Page 154 of Mafia Billionaire's Surprise Baby

Liam’s face softens, and his green eyes look down on me with something that seems less like a business partner, and more like fondness.

And I hate that.

He doesn’t need to be pleasant to me. We shouldn’t be fond with each other.

He’s essentially kidnapping me and forcing this marriage, after all.

Whatever path we go down, it can’t be one that includes fondness.

My heart feels bruised and sore as I think about what that word means to me.

He nods. “I understand. But there isn’t another option, Gia. I can’t just let you go.”

“You could,” I counter.

Theoretically, it’s possible.

“You could. We could build another contract. You and…” my voice trails off.

I was going to say that we could tell him to marry Elio’s daughter Luna. But she’s seven.

He’d have to wait eleven years. And he’d easily be almost thirty years older than his child bride.

And I’d be selling out my niece to save myself.

Liam’s eyes harden. “I’ll no’ be ’

“Men in your position marry children all the time,” I hiss.

“Maybe. But I won’t,” Liam confirms.

Damn it.

Why does he have to be so fucking good? It’s so annoying. Of all the people in the world, the last one that I was expecting to be such a goddamn likeable person is the twin of the person who really was kind of an evil gremlin.

And now he’s… offering to be my husband.

There are worse fates. There really are.

But right now, I can’t think of one.

“I sent the offer to your brother,” he murmurs.

That makes me sit straight up. “What?”

“I emailed Elio a copy of the contract. I want him to be involved because something tells me that Elio is as important to you as my… he’s an important sibling.”

“Nice dodge there, Ace.”

He chuckles. “Would it be so bad?”

“The bad part is that I don’t have an option. I’m not in a position to negotiate. It’s either marry you or die, I assume,” I whisper.

“I’m not a killer, Gia…”

“But you won’t let me go, either. So even if I don’t agree to marry you, I’m not going to be going home, am I?”

“A prolonged captivity is something that I was expecting, yes,” he says slowly.