Page 170 of Gorgeous Villain (Marchetti Mafia)

I look at Cristian first. He stands in front of me, leaning against the desk, already looking like a judge ready to deliver adeath sentence. As bad as I want to continue searching the room for threats, I anchor my attention on him.

Always face the executioner first.

Don’t take your fucking eyes off him.

His eyes assess mine as he waits for me to make the first move.

I toss the bag at his feet, and it lands with a loud thud. “A gift for you.”

Our eye contact drops when he cuts his attention to Benny. I follow his lead to find Benny a few feet away, sipping on a drink. Unlike Cristian, whose face is heated with so much hatred that I’m shocked the room hasn’t caught on fire, Benny’s expression is unreadable.

No one says a word as Cristian kneels to unzip the bag. He opens it, getting a better look, and then plucks out gloves from his pockets. The room remains quiet as he withdraws Sonny’s bagged decapitated head and drops it onto the duffel. It doesn’t land inside the bag. Instead, it lingers on the outside, along the zipper. I squint, staring at the bag, and I’m almost positive his earlobe is stuck to the zipper.

“Glad to see he’s finally dead,” Cristian says, rising before removing his gloves and tossing them on Sonny’s head. “Although I’d have preferred to do the killing myself.” He kicks Sonny’s head like it’s a ball. “Now, what is thisgiftfor, Lombardi? For me not to kill you and everyone you love? To release you from your father’s sins?”

I stand tall. “To marry your daughter.”

He scoffs. “My daughter isn’t for sale.”

Benny downs his drink when Cristian snaps his fingers, sets the glass down, and then swipes a stack of papers from the desk. He hands them to Cristian.

Cristian passes the papers to me. “As a matter of fact, I need you to sign these annulment papers. Your little forced marriagescheme won’t work.” He plucks a pen off the desk and extends it in my direction.

I flip straight to the last page. “Gigi hasn’t signed.”

“Not yet,” Cristian replies.

“I’m not signing.” I hold the papers out to him.

“I’ll forge your signature then. Or cut off your fucking hand and use it to sign them.”

I shake my head.

Cristian grabs the Glock from the desk, cocks it, and aims it at me. “Sign the fucking papers, Lombardi.”

I won’t be the one to end our marriage.

Gigi is the rhythm of my beating heart.

The peace to my chaos.

The beauty to my destruction.

She’s why I’m here, willing to die. I could’ve easily fled the country with Amara and Clara. But now that she’s my wife, I’ll never let her go. Even if Cristian forged my signature, he’ll be signing Gigi’s happiness away. Just like I vowed on our wedding night, I’ll kill any other man who thinks he can be her future.

I toss them onto the floor. “If Gigi signs them, I will.” I glare at the men. “And I’ve never seen Gigi asfor sale, but it seems you did when you were marrying her off to Elijah.”

Cristian’s finger plays with the trigger as he keeps the gun pointed at me. “It was Gigi’s decision to marry Elijah.”

This isn’t the first time I’ve stared down the barrel of a gun, so I act like it’s not even there.

“Gigi isn’t a deal to me,” I continue. “She never has been.” I throw out my arms. “Shoot me if you want. I’m not signing those papers. If she wants an annulment, I’ll give her one. But I want evidence she wants it first.”

I just lied out of my damn teeth, but I’m not above manipulation.

If that problem arises, I’ll stop it then too.

Benny steps forward, and Cristian lowers his gun.

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