Chapter 2

My cheek burned. The taste of blood filled my mouth.

Nico stared at his hand. He looked shocked for a split second. But then he jerked his tie.

"Isabella. You brought this on yourself."

He grabbed Ruby by her tiny waist.

He marched her to the octagon ring in the center of the club.

The spotlight hit them.

Nico's champion fighter was warming up in the cage. Undefeated. A terrifying beast covered in sweat.

Nico snatched the mic from the DJ.

"Listen up!" He looked around. Pure arrogance.

He pointed at the beast in the ring. "I'm putting up a one-million-dollar bounty!"

The crowd went wild. Screams. Whistles.

"But there's a catch. The streets have to match it! Anyone can buy in! When the challenger's pot hits one million, the cage locks. Whoever knocks out my champion takes the cash!"

Nico paused. His eyes locked onto mine through the crowd.

"That's not all."

He pulled Ruby hard against his chest.

"If the cage locks and the fight happens? My engagement to Isabella is dead!"

He raised Ruby's hand. Like a shiny trophy.

"And Ruby becomes my new Donna!"

The club exploded.

Ruby gasped in fake shock. She wrapped her arms around his neck like a snake.

She kissed his throat. Hot and shameless. Then she looked over his shoulder. Straight at me. A wicked, triumphant smirk.

His men were whispering. Smirking behind their hands.

He was betting my dignity. He was betting the De Luca alliance. All to make a cheap stripper smile!

The Rinaldi Underboss rushed over. He lowered his voice.

"Miss Isabella. The Boss is angry. But his fighter is undefeated. No one will cross the Boss by paying into that pot. It's a fake bet."

He sighed. "He just wants you to apologize. Give him a way out."

A way out?

I knew Nico's tricks. He thought he was untouchable.

He knew nobody in this city would dare buy into that pot. No one could beat his monster.

He just wanted to scare me. He wanted me begging on my knees.

I tilted my head back. I downed the rest of my whiskey.

It burned down my throat. It burned away my last shred of hope for him.

"I'd rather die than beg."

I turned on my heel. I walked right out of the club.

I went back to our shared estate. I pushed open the bedroom doors.

It reeked of Ruby's cheap perfume.

My eyes were red. I grabbed my suitcase. I started packing my life away.

No screaming. No crying. Just dead, cold clarity.

Nico and I grew up together. Our roots were tangled deep. In our blood. In our bones.

I reached into the back of a drawer. I pulled out a silver butterfly knife.

My first gift from him. I was twelve.

He stood behind me that day. His warm chest pressed against my back. His rough hands over mine. Teaching me how to strike a fatal blow.

I pulled out a stiff, stained shirt.

The first time he took a bullet in a shootout. My hands shook as I dug it out. As I stitched him up. Those bloody handprints? From him screaming in agony.

And five years ago.

Sicily. We were running from a hit squad. Trapped in a damp basement for three months.

Dancing on the edge of death. He claimed me like a starving animal.

Sweating, breathing heavily against my neck.

He bit my ear. Swearing over and over again. "Isabella. You are my life. You will only ever be mine."

The memories were fiery hot. The reality was just cheap and pathetic.

I looked at the safe on the nightstand.

Inside lay a black diamond heirloom ring.

He gave it to me on my 18th birthday.

He dropped to one knee. Kissed my fingertips. His eyes burned with passion. "You are my future Donna, Isabella. I will never let you go."

I took a deep breath. I grabbed the ring.

The metal cut into my palm. Ice cold.

The funny thing? I wasn't the one who let go. He was.