by Savanna Gray
“He’s not weird anymore.” Ethan removed his cell phone from his pocket and typed something, before sliding the phone in my direction. “See for yourself.”
I picked up the phone, surprised to find a man who looked nothing like the awkward boy I’d met when I was a kid. Karl was gorgeous, with tanned skin, a perfect smile, strong jawline, and striking green eyes that practically jumped off the screen. But he wasn’t Marco. No one compared to the man who’d captured my heart a long time ago.
I sank back into my chair, studying Karl’s picture, wondering if I could take one for the team. No, I’d done enough for my father, given up enough for him.
“I don’t understand how marrying Karl could help Dad win this election. Are the polls that bad?”
“Yes. A marriage with one of the wealthiest and most influential families in the country will help. Dad is working on a trade deal that will benefit not only the Wolfe family but also the American people. This marriage would be a win-win for everyone.”
“Except for me,” I shot back. “When you were plotting this out with Dad, did either of you stop to consider I am a person who has feelings. Have either of you considered I want something from life other than to be the wife of a billionaire?”
“What woman wouldn’t want that life? Thousands of women would kill you and step over your corpse to get to Karl, and you’re being offered this opportunity on a silver platter.”
“Why would he want to marry me? Is he being forced to do this, too?”
“He still remembers you. When his father told him he had to marry to gain access to his trust fund, Karl called Dad. He’s always liked you.”
I gritted my teeth in anger, my jaw flexing from the pressure. “Why? You still haven’t answered my question.”
“Because he wanted to marry the most beautiful girl he’s ever known.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “And he thought of me? He must be blind.”
“You’re a beautiful girl, Sienna. All of my friends like you. That’s why I stopped bringing them to the house.”
“This is stupid. I’m not some prize for a bored rich kid to use to get even richer.”
“You’d be doing this for Dad. Helping out Karl would only be an added bonus.”
I pushed myself up from the table and kicked the chair behind me. “I’ve heard enough, Ethan. Of all people, how could you ask me to do this? We used to be close. What happened to you?”
“I’m still the same person, only wiser and more realistic to how things work in the world.”
I snorted. “Unless you have real work for me to do, I’m going home for the day. I refuse to sit here, bored out of my mind. If you have nothing for me to do, then I’d like to be excused.”
He waved his hand, irritated. “Go, but please consider the offer. You could be set for life, and so will our family.”
“I’ll think about it,” I muttered, even though it was a lie.
I wouldn’t even consider marrying some douche to save my father’s election. Over the years, I’d given enough. This was one order I would not follow no matter how strongly my father and brother advised me.
Furious, I kept my thoughts to myself as I cleaned up the mess from lunch, dumping it into the garbage can outside Ethan’s office. I stomped past the reception desk and made a beeline for my office. Once inside, I leaned against the door, taking a second to comprehend how cruel my family could be.
How dare anyone ask me to marry someone to win a fucking election?
Now, more than ever, I wanted to escape my life. I dreamed of the day when I’d finally be free of my family and the constant pressure of being a York.
My phone vibrated across my desk, and I ran to it as if it were on fire. It was a number I didn’t recognize. But I knew it was Marco.
I held the phone in my hand, staring at Marco’s words, which made my heart leap out of my chest.
Marco: How’s my raven?
It was short and sweet. I hugged the phone against my chest, relieved to have finally heard from him. Even though he’d waited one week to text me, I was no longer angry. Maybe that made me a fool, but I didn’t care.
I sucked in a deep breath and let it out, wondering if he would take me away from all of this. If he would save me from being forced into marrying a man I would never love. Because I was already falling for him.
Chapter Twelve
MARCO
THE PAST WEEK was a fucking disaster. I’d waited far too long before I sent Sienna a text message. It was lame. She deserved so much more from a man than a stupid text. I knew when I followed her up to her suite that I could never give her what she needed. But I was selfish and took her anyway. Things had changed so much since high school. I wasn’t the same person. Neither was she. Our circumstances were different.
Antonio gripped the wheel in his hands and tugged hard as he turned around the corner.
“Would you slow down?” I yelled at him. “You’re supposed to tail that car, not ride up his ass. Who the hell taught you how to follow someone?”
He ran a hand through his dark, messy hair and put it back on the steering wheel. “I’m tired. We haven’t slept in days. I need a hot shower. Can’t someone else do this for us?”
“No,” I growled. “Keep your eyes on the road and fall back before they notice we’re behind them.”
I was exhausted and frustrated, sick of chasing after Carlo Moretti. Joe had lied about the location of his cousin. Antonio and I were running around New York in search of Carlo, like two goons who had nothing better to do.
With my cell phone in hand, I waited for Sienna to text back. I was expecting a quick reply, but she surprised me by sending a selfie. She had her white dress shirt open, revealing a red, lacy bra that pushed up her tits. They were full and popping out from the top of the fabric, and for a second, I closed my eyes so I could remember how good she felt in my hands.
