Chapter One

Caspian

Her screams haunt me.

I continually play back the scene over and over again in my head. Family is the most important aspect of my life. It drives me to extreme lengths to protect them at any cost.

To see the anguish on my sister’s face and the pain in her eyes felt like a knife tearing through my heart.

Midnight never blamed me, but those images of her lying in the street covered in blood were something I’m never going to forget. She’s my sister, and I made the big mistake of underestimating our adversaries. Being the head of the Knight family is a huge responsibility.

I came from nothing, but that’s never stopped me from succeeding.

To say that I was on the warpath would’ve been a vast understatement. Turning over every rock to find the person that hired the hitman to kill me was to no avail. There were many suspects but no concrete proof to act upon.

Las Vegas is a mecca of greed and influence. The landscape is intimidating to most, but this is my playground.

The city lights bring opportunities that are only going to knock once. The heavy weight of the burden is on my shoulders.

Those closest to me tried in vain to convince me the person responsible for shooting my sister had been brought to justice.

It’s too bad that I’m not convinced. Something is nagging at the back of my mind. It’s telling me to keep my friends close and my enemies even closer.

“Caspian, I would never steal from you,” A squeaky voice pleads.

I glance away from the window, temporarily blinded by a betrayal of trust and confidence.

It’s sickening to think that somebody would take the risk of putting their hand in the cookie jar. Treating my employees fairly with great wages should have stopped this from happening, but there’s always going to be one rotten apple in the bunch

Thomas was skimming off the top.

It’s not much, but an example has to be made quickly to stanch any unrest among my people. It’s the principal and not the amount of money he’s squirreled away for a rainy day.

He’s sitting there in the chair with his mouth bleeding. A couple of his teeth are missing.

They’re on the floor at his feet.

Being on top of the mountain gives me a bird’s eye view of the little people going about their day. I’m forty stories safely behind reinforced glass in the penthouse suite.

Leo Sloan is my best friend, and people have often commented that we’re similar in looks with our long blonde hair and blue eyes. He’s also my training partner.

Giving him a place by my side was a stroke of genius. Finding him down on his luck committing petty crimes on the street gave me a chance to teach him about the business.

He’s like a sponge constantly absorbing my knowledge and sing it to protect me from harm.

He stands with his blonde hair combed straight back in an air of intimidation. His arms are crossed, and he’s not blinking while brandishing a pair of brass knuckles covered in blood. He’s not above getting his hands dirty for me.

I pull on the collar of my starched white shirt. It’s custom-made by an Italian Mastercraftsman. There are many in my collection. Dressing for success is a key component in making people believe my power is something to be feared.

“Trust is a two-way street. Do you think this makes me happy? I came here to visit one of my more profitable casinos. I built this from the ground up, and you were there every step of the way. It pains me to think you could even consider disrespecting me. How do you think that makes me feel. I’m entertaining a guest. You can see that he’s not very comfortable by this unfortunate incident,” I refer to Peter Lewis sat in one corner.

Peter is there on purpose to witness this exchange.

“I didn’t do anything wrong. This is a mistake,” Thomas stammers with little bits of spittle flying from his mouth.

I crack my knuckles right in front of his face. “The only mistake was believing you have my best interest at heart. I’m afraid this is where we are going to have to part ways. I wish you luck in your future endeavors.”

A slight nod gives Leo his marching orders.

Thomas is a sniveling coward and barely worth mentioning in the same breath as some of my other more trusted colleagues. He’ll live knowing the Damocles sword is hanging over his head.

The moniker of Diavolo is one that I deserve. It will be torture for him to be on the lookout, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Leo doesn’t say a word, but he’s soon escorting Thomas from the room.

Thomas stumbles a couple of times, but Leo is there to hold him up even though he’s falling apart.

The click of the door closing makes Peter flinch.

It’s merely a tactic to keep him unbalanced.

I walk back to my desk with its clear glass top, waiting for the reason for this visit. He owes me a lot of money. It’s something that puts him in my debt. That kind of leverage is priceless. I know exactly what I want.

His daughter Valeria is the prize.

Seeing her briefly at her brother’s funeral gave me a chance to look into those hypnotizing hazel eyes. She was in mourning, but her attempt to smile stopped my heart for a second.

It’s fortuitous to have Peter exactly where I want him despite his efforts to pay back the loan.

The awkward silence is deafening.

“I’m sorry you had to see that. Leo does go a little overboard, but he means well. That brings us to the reason for your visit. Your payment was due three months ago. Being magnanimous has never been my strong suit. We need to discuss how we proceed from here,” I say dramatically while rolling up my sleeves.

It doesn’t look like he’s slept in days with heavy bags underneath his eyes. He’s usually a consummate professional when it comes to business matters.

Losing his son broke something inside of him.

