The Mole In The Room
Downstairs, the silence stretched thin like glass.
Diamond sat curled up on the velvet couch, legs folded beneath her, arms wrapped around a throw pillow. Across from her, Gabriele Greco lounged on the opposite couch, his ankle resting casually on his knee, one arm slung over the backrest. The air between them was a cocktail of tension and curiosity, silence and the crackling anticipation of something unsaid.
Diamond glanced toward the ceiling, her voice quiet. “I wonder what’s going on up there.”
Gabriele tilted his head, his lips twitching into a smile. “At least they’re not at each other’s throats. And I’m grateful for that. Small victories.”
Diamond let out a small laugh. “You know…” She turned her gaze to him, her eyes narrowing playfully. “You’re actually really nice.”
Gabriele raised a brow. “Oh?” He leaned forward slightly. “Tell me more.”
Diamond rolled her eyes, flipping her hair off her shoulder. “I haven’t even started and it’s already getting to your head.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said with mock innocence, smirking.
She smiled, a little wider this time. “I mean it. I see the way you look out for Adriano. How you’ve been trying to patch things up between him and Alessandro since you got here. You’re not as cold as you act.”
“You sure about that?”
“Yeah. You might actually be the best Greco I’ve met.”
Gabriele’s eyes widened. He pointed to himself. “The best? Me?”
A smug, shit-eating grin stretched across his face. “Even better than your boyfriend?”
Diamond snorted. “I never said that.”
“But you just did. You said I’m the best Greco brother.”
“Yeah, but you’re twisting my words—”
“I’m literally not.”
“Oh shut the fuck up,” Diamond muttered, flipping him off.
Gabriele chuckled low in his throat. “You’re feisty. I like that.”
“You’re not the first one to tell me that.”
“And I’m also sure I’m not the first one to tell you that you’re beautiful.” His voice dropped slightly, the teasing tone melting into something sincere. “Like really fucking beautiful.”
Diamond froze.
The sudden change in energy struck her like a slap of heat. Her lips parted, but no sound came. Her cheeks betrayed her first—flushing pink as her gaze darted down, then slowly back up to him.
She didn’t say anything.
Gabriele didn’t look away.
Just then—footsteps.
The weight of two pairs descending the staircase snapped their attention toward the hallway.
Adriano and Alessandro appeared, the former half-leaning on the latter.
“I can walk perfectly fine on my own,” Adriano grumbled, annoyed. “I was shot in the shoulder, not my fucking legs.”
“Then stop leaning on me, asshole,” Alessandro muttered back.
“You’re the one who insisted.”
“I insisted because you’re stubborn and look like you’re about to black out again.”
Diamond stood as they entered. Gabriele did too, the mood in the room shifting in an instant.
Adriano eased himself onto the couch beside Diamond, and she immediately curled into his side, her hand resting gently over his chest. Alessandro dropped onto the adjacent armchair with a heavy sigh, his expression grim.
A beat passed.
Then another.
And then—
“We have a serious problem,” Alessandro said, his voice cutting clean through the room. “There’s a rat in our circle. And whoever it is… they’re going to die.”
The room went still.
Diamond sat up a little straighter. Adriano leaned his head back, eyes half-lidded with a tired kind of tension, while Gabriele crossed his arms, listening.
Alessandro continued. “Someone knew where we’d be last night. Knew we’d come unguarded. No men. No backup. Just the three of us at that restaurant.”
“They wanted us defenseless,” Gabriele added.
“Exactly,” Alessandro said. “Gabriele arranged the dinner. Told us to come alone. Which means whoever leaked the location, knew it was meant to be just us.”
His voice darkened. “That shooter we captured? He cracked. Said they were hired by La Rosa Nera.”
Diamond’s brows drew in sharply. “La Rosa Nera? Adriano, isn’t that the—”
“Rival mafia I told you about? Yeah,” Adriano nodded. “They knew where we’d be. They saw a chance to take us out in one move.”
“Gabe,” Alessandro turned to his younger brother. “Did you tell anyone about our plans?”
“No, I didn’t tell anyone,” Gabriele replied. “Not a soul. I made the reservation myself. The men I got here with don’t even know the damn address.”
“I didn’t tell anyone either,” Alessandro said. Then his gaze shifted. “Adriano?”
Adriano exhaled, rubbing the side of his temple. “I didn’t tell anyone…”
He trailed off.
Everyone in the room could feel it.
“Except Diamond,” he said quietly.
All eyes locked on her.
Diamond blinked. “What?” she said, staring between Alessandro and Gabriele. “Why’re the both of you giving me that look?”
“What look?” Gabriele said smoothly, his eyes narrowing.
“That look.”
“You mean the guilty look?” Alessandro asked, arms folded tight. “Because this is starting to look like something.”
“Seriously?” Diamond’s voice rose an octave. “You think I had something to do with this?”
“You’re the only one who knew,” Alessandro said coldly.
“I’ve been here since yesterday! I didn’t go anywhere. I’ve barely fucking slept!” she snapped. “I don’t have time to play games with Mafia clowns.”
She stood, pacing. “Before I even started stripping then met Adriano, I washed toilets, flipped burgers, delivered greasy food to assholes who didn’t tip. You think that girl has ties to a fucking Mafia family?”
She turned, arms flung open. “Do I look like someone with criminal contacts?”
Adriano chuckled, pulling her back down beside him. “Yeah, you do.”
Diamond scowled.
“You have ties with me,” he added, his voice softer now. “You’re mine.”
He leaned in, and his mouth claimed hers in a kiss that was slow, deep and consuming. His tongue dragged against hers, his teeth grazed her bottom lip, pulling it between them before sucking hard.
“Christ,” Alessandro groaned, covering his face with his hand.
Across the room, Gabriele’s jaw clenched but he didn't look away.
His eyes stayed glued to Diamond—but not to the kiss. Not to the couple. Just her.
Her.
And like a fucking curse, the image came flooding back. Burned into his brain like a goddamn brand.
That moment. That second her towel slipped when he tried to catch her.
Diamond, dripping wet, skin glowing, completely naked in front of him.
Her breasts—full and round, the kind of tits you knew would bounce beautifully while she rode you.
The deep curve of her waist, the flare of her hips, her thick thighs slick with water.
And between her legs—Fuck.
That pussy. Smooth. Bare. Pretty and pink as fuck. The lips soft, full, like something straight out of a wet dream. Not a single hair. Not a single flaw. Just clean and tight and so goddamn tempting it made his mouth dry and his cock twitch in his pants.
He hadn’t meant to look.
But he did.
And now it was fucking stuck there—like a sick obsession carved right into the back of his skull.
He bit his tongue and adjusted slightly, trying to ignore the way his pants felt a little too tight all of a sudden.
Adriano, you fucking lucky bastard. Gabriele thought to himself.
The couple finally pulled apart, lips swollen and eyes locked.
“She’s not the one,” Adriano said, his voice firm. “It’s not her. She’s already been through a fair amount of shit because of me, yet she's still here. I trust her with my life.”
Alessandro said nothing, but his frown remained.
“Fine,” he said finally. “But we still need to find out who did it. Someone close to us—someone we’ve let in—is working with La Rosa Nera. They almost succeeded once. They’ll try again.”
Then—
A phone rang.
Alessandro’s expression immediately twisted with annoyance.
“Now?” he muttered, digging into his coat pocket. “Who the fu—”
He froze.
The phone glowed in his hand.
His entire posture shifted. Rigid. Alert.
Adriano sat up slightly. Gabriele narrowed his eyes.
“Who is it?” Gabriele asked.
Alessandro turned the screen toward them.
One word on the caller ID.
Padré.