Beautiful Trouble: A Dark Mafia Romance

“Did you know that she made that exact same deal with Roman? It’s almost adorable how the two of you are getting sucked into our world and still trying your best to keep each other alive.”

“Will you do it or not?”

“I have no reason to kill Cassie.”

I understood the unspoken part: he had every reason to kill Roman.

“The second condition is I will not have anything to do with my father.”

His face faltered slightly. “That might be a problem.”

“That’s for you to solve then. I won’t speak to him. I won’t go see him. If you want to convince him to lend you his support or whatever the hell you’re thinking, that’s on you. I won’t be involved.”

Heavy silence. I knew this would be a hard sell. Part of marrying me was getting access to my father and his fund—but Darren could slit my throat and drink my blood before I ever went back home.

“And your last condition?” He asked it angrily, grudgingly.

“Agree to the second first.”

“I agree to keep you as far from him as I can. I can’t promise more.”

I worked my jaw. We stared each other down.

Funny how the night before I couldn’t get enough of this man.

Now I wanted to throw him out a window.

“My last condition is I won’t have your children.”

His mouth fell open.

I tried not to smile. That was the hoped-for response.

Last night, after he left, I fell asleep, but I didn’t stay asleep. I woke up around three in the morning and couldn’t get back down.

I paced the room over and over, thinking about what we’d done—and okay, I’ll admit that I touched myself a little bit and considered a booty call, but I can’t be held responsible for what I do when I’m horny really late at night—when I realized something.

Darren cared about family. If he married me, that meant he wanted me to have his children, to carry on the Servant name.

His sisters could have children, but they wouldn’t be his. And they could have the wrong last name.

Anthony could pass along the Servant name, but Anthony wasn’t a full-blooded sibling. Not that it really mattered, but to someone like Darren, it might.

Which meant he had to reproduce.

And I had leverage.

“That’s not how marriage works.”

“That’s how our marriage will work. Maybe we can adopt one day, but if we get married, I want you to get a vasectomy. And I’ll expect proof.”

His hands gripped the edge of the table. “Unacceptable.”

“Then we don’t have to get married.”

“I need children.” He leaned toward me, speaking in a low, angry rumble. “You need to have my children. You must understand how important that is.”

“I do, and it’s why I’m using it against you.” I smiled sweetly and batted my eyes. “You can force me all you want, but you can’t make me have kids. I have control over that.”

“There are ways.” His eyes blazed.

I had no doubt that was true. He could get me pregnant then lock me away in some room.

But I’d still find a way to stop it.

I stared back and tried to muster as much of my willpower as I could. I would not break down or give into this man any more than I already did.

I was his captive. He stole me from my life and wanted to use me against my best friend and her husband. He was a monster, a bastard—and I didn’t care if he had good reasons to hate Roman.

It didn’t matter if I loved his family, or at least Penny.

If he wanted me, it would be on my terms.

The silence was ten inches of snow on a barren field.

“It’s your choice,” I said finally, softly, nearly a whisper.

He leaned forward. His lips parted. He was so angry. I knew he wanted to lash out at me—to pull my hair or spank my ass.

He liked my body.

No, he worshipped me.

Another thing I could use again him—if only I didn’t love the way he took me just as much.

“Why do you have to make this impossible?”

“Because I never wanted any of this to begin with. You’ve manipulated and steered me down this road.”

“Last night was not a manipulation.” His words were husky and sent a wild feverish chill on my skin. My pussy tingled at forbidden memories. “That was the truth.”

“It was sex.”

“Extremely good sex. The first of many nights.”

“We can fuck all we want, but there won’t be any babies.”

“God damn it, Winter. I want you. I want children with you.”

“And I want to be free. We all make sacrifices.”

He leaned forward. I leaned in to meet him.

I wanted him to grab me. I wanted his rough hands on my body. He could hurt me, make me moan and bleed, or he could give me more pleasure than I ever dreamed.

It was all mixed together in some unholy fucked-up braid. And I never wanted to get away from it.