Page 19 of The Darkest King

It’s one thing worrying my father will find out I’m here, having sex with the billionaire, but the real danger always lurking in my world is far greater. As the daughter of one of the most powerful mobsters in the world, I’m valuable.

Hence my identity being kept as suppressed as it has been for most of my life.

I’m an asset. A very valuable asset.

Who knows what my father would pay if someone were to kidnap me? This fear has been drummed into me since my birth, and it comes flooding to the surface in a rush, nearly paralyzing me.

I draw in a long breath and shove at Connor’s chest. Then take a few steps away. “What?” I ask again, my heart pounding.

He stares at me like I’ve lost my marbles.

“Woah, relax, Mia,” Connor says, running a hand over his jaw. “I just need you to sign a document. A contract. It asks you to keep what happens here confidential. I know you couldn’t understand the complexities of my—”

“What?” I repeat, shaking my head again.

Contract?

He wants me to sign a contract?

Connor walks to the cabinet by the door and lifts the printed sheets of paper.

So, he’s not kidnapping me?

My brain cells start firing again, my shoulders relaxing, but my heart is taking a lot longer to get the message that I’m safe.

“You can’t talk to the media. You cannot discuss anything you see or do here with anyone.” Connor waves the paper in the air. “And you cannot make any claim against me financially. Blah, blah.”

Thank God.

Suddenly, I feel lightheaded, and I remember I didn’t eat lunch—or dinner—and I thought I was going to get kidnapped...

My legs start to give way under me, and Connor destroys the space between us. He catches me.

I feel like an idiot, but when you grow up in a mob family and are told every day people want to capture, torture, or kill you, different situations are triggering.

In hindsight, Connor is the most unlikely person in the world to do that, and yet, as my brain went straight into fight or flight mode, I wasn’t able to rationalize.

For those few seconds, fear raced through my body, like molten steel.

His chocolate eyes stare down at me in concern, but I also sense his judgement.

Great. It’s not like I can explain any of that.

I just killed the most seductive and sexy night of my life.

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