“Actually, I don’t know.”
He paused. “What?”
I sighed. “Can I ask you a few questions first? I mean, before we lock in this deal between us.”
“You mean, you’re actually considering it?”
Odd question to ask. “Yes, I am.”
He smiled. “I’m an open book. What would you like to know? My favorite color? Favorite kind of music?”
I shook my head. “I want to know what’s in this for you.”
He blinked. “What?”
“I know what’s in it for me. We marry, I don’t have to deal with the drama of running a family that’s betrayed me, and Israel gets to be free. But, none of that tells me what you get out of this.”
“I get a beautiful wife, and I get my brother out of prison.”
“What happens when he gets out of prison?”
He cocked his head. “I’m not following.”
You’re good, but you’re not that good. “It stands to reason that you’d take over the Rossi family now that Israel’s in prison. But what happens when he gets out? He’s still the eldest child. Does he take his position back?”
“I don’t know. I suppose that would be up to Dad.”
“So, your father knows about this arrangement.”
“Not in so many words, no.”
“Then, what does he know?”
He snickered. “Does that matter?”
I nodded. “If I’m going to marry someone and waste my life away pretending to be happy, yes. It matters.”
“I’m sure you could come to love me, Bonnie. Just like you came to love my brother.”
“I didn’t come to love anyone. I do love your brother, hands down.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know why, but I suppose even the darkest devil has a bit of reprieve sometimes.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What would you like to get out of this?”
“Like I said, all I want is Israel out of—”
I sauntered over to him. “Oh, come on, Gio. Be honest with me. You know you can.” I fluttered my eyelashes up at him and watched him draw in a deep breath. “I mean, if we’re going to be married, we might as well start sharing some secrets. So, if you tell me what you really want out of this, I’ll tell you what I really want.”
He grinned. “I like a woman with secrets.”
I walked my fingers up his chest. “I. Knew. You. Would.” I bopped his nose with my fingertip, and his arm wrapped around me. I fought down the urge to deck this man in the nose as he pulled me close. So close that I could feel the pulsing of his breath against my lips. It smelled disgusting—like wine and cheap steak. I fought back the grimace wanting to tear through my cheeks as I stared into his eyes. And when I saw that menacing brother come back into view, I knew I had caught him.
I knew he had finally dropped the charade.
“Tell me your secret first. Show me how good you are,” he murmured.
I giggled. “You’re so bad, Gio.”
“I can be as bad as you want, BonBon.”
Good God, no. “Then, be bad and go first. Because great men never wait for someone else. Not even a woman.”
He released me. “You’re damn right, they don’t.”
I smoothed my hands down my blouse and drew in a deep breath as Gio clasped his hands behind his back.
“What I want out of this is what I’ve always wanted: to sit at the head of this family. Israel won’t regain his place after being released from prison, but if he plays his cards right? I’ll give him the second-most coveted spot in this family. He’ll never hurt for work or money, and he’ll always be safe. My family needs a new head of security anyway, and Israel would fill that part fantastically.”
Please, hurry up with whatever it is you’re doing, Israel.
“So, you don’t think Israel will challenge you for your seat once he’s released?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Even if he does, he won’t have any staying power. Dad’s wanted him out of that position ever since he decided not to put a bullet in your head for what you did.”
I blinked. “I’m sorry, what?”
He took a step toward me. “I’ve never seen a woman rip apart a family the way you’ve ripped apart mine. But if you marry me? Not only can I give you anything you could ever wish for, but I can protect you. My father will stop at nothing to make sure you’re dead. But I can protect you. Israel’s in prison now, anyway. Or, at least, he will be soon. And he won’t be able to protect you anymore. I can, though. I’ll be the head of this family in no time, and you’ll be at my side. You’ll get none of the burdens of work, but all of the benefits of being at the top—including my protection.”
And just as my hand started tingling with a need to slap this man senseless, the front door burst open. Revealing Israel as he charged through the room and slipped between myself and Gio.
Staring at his brother with blood in his eyes.
“Iz-Iz-Israel? But, I thought you were—”
Israel nodded. “Yeah. I know what you thought.”
I placed my hand against his back and gripped his shirt. Hoping to hold him back from slaughtering his brother where he stood.
“You’re supposed to be downtown right now!” Gio exclaimed.
Israel drew in a sobering breath. “And you’re supposed to have a bullet in your head. But, there’s something more pressing that needs to happen first.” Then, he turned to face me before he got down on one knee.
“Israel?” I asked.
Gio scoffed. “The hell are you doing? You can’t actually be serious right now!”
Israel dug around in his pocket before pulling out a small velvet box.
Yep. This is the signal.
“Israel,” I whispered.
He took my left hand within his. “There aren’t many people I can trust in this world. In fact, there’s no one—not even my own damn brother. But you, Bonnie, you’ve shown me what true trust is. You’ve shown me what real love is. You’ve shown me nothing but dedication, and strength, and honesty. And you do it all with a majestic flair that leaves me wanting more. You’re a force to be reckoned with, and I’d rather die loving the woman I want than live having to fake it with some woman who will never live up to your standards.”
