Ruthless Prince (Dark Syndicate 1)

What stopped me was her. Emelia. My cold, dead heart awoke somewhat, and I took pity on the princess. It was how she looked when she pleaded for her dreams and her art that got me. Watching me break her father’s hand would have been too much for her. It would have added to the bomb we dropped on the evening.

“We don’t have all night, Riccardo,” Pa states in a menacing voice.

Grudgingly, Riccardo takes the contract, looks it over, and retrieves a pen knife from his drawer. A smile dances on my lips when he cuts the tip of his thumb and blood drips on to the dotted line.

“There. You have it all now.” He looks at me. “You have it all.”

“I do, and you have nothing,” I answer. “It will be most interesting to see what happens next. Definitely interesting to see what happens when I marry your daughter, ruining your damn plans.”

Boy, did this bastard ever have his fair share of plans. At Easter, he displayed his daughter to the underground at the charity ball. We all saw her for the first time. Unbeknown to her, that event was what we call a Viewing, a signal to start

bidding. He displayed her like a piece of meat for sale, and as she’s been the talk of the underground since then, I can just imagine how many bids he must have gotten. The minute I saw her, I knew the fucker wanted to marry her off and secure some business arrangement with the marriage.

Then we found out what he was up to with the Syndicate and the trouble he was in as a result of all the money he lost. I knew exactly how to strike then.

“You will not get away with this,” he warns. I’m amazed he has the balls to say that to me.

I lean forward and hold his gaze. “I think I already did.” I reach for the contract and hand it to Pa, who takes it gladly. I continue to give this bastard before me a hardened stare. Looking at him the way I’ve wanted to look at him for years.

I wonder if his daughter knows how truly evil he is. She only just saw the tip of her father’s wrath. I get the feeling she doesn’t know anything.

As I look at this devil before me, I think back to the day at the cemetery when I vowed vengeance. This is only the start.

Pa clears his throat and stands. I do too.

“Pleasure doing business with you, Riccardo,” Pa says. “I will contact the Brotherhood and make them aware of what’s happening in terms of your rights.”

Ricardo stares back knowing he doesn’t have a leg to stand on.

We walk out, leaving him to his thoughts. Right where we want him.

He knows it only goes downhill from here.

The men follow us, and Pa and I stop on the steps when we get outside.

I look over the grounds of the mansion. It’s beautiful and worth millions with the design and the land surrounding it.

“We should have taken the property as well,” I state.

“No, we have to leave him with a base so we can watch his next moves,” Pa answers. “Home is where the heart is, even for those with dark souls. He’ll be plotting his next moves right here.”

“Yes, I imagine so,” I agree. I just wanted to truly leave him in the shit, put him on the roadside with a paper bag if I could. It still wouldn’t be enough.

“He will try things. We’ve crippled him in a big way, but don’t underestimate him.”

“I won’t.”

He rests a hand on my shoulder. Pride swells his eyes. To see that in a man like him for me is a massive accomplishment. My father is the kind of man who went through hell and back. He rules with an iron fist that shows the extent of his power. I’ve seen him at his lowest, cut down like grass, and at his highest. That is where he is now, and I’m honored to fill his shoes. The fact that he picked me over Andreas is an honor I will take to my grave, bad as I feel about being picked to lead the famiglia over my older brother.

“You’re ready to be boss. You acted like one today.”

I dip my head in reverence at his words. “My thanks to you, Father.”

“I’ll finish the asset transfer later today in prep for the ceremony. Then there’s the Syndicate meetings. I will initiate you and spend the next few months training you. Then that will be it.”

That will be it. And I will form a new leadership with my brothers.

“Thank you.”