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After dinner, I stand up, having other commitments tonight. I round the table and extend my hand for her. She looks at it as if it will bite her. Her defiance slips through her tight expression, while everyone takes in our exchange with bated breath. I wait. Regardless of how long it takes, I will never back down. Since the first moment I saw her, I knew she wouldn’t be easy to crack. And it was that knowledge that brought the comatose side of me to life.
My eyes tell her, I have the patience to tame you, and you are so desperate to explode, you won’t stand a chance. She glares at me but slips her hand in mine—soft and dainty, like the rest of her—and I pull her up. I pluck the ring from my jacket and slide it on her finger, a princess cut, red diamond surrounded by smaller black ones––rare and precious like her. Fascination flickers in her eyes while disdain furrows her brow.
I lean in and whisper, “Red is my favorite. Thank you for dressing up for me.”
“I didn’t do it for you,” she snaps back, and continues, “I needed a reminder that you’re a killer.”
Chiara just made me hard, her beauty, her bite. She could almost win, but she has been sheltered, while my monster obtained level chaos and rules unrestricted. And now she’ll be my wife. The queen by my side. This is better than I imagined. For being bad, I surely got everything I wanted from this life. I will gladly pay for this for an eternity.
I circle the ring, and her breath hitches. I love how I affect her. A victorious grin curls up my lips, and she catches that, narrowing her eyes at me.
“Why black?”
“My heart.”
With that, I leave, her small gasp following after me.
The driver takes me to my penthouse, where I exchange cars. In my Ferrari, the entire drive to the compound, I can’t get her out of my mind. I grip the wheel, my knuckles whitening. She might become a distraction I don’t need but fucking want. A Trojan horse wrapped in my perdition as a gift.
I step outside the car, walking inside the compound. I find Kieran and Cameron in the conference room, sitting around the table in tense silence. Kieran has his jaw tight, while Cameron stares back at him unperturbed.
“And I thought I had a tough night.”
I pour myself a glass, taking the bottle of whiskey with me. I will sleep in my quarters here tonight.
Cameron peers at me with unobstructed curiosity. “So?”
“So what?”
“Come on, man, you’re engaged.”
“It’s not something I decided for myself,” I mumble, staring at Cameron, who waves me off.
Kieran shoots Cameron a look, a vein pulsing in his neck. At least I had a say in my marriage, and it suited my end goal. What Cameron pulled off detracts from our end goal, but again, we always knew we would marry strategically, and marrying the daughter of a rich senator and the sister of the future president is as strategic as it gets. But Kieran hates to be blindsided, hates the loss of control. If he becomes unhinged, it might affect our business.
I take my seat at the table, a display of our unity, when our team steps inside, surrounding us in a circle.
“The focus has to lie on no one getting the idea they can overthrow me. DeCavallaro won’t stop trying.” I tap a finger on my lips.
It’s the first glint of happiness Kieran expresses as he says, “Let them. It’s our way of having fun while eliminating fools.”
“We have to do this right. With Delaney, Silas, and now DeCavallaro, we have to cut the danger from the root.”
Kieran prompts one of his guys, who puts folders chock-full of files in front of us, the information they’ve diligently gathered.
“Only these three are stupid and arrogant enough to think they can.”
“I will take care of DeCavallaro.”
“We are a team, Cato.” Worry lines Cameron’s eyes.
“I know, but it’s time we also delegate. You two deal with Delaney and Silas.”
Delaney has been on our radar for a while. Behind his old money status and political influence hides a piece of shit, the type that likes to buy young girls. He bought Aurora from Silas. Silas, the old bastard, wanted to sell his own daughter. Aurora is Cameron’s sister and to keep her safe from both Delaney and Silas, he called in a favor from Kieran. Now, Aurora is under Kieran’s protection, and Delaney’s desperate to get her back. Thankfully, whoever is helping him has no idea how we’ll rain hell down on them, which means that Silas’ days are numbered. Personally, my friends have played with him far longer than necessary. I would have long killed the person responsible for my parents’ death.
If I asked these two right now to come with me and help me slaughter the DeCavallaros, they would do so without blinking an eye.
Cameron shoots to his feet, giddiness replacing the serious countenance, rubbing his hands together.
