Page 4 of Claiming His Mafia Princess

My opponent scratches his nose, gripping his cards tighter. I know then that I have already won. But I will never allow them to see my victory has moved me. This is business, a tradeoff. A marriage to tie this Vece family to mine for eternity. I cannot imagine my wife is going to come willingly with me.

“Well, Ugly Boy,” Ma growls, perhaps only now seeing the stupidity in his gamble. “You have won yourself a wife.” He shakes my hand, sealing her fate — and mine. My father will not be happy about this either. Where are all our father’s tonight?

Something is not right. Masaccio is too confident, too cocky — what has he done? He is planning something.

I say nothing. These men do not get my words. They are not worth it. None of them would listen. “You can go up and fetch her,” he nods to the in-house security to allow me access to the rest of the house, “maybe you can tame the little beast. Careful though, she bites.” He laughs.

I bite harder.

Mas is too calm, too confident that there will be no repercussions for this foolish plan.

My suspicions are raised, my guard is up, and I can smell a rat.

I nod, standing up to leave the playing table. I am almost certain I have walked into a trap — but the thing about me is you can’t trap a shadow. Even if this is a setup, I am not leaving here without my prize. Security moves out of my path, as Mas escorts me through the bodies, women, and mess to the private side of the house, up the marbled staircase and into the most intimate part of their home.

I can smell her the same way I could in the kitchen. A delicate scent, one that reeks of innocence and fire. Dalila is not one thing. She is, however, mine.

“She’s all yours.” Mas says a bitter twang in his voice. “Dalila, wake up.” He hollers from the door, and I breach the threshold, entering her space.

She sits up in her bed, her silk pajamas have moved, and her breast is exposed. Even in the shadows, I can see her sweet, pert nipple.

“What the fuck, you asshole? I am sleeping. Take your bullshit party downstairs.” She sasses at her oldest brother. He growls.

“Party is over, and you are going home with your husband to-be here. He won you fair and square. I will have your things sent over tomorrow.” Mas is emotionless when he speaks to her, unaffected by her cheeky tone. He is cold and completely calm. Dalila laughs, her sweet giggles bubble up from her belly as she rolls on her bed as if this is a joke. “Whatever. Get out of my room.”

“You can stop laughing.” Mas says.

“You going to marry me off to the silent, ugly guy?” She asks, realizing Mas is not joking at all, “are you fucking for real?” Dalila looks scared now, her bronze skin turns ashen.

“Mas, what have you done? Dad will never let you.”

“Dad is on board with this. It is time you got married. It will get you back under control.” He looks at me, silently handing that responsibility to me. “Nevio is from a good family, and he will make sure you are cared for.”

“I know what he is!” she says, her pitch higher now, “you have lost your fucking mind if you think I am going to marry him. Go down there and pick another. Someone else. Anyone else.”

“He won you. It is not about picking.” Masaccio isn’t budging - not emotionally or physically, he stands dead still.

“Get up, put on some shoes, and do as you are told, Dalila.” Her tears shimmer in the moonlight where it pours in through the window. Her sweet tender innocence shines through over her feisty fight, and I watch her break into a million pieces as she stands up and obeys her brother. Destroyed by his brutal betrayal. Could she ever have seen this coming? Someone she loves throwing her to the wolves like he did downstairs.

She’s lucky it was me that won. She’s lucky it wasn’t one of those demons who would have torn her apart. Literally and figuratively.

I will put her pieces back together and show her how precious she is. If I do nothing else, I will love Dalila Vece, because she is mine. I won her fair and square.

“I hate you.” She seethes at her brother, standing beside me in her pajamas and a pair of sneakers. Her hair in a messy ponytail and her face clear of all her usual makeup. The most beautiful prize in the world. “Celso!” she shrieks at the top of her lungs, but no one is coming to save her from me.

“You better take her before she creates a scene.” Mas speaks to me and I nod, turning to her. She is crying and when I step closer, she balls her fists and pummels them against my chest. It tickles — she hits like the pretty little girl she is. I lift her over my shoulder in one quick move. She screams and kicks, but nothing could stop me from taking her now.

Now I have touched her — she is mine.

Chapter Three

DALILA

The tall man with long dark hair covering face hauls me from my bed, out of my house and into the freezing night air. He doesn’t even feel my punches and kicks and the savages in the house all act as if no one sees this happening.

I’m just a sideshow in their game night — where the fucking hell are my other brothers? Why is no one stopping this? Where is my dad?

My tears roll the wrong way down my upside-down face and land between his strides on the driveway. The blip of his car as it unlocks is loud in the deathly silent night air. He smells like soap and cigar smoke, mixed with the sweetness of whiskey. His shoulder digs into the soft part of my stomach, and his grip around me is unwavering.

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