Page 75 of Diary of a Mafia Princess

But Carlos kept going. “I’m sure that’s not true, is it?”

I knew the truth. Something inside me said he didn’t want to hear it. So I downplayed it. “We know each other. Her friend is dating one of the guys who works at my shop.”

He nodded his approval. “Good. Good. Because if you had, I wouldn’t be pleased. I’d have to have you dragged down to my basement, locked in one of my cages, and only brought out for my amusement.”

“Sounds friendly.”

Carlos chuckled and pointed at me. “I like you, Dax. You have a sense of humor. A funny man.”

Nothing I’d said was funny, and we all knew it.

Carlos finally got to the point. “I watched you fight tonight. You’re talented.”

“Am I supposed to say thank you? I trained since I was seven. I can fight not because I have talent, but because I practiced.”

“It shows.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I want you to fight for me.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What does that mean?”

“I’m expanding my business dealings into sports. Your talent—or training, if you prefer—is wasted here in Saint View. I want to put you into bigger fights. On a national and international level.”

I raised an eyebrow. “I’m not that good.”

“I disagree. You were playing with that guy tonight. Letting him hit you.”

I ran my tongue over my teeth, surprised anyone had noticed. I wasn’t fighting because I wanted to win. I was fighting because getting slugged in the face a few times a couple nights a week was a better sort of pain than the one I lived with daily. The one that reminded me the woman I loved was no longer mine. “So what if I was?”

Something in Carlos’s eyes lit up. “I want to see what you can really do. Come to my house next week. Let me show you what it could be like if you fight for me.”

I opened my mouth to refuse.

Luca tossed a wad of cash onto my lap.

I glanced down at it, staring at the bills held together by an elastic band.

“Five K to come to my house for a night,” Carlos said. “And a lot more if you perform the way I think you can.”

Five K would be a start on the new roof the shop needed. That alone made it a tempting offer. I stared down at the money, flicking through each bill like I was counting it. Like it was all that mattered.

When all that actually mattered was an invitation to the Guerra mansion was a chance to see Nyah again.

I pushed the money into my pocket and stared at Carlos. “Name your date and time. I’ll be there.’

Carlos clapped his hands together. “Excellent! Excellent. A smart decision, Dax.” He narrowed his eyes. “Much smarter than your decision to date my future wife.” He eyed me. “You fuck her?”

I blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. I asked if you fucked my future wife?”

My gut instinct roared loud in my head. “We went out like two times. She wouldn’t put out. So that was that.”

He stared at me for a long minute, but clearly, I could lie with a straight face.

He nodded. “I’d really hate to find out otherwise, Dax. Her father promised me a virgin. And that’s what I expect to have on my wedding night. Her sweet, untouched-by-anyone-but-me virgin pussy.”

I wanted to reach across the car and put my fingers around his throat. Wanted to squeeze hard until he spluttered and choked on the words.

But fighting had given me a poker face. In the ring, I could never let an opponent know when or where I was going to strike. And so I shrugged like I didn’t have a care in the world. “I couldn’t give a shit about your wife’s pussy, Carlos. Just keep the money coming and we’ll be fine.”