Page 65 of Mafia and Gold Digger

* * *

When I get back to the hotel, Saint is sitting at the small desk, tapping away at his laptop.

The two bodyguards stand back respectfully as I flash my hand in front of him. “I got my ring. Do you like it?”

His eyes widen slightly as he takes in the huge diamonds.

“It’s...nice. Er, how much did it cost exactly?”

“Two point five million,” I announce.

“Two point five?” he says slowly.

“Yeah.”

“Million?”

“Yep.”

“Dollars?” he adds in a hoarse voice.

“Uh-huh.”

“On a ring?”

“Well, some might call it a ring. But I thinka rockis a more accurate description.”

“Jesus fucking Christ and all the goddamn saints!”

I arch a manicured eyebrow at him. “I’m pretty sure that’s blasphemy on multiple levels. You know, you might want to see about going to confession this Sunday.”

“Is this something to do with the fact that I sent you to get the ring by yourself?” he asks slowly.

“No,” I clip.

And as the realization sinks in of what I’ve done, his jaw drops like a rollercoaster ride suddenly dipping at high speed. “That sort of money would buy me agoddamn mansion.”

I wave a dismissive hand in the air. “You already have one of those,remember?”

A vein throbs on his forehead. “A mansion.With a backyard the size of a freaking football field.”

I give a nonchalant shrug. “I mean, if you’re into football…”

His eyes narrow to slits. “A mansion. With a backyard the size of a football field.And bathrooms with swan-shaped fucking faucets that pour with pure liquid gold when you turn them on!”

I tilt my head to one side as I gaze at him. “Now you’re just being goddamn tacky,” I drawl.

He snatches up my hand and marches me away from the bodyguards and into the bedroom. Slamming the door shut, he spins around to face me. “What the hell were you thinking, Emerald?”

I put my hand on my hip. “You’re the one who said that our engagement has to bebelievableand that we need word to spreadfast. And no one would believe that I’d marry a guy who wasn’t super generous with his money—not with the way everyone likes to call me a gold digger. I thought you’d behappythat I thought of a way to make the ring lie more convincing.”

His jaw drops before he buries his head in his hands. “Christ, I don’t know whether to be mad at the ridiculous amount you spent…or downright impressed with your plan,” he mutters with a groan.

“Well, looking on the bright side, word should spread fast now,” I say with a grin. “I mean, your men are bound to gossip about the two-point-five-million-dollar ring and your over-the-top reaction to it because you know how everyone in the Imperiosi loves to gossip...”

* * *

I look down as I twist the ring around my finger. After leaving the jewelry store earlier, I made a stop at another store and asked the bodyguards to wait outside. That store does the best costume jewelry, and I purchased a cheap lab-created diamond ring. Then putting that on my finger, I took the original ring to another jewelry store and sold it. They actually paid me twenty grand more than I purchased it for. And I got them to make out the check to my favorite charity—one that supports single moms and their kids.

---