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His man, Mr. Umberto Rizzo, came in with a huge ass knife and a ring box.
Since I knew my brother would be okay, it was the first time I felt real fear in Big’s presence. Gio got the nickname of being buggy because he snapped and was impulsive. Big didn’t seem to be impulsive, but they shared the legendary buggy twitch when they were about to snap. I’d seen it on Big’s face when he’d asked me about the man who’d manhandled me, and he’d come back covered in blood splatters after we talked about it.
I didn’t quite see it on Big’s face in that moment, but there was something still crazed about his eyes. Or maybe his demeanor.
“This or that, Aphrodite.” He nodded to the two choices. “Take your pick.”
“A knife or a ring box? This feels like a trick question.” I looked away from Big and toward where Mr. Rizzo was, but he must have quietly exited the room.
“Plain and simple. You pick the knife—you lose your left hand.”
“If I pick the ring box?”
He opened it, and the biggest diamond I’d ever seen reflected the bright light and almost blinded me. The center was a huge, round-cut diamond with a halo of diamonds around it.
“You wear my ring on your finger—forever.”
Oh no. I could get the hand chopped off and be done with it. But being shackled to him forever? I’d seen the movie Casino. I knew how this was going to work. I’d end up losing my mind, then I’d probably kill Bigatti—either way, a death sentence for me.
He was grinning at me when I met his eyes. It was like he could hear every thought going through my head.
He was a devil disguised as an angel.
I had the sudden urge to flex my fingers against the table but tamed it. “I owe you money, Mr. Bigatti. Not my life.”
“Equals the same to me.”
“I’ll clean the toilets in your hotel for the rest of my life.”
“I don’t have all night. This or that, or I choose for you.”
I closed my eyes. “Cut it off.”
It seemed like he made me wait a helluva long time, and when I heard the knife move, my knees felt weak.
A second later, cool metal slipped over my third finger, left hand, and I knew he’d beaten me at my own game. When my eyes opened to his, the satisfaction in his told me he’d always known he would.
“If you’d rather lose a hand than marry me—” he touched my chin, and I moved my head away “—I know where I’ll get the most interest from.” He pulled my body against his in a rush, and I breathed out. He set his mouth next to mine and slid his swollen lip against my cheek. “I’ll be in touch soon, Aphrodite. Umberto will take you home. Try to leave this city—you won’t be able to afford the interest, understand?”
He turned me around and set me on a path toward the door. I walked out in a haze, not fully comprehending what had happened over the last couple of hours.
Out of all the scenarios I thought I’d be facing, marriage wasn’t fucking one of them.
7
LEONORA
After a standoff outside of Portofino, because I wanted my ride, Big drove me himself in my car. He didn’t say anything about the state of my wheels, but I could tell he thought it was a danger to society when it started smoking. He must have sighed ten times.
He was heading in the direction of my apartment. He knew where I lived. Of course he fucking did.
“Not my apartment.” I gave him the name of the hospital.
He found a spot and parked. We both got out.
“My keys.” I held my hand out.
He leaned his back against the door and waved some smoke away from his face. “Not a chance in hell.”
