THE BOSS

  PIPER STONE

  CONTENTS

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Afterword

  Books of the Brutal Empire Series

  Books of the Savage Empire Series

  Books of the Ruthless Empire Series

  Books of the Benedetti Empire Series

  Books of the Mafia Masters Series

  More Mafia and Billionaire Romances by Piper Stone

  Books of the Mountain Men of Danger Falls Series

  Books of the Montana Bad Boys Series

  Books of the Missoula Bad Boys Series

  More Rough Romances by Piper Stone

  Books of the Alpha Beasts Series

  Books of the Cenzan Mates Series

  More Sci-Fi and Paranormal Romances by Piper Stone

  About Piper Stone

  Copyright © 2025 by Stormy Night Publications and Piper Stone

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Published by Stormy Night Publications and Design, LLC.

  www.StormyNightPublications.com

  Stone, Piper

  The Boss

  Cover Design by Korey Mae Johnson

  This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults.

  INTRODUCTION

  In a world where wealth, brutality, and power fuel the darkness lurking inside all of us, there’s only one Godfather of the Night…

  CHAPTER 1

  Dimitrios

  “Are you beating the shit out of someone?”

  Whap. Whap. Whap.

  I grinned as I issued a hard shove to the boxing bag, avoiding the brutal swing-back by heading for my bottle of water. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  “No, I don’t think I would, thank you very much. I’m not a violent man.”

  Gregory Winters was many things.

  Including an attempted comedian.

  It was good to hear his voice after several months.

  “What about the time you beat your roommate half to death?” I swirled the liquid before taking a long swing. Sweat trickled down both sides of my face, but I was far from being done abusing the swinging bag.

  “That was years ago and it was worth being kicked out of the dorm.”

  “Which meant you had to room with me.”

  “Things worked out,” Gregory said and laughed.

  “Yeah, things did.” But things had changed as well. I’d been indifferent to my father’s world, my studies at Harvard allowing the pretense that I could escape my legacy to remain embedded in my mind for four glorious years.

  But all good things were always forced to come to an end.

  I took another swig of water before pouring the remainder of the bottle over my head, taking a full fifteen seconds to allow the cool liquid to drip down my face. With my buddy on speaker phone, I was able to return to my personal boxing round. I needed the release.

  Whap. Whap.

  “I can tell you’re busy. I wanted you to know it’s possible I’ll be returning as ambassador to Greece in a couple months.”

  Whap. Whap. Whap.

  Panting, I wiped sweat from my eyes with my forearm and shook both my arms. Goddamn, every muscle in both had been tense lately. “Oh, yeah? I thought you were done with living the Greek life.”

  “Are you kidding me? I’d give up citizenship if I didn’t think my father would disown me.”

  I chuckled. He’d been ruled by his family as I had mine, only in entirely different ways. Maybe that’s why we’d struck up and maintained a strong friendship. He’d left Athens less than a year before after serving several years as the American ambassador. I sensed an interesting story that might be best told over a bottle of ouzo.

  “The last time I checked, your father was dead. God rest his soul.” They’d had a tumultuous relationship where I respected mine.

  “Oh, yeah. What a shame.” His distaste of his father’s philandering ways had been the subject of more than a few conversations while chugging back tequila. “I have no reason not to come. That way I can kick your butt in pool like I used to.”

  “You’re dreaming, my friend,” I told him, remembering our times fondly. “However, we’d welcome you with open arms. Do I sense an entirely different reason you might be driven back into the position?”

  His groan confirmed my assumptions were correct.

  “It seems the current ambassador got himself in some hot water with a Greek princess.”

  “Ouch. Not good for him.” Greek princesses were a dime a dozen, but you didn’t fuck with one unless allowed by her father. Or as my father would say in our native language: The man was parakalóntas na skototheí.

  Begging to be killed.

  Whap. Whap.

  “I’ll say. The idiot is in hiding and the state department is trying to sort out the mess. Since I’ve already been approached, I have a feeling he’ll be shipped out within thirty days.”

  “Let me know what happens.”

  Whap. Whap. Whap. Whap.

  I allowed my anger from the last few days to power my punches. My breathing was more labored tonight. Business had been a pain in my ass the last few months, tensions rising. It was becoming difficult to tell our enemies from our friends. Even keeping both close to the fold no longer held the usual effect.

  Maybe it was time to return to the old ways, hunting and killing those who opposed our family.

  “Absolutely. You’ll be the first to know.”

  “I hope you’ll share the news with your wife first.”

  He laughed. “I have a feeling Darcy will know before I do. Social circles and all. Maybe just her clairvoyance. You know how she is.”

  I threw three additional savage punches before deciding I was finished for the night. Any longer and they’d spark the rage buried deep within. “I know exactly how she is, which is why it shocks me that she agreed to marry a chump like you.” He couldn’t see the grin on my face.

