Page 35 of Scandalous Kingpin

I suspected his story was more gut-wrenching than he let on, and I squared my shoulders, squeezing his big hand.

“I’ll help you,” I said with resolve. Christian growled, clearly thinking me a fragile, delicate flower, but I was far from it. I wasn’t scared. I rolled my eyes. “If you’re worried about me, don’t be. Just remember how I took a big part in stealing from you and getting rid of your armored truck.” His eyes darkened. I’d only been messing with him, but the blood in my veins heated as his gaze fell to my lips. My heart beat in the base of my throat, tripping up on itself. “And you’ll help me.” He didn’t look convinced, so I added, “Unless you want me to get Aiden Callahan’s help.”

It was a bluff, but judging by Christian’s look, it worked a bit too well. He appeared ready to hunt down my should-be fiancé and make him regret the contract between his uncle and my father.

“I’ll ruin him and his whole family before I’ll allow him anywhere near you.”

“You didn’t ask what I need help with,” I pointed out, trying to keep the smugness off my face.

“Tell me, then.”

A heartbeat passed and I dropped the bomb on him. “I want you to locate Sofia Volkov for me.”

He didn’t miss a beat. “Okay.”

“Aren’t you going to ask me why?” I challenged, tipping my chin up.

“Why?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Because she killed my father.”

Surprise flickered in his blue eyes. “And you’re sure of this how?”

“It’s of no concern to you,” I stated calmly, keeping the knowledge of her children with Athair to myself. “All I can tell you is that I’m sure.”

“Then we have a deal,” he stated matter-of-factly.

“We’ll help each other,” I agreed. We’d been playing this game of cat and mouse for years, and anticipation buzzed in my veins. My eyes fell to his strong, veiny hands, and memories of his rough touch filtered into my mind. I wanted those hands on me, his head between my legs and him inside me, but I knew it could never be.

After all, he told me so himself.

“On one condition.” His voice startled me and I met his darkened gaze, trying to keep my thoughts out of my expression.

Tilting my head, I asked, “What?”

“You’ll marry me.”

His words hit me like a blow to the chest, and I sucked in a breath.

“Marry… you?”

Tension rolled through him, his presence becoming larger than life.

“Yes.”

“But you said?—”

“Nobody is allowed to touch you—fuck you.” His voice drifted to a dark rasp. “You and I both know it was over the moment I touched you. There’s no going back.”

My stomach dropped and I gulped. “If I marry you, the Callahans will start a war with my brothers.”

His smile was wicked. “And I’ll finish it. For you.”

The sun was high in the sky when we made our way back down the stairs.

The woman who’d spent years tormenting her sons sat, still tied to the chair, the flesh on her leg hanging loose and weeping from the open wound.

Vittoria DiLustro kept her gaze fixed on the ground.