Page 69 of SINS & Temptation

Did I say ring?

It’s more like a star, catching the light in the most mesmerizing ways. A single diamond is in the center, set in a vintage band surrounded by equally stunning stones.

Big? Absolutely. But with an old-world elegance and grace that makes it timelessly beautiful.

“It’s breathtaking,” I whisper, unable to tear my eyes away.

“It reminds me of you. Simple yet elegant. Dazzling even when you try to hide from the light.”

“Did you just call me simple?” I snark.

He slips it onto my finger—a perfect fit. “The original ring was my mother’s. I had the stones around it added for you,” he says softly, his voice taking on a rare, tender note. I’m left speechless, studying him. “Smoke’s bride had a family heirloom, so I knew he wouldn’t mind that this becomes yours.”

My heart stumbles in my chest, the weight of the ring so tangible and real. It’s insane, but I can’t deny the rush of emotions it stirs in me.

I glance up at Enzo, his eyes a deepening gold. So much so that I’m not sure if I should run or just linger in his darkness and lose myself completely.

For a split second, I see a different side of him. Maybe even a life with him. But then I remember who he is—a D’Angelo—and an unsettling feeling claws its way up from the pit of my gut.

I nibble my lower lip, uncertain. “Can I think about it?”

“No.”

I throw my hands up in the air. “For all I know, you’ve just taken out a hefty life insurance policy on me, and everyone knows it’s the overinsured who have the shortest life expectancies.” I bow up to him. “Just to be clear, I want to live.”

“It wasn’t a question, Kennedy. You will marry me.”

Suddenly, Knox’s words come crashing through my brain, flooding my thoughts and squeezing everything else out. Does this have anything to do with your father?

A tightness grips my chest, each breath a struggle. Do the D’Angelos know what happened to my father?

With a deep breath, I step back. “I can’t.”

Enzo moves into my space, crowding me against the tree. His expression is dark, intense. He lifts my chin, forcing my eyes to meet his. “Unfortunately for you, Bella, you don’t have a choice.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

ENZO

“What do you mean I don’t have a choice?”

Her words come out flustered and upset. And, God, Bella is absolutely delectable when she’s outraged. The temptation to keep her is one I could never deny myself.

“It’s the only way to get you away from my uncle alive.” The fact that it basically fucks my uncle in the ass is just a perk.

Panicked, she gasps. “What do you mean?”

I press my body against hers, inhaling the intoxicating mix of citrus shampoo and fear, whispering against her lips. “My uncle expects me to hand-deliver you to him, like I’m fucking DoorDash. He has no intention of letting me keep you, and I have no intention of letting you go. Being a D’Angelo will shield you from him.”

“There has to be another way.”

“There isn’t.” I shrug, repeating her own words back to her. “You’re the one who, and I quote, wants to live. So, you have two options: me or him. Take your pick.”

She takes an extra long time to process my words. Frankly, it pisses me off that she hasn’t already chosen me over my douchebag uncle, but I’ll punish her for that later.

Slowly, like prying her exhausted fingers from the edge of a cliff, she gives in. “When?”

“Tonight.”

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