Gio sputtered. “But— Dad’s— He’s gon— You— Are you fucking kidding me?”
My eyes snapped to his. “Shut up before I shoot you myself.”
Israel chuckled as he stood. He plucked the massive pink-diamond ring out of the box and held the white gold band up to my left ring finger. And when I gazed up into his eyes, I saw no deceit. I saw no jokes. I saw nothing but love, anticipation, and a bit of cocky pride.
“Bonnie Moretti, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” he asked.
“No!” Gio roared.
It all happened so fast that I still couldn’t recall much of it. But, what I did remember was this: I saw Gio charging us, and my gut reaction told me to jump in front of Israel. I didn’t know what his brother was doing or what his brother had in terms of a weapon, but I couldn't let him hurt the man I loved. Israel tried to tug me back. Gio growled as he charged. And as I cocked my fist back, my knuckles cracked against his jawline before he fell to the floor in silence.
“Burn in hell, asshole,” I murmured. Then, I turned back to Israel with a smile. “Yes. My God, yes, I’ll marry you.”
And my eyes watered with tears of happiness as he slipped the ring onto my finger, cloaked my back with his arms, and planted the most stunning kiss right against my lips.
All while his brother groaned underneath us on his raggedy apartment floor.
25
Bonnie
I leaned against my fiancé as police shuffled in and out of the apartment. It seemed that they had swarmed out of nowhere, and before I knew it, Gio was in handcuffs. He glared at me as they pulled him off the floor. I heard the officers reading him his rights as they cuffed his wrists. Gio stared me down, his eyes full of ange
r and his downturned lips full of unspoken promises.
Unspoken frustrations.
Unspoken threats.
“All right. Where’s this marriage contract someone was talking about,” an officer asked.
I didn’t bother getting his name as I handed him the file folder. “The man’s been obsessed with me for a while now, sir. Always popping up at all the wrong times. Cornering me in bedrooms and bathrooms. I thought he was finally done until Israel here was wrongly arrested for something this afternoon and Giovanni presented me with that marriage contract. Something just isn’t right with all of this.”
The officer quirked an eyebrow. “Right. Well, we’ll take this from you and get it into evidence. And in the meantime, we’re going to be searching the apartment, so I suggest you two—”
“Boss?”
The officer turned around. “What?”
I felt Israel’s hand pressing tightly against my lower back, even though he didn’t prompt me to move. I looked up at him and saw the shadow of an evil grin ticking his cheeks. My gaze gravitated back to the two officers while they whispered to one another. And when I saw the gun the man was holding with a rubber glove over his hand, the pieces started to fall into place.
He didn’t.
“Are you sure?” the officer murmured.
“I’m definitely sure, Boss. Same caliber. Same make. Same model.”
Bossman sighed. “Get it in a bag and processed. Then, tear this entire apartment complex up from top to bottom. Leave no stone unturned.”
I interjected, “I’m sorry, is there anything else we can help with?”
Bossman looked up at Israel. “Is there anything else you two need to tell me?”
I furrowed my brow. “No? I just wanted to tell you about this marriage contract. I think there’s something really weird going on with Giovanni right now. I can’t put my finger on it, but with Israel’s untimely arrest and then this marriage proposal, it almost feels staged. Like one of his attempts to back me into another corner.”
Bossman nodded. “Yeah, well, obsession cases can get brutal sometimes. But, let me be the first to let you know that Mr. Rossi standing behind you is no longer a suspect in the murder of Branson Baker.”
I didn’t even have to fake my shock at that point. Because as the last piece dropped into place, I knew what Israel had done.
“Wait. What?”
Bossman chuckled. “As weird as it sounds to admit, he’s off the hook. For now, at least.”
Israel massaged my lower back with his hand. “Thank you, Officer. I appreciate it.”
Bossman glared up at him. “We’ll be keeping an eye on you, though. So, I’d watch it.”
Israel nodded. “I’m always watching it.”
He snickered. “Yeah, I’m sure you are.”
I sighed. “Well, if there’s nothing else we can assist with?”
Bossman held his arm out for the door. “Thank you for your time. If we have any more questions, we’ll come to find you.”
And as I nodded my thanks to the officer, Israel finally walked me toward the door. We headed to the elevator and slipped inside, and it wasn’t until the doors closed on us that I looked up at him.
“You sly little fucker,” I said, giggling.
He grinned. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
26
Israel
“What in the hell is the meaning of this?”
I cringed at the sound of my father’s yelling as I helped Bonnie into the car.
“Israel! You stop it right there!”
Bonnie looked up at me. “Do I need to punch him, too?”
I chuckled. “Give me five minutes. I’ll have it settled.” Then, I closed her door and turned to my very angry father.
“Why is your brother being marched out in handcuffs?” he roared.
I leaned coolly against the car, blocking Bonnie’s view of the altercation. “Obsession, for starters. Though, I’m pretty sure there’s a murder charge or two in there as well. You know how Gio is.”
