Page 23 of Borrowed Bride

The sleazy head of the Simone family. They were once the dream union for my family back when I was a child, but the death of my mother swiftly put an end to that. Seeing him near her is like someone reaching into my gut and dragging my balls through my ribcage.

That fucker.

I stride across the room and reach Gianna in just a few steps. She turns to me with a bright smile, but it fades the moment shelocks eyes with me. I clearly haven’t hidden my emotions very well.

“Back. Off,” I snarl, shoving myself between Gianna and Leonardo.

Leo raises his hands and laughs like the bark of a fox. “Hey friend, we were just chatting.”

“I know you and your ‘just chatting,’” I snarl. “Back the fuck off and leave her alone.”

“You’re acting like I’m some kind of danger to her,” Leo replies easily, then his eyes narrow like blades. “We’renot the ones dealing in the skin trade.”

“Keep spewing your lies like I give a shit. You’re lucky we’re even here, so I’ll say it again, in case it’s struggling to get through that thick skull of yours. Leave mywifealone.”

“Is that wise?” Leo’s eyes widen and he places one hand on his chest. “After all, isn’t ityouthat women have such a habit of dying around? Your mother, your sister, your ex-whatever she was. Honestly, Gianna darling, you might be safer?—”

He doesn’t get to finish his sentence. I punch him so hard in the mouth that his teeth snap shut and his head whips back so fast that his sunglasses fly up in the air. My knuckles ache, but my anger finally has an outlet, and it’s Leonardo Simone.

I tackle him to the ground and we land with a crash, two muscular bodies colliding with heated yells and furious fists. He punches me in the ribs, I elbow him in the kidney. We roll over, and he crashes his elbow down onto my collarbone. I switch our positions and punch him twice in the face. We brawl and snarl, delivering blow after blow until Anton and Ben surge forward and pry us apart.

They waited long enough for me to gain the upper hand.

With my shirt awry and blood pouring from a split lip, I’m hauled upward as Leonardo’s own men pull him backward.My father strides between us and holds up his hand, his face contoured and purple.

“This restaurant isneutral fucking territory,” he yells, bringing silence to the entire building. “There is no fighting. Not here. Do you understand? You both know better, yet you brawl like cats in heat!”

I may be in charge of the Barrone family, but my father shows how much power he still carries from the respect he’s earned over the years. No one talks over him and no one interrupts.

“Were you not the head of your respective families I would order you both slaughtered outside for such a disgusting lack of respect!” Dante continues. “You apologize. Now. Whatever this is, it’s over!”

He points at me, his eyes sharp like a bullet. Then he points to Leonardo who nods, wiping blood away from his nose and mouth. Anton and Ben release me when my father stalks away and a cautious rumble of noise rises once more around us. Anton hands me a napkin and starts to adjust my jacket but I shrug him off. I don’t need help. I need Gianna.

I swivel on the spot, scanning the crowd expecting to see Gianna alarmed or even pissed off at my lack of control.

She stands nearby, but instead of looking alarmed, she looks oddly distracted as she stares past me. “Gianna?”

Her eyes flicker to me after a few long seconds, and then she frowns. “Oh, Marco.”

“Are you alright?”

She doesn’t have a chance to answer because Leonardo steps up behind me, his presence making my spine recoil.

“Marco,” he says loudly, throwing himself into the display of apologizing. He clearly wants to look like the bigger man.

I turn to face him. “Leonardo.”

“My apologies.” Leo holds out one hand. A hundred curious eyes watch us from around the room. I can’t have him look better than me, so I grip his hand and shake it.

“Accepted. Mine, too.”

Leo smiles widely as if accepting my apology, then he suddenly jerks me close and embraces me.

“The real twist is that the women around you don’t die. They just fake it to get away from you,” Leo hisses in my ear. “After all, isn’t that how your sister is alive?”

9

GIANNA

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