Page 81 of Mafia Don's Twisted Proposal
“I needed time to tell her the truth. About who she was, about why I married her.”
“Time?” He shouts and I know that they’ll hear it in the other room. I doubt this will be a private conversation for long. My wife has already proven she has no problem eavesdropping. “She’s been gone for twenty-six years.”
“But I’ve only known her for a few weeks. I needed time to get to know her before I shattered her entire world.”
“She belongs with her family!”
“Your wife didn’t seem to think so.”
The punch comes fast, catching me in the jaw before I can block it. I let him have the hit because I crossed a line mentioning Sofia, but when he swings again, I drive my fist into his stomach. The air whooshes out of him, and we both step back.
“You should have brought her to me immediately,” he says between labored breaths. “If you didn’t want me as your enemy, you should have done that.”
Shit. This isn’t going well.
“I know all about your troubles, Lorenzo Andretti. I know the Bratva is giving you hell in Vegas. Can you really handle another conflict right now?”
No, I can’t.
“What do you want from me? I can’t change the past. She’s here now.”
“I want you to leave her here with me.”
The words hit like bullets to the chest. “Fuck you.”
I don’t care if his men are listening. I don’t care if this destroys any chance of an alliance. No one takes my wife from me.
The office door opens, and Mia storms in, her eyes moving between us with sharp intelligence. She clocks the tension immediately, notices the red mark on my jaw where her father’s fist connected.
“What’s going on in here?” She positions herself between us. “We heard you both yelling.”
“Just talking,” I say, but she’s not buying it.
“Talking?” Her gaze shifts between us. “And why does my husband look like he’s been punched?”
“Maybe he’s clumsy,” Miguel says with a straight face.
Under different circumstances, I might appreciate his sense of humor.
“Listen,mija,” he continues, “I think you should consider staying here. You can live with your family.”
Every muscle in my body tenses. The fear I’ve been carrying all day crystallizes into something sharp and desperate.
“She has a home.” I move to her side, arm sliding around her waist in a gesture that’s pure possession. “She’smywife. She’ll return withme.”
Because the alternative—losing her—isn’t something I can survive.
“I want to get to know you better, Mia,” Miguel says, and I can hear the genuine longing in his voice. “We’ve already missed out on so much time.”
“She can visit again,” Panic scrapes at the edge of my voice. “But she belongs with me.”
“She’s an adult. She can make her own decision.”
Mia goes rigid beside me, and I realize this is it. This is the moment where I find out if three weeks was enough time to earn her loyalty.
“Of course she can,” I force myself to say. “I’d never force her to do anything.”
Butfuck, I want to. I want to drag her out of this house and get back on my private jet. I want her home in our bed with my arms wrapped around her.
