The Mafia Billionaire's Reborn Queen

This is the price you pay for destroying the love of my life. Nathaniel's voice still echoed in my head, sending a violent shiver down my spine.

I snapped my eyes open. No damp, suffocating prison cell. No crushing weight of bankruptcy.

Right now, my high-and-mighty fianc was down on one knee. He was slipping a massive diamond engagement ring onto the finger of a thirty-eight-year-old womana woman confined to a wheelchair, heavily pregnant with her ex-husband's child.

In my past life, I swallowed the humiliation for the sake of our families' corporate merger. I paid millions to fix her useless legs and even stayed by her side in the delivery room.

But the moment she threw herself off a roof from postpartum depression, Nathaniel turned into a rabid dog.

He ripped my family's legacy apart, drained our trusts dry, and threw us all into maximum-security prison to rot.

The entire ballroom fell dead silent. Hundreds of eyes locked onto me, waiting for me to break.

Instead, I turned on my heel. I marched straight toward the darkest corner of the room.

Sitting there was the ultimate ruthless predatorthe collar of his custom-tailored shirt pulled open to reveal a jagged half-sleeve tattoo, idly flipping a titanium Centurion Black Card between his knuckles.

I slammed my champagne flute onto his table.

"Marry me." I leaned in, locking eyes with him. "Are you in or out?"

Chapter 1

Inside the VIP lounge, Nathaniel knelt on the carpet, holding a diamond ring out to the woman confined to a wheelchair. The other heirs in the room traded shocked, uncomfortable glances before their eyes darted to me. After all, I was Nathaniel's actual fiance. Pulling this stunt right in front of my face was a public slap across the cheek.

"Nathaniel, drop the act," someone muttered, breaking the heavy silence. "Camilla is standing right here."

Another guy leaned in, keeping his voice low. "Look, we all play around, but you can't be serious. She's a thirty-eight-year-old woman pregnant with her ex-husband's kid."

"Apologize to Camilla right now. She'll let this slide."

In our tier of wealth, there were unspoken rules. Nathaniel could mess around with whatever side pieces he wanted, but handing the title of the family matriarch to someone outside our tax bracket was off-limits. Everyone in this room knew that corporate mergers between legacy families were the only way to protect our billion-dollar empires.

But Nathaniel didn't care about the rules. He was dead set on Mereditha thirty-eight-year-old paraplegic woman with a pretty face and a relentless stubborn streak. He ignored the whispers, his jaw tight with defiance.

"I'm not joking," Nathaniel stated, not breaking eye contact with her. "I love Meredith, and no one is going to stop me."

He finally shifted his cold gaze to me. "Camilla, I told you a long time ago that I don't love you. Don't force this. I'm never changing my mind."

Three sentences meant to put me in my place. I stood there, my fingers brushing against the edge of the glass table, silent.

Meredith gently stroked her heavily swollen pregnant belly. Her eyes turned red as she put on a brave face. "I can't ruin your arranged marriage. Even though Nathaniel says he can only breathe when he's with me, I will absolutely never be the other woman."

Whenever Nathaniel pursued her, Meredith always played the victim card perfectly. She claimed she knew her place. She claimed she respected our engagement. She insisted she hated homewreckers more than anything.

So, to clear her name and prove his devotion, Nathaniel pulled this exact stunt. Humiliating me in public to cancel the wedding and give her a promise.

"Camilla, our engagement is officially off. Do you understand?" Nathaniel stepped in front of her like a shield. "Stop getting in the way of me marrying Meredith."

Every pair of eyes in the room locked onto me again.

"Camilla, don't take him seriously," a friend whispered, grabbing my arm. "He's just acting out."

"Don't worry, there's no way the board will ever let him cancel this merger."

"Let's just get out of here. I'll take you to the club"

Our legacy families were tied together by countless trusts and stock portfolios. Everyone in this lounge had millions riding on our union. Nobody wanted to see billion-dollar contracts burn to ashes just because Nathaniel and I were fighting.

The friend tugged at my arm again. I ripped my arm out of their grip.

My vision cleared, sharp and cold.

I grabbed a flute of champagne from the table and threw the liquid straight into Nathaniel's arrogant face.

I let out a cold laugh as the alcohol dripped down his nose. "Fine. The engagement is off."

"As of right now, you are out of the game. Take your trash and get the hell out of my sight."

Gasps echoed around the room. Jaws dropped.

