Page 93 of Dangerous Contract: Part 2

This motherfucker!

"Leo, let's go," Raz ordered, leaving his two brothers staring at him with suspicious grins on their faces. "What do you think those two are up to?" Raz asked Leo as they headed to their car.

"Probably something to do with Rome's flight back to Italy. I plan to send two of our guys there with him to guard him while he's there. I know the DeLucas have guards for him. But I want our own with him, too."

"Good idea," Raz stated, glancing back at his brothers again. Cas winked at him. Rome waved. "Keep an eye on those two. I feel they're up to something besides that."

Leo nodded. "Okay, boss."

Raz climbed into the back seat of his vehicle. One item off his to-do list was done. The next item he needed to scratch off was the Cattaneo Gala. Closing his eyes, he relaxed against his seat.

He must've dozed off because he dreamed that Monique was his date at the gala. And she'd been dressed to kill, drawing theattention of other men at the gala. Seeing their hungry gazes lingering on his woman had sent Raz into a rage.

The gala had ended in bloodshed, with Raz killing everyone who'd dared look at his woman. Blood and body parts decorated the floor and walls. There was even blood splattered on the ceiling, with blood dripping from the gala's chandeliers.

He awoke with a start, heart racing. Staring out the window, Raz thought to himself,"It's a good thing she isn't coming to the gala. I'd hate to lose my cool at my first official event and kill half the motherfuckers present."

What the Don didn't realize was that some dreams had a weird way of coming true.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

ORAZIO

Each tick from the clock on the wall irritated him, its monotonous rhythm echoing through his office like a death toll. The countdown had begun. It was one day before the Cattaneo Gala, and Raz was dreading every second that passed.

He sat behind his massive desk, a dark frown creasing his forehead as he conversed with the family consigliere. His mind should be on the forms and numbers before him. Instead, he was lost in thought, wondering if this was the life he truly wanted for himself.

A knock sounded at the door, jolting him out of his thoughts. His gaze flicked toward the security camera feed, catching sight of Leo.

"Come in," he called out, his voice tense and impatient.

Tense and impatient.Those two words perfectly described his mood lately. Leo entered, nodding respectfully to the consigliere before turning his attention to Orazio.

"Ms. Isla Miconi has received her gift from you and has confirmed that she'd be honored to be your date to the Gala," Leo informed him, attempting to sound posh or some shit.

But as the guard’s words sunk in, Raz's stomach dropped, a wave of dread washing over him. He'd hoped she'd reject his last-minute invitation. He'd issued it while riled up, and now, he regretted it.

However, it was too late to rethink it. And her father was too important to piss off. Sighing heavily, Raz rubbed his hand over his face.

"Thanks, Leo. Anything else?" he asked, irritation coloring his tone.

"Yes. Mr. Miconi would like to meet with you for lunch today."

"Why the fuck would he want to do that? We're scheduled to meet next week to discuss him investing in Cattaneo Corp," Raz snarled.

"That's business. I think this is personal. You've shown interest in his daughter. Perhaps he wants to see where your head is," Leo replied.

Jaw clenched tightly, Raz leaned back in his seat.He wants to see where my head is, Raz thought to himself.He wants to know my intentions for his daughter.Raz gritted his teeth. Old man Miconi was thinking too much. Or was he?

In families like theirs, an invite like the one Raz issued to Isla would signal something more than just a date. He'd invited her to the Cattaneo Gala, an event where he'd make his first official appearance as Don.

Whoever was holding his arm that night would stir up speculation. To outsiders, it would signal a potential merging of powerful families. And that carried a burden Raz wasn't sure he was ready to shoulder. Raz knew that when he ordered Leo to issue the invite,

At the time, he'd been willing to do anything to make Monique cease coming within his line of vision. Now that it was time to actually do it, he wanted nothing more than to protect her from ever knowing he'd even considered having another woman on his arm.

And therein lay his problem. He couldn't move on and didn't want her to move on. However, this in-between shit was going to destroy them both. And the whole point of leaving her side was to protect her.

Even if it meant hurting her one last time. Raz took another deep breath and released it slowly. His gaze drifted to the clock on the wall. It was only 9 a.m., yet he felt like he'd been working for hours.

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