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I’m not going to win this, I know that now, but I won’t go down without a fight, and the first thing I’m gonna do is poke a hole in his inflated ego. “Who asked you to help me last night? Huh? And I have no idea who your grandfather was, nor do I have any concept of why his antiquated notions of marriage have anything to do with me.”
“But you want it,” he growls. “You want those millions in your greedy little hands, don’t you?”
I laugh in his face. “My greedy little hands? Who the hell wouldn’t want six million dollars? You think I’m Mother Teresa?” I shake my head at him. I lower my voice. “If you think you can bully me out of this, think again, Romeo.” I lift my arm and slice it in the air, breaking his grip on the wall. He stumbles. “And if you ever fucking put your hands on me again, I’ll report you for assault.”
He rights himself and shakes his head. “So that’s your plan. Come in here, swindle your way to the millions, take it all and go home, but play the victim in the meantime.”
My jaw drops open. I have no idea what he’s talking about. None. Is he insane? Maybe he is. Maybe he’s a narcissist. Wouldn’t surprise me with a father named Narciso . Maybe he’s taught all his damn sons to be full of themselves.
“Believe whatever you want,” I say to him, seething, pushing my words through my teeth while my heart slams in my chest with fury. “I know the truth. I’ve told you the truth. You’re the idiot who fails to believe it.” The utter nerve of him.
He reaches for me again, but I dodge him, duck, and slip under his arm. I run toward the door. He grabs the back of my hair and yanks me back. I open my mouth to scream, but he clamps his hand on top of my mouth.
“You’re done,” he whispers in my ear. “This is done. Do you understand me? Go ahead, Vittoria. Call the police. See if they’ll come. You’re in a place that’s off their radar, and that’s on purpose.” He spins me around and yanks me to him. My heart beats rapidly, involuntarily. I’ve never been in the presence of anyone that exuded such raw masculine strength without apology. I hate that he’s such an asshole. “No more fighting me. I will open that door, and you’ll walk alongside me. I’ll show you to your room. You’ll join us for dinner at six.” He shakes his head slowly from side to side like he can’t believe this is happening. “My grandfather knew that if you were here for a month, you’d earn every penny of that money. We start now.”
I could leave. I could run. I could pretend this never happened. I could shake the dust from this house off my feet and never look back.
But I have a legal right to fight for that money. I need to at least think this over. Are there any stipulations as to how long I’m married? Are there any loopholes? I’m not giving up so easily. That’s not who I am.
Fine. Fine. I can at least play along to get him to release me.
“Let me go,” I whisper. “Let me go, and I won’t fight you.”
He shakes his head from side to side. “That’s not even in question. If you fight me, I’ll punish you. If you disobey me, I’ll punish you. If you raise your voice, guess what I’ll do?”
I refuse to answer him. He laughs, a low, dark chuckle that sets my nerves on edge.
“Come, little Vittoria. Let’s get you in your room. Then, we’ll go over your rules.”
Chapter Six
“O wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?” Romeo and Juliet
Romeo
That went well… if I was trying to ensure she chooses one of my brothers.
Dio.
She’ll be mine. I’ll be sure of it.
It’s time I take a wife, if I’m going to ensure my place as head of the house. I have the right and privilege of an arranged marriage if I so choose, but this chance… this might be a better option. I’ve seen the women my father’s suggested I marry.
I don’t want to marry a mafia princess.
I want Vittoria.
I’ve never liked anything given to me without a fight.
I bring her to the guest room. She stomps her feet as if to show me she’s not doing this of her own free will, but she could have left. No one’s bound her here. Yes, she’d be walking away from a chance at six million dollars, but she seems like a woman of pride.
And maybe she needs this money. I’ll know soon enough if she does.
But who doesn’t?
I suspect I know what she thinks she’ll do. Stay here free of charge with food and a clean house and a room of her own. Put up with us for thirty days. Sulk her way through. Then on day thirty, she leaves and gets the smaller portion of the inheritance.
