Page 124 of The Boss

“I’ll be in the storeroom. Christos is coordinating with the men flanking the restaurant. We’ll know when Luca arrives. Just remember he’s an animal.”

“That much I know. Now, go. We’ll be fine.” If this didn’t work, we were still going to enjoy a lovely dinner together.

“Boss, I don’t mind telling you that I don’t love the thought of you doing this by yourself,” Nico added. “No offense to your lovely bride to be.”

“None taken.”

“You’re not pushing me away,” she told him.

“She’s tough. Besides, nothing will happen to her. I won’t allow it.” That didn’t mean I wasn’t concerned. Luca had a reputation for becoming unraveled when something didn’t go as planned.

Nico whistled. “That doesn’t mean I won’t be on the standby, six other men as well. We’ve got your back.”

“I know you do. This is my situation to handle. No one touches the bastard but me.”

I moved to the other chair, pulling it out for Willow.

“Being a gentleman, I see. I’ve rubbed off on you,” she told me.

“In some ways, yes you have. I’m curious,” I said to her as I pulled the already opened bottle of wine closer. “How was the feel of that weapon?”

She lifted her clutch purse for me to see. “Perfect for my fingers. Not too heavy yet powerful.”

The little dove had insisted she show me just how talented she was in using a weapon. In truth, I’d been shocked how accurate her shooting had been. The woman could be a marksman, but I refused to allow it.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Is Luca being tracked?” she asked as I poured her a glass of merlot.

“He left Italy yesterday.”

“I hope you’re right about your plan. This needs to end.”

While pouring my wine, I lifted one eyebrow, which always seemed to amuse her. “You mean the nightmare?”

“Yes, but more of a charade.” She lifted the glass, licking the few drops I’d spilled off the rim. Shane had provided all we needed, enjoying spending time with his sister before heading back to Paris and the people he worked with. He’d devised a story about the Stalker’s death and I couldn’t care less whether he took the credit or not. He’d been chasing the man for well over a year. Why not allow him to enjoy the kudos.

The fact he wasn’t the bad guy I’d believed him to be was priceless for my fiancée. “Charade. Are you suggesting our engagement is fake?”

She rolled her eyes and leaned over the table. “Come on now. You no longer need to tie yourself down to a young woman who just might take your money and run.”

“You think I’m worried about whether your skills will top mine?”

“Yes, I do.” Her lips were pursed, her breath purposely labored. The woman was also a little tease.

I sat back as if in a huff, which I wasn’t. “Is that what you want, to get out of our arrangement?”

Maybe she hadn’t been prepared for me to ask her directly. “I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do.”

Willow took a few seconds to think about her answer. “Dimitrios. I know it might seem ridiculous or too girlie, but I want the fairytale. Business is meant for outside the home, not inside. I don’t have the best track record with men, but that doesn’t mean a man won’t come along who wants to marry me for me. Not for a deal or because the family thinks we’ll work well together. I want the man down on one knee proposing,making a big deal out of the honeymoon. You’re an amazing man, but I don’t think I’m what you really want.”

There were so many things that needed to be said, but time didn’t allow for us to truly get into a long conversation. “You don’t seem to understand what I meant about the deal, Willow. You are not being allowed out of it. You will be my wife.”

Her face pinched because she didn’t know what to make of my almost harsh sounding statement. “No, I won’t become your wife because you don’t love me.”

“Do you love me?”

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