  We were opposites, his life empowering the right side of the law. My world was entirely different, the darkness and violence necessary to keep the peace the only thing we didn’t talk about. I pulled the string on my boxing gloves with my teeth, able to wrangle the right one off.

  “Very funny. I’ll give you a call in a week or so. I should know by then. Hey, save me a bottle of ouzo. Will ya?”

  “You tourists are all alike.” With the left glove tossed into the box they were kept in, I immediately grabbed a towel and wiped my face.

  “I guess I won’t remind you of my first night in Athens. Didn’t you win the top karaoke award that night?”

  “Asshole,” I growled.

  He was laughing as I ended the call. Chuckling as well, I rubbed sweat from the back of my neck, finally tossing the towel over my shoulders. As I headed to the bar, I stared out the sliding glass doors at the lights from areas of the city below. The estate was positioned on one of dozens of hills, which allowed for a perfect view of the ocean.

  Keeping up the house my parents owned had seemed prudent when I spent so much time handling business in the city, but I wouldn’t call the sprawling mansion my home. It was more like a museum holding fine art pieces worth millions and fine antiques my mother had scoured Europe to find.

  Not my taste by a long shot.

  As my mother had told me before they’d jetted off on their worldwide vacation, the estate was our family’s home. True enough. I had to respect their wishes and customs.

  It was time for a drink, my adrenaline higher than usual when I exercised. The week had turned to shit, business operations taking a hit. It would seem everyone in the world was in a cranky mood.

  I’d yet to make it to the bar when I heard heavy footsteps. I didn’t bother turning around to find out who it was. Five people and my housekeeper had the ability to walk right in. Anyone else and I’d put a bullet between their eyes. I headed to the bar instead, pulling down a bottle of Russian vodka.

  I loathed the Russians, every single one of them, but they made a damn good liquor. When I was grabbing a glass, the atrocious mirror behind the bar’s shelves reflected the person entering my personal space.

  Nico Pappas was my right-hand man, a true enforcer in a dangerous world where grown men and women had no respect or understanding of when to stop playing vicious, deadly games. “What is it?”

  “Káti échei…” He stopped himself, switchin
g to English, my preferred language. I was born and bred Greek through and through, but English was often mandated given the number of international tourists who frequented my family’s clubs. It was the same for most of Athens. Tourists and international businesspeople meant money. “Something has occurred.”

  “Something? You need to be more specific.” I added two ice cubes and poured over a half a glass, finally turning around when he seemed hesitant to answer. “What is it, Nico?”

  “A shooting at one of the clubs.”

  “A shooting. Which one?” There were several in the Nomikos holdings.

  “Sin and Shame.”

  “A tourist on the wrong side of an argument?”

  He walked closer, his face pensive. “No.”

  “Just out with it.”

  “It’s your brother Leandro. I’m sorry, boss. He’s dead.”

  CHAPTER 2

  Willow

  Where the hell had I put my clutch purse? “Mom. It’s just for a day. Twenty-four hours. I’ll be back before you know it. Why are you so bent out of shape?” I adored my mother, but she seemed to forget I was a big girl, way past the age where she could insist on telling me what to do.

  “It’s supposed to be a family holiday and a celebration. Do you even remember you promised that we’d take time together?”

  “Mom. We’re in Greece on vacation. I’m not going to see my friend for a long time since we live in Boston.” I felt the need to remind her that our current living situation was temporary.

  “But you’re always busy at home. This is our one chance to be together as a family. All four of us.”

  Because I had a life.

  Damn it. Athena and the other girls would be here any moment and if I knew my mother, she’d invite them in for a ‘quick’ drink that would turn into an hour. She’d grill them until they were well-cooked. That would destroy the festive night.

  “Are you paying any attention to what I’m saying?” she asked.

  Not even for a second.

  If I did, she’d make me feel guilty and I refused to be pulled into the drama.

  “I heard you, Mommy dearest, but with Shane not bothering to show for dinner, things don’t seem quite so celebratory.” My older brother was the real pain in the ass. Yes, he had his life and had been living in Paris for years, but he and I were no longer close. Why wasn’t she calling him every few minutes, hassling him for being a no-show?

  Maybe because he’d flown the coop almost ten years before. I, on the other hand, had chosen to remain living in my parents’ house while attending college all the way through getting my master’s degree. Mistake.

  Big mistake.

  “You know your brother is very busy,” she retorted in her not-so-nice way. “He has a highly important job.” Shane had always been her favorite child. I’d embraced that nasty little not-so-nice secret years before.

  Not to say it didn’t annoy the shit out of me.

  “Too busy to show up for my graduation celebration? No call? No positive ID from the Greek police? If a call had been made for ransom, maybe I would have bought that excuse.”

