Page 122 of Mafia and Gold Digger

She’s holding the black Amex in her hand, tapping her gold-painted fingernail against it. And an awful thought crosses my mind. “How much, er, did this all cost exactly?”

“Only three million,” she replies in a singsong voice.

“Three million dollars?” I utter. “For this awful shit?” The men are falling about laughing now, not even trying to hide that they’re finding the whole situation fucking hilarious.

“The desk is plated with real gold,” she replies as if that justifies the outrageous price tag.

“Is this your idea of a joke, Emerald?”

“No, of course it isn’t. And you know, you did…want me as your fiancée.” Her voice breaks a little. “And I thought that you would like it and that you wouldn’t mind me spending your money.” Tears start to glimmer in her gaze.

And I suddenly start to feel bad. “Oh, Em, of course I don’t, um, mind you spending my money, and I, er, love what you’ve done with this space.”

“Really?” Her voice hitches a little as she tries to hold back her tears.

“Yes, really. You’re my fiancée, and you’ll soon be my wife. You mean the absolute world to me, and you can spend my money on whatever shit you want if it makes you happy.”

And then she throws her arms around my neck and gives me a long, lingering kiss.

* * *

After the men leave, Emerald comes to my office door. “Did I do okay, Saint?”

I burst out laughing. “You did great. Those captains will tell their families, and their wives are two of the biggest gossips in the Imperiosi. They’ll love to tell everyone what happened.”

Emerald nods. “I can hear them right now, saying you’re so madly in love with me that you let me spend millions of your money on utter trash. If this doesn’t start convincing people that our relationship is real, then I don’t know what will.”

“It will definitely convince them,” I tell her. “We just need to keep the charade up until I can find a way to get rid of Carmine once and for all. By the way, you didn’t really spend three million dollars, did you?”

“Nah, it was just a couple hundred bucks.”

“Good.” I cast an eye around me, and a frown puckers my forehead. “I know this was the plan, but I didn’t expect it to be quite, um, this bad. What on earth possessed you to choose these colors, Em?”

She tilts her head to one side as she gazes at me. “The gold is obviously because I’m a gold digger, duh.”

I groan. “Please tell me that you haven’t redone the rest of the house in this style...”

She looks at me like I’ve suddenly grown two heads. “Of course, I haven’t. Because then I’d have to look at it every day as well!” And she giggles in that glorious way of hers.

I shake my head as a smile spreads over my face. My plan is working, and if I have to put up with a gold and pink office for a while, then I’m willing to do it. Because I’ll do whatever it goddamn takes to keep Emerald safe.

* * *

We’re playing a game of chess. I love the game with Emerald. The back and forth. The chase. The exhilaration she’s brought into my life.

The small smile on her face has my chest tightening. Because when we play together, any ice between us thaws just a little more.

The board sits between us on the bed as we play. Emerald ponders her next move from where she lies on her side. The light from outside the small balcony illuminates her from behind. I try to keep my thoughts from wandering, but it’s no use.

Her smile grows as she takes my pawn, waving it in the air between us like a taunt.

“Careful. You don’t want to do that,” I warn.

“Oh, but I think I do, Valentino. I like knowing I’m beating you.”

My eyes drop from hers to the board, then back up. “Don’t get overconfident now. The game is still early.”

“Uh-huh.” She drops the piece into the small pile on her side of the board with a satisfied smile.

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