Page 78 of His Kingdom

I cling tighter to him as another tear streams down my cheek. “I love you more than I thought was humanly possible.”

“I love you too, sweetheart. You have no idea how much…”

ChapterThirty-Five

An Hour Earlier

Deep down, I know Charlotte wasn’t okay with me leaving her. She’s not alone, though. She has her friends with her. And if I didn’t have to sort out the shitshow that is our fucking world, I wouldn’t have left.

Sammie and Carlo found the fucker who arranged that hit on me. It was a member of the Marciano family. They’re Italian mafia, and they’re trying to gain a foothold here on the strip. My fucking strip.

Because their Don is someone I respect, I’ve agreed to have a sit down with him. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to hang the fucker responsible for putting that bullet in my wife. Slaughter him like the pig he is. By his own hand or not, he’s the reason Charlotte was put in danger. The reason she was shot, instead of me. Death is the kindest thing I can do for him.

Joey Marciano sits across from me. I meet his glare with one of my own. “Make this quick. You and I both know I’m not going to let him live. My wife was shot because some asshole thought making a move on my casino was a smart thing to do. So, whatever you have to tell yourself in order to come to terms with one of your men being taken out by me, I suggest you do it.”

“I’m not here to start a war with you, Giuliani,” Joey says.

“Then why are you here?”

“I have a gift. For you.” The old bastard smiles. “A show of good will.” He waves a hand, and his underboss opens the door. A man is tossed inside, hitting the floor with an audiblethudbefore scrambling to his knees. “The guy you’re looking for.” Joey nods in the fucker’s direction.

“What’s the catch?” I ask, not moving from my seat. No matter how much I want to get my hands on that fucker. I haven’t gotten to where I am today by acting on emotion. I’m not going to start now. I have so much more to fucking live for.

“What? Boss, no, don’t do this! I didn’t do anything! I swear!” The fucker screams while trying to get to his feet. A hard task when your ankles and wrists are still bound.

“I want to make a deal. One that will benefit both of our organizations,” Joey says. “One where this…” He waves a hand towards his guy. “…is forgiven, forgotten.”

“My wife was shot. That’s not something I’ll ever forget. Or forgive,” I tell Joey.

“Understandable.” He nods his head.

“That said, it would be rude of me to not at least hear you out.” I lean back in my seat. “What kind of deal we talking?”

“A merger. Of families,” Joey says. “I have a daughter, Antonia. Twenty-one, marrying age.”

I blink. This fucker cannot be for real. He wants to marry off his daughter? To whom? We don’t fucking work like that.

“We’re not in the business of arranged marriages,” I remind him.

“It will bring peace to our two organizations, Louie. Think about it,” he says. “Antonia will be married regardless. It will either be to one of your men or someone from another family.” Joey sits back, mimicking my position as one leg crosses over the other.

I get the hidden message. It’s us or them. One of the other crime families in Vegas. As far as I’m concerned, he can go and jointhem. I don’t give a shit. All I want is that asshole squirming on the floor.

“I’ll do it.” Carlo steps up from behind me.

I turn to look at him. “Excuse me?” I blink.

“I’ll do it. I’ll marry her. For the family,” he says. “It’s a good idea.”

“You want to enter into an arranged marriage?” I ask him.

“Sure.” He lifts a shoulder.

“Fine.” I turn back to Joey. I will deal with Carlo later. I don’t know why the fuck someone so insistent on never getting married all of a sudden wants to enter into an arrangement with someone he doesn’t even fucking know. “Let’s make a deal.” I hold out a hand.

The older man returns the gesture with a smile. “This is going to be a very beneficial relationship between our families,” Joey says.

I nod my head. Waiting for Marciano and his underboss to leave the room before collecting my gift.

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