinitely. I want everyone here to understand something. I'm not going to get tired of her tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the day after that. You know how stringently I protect the people I care about, so know that I won't hesitate to remove anyone in her life who threatens her happiness."

when i first started i hated malice and loved vicky.... my how the turntables

I tried talking to my other brothers, hoping to get someone with some goddamn sense, but Anthony was...different. It wasn't right. Just because he could finally fuck something without crying didn't mean that he wasn't still a total psychopath. I loved the guy. We were closer than the others, but I knew how twisted he was—how damaged.

oh yeah she can rot.... like your own brother??? bitch i will gut you

I waltzed up to the guard. I knew it was wrong to be here, but I had to trust in the enemy of my enemy.

not just wrong... it's actually idiotic. you are the dumbest bitch alive istg

Anthony wrapped his arms around me and held me close. "I need you," he whispered, pain coating his tone like thick lead-based paint. "I need you too," I admitted.

i'm in physical pain

"How about I walk you to the coffee shop? I need to talk to my sister, too. Maybe if we can fix this with her, we can work on fixing things with William and Nick, okay?" Anthony offered.

this is gonna end so bad.... i swear if anyone touches a hair on my precious anthony's head i will commit several crimes and not regret a single one

"I want you to be okay," Anthony said before pulling out his cell.

i love this man so much i want to cry

"That's what happens to broken, lonely little girls who grow up with nothing. They cling to the first sign of love and run with it, not giving a single fuck for all the red flags."

what is this my fucking 'for you page'?????

I blinked twice and groaned. With my vision blurred and my head throbbing in pain, it took me a moment to assess where I was. It was a dark warehouse.

if they brought him to the same place he was tortured... if he has to watch juliet get tortured the same way he did.... all because of fuUCKING VICKY???? i will go undoubtedly feral

"You shouldn't have come," I said.

"The fact that you think I wouldn't burn down every fucking inch of this city to save you is ridiculous," he growled. "When we get home, I'm going to fuck you on every surface of my house. I'm going to make you come on my tongue again, and again, and again until you have some fucking sense."

"You know what stopped me from leaving Nick to burn alive out there?" "What?" "You. I didn't want to hurt you. It would have been easy to let him die. I could have become the boss. It would have been one less

person to share you with. But it would have destroyed you. I love you more than I want to take over. I want you to be happy, Juliet. I'd rather have pieces of you than nothing at all."

now we're getting somewhere, william

"I love you, Juliet. I'm going to fight for you—with you."

"You want to know what kind of woman you are?" he asked before grabbing my fingers and kissing the tips of them. "You are the girl that saw Anthony's demons and still believed he was capable of love. You connected with him. You didn't shame him or judge him." William kissed the top of my hand and continued. "You're the girl that tamed a demon. Nick is the most selfish bastard I know, and something about you calmed him some. You made him feel like the hero, and he needed that." He moved to kiss the inside of my wrist. "And you?" "You made me want to fight for what I want," he whispered. "And I've never wanted anything more than I want you."

as you should william, as. you. should.

"What are you doing?" "Taking care of my girl,"

"So beautiful," he murmured. I knew at that moment that William would always take care of me. "I love you," I whispered.

"I love you too, Miss Cross."

It occurred to me just then that I hadn’t been abandoned this time. I had three men who walked through hell and back to be with me. Both literally and figuratively. That night was the last time I heard the flies.

get in bitches, we're crying

"I thought I locked the door." Anthony found a shirt on the ground and tossed it at me. "You did," he replied easily. "But I picked the lock. I wanted to see Juliet."

"I'm better now that I can hold you."

he's my favourite 🥹 i love him so much i would do anything for him 🫶🏻

"Let me make myself perfectly clear," Malice said. "You are the most precious person in my life now. More valuable than any single possession I own. More valuable than family, than my work, than my own needs and desires. I don’t fucking make declarations of love, but when I say I own you…"

"What are you wearing, Anthony?" I asked, scanning him up and down. Clinging to his lean frame was a perfectly tailored black suit. His hair was combed, and he had a dozen red roses in his clenched fist. "I have to make a good first impression, Killer," he said in a way that made me think it was supposed to be obvious.

i have never loved a man the way i love anthony oh. my. god.

"Grams!" Anthony exclaimed. "I’m home!" He pushed past me, pausing to kiss me on the cheek before strutting inside like he owned the place.

Grams exited her bedroom with a confused look on her face. "Do I know you?" she croaked while patting her hair. "Not yet, but we’re practically family," Anthony replied with a wicked grin.

"I couldn’t decide between getting you a cat or this cool retro record player I found online. I was trying to find something old ladies like, but William t...

"I’ve always wanted a cat…," she joked.

"I knew it!" Anthony exclaimed. "I can’t wait to rub this in William’s face." Anthony fist pumped the air, making my Grams flinch in surprise. "Wait right here. I have a back-up cat waiting in the car in case the flowers didn’t work."

Grams really did make it easy. She opened her heart without reservation and loved me so much that it extended to anyone that I loved.

🥹🥹🥹

"And instead of saying you’re dating a fucked up man who talks to the dead and has debilitating nightmares…" His voice turned haunted.

I threaded my hands through his, then finished his statement. "I’m dating a man who can make me smile no matter the situation. Someone who is thoughtful, kind, selfless, and strong. I’m in love with someone who makes me very happy, despite all the crazy shit happening."

"I don’t want to mess this up. I’m not always"—he paused to tap his temple—"here, you know?" I grabbed his hand and pressed it to my heart. "Y...

"Can I kiss you, Anthony?" I asked.

"Can I have you forever, Killer?" he asked back softly. I kissed him.

"William?!" Grams said. I hadn’t even heard her approach. "I know you." What? I looked between Grams and William, suddenly feeling very confused. "Do you know each other?" "I can explain," William said. "This man sits with me at the bus stop on Wednesdays," Grams said. "You know, for bingo night. Our schedules always aligned, and we’d sit together."

william 🥹 you sneaky bastard

"I want you to be happy," he whispered. "I'll take you on dates—" "You said you don't do dates," I interrupted. "Well, for you, I fucking will. I want you to live where you want to live, be who you want to be. If you want to go to college, I'll follow you."

You never really moved on from the loss of someone you love. You just learned how to cope with their absence.

I looked at Anthony, my soulmate. William, my stranger, and Nick, my savior. In finding them, life became less about the unanswered questions and more about living my truth.