Page 5 of Banner

He continues shaking his head.“This will start a war—the truce.”

I slam my fists on his desk.“There’s already a war happening, Alessio!You’re just too fucking stupid to see it.You have three days to make a wedding happen.”I stand to my full height as Kane gets out of his chair and goes to retrieve my blade.

“Don’t get up, we’ll show ourselves out.”Kane chuckles, giving Alessio the finger.

“What the fuck was that?”I ask the second we step outside the building.

“Keep your panties on, Ban.You know as well as I do that there’s more at play here than some bullshit agreement his father made with the Bratva.They’re all hiding something, and this bitch is the key to it.”

Blowing out a breath, I rub the back of my neck.He’s right, but what the fuck am I supposed to do with a pampered princess?

“I’m not saying you’re wrong, Kane, but you just tied my fucking hands up there,” I say, climbing on my bike.“You just told him I’d marry his little sister.The girl’s barely fucking legal,” I growl.

“Look on the bright side, Boss.She’s a virgin,” he laughs, wiggling his brows suggestively.

Shit.The thought of going where no man has gone before and claiming her pussy makes my cock twitch.

If I were a better man, I’d back out and force Alessio to leave the girl in peace.Unfortunately for her, I’m not a good man, and the deal’s been made.

“What’s the plan now, Boss?”

Fuck it.In for a penny, in for a pound.I might as well lean all the way fuckin’ in.“Gotta go see a man about a ring, motherfucker.I’m getting hitched.”

The girl is mine.

Chapter2

Sophia

I peek over my shoulder at Enzo tailing me in his shiny black Cadillac and sigh.I'm getting sick of being followed around like a criminal.After my father’s passing last year, my brother insisted a guard be with me at all times for my own protection.I fought it tooth and nail, but ultimately lost the war.

Alessio laid down the law; since I’m not willing to give up my freedom, I’m stuck with Enzo for the foreseeable future.

“We should try to lose him on the bridge,” Nova giggles.

“We’re going to be in so much shit when he catches us,” I laugh, glancing over my shoulder but ultimately deciding to hell with it when Nova takes off.

I pedal my pink Schwinn as hard as I can and squeal when I hear Enzo’s engine rev from behind us.I look over at Nova and she looks just as nervous as I feel.

This was a terrible idea, but that doesn’t stop us from pedaling faster.

“We lost him,” Nova shouts as we zoom across the bridge.

“He’s going to throttle us when he catches up,” I yell back weaving through the park and into the borough, making better time than ever before.

In spite of the trouble I’m going to be in, I look ahead and smile.The 49th Street intersection is almost upon us and another couple of blocks after that is my happy place—Sophia’s Blooms.

“Made it.”I declare in a whoosh of relief.

“He’s going to be so pissed,” Nova chuckles as she slides off her bike and hurries to push it into the bike rack in front of the building.

“I think you’re right.”I bite my lip, fighting a grin.If I’m lucky, he won’t say a word about this to Alessio, or worse to Ivan.Lord knows Enzo has snuck away plenty of times to fool around with his girlfriends, so he can’t be too sore we gave him the slip.It’s not like he takes my safety all that seriously in the first place.

“Come on.We need to get to work.”I push the riot of mahogany curls out of my face and secure them with the tie from around my wrist, then quickly wedge the tire of my bike into the rack next to hers and weave the lock around them both.

Everyone in The Bronx knows I’m under my brother’s protection but with things heating up around the city, I’m not willing to risk it.

Unlocking the door, I step inside and turn the sign to ‘open’ as Nova flips the switches to turn on the lights.

---