Page 3 of King of Wrath

But basically, he’s planning to sell me to some distant Italian relative in marriage. Not only will he get a giant infusion of cash to save his failing business, but I will live on the other side of the Atlantic.

Basically, a whole country and an entire ocean away. For him, it’s a win-win.

And I’d be out from under his power and his fists.

But I’d be some guy’s trophy wife who is the same kind of criminal my dad is. No thanks.

I have no idea when this is happening, but considering that the Diamond is about to be seized by the Kincaids, I’m guessing it’s very soon.

We pull into the casino, our friends waiting just outside the doors, already looking wilted in the sun.

The Vegas heat hits me full in the face and we all rush into the dark air conditioning of the lobby at the Diamond.

I hate this place.

It’s all flashing lights and perfumed air that barely covers the smell of cigarette smoke.

The other girls make a beeline for the bar, ready to start drinking, and I follow behind, taking a seat at the bar with them in the last chair available.

I’m not much of a drinker and the bartender knows, pouring me a sparkling water with a lime so that it looks like a real drink. He gives me a wink to let me know this is our secret.

With a nod in return, I take a sip, settling in to listen to the ladies talk about who they’re dating and who they really want to be dating, when the hair on the back of my neck stands at attention.

I turn, sweeping my gaze over the restaurant, searching for the cause.

My gaze locks with a man half hidden in the shadows. I can only see half his face, but that half makes me gasp. The piercing stare of his eyes make a jolt of electricity zing down my body.

Am I scared or excited?

It’s not just that he’s handsome. He is. But something in that stare is…dangerous.

I still, my fingers gripping the back of my chair as my lips open and close. What am I even trying to say? He won’t hear whatever it is, he’s on the other side of a crowded room.

“Hello, gorgeous,” a different man says just to my right. His accent is posh and British. And then he steps in front of me, breaking the spell between me and the predator in the shadows.

I blink a few times, trying to adjust my eyes. As I take this new guy in, my brow furrows. He looks more like a Ken doll than any man I’ve ever seen.

I frown, just a little, weirdly irritated by the interruption. And I already know I’m not interested in this Brit. Even if I could date, his kind of classic good looks don’t do it for me. Despite my complete lack of experience, I’ve already figured out I like dark with a healthy side of danger. This guy is all sunshine and rainbows. No thanks.

“Oh my God,” Jess squeals next to me. “You’re Gris Smith.”

“At your service,” he gives a little bow, his hands folding, one in front of his stomach and the other behind his back, like he’s bowing for a king.

I automatically paste a polite smile on my face, trained since birth to be well-mannered, but as Jess makes gooey eyes at the Ken doll, I realize this might be my chance…

I need Jess’s support to sneak out. And if there is one thing she’d support, it’s me dating a guy like this.

Because he is part of the British invasion here in Vegas. They are buying up casinos and aligning with the Kincaids to make themselves even more powerful.

If my father can’t pay the note on the Diamond, they are first inline to buy the place. I quickly reset my mouth into a softer smile. “Nice to meet you, Gris.”

“I’m Jess,” my sister volunteers. “And this is Nia.”

“Nia,” he repeats, cocking one of his perfectly arched brows. “A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”

It takes everything in me not to gnash my teeth. How corny. But I give him an even brighter smile instead. “Thank you.”

“May I join you ladies?” he says, his hand resting on the back of the chair right next to mine.

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