Nathaniel wiped his eyes, letting out a breath of relief. "This is the best choice for both of us," he stated, smoothing his ruined collar. "Marriage is the death of love. Being with you would only be a prison sentence."

Right. He was dead on. Being with him was a death sentence. But chaining himself to Meredith was just stepping into a different kind of grave.

There was no way a massive financial empire could be run by a broke woman who played the saint. In my past life, she was so mentally weak she couldn't even handle being spoiled in a mansion. In the bloody war of corporate dynasties, she was nothing but fresh meat waiting to be chewed up and spat out.

I caught Meredith smiling in secret.

The moment my eyes locked onto hers, she instantly smoothed her features into a mask of pure innocence. "Camilla, I promise I didn't steal your man."

I scoffed. "Of course not. I never recycle trash. Since you love this garbage so much, you'd better be ready to swallow all his future bankruptcy debts, too."

Meredith's face drained of color.

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes, wiping champagne from his jaw. "Camilla, there's no need to act so bitter just because you can't have me."

I crossed my arms. "Have you? What exactly is there to want?"

"Your inability to keep your pants zipped, or your blindness? Don't make me laugh, Nathaniel. You aren't worth a single cent of my time."

Chapter 2

I walked straight toward the man in the darkest corner. The ruthless West Coast predator, the exact kind of man the East Coast old-money circles always sneered at. He hadn't said a single word all night. He looked up at me, his deep, dark eyes narrowing slightly.

As the light shifted, the jagged half-sleeve tattoo trailing from his unbuttoned custom collar caught my eye. "Dante, kiss me?"

A flash of shock crossed his dark eyes.

The room stopped breathing, eyes glued to our corner.

Dante frowned. "Are you out of your damn mind?"

An aggressive, dangerous wave of masculine testosterone swept through the room.

The surrounding East Coast legacy heirs wrinkled their noses in disgust.

But to me, his deep, rough voice felt like an impenetrable fortress. It grounded me.

In my past life, this was the man who burned his entire empire to the ground just to drag Nathaniel down to hell with him, all to avenge me.

We had barely exchanged two words back then. Yet, I had become the one person he was willing to die for.

I smiled. The back of my throat burned as tears threatened to spill, but I forced them down.

I leaned closer. "Marry me. Are you in or out?"

His lips pressed into a tight line. His handsome, sharply angled face was unreadable.

Then, Dante stood up. The heavy titanium watch on his wrist clinked as he moved, towering over me. "Wait for me to bring the engagement gifts to your estate."

He shot a disgusted glare at the diamond ring in Nathaniel's hand and clicked his tongue. "That piece of junk is worthless. I'll get you something that actually deserves to be on your finger."

He turned on his heel and headed for the door.

But after two steps, he stopped dead, spun around, and closed the distance between us.

He leaned in and planted a hard, branding kiss directly on my cheek.

He pointed a scarred finger right at my face.

"Don't you dare back out. Even if you change your mind, I'll use all my capital and power to lock you up in my estate! You're the one who started this fire!"

Dante's engagement gifts were airlifted straight from the West Coast to my family's East Coast estate by dozens of private heavy-lift helicopters.

The East Coast old money never associated with the West Coast new money predators. None of the legacy heirs in my circle had ever merged families with his side of the map. I was the first. I shattered the massive class barrier between the two coasts.

And because of that, I was staring at the most aggressively extravagant display of wealth I had ever seen.

Dozens of private helicopters hovered over the estate. Stacks of Centurion Black Cards and countless property deeds for prime Silicon Valley real estate were presented to my grandfather on custom Hermes trays.

The moment he walked through the door, he took off his sunglasses and respectfully handed over the transfer agreements for all his core assets to my grandfather with both hands, his voice echoing with absolute certainty: "I've already signed these. From today on, my wealth and my life belong to her. I'm begging you to hand her over to me."

I stood frozen next to my grandfather, my heart pounding against my ribs. Grandpa just stared wide-eyed at the insane spread of wealth in front of him. His hands gripped the arms of his mahogany chair, visibly shaking.

I leaned in and gently gripped his shoulder. "Grandpa, it's just a little flex. Keep it together."

Grandpa clenched his jaw. He had a million reservations. But in the end, he couldn't ignore the sheer humiliation I had suffered because of Nathaniel. And he couldn't ignore Dante's overwhelming display of submission to our family.

Looking at the entire East Coast elite, Dante was the first man to ever show up and instantly surrender his entire empire for a proposal.

