Page 5 of His Prize

Alice interrupted me. “May I ask you something, Miss Moretti?”

Bonnie nodded. “Of course.”

I cleared my throat. “Bonnie, we have t—”

Alice acted like I wasn’t talking. “How do you plan on assuming control of an empire you didn’t even want to be part of? Because I’m pretty sure word on the street is that you jumped ship to fight with the Rossi’s. And now, you want to take over your uncle’s place? Seems a bit fishy to me. People might not be willing to listen to that kind of a leader.”

Bonnie nodded. “Well, your complaint has been logged with our HR staff. I’ll see to it personally that someone contacts you shortly with a resolution to your issue, Miss Esposito.”

Alice grinned. “You’re cute. You know that?”

Bonnie smiled. “And you’re not going to be wiggling your way back to Israel’s side as his number one woman if all you’re bringing to the table is a lunch date and your mother’s muscle.”

I heard someone snicker down the hallway, and it pulled Alice from her trance. She whipped around, ready to lay her teeth into the person who dared to mock her. But, Bonnie simply turned away and walked down the hall. Making her way for me before she walked past me altogether.

“Coming, Israel?” she asked.

I looked back at Alice and saw her staring at me again. “Yeah. I’m coming,” I said.

Alice wiggled her fingers at me. “See you tomorrow, Israel.”

“If he doesn’t push things back again!” Bonnie exclaimed.

Everyone we passed in the hallway was trying to swallow their laughter. And I couldn't blame them. This change in Bonnie had definitely been for the better. She was stronger and wiser. She didn’t take people’s shit anymore, and she walked with a kind of self-confidence I’d never seen in her before. This position suited her well. But, Alice did bring up some concerns she’d eventually have to address with everyone.

I waited until we were in the safety of my car before I turned to face her. “Don’t listen to her,” I said.

Bonnie looked over at me. “Come again?”

“Don’t listen to Alice. She’s just my ex, and she’s got her own plans brewing.”

“Oh, I know.”

“Well, good. Because I want you to know that no matter what happens—”

She sighed. “Did your father really make you plan that date? Or, did you make it after the anniversary party with her of your own volition?”

I stared into her eyes. “On my soul, my father set that thing up. He sprung it on me last minute almost three months ago, and I’ve been postponing it ever since.”

“Why not simply cancel it?”

“You don’t just cancel something with the Esposito Family.”

“And why not?”

I blinked. “Because they control every single port that runs in and out of this state. If you want to import anything, you get in good with the Esposito’s. Hands down.”

“So, you’re going to entertain this date eventually. What happens after that?”

“I’m not sure I’m—”

“Are you going to sleep with her to keep importing your stuff?”

I shook my head. “Never. The thought didn’t even cross—”

“Are you just going to fake an entire relationship with her because you want to stay in good with her family?”

I pointed at her. “Now, you listen here. What Alice did to me was wrong. She faked who she was, where she came from, and what she was doing with her life for nothing other than shits and giggles. I fell in love with that woman, Bonnie. And when I proposed, I knew with every fiber of my being that she was the one for me. Until she turned me down, ran off, and disappeared the next day. Her place—completely cleaned out. Her place of work had no one hired by that name. She played me for a fucking fool, Bonnie. And she won’t do it again.”

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