Page 7 of Savage Mafia King

Finally, the song comes to an end, and she extracts herself from my arms all at once, like she's come tumbling back down to earth, reminded that we're in public and there are people around us, watching us, taking us in.

"I need a drink," she tells me. "And... and we need to introduce you to some more people here. Make sure they know who you are. And that we're... together."

"Good girl," I murmur as I slip my hand into hers. She shoots me a look but doesn't argue with me. She knows better than to do that.

She pulls me toward the watching crowd, putting a smile on her face to make it look as though she's never been happier. And though I know it's a lie, it's a lie I'm willing to play along with for now.

Chapter Four—Isabella

By the time I climb out of Marcus's car and take the stairs two at a time to my place, I'm exhausted.

Tonight has been a lot. Even more than I thought it would be. The way people looked at us at the fundraiser, it's like they could hardly believe their eyes. And I don't blame them. Hell, I can hardly believe that really happened, either. It doesn't feel possible, like my whole world is falling apart, everything I've worked so hard to build just dropping away before I can get a handle on it.

But then... at the same time, at least he seemed to carry himself with some kind of dignity and decency. He fit into that crowd better than I thought he would, carrying easy conversations with everyone we encountered. He never seemed out of place, which surprises me, given the circles he usually moves in. Maybe this is going to be easier than I thought, after all.

But the feel of his hands on my body, of his skin against mine, it's enough to make my head spin. He's so strong, so powerful, and I know he could pretty much do anything he wanted to me at a moment's notice. It's not exactly relaxing, but it is a little... I don't know, exciting.

All the guys I've been with before, they've been so gentlemanly, so careful with me, treating me as though I'm some sort of china doll they might break with a single wrong move. But not him. No. I get the feeling he would be happy taking complete and utter control, showing me just how much he wanted me, leaving no shadow of a doubt behind.

If that wasn't all some kind of act, of course. Which it very well could have been. I can already tell from the looks we got that people are going to be talking about this a whole hell of a lot, and I don't know what to make of it, how I feel about knowing he's going to be known as my new partner.

A man like him...?

I push it aside. Right now, I just need to get some sleep.

I turn on to my floor at the top of the stairs, and when I see who's waiting for me, my heart sinks.

"Blake," I mutter as I make my way toward my brother. Even in the dim light of the corridor, I can see he's fuming. "What are you doing here?"

I already know the answer. I unlock the door, and he storms inside ahead of me.

"You were out withMarcus Silvatonight?"

"How do you even know about that?"

"So it's true?"

"What does it matter who I spend time with?"

"You know why this matters," he snarls at me as he rounds on me. "He's a Silva. He's a rival. You shouldn't be anywhere near him—"

"I'm doing this for you, Blake!"

That stops him in his tracks. He stares at me, clearly not quite able to wrap his head around what I'm telling him.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

I take a step toward him, giving his hand a squeeze. Much as my brother and I might fight sometimes, I really care about him, and I hope he knows that.

"Because of what happened with O'Toole," I explain softly. He stiffens when I mention that name and draws away from me.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean... I mean I'm doing what I can to keep you safe," I reply. "We're not in a real relationship or anything, we're just putting on an act to make it seem like we're working together. That way, any retaliation against our family is less likely because they would have to go through the Silvas, too."

"And what does he get out of it, exactly?"

He sounds suspicious. He has every right to be. He knows as well as I do that there's little in the way of a favor in this business. Everyone is out for themselves, looking to get their hands on something or someone they want.

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