Page 8 of Resisting Royal

CHAPTER 5

ROYAL

It wasn’t until Bianca was standing in front of me, her hair a wild mess, her clothes skewed and her eyes, those fucking mossy mesmerizing eyes shooting fire at me, that I realized just why the picture looked so familiar.

“Bianca Moretti. Or should I call you Doctor Bianca Moretti?” I leaned back in my chair, my fingers laced together comfortably.

It took her a second, then her eyes sparked with recognition. “How’s the tooth, Mr. Russo?”

I smirked as she eyed me with a challenge, “Well, thank you, although I’m in the market for a new dentist, my current one is . . . subpar.”

The corner of her lips turned up. “I don’t think the dentist was the issue in this case.”

“Regardless, there are other conflicts of interest that will be swaying me in a different direction.” I looked past her to the back corner. “Frank, you never told me that this was your daughter.”

She whirled around, spotting her father in the back, and rushed toward him. Her hands going all over his body, checking out the damage. “What did he do to you?”

“I’m fine,” he rasped, even though he clearly wasn’t.

She spun again, placing her father at her back, her arms splayed as if she could protect him from us. The gesture was cute but useless. “What did you do to him?”

Her glare was ready to slice me in half, and I fucking liked every second of the attention. “I did nothing to him.”

“Liar! Look at him. He’s bleeding. His hand is broken, and possibly a few ribs. He’s missing teeth. Why? Why would you do this?” Her voice broke toward the end.

“I told you I didn’t do this, and I would never lie to you, Bianca,” I informed her. “That was Troy’s work, and your father knew it was coming long before it happened.”

She looked between myself and Troy in confusion. “Troy? Him, Troy?”

Her delicate little fingers pointed at my deadly sidekick. “Yep. That Troy. By my instruction, of course. You see, Frank owes a large sum of money.”

Her demeanor fell. “I gave him all I had to pay you. It’s not his fault that you keep charging an astronomical amount of interest. No one can pay that!”

I laughed, I couldn’t help myself. “Is that what Frank told you, Love?”

Her eyebrows furrowed at my pet name, and her head shook. “Don’t call me that. Of course, he told me he has nothing to hide from me.”

“Amore,” I taunted. “That isn’t the case. You see, my interest rate is low, your father’s spending is high.”

She put her hands on her hips in challenge. “That can’t possibly be true.”

Even as she said it, she looked uncertain. “The money you gave your father to pay off his debt to me, he bet elsewhere. I never received a dime.”

The fire in her eyes began to dim. “It’s not true. I don’t believe you.”

“Then ask him.” I gestured for Frank to come forward, and he did slowly. She looked toward him with hope, and I already knew he would disappoint her. He didn’t speak, and after a few long moments, I had to nudge him. “Frank.”

He nodded, then looked to the ground. Too much of a fucking coward to look at his daughter when he hurt her. “It’s true. I lost it all. I thought that if I could just double it, then I could pay you back. But, I lost it all.”

I cleared my throat. “Are you going to tell her how you chose to pay me, Frank? Be a man for once in your miserable life and look at her when you say it.”

“I . . . I . . .” he stumbled over his words. “I told Mr. Russo he could have you.”

A look of betrayal and disgust contorted her features. “And if I refuse?”

“I die.”

Her head whipped back in my direction so fast, I was shocked she didn’t hurt herself. “What? There has to be another way.”

---