Page 48 of Say I Do

“Is it a crime?”

“What?” Darla asked.

I moved on to the coalition for the homeless foundation. I wasn’t reading the cards, but it was better than staring at Darla. The need to kill her was riding me to the point the pros outweighed the cons.

“Being engaged to a man after only being spotted with women? Is it a crime?”

“No, but—”

“Then I’m not understanding what this has to do with anything. Would you like to sit in the corner of our bedroom as Benito shows you exactly how into me he is?”

She gawked at me before snapping her mouth shut.

“You know that’s an invasion of privacy,” I said. I finally looked at her after pledging a hundred thousand dollars to the foundation in the Vitale name. “Maybe you’re into that. Are you, Darla Shamers of the New York Daily News, into watching people fuck?”

She stammered over her words as she tried to respond to me. Her smile had dropped.

Good, now fuck off.

I moved around her, but she wasn’t letting up. Darla continued to talk to me. Her voice was nothing more than background noise as I moved around the room. Why couldn’t she take a cue from all the other people around us? The most I’d had to deal with were stares.

The hair on the nape of my neck stood to attention, and I straightened up. I didn’t let on that I knew someone was staring at me intently. I slowly turned and surveyed the room but couldn’t pinpoint where it had come from. People all around watched me as if I was some spectacle.

I went back to surveying the charities. I couldn’t do anything just yet. The Audre Lorde Project had the least amount of pledges so far. I took it upon myself to help Benito’s so-called image. No doubt my sister would have been better at all of this. She’d attend every single function, even ones my father hadn’t bothered to attend. I skimmed the card and pledged a million dollars.

I deserve a reward.Benito’s cock shoved in my ass and his tattooed hands wrapped around my throat came to mind.

“Two crime families coming together is almost unheard of, especially with you two being so different,” Darla said.

A calm settled over me, and I looked up to meet her peering gaze. She froze the moment our eyes met. Darla took a tentative step back as her face went ashen white. She glanced around. Maybe she’d just realized we’d been moving further and further away from the main crowd.

“I...” She licked her lips as sweat beaded her forehead, breaking through her layers of makeup.

There was nothing for me to say when I felt like this. I saw my kill, and I zeroed in on it. Darla stumbled back and righted herself before she fell over.

“Mr… Hayashi.” Her entire 5-foot-two frame trembled the closer I got. Maybe she saw her death in my gaze; I’d never know. I had no plans of asking before I slit her throat.

A rough hand wrapped around mine as an arm went around my waist. I was enveloped in cologne that only belonged to one man. I was flipped away from the reporter and dragged into Benito’s arms. He brought our lips together in a mind-numbing kiss.

My stupid body responded instantly. I caved under him without so much as a second thought. The kiss was over far before I was ready.

“Better?” Benito whispered. He stared into my eyes, searching for something I wasn’t sure of.

The white noise and calmness evaporated, leaving me vacant and missing the feel of blood on my hands.

“Don’t think I won’t get you back for this morning. You owe me three times now.”

“Fuck you.”

Benito smirked at me, and I swore my cock twitched.

“Oh, Mr. Vitale, you’re here.” Darla stepped toward us, offering her hand to him. Her fingers still trembled, but she was standing strong to get what she’d been hounding me for.

Touch her, and I will kill you both.

Benito tightened his hold around my waist. “Sorry, my fiancé gets pretty jealous when I touch women.” He shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. “You know what they say, keep your partner happy, and life will be dandy.”

What in the fuck?I huffed out a laugh. “That was lame.”

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