After a long, agonizing silence, Grandpa finally convinced himself.

"He's a bit rough around the edges, but if you can handle him, I have no right to stop this." He let out a heavy sigh. "Marry him. Once you're married, you live a good life. Don't let any of that messy drama touch this family again."

That night, while his team was still auditing the massive influx of assets, Grandpa quietly slipped the passport proving my independent identity and the decryption key for my family trust into Dante's hands.

The very next morning, before the sun even crested the horizon, I was still dead asleep.

Dante kicked my bedroom door open, scooped me out of bed, and shoved me straight into the back of a stretch Lincoln Navigator.

"Let's go. My private lawyers and the city hall officials are already waiting for us at the estate! Time to sign."

I was curled up tight against Dante's chest. My brain was still trying to process what the hell was happening. Then, in the quiet cabin, I heard the heavy, distinct sound of him swallowing hard.

Chapter 3

It took me a moment to fully wake up. He looked like he was holding back an immense weight, the corners of his dark eyes flushed red. "Wife! I'm so damn lucky!"

Anger flared in my chest.

I slapped him right across the face.

"What the hell are you doing?! We aren't even officially married yet!"

His handsome face froze. Just when I thought he was going to blow up, he gently cradled my hand like I was made of fragile glass. His deep voice trembled slightly.

"Baby, does your hand hurt? Newton's third law, right? Hitting a rock like me must've bruised your soft skin. Next time you want to hit me, just give the word. I'll beat my own ass for you."

I blinked, stunned.

Before I could even process his words, he raised his own hand and delivered a vicious, crackling slap across his own jaw.

"My fault, baby."

"But I was terrified the wife I finally caught was going to fly away. I couldn't hold back anymore. Once we sign those papers, everything I do for you is perfectly legal and justified. Let me off the hook this once."

"When we get back, you can step on my face with your stilettos, or use a riding crop on me to vent your anger. I absolutely will not fight back."

When we finally signed that marriage certificate bearing the governor's official seal, Dante actually cried.

Hot tears spilled out of his dark eyes. "I'm sorry you had to settle under these circumstances," he choked out.

"I know damn well that if Nathaniel wasn't blind, this kind of jackpot would never have fallen into my lap!"

"But don't you worry, baby. Now that you're mine, I will never let anyone make you suffer again. Whatever those East Coast old-money heirs could give you, this West Coast predator will give you ten times more."

So, when this insanely competitive, fiercely territorial West Coast alpha found out the exact date of Nathaniel and Meredith's engagement gala, he didn't even blink before scheduling ours for the exact same day.

Nathaniel booked the entire penthouse floor of the Queens Plaza Hotel for his engagement venue. Dante simply bought out every single remaining floor of the entire hotel for ours. Nathaniel picked out eighteen luxury cars for his convoy. Dante directly shut down the entire interstate highway, deploying a convoy of one hundred and eight fully bulletproof Rolls-Royce Phantoms and Bugatti Veyrons, while private fighter jets trailed pink smoke across the sky.

Nathaniel custom-ordered a so-called "one-of-a-kind" diamond engagement ring for Meredith. Dante monopolized three separate international mining conglomerates just to secure the largest flawless pink diamond currently known to humanitya rock heavier than a pigeon's eggjust for my ring finger.

The media claimed Dante was just buying face for me. When Nathaniel heard the news, he just laughed it off.

"He's just a trashy nouveau riche. What else can he do besides throw money around? An engagement gala is supposed to be an elegant affair for high society. Doing this is just cheap and vulgar."

"Camilla picked him in a fit of rage, but she'll regret it eventually."

When Dante heard Nathaniel's comments, he was uncharacteristically calm. He just kept laser-focused on finalizing the prep for our gala.

When the day of the engagement finally arrived, Nathaniel's eighteen luxury cars ended up trailing behind the heavily armed convoy of the West Coast Outlaw Club.

Their heavily decorated hoods were brutally forced onto the shoulder of the road, looking exactly like a pile of scrap metal. It wasn't that Nathaniel's hired drivers didn't want to overtake us. They simply couldn't.

Faced with absolute class barriers, the deafening roar of those ten-million-dollar custom hypercars instantly crushed the engine noise of those cheap rented luxury sedans into a desperate, pathetic whimper. Besides, how could eighteen rented chauffeurs ever dare to flex in front of one hundred and eight ruthless West Coast billionaires?

