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ChapterOne
Gia
Ihalted for a moment to admire a beautiful white hydrangea past the front door’s archway. The men lowered their guns as my hips swayed past each of them, their eyes locked on my body, burning through me.They need some less impressionable guards.My heels tapped against the tile floors with confident steps that ensured no one stopped me on my way into the huge home on the hill. The steel door slammed shut behind me, and the sound echoed through the enormous, empty hallway. No one defended the halls, including the one leading toward the library where I would inevitably face fierce opposition. The moment they saw me, not even my body could get me out of the situation I was putting myself in.
My hands trembled, and I took a deep breath to settle my nerves before opening the heavy wooden door. I willed the shaking to stop so I could appear more confident than I felt.You can’t show weakness,I reminded myself.
The moment the door closed behind me, every gun raised from the men’s hips, which I expected. The metallic sounds of racking rifles and pistols rose toward the vaulted ceilings in the open room. The scent of lemon lingered there, as if the housekeeper doused the room with cleaning products. I curled my lip at the strong aroma and lifted my hands to show that I came unarmed...mostly.
I scanned the room. Five large men dressed in suits had their weapons drawn on me, a small spitfire of a woman, but an enemy, nonetheless.
“Why are you here, Miss Silvani?” a gruff voice said from a tall office chair with its back toward me. The man swiveled to face me, his dark eyes scanning me up and down. His gaze hovered at my chest, which was accentuated by my tight black dress. Behind him, pictures of his family decorated the wall, each man wearing his suit better than the last generation. Gold rings wrapped around all their fingers as they held them in front of their laps.
“You can call me Gia.” I rubbed my sweaty palms down my dress.
“And you can call me Mr. Viglione. We’re not on informal terms,Miss Silvani,” he said with an emphasis on my name.
“That’s fine.” The guns remained trained on me with every step I took toward the boss, and not even the exaggerated wiggle of my hips could encourage them to drop their weapons. “I have a proposition for you, sir.” I looked around the room at the men. “Can your goons at least lower their guns? I’m very clearly unarmed.” Flirtation laced my words as I ran my hands down my curves.
His lips pulled into a disappointed frown when I showed no fear of the guns. That’s what happened when you grew up in the home of the most prominent mafia family. I didn’t bat an eye when a gun was drawn on me, not even when it was five of them. That was nothing new and certainly not out of the ordinary. My family would be the same way, although a Viglione wouldn’t have made it to this point in our residence. The only thing out of the ordinary was my presence in the home of the second most prominent family.
The family always chasing after my father.
“I know where the dolls in your family hide their weapons.” Mr. Viglione gestured toward one of his men. The man holstered his pistol, stepped forward, and ran his rough hands up my dress. He pulled out a small pistol concealed on my thigh.Damn it.Laughter filled the room as the man retreated with my only source of protection in a house full of animals.
The Vigliones were a cruel family, building their empire on fear and retaliation. My family wasn’t perfect, but at least we had hearts. Everything about this situation felt like a red flag, but in typical fashion, I spit on red flags.
“Can we talk now?” I asked, a hint of annoyance rearing its head in my tone.
“What could you possibly have to talk about? You’re lucky I didn’t kill you the moment you stepped foot in my home. You got a pair of balls on you, I’ll give ya that.” Mr. Viglione nodded as he lit a cigar, the smoke hiding his dark, soulless eyes. His cheeks puffed as he inhaled the smoke.
I stepped toward him, and his guards met my steps and closed in on me. Silvio waved them away, and they returned to their positions along the wall, their watchful eyes still on me. A smile crept across my face as I crossed the soft carpet in front of his desk, the material muffling the sound of my heels. I leaned over, grabbed his cigar, and placed it between my painted lips, puffing on the smoke. A power move.
“I would like to be abducted,” I said as I handed the cigar back to him.
His mouth dropped open. “You would like to be what?” He extinguished the tip in a golden ashtray.
“You heard me. I’d like to stage my abduction.” I bent over the large wooden desk, running my hand along the grain. My breasts pulled together directly in Silvio’s line of vision. He only looked away once I made my request.
“I’m not interested in getting into a war with your family, Gia,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “For the first time in forty-five years, we’re amicable.”
“I thought we weren’t on informal terms, Silvio.” My lips spread into a slow, sensual smile. “Nonetheless, not even for a hundred million?”
Silvio’s squinty eyes widened as much as his fat cheeks would allow. “Explain.”
Money always swayed us. That’s where the morals of our families overlapped.
“We’ll attach a hefty ransom bill of a hundred million, but I need your family to help me do it.”
“I don’t think you know what you’re asking.” He released a devilish smile. “Besides, I’m not putting our families at war again to give your hot little ass a hundred mil.”
The room filled with laughter.
“I’m asking for thirty percent, that’s all.” My lips pouted as I stared at him.
Silvio raised his hand, and the laughter stopped. “Let me get this straight. You want us to abduct you, hold you for ransom, and pay you a portion of the money?” He rubbed a hand through his black beard, as dark as the hair on his head.
“Yes. I’m handing you an easy target with a sizable payout for minimal effort.”
