His Prize: An Arranged Dark Mafia Romance (Cruel King Book 3)

by Callie Vincent

  And still, Israel had yet to show.

  “He might’ve had a previous engagement,” Ash whispered.

  I shook my head. “Doesn’t matter. This is just as important to him as it is to me. I’m not the only one my uncle’s trying to murder here.”

  I kept an eye over my shoulder all damn afternoon. And not once did Israel crop up. My heart dropped to the floor as the judge dismissed us for the day, and I felt someone staring at me. I looked up and saw my uncle grinning. His eyes sparkled with vicious mischievousness, and I found myself wanting to claw them out.

  But, my want to dig out his eyes didn’t overshadow the hurt I felt with Israel’s absence.

  He really is leaving me.

  “Come on. We should get you to the car,” Ash said.

  I took the arm she offered. “Let’s stop to get some coffee before we head back. I need it after all of this.”

  “My thoughts exactly, Miss Bonnie.”

  I walked with my bodyguard, arm in arm, as we headed out of the courthouse. And the entire time, I thought about how screwed up my situation was. The entire reason why I stayed and decided to fight with Israel was that I wanted him to love me. I didn’t want power, and I didn’t want leadership. I wanted no part in my family’s business or even Israel’s. All I wanted was for the man I loved to love me in return.

  “You know that girl?” Ash asked.

  I paused. “What girl?”

  She nodded. “The one giving you the evil eye right now.”

  I looked over to where Ash was nodding, and I saw Brianna glaring at me. She had her arms folded over her chest while she stood by her mother, who kept wiping away tears from her eyes. My heart went out to my cousin. A girl I had grown up with. My best friend, up until a few months ago. She didn’t ask for this, either. She never asked for this vengeance, or this lifestyle, or this bullshit.

  “Miss Moretti?”

  Ash stepped in front of me. “And you are?”

  I patted her on the shoulder. “This is Detective Alistair. Israel’s PI.”

  She peered over her shoulder. “So, you know him?”

  I nodded. “I’m familiar with him. It’s okay.”

  Ash stepped off to the side, and the detective nodded.

  “I’m sorry to approach you so abruptly, Miss Moretti. But, I’m working with the assigned officer on your hit-and-run case.”

  “I appreciate that. Thank you.”

  “I wanted to know if anything about that moment has come back to memory. The color of the truck or possibly a glance you remember in terms of who was driving it?”

  Ash cleared her throat. “Miss Bonnie has had a long day. We can resume this line of questioning—”

  I held up my hand. “It’s all right, Ash. Really.”

  My bodyguard stayed silent as the detective stared at me.

  “Unfortunately, time hasn’t restored any of my memory from the accident. I have no idea what the man looked like or even if it was a man driving the vehicle in the first place. All I remember is my driver yelling at me to get down. Then my next memory is the hospital.”

  “And you’re sure about that?”

  I nodded. “I am, though I’m sorry to admit that.”

  He tucked his notebook away. “Well, you have my word that we’ll find that bastard. Whether he’s dead or alive at this point, we’ll make sure there’s at least a body for you to stare down.”

  I smiled softly. “Your dedication to my hu—” I caught my words, and I swallowed them whole. “Just—thank you, Detective,” I said.

  He nodded. “Of course. I’ll let you get on your way, Miss Moretti.”

  And as I watched him walk off, he peered over his shoulder. Not at me, though. But, at Ash. I looked over at my bodyguard, and I saw her glaring at the man. For what reason, I didn’t know. However, it wasn’t a reason I was necessarily concerned about right now.

  All I wanted to do was get back to the waterfront vacation house that Israel and I were holed up in and then crack open a bottle of wine all to myself.

  13

  Bonnie

  “Miss Bonnie?”

  I looked up at the bodyguard standing beside my uncle’s study. Well, my study now. “Why did you phrase that as a question?” I asked.

  The bodyguard blinked. “Just didn’t expect to see you here.”

  I nodded. “And why is that?”

  The man looked around to see if anyone else was with us, and it made me regret telling Ash to canvas the outside of the house. I didn't like the shocked look on this man’s face, but I certainly didn’t enjoy him checking to see if anyone was watching us.

  “How-how are you feeling?” he finally asked.

  I tapped my cane against the marble floor. “Better, now that I’m back to work.”

  He nodded slowly. “Right. Back to work.”

  “Listen, I have a job for you.”

  “And it is…?”

  I walked up to the man. “I want you to pack your things and leave.”

  He blinked. “Come again?”

  I smiled politely. “I want you to pack your things and leave. You’re fired.”

  The man’s eyes narrowed as I brushed past him, pushing myself into Pava’s office. I needed to lease out my own space at some point so I didn’t have to come back to this house ever again. But, until Israel and I got over the hump of literally everything else happening, this place would have to do as my workspace.

  “Miss Bonnie, you can’t fire me,” the man said.

  I turned around. “Oh, really? And why is that?”

  “Because, Pava—well, just—I’ve worked for this family for—”

  I nodded. “And now you don’t. You have fifteen minutes to vacate the premises before I have security do it for you.”

