Savage King
Page 8
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?”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “I don’t understand your question, Sienna.”
“You’re still friends with Domenic Salvatore, even though you pretend to hate him.”
“That was a statement not a question,” he countered, not the least bit amused.
“Why are you still friends with him when I’m not allowed to even speak to his sons?”
“Because a man like Dom has his uses. His children do not. I don’t want you anywhere near his sons.”
I clenched my fists under the desk, trying to hide my anger. Like my father, I could pretend nothing bothered me, even though I was crumbling on the inside. “What uses does Dom have?”
He shoved a hand through his dark hair and sighed, looking away from me. “That’s none of your business, Sienna. There are certain parts of my life I don’t need to discuss with my children.”
I folded my hands on the desk in front of me, giving him a defiant smirk. “Then, I guess we’re done here.”
“I’ll be here late tonight. Think about meeting with Karl. I know you will see things my way. One way or another, you will serve your purpose to this family.”
My mouth fell open in shock from his words. What kind of father spoke to their child this way? It was hard to like him when he was like this, let alone feel anything closely resembling love.
I knew what my father was trying to tell me without saying it aloud. He would force me if I didn’t go through with the arranged marriage to Karl.
How could he force me to say the vows? I was sure he would find a way to make me cooperate. When the great and powerful Senator York wanted something, he made it happen. And he would find a way to win his election, with or without me.
He glared at me over his shoulder with his hand on the doorknob. “I know you’ll come around. You always do.”
Not this time.
* * *
The halls were empty, save for a few people working on last-minute projects in their cubicles. I said my goodbyes on my way to the vending machine. At the end of the day, I made it a point to grab a soda for the ride home, and then would exit through the rear door to the parking lot. My dad’s office was around the bend, all by itself.
From this part of the building, no one could overhear his conversations, which was why I thought it was odd when I heard him arguing with someone. He was shouting at someone in Italian, and yet he pretended as though he couldn’t speak a word. That was strange, but then again, everything my father had ever told me seemed to be a lie. I had no idea when he was telling me the truth. Every word he spoke was to gain an advantage, another way to cement his place in government and in my life.
The rage in his tone sent shivers down my spine. Creeping toward my dad’s office, I clutched the soda bottle in my hand, afraid to make a sound. The closer I got to his door the louder the voices grew.
“You promised to handle the situation for me,” my dad said, now in English. “Do I need to remind you why you’re still in my life?”
“I think it’s you who needs the reminder, Senator.” It was Marco’s voice emanating from the room. Wait, no… it was his father. They had the same pitch, only Marco’s voice was slightly deeper, more like a growl.
What was he doing here? It had been days since I’d last heard from Marco, and now Domenic was in my father’s office, attempting to intimidate him. He underestimated my father. No one and nothing got under his skin. Because he was always two steps ahead of everyone.
“Why is Carlo Moretti still breathing?”
I didn’t understand why my father was so hell-bent on taking down the man who had approached me at the nail salon. He was weird, and somewhat creepy, but I got a few good hits on him before Marco and Antonio kicked the shit out of him. There was no reason to kill him over a little scuffle.
I pressed my back against the wall and listened.
“We’re working on it.” Domenic’s tone indicated Carlo’s death was imminent.
But none of it made sense to me.
“Both of us will be implicated if this goes further,” my father said, lowering his voice. “Make sure you take care of this. I can’t have any more issues with my campaign. I’m having a hard enough time getting the vote to swing my way. A scandal is the last thing I need.”
“It won’t go any further than it already has,” Domenic promised. “How are the numbers? Any changes this week?”
“No, not by much. But they will soon. I have a new plan in place.”
After they switched over to boring talk of politics, I crept down the hall and out the rear door. It was dark outside, well after nine o’clock at night. I was forced to work late to assemble signs and gather promotional items for the team. It was all busy work my father gave me just to spite me. My fingers hurt from all the wooden sticks I’d handled over the course of the night.
I removed the key fob from my purse, stuffed the soda inside my oversize bag, and clicked the button to open my car. It was a new Mercedes my father had purchased for me after I graduated from college. It was more like a bribe. The cars, handbags, jewelry, and clothes were all distractions he used to make me feel loved, when I knew the truth.
He was just priming me for the day when he’d attempt to force me into marrying someone like Karl Wolfe. How dumb was I to think he wanted anything from me other than my cooperation in return for all of his generous gifts?
I pulled on the handle, attempting to scream when a hand covered my mouth and strong arms wrapped around me. Struggling to break free, I attempted to elbow the person behind me in the stomach and failed. Panic shot through me, sending my body into overdrive.
Someone wanted to hurt me, steal me away from this miserable place. And I wasn’t sure if it was my father or one of his enemies…
Marco and Sienna’s story concludes in Broken Empire.
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Also by Savanna Gray
BROKEN EMPIRE DUET
Savage King | Broken Empire
CORRUPT KINGDOM SERIES
Fallen Prince | White Knight
Lost Heiress
THE CIRCLE SERIES
Secrets and Lies | Breaking His Oath
For more information, visit SavannaGrayBooks.com.
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About the Author
Savanna Gray is a city girl who likes her romance as dark as the coffee she drinks to match her heart. She loves writing suspenseful romances that will leave you on the edge of your seat, complete with perfectly flawed and possessive alpha males who will have you begging for more. To learn more about Savvy and her books, visit SavannaGrayBooks.com.