Page 50 of Mafia and Gold Digger

He’s not letting this go. I mull it over in my mind, but it doesn’t take me long to come up with a plan. “If I help you find her, what’s in it for me?”

“For fuck's sake, Saint.” He pinches the bridge of his nose.

“It’s a fair ask, Christian, since you have me running around the damn city still fixing our other problem. This is going to take me away from that.”

“Why does it have to be for something?”

My brow arches. I’m going to track her down anyway—because there’s no way anyone but me is going to touch Emerald. But he doesn’t need to know that. If I play my cards right, I’m going to get everything I fucking want. “What’s it worth to you, Christian?”

His jaw flexes, and I’m almost certain he’s contemplating whether reaching across the desk to throttle me is worth the risk or not. One heartbeat, then another, and he sighs. “What do you want?”

I bite back the smirk. It’s like clockwork. I won’t tell him that he’s a bit too easy to manipulate. I’m playing on the fact that I know him too well. That I know how much he cares about Jacquetta but also about Emerald. I’m a bastard, and I know it, but I don’t care.

“Just tell me what you want,” he sighs.

“Emerald.”

CHAPTERFOURTEEN

SAINT

The single word slips past my lips without hesitation.

Christian’s eyes narrow, and he shakes his head. “Not happening.”

“Then find someone else.” I start to shove up from my chair.

“Sit. Down.”

I pause, hovering just off the chair, meeting his gaze. The emotion that flickers in his eyes has me lowering back down. The silence stretches between us, pregnant and heavy.

“You want to marry her?” he asks in an incredulous tone.

“Yeah.” As an Imperiosi member, I have to ask the Capo’s permission before I marry someone.

“For fuck’s sake, Saint. I thought there was nothing going on between the pair of you.”

I just stare at him. I don’t owe him any explanations when it comes to my personal life.

“Do you really think you can have a real relationship, Saint?”

“Yeah.”

“But with someone like her? She’s a lot to handle, you know.”

“I can handle her just fine,” I grit out.

He gives me a hard look and shakes his head. “Fine,” he clips. “You can have her. But only if she agrees to marry you.”

“She’ll agree because it’ll keep her safe,” I reply. I shove up from the chair once more, hands stuffed into my pockets as I turn to the door.

“Saint.”

I’m mid-step when I stop, turning my head toward him.

“Just promise me you’ll find her before Carmine does.”

I give a silent nod and then walk to the door silently.

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