Imagining that kind of pain makes me empathize with his plight, but there’s no way that I can show weakness.

“I’m going to need more time,” Peter says.

“I don’t like being taken advantage of. I hope you remember it was you that came to me and not the other way around. I know what that kind of loss does to somebody. I’m not in the habit of showing pity.” I swallow hard at the recollection of my father being lowered into the ground.

“There are no excuses. The terms were reasonable,” Peter says.

Peter moves his weathered shaking hand through his silver mane of hair

It isn’t the first time I’ve seen this kind of body language when negotiating in good faith. This is a game. I’m very good at reading between the lines. He’s in a pickle and obviously looking for somebody to bail him out. He doesn’t know about my machinations behind the scenes.

Every debt he’s incurred is now under my umbrella. It’s time to show him a way out of his predicament, but he isn’t going to like it. This is the part of the negotiation I live for. It puts me in the driver’s seat.

I extend my hands. “I’m not a monster contrary to popular opinion. We all have moments we would like back. You’ve made your fair share of blunders in business lately, but maybe I can help with that. We can dispense with the ugliness of the loan if you agree to give me your daughter’s hand in marriage. Joining forces will make our enemies think twice,” I propose.

He makes a deep sigh. “I can’t do that. My daughter is fiercely independent and doesn’t want anything to do with the family business.”

“She’s in the business by proxy. There’s nothing she can do about that. What happens next to your family and the business you hold so dearly is in your hands. I respect everything you’ve built. This is business. I can’t show favors. What kind of message does that send?” I ask.

“You don’t know what you are asking of me. She would never forgive me.”

“She’s not here. This is for the future of your family. The decision is yours. Can you really afford to have principles?”

“Please, there’s got to be a way to do this without her,” He pleads.

I try not to sound too smug. “I’m not sure you understand your position. Your risks cost you everything. I’m the only one in a position to help dig you out of this mess. I’m a little offended you’re fighting me on this. We both know I’m a man people rarely refuse…and for a good reason.”

“I can’t just turn a blind eye and give you my daughter. I would rather die.”

“Nobody said anything about killing you. Your objection is leaving me with very few choices. You have to see it from my point of view. I allow you to leave here without paying your debt, and people will get the wrong idea. They’ll believe that I’m weak. I can’t have that,” I explain.

He stares right through me.

“I’m sorry….I don’t know what to do,” he says.

“I shouldn’t do this, but I admire you more than you know. This is highly unorthodox, but there might be a way. Are you a gambling man?” I ask from behind with my hands on his shoulders.

“What…do you have in mind? He stammers.

“We play one game of roulette…double or nothing. I win, and your daughter walks happily down the aisle with me. You win, and your debt is cleared. We’ll never have to see each other again,” I say.

“I really don’t have any other choice. Let’s do this before I change my mind,’ he sighs.

I walk with him to the glass elevator and whistle an old song my mother sang to me when I was a child. I catch my reflection on the mirrored surface. In the right light, my blazing blue eyes can appear to turn red.

Being over 6 feet tall can be imposing to some. It isn’t every day the boss shows up breathing fire and taking names. I’m always looking for ways to cut costs using methods I’ve read about in Fortune 500.

The roulette wheel is occupied, but my presence soon has the patrons looking for other ways to gamble away their time.

I choose red, and Peter chooses black.

The little silver ball blinks into focus in the dealer’s hand. He drops it, and it bounces several times, moving around in a circular motion. My eyes narrow in concentration.

Peter gulps, and I smile when it finally comes to a stop.

She’s going to be my bride and doesn’t even know it. It would be nice to break the news to her in person, but I know it’s going to be better coming from her father.

 

Valeria

I can’t believe what’s coming out of his mouth, but he’s doing it with a straight face.

We never did see eye to eye, but that doesn’t give him the right to use me as a bargaining chip.

It’s appalling, and I’m speechless, unable to voice my contempt for his actions.

It feels like the walls are closing in on me. My breath is short, and my palms are sweating.

I sit down with a sense of defeat. My dark hair curling and matted to my forehead

“Valeria, I don’t know what you want me to say. Think about what this means for the future of our family. The debt I owe will be lifted. Joining our two families will make us stronger than ever. This is the only way to make things right,” my father says.

“How many times have I told you this business isn’t for me? What makes you think that I’m going to go along with this harebrained scheme? I love you with all of my heart, but you are asking too much,” I shout.

“I know it’s not right to put you in this position.”

“I have a career to think about. I’m the head editor of The Las Vegas Sun. I can’t just abandon everything I’ve built. You’ve seen how hard I worked to keep people from thinking I’m going to follow in your footsteps. It’s taken a lot of time to make them see that I’m not my father’s daughter,” I add, a little more calmly.

He stands next to paintings of my family ancestors.

