Page 184 of Mafia Billionaire's Surprise Baby

Benicio extends one finger. “First, you are going to marry someone who needs a wife to rule his kingdom, and I cannot have him inherit that throne.”

That’s Liam. I stay silent, staring at Benicio.

“Second—” He adds another finger. “You are the sister of my most bitter rival. By marriage, you are the sister-in-law to the father of my grandchildren, and when they come for you…” His smile is wicked.

It sends chills down my spine.

“When they come for you, Gia Rossi, they’re going to wish they had never once heard my name.”

30

SAL

After I finish, Caterina stares at me for a second.

Then, she nods. “Okay. So. You love Gia.”

“Yes,” I whisper.

“And you’re just going to give her up?”

I blink. “It’s not that simple.”

“Yeah, I think it’s pretty flippin’ simple, brother of mine.”

“Gia doesn’t want me,” I say bitterly.

“And you think that would stop her?”

Glancing up at her, I can see that Caterina is serious. “What does that mean?”

She huffs. “I mean, if I know one thing about Gia Rossi, it’s that she’s more than just a dog with a bone. She’s a wolf with a kill. She practically invented the whole concept of being persistent. She wouldn’t stop if she loved you.”

“Caterina,” I sigh. “I know. That’s why I know she doesn’t love me back. Because if Gia loved me back, she’d do everything in her power to show me.”

“Except… she wouldn’t, would she?”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s Gia. So, she’d do everything in her power to keep you safe. If she thought that the only way to keep you safe was to tell this Liam guy that she was going to marry him…”

I shut my eyes. “She doesn’t want me, Caterina. Just leave it alone.”

“That’s not true!” Caterina says.

Her voice is shrill. I realize, looking at her, that she’s more exhausted than I thought.

“Caterina,” I say gently. “How did you get here?”

She waves a hand. “Helicopter from Milan. Jet from New York.”

“I think we should probably go back…”

“No. Not until you admit you can’t give up on her.”

“Then she shouldn’t have given up on me!” I yell.

Caterina blinks.