Page 1 of Kingpin

1

Bonnie

I staredat myself in the mirror as I donned the traditional white, lacy gown. As its fabric fell softly over my curves, I drew in a deep breath.

This was the day.

The day I’d be handed over in marriage to a man I barely knew. And although my internal warning system blared loudly in the back of my mind, I understood my position in life.

I understood what I had to do.

I studied my brown eyes. How the smoky hue my aunt had painted onto them somehow accented their soft color. They looked almost amber, with speckles of honey that sparkled wondrously against my tan skin. My naturally auburn hair was piled high on top of my head in soft ringlets, begging to be let down. The sheer amount of hair spray I had holding my tendrils in place could’ve held up the Eiffel Tower if given a chance. My ruby-red lips contrasted the white dress nicely, accented by a thick gloss, forcing all gazes to pause and revel in their beauty.

“I look like Brianna,” I said.

My aunt sighed. “Well, if you look like your cousin, then I’ve done my job right. We’ve only got one shot at this, Bonnie. You’re our only hope.”

“Aunt Luna, what is this man like?”

She glanced sideways at me. “You know not to ask questions.”

I rolled my eyes at my own reflection. “Why? Because it won’t change my circumstances?”

My aunt shushed me with a piercing look in the mirror. A white gold comb smattered with small diamonds found its way into my hair before the sheer veil was flipped over my face. I looked like I was about to get married. Hell, it felt like it. But this wasn’t my wedding day. Not really. This was the day I would be given away as a prize to the highest bidder.

Supposedly.

Not really the highest bidder, per se. No one had paid any money for me. In my world, women were given away as prizes in trade deals. In my case, a deal had been brokered between my family, the Morettis, and his, the Rossis. Two major crime families who needed something from the other one. And I was to be the bridge between them.

Business as usual.

“Come. We’re going to be late,” my aunt said.

I turned to face her. “Thank you.”

She paused. “For what?”

I blinked back tears. “For taking me in when I had nowhere else to go.”

She cupped my cheeks. “Oh,preziosa, your uncle wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

She kissed my veiled forehead before my uncle threw open the door. His eyes twinkled with pride as he stared at me, taking in my final form. The culmination of weeks of work. The dress I wore had been painstakingly created by hand. Every bead, every pearl, and every sequin had been sewn with love, adoration, and a bit of frustration.

“Bonnie. You look marvelous,” my uncle said.

I drew in a deep breath. “I’m ready when you are.”

My uncle held out his arm, and my aunt handed me over to him. Slowly, we started down the hallway. Those events were usually a more formal affair. They were held in the ballroom, with a stage where I would stand so everyone could ogle me. It was a chance for the man in question to turn me down as an offering if I wasn’t to his liking. However, both of our families were knee-deep in a war we had no business fighting.

Which meant time, and protection, was of the essence.

With every step I took, my heart hammered harder in my chest. Would he like me? Would he accept me? Would he appreciate me? Few of us were that lucky in our lifestyles. Then again, none of that mattered.

Not for the plan.

“I present to you Brianna Moretti, my beautiful daughter.”

Everyone’s eyes were on me—the fake Brianna—as my uncle announced my entrance. Then, we started down the stairs. I kept my head high and my eyes straight ahead. The men in those situations didn’t like it when a woman stared at them. So, I locked my eyes onto a spot on the wall and pivoted as necessary. The men of the Rossi family made a path for my uncle and me to walk as we ventured into the middle of the marble-floored foyer of their home. And as I stood there, feeling their eyes on my body, I drew in a steady breath.

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