Page 1 of Taking His Heart

Chapter One

How do you deal with coming face-to-face with the one person who has the ability to end you? The one person who you’d let put a knife through your heart, and you’d do it with a smile on your face. Because the love you have for that person knows no bounds.

I was raised to be ruthless, to be calculated in my every move. And I am. Until it comes to her. Daniella De Bellis. The one who got away.

I haven’t laid eyes on her for a few years. Well, not in person anyway. She might live on the other side of the world, but that hasn’t stopped me from keeping tabs on her.

Daniella hasn’t stepped foot in Vegas since the night I offered her my heart, my soul, only to have her cut me deeper than any knife could with her rejection. She left town. I let her go. Because I am Carlo Bianchi Junior. I don’t chase. I don’t beg. And I sure as fuck don’t forget.

I knew she was coming to town before the gossip mill, otherwise known as my family, informed me. I might have hacked into her emails a while back. But desperate times and all. I needed to be prepared for seeing her in person, so I wouldn’t do something stupid like walk up to her, throw her over my shoulder, and take her someplace she can’t escape me.

I doubt I’d make it far if I tried that. I’d have a bullet in my head before I made it to the door, either from her father or her brother. Both of whom are also currently in this ballroom. Then again, if I caused a scene at my Aunt Charlotte’s charity gala, I’d probably be facing a bullet from my uncle Louie as well. He’s not about to let anyone mess up his wife’s event.

Luckily for me, and everyone in this room, I happen to have great fucking self-control. Which is why my feet are firmly planted on the ground, my back leaning against the bar as I nurse a glass of whiskey. Fucking De Bellis Cinque, which only serves to remind me of her more.

My eyes travel from her feet to the top of her head. The woman is fucking beautiful. How can someone so damn cruel also be so damn beautiful? She’s like the apple Eve couldn’t resist. I know it’s going to hurt like hell to look at her, but I do it anyway.

The moment her eyes connect with mine, I’m taken back to that night years ago when I pleaded with her to stay. To fight for us. I gave her the piece of me she owns, my heart, but she didn’t want it.

“Why? Give me one good reason why you can’t stay?” I ask her.

“You know why, CJ. This, us, it’s not good. We are not good together. And there’s the fact that I live on the other side of the world,” she says.

“I’ll buy you any fucking house you want, right here, Daniella. Just stay. Give us the chance we both deserve.” I’m fucking begging, but I can’t lose her.

Daniella shakes her head. “I’m sorry. I can’t…”

“I knew you could be cruel, Dani, but I didn’t expect to have your coldness turned on me. If you leave now, I’m done. I’m not chasing you around the world anymore. If you can’t choose me, I’m done choosing you.”

Great, now I’m threatening her with things I probably can’t carry through on.

“Good. That’s what you need to do. Stop trying to turn this into something it’s never been. It was fun. We had fun, but that’s all it was.”

I scoff at her words. “You and I both know it was more than just fun.”

A flicker of pain crosses her face. It’s gone just as quick as it came. She really is good at hiding her emotions, better than most made men I’ve ever dealt with. “Goodbye, CJ,” she whispers before turning around and walking out of the hotel room we’ve been occupying all week.

“CJ, whatever it is you’re thinking of doing, do the opposite.” My brother Aiden’s voice snaps me out of the memory. I turn my glare from Daniella to him.

“What the fuck is it you think I’m going to do?” I grunt as I bring my glass to my lips.

“I don’t know, but I bet it has something to do with a hot little blonde from down under.” Aiden chuckles. “And it’s a bad idea.”

I make a point of looking around the room. “Huh, I don’t see any hot blondes in this room,” I comment nonchalantly. “Besides, I prefer redheads.”

“Sure you do.” Aiden laughs.

“Why are you late?” I ask him.

“Not late, making an entrance. I came with Hudson.”

“You know, one of these days, Hudson is going to get the both of you killed.”

“Probably, but if you can’t die for family, what’s the point of living?” Aiden tells me.

“Don’t die for Hudson. I mean it,” I growl at my little brother before placing my now-empty glass on the bar.

I spot Daniella talking to my sister, and I find myself making my way towards them before I can think better of it.