Page 84 of The Darkest King

If she’d chosen a weaker man, they would chew him up and spit him out.

“Fine. In front of others. In front of my family. But you donotown me, Connor Barrett. No one does.” She won’t meet my eye.

I grab her chin, and she slaps my hand away, but not before I see the moisture in them.Fuck.

This time, I force her to look at me. My words jumble inside my head. I was going to growl and tell her sheisfucking mine, but she isn’t.

Mia’s just a pawn in my game of revenge.

But the need for it to be real right in this goddamn moment, knowing she could’ve been taken or decided to walk away, consumes me. Not for the reasons it should.

I’m fury and heat. Impatience and dominance. I want to scream and marry her now so it can’t be undone.

Instead, I smash my mouth down on hers and take what she isn’t offering.

I’m a thief when it comes to Mia Mancini.

Revenge has always been my first thought when I drift off at night and when I wake. Until now.

Now, I wake and reach for her.

Now, I think of all the ways I want to pleasure her, enjoy her, protect her. I look forward to taking her to places I’ve felt alone, showing her my life and having her on my arm.

Yet she has no idea about any of this, and it needs to remain that way.

As I ravish her mouth, I’m filled with both desire and anger. She’s a dangerous distraction. The need to fill her with my come every fucking day is becoming more than just sexual greed—she’s like a drug.

Maybe having her in my bed is a poor decision. Remaining focused on the darkness inside me which fuels my revenge has to be my priority, or I’ll fuck up this opportunity.

I release Mia roughly.

“Connor,” she gasps, blinking.

“We’re nearly there,” I snap. “Remember your role. You’re my fiancé. Or the deal is off.”

I shut down any emotions and focus on my game plan.

First, Joe Mancini will see me as the enemy—we already are, but he doesn’t know that—as the man stealing his daughter. Then he will grow to trust me. I’m not sure how yet, but I will find a way. I didn’t build a billion-dollar empire without shrewd tactics.

Once I learn whether Carlos was, or is, part of Mancini’s gang and who gave the kill order, I will give Mia her desired freedom. It might mean destroying those she loves.

Until then, she is mine to use as I choose.

OUR VEHICLES ARE wavedthrough the gates. We cruise along the circular driveway and pull up outside the Mancini Mansion.

The mob’s soldiers are everywhere, armed with machine guns, dressed in what appear to be black pants, zipped-up jackets, boots, and sunglasses.

The same outfit Nathan wears when we meet.

As my team positions around the vehicle—a stark contrast in their tailored black suits—Mack opens the door and gives me a nod.

I climb out, look around, then reach for Mia. She takes my hand and glances up, letting me drop a kiss on her lips.

“Good girl,” I whisper.

Her obedience is going to give me a fucking hard on. But then I spot the subtle anger still sizzling beneath that blue ice. I better get used to it. She’s going to hate me more by the time this is all over.

“Maria,mia figlia,” Joe Mancini says, stepping out of the house with his arms wide and greeting his daughter in Italian, completely ignoring me and the eight armed men I have around me.

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