Page 5 of The Mafia Marriage Contract

I grab her hand, squeezing her fingers tight together until she yelps.

I knew that ridiculous engagement ring would come in handy someday.

“Same goes for you, princess. Now take your goddamn hand off me and play the fuck along. I don’t want to be here any more than you do, but this is bigger than us. Get it? We fuck it up and people may die.” I narrow my eyes. “I don’t think you wanna be the cause of a fucking war, do you?”

I loosen my fingers, and she yanks her hand back. Her eyes glitter with anger, spots of pink coloring her cheeks.

“You may be happy to be next in line for your father, but I didn’t ask for this,” she says in a tight voice. “I never wanted to be part of this life, his businesses. I have my own goals and plans and none of them involve you or… or… this fucking underworld our families have created. I live my life on my terms, not yours, Kingston.”

I lift an eyebrow. “I don’t think you understand how this works, Livvie.”

“You’re not allowed to call me that. Only people I like get to call me that.” Her nostrils flare. Damn, that spark inside of her is so white-hot. I want to see it ignite.

Fuck that, Iwanna feel it even more.

She leans close and sticks the tip of her fingernail into my starched white shirt. “And let me tell you exactly how it’s going to work. This marriage will be for show only. I’m still going to live in my penthouse. You will give me two days’ advance notice for any events I need to attend. If you’re going to drive me somewhere, you will wait for me in the private garage at the lower level of my building. I expect my freedom, and it’s nonnegotiable.”

I reach for her wrist and clasp my hand around it. A slow smile stretches across my face. “Now, let me tell you how things are gonna work since you clearly got the looks, but not the brains in your family.” I pull her toward me so that my lips graze her ear. “This isn’t a business deal. You’re my wife now, and that means you are mine. No penthouse. No living separate lives. And I’m sure as hell not gonna be your personal fucking Uber.”

Her breaths become short and sharp.

“Let go,” she rasps, a deep red flush climbing up the sides of her neck.

I release my grip.

Olivia springs up from the chair, the legs scraping against the shiny polished tile. She smooths the front of her dress, her eyes spitting fire.

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see some curious gazes turned our way.

Not fucking good.

If anyone says they saw trouble in paradise, this farce would be exposed.

“Olivia,” I growl. “Watch yourself or you’re gonna blow this whole thing open.”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” shesnaps. “I’ve been just fine for the past twenty-one years. I don’t need another father up my ass. This is my life, Kingston. You’ll learn to stay out of it,ifyou know what’s good for you.”

She flashes a nasty smirk. “Although the jury’s still out on the amount of brain power you got fromyourgene pool.”

She spins on her heel. Then she stops, turns back to face me, and blows a kiss as she grabs her evening bag.

“Go fuck yourself,” she mouths, puffing out her chest to give me one last look.

Then, with an exaggerated swing of her hips, she walks right out the fucking double doors.

3

LIVVIE

Of all the men in Manhattan… in the world, in fact, and I’ve ended up with Kingston Viacava as myunhappily ever after.

His reputation alone boils my blood. It doesn’t matter that his six-foot-four build packs out his wedding suit in all the right places. Or that ninety-nine percent of the female population would scratch out my eyes to have his wedding ring on their finger.

Me? I’m thinking of cutting that finger off so I don’t have to feel the weight of my vows every damn day.

Looks aren’t everything. And being his fake wife won’t change my opinion of his cutthroat family. Nor will it change how I’ll live my life after tonight.

My father promised me this arrangement with Kingston would be business only. No sharing of beds. No pointless time spent in each other’s company and definitely no display of affection beyond public appearances.