Page 35 of Seized By the Mafia King
“No need.” His voice wobbles, but he lifts his chin.
“You can have the Witham territory.” I don’t give a shit, and Turner will be delighted to not have to deal with that snake pit. So long as I have Willow, and she’s safe, anything else is on the table. It always was.
To my side, Westminster rumbles with discontent. That prick is thinking of the wider advantage of the London Mafia Syndicate, not realising I’d throw them all off a cliff to save Willow.
“Shut up,” I mutter at Westminster, and to be fair to him, he does.
Wesley Maldon’s expression hardens. “And safe passage.”
“This is what is going to happen,” I say in a hard voice. “You will leave your sister here, in my care, and never touch or hurt her again. You return to Maldon. You tell your family and the Essex Cartel that your brothers fucked up by messing with Bethnal. You take over the Witham territory, and you secretly feed information to me about the Essex Cartel, or I will come after you. And I will not be as merciful to an unarmed man as Westminster is.”
He looks for a second like he might argue.
“And you are never going to insult my wife—” Willow hiccups. “—Myfuturewife, again. Do you understand?”
Wesley’s mouth twists in distaste as he glances down at his two dead brothers. “They were dicks anyway.”
“Leave before I change my mind.” I tighten my grip on my girl. I want him away from Willow.
“Have a nice life, sis,” he tosses over to her as he stands and walks away. And although it’s unfeeling for a brother, and he doesn’t look back, it has a ring of sincerity under the flippant words.
There’s absolute silence apart from the jarringly soothing piano music. Everyone in the pub is looking at us.
“Could I have my gun back now?” Mayfair asks, holding out his hand casually.
“Thank you for the loan,” I reply, placing it on the table before him.
“It was theft?—”
“It was a diplomatic disaster,” snaps Westminster.
“As if you’d put up with anyone insulting me,” his wife, Anwyn, snorts.
Westminster holsters his gun with an irritated sigh and pulls her into his arms, muttering, “Fine.”
Against my chest, Willow begins to shake.
I need to get her out of here. “Could you?—”
“Yes, we’ll deal with these,” Mayfair says, indicating the corpses of Willow’s brothers.
I scoop Willow into my arms, carrying her bridal style. Again.
Kidnapping her. Again.
17
WILLOW
He killed two of my brothers.
I should definitely care, but as Zane barks orders to his men who group around us, I don’t.
They never gave a toss about me, but Zane wouldn’t stand by as they insulted me, even though it was mild compared to what they’ve said and done in the past. And I love that he defended me.
I lovehim.
The realisation hits me and my god, but it’s a warm bubble expanding from my chest. I love him.