Those men didn't give a damn about scratching a multi-million-dollar paint job. They only cared about asserting absolute dominance for their brother Dante. Both groups eventually made it to their respective venues.

But right as our engagement ceremony reached its peak, a torrential downpour smashed against the floor-to-ceiling windows.

I glanced outside in surprise.

Through the glass, I watched Nathaniel desperately pushing Meredith's wheelchair down from the open-air penthouse roof. The heavy rain completely washed away her carefully applied makeup. Drenched and shivering, the bride and groom looked incredibly pathetic compared to the absolute luxury Dante and I were bathed in.

Chapter 4

The handful of guests who actually showed up for Nathaniel's side quickly lowered their heads when faced with the absolute powerhouses of the East and West Coast elites in our venue. That was when I realized the truthnot a single member of Nathaniel's family had bothered to show up to his engagement party.

"Open-air romance is cute and all, but this setup is so pathetic even God couldn't bear to watch," someone sneered, sipping their champagne. "A broken ceremony is unforgettable, right? Just like how some guys prefer broken women."

"Yeah, some guys don't just like broken goods, they also love playing stepdad and serving a washed-up old lady." The mocking laughter from the East Coast heirs and the West Coast predators echoed across the hall.

Meredith's face burned a humiliating crimson. She kept her head buried down, refusing to look up.

Nathaniel wrapped his arms protectively around Meredith and shot a venomous glare in my direction. "Shut your mouths. You're all nothing but greedy vultures. You wouldn't know real love if it killed you."

He was right about one thing. We didn't understand his version of 'true love.' We worshipped at the altar of capital. For us, corporate mergers through strategic marriages were the ultimate religion.

So the second Nathaniel chose Meredith over me, the entire East Coast elite essentially blacklisted him. The battle for the Nathaniel family's multi-billion-dollar trust was intensely brutal. Without the capital injection from my family, Nathaniel wouldn't even have the qualifications to step through the doors of the core board of directors. His family boycotting his engagement was the final nail in the coffin.

In the past, those self-proclaimed noble East Coast old-money families completely looked down on the rising West Coast outlaw factions that Dante represented. They considered them nothing more than ruthless, cutthroat nouveaux riches. But this engagement gala served as a violent wake-up call. The East Coast finally witnessed the sheer, terrifying power of the West Coast.

In our world, absolute power guaranteed a seat at the table. Unsurprisingly, the heirs and socialites who used to follow Nathaniel around like lapdogs immediately defected to our side. One, to desperately sever ties with Nathaniel. Two, to curry favor with the West Coast predators.

Showing respect to me meant bowing to Dante. And bowing to Dante meant submitting to the entire West Coast syndicate. Our union was just the opening shot of the West Coast's massive takeover of the old-money establishment.

Nathaniel's pathetic engagement ended in an embarrassing retreat. Meanwhile, the heirs of the East Coast legacy families and the core members of the West Coast new money empire accompanied us, partying hard in our private penthouse club until the dead of night.

It was the very next day that the news dropped: Nathaniel had been completely stripped of his inheritance rights by the chairman of his family's board of directors and ruthlessly thrown out onto the streets. Along with that, his position as CEO of their massive conglomerate was instantly revoked. As of that morning, Nathaniel had absolutely zero power to his name.

"Without Camilla, Nathaniel is just as crippled as Meredith," my friends gossiped over mimosas. "He wanted true love? Let's see how long his precious 'love' lasts without a black card to fund it."

"Playing nurse to a crippled fiance and gearing up to be a stepdad he must have been legally blind to throw Camilla away."

Whenever these rumors reached my ears, a knot formed in my stomach. I worried Dante's insanely territorial temper would flare up. But he just pulled me into his lap, his heavy hands resting on my waist.

"Why the hell would I be mad?"

"I know exactly what I am. I'm your backup plan! I completely understand Nathaniel's pathetic obsession. Because I'm exactly the same when it comes to you."

He pressed his forehead against mine, his deep gaze locking onto my eyes. "I swear to God, baby. Even if you were crippled and pregnant with someone else's kidas long as you gave me the nod, I'd still tear the world apart to marry you and bring you home."

I stared at his intense features and asked exactly when he fell for me.

"The very first second I laid eyes on you," he answered, his voice rough.

His West Coast empire had its own massive industries, its own impenetrable underground networks. They were the ultimate new moneyswimming in so much cash it was spilling over. That was why, even after facing constant rejection and snubs from the East Coast elite, he shamelessly forced his way into our inner circle. He endured the disrespect just to get a glimpse of me every day.