  I hobbled over to the desk and sat down as the man cursed underneath his breath. A surge of excitement rushed through my veins as I began pulling out files and readying myself for a very long day at work. I had a lot to catch up on and even more to dig into.

  Because my main goal today was to find the man who reamed his car into me.

  I dug through my uncle’s files until I saw the files for PetShop Galore. I pulled them out and started sifting through them as footsteps fell heavily outside the office. My doors burst open, and I felt someone hovering over me. The shadow cloaked me as I slowly looked up.

  And gazed into the eyes of my uncle’s head security officer. “Can I help you?” I asked.

  “You’re not authorized to hire and fire.”

  I stood to my feet. “Tell me, why is that?”

  “Because that’s Pava’s responsibility. Not yours.”

  I nodded. “Right. You mean, it’s your boss’s responsibility.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “And your boss uses this office, right?”

  He paused. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Does it look like my uncle’s here right now?”

  “Bonnie, I get it. You're in a rough situation right now. But, Pava hasn’t—”

  I slammed my cane against the desk, shutting up the man.

  “You listen to me, and you listen well, Bruno. My father was the eldest of his family. And I was the only child. So, when my father died, the role of the head of this family fell to me. My uncle usurped that rule because I was but a child when he died. But, given the fact that my uncle is on trial for their murders and has been stripped of any legal rights he has in this country, that means he’s forfeited his right to lead this family. In fact, the second I turned eighteen, he was automatically pushed out because this job was never his to have. It has always been mine.”

  Bruno swallowed hard. “Miss Bonnie, I just don’t think—”

  I smiled. “You’re fired.”

  “Wh-wh-wh—what?”

  “You’re. Fired.”

  He squared off his shoulders. “You can’t fire me. I’m the head of the security at this estate. You don’t even live here!”

  I pointed my cane at him. �
�You’re the head of this family’s security, no matter where you work. And since I’m the head of this family, I get a say in what you do and what happens to you. Bruno? You’re fired. And feel lucky that it’s the only thing I’m doing to you right now.”

  “But—where the hell am I going to go?”

  I sat back down. “I don’t care where you go just that you don’t stay here. You’ve got fifteen minutes to vacate the premises before I have someone do it for you.”

  He chuckled. “And who are you going to get to do that?”

  I heard a gun cock from the doors of the study. “Me.”

  I nodded at Ash. “Her.”

  Bruno looked between the two of us before storming past Ash. I nodded my thanks to her before I flipped the file folders open, ready to get to work. But, as more people stormed into my office to defend the two men I let go and to prove their loyalty to my uncle, I fired more people than I ever intended to when I woke up this morning.

  “Miss Bonnie?”

  I scribbled some notes down. “Yes, Ash?”

  “May I speak freely?”

  I grinned. “Of course. What is it?”

  “You’ve fired eleven people today.”

  I looked up at her. “And?”

  “Well, don’t you think you should be putting out feelers to hire people who will be loyal to you instead of Mr. Moretti?”

  I blinked. “That’ll be my project for tonight. Do you mind handling the influx of resumes? I’ll need someone to filter through qualifications and pass me only the best.”

  She nodded. “I can do that, ma’am.”

  “Great. We’ll get started tomorrow.”

  The file folders regarding PetShop Galore fell to the wayside amid all the firing. I had other things I wanted to accomplish, and there were only so many hours in the day. So, I slid the files into my purse and turned my head toward more fruitful ventures like organizing volunteer events on behalf of the family.

  I wanted to change the way the public perceived us. I wanted to change the way the police perceived us. I wanted to take this family to another level. I wanted to turn us into something more than what we were underneath my uncle’s tutelage. But, the time flew by quickly. And before I knew it, Israel was standing in front of my desk.

  “Ready to go?” he asked.

  I held up my finger. “Can I ask you a couple of things? I’d like your opinion.”

  “So, I should close the doors?” Ash asked.

  I waved my hand at her. “Please, and thank you.”

  Ash nodded as she closed us into the study before I motioned for Israel to take a seat.

  “Well, what is it that’s so urgent?” he asked.

  I leaned back in my chair. “I want to organize a charity event on behalf of the family.”

  His eyes gazed out the window. “Uh-huh.”

  “I’d like to invite your family as well as a few others that may or may not delve into this kind of lifestyle. But, I’m struggling on which charity to donate to.”

  “Right.”

  He seems distracted. “I was thinking about either starting my own charity on behalf of the family or donating to the children’s hospital.”

  He nodded slowly. “Good idea.”

  I clicked my tongue. “Or, I could take the proceeds and donate to a few of the local gangs to get them on my side.”

  “Sure thing.”

  “Israel.”

  “Mhm?”

  I sighed. “Hey!”

  His head snapped over to mine. “What the hell are you yelling at me for?”

  I scoffed. “Are you even listening?”

  He blinked. “Charity event. Why?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t want this family just to be known for the shit they pull.”

