Page 101 of Dangerous Intent

“I don’t know who you are, but I expect you to show my wife respect.” I glared at him. “I also don’t appreciate that you waited until I was occupied to approach her. What is it that you want?”

“Marchello.” Lissia stepped in front of me. “He sent the warning.”

“What warning?” My muscles tensed. She couldn’t possibly mean the car explosion. How would she know that?

“It was him.” She looked at me with enough alarm to rock me to my core. There was such certainty in her eyes. “He’s also the man who tried to buy me at the auction. He said three million would be a bargain for me.”

I clenched my fist at my side, trying not to pull my gun in the middle of the lobby.

“You better start explaining yourself.” I nudged Lissia behind me, glancing at Dom to stand next to her. I situated myself between my men so that I was face-to-face with Diego.

“Your wife is right.” Diego smirked at Lissia. “I purchased her in an auction. I was promised her by her father in exchange for the money, and I held up my end of the bargain.”

The words landed like a punch to the gut. My wife—my Lissia—reduced to a transaction. It didn’t matter that she was mine now. The thought of her ever being anyone else’s burned through me, fanning a fury I’d barely begun to unleash.

“You’re disgusting,” Lissia snapped. “And my father had no right to?—”

I raised my hand. “That’s enough.”

She would not be fighting this battle.

“Marchello, I?—”

“Lissia.” I kept my voice calm and steady as I turned and stared at her. “Go back to the villa with Dom.”

Back down.

She gazed into my eyes, probably trying to gauge my temperament. If she knew me at all, she would know this wasn’t the time to challenge me.

“You’ll handle this?” she asked.

“I will.”

“I’m ready to go back to the villa now, Dom.” When she leaned in and kissed my cheek, I rubbed her back. “Make him pay.”

I nodded and waited for Dom and Lucas to escort Lissia out of the lobby.

“She can obey,” Diego said. “All of the information I received on her indicated otherwise, but I guess you were the man who could tame her.”

“Listen to me, you sick fuck.” I stalked toward him. “If you speak about my wife as if she is a piece of property that you tried to purchase again, you’re going to wish you were in hell.”

My blood heated, threatening to bubble over when he talked about her in terms of paperwork and transactions, as if she were a racing horse he had acquired.

Lorenzo moved beside me as three men who I assumed were with Diego came to stand with him.

“There is no need for violence, Mr. Accetti.” Diego held up his hand, waving off his men. “I’m a victim in this situation, and I thought it best for us to meet in person so I could be refunded for the merchandise I didn’t receive.”

I heaved back my arm and nailed him in the jaw with my fist, sending him crashing into his men.

“Chello!” Lorenzo grabbed my arm. “Not here. Not in the middle of my lobby.”

“I warned him. I will not have him speak about Lissia that way.” I gritted my teeth. “If I could shoot him here, I would. I can’t guarantee that I fucking won’t.”

“Is that a threat?” Diego asked.

“I don’t have to threaten you. I’ll do what I say.”

“Is there a problem?” Martino Cross, one of the men I had just met with, joined us with two other men from the meeting. “I prefer not to make a scene when I’m in negotiations.”