Page 84 of Corrupted Heart

Amaya’s mouth curls.

“I found that bigger fish I was telling you about, Kratos.”

“Excuse me?”

“Your bride-to-be is a direct line to Vito Barone. And through him, all five families of The Commission.”

I bark a cold laugh.

“You’re fucking insane, you miserable cunt,” I snap. “Not in a million years. And as you yourself said…” I snarl into her face. “Your invitation seems to have been lost. So I’d suggest fucking off.”

I turn to leave, but her voice stops me.

“Walk away and this deal expires. Immediately. And you won’t have to worry about marrying that girl you clearly don’t give a shit about, because you’ll be in prison, along with the rest of your family.”

Pure rage consumes me. In a flash, I’m whirling, storming over to Amaya, grabbing her by the high neck of her gown, and slamming her back into the wall.

I relish the flicker of real fear that burns in her eyes as I snarl down into her face with my teeth bared.

“Listen to me very fucking carefully, you miserable piece of shit,” I spit. “I do not take threats against my family lightly.”

“Then perhaps it’s time you take what I’m saying a bit more fucking seriously,” she snaps back. “You’re going to do this for me, Kratos. Use the girl to get to her father, and get me access—a bug, a mole, anything—to the Barone family and The Commission. If you make me happy, maybe I can forget about those pesky gun charges.”

I go cold as her hand wraps around my wrist, her eyes locking with mine.

“And you remember how good you were at making me happy, don’t you, Kratos…?” she breathes.

My mind goes numb. My vision turns white as the oxygen leaves my body.

“Am I interrupting something?”

Her tone is sharp and icy. But even so, Bianca’s voice behind me pulls me out of the black abyss I’m drowning in, a lifeline thrown in a storm. I cling to it, sucking in air as I drop my hand from Amaya’s gown, yanking away from her touch with a nauseous feeling.

Swallowing my revulsion, I turn. Bianca’s standing in the doorway behind us, her mouth small, her hands balled at her sides, a cold glare leveled at me.

Instantly, I understand how bad this looks.

“Bianca,” I growl, cracking my neck. “This is…”

“Amaya, hi,” Amaya sneers with all the friendliness of a wolf with bared teeth.

“Bianca, hi,” Bianca hurls back in the same cold tone. “His fiancée. And you are…?”

“Amaya is an old family friend,” I say icily, emphasizing “old” in a way I hope grinds Amaya’s gears.

“Well, thank you so much for coming,” Bianca says in an unsmiling tone.

Amaya grins like a shark. “Of course. Kratos and I go way back, after all.” She levels a smug look at Bianca. “Lots of history.” She turns to me. “Isn’t that right, Kratos?”

I say nothing.

“Think about what we discussed, won’t you?”

She pats my chest. I flinch. Then she strolls past Bianca, barely breaking her stride as she mutters “Happy engagement”.

When she’s gone, Bianca levels a withering look at me.

“Old family friend?” she says icily.

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