Page 20 of Born a Queen

"Of course," Giovanni said. He shrugged his shoulders in a negligent manner. "A natural pairing that will tie up an empire nicely."

Giovanni echoed Raina's earlier thoughts. The trapped feeling that she got whenever she thought about being forced to live out her life as a mafia wife.

"I have become attached to this young lady. I will, of course, hand her over unharmed. But I must insist on one more night with her. The idea of a young person in the house again gives me comfort."

"Absolutely not," Mateo said quickly. “I’m not leaving here without her.”

Raina looked from one man to the other. She didn’t really want to stay with Giovanni for one more night in his creepy old mansion, but she also didn't want to deal with Mateo, who would put her on instant lockdown and have her every move watched. She’d have a better chance of slipping away from the high-security mansion then her would-be fiancé.

“You won’t be leaving here at all if you don’t allow this condition,” Giovanni drawled coldly, his eyes chips of ice. “Do you really want your future wife drawn into a gun fight?”

Raina’s heart pounded in her chest as every man and woman in the club tensed, awaiting Mateo’s response.

Mateo stared back at Giovanni as though they were the only two people in the room. Finally, Mateo gave a short jerk of his head. Though he spoke to Giovanni, his intense gaze moved to Raina as if burning her features into his memory. “You will hand her over in the morning. If not, then I will consider us at war.”

"Good, that’s settled then,” Giovanni said jovially pushing his chair back and standing. He reached a hand out to Raina, helping her from her seat. "I will have her delivered to you tomorrow morning in your hotel suite at 10 AM sharp."

Waves of tension flowed from Mateo as she and Giovanni turned away from the table and left the club. Raina shivered and wondered what would happen between them when she no longer had Giovanni as a buffer.

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