Page 48 of Sinfully Savage Mafia

I glare at my father, unable to turn back to face the man I know is now standing behind me. The man who seems to think I’m going to marry him. I’d rather eat a bag of rusty nails…wrapped in barbed wire. “Is he blackmailing you? I’m not?—”

“Heaven Margaret Mulligan, sit down and be quiet.” Dad looks at Conor, disgust bright in his eyes.

“What did you do?” I turn back to my brother. “What the fuck did you do?”

Conor doesn’t look at me, and from behind me, the devil with the smooth, accentless voice speaks.

“We know why the Dominguez cartel is making moves.”

I turn and raise my head to look at that hard face, ignoring the way he drops his gaze to my mouth, and then back up. The knowing, mocking light in his eyes makes my stomach turn slow somersaults.

“You did something.”

“Conor made a move against the Dominguez cartel. He went into one of their neighborhoods and killed one of the lieutenants, along with a couple of the soldiers.”

My mouth drops open. “Who?”

“Santos Rojas,” he murmurs.

“Oh my God,” I say. Santos Rojas is second-in-command to Dominguez himself. If Conor took out Rojas…fuck. “They’re coming after us, aren’t they? Is that what today was about? They hit others, so if they know, why didn’t they just kill us?”

But I don’t need an answer. I know why. They don’t know. Yet. It’s a matter of elimination. And Conor’s put my family in danger. And this fucking marriage…

I close my eyes. Matteo Villani is dangerous. He’s a bastard. Ruthless. He’s playing games. But he gets things done. And he thinks he can offer his services to protect my family for a piece of our territory, our name.

Through me.

I know it. I feel it. And when I meet the asshole’s gaze again, that slight, knowing smile, he knows he’s got us where he wants us.

“You said I never have to enter an arranged marriage, Dad.”

Dad rubs the back of his neck. “This is for the family. For your brothers. For you. I can’t keep you safe. This man can, and we all do things we don’t want.”

“Come now, Heaven,” Matteo says, “you might like me.”

“When hell freezes over,” I snap.

And Conor snickers.

“Conor, shut the fuck up,” my father says sharply. Conor does. But no doubt he thinks he’s gotten away with it. That as usual Dad’s swept his mess up for him. Only this time, I’m the broom.

I fight the urge to leap at Conor and pound his face into the wall he’s cowering next to for putting me and Patrick in the line of fire. How could he do something so stupid and selfish? “What would make you go into his territory and kill him?”

“I didn’t plan to kill him,” Conor says, gaze skittering over mine. “It happened. It was a mistake.”

“Bullshit.” I say. “Because that’s always your excuse. ‘I didn’t mean it.’”

“Heaven, stop?—”

“No, Dad,” I say, my voice tight. “I’m tired of him getting a pass every time he screws up. Co-underboss, my ass. Conor’s not fit to lead kindergarten nap time. I’m not marrying this asshole Villani. I’ll think of something else.”

“Go ahead, Heaven,” Matteo says in those rich, smooth tones, “I’m guessing no one here needs my help. Consider the deal off.”

There’s deathly silence and I want to laugh, tell him to go. But Dad stands, comes around the desk and grabs my arm hard, pulling me close. “Don’t speak in such a disrespectful manner,iníon. What Conor did is inexcusable, but the fallout will be detrimental for our future unless we put a plan in place to stop the bleeding.”

He’s right. I know it. “Villani is bluffing.”

“Heaven—”

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