Dealer and his Bestowed Bride (The Rossi Family Mafia Book 2) by Avery Hawkes Page A

those were them.  
    Finally, I found my voice. “I’m sorry your men are dead Mr. Armento, but it couldn’t be helped. You and I both know I’d already be dead if you wanted me to. Those guns don’t have silencers, you must have heard them.”
    He smiled at me. “Very perceptive.” He clasped his hands together. “The only reason you’re alive right now, Miss Piper, is that I think you are worth more than those two. But you took two lives that were not yours, and that comes with a price.”
    I stiffened, that did not bode well for me.
    “You,” Mr. Armento said, pointing to Rob, “Leave. The car’s downstairs.”
    Rob looked like he was about to argue with the man, but he ended up closing his mouth. He left the room without looking at me and as soon as he exited, my heart left with him. All that remained was a black hole that felt like it was eating me alive.  
    “Now, let’s talk business. There are quite a few jobs that will help you pay off your debts.”

CHAPTER TEN
Luca

    The gala.  
    It was an event put on by designer fashion companies. Executives, celebrities and government officials all were invited to it … and so were we.
    It had been two days since we had met with Mr. Franco and two days since Piper and I had fucked. Since then, Piper gave me the cold shoulder.  
    “We’re strictly professional,” she repeated once more after I had accidentally gotten too close for comfort. She was obsessed with keeping her space and I couldn’t understand her logic for the life of me.  
    I knew we had something, that we physically “clicked.” Maybe we weren’t perfect while interacting on a day to day basis, but what couple was? But, even though she had to have felt what was between us, she still made me sleep on top of the damned blankets at night, lest our legs touch while we sleep.
    Oh the humanity.  
    We had spent the two days exploring. Sometimes together but most of the time separately. I tried my hardest to learn more about my bride, but she had the bad habit of pushing me away both physically and emotionally.  
    It was night and I was wearing a new suit I had been given by the Mafia. I was tying my tie and looking at myself in the mirror. Piper sat on the bed next to me, reading a book. She had already finished her makeup and was ready to go out.
    “You look stunning,” I told her, glancing at her from the mirror. She rolled her eyes in reply.
    “What?” I asked.
    “Is that all men can talk about to a woman? How she looks?” Piper huffed and closed her book on her lap.
    “I have been asking questions about you all day long. When I asked you what your favorite animal was it looked like you were going to stab me in the eye with a fork.”
    “It’s not my fault you ask annoying questions,” she shot back.  
    “Well then, it’s not MY fault you look sexy either.”
    She let out a long, frustrated sigh and grabbed her purse.  
    “Are we leaving, or do I have to wait all night for you to powder your nose?”
    “Coming, Your Highness,” I snickered and adjusted my tie in the mirror one last time.
    To be completely honest, I was starting to get nervous about the event. I had heard of all the names that would be there, plus I had been worrying about what we had to do.  
    What could we do?
    All I knew was that I had to make contact with the man who owned Tekfire, Robert Georgeson. I had looked him up on the internet and found pictures of him gallivanting at his clubs, and a few places listed on his Linkedin. However, he was rather young and only had two years of experience on his resume.
    I glanced at Piper as I followed her. There was a reason she had been easily put-off for the last few days, and Mr. Georgeson had something to do with it.  
    However, the only time I had brought him up, instead of trying to elbow me in the stomach and say something sarcastic, she became quiet and withdrawn. Her face had turned completely white and she didn’t want to answer any of my questions.