Ruthless Prince (Dark Syndicate 1)

He shakes his head. “Nah. It’s not.” He gives me a wicked smile. “She’s Riccardo’s daughter. That’s who she is. The enemy’s daughter. But she’s a woman. That’s what she is. A very beautiful woman who belongs to you. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice that part.”

I sit back in my chair. “I noticed just fine.” And so did my cock.

Two times I’ve had her naked pressed against me, and both times I’ve wanted to devour her. Both times, I was very well aware that she’s a goddess with the body made for the way I like to fuck.

Tristan smiles. “So that’s it. You’ll marry her, and it will be shit? Or are you going to live at the strip club? Noticed how you didn’t go last night. Or maybe you got your dick wet here.”

“Tristan, drop it. This is business.”

“And what business is business without a little pleasure mixed in? When you have the kind of money we have, you’re king. You can do whatever shit you want.”

Footsteps echo against the pavement, and my next words fade.

Priscilla walks toward us. Beside her is the woman who’s probably the closest I could have called to a girlfriend. Gabriella Mineola. Her platinum blonde hair looks like a halo on top of her head, and the smile on her face is filled with the mischief we always get up to when she’s in town.

Tristan leans over to me. “Oh, I see. I didn’t know you were still getting your dick wet with her,” he states, voice filled with disdain. He can’t stand her.

“I’m not,” I answer just before Priscilla and Gabriella reach us.

Tristan and I stand. Priscilla simply gives a quick bow of her head then departs. Gabriella looks from me to Tristan, and her smile brightens, reaching her large green eyes.

“Massimo and Tristan D’Agostino. I think it’s been awhile since I’ve seen the two of you together,” she states, putting out her hand for us to kiss her knuckles.

Being polite, for me, Tristan gives her a handshake. I don’t touch her.

“I’m going to run,” Tristan states. “Remember what I said,” he adds, eyeing me with a sharp seriousness.

He’s talking about Emelia. I give him a nod before he leaves us. I return my focus to Gabriella, who is already looking at me. Her gaze turning more seductive by the second.

“Gabriella. Haven’t seen you in a while,” I state.

“I was travelling.”

It’s a fucking lie. The truth is, she had an affair with Senator Braxton. His wife found out, and he, instead of leaving his wife like she thought he was going to, he kicked her to the curb. I’ll pretend I was born yesterday, though, like she believes, and accept that she was travelling.

“Sounds good.”

“Look at you. How do you get more sexier every time I see you?”

“Don’t know.”

She runs her finger over my chest but keeps her gaze trained on me. “Remember the last time we saw each other?”

“I do.” I remember well. She stayed the whole weekend here, and we never left my bed.

Her father is the head of the Mineola family. They’re incredibly wealthy and have wanted to invest in D’Agostinos for many years. Every time they made an offer, Pa declined. He’s strong that way. Knowing when to accept an offer and when to reject because of the shit that might follow. Me, not so much. I’ve never been able to decline this woman my bed, or… wherever desire might take us. She just hasn’t ventured to my parts in close to a year.

She chuckles and presses a perfectly manicured finger into my chest. “Me too. It was nice. So, there was news abroad of your ascension to leadership. And your engagement.”

That would have gone out yesterday. News travels fast in our circles. I can just imagine the talk about it. Me, the ruthless D’Agostino prince and the sweet Balesteri princess. Two families people know to be former enemies. Two families only certain special people know to belong to the Bro

therhood. What a stir we must have created.

“Yes, I’m getting married,” I answer to that alone because she would have heard about me being boss months ago. That’s old news and nothing that would send her here.

She gazes out to the beach and lifts her head, signaling for me to look.

“Won’t you take me for a walk on the beach? It’s such a lovely day. Just want to get one last fill before the lady of the house takes her reign.” She gives me a saucy smile. One I don’t return.