He had spent years planning to make his move. But then the engagement with Nathaniel was announced. He was already looked down upon by the pristine socialites of my world. He didn't want to do anything that would make me disgusted by him.

"Nathaniel is completely blind," Dante scoffed, gently tracing my jawline with his thumb. "How the hell could some crippled, self-righteous pregnant woman ever compare to my queen?"

Chapter 5

"Is her waist as slim as yours? Are her lips as soft as yours?" His words were blunt, unfiltered confessions. He praised every inch of me, calling me gorgeous, brilliant, and perfect.

Looking at me with those intense, devoted eyes, he reminded me of a massive, fiercely loyal guard dog. "Baby, I love you. You have no idea. That night in the lounge, when you told me to marry you, I almost lost my damn mind."

"When I got back, I dug up every single public photo of you. I stared at them all night. Didn't sleep a wink." He rested his heavy chin on my shoulder, looking at me with pathetic, needy eyes.

I dug my nails into my palms, desperately holding onto my composure. His voice softened, dropping that rough West Coast drawl. He leaned in, letting his deep vocal fry tickle my ear.

"Please? My little princess. Princess. My perfect Camilla."

Right then, the heavy oak doors of my office were shoved open.

The second Dante heard the click of the latch, he yanked me into his chest, shielding my body with his massive frame.

Pressed tightly against his custom suit, I could only peek over his thick shoulder. I locked eyes with the intruder.

Nathaniel. His bloodshot eyes were wide with shock.

What the hell was he doing here?

Dante's eyes instantly turned as dangerous as a wild beast. He grabbed Nathaniel by the throat with a single hand, slamming him hard against the door, and growled, "Take one more step toward what's mine, and I'll wipe you off the face of the earth!"

Nathaniel dropped a pink pastry box from his hands. It was from my favorite boutique bakery. The box hit the floor, smashing the delicate cake into a ruined mess. Despite being choked, he didn't back down.

Instead, he forced out a harsh, accusing rasp: "Camilla, you actually"

Nathaniel was hilarious. Dante and I were legally married. Yet somehow, seeing us together was a massive shock to him.

Dante didn't give him an inch. "A little late to be jealous of me and my wife, don't you think? Listen to me very carefully. Camilla is mine."

"Drag your pathetic ass back to your little charity case before I break your neck right here in this office." Dante shoved him back, grabbed a heavy crystal paperweight from my desk, and hurled it directly at Nathaniel's chest. It hit its mark with a violent thud.

If Dante wasn't so focused on keeping me shielded behind him, he would have beaten Nathaniel to a bloody pulp on the spot. Nathaniel always prided himself on being a refined gentleman. Brawling like a street thug was beneath him. So, clutching his bruised chest, he glared at us with pure hatred and stormed out.

But what right did he have to be pissed off? This was exactly the bed he made for himself.

The second Nathaniel was gone, Dante slammed the heavy double doors shut and locked them. When he turned back to me, his chest was heaving with fury.

Then came the breakdown. A complete, messy meltdown.

"Baby, I'm sorry, I'm just so damn furious. Who the hell does Nathaniel think he is, barging in here like he owns the place?!"

"I don't even walk into your office without knocking! I swear to God, I want to chop that bastard into pieces!"

I couldn't understand his dramatic grievances. His tears looked like absolute crocodile tears. It was glaringly obvious he was putting on a pathetic show just so I wouldn't scold him for being too violent.

I leaned back against the leather sofa. My bones ached with exhaustion, but my mind was racing too fast to sleep. I casually muttered, "Why did Nathaniel even show up?"

That was all it took for Dante to deploy his network and dig up everything on Nathaniel's current miserable life. Turns out, Nathaniel and Meredith were living in absolute hell. He came crawling back to beg for a second chance. Nathaniel had been completely kicked out of the East Coast elite core.

His family froze all of his black cards and trust funds, forcing him to squeeze into a sketchy motel in the slums with Meredith.

"Meredith's ex-husband divorced her because he couldn't stand her self-righteous, pure-victim act, especially after she got pregnant and refused to even let him touch her," Dante sneered. "Now Nathaniel is choking on that same saintly act. Besides, Nathaniel used to be surrounded by top-tier supermodels. Going from that to a thirty-eight-year-old heavily pregnant woman in a wheelchair cracking under the pressure is completely expected."

