Page 122 of Savage Don

“I’m going to buy you, princess,” Ray smirks, grabbing my heart with his words and then squeezing. “Straight from your maker. When I return, you’ll be mine, and no one will be able to say otherwise. Not even you.”

The moment he closes the door behind him, I know I’m in trouble.

And it’s not because he’s about to buy me.

It’s because I want him to.

25

Ray

“No.”

Domenico’s face is turning red even faster than I expected. Maybe, if I keep pushing, his head will explode and all of my problems will be solved.

“You haven’t even heard what I’m offering.”

“It doesn’t matter what you’re offering. My daughter isn’t for sale.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!” Domenico roars. The walls of his cluttered office shake and I can sense the tension in the hallway outside. Those are his guards, they’re supposed to be protecting their master, and I’m making him squirm.

But I’m the true master of everyone in this house. And unless they want to set themselves on fire, they’re going to have to tolerate my presence until I get what I want.

“It would solve all of your money problems,” I shrug. “Just take a look at the offer sheet. My assistant is sending it over as we speak.”

My mask is off.

There’s no point in playing around anymore. I know what I want, and I know what I have to do to get it.

No matter how this shit with the rat shakes out, I want to make sure one thing is certain.

Francesca needs to be mine.

How advantageous she is for me hardly factors into it—even if I’ll be using it as an excuse. This isn’t for power. This is for my stupid fucking heart. The same heart I thought was long dead and buried.

The same heart that Francesca has slowly been reviving since I first dragged her into my life.

From the moment I woke up this morning, I’ve been dead set on buying the fiery little princess. In the underworld, it’s far from unheard of to buy a lesser don’s daughter; it’s even less strange to purchase a bride.

But the dynamics of my relationship with Domenico make this an unusual proposition. I’m hoping that he takes it as a direct insult.

That will punish him while rewarding me.

Even if he manages to play it cool, though. I’ll win.

One way or another his daughter will be mine.

“Who says I’m having money problems?” Domenico growls, his fists digging into his desk.

“You forget who you’re talking to, Domenico,” I taunt him. “I know all that happens in my domain.”

If I wasn’t so sure that Francesca wanted to be with me, I might be a little more on edge about coming in here with an offer for her. But this morning, she made it clear to me that I wasn’t the only one falling in love.

Fuck. Love. It sounds like such a dirty word. Yet, somehow, it feels so right. For the both of us.

I’ve been around for long enough to know when something is different. Even if Francesca is too naïve to recognize it, I could sense it.