Page 10 of Rosetti Family New York
My first mistake is thinking that I can hide. I'm nothing but an alien jewel amongst bare skin and feral shouts. I keep track of Leonardo easily, an explosion of tattoos and temper and the kind of easy confidence I pretend not to envy. The only red here is his hair and the bloody mess he watches without flinching. I bet he wouldn't flinch at me, either. He'd do exactly what he wants, when he wants, and to hell with the consequences.
The opposite of me, then.
I shift on the wooden bench, feeling eyes on me, but I keep my own eyes trained on Leonardo. He doesn’t even glance my way. The noise around him is a wall of animal energy—bellowing men, swearing women, beer and bodies and smoke. I'm adrift in all of it, an expensive afterthought surrounded by the roaring heat. Across the pit, Domenico Rosetti studies me with unsettling calm. So do the other brothers, Raffaele and Matteo, like I’m one of their fighters and not a girl with a bargaining chip. My hair is still pinned and tidy; it might as well be a tiarain this chaos. I’m more at home in fine silk than sweaty air, but I refuse to let my discomfort show.
But if I don't secure this, father will push Juliet into my place. She's not ready. Not for this Rosetti family. Not for Leonardo. I need to be the one. This has to be my move. My victory.
I lean forward, my pulse faster than the fight itself. Here, I’m not the cut and polished Price heir. I’m uncut, as raw as this scene. But I will not be fragile. Not in front of them. Not in front of Leonardo. His laugh punches the air, loud and sharp, like he has the crowd and the fight and me all figured out. He should scare me more than he does. I don't know why I'm so drawn to him, why his intensity pulls at me. He’s ruthless, careless. The opposite of me. Exactly what I shouldn't want.
But he's the only chance I have.
Domenico is all calm calculation, while Leonardo’s every move feels like he might change his mind and throw himself into the ring, chaos waiting to unfold. I stare until my eyes burn, but Leonardo doesn’t look back. Maybe I've ruined it already, coming here and showing how afraid I am of this world. He called me a liar, saw through my mask, called me out. All within five minutes of meeting me, he had me figured out. And, sadly, he’s not wrong.
I stand. I’m going to remind him that I’m worth more than all of it. Tonight is the most important of my life, the most important of Juliet’s.
“Wait for me,” I tell my sister, then I navigate through the crowd, a sea of sweat and curses. I can barely breathe by the time I reach Leonardo and Domenico, who flicks a sharp glance my way.
Domenico shifts, brushing imaginary dust from his crisp sleeves. “I’ll give you two some privacy.” His voice cuts through the chaos with surgical precision. No shouting required.
Appealing to Leonardo’s business side didn’t work, so I try for some good old-fashioned flirting. “Privacy is just what I was hoping for,” I purr.
Leonardo meets my eyes, a flash of something wicked in his own. He cracks his knuckles like he’s ready to pounce, and his voice drops, rough and teasing. “I figured you’d stick with your family the rest of the evening, princess.”
I stiffen, fighting the urge to tell him not to call me that. But I hold my tongue, smirking because I figure it will infuriate him. “I go where I want. You should learn that about me.”
He steps closer, his heat and musk surrounding me, and I’m a little breathless. “You think you can handle this?” He gestures to the madness, but his gaze is all for me.
I pretend to think it over, then toss my head. “This? Easy.”
He laughs, low and disbelieving. He thinks he’s got me running scared. He’s wrong. I reach up and run my fingers down his bicep, slow and seductive. His smile fades, eyes narrowing like he's trying to figure out my next move. He's close enough that I can see the battle in his gaze, close enough I can feel the daring roll off him.
We’re two fighters in the pit, and I’m not backing down first. I let the tension build between us, then lean in, my lips just inches from his ear. “I’m here for you, Leonardo. Whatever it takes.” I know it’s the truth, and he knows it’s the truth, and when I pull back, his shock is sweeter than I’d imagined.
His breath hitches, a split-second victory for me, but then he growls, grasping my wrist with rough insistence. “You’re in over your head, princess. This isn’t your world.”
I let him hold on, let him think he’s got the upper hand. Then I twist my arm in his grip, slipping free like water. He wants me, I can see it now, and that’s more power than he knows. I turn away, tossing the last words over my shoulder. “Guess we’ll see about that.”
“Wait,” he commands, and I do.
But I turn slowly, with a sultry smile on my face, making it sexy instead of obedient, but we both know I don’t have a choice. Not if I want to win his favor.
“Your little flirtation is quite effective,” he says. “But drop it. Like I said, I don’t deal with liars. So let’s get back to business.”
His every word drips with authority, and I know he sees right through me. Through my smile, my jewels, my makeup. Right through to the girl who is desperate to make this match.
I let my expression fall, keeping it poised but distant. I’ve had a lifetime of practice. My voice, when it comes, is thin but steady against the noise. “Fine. So tell me, hothead, have you had enough time to consider your options? Or do you need a few more fights?”
Leonardo meets my eyes. Hazel, wild, flashing like he owns everything in sight, me included. “You in a hurry?”
I set my jaw. “You’re not the only one with a busy schedule.” So much for winning him over with my charms.
His grin is infuriating. Reckless. Full of everything I pretend to be above. The truth is I envy him more than I want to admit.
Leonardo looks back at the fight. My fists clench at my sides. “This isn’t a game to me,” I say.
“Shame,” he says. “I always win those.”
I don’t recognize the sound of my own voice when I laugh. Short. Brittle. Not amused at all. “You’ll gain more than I will, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
