Chapter 4

Her uncle picked it up and turned it over. No jewels. No diamonds. Just an emblem he didn't recognize: a raven joined to a crown.

He curled his lip and flung it into the pool of blood in front of everyone.

"An unmarked piece of scrap metal. Who do you think you're fooling?

"Gian, you think we're all hicks who've never seen the world, like you?"

Marcella thought the badge had been my last card to play. The light went out of her eyes.

Still, she spread her arms and put her thin body between me and them.

"Enough! Gian is the only man I've ever loved. I won't let you treat him like this."

A small-time family boss named Antonelli sidled up to Marcella, clicking his tongue in false concern.

"Marcella, no offense, but are you out of your mind?

"A catch like Isaac? What woman on the East Coast wouldn't throw herself at him? Yet you're standing against all of us for some pretty boy."

Marcella looked at him coldly. "Antonelli, this is Franco family business."

Antonelli flushed, spat, and turned to clink glasses with Isaac as he waited for the show.

Her uncle leaned on a pillar, shaking his head. "A disgrace. A disgrace to the family."

Her aunt kept muttering. "If you'd listened to me and let Marcella go with Mr. Leoni, none of this would be happening."

Isaac sat swinging his leg, perfectly at ease.

Every few minutes, he checked the Vacheron Constantin on his wrist and looked at me like a cat toying with a mouse.

When there were five minutes left, Isaac stood, walked over, and tilted his head at me.

"Time's almost up, Gian. Where's your thirty million? Still on its way across the Atlantic?"

His hangers-on jeered along behind him.

"Mr. Leoni, stop wasting words on this fraud. Just do it!"

"Yeah, teach him how Blackhaven works!"

Isaac waved to his men. The thugs brought a collar and threw it at Marcella's feet.

"I've lost patience with this little charade. But my time isn't going to go to waste."

He jerked his chin at the collar, then at me.

"New rules. Marcella, put it on. Then get down on all fours and bark for me.

"Strip naked, crawl into my bed, stick your ass in the air, and be my bitch like a good girl!

"Do that, and the Franco debt is wiped clean."

He lifted his head, his voice suddenly cold.

"But if you can't... I'll have this worthless man crippled, chopped up, and fed to the dogs!"

Marcella flinched, then stepped in front of me without a second's thought.

Before I could speak, her aunt rushed up and slapped Marcella hard on the back.

"What are you waiting for? You wretch, do what Mr. Leoni says. Serve him properly, and don't make this worse!"

Marcella shook her off and stepped back.

"Have you lost your mind? Do you even hear yourself?"

Her uncle signaled to two of the thugs.

"Hold that little punk down. Break him. Let that be his apology to Mr. Leoni!"

Two thugs came at me with grins on their faces. They seized my arms and shoved my head toward the blood on the floor.

Marcella threw herself at them and sank her teeth into one man's arm.

"Don't touch him! I'll kill you!"

Isaac clapped in delight as he watched.

"Yes! Just like that! Stomp his face into the blood! Show him what a lowlife he is!"

I drew a deep breath and slowly raised my head.

The two thugs met my eyes and froze. Their grips loosened.

When Isaac saw his own men hesitate, he slammed a hand against the arm of his chair and cursed.

"Useless, all of you! Get in there and beat those two dogs to death!

"Whatever happens, the Leoni family will answer for it!"

That was enough for the thugs. They cracked their knuckles and closed in on me.

Marcella lunged to shield me, but her uncle grabbed her from behind and held on.

Trapped between her aunt and uncle, she could only stand outside the ring and scream my name.

In the instant before the fists landed, Isaac's phone rang.

He pulled it out impatiently. The screen showed his father's name: Vito Leoni, Don of the Leoni family.

Isaac frowned, but he didn't dare ignore it. He swiped to answer, annoyed at the interruption.

"Dad, I'm busy..."

Before he could finish, his father's furious roar came through.

"You useless idiot! Who the hell have you provoked out there? You're going to get the whole Leoni family killed!"