Page 92 of Nikola

I repeated the chant over and over again before I found the strength to grit out my next words. “If you’re going to marry my daughter, you better learn how to respect your elders.”

“Oh, come on, it was a valid question,” he claimed, refusing to erase that stupid smile off his face.

“You know very well I was talking about your fucking ass.”

“I thought you liked me.” He tsked, feigned disappointment marring his features.

He’s taunting me, I realized. Maybe he wanted me to shoot him so my daughter would take his side over mine. Ahhh. I think not.

“I came to discuss Skye and her future.” I took a deep breath and exhaled it before I gritted through clenched teeth, “With you.”

36

NIKOLA

It was obvious it killed him to say those words.

I never hesitated taunting people or taking what I wanted, but I knew how much Skye loved her papa, so I decided to give the man a break.

After all, it was important to get along with the man who—whether he liked it or not—would become part of my family. More than he already was.

“I’d like to marry Skye as soon as possible,” I announced.

His dark gaze met mine. “I didn’t say I agreed with it.”

“Yet,” I corrected him, watching the pulse in his jaw throb. “But be honest. You love your daughter, and she loves me. Do you really think you have a choice?”

“You’re awfully confident,” he remarked wryly, knowing I was right. I love being right. Still, I’d hear him out.

When I remained silent, he continued. “There are a few things I want to make clear.”

I nodded. “I’m listening.”

He eyed me suspiciously, almost as if he thought I was mocking him. I wasn’t, because making Skye my wife was themost important thing I would ever do, and I intended to do it right. But even more importantly, I wanted to make her happy.

“You cheat on her, I’ll cut your balls off. You disrespect her, I’ll cut your balls off. You make her cry, I’ll?—”

“Let me guess, cut my balls off?” I finished for him. There was no danger of me doing any of those things because Skye was the only one for me. I saw us growing a family together, growing old together. I respected her intelligence and knew she would be an asset to me and my business dealings, simply by beingher. I would never jeopardize that.

He flashed me a dark grin. “No, I’ll claw your eyeballs out and cut your balls off before I feed you to the sharks.”

Not the fucking sharks again, I thought. “Fair enough,” I said.

He nodded, satisfied that I didn’t flinch. “Now, about visitations…”

My brows furrowed. “Huh?”

He rolled his eyes. “Vi-si-ta-tions,” he said slowly, like he was talking to an idiot.

“I know what visitations are. I hate to disappoint you, but Skye will be living with me. There’ll be no visitation schedule between me and my wife.”

Dante let out a huff. “I meant you two visiting us in Trieste.”

“Ahhh.”

“Skye and her mom are close. Nix has to see her often.” I bit the inside of my cheek to keep a straight face. Dante, for all his crazy ways, was such a softy for his daughter. This had nothing to do with his wife and everything to do with him. “She’s all we have.”

The tension in his shoulders and the lines on his face were unmistakable.