Page 4 of Savage Mafia King

“I’d like to speak to your sister alone,” he says, his voice calm but carrying an edge of finality.

Panic flares in my chest. The last thing I want is to be left alone with him. But before I can protest, he turns to Marie with a slow, calculating smile.

“We have horses here. You can go see them. There’s a woman outside the door who will take you.”

Horses. Of course. Marie’s one weakness. She swallows hard, her earlier defiance crumbling at the prospect of escape, however temporary.

“Really?” she whispers, her eyes lighting up with cautious hope.

“Yes.” Dimitri’s smile is cold, almost predatory. “I promise your sister will be safe with me.”

He turns to me, and my breath catches in my throat as his gaze pierces through me. “And I promise you, Marie will be safe as well. She won’t leave the estate.”

I swallow, trying to steady the pulse racing in my ears. There’s no point in arguing. I nod stiffly. “Of course. Marie, go see the horses.”

Marie hugs me quickly, muttering her thanks to both of us before slipping out of the room. The door closes with a soft click, leaving me alone with Dimitri.

The silence between us feels like a predator circling its prey.

“What is it you wanted to talk about?” I ask, my voice thinner than I’d like.

“Marriage.”

The word drops between us like a bomb. I feel my body go cold, and the world tilts. I grip the edge of the table to steady myself, my mind racing to comprehend what he just said.

“Excuse me?” I whisper, barely able to form the words.

“I want you to marry me,” he says, his tone casual, as though he’s discussing the weather. “You need a husband. I need a wife. It’s a simple arrangement. I save the orphaned daughters of the Giordano clan, and you gain a powerful ally. A beneficial partnership for both of us.”

Partnership? The word twists in my mind like a cruel joke. He’s talking about alliances and power, but all I can think about is thedark undercurrent in his gaze. This man, this murderer, expects me to marry him. To let him into my life, my body, my bed.

My throat tightens, and I can’t breathe. The walls feel like they’re closing in, the air too thick, too heavy. I gasp, trying to pull myself out of the spiral of panic, but it’s too late.

Everything fades to black.

4

Dimitri

I hadn’t expected her to faint. A little hesitation? Sure. But outright collapsing? That was unexpected. I watch her, sprawled on the floor, her fragile frame trembling from the shock of it all. She's not the first woman to fear me, but there's something different about this. Elena’s fear isn’t rooted in the stories she’s heard of me—the blood spilled, the lives taken. No, this is deeper. She's afraid of the cage she's been thrust into, the life I've offered her that she has no choice but to accept.

She’s a caged bird, her wings clipped by the weight of her father’s death, the danger lurking in every shadow. She thinks she’s running, but all she's doing is falling into another trap—mine.

When she finally comes to, I help her sit up, handing her a glass of water. Her wide eyes are clouded with embarrassment. It’s like she’s trying to mask how terrified she really is. But I can see through her. I always see through people.

“Did I seriously black out in front of you when you proposed marriage to me?” Her voice is shaky, weak.

“You did.” My response is curt. I need her to understand this isn’t a negotiation. This is survival, and the sooner she realizes it, the better.

“I’m so sorry, Dimitri,” she stammers, struggling to compose herself. “I always imagined my father would handle all of this for me...and we only lost him three days ago. I’m not sure how to do this.”

That catches my attention. The way she speaks, as if marriage is something donetoher, as if her father should have been the one pulling the strings. Naïve. Pathetic, even. She’s been sheltered too long. This world, my world, is about power, and power comes from alliances forged in blood and sacrifice.

“All you have to do is accept the proposal. I’ll handle the rest.” I lean forward, my gaze sharp. She’ll either submit or she’ll break.

Her hands shake as she fidgets, her lip trembling. “But I don’t have any family or people to come to a wedding.”

I suppress a sneer. Does she really think this is about flowers and dresses? “My people will be your people, Elena. And after the wedding, you have our protection for as long as you choose to obey me.”

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