  “So, you want to be known for helping sick kids or establishing your own vanity charity?”

  “It wouldn’t be a vanity charity.”

  He shook his head. “There’s too much paperwork involved in that. Besides, the police would be all over you the second you tried to instate it. They’d think it was some sort of cover shell corporation or something.”

  At least he’s paying attention now.

  “So, no donating to the kids and no charity of my own. What do you suggest, then?”

  He crossed his leg over his knee. “Not having a charity event.”

  “And why not?”

  “Because I don’t think people are going to feel safe at a function like that with the Moretti family name plastered all over it.”

  “Well, I want to change this family’s reputation a bit. That’s the whole point.”

  “Then, why don’t you start with the businesses your uncle already snatched up?”

  I paused. “I’m not following.”

  He leaned forward. “Host a charity drive, don’t slap your family’s name on it, and use the proceeds to donate to the businesses your uncle has already bled dry. Mend your relationships with them first.”

  “That’s… actually not a bad idea.”

  “You get your charity work, you can raise more money that way, and you still keep that money in the family, so to speak. It’s a win-win for all involved.”

  I reached for the desk phone. “Can you give me fifteen more minutes? I have a short phone call to make.”

  He stood. “I’ll wait just outside the door. Unless you’d like me to stay?”

  I grinned. “Rival families still, remember? I need some privacy for this phone call.”

  He chuckled. “It was worth a shot.”

  And as I watched him make his way out of the study, a thought crossed my mind. A thought so crazy and so fleeting and so out there that it made me smile brightly.

  For a brief moment, I wondered if our families would ever consider a merge.

  14

  Israel

  I kept stealing glances over at Bonnie as we drove over to the vacation home. My father had been gracious enough to allow us to reside in one of the vacant waterfront houses he furnished and rented out. One of the many things my family had their hands in was Chicago real estate, and every time a new waterfront property came on the market, my father snatched it up as quickly as he could.

  He still ran the head of that division, even though he had passed his position in the family down to me. And while the furnishings in the place weren’t quite my taste, it had been a comforting place to be ever since my penthouse went up in flames.

  But, when Bonnie and I got back to the house, none of my keys worked in the locks.

  “Here, try my keys,” she said.

  I shoved mine into my pocket and tried hers. However, none of those worked. I sighed. “Hold on. Let me call Dad.”

  Bonnie pointed. “I’m going to go check the back door. Maybe it’s been left unlocked.”

  I dialed his number. “You can try, but I lock down every square inch of this place whenever I leave.”

  The phone rang in my ear as Bonnie disappeared around the corner. And I had half a mind to go after her. I didn’t like her being by herself, especially if her bodyguard wasn’t with us. But, at some point in time, I had to let her function on her own, especially since that’s what she wanted.

  “Hello there, Israel.”

  “Dad. The keys don’t work in the locks. Do you have a spare I could come get?”

  “No, son. I don’t.”

  I paused. “So, do you want me to break a window or something?”

  “If you break it, you pay for it.”

  I reached for a rock. “Suits me.”

  He growled. “If you break that window—”

  “Why don’t you tell me the reason why the keys don’t work then, yes?”

  “Because so long as you’re going to be staying in one of my homes, she’s not allowed in them.”

  I turned my back to the door. “And by she, you mean Bonnie. Correct?”

  “Who the hell else would I mean?”

  My mind put the pieces together. “Let me get this straight: you c
ame to our rescue and offered us this home to stay in until I can figure out my next move with the penthouse when really you’re just using it as a chance to push Bonnie out of my life? Seriously?”

  “You know damn good and well she’s no good for you. She’s a rival family, for crying out loud.”

  “What, and the Esposito’s aren’t?”

  “Not with the kind of money they’ve got.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Money, money, money. That’s all it ever is for you. Well, you might want to go ahead and pull the deed to this house. Because I’m pretty sure the person who owns this house isn’t you, but the head of this family. Which is me.”

  “A title I can strip you of at any point in time.”

  “A title that you haven’t stripped me of yet because you know damn good and well Gio could never do this job, so you’re trying to see if you can manipulate me the way you can him.”

  “I’d watch your tone of voice, son.”

  I snarled. “And I’d watch who you piss off. You might be the eldest in this family, but you aren’t the head of it. You’re treading in dangerous territory—”

  “Israel. Don’t.” Bonnie’s voice came out of nowhere before her hand fell against my forearm.

  I slowly looked over at her, my body vibrating with fury, and I saw her slowly shaking her head.

  “It isn’t worth it right now,” she whispered.

  I sucked air through my teeth. “We’ll find somewhere else to stay. You can keep what we’ve put in it so far.” Then, I hung up the phone and took Bonnie’s hand.

  “Come with me. We’re getting a hotel suite for the night,” I said.

  She paused. “Wait, really?”

  I pulled her toward the car. “Yes, really.”

  She slid her hand away from mine. “So, you’re taking me with you?”

  I turned to face her. “Why wouldn’t I?”

  “I don't know.”

  I paused. “What did you think my reaction was going to be?”