  Where was my damn purse? Gah, I hated losing things. Sometimes I felt like I’d lose my head if it wasn’t attached.

  Now she was giving me the silent treatment. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to share family times. None of us had seen Shane in almost two years, but we were in Athens, for God’s sake. And not Ohio or Florida or even Canada. Greece. I adored Greece. I’d sworn to myself I’d move here after college. People were awesome, the atmosphere was always welcoming, and I had a built-in family here as well. Friends of my uncle Gregory. Maybe I’d have time to sneak away, hunting down a perfect little spot I could rent. There had to be a need for my skills.

  I raced into my room just as I heard the doorbell. The villa my father had rented was huge, complete with nine bedrooms, six bathrooms, four living rooms, six fireplaces, and a pool. For three people.

  Daddy had wanted to make this trip special, but he hadn’t had the money. At least until recently. I was worried he’d taken out a third mortgage on the house I’d grown up in.

  “Thank God.” I snagged my clutch from the bathroom, checked my reflection in the mirror, and flew back down the hallway before my mother had a chance to make it to the front door.

  “Kisses, Mommy. Remember, don’t wait up. I am a big girl now. Tell Daddy goodnight.”

  She huffed but stopped ranting.

  For once.

  But I wouldn’t hear the end of it when I returned in the morning. I grabbed my overnight bag, refusing to look back at her face. She’d have her stern you-don’t-care look, trying to create another wave of guilt.

  Geez. I’d called her Mommy, something I hadn’t done in years. I was going on twenty-five, for God’s sake, not twelve. I headed outside. A car was waiting.

  “Ready to go?” Athena asked. Her English was fluent, her father insisting she learn several languages. We’d been long distance friends for years.

  “More than ready.” Laughing, we raced across the sidewalk to the waiting car. I’d met Athena the last time I was here almost thirteen years before. We were the same age and had a blast that week. Even our parents had become friendly, sharing dinners together. I’d remained in contact. Her other friends I didn’t know, but the more the merrier.

  As I jumped in the back of her tiny car, my excitement was building. I didn’t care even a little bit I was being heavily scrutinized by the other two girls in the vehicle. They could bite my tushy for all I cared. I effectively lived a boring life, walking down a straight line to get from point A to point B. Discipline was my middle name.

  Not tonight.

  Tonight was like a new beginning, taking charge of my boring life.

  “Willow, Katerina and Chloe. If you bitches aren’t nice to her,” Athena said, “I will kick your butts.”

  For some reason, that broke the ice. I had a deliciously warm feeling this was going to be a very good night.

  Club Sin and Shame certainly lived up to its name. With the line outside four blocks long, neon lighting up the sky as thumping tribal-style music blasted the night air, I’d known the place was going to be hot. When Athena breezed right past the entire line, blowing kisses at the two bouncers, I had to admit I was impressed.

  Clubs weren’t my normal method of entertainment but as soon as we’d walked inside, the dancing bug hit me. We found a little corner where we could watch our purses and drinks while we danced the night away.

  “This place is hot as hades,” I said to all three girls.

  “Club Darkness is even better, but it’s on the other side of town,” Chloe said. “A bad neighborhood. Plus, this is where all the sexy men come to hunt their prey.” She roared like a lion, even clawing the air.

  We all laughed and I scanned the club. Bad men. I had to admit to myself that I was in the mood to find one. Another goal in my boring life. What girl didn’t prefer a badass sex god? “There are some good-looking men, but where are the real hotties? You know the ones I mean. The va-va-voom kind of men you wouldn’t mind dragging you by your hair into a hot, wet embrace?”

  Athena almost choked on her drink. “Wow. You are in the mood to party.”

  Shrugging, I daintily took a sip of my drink on purpose. What I hungered for couldn’t be found with my passion purple vibrator. I hadn’t experienced sex in so long I’d forgotten what it was like. Not that I could claim the former time had been with a real man. Certainly not the buff he-man type.

  “Mmm… You mean a sexy guy with broad shoulders and a carved chest?” Katerina asked. She had the kind of voice that should require her to be a sex phone operator. If they still had that kind of thing.

  “You bet,” I threw out.

  “A fantasy man reeking of passion and dominance who you could lick on huge pectoral muscles, chiseled abdomen, and the deep V leading to his big. Fat. Cock?” Chloe added.

  “Uh-huh.” I sighed. I had a feeling I’d be hiding under my covers with my fake cock, hoping the vibrations didn’t wake my mother.

  “You might find a few guys like that in the club.” Athena laughed. “Or maybe not.”

  I shook my head, swinging my hips to the music as I continued dancing. The entire time I was shamelessly scoping for Mr. Hotness. A few might be good as tasty seconds, but the Big Mac variety I couldn’t find.