Page 114 of Risks of Temptation

"Name your price. Money. Favors. Tell me what you want and consider it done. Then I get the rest of the evening with her tonight."

"She's not broken yet," Gustave says, and my gut pitches more.

"Even better." He licks his lips.

My stomach twists. I growl, "She's mine. You don't get her tonight or ever."

Louis snorts. "Not into sharing?"

"No, I'm not. When you pay a billion dollars for a woman, you can decide who touches her. But no one touches my property."

The President's dark eyes turn to slits. His face and shiny, bald head grow red with anger. He's not a man who doesn't get what he wants. Besides Louis, he's the most powerful man in the world. He snarls, "Everyone has a price. Tell me yours."

Gustave cuts in, probably afraid I'm going to lurch across the coffee table and punch him. "We will keep that in mind. But you know I don't like to share. Neither does my brother."

Surprise fills his face. "Brother?"

"Yes. Brother. We've decided to let the most important Global Leaders who we trust know our truth. But it's best if you keep this between the four of us."

It's a move to make the President trust us and believe we are aligned with him.

He turns to me. "You've been on the other side of the fence, son. Something you should always be aware of is this: When someone as powerful as I am wants something you have and offers to give you whatever you want, you take the offer. Withholding it and making me wait only makes me take matters into my own hands." He looks at Gustave. "Talk sense into your brother. I'll be waiting for the call to come back."

Something and it. As if ma belle is nothing but property and not a person.

I lean toward him. "Let me make myself clear, Mr. President. I bought her. She's mine to do with as I please. No one will have her except me. I will break her in the room, and she will be mine in all ways, forever. The rule exists for a reason. If you attempt to cross over it, your alliance with many will blow up."

"Are you threatening me?" he snarls.

"You've asked. I've said no. The next time you ask, it's in the bylaws for me to put a bullet in your head. Everything is clear. Don't think I won't do it."

Gustave clears his throat. "Let's change the subject and discuss taking over the cartels."

The next hour, the President and I scowl at each other, but we all discuss the next phase of the Global Leaders' mission to have complete control of the world.

When they leave, I turn to Gustave. "He isn't going to stop, is he?"

"No. It is why it's so important you submit to your role, just as Emilia is to hers."

"Everything about this makes me ill."

"I understand. But you must make the mental switch. When it is over, if your love is strong enough, you will be able to repair the damage."

But that is what I'm most afraid of; hurting ma belle to the point of no return. All I want is to go back to how we were a week ago. And I don't know how either of us are going to recover after this night is over.

"Making the shift means you're choosing her. It's the only way to protect her against the President or any of the other men who crave her."

It finally clicks. There are no other options. I take a deep breath and look Gustave in the eye. "Then I must do it. Tell me how I become all that I despise."