Page 59 of His Prize

Good God, no.“Then, be bad and go first. Because great men never wait for someone else. Not even a woman.”

He released me. “You’re damn right, they don’t.”

I smoothed my hands down my blouse and drew in a deep breath as Gio clasped his hands behind his back.

“What I want out of this is what I’ve always wanted: to sit at the head of this family. Israel won’t regain his place after being released from prison, but if he plays his cards right? I’ll give him the second-most coveted spot in this family. He’ll never hurt for work or money, and he’ll always be safe. My family needs a new head of security anyway, and Israel would fill that part fantastically.”

Please, hurry up with whatever it is you’re doing, Israel.

“So, you don’t think Israel will challenge you for your seat once he’s released?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Even if he does, he won’t have any staying power. Dad’s wanted him out of that position ever since he decided not to put a bullet in your head for what you did.”

I blinked. “I’m sorry, what?”

He took a step toward me. “I’ve never seen a woman rip apart a family the way you’ve ripped apart mine. But if you marry me? Not only can I give you anything you could ever wish for, but I can protect you. My father will stop at nothing to make sure you’re dead. But I can protect you. Israel’s in prison now, anyway. Or, at least, he will be soon. And he won’t be able to protect you anymore. I can, though. I’ll be the head of this family in no time, and you’ll be at my side. You’ll get none of the burdens of work, but all of the benefits of being at the top—including my protection.”

And just as my hand started tingling with a need to slap this man senseless, the front door burst open. Revealing Israel as he charged through the room and slipped between myself and Gio.

Staring at his brother with blood in his eyes.

“Iz-Iz-Israel? But, I thought you were—”

Israel nodded. “Yeah. I know what you thought.”

I placed my hand against his back and gripped his shirt. Hoping to hold him back from slaughtering his brother where he stood.

“You’re supposed to be downtown right now!” Gio exclaimed.

Israel drew in a sobering breath. “And you’re supposed to have a bullet in your head. But, there’s something more pressing that needs to happen first.” Then, he turned to face me before he got down on one knee.

“Israel?” I asked.

Gio scoffed. “The hell are you doing? You can’t actually be serious right now!”

Israel dug around in his pocket before pulling out a small velvet box.

Yep. This is the signal.

“Israel,” I whispered.

He took my left hand within his. “There aren’t many people I can trust in this world. In fact, there’s no one—not even my own damn brother. But you, Bonnie, you’ve shown me what true trust is. You’ve shown me what real love is. You’ve shown me nothing but dedication, and strength, and honesty. And you do it all with a majestic flair that leaves me wanting more. You’re a force to be reckoned with, and I’d rather die loving the woman I want than live having to fake it with some woman who will never live up to your standards.”

Gio sputtered. “But— Dad’s— He’s gon— You— Are you fucking kidding me?”

My eyes snapped to his. “Shut up before I shoot you myself.”

Israel chuckled as he stood. He plucked the massive pink-diamond ring out of the box and held the white gold band up to my left ring finger. And when I gazed up into his eyes, I saw no deceit. I saw no jokes. I saw nothing but love, anticipation, and a bit of cocky pride.

“Bonnie Moretti, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” he asked.

“No!” Gio roared.

It all happened so fast that I still couldn’t recall much of it. But, what I did remember was this: I saw Gio charging us, and my gut reaction told me to jump in front of Israel. I didn’t know what his brother was doing or what his brother had in terms of a weapon, but I couldn't let him hurt the man I loved. Israel tried to tug me back. Gio growled as he charged. And as I cocked my fist back, my knuckles cracked against his jawline before he fell to the floor in silence.

“Burn in hell, asshole,” I murmured. Then, I turned back to Israel with a smile. “Yes. My God, yes, I’ll marry you.”

And my eyes watered with tears of happiness as he slipped the ring onto my finger, cloaked my back with his arms, and planted the most stunning kiss right against my lips.

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