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“Oh, here we go,” Dario says. I glance in the direction he’s looking and see the woman herself. The picture didn’t do her justice whatsoever. She’s gorgeous. Stunning.

I nod to Dario, and we exit the car. I make a beeline toward her. She’s aware of her surroundings, because the second my car door opened, her gaze zeroed in on me, and not once has it wavered. She’s ballsy, that’s for sure. She doesn’t show any fear, just keeps watching me.

“Teagan Mitchell?” I ask.

Her eyes narrow. “What’s it to you?” she fires back, and my cock twitches at the roughness of her voice.

“Just want to talk, sweetheart,” Dario says as he flashes her his smile.

“Firstly, I’m not your sweetheart,” she says as she crosses her arms over her chest. She’s wearing an ugly gray t-shirt that’s three sizes too big for her and a pair of black leggings. Even wearing rags, she looks amazing. “Secondly,” she sighs, “I don’t know you and I’m not in the mood for talking.”

The woman beside her places her hands on her hips and taps her foot. “We’re in a rush, so if you don’t mind.”

I’ve had enough. “I forgot to introduce myself,” I say coldly, and both women’s spines straighten. “Elio Gallo, and this is my brother, Dario.”

Teagan’s face pales. “What do you want?” she questions, and there’s still a bite to her tone.

I glance to her friend. “Leave. This doesn’t concern you.”

Teagan leans over and whispers something to the girl, who doesn’t look happy but nods. “Okay, so what do you want?” she asks once her friend has gone.

I step toward her and am thoroughly impressed when she doesn’t back down at all. She keeps her head held high and watches me, her gaze cold and assessing. “Did you really think you’d get away with everything your father did?”

There’s no change in her expression. Those steely gray eyes of hers are expressionless. “What exactly is it that my father did?”

I smirk. “You’re playing with fire, Teagan.”

“I can withstand the flames,” she shoots back. “Now, what is it that my father has done?”

I glance at my brother and see that he’s standing against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, his foot resting against the dark gray bricks. He’s grinning. He’s loving this shit.

I open my shirt, giving her a peek at the design her father left on my skin. She glances down at it and flicks her gaze back to mine. “He burnt you.”

“He did. That’s not something I can forgive and forget.”

Her tongue wipes along her bottom lip. “What do you want from me? He’s dead. Long gone. You can’t get revenge from him.”

I smile. Oh, little girl, you have no idea. “Not from him, no. But from you… Yes.”

She rocks back on her heels. “Why? What did I ever do to you?”

“It’s time to pay for your father’s sins, Teagan.”

That fire flames in her eyes again. I can’t wait to fuck it out of her. “What do you want?” she hisses at me.

“I have an arrangement of sorts.”

She raises a brow. 

“We’re getting married.”

She laughs. “No,” she says, her face dropping when she sees just how serious I am. “No. It’s not happening. God, why would you even propose such an idea?”

“Told you already, revenge.”

Realization dawns on her. This isn’t going to be candles and romance, it’s going to be brutal.

“You said it was an arrangement. Looks as though you’re the only one who gets anything from me marrying you.”

“That, sweet Teagan, is where you’re wrong. You get your life.”

Her laugh is humorless. “So this is a ruthless arrangement. I marry you or I die?”

I grin. “Exactly.”

She glances between Dario and me. “How long do I have to give you an answer?”

“Sweetheart, I wasn’t born yesterday. I let you leave now, and you’ll be gone quicker than I can blink. Oh no. You’ll give me your answer, right here, right now.”

“I fucking hate you,” she hisses at me. “But fine. You get what you want. I’ll be your wife.”

I lean in close. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, I fucking hate you too. Now get the fuck into the car.” I nod at Dario, and he walks over to her, gripping her arm and pulling her toward the vehicle. 

She’s going to drive me crazy, that much I know. But the question is, will she go through with the wedding, or will I get to slit her pretty little throat? I guess time will tell.