"With no money and zero quality of life, Nathaniel finally regrets throwing everything away for her. He wanted to crawl back and beg you to take him back." As Dante relayed all this intel, his jaw ticked with dangerous jealousy.

Chapter 6

I gently stroked his back, coaxing him. "He's ugly, pathetic, and completely delusional. He can't even compare to a fraction of you. Don't waste your anger on him."

He shook his head, burying his face into my chest like a massive, sulking wolf. "He's not completely stupid. He knows he screwed up, and now he's crawling back to beg for a second chance."

Right on cue, my phone buzzed on the glass desk. The screen flashed with Nathaniel's name.

I reached out to decline it, but Dante's heavy hand shot out and slammed the accept button, putting it on speaker.

Nathaniel's arrogant, entitled voice instantly echoed through the office.

"Camilla, I'm willing to forgive your little stunt with that trashy West Coast thug. But you need to understand that in my heart, you will never measure up to Meredith."

"I can call off the engagement with Meredith and marry you. Our families can keep the merger intact. But you must agree to fully fund a ten-million-dollar bionic prosthetic for Meredith's legs and book the entire VIP penthouse of the top private hospital for her delivery. Furthermore, Meredith's baby, even though it isn't my blood, must be guaranteed to inherit all of your family's trust funds and multinational corporate shares in the future."

I almost let out a raw bark of laughter.

Dante, however, narrowed his dark eyes. His jaw clenched into a lethal, serious line.

"That Dante kid is utterly disgusting. I suggest you cut ties with him immediately," Nathaniel continued, completely oblivious. "And stay away from those West Coast outlaws. I don't like the stench of new money on you."

"If we're clear, have your assistant send the keys to a luxury condo and a decent car to the Sycamore Motel right now. I have to take Meredith to her prenatal checkup later, and public transit is entirely too inconvenient for her."

The sheer, unadulterated audacity in his voice was mind-blowing. Every single demand sounded like a hysterical joke.

I leaned closer to the phone. "Nathaniel, what exactly do I get out of this marriage?"

"I don't get you, I don't get your money, I have to play ATM for your charity case, and I have to hand my family's entire empire over to a bastard child who doesn't even share your blood. What is the upside for me here?"

He let out a condescending scoff. "The upside is that you love me."

I froze, my nails digging into my palms.

Nathaniel took my silence as a victory, his tone growing even more resolute. "Camilla, I know you're obsessed with me. You've been desperately in love with me since we were kids, treating me like your only lifeline. I'm willing to give you the official title of Mrs. Nathaniel, allowing you the privilege to admire me from afar."

"I won't touch you, of course. I'm not a filthy animal like Dante. My body and loyalty belong exclusively to Meredith. So, Camilla, learn to be grateful. Take the deal, or you'll end up with absolutely nothing."

Perfect. I didn't think it was scientifically possible for a human being to be this shameless. He was digging his own grave.

I didn't waste a single breath on another word.

I hit the red button, cutting the call dead.

I turned to Dante, my voice stripped of all emotion. "You mentioned before that you wanted to ruin Nathaniel. Do it. I won't stop you anymore."

Dante wanting to physically tear Nathaniel apart wasn't exactly new. But previously, I didn't want the corporate optics between our families to get too ugly, and I didn't want Dante to stir up a bloodbath right after breaching the East Coast circles. So, I had been keeping him on a tight leash, actively blocking him from taking action.

Dante had been brooding over that restraint, his territorial instincts convinced that I was still holding onto lingering feelings for my ex. Whatever. Showing mercy to old-money legacies was turning out to be an exhausting liability.

Hearing my command, a dangerous, thrilling light ignited in his dark eyes. "You sure you can let him burn?"

I knew exactly how his possessive mind misread that. I didn't bother wasting energy explaining that my feelings for Nathaniel were dead and buried.

Instead, I gave him a sharp look. "Just take him off the board. If you give him the chance to bounce back, who knows, maybe I'll crawl right back to him."

I threw out the sarcastic bait, but the psycho actually swallowed it whole. His handsome face instantly turned deadly serious.

He ground his teeth together, the muscles in his jaw ticking violently. "Coveting my wife? I'll wipe him off the goddamn map."

Dante's methods were ruthlessly barbaric. Since Nathaniel had the nerve to demand a condo and a car, Dante actually deployed his fixers to hand Nathaniel the keys to a luxury property and a high-end vehicle. The only catch? They were set up as a brutal "use now, pay later" financial trap