Bella finally finds two men she can give her heart, body, and soul to. The problem is bad timing, and if she doesn't follow the rules, her family will suffer. Her cousin got her in a jam, and now she must pay his debt and be the woman of a man capable of killing her family.

Little does she know, her own family has connections, too, and the men she gave her heart to may be her saving grace. One of her eight best friends has secrets revealed that aid in a rescue and, when the events come full circle, it's only the beginning of trouble and romance for her and her eight best friends.

Loving made men may not have been the women’s idea of the type of love they'd find, but they are each unique and have their own secrets and troubled pasts—and perhaps loving made men is more than just their destinies.




Dear readers,



Thank you for purchasing this legal copy of Bad Timing.

Bella is special in so many ways. She is smart, sweet, and caring, and when it comes to friends and family, she would do anything to help them, even save them from danger.

Coming from a strong, Italian family with old traditions continued through modern times, the strength of family, loyalty, and respect shine through, even to Bella, who may not exactly know what’s happening right under her nose.

Being that sweet and caring has a negative effect on her life as danger discovers her weakness and uses it against her. When things get too rough and it seems like the end is near and her happiness a distant memory, that friendship, combined with the bonds of family and true love, help save Bella from a life of misery and pain.

May you enjoy the first book in my new miniseries. Happy reading.



Hugs,

Dixie








Prologue




“Is it true? Do you really think that Mateus and Major Fiorre will give up that part of the business? They helped develop that empire,” Trojan asked his boss Colosar Miantelli.

Colosar leaned back in the chair. “They are considering getting out of that side of the business. I personally think they lost their edge.”

“What the fuck do you mean? Those two served time in prison for murder. They’ve been a part of various organized crime gangs and, hell, no one even really knows what they’re capable of. That whole fucking Fiorre family is crazy.”

“This coming from a guy who beats the shit out of people for fun? Who slits throats, does hits, and makes sure I get my money?” Colosar said with a smirk and the arrogance that came with success. He was not a fully legit businessman himself. He had been pushing to get into the Fiorre organization for the last several years. He did some jobs and proved his capability to not get caught by cops or feds, but was it enough to be considered for this high of a position in the family? He was fucking counting on it so he could destroy them from within.

“Hey, I do what needs to be done. By the way, the last several shipments were a success, and I made Fedarro Fiorre aware of the success through some associates of his.”

“Good. In the interim, we sit back and see how else we can secure that position.”

“What about the chatter on Miguel Lupo being a candidate for the spot, too?”

Colosar licked his lower lip and narrowed his eyes. “I have a little plan for him. Something that will make Fedarro Fiorre see Miguel as a bad choice for the position.”

“You’re going to set him up?”

“In more ways than one. Let’s get this next shipment transferred to where it belongs and then plan the other. By the time I get into that family, start taking over that side of the business and developing my name, I’ll be leading my own organization, and the Fiorre family will be finished.”



* * * *



Bella Marie Costanza was running late to work. There was a big meeting starting in less than fifteen minutes, and she needed to drop her things off in her small office before heading upstairs to be part of it. She was never late, but an accident on Broadway caused bumper to bumper traffic and she as well as others on the commuter bus decided to get off and walk the remaining four blocks.

She was a nervous wreck, not knowing if her boss Leonard Williams would be there. There had been talk around the office that some big shot who was either sent by the owner of the company or someone associated with him would be stopping by this week to check on everything. All she knew about the owner of Mercury Industries was gossip. He was a millionaire, had a reputation for being a disciplinarian, and was stuck up. Women drooled over him and he was discrete with relationships but supposedly liked things rough in the bedroom. All hearsay. She was told by her good friend Melissa that Mr. Colosar Miantelli was not a man to lie to or disrespect. He was feared. It wasn’t her responsibility to be involved with this meeting and to gather more last minute info, but here she was.