Marco: You’re killing me, you know that?
Sienna: Next time you don’t have to go slow.
I balled my hand into a fist and bit down on it, staring away from the screen and out the window. It was like she was challenging me to fuck her. She knew our night together was a one-time thing. I had no plans of going easy on her after the first time. Even though I had to keep my head in the game and focus on finding Carlo, I couldn’t think of anything other than filling Sienna’s tight pussy.
Me: Who said there’s going to be next time?
I laughed to myself and Antonio noticed. “Who are you talking to?”
“No one,” I shot back.
“It’s Sienna, isn’t it?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “How did you know?”
“You followed her out of the ballroom the other night. Then, you two came back within minutes of each other, and then you disappeared again. You’re lucky Dad and Gio didn’t notice.”
“I don’t care what they have to say about it.”
“Whatever Dad has going on with the Senator might be on the down low, but that doesn’t mean you can do the same with his daughter. I heard Gio and Dad talking one night. The Senator has something on him, something big. That’s the reason we still help out their family.”
“I know. But what does he have on us?”
He slid his hand along the steering wheel, coming to a stop at the light. “Beats me. Whatever it is must be good enough for them to still talk after all these years.”
My cell phone rang again, but this time it was a message from Paul Rizzo, one of my father’s oldest friends and his trusted advisor.
It was a tip from one of our associates about Carlo Moretti and his new crew being on the move again. No one had seen or heard from any of his guys in almost two days. Our lead ran dry the night we went on a fool’s mission to find him. But his cousin Joe paid the ultimate price for the betrayal.
Without eyes on Carlo and the men who were dumb enough to follow him, the threat was always there. We had no way of planning our attack. So, we had to sit and wait, keeping up
our guard until they were dumb enough to resurface. Luckily, they did.
“Make a left up here.” I pointed in the direction. “Paulie just sent me the location of where Carlo and his men are supposed to be hiding out.”
He nodded, and I typed a quick reply to Paulie to let him know we were on it.
We drove for another thirty minutes before the GPS alerted us we were there. Antonio parked two blocks down from the house, creating enough of a distance for us to check out our surroundings. The street was covered in overhanging trees, the leaves cloaking us in darkness.
I leaned back against the leather seat and removed the gun from my waist. “We can’t go in there and try to fight them head-on. Park the next block over, and we’ll hit them from the back.”
He shifted the car into gear and did as I asked. “I hope he’s here this time. I need sleep.”
“Me, too.”
We got out of the car and crossed the street to get a better look. Not a soul was in sight. With my gun in hand, poised and ready to shoot, I crept down the intersecting street. Antonio covered me from behind as we moved down the dark alleyway. We were a few houses from the location when I heard footsteps behind me, followed by a muffled sound.
When I spun around, I was surprised to find another man—a man who wasn’t Antonio. A muscular guy around my father’s age had Antonio pressed up against the fence of a neighbor’s backyard. He held a knife to his throat, staring at me, awaiting my next move. I knew him. Grant Gallo was a member of our organization for years. Up until that night, he was a loyal soldier, one who never met the full potential required to lead a crew.
I could have shot him in the head, but what if he slit my brother’s throat before his body hit the ground? That was a chance I wasn’t willing to take.
Grant was wearing a black suit, his dark hair combed off his face. “Drop the gun, little Salvatore.”
I smirked. Who the fuck does he think he’s talking to?
With my gun aimed at his head, I slid my finger to the trigger. “Let my brother go.”
“We only want to talk. We’re not here to hurt you.”
“Who’s we?” I spat.
He tipped his head to the men I hadn’t seen until he pointed them out. They were a few houses back, one of them resting against a fence, the other lighting a cigarette. We were outnumbered and outgunned. Either I listened to what they had to say, or Antonio and I would be leaving there in a body bag.
I lowered my gun at my side. “What do you want?”
“The fight between Carlo and your old man started over Senator York. Joe was exiled from the family, all because York said he wanted him gone.”
“I had to pull Moretti off Sienna York. He was slapping her around.”
“He wanted information from her,” he shot back, his voice raspy.
“Looked like more than that to me. I’d say he has a thing for Sienna, and no one is going to touch her.”
No one but me.
The corners of his mouth widened, turning up into a wicked grin. “You have no idea what’s going on. The old man doesn’t tell you anything, does he?”
“You got something to say? Spit it out already, and stop wasting my time.”
“Don’t look for Moretti. Stop involving yourself in shit that doesn’t concern you.”
I ground my teeth in anger, my right hand balled into a fist at my side, the other clutching the gun. “If it has to do with my family, then it concerns me.”
“Moretti knows something he shouldn’t. That’s why the Senator and your old man want him dead.”
I shrugged. “Why are you telling me this? You’re holding a knife to my brother’s neck, and for what? To relay a message? Spit it out already and let him go.”
The man I couldn’t see clearly from afar crushed the cigarette under his shoe and then stalked toward us, moving out of the shadows. Grant glanced over his shoulder at him, and then he released his grip on Antonio, pushing him toward me.
