Page 90 of Scarred Hearts

“My fiancée will fight you, Ivan but I’m changing the fight rules.”

“You don’t have the authority to do that!” he snapped back.

“Actually, I do,” I countered. “You took my unborn child from me, thus committing a crime among the families. You took out an heir, and now, you carry the crime of taking out a boss’s child. You might not play by our same rules, but you sure as hell will pay for it regardless.”

“You’re kidding,” he chortled.

Stone-faced, I replied, “Do I look like a fucking comedian to you?”

“Get out of my club,” Ian growled. “And I don’t want to see any of you or your people until the fight.”

Ivan’s lips pressed together in a tight line as he blinked furiously, knowing they were outnumbered. He took a few steps back and was about to leave when I delivered one last blow.

“If you win, I’ll give myself to your family to kill.”

“No, you won’t!” Giovanna shouted, but I pulled her toward me and held her at my side, sandwiched between Ian and myself. “But when my fiancée kicks your pussy ass, you will leave the Aggio family and my family and friends alone forever.”

Without a word, he clenched his jaw, slowly turned, and he and his family exited the office with their guards. Ice Man and the two Aggio bodyguards left behind them. The moment the door was closed, Giovanna spun to face me.

“Are you fucking crazy?!” she hissed furiously.

“I think we should talk,” Angelo announced.

Jade beamed, “You’re engaged?!”

“No!” Giovanna spat at her before turning back to me. “Tyler! Boss?!”

Luke laughed. “Shit, bro.”

“Since when?” Ian asked.

Unable to take the repeated questions, I shook my head, storming out of the room and taking a left in the hallway.

“Ty!” Jenna called from her office.

Avoiding any interaction with the others, I hurried up to the roof. As I reached it, I pushed open the door, letting it slam shut behind me. Squatting down, I raked my fingers through my hair in irritation. “Fuck!” I muttered under my breath. Standing, I took out a cigarette from my pocket and lit it. As I took a deep drag, I shook my head at myself. What have I done?

The sound of the door slamming again caught my attention, and I knew without looking, it was Ian. We were about to have a physical confrontation right here on the top of his club. I could feel his hostility radiating toward me.

He came to a stop next to me, both of us looking out at the surrounding buildings. He took out a cigarette from his inner jacket pocket and lit it as well. We smoked quietly for a few moments before I finally broke the silence.

“Just say it,” I grumbled.

“Say what?” He didn’t even look at me.

“Threaten me,” I replied, “or grill me about my choice of words back there.” I glimpsed him.

He shook his head, taking another drag. “I have nothing to say about it.” He blew out a smooth, grey cloud of smoke, slowly turning to me. “However?—”

“There it is.” I inhaled my vice before lowering it to my side.

“I’d like to know when you proposed to Gia,” he furrowed his brow, “and I know Jenna sure as hell doesn’t know or she would’ve been doing back flips up and down the exec lobby.”

“We’re not engaged.”

“So, it was just a panicked lie?”

Dropping my cigarette, I twisted my foot on it, then enveloped my arms over my chest. “No, I wasn’t in a panic. She doesn’t even want the fucking job. And I called her my fiancée because I don’t know how their fucking rules work. I don’t know if we have to be married for me to run that family, but I know that’d make her off limits to the Russian should they decide to change their ways and play fair.”

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