Belonging to the Italian Mafia Boss: A Dark Mafia Arranged Marriage Romance (Possessive Mafia Kings Book 7)

Boredom had been the biggest enemy over the past week. I’d gotten limited visits from people. Bruce had come in to ask questions a handful of times, and someone came and brought me three heaping meals a day—more than I could comfortably eat.

I supposed I could be complaining about much worse things. Being held by a mob boss in his home should have come with far more discomfort than this, but being alone felt almost worse than the alternatives.

So when the door opened only an hour after lunch, I sprang from the bed, eager to see who would be coming to see me.

To my surprise, the woman who had been at the meeting with Bruce a week ago strode inside, carrying a thick pile of documents. I didn’t know her name, but I did know that she had stood between Tucker and me when he seemed prepared to take matters into his own hands in the middle of the meeting and end my life.

“Hi,” I said, my tone revealing the same level of uncertainty that I felt about her visit.

“I’m Karsen,” she said, extending a hand with a brilliant smile. It was anything but the expression she’d had the other day when standing before me. That badass woman seemed entirely gone, replaced by someone with a kind heart and contagious grin. “I already know you’re Sabrina, but I haven’t introduced myself.”

I nodded, not giving her the benefit of a smile. I extended my hand and shook hers emotionlessly. I didn’t want to give her more than that—not until I learned why she’d come. Her long, dark hair and flawless face reminded me of a model, but I’d seen the other side of her. This bubbly persona didn’t fool me.

“So anyways,” she said, setting the papers on the dresser beside the bathroom door and shaking out her arms. “I was talking to Bruce about giving you something to do. I would be going stir-crazy in here if I were in your shoes, so I’m hoping this will help you a little bit.”

“What are they?” I asked, striding toward them and taking in the pages full of both legal terminology and dollar amounts.

“They’re probably going to drive you mad,” she admitted with a sigh. “Bruce decided to give you all the account records and deposits alongside all the business contracts and due payments to go through everything and mark all the overdue balances. It’s usually something he does himself, but he’s been a bit busy with recent events.” She bit her bottom lip. “For what it’s worth, I am sorry about your loss.”

“Don’t be,” I told her, turning to face her again. She looked uncomfortable and unsure of what to say next, so I continued. “What made you think about me being stir-crazy?”

She shrugged. “I’m an overthinker, and I noticed that nobody has come and spent time in here. There aren’t many women around here, and I’d really like to have a sane friend.”

“Friend?”

Her eyes widened, and she gnawed on her lip again. “I mean, I guess I don’t know you. But if you are going to be around Bruce a lot, I’m also around a lot, so… having someone to call a friend would be nice.”

I had no idea what to say. I thought back on all the years with my dad, and I’d never had a friend. I had acquaintances who would sometimes ask about my day, but nobody who wanted to be a friend. Most of those who hung around my father’s home had no interest in me, so I stayed as far away as possible. I wasn’t sure if I wanted a friend here, especially when this entire arrangement would be temporary. I knew that once I was gone, I would never look back on this place. I’d go as far away as I could, and nobody would ever find me again.

“I can see that you’re lonely in here, and I know how it feels to be locked up and lonely.”

My eyes shot to hers as her words broke me from my thoughts. “What do you mean?”

“We all have the same look when we get out of a bad situation. I don’t know if it was your father or someone else, but I can tell that you haven’t been free for a long time, and that’s a lonely experience.”

I wanted to ask how she could tell. Was it my mannerisms, or did I give off the impression that I’d been through a hard time? I didn’t even know how to ask, so I settled on something different. “What did you go through?”

Her cheeks paled slightly, but as she took a few deep breaths, they regained their color. “I was someone’s prisoner for a long time before Jamison found me,” she said. “It took a lot of energy to get out of that place mentally, but Bruce took me in, and I’ve been on the up and up for a long time now. He might seem like a hard ass, but as long as you don’t betray him, he’ll take care of you. And if he doesn’t, I will.”

The sentiment made my chest hurt. I’d never had someone else looking out for me, and I imagined that was what a friend would do. I may not come back here after I get out, but I could use a friend for now.

“I’d like to be your friend,” I admitted.

The smile that spread across her face was contagious, and I barely noticed as someone else filled the doorway. Bruce stood there, staring between us, and I wondered how long he’d been standing there. How much of this exchange had he heard?

“We need to take a trip,” Bruce said with a straight face.

Karsen whipped around, clutching her chest. “Jesus, you scared me,” she said. But I couldn’t help but wonder what “taking a trip” entailed to him. Why would he be suddenly interested in taking me somewhere?

“Where do we need to go?” I asked as Karsen stepped out from between us.

“There is a group gathering in one of your father’s primary warehouses, and I expect they’re planning to come and bring a fight to us. I am taking a team in to dispatch the situation quickly. We don’t need resistance.”

“And how can I help with that?”

Bruce leaned into the doorway. “You mentioned that people may be keener on accepting my stake in this position if we act more… civil. Bringing you is the best way to accomplish that.” He glanced at Karsen, and his eyes narrowed before he looked back at me. “We need to leave now. Are you ready?”

I considered the way I hadn’t brushed my teeth or hair today, and I hadn’t done more than lay in bed for three consecutive days, so I nodded eagerly and marched toward him.

“Shoes are an important part of going outside,” he mused, looking down at my bare feet. “Tennis shoes, ideally.”

I forced myself to look cool, but I knew a slight flush had spread across my cheek before I could stop it. I pulled on my shoes quickly—sneakers that I imagined had come from Karsen’s room. Her small smile told me that my assumption was correct.

Bruce turned his back as soon as I stood, and I followed quickly, struggling to keep pace with his long legs. Karsen strode beside me, and for the first time, I noticed that she was packing a large pistol on her hip. “Are you part of the team?” I asked quietly. My father had always been against employing women as soldiers.

“Always.”

I didn’t know what to say about that, so I only nodded. “Bruce,” I said, and he halted in his tracks. It took great effort for me to avoid running into his back. “This isn’t going to work.”

“Are you questioning that I know what I’m doing?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

I shook my head. “I’m telling you that my father ran things differently, and they won’t see me as a valid reason not to attack. Whoever is going against you is doing it because they don’t acknowledge my claim, and bringing me isn’t going to make them hesitate before pulling their triggers.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Then what’s the purpose for having you here?”

The question had fury building in my chest. Why was he asking me the purpose? I hadn’t offered to help him. He’d demanded it of me. He could have killed me and taken the claim to my father’s title himself, and he would have likely ended this much more quickly. But he didn’t, and he couldn’t act like it was my fault that he made that choice.

“You wanted me to help you, and I’m trying to help you. Take my information with a grain of salt if you’d like, but I’m doing what I was told to do so that I can be freed more quickly. Or would you rather I remain meek and silent as you go about your leadership duties without the knowledge you need to win?”

I tensed as he took two sweeping steps forward, pressing me into the hallway wall and looking down at me with furious eyes. “I don’t take orders from you,” he said, pressing his palm into the wall beside my head. His forearm grazed my cheek, and I shuddered at the contact.

“Then you can get yourself killed because you were too proud to listen to advice,” I whispered.

I knew I tested him as I pressed him harder, but when he didn’t outwardly react, I wondered if what Karsen said had been true. I wondered if I truly was being taken care of here. One thing was for certain: with Bruce, I was pinned into a wall with the hard, immovable ridges of his body. With my father, I would have been on the ground and clutching a fresh bruise.

“Okay then, sweetheart. Show me how to approach your father’s men without getting myself killed then.”