Page 7 of Merciless King

I want to remind her who is the boss in this family, but now isn’t the time. Straightening my posture, I push the lingering thoughts of Piper to the back of my mind. This is no time for distractions. I must present a composed and charismatic front to the Rinellas. I have to maintain the delicate balance of power between our families.

With a deep breath, I stride into the living room, where I'm met by the expectant gazes of Ava and her family. Matteo, my cousin and most trusted lieutenant, stands nearby, a subtle nod of acknowledgment passing between us.

I plaster on a charming smile, greeting the Rinellas with the poise and confidence they expect. Ava's father, the formidable Vincenzo Rinella, a fellow boss in The Outfit, extends his hand, and I shake it firmly.

“I’m sorry I’m late.” I turn to Ava. Admittedly, she’s beautiful with thick raven hair and gray eyes. There’s an innocence to her, likely due to her young age. But I also see a flicker in her eyes suggesting there’s more spirit to her than she reveals. “Ava, it’s lovely to meet you.”

“You too, Mr. D’Amato.”

“Please, call me Elio.”

As the conversation flows, I navigate the social dynamics, carefully balancing the needs of our families and not betraying the conflict raging in my heart. Ava engages me in polite discourse, and I find myself impressed by her intelligence and poise. She’ll make a good wife. And yet… I can’t rid my mind of Piper. Her face, her voice, the raw emotion that had flickered in her eyes.

I steal a glance at Matteo, wondering if he senses the turmoil brewing beneath the surface. But he gives no outward sign of concern, his attention focused solely on the task at hand.

I curse my own weakness, my inability to compartmentalize the past and the present. I am the heir to the D'Amato legacy, and I cannot afford to be distracted, not when so much is at stake. I redirect my focus to the Rinellas, determined to make a lasting impression and solidify the alliance that will shape the future of our families. But fuck me, deep down, I want to end this engagement because I can't not seek out Piper and try to fix whatever broke between us.

3

PIPER

Ican't get Elio D'Amato out of my mind. Here I am setting up Gabriel’s office, but I’m thinking about another man. Elio's face, his voice, his touch… they haunt me. I thought I'd buried those feelings, locked them away where they could never hurt me again. But seeing him today has cracked that door wide open, and the memories have come rushing back, overwhelming me.

He was the same but different. Bigger. Not taller, but broader in the shoulders. He wore an expensive suit that had to be tailored to him the way it fit like a glove. His boyish face is now one of a man. But his eyes… those dark eyes that were always so kind, sometimes mischievous. Those were the same. His voice was a bit deeper, but my name on his lips still felt like a caress.

I hate that I'm still so affected by him. After all these years, I should be over it. I should be able to look at him without feeling the old familiar ache. At the very least, all I should feel is anger and betrayal. But the moment I saw him today, it was like being transported back in time.

I remember the way he used to look at me, like I was the only girl in the world. The way his fingers would trail along my skin, setting it afire. The way his lips would curve into that devastating smile that always made my knees go weak. I can hear his voice whispering sweet nothings in my ear, promising me a future together. A future that was snatched away from me in the cruelest of ways.

Even now, I can't help but wonder what would have happened if his family hadn't intervened. If they hadn't paid my parents to take me and leave town. Would we have made it? Would we have been able to build a life together, despite the odds? But then I remember that he had to have known about it. Otherwise, he’d have tried to stop it. Or he’d have found me. But he didn’t.

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to push those thoughts away. It doesn't matter now. What's done is done. I have a daughter to raise, a husband to support. I can't afford to get lost in the past. A past filled with silly, school girl thoughts of fairy tale love.

I’m so lost in memories, I’ve forgotten the time. I’m late to start dinner. I rush from Gabriel’s office and hurry to get dinner on the table, my heart pounding as I hear the front door slam shut. Gabriel is home having picked up Elysse from her afterschool art program.

The pressure builds as I rush to plate the food, knowing Gabriel expects everything to be ready the moment he walks through that door. I can already hear the frustration in his voice as he calls out, "Piper! Where's dinner?"

"It’ll be right there," I call back, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice.

He enters the kitchen, Elysse trailing behind him carrying a large piece of paper. I’m sure she wants to share her art for the day, but Gabriel has her trained as well. She lives in fear and I can’t do anything to stop it.

Gabriel’s brow is furrowed, his lips pressed into a thin, angry line. "It's past six o'clock. Why isn't dinner ready?"

"I'm sorry, I was just finishing up," I stammer, avoiding his eyes. I serve the plates, ready to take dinner to the dining room where he likes to eat.

"That's not good enough," he snaps, his hand lashing out and knocking the plates out of my hands to the floor. Porcelain shatters, food splattering across the hardwood.

Elysse jumps, her eyes wide with fear, and I instinctively move to shield her, my heart racing. "Gabriel, please," I beg, but he's already stalking toward me, his face twisted with rage.

I gently nudge Elysse out of the way, out of Gabriel’s path to me.

"You're useless, you know that?" he snarls, towering over me. "Can't even manage to have a simple dinner ready on time. What good are you?"

I flinch, my fingers trembling as I try to hold my ground. "I'm sorry, I was?—"

"Save it," he cuts me off, his voice dripping with contempt. "I'm sick of your excuses. You're nothing but a burden, Piper. A pathetic, worthless, ugly wife.”

I cower under Gabriel's angry tirade. Elysse is against the wall, her eyes squeezed shut as she tries to make herself small. That breaks me more than Gabriel’s words.

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