Dad pointed in my face. “What did you do? What the fuck did you do, Israel?”
I shrugged. “I did what had to be done for the sake of the family.”
“You doing something for the sake of this family meant putting your brother in prison? Have I taught you nothing!?”
I shook my head. “No, Dad. Not your definition of family. Mine. Me and Bonnie.”
He growled. “That manipulative little bitch will never be family.”
I grinned. “And my manipulative little brother you enjoy taking advantage of so much will never inherit the family business. I mean, not now, at least.”
He closed the distance between us. “Those officers have nothing on him. They’ve got nothing, you hear me? I’ll pay off whoever it takes to get him out of there, and when I do? I’ll put a bullet in your head for the treason you’ve committed against this family.”
“If you don’t watch your tongue, I might just merge this family with the Moretti’s and be done with it.”
He paused. “You wouldn’t dare.”
I pushed off the car. “There’s no one to take over the family now. And no matter how hard you try, I’ll always try harder. You pursue Gio? I’ll pursue you. To the ends of the earth if I have to. I’ll make sure the charges stick because I can guarantee you the evidence those police have will go without question in a court of law. You have no more moves, Dad. No one else to manipulate.”
His nostrils flared with anger. “I will not allow you to scar this family just because you want to marry the enemy.”
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend, father. But that doesn’t matter because I love this woman. She’s going to be my wife whether you want her to be or not, and as for this whole ‘family business’ thing? I suggest you start drawing up official announcements saying that you’ve handed over the entire enterprise to your eldest son.”
“And if I don’t?”
My eyes held his. “Then, I don’t believe there will be a place in the family for someone like yourself.”
He scoffed. “You’d disown the man who gave you life out of spite?”
“No. But I would disown the man who’s tried, and tried, and tried again to kill me, the woman I love, and forever ruin my reputation by working alongside what you considered to be a rival family in order to take both Bonnie and me down. You want to talk about disloyalty? You tried to have your son killed. You want to talk about disloyalty? You worked alongside the one man you claimed to hate more than anything else in this world just to make sure things turned out in your favor. Sometimes, Dad, you need to know when to quit.”
“I—you—this is—I just—”
I turned my back to him. “Save it for a court. Because if you keep this up, that’s exactly where you’ll be.”
“You’ll never get away with this, Israel!”
I opened the driver’s side door. “You’re right, Dad. But that’s only because I already have. And while I’ve had fun, I don’t ever intend on doing this again.”
Then, I slipped into the car, took Bonnie’s hand into my own, and drove away.
Leaving my father—and everything he stood for—in the dust.
27
Bonnie
I drew in a deep breath as I held flowers in my hand. I felt the white silk ribbon tickling the tops of my hands, and it tugged a smile across my face. I closed my eyes and waited for the doors to open. I waited for the small ceremony to begin.
And once they parted, I opened my eyes.
Israel.
He was the first person I saw. With his brooding stare locked with my own and his hair slicked back, he looked more beautiful than he had during our sham of a first wedding. I stepped through the threshold and into the courtroom, feeling all eyes on me as I proceeded down the aisle and up to the man who held my future in the palm of his hand.
And I didn’t stop moving until we stood face to face.
“I’ve been told the t
wo of you wish to say a few words,” the magistrate said.
I smiled as Israel took my left hand within his while his fingertip traced the massive diamond in my wedding ring.
Signing those divorce papers was the best thing Brianna had ever done for me. And despite the fact that I knew we’d never have the bond I hoped we’d share one day, I’d also never forget this. I’d never forget the gift she really gave me.
The gift of signing those papers and getting out of my way.
Israel gazed into my eyes. “I know this isn’t the ceremony you deserve, but this can’t wait. I don’t want to go a second longer without you bearing the last name you should have from the first moment I laid eyes on you. I promise you, when all of this chaos settles, you’ll have the ceremony you deserve. Whatever dress you want, whatever venue you wish, and whatever honeymoon you desire.”
The magistrate nodded. “Miss Bonnie?”
I smiled. “I don’t care about the ceremony, or the dress, or the venue. I don’t care about our honeymoon, or what colors our wedding might hold, or what your tuxedo might look like. I don’t care about any of it because it didn’t matter the first time around. The only thing that matters is the love and respect behind what we’re doing. And I love you, Israel. I’ve loved you for a while now, and I’m honored to be standing here with only seconds until I hyphenate my last name.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “Hyphenate?”
I smiled. “I still have a job to do, remember?”
He chuckled. “I suppose I can be okay with a hyphenation, then.”
The magistrate lifted his hands. “Then, by the power vested in me by the State of Illinois as well as the City of Chicago, I now pronounce you man and wife.”
I tossed my bouquet off to the side and threw myself into Israel’s arms. I crashed my lips against his, feeling him pull me closer as I started moving toward the floor. My body dipped lower and lower until the tips of my hair graced the floor beneath my feet.
His Prize: An Arranged Dark Mafia Romance (Cruel King Book 3) Page 12
