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Chapter Ten
SALVATORE
The audacity that her father has is making my blood boil. I, of course knew that there were going to be other prospective candidates, but who I didn’t expect to walk through that fucking door was Cheng - the man who abducted her. What sort of twisted fuck is Baptiste?!
My eyes want to stay trained on Cheng, daring him to fuck with her. I just want the fucking excuse to blow his brains out...but they don’t. Instead, I direct my eyes to the only person who matters in this entire scenario, Aria.
She’s breathing heavily in and out through her nose, nostrils flaring, looking like she’s scared to death. It hits me hard, wanting to protect her but knowing that I have to let her make this decision on her own. There is nothing more that I’d love to do than take her hand and drag her out of this place with me back to Seattle.
When I had previously put in my request to marry Aria it is because I wanted to propel my name in our world - the world where only the mafia and dark dealings of the unknown come into play. Marrying her would have given me power, fame, and so much more. But now things are different. I haven’t put in this request for my own selfish reasons, but because Marcel asked me to protect his sister. Now that has meaning behind it, and I will never let down a friend. All Aria has to do is sign on the dotted line, and in six weeks time, she will become everything that matters in this world to me, my wife. She will never have to worry or fear another thing in her life. I will always be here for her, and in the event that I were to die, she would be well protected until the end of her days. If she chooses to sign her name, for once in her life, she will be feared whenever she walks into a room.
I witness her hands shaking from under the table and reach out my own to cover hers. She startles, jumping up slightly before she looks at me like I’ve lost my damn mind. “Don’t be afraid,” I quietly tell her, keeping my eyes locked on hers.
“I’ve got a bone to pick with you, Missy,” Cheng pipes up. I want him to die, but I won’t make it easy for him. No, I want him to suffer. The funny thing is that most don’t know about the areas you can shoot in the body, the ones that will keep the victim alive but just by a thread. They won’t be able to move an inch and will slowly fade away bit by bit.
Baptiste speaks, “If you would have just signed on the dotted line I could have avoided doing this.” I roll my eyes, angered by the actions he’s just taken.
Aria’s face shifts into something I don’t know. I’m unable to tell if she’s afraid, pissed, or hurt. It could be a combination of all three. I pick up the pen in front of me and hand it to her, keeping my eyes trained on hers. I need her to know this. “There’s no denying it. I’m a monster, plain and simple. The only difference here is that I’m not against you, Aria. The question is, what do you want? You can have it one of two ways. You can say no, you can deny this marriage and return to the clutches of men that revelled in your pain and suffering for months. Or, you can choose to have a monster on your side. I may be a monster, but I’m your beast. Let me slay your demons. I can promise you that no others will offer you something such as this. No one will ever fight for you as much as I vow to.” I speak from the heart, and I think that she can tell that I am. Aria grabs the pen from my hand and looks over the contract once more, signing on the dotted line.
