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“Dante, Nicco, Dom, Matteo, and the DeSantis family… They’ve been meeting ever since you went missing. Now that I’m part of their family, we want to try and bridge the gap between our families. And especially now that Sofia has been returned to the DeSantis family…and by my brother. An Amato… It’s one of the highest forms of respect. This war? It could finally be coming to an end. I’ll have Nicco and you and Dante. We’ll all be together again now that my father is out of the way and Nicco is the boss.”
The hope in her eyes if enough to help shift the emotions warring inside of me.
I gulp down my fear of the unknown and nod, understanding what I have to do.
22
NICCOLÒ
All eyes are on her, and I realize too late that I may have made a very vast error in judgement. In this moment, I desire nothing more than to pluck the bulging eyeballs out of every single prick in this room.
I suppose I can admit—even if only to myself—that I didn’t anticipate this guttural feeling twisting like a serrated blade in the depths of my stomach.
Perhaps I’m a bit more territorial than I allowed myself to believe.
Or maybe I just enjoy lying to myself.
My veins ignite with pure, merciless rage.
If I didn’t know better, I’d swear I could feel my heart move up into my throat, putting me into a goddamn chokehold.
She. Is. Mine.
“I’ve heard twenty thousand dollars. Can I get a hundred?”
The auctioneer strings his words together so fucking quickly I can barely keep up—the words hit my ears, and suddenly it’s like nothing makes sense. I’m not quite sure if it’s truly the speed at which he’s yelling or if it’s because I’m starting to physically sweat from the realization that I’ll be walking out of here a hell of a lot less wealthy than when I waltzed my happy ass in. This fuck really wants me to pay a pretty penny for my woman, doesn’t he?
“Thirty thousand dollars,” my unknown nemesis bites out, his face expressionless as he stares up at the stage at her, unwilling to look away from her even as he addresses the auctioneer.
I never saw this plot twist coming. Thought I’d be in and out with my woman, and I’d call it a night. Thought I’d get moving with the rest of my plan.
Breaking, I risk a glance at her, knowing she’ll be my demise in the end.
I’ve been watching and waiting and planning for so fucking long.
I deserve this.
I deserveher.
She stands in the spotlight that puts her on full display for every lowlife in this room. It serves only to accentuate how ethereal she is. The light accentuates every single beautiful thing about her. High cheekbones, magnetic jade-colored eyes, full lips, and curvy hips. It’s downright fucked that the most real and raw form of heaven is standing in the same room as a bunch of unholy monsters.
I can’t get lost in her. Not right now.
But she’s so fucking hard to look away from.
She tosses her long, platinum hair over one shoulder and glances from the lanky auctioneer to the crowd. The golden dress she’s wearing does its job. It makes her look even more irresistible than she does on any other given day, molding to her body like the fabric itself was made just for her.
I know every single man in this room would love to purchase her. There’s nothing about hernotto want. Luckily for me, only one other buyer came prepared to unleash a serious amount of green tonight. And I didn’t anticipate him in the slightest.
The cocky son of a bitch with the phone pressed to his ear has, once again, upped the going price, and though I’d like to think I’m a patient man, he’s starting to wear me down. I’ve been in a duel with him from the moment the first bid went up. A couple other bastards tried to jump in, but it was clear they didn’t come to play with the high rollers tonight.
I grit my teeth and raise my number before collectedly speaking up once again and doing my best to remain as stoic as possible.
“Fifty,” I call out.
Two can play this bullshit game.
I’ve been to quite a few underground auctions, only once or twice for myself, and only ever for short-term playthings. Despite not being a rookie to this game, I’ve never seen the going price this high.
