Page 49 of The Merciless King

“I still want your daughter. But she overheard me having a problem with a four-hundred-million-dollar shipment. I need to head to Europe to deal with it or there will be a price on my head.”

He slowly nods.

James enters the room with a pile of papers.

“Boss. This is what we’ve sourced so far. His identification checks out,” James says, and I feel my teeth grind, waiting for him to tell the mobster Gianna and I only met last night.

He doesn’t.

Which can only mean Gianna has spoken to him and has some sway. I don’t know enough about her guard to know what motivates him. He will have sworn an oath to the capo, so right now my ID must be a fucking good fake for it not to have pinged any red flags.

And Gianna has something over him.

“Thank you. Send Salvatore in if he has eaten.” Frank nods.

Salvatore is his second. I know that and I should know that given who I am pretending to be. I say nothing.

When we’re alone once more, Frank reads through the papers as if I’m not there.

I wait.

Painfully.

“What was in the shipment?” he finally asks me.

I watch him for a long moment, my stomach acid curdling. I’m in deep now. There’s no turning back.

“Stock,” I reply, then clarify. “Livestock.”

He knows I don’t mean cows or sheep.

Or chickens.

I mean women and children.

Frank's nostrils flare. “And the problem is?”

“It has been intercepted by pirates. I don’t know who has it. Possibly law enforcement or another mafia.” I lift my foot onto my ankle and appear angry, shaking my head. “I’ve never had this happen before. I should be on a plane.” I look him in the eye. “But your daughter believes you might be interested in assisting me.”

“Gianna knows nothing about the business,” he hisses.

“I think she knows more than she lets on. She is a bright woman.”

Shit.

I didn’t mean to stay that, but the need to defend her just took over. I meant every damn word. Even though I’m disgusted by the fact she does know.

“Let’s put your relationship with my daughter aside for now. You cannot marry her in any case.” Frank waves out his hand and I grind my teeth.

I should have realized Gianna is being matched with someone in the crime world. This is what they do with their daughters.

I assume she knows.

This must be why she wants to keep our love affair alive. It might be her last days, weeks, or months of freedom.

Yet again I feel disgust at how this world works. Not that it's unique to crime families. Many cultures do this.

But the woman who was in my arms and riding my cock last night doesn’t feel like someone I want to see marry a bloodthirsty killer.

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