Broken by Sin: A Dark Mafia Romance

“No, of course not. No stranger will raise my children. That’ll be your job. I’ll provide the money and resources, and you’ll provide for the kids.”

My jaw tightens. “So a pretty typical mafia arrangement then?”

“Why do you say that like it’s a bad thing?”

“No reason. It’s not, it’s fine.”

He studies me and shrugs. “Okay then. Next hard question. Do you find me attractive?”

I blink rapidly. “Uh.”

“I’m asking because if we’re going to make four babies, we’ll have to do a lot of fucking. And I’ll warn you, Karah, I like to fuck. I like to fuck a lot, and I find you very beautiful. If you marry me, I suspect I won’t keep my hands to myself.”

My cheeks turn crimson. What the hell is with this guy? He’s staring at me hungrily—just like Nico does.

Except there’s a hard edge to Rinaldo’s gaze like I don’t have much of a choice in his attentions.

“If we’re married, that’ll be okay.”

“You find me attractive then?” He says it softer, more insistent. I don’t know why he needs me to admit it, but I shrug.

“Yes, I do.”

“Good. Very good.” He picks his phone up off the ground and checks his texts, flicking through them quickly. “Looks like some of the guys are going to a club near here. You should come with me.”

“Yeah, right. That won’t ever happen.”

“When you’re my wife, it will. Your father and brothers won’t be able to control you anymore.”

My heart surges at the thought. “You’ll bring me out when we’re married?”

“As often as you want.” He smiles and his tongue presses against his lower lip, and for the first time I picture kissing him—and some part of me rebels against the idea. It feels like trying to kiss a crocodile.

“Well, I can’t tonight.” I stand quickly and move away. Why am I reacting like this? I wrap my towel tighter around myself. “What do you say? Should we make it official tomorrow?”

“I’ll get a ring.”

I laugh, but he’s not joking. “Really?”

“If we’re doing this, we’ll do it for real. You get your father’s approval, and I’ll propose over dinner. Shall I make the reservations?”

“That sounds good.” My stomach’s a twisted mess. Rinaldo stands and pulls on his shirt. I study his body, wondering what it’ll be like to be his wife. He’ll take my virginity and I won’t know the touch of another man other than him.

And for some reason that breaks a black hole through my heart.

Before he leaves, we exchange numbers. “If you change your mind, text me.” He gives me a chaste kiss on the cheek before heading down to his black BMW. I watch him drive off and when I turn around to head back inside, I nearly scream.

Nico’s there, waiting near the staircase.

“Shit, you scared the fuck out of me.”

“You’re doing this then.” His face is impassive and he just watches me.

“Yes, Nico, I’m doing this.” I go to breeze past him but he blocks my way. “Can you move? I want to take a shower.”

His eyes are hard as he looks into mine. I think he might grab my wrist again, but when I step forward, he moves slightly back like he’s repelled by me. I glare at him with real anger. This guy acts like I’m radioactive, and yet he wants to stop me from marrying the one person that might let me keep my life intact.

“Rinaldo’s a monster,” Nico says and his voice is so soft that the plush carpet swallows it up. I glance down to the scar on his face. There are rumors about that scar—that he got it in a knife fight, that he got it from my father, and a million others—but I don’t think any of them are true.

“You’re just saying that.”

“No, I’m not. Rinaldo’s a monster. You don’t know him at all, Karah. He’s good at blending in, but—”

“Will you just leave me alone?” I push him back but he’s like a brick wall and barely moves. “I don’t need this right now. I have to get Papa’s approval tomorrow and after that I’ll be committed. You think I want this, any of this? I have no other choice.”

“There are other choices.” He looks at me and his jaw twitches. “There are plenty of other men in the Famiglia. Better men.”

“It’s too late for that. I have until tomorrow and I don’t exactly see a long list of candidates. There’s just Rinaldo, okay? I’m doing this.”

“You’re making a mistake.”

“And why do you care? Suddenly you give a crap about me? I don’t get you at all. You treat me like dirt, except right now when I wish you’d leave me alone the most.”

That does it. That triggers him for some reason. He surges forward and I back up, slamming into the wall behind me.

He breathes hard as he lingers inches from my face and though he’s not touching me, it’s like I’m pinned by his intense stare.