As he disappeared down the alleyway, Grant said, “There’s a rat in the family, and the Yorks are behind all of this.”
I was so confused. What did the Yorks have to do with us? And why did Grant or Carlo Moretti think I was the key to helping them quash this beef?
Antonio bent over to cough, clearing his throat, and then stood to meet my gaze. “I’m going home. I don’t give a shit what Dad says. I need food, a shower, and some sleep. Fuck this shit. The Yorks are not worth getting whacked over.”
“You won’t get an argument from me.” I inspected Antonio’s face, my eyes traveling over the gash Grant left behind. A sliver of blood ran down his neck, soaking into the collar of his white shirt.
My body grew tense from the sight. No girl was worth the life of my brother, no matter how good she tasted and how much I wanted to fuck her again. Sienna York was dead to me. It was her family or mine, and I chose mine without even blinking.
Antonio ran a hand through his thick, dark hair. “We need to find out what Senator York has on Dad.”
I hooked my arm around his back, even though he didn’t need me to hold him up, and we strolled down the alley together.
Could I trust the word of a man who held us at knifepoint? I didn’t trust anyone but Antonio. We had a bond that no one could break. But I wondered if Grant was on to something.
For a second, I wondered if Sienna and her family were the real enemy. But then something else occurred to me. Because of her father, she was now in danger.
Chapter Thirteen
SIENNA
“ARE YOU BUSY?”
Startled by my father’s voice, I spun around in my high-back leather chair and forced a smile.
With a thick head of black, wavy hair combed off his forehead, my father stood tall, the weight of the world balanced on his broad shoulders. Shrewd in business and in life, he had a fierceness about him that sent a chill down my spine when his hazel eyes met mine.
He shut the door behind him and strolled into the room, taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of my desk.
I pushed the keyboard away from me and leaned my elbows on the desk as he took a seat across from me. “I’m working on a few things, but nothing that can’t wait.”
More like I was daydreaming and wondering why I hadn’t heard from Marco. Again. He seemed to make a habit of making me wait around for him.
Why is my father here?
He always called before he made an appearance at his campaign headquarters. It was so unusual for him to drop by unless he was there for a photo-op or to strategize with one of his advisers.
“Ethan said he spoke to you.” He folded his hands on his lap, sitting up straight in a five thousand dollar suit, a brown wingtip rested on his knee. “Have you considered the offer?”
I should have known this wasn’t a social call. My father never did anything without a purpose, and spending time with his family was more of an uncomfortable event he had to endure for the press.
I ignored his question. “How are your numbers? Any improvement?”
His jaw flexed, the tension in his body evident. “Not as high as I would have liked. But this marriage can change things for me. For our family.”
“You really think it would make a difference?”
He nodded. “I’d have a better shot at keeping my office with the help of the Wolfes and their generosity.”
“I hate politics,” I shot back, irritated. “I’ve done everything you’ve ever asked of me. This is one thing I don’t want to do.”
“You refused to attend grad school. I’d already paid the tuition when you told me you wanted to drop out and take a year off to think about what you wanted to do with your life. Marrying into the Wolfe family will give your life purpose, and it will help our family maintain our standing as one of the great American families.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Great American families? We’re not the Kennedys, Daddy. Be serious.”
“But we could be. This is a chance to maintain our legacy.”
“Your legacy,” I challenged.
His mouth twisted in anger. “You were always a difficult child, Sienna. I thought we had an understanding. For your life to have purpose, you have to make something of yourself.”
“And you think being the wife of a billionaire is going to be the answer to all of our problems?”
He sat back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest, turning his head away from me. The weird thing about my father was that he never raised his voice in an argument. His voice remained calm and level.
“Would you at least meet Karl and consider going on a date with him? He’s a good man. You will like him. He’ll treat you well and give you everything you’ve ever wanted.”
Except love. He could never have my heart. Because it already belonged to Marco. It always belonged to him.
I let out a frustrated sigh. “Is that what it will take to get you off my back?”
He flashed a closed-mouth smile as if he’d won a game. “Yes, it would.”
I wasn’t playing his game, whether I went on the stupid date with the rich kid or not. In his world, women were pawns he could move across a board. I was done being used by him. Fathers were supposed to love and support their children, not hand them over to the most eligible bachelor for the right price.
This was about more than a marriage into one of the wealthiest families in the world. It was about my father’s pride. He couldn’t stand to lose. What he hadn’t realized was he’d already lost, whether he won the election or not. He couldn’t force me to marry Karl Wolfe. I didn’t care if Karl would buy me a private island and the jet to take me there. No amount of money could buy my love or me.
“I’m not going through with a marriage. Setting us up on a date will be a waste of both of our times.”
“You don’t know that. Just give him a chance. You might think otherwise after you spend some time together.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
He gave me a sideways stare. “What do you want to know?”
“What kind of people are we?”