Page 66 of When Kings Fall

“We’re merely friends.”

“Your in-person get togethers will stop, effective immediately.”

I glared across the booth. “I wasn’t aware you had influence over her.”

His lip curled into a sadistic smile. “The news is very recent, that’s why you’re not privy to it.”

“What news?”

“Caterina Leone is to be my wife.”

I jolted and that only made his twisted smile spread. “You hate one another.”

“That matters not.”

With his free hand he reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a Tiffany ring box.

He opened it to reveal a spectacular diamond encrusted engagement ring interspersed with turquoise—her favorite color—along with a wedding band that was engraved with NM.

He saw me focusing on that and told me, “She will wear my brand. My property, my wife.”

I gritted my teeth. “I noticed that my love was missing from that.”

“Some marriages are based on duty. You are fortunate given your position as heir to a formidable empire as well that your father has allowed you to be free of that obligation.”

He stowed the ring away and tightened his hold on my fingers, making me fight ever harder to resist my instinctual reaction to smash his bottle, then jam it into his fucking throat for daring to lay a hand on me.

“I trust you.”

Mason’s words rang in my head. I wouldn’t fuck that up. I wouldn’t jeopardize any of it.

“My wife won’t be in another man’s presence without me by her side. Are we clear? That’s my final term of our deal.”

“Fine,” I ground out. “Just don’t fucking hurt her.”

“I don’t intend to. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement.”

How?

How had Rina agreed to this?

To marry this man whom she hated?

I stopped myself.

The immediate mission had to take precedence.

Besides, she was absolutely no fool.

If she’d agreed to this, she had her reasons.

And he was right about one thing.

She’d make damned sure the arrangement was beneficial to her.

“All right, you’ve got it,” I assured him.

He relinquished the drive to me and I stowed it away on my person.

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