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“Alright,” he says. “Ricky, Enzo. You’re dismissed.”
I turn to watch the men who brought me in nod their heads in short bow-like movements and retreat, shutting the door behind them.
I stare at the back of the door in dismay, realizing the truth. I’m trapped in here now, stuck with the boss of a mafia family, the very man to who my Dad owes a lot of money to.
And the fear that started to come over me downstairs intensifies until I can barely breathe. I can’t force myself to turn around and look at him, no matter how defiant I wish I could be.
What’s going to happen to me now?Chapter ThreeTommy“So, here’s the deal, Carina,” I say, leaning against one of the bedposts. She turns around at last and looks at me, and I see how pale her face is. She’s afraid. She doesn’t need to be, though it might help to keep her in check. Still, I feel the need to soften the impact. “Your father owes me a lot of money.”
“I know,” Carina says, instantly. Maybe that defiance isn’t all gone just yet. That fire I glimpsed in her eyes earlier returns a little. “I do his books. You think I don’t know how much you extorted him for?”
I snort a laugh. “Extorted? He needed the money to keep his business afloat. We helped him out when the bank wouldn’t. He owes us more than money, Carina. He owes us gratitude.”
“Gratitude?” Carina snaps. “You kidnapped his daughter. I don’t think he’s feeling too grateful right about now.”
“He should because I’ve been very generous.” A spark of anger lights inside me, but it’s more than matched by the flare of intrigue she causes in me. I want to get to know this woman, to understand how she ticks. I want to get inside her head – and other parts of her, too. “I could have taken his business, demanded him to pay back everything immediately. But I want those who live in my city to thrive. I want him to keep trading, to get stronger. So, I gave him time.”
“A week,” Carina says, shaking her head. “You’re not being generous. You’re being cruel. He won’t find the money.”
“He won’t?” I narrow my eyes. “Then what happened to the loan that we gave him for the improvements? Did he make those improvements? Does the bakery now run faster, make better goods?”
“Yes,” Carina says, her tone reluctant. “But…”
“Under the plans that he showed me, Donovan Bianco should be making more than enough money to pay me back within the week,” I say. “We know that he’s been selling things, getting the money back. I don’t care whether the profit comes from the business or from the sale of his home – either way, I will have it. We made a deal. That’s how it works.”
“It’s not how it works out there in the real world,” Carina says petulantly. “Not in the legal world. A bank wouldn’t be able to do this – take a person as collateral!”
“Do you think the bank would give you a second chance?” I ask, straightening my head and looking at her fiercely. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter now. The deal is done. Your father pays up by the end of the week, or he doesn’t get you back. Those are the rules.”
Carina swallows, pausing a moment before she speaks again. I wonder if she’s gathering her courage. “What will you do?” she asks. “Kill me, if he doesn’t pay?”
I consider her for a moment. No, I won’t do that. I wouldn’t do that. A creature as glorious as this – how could I ever? But she doesn’t need to know that yet. She should keep some of that fear. If she calls her father and tells him my threats are meaningless, then he doesn’t pay. And besides – if I have my way, then by the end of the week she won’t want to leave anyway. Ever.
And I always get my way.
“Maybe,” I tell her. “Maybe not. I suppose it depends on your behavior.”
I leave her with those words for a moment, watching her digest and process them. I’m enchanted by every small movement of her face, every trace of emotion that passes over it. The desire to make her mine is only growing stronger by the moment. I dare her to argue back with me, to show me that fire again. I dare her to show me that even as she may be afraid for her life, she isn’t particularly afraid of me. There are not many people I could say that about, especially in a situation like this.
Carina Bianco continues to intrigue me – and I know I’m not going to let this week pass by without getting to know her more.Chapter FourCarinaI catch my breath at his words. Maybe, maybe not? What does that mean? Does he want me to shut up and be obedient and quiet so that I don’t make it difficult for him? Does he want me to sit in this room and not cause any fuss, and wait for my fate to be decided?
