Page 46 of Owned by the Italian Mafia Boss

He has all three.

I run my fingers across the glass, staring at all the rings. He wants me to wear a big diamond? I’ll pick the biggest damn diamond I see.

“That one.” I point.

“Excuse me?” Carmine shouts to get the attention of the salesman.

“Are we ready, sir?” the guy pokes his head out from the other room with a smile. He skips with an energy I’ve never had before and clasps his hands in front of him.

“Yes, we are ready,” Carmine states, standing next to me to see which ring I am pointing to. “Really?” he huffs, placing his hand on my lower back. “You’re being very stubborn, Ms. Reynolds.”

I scoff, pointing at the large, hideous diamond. “You wanted big; I picked out big. Isn’t it to your liking? Who is being difficult now?” I cross my arms and arch my brow.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Sweetling. You and I both know you went for the ugliest ring you could find. Get the ugliest fucking diamond in the world, one you hate. One day, you’ll look at that ring and love it.”

I roll my eyes, unravel my arms and tap my nails on the glass. “And why would I love it?”

“Because one day, you’ll look at it and realize how beautiful it is, how beautiful we will be. You’ll love it because not only will you love us, but you will love me. So, pick the ugliest ring you want. It won’t change the inevitable.” He leans down and brushes his lips across mine for the first time today, and the action makes me hold my breath.

“And if I got the pretty one?” I ask him and then swallow, trying to hold in how much he affects me.

“Then, one day, it will match what you feel for me. One day.”

“So optimistic. I’ll take that one, please,” I say, knowing he expected me to pick the pretty one.

“Embarrassing,” he mumbles, placing his hand in a steeple position against his mouth.

“What does it matter? As long as it will have meaning for us one day?” I hold out my hand, and the salesman slides it onto my finger.

“A perfect fit.”

Carmine sounds shocked, but he lifts my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles as if he were a gentleman.

We know better.

“You were the beauty it needed, Sweetling,” he says.

As much as I got the ring out of spite, the more I look at it, the more I like it. The band is too wide, but it’s a gorgeous gold, and the diamond is huge and awkwardly set.

I do love it.

“It’s perfect,” I whisper, the entire ring changing before my eyes.

“I’m glad.” Carmine slaps down a piece of paper, and the moment is ruined when I see what it is.

A marriage license.

“I thought we had to go to the courthouse for this.”

Carmine signs his name and hands me the pen. “Anything can be done for the right price. You, of all people, should know that.”

His words make me feel like a whore, and before I can calm myself, I pull back my hand and slap him across the face. Tears sting my eyes.

“Looks like you can’t leave the hat off for long, can you?” I scribbled my name on the paper, signing away my life.

I’m married to the Devil.

And no amount of money can change that.