“You’re hurting me,” I grit out as Dom manhandles me from the room.
“I want her unmarked,” Don Maltese says, coming up on Dom’s other side. “Or the deal is off.”
“You can’t tell me what to do with my own wife,” Dom snarls, releasing my elbow and snatching my hand in his clammy palm.
“Five million dollars says I can.”
Dom purses his lips, wisely shutting up as he leads me out of the ballroom. Eyeballs are glued to our backs, and I can only imagine the gossip doing the rounds after tonight.
Fiero hangs back with Rico, and they talk in hushed tones as we make our way along the corridor toward the back of the hotel.
Dom leads us into a small room that is empty except for stacks of chairs tucked against one wall. “Talk,” he says, spinning us around to face the two New Yorkers, keeping a firm grip on my hand.
“I’ll pick up Valentina at eight on Friday morning and return her to you before midnight on Sunday,” Don Maltese says. “She’ll come to New York with me for the weekend.”
Apart from my recent trip, I have rarely left Florida since moving here at eighteen. I have always wanted to visit New York, and I’m equal parts thrilled and terrified.
Fiero fixes me with a hypnotizing stare. “I’ll show you a good time and give you more pleasure than you’ve ever known.”
I’m betting he will, but that doesn’t make this right! The absolute nerve of this man to think he can just snap his fingers, buy me for the weekend, and I’ll happily go along with it! “Your arrogance is not attractive, and you should know I’ll fight you every step of the way. You’ll have to force me.”
“Shut up, Valentina.” Dom yanks firmly on my hand, and he’s literally vibrating with anger.
It’s been a long time since I’ve fought him because I learned rather quickly that the easier option is to relent and do what I’m told. I would not have survived the six years of my marriage if I hadn’t reached that conclusion in the first six months. But this situation is different. I don’t think I can come out of this unscathed because Fiero Maltese has the power to make me feel again, and that will be my permanent ruination.
I can’t go with him. I can’t do it and survive.
“She’s all talk. She’ll do what she’s told.” Dom pins his cold gray eyes on me, silently cautioning me to get with the program. “She’s had plenty of practice.”
“What does that mean?” Fiero asks with a crease in his brow.
Dom smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “It means I’ve trained her well, and she’ll come through for you.”
Embarrassment flares in my chest, but I disguise it behind my usual mask. Not for the first time, I curse my papa for forcing me to marry this uncaring bastard, and I hate my mama for failing to stop it and then abandoning me to my fate.
“When will I have the money?” Dom adds.
Fiero scrubs a hand across his jaw as he stares at me, taking a few beats to reply. “I’ll deposit one million now as a gesture of good will, a second mil on Friday, and the rest when I return her on Sunday.”
Dom’s mouth opens to object, but he quickly closes it. He thrusts out his hand. “Deal.”
Just like that. With no boundaries in place to ensure my safety. I have always known he doesn’t care but having it so blatantly and publicly confirmed is the ultimate slap in the face. I work hard to school a neutral expression on my face because I refuse to give either of these men any more power over me.
A wave of disgust sweeps over Rico’s face, and he does nothing to conceal it. Compassion glimmers in his eyes when he looks at me, but I present him with the dead-eyed stare I have perfected over the years, unable and unwilling to accept this stranger’s silent comfort.
Don Maltese is maintaining a cool expression though his eyes flare brighter, confirming his delight. He shakes my husband’s hand. “This remains strictly confidential between us four. No one else is to know.”
“Of course,” Dom lies, lowering his hand to his side. There’s no way he won’t be bragging about this to his cronies.
“Good doing business with you.”
“Asshole.” It slips out before I can stop it.
“Show Don Maltese some respect,” Dom hisses, having changed his tune.
“I’ll show him respect when he does the same for me.”
Fiero moves in closer to me. “I have never paid to spend time with a woman. I don’t have to. Women beg me to fuck them. It’s rare I do the chasing.”
