The Underboss: A Dark Mafia Romance by Piper Stone

Author:Piper Stone [Stone, Piper]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Stormy Night Publications
Published: 2023-10-12T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

Christiana

An engagement party.

Correction, my engagement party. How sad I’d prefer to be strapped to a dentist’s chair having all my teeth pulled without Novocain. Then again, maybe I could use the drill to cut tiny pieces out of Dante before shoving the cold steel into his eyeball socket.

At least my violent thoughts helped with the nausea and heartache, now both down to a dull twinge of pain. I’d been able to shut down most of my emotions, although I knew tonight would twist my anger into a frenzy. The cape I’d worn had been removed from my shoulders, a glass of champagne almost immediately shoved into my hand. Then I’d been pushed from the back room into a brightly lit restaurant turned into every girl’s engagement party fantasy with only a few words spoken from my father.

“Fuck this up and you’ll pay dearly.”

Love you too, Daddy dearest.

The thought of wearing a pretty dress, pretending I gave a damn about the man I was standing next to while being forced to interact with dozens or hundreds of people I didn’t know not only left a bad taste in my mouth; it kept me on edge, trying to do everything I could not to react at all. If I did, the bastards would win.

Yet here I was, a fake smile on my face, standing in the middle of a crowded restaurant that I’d never been to, trying to find the courage from deep within to be able to plaster a smile on my face. My father and I had arrived only minutes before, whisked into the back like some hired help. I shifted further into the room, glancing around at the entire facility. The Bianchis had pulled out all the stops, likely spending a small fortune. This was all about glow and show. Nothing more.

I hadn’t been told where I was going, although I’d suspected, given a dress had been selected for me, placed on the bed by one of the house employees. The only good news about being paraded around like a trained seal was that the ankle bracelet had been removed. It would be blasphemous for a daughter of an important man to be seen treated like an animal.

I’d been appropriately warned, told that if I tried to make a run for it, I’d be severely punished. I had no idea where in God’s name I’d run to, since there were guards everywhere, soldiers with huge guns who tried to blend in. That was ridiculous, given I recognized movie stars and musicians, obvious friends or at least acquaintances of the man I was supposed to marry.

At least my father no longer stood behind me like a stalking vulture. He’d gone off to find a proper drink, skipping the expensive bottles of bubbly. Meanwhile, I wanted to drown myself in the liquid libation. Maybe that would take the pain away.

The moment I moved two feet from my intended, Dante grabbed my arm, yanking me against him and lowering his head. “Don’t do anything stupid, my lovely bride to be.

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