I’m the first in several generations to step outside of the family to seek my own goals and aspirations. Being short makes people think they can walk all over me, but they find out this girl has claws and knows how to use them. Nobody is going to put me in a tiny little box. Breaking glass ceilings is a pleasure.

“I never understood the reason why you turned your back on the life I gave you. You have to admit it does have its perks. We live in the lap of luxury. We don’t have to lift a finger. There’s a private chef ready day or night to cater to our whims. We have an Olympic -sized pool in the basement, and that’s just a few of the amenities right here at your fingertips. Life doesn’t get any better than this,” he says.

“We also have this constant fear following us around like a dark and foreboding shadow. That’s not any way to live. I want something different. I don’t have the stomach, and we both know it,” I say emphatically.

“Family will always come first. Look around you. These men knew what it was to sacrifice for something bigger than themselves. You’re not the only one to want out. I’ve never told you this, but I discussed with your grandfather the possibility of opening up a catering service,” he admits.

“That does make sense when I begin to think about it. My most treasured moment growing up was cooking with you in the kitchen. It was always after midnight when the chef was downstairs in bed,” I say.

“We had some fun dabbling in your mother’s cookbook. She’s the visionary in the family. She’s never condoned what I do, but she knows better than to disagree. I see her every time I look into your eyes,” he says with a catch in his throat.

“This isn’t going to change my mind. You’re just going to have to find another way to settle things with Caspian Knight. I think we both know what Diovolo is capable of. Do you really want to sacrifice your daughter to a man like him?

“He knows what he wants and goes after it.”

I listen to what he has to say.

When I was younger, I would have had a tantrum, but that isn’t going to solve anything. I don’t have a reasonable argument to decline, but that won’t stop me from standing my ground.

“That’s precisely what I’m worried about. You got yourself into this mess. Get yourself out of it without me.”

I shiver at the very notion of Caspian putting his hands on me.

“I don’t expect you to do this for me, but maybe you’ll do it for your mother. She’s not getting any better. Kidney dialysis isn’t cheap. It’s money that we just don’t have. I think you know where I’m going with this,”

My cheeks turn red with anger.

The clock on the wall is ticking incessantly. It’s a low blow, but he isn’t above using dirty tactics to get what he wants.

I can feel that flush spreading to the rest of my body. My skin is warm to the touch. He’s actually using what’s happening to my mother against me. He must be desperate to pull that card from up his sleeve. He’s never looked more frail and fragile and barely able to look me in the eyes.

“You have the unmitigated gall to use what is happening to my mother to make me even consider this insanity? It’s going against my better judgment, but I’ll agree to marry him on paper. Let me make one thing perfectly clear, tho. I’m not doing this for you,” I say before I leave.

Storming out is my last recourse.

There still could be a way out of this arrangement. Making his life miserable by constantly undermining him will hopefully make him see that being with me is a huge mistake.

If Caspian Knight expects to meet a meek and mild young woman of privilege, then he’s in for a rude awakening.

Chapter Two

Caspian

The details are fuzzy.

What happened to Valeria’s brother is tragic. The circumstances are shielded in mystery. The official report makes it sound like he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. That doesn’t seem likely considering who his father is.

There’s more to it than meets the eye, but nobody is talking.

The estate is built in solid brick and spans hundreds of square feet in either direction. The manicured lawn with its topiary wild animals is somewhat disconcerting. It feels like they’re going to come to life and attack me without provocation. It’s a testament to the artist that they’re so lifelike. I stare at the image of a lion, ferocious with its teeth bared.

The phone call wasn’t unexpected.

Being summoned to the estate like some common visitor does get underneath my skin, but it’s necessary to set the tone of our relationship from the first moment I meet her. She has to know who wears the pants in this family.

Leo is with me, silently standing by the car at my request. There’s no point in making it look like I’m ambushing her. There’s strength inside her diminutive frame. I’m hoping to break the wild filly.

“Stay here and wait for me. This shouldn’t take very long,” I say.

My fingers glide over the black leather jacket. It goes to my knees. The smooth material is the difference between fake and real.

The white shirt is supposed to focus her eyes on my upper body. There’s no shortage of hard work that goes into sculpting my physique. Seeing my naked body in the mirror in the morning gives me a chance to see the results up close and personal.

“I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but this might not be a good use of your time. We already know somebody is working behind the scenes. It’s not a coincidence that two of your businesses were accosted by a hostile takeover. I’ve done my best to find those responsible, but they’re hiding behind shell companies,” Leo mentions in a neutral tone while barely showing any emotion.

“I depend on your counsel, but I do know what I’m doing. We’ve lost more than most people realize, and I’d like to keep the information on a need-to-know basis. Your loyalty is something I rely on.” I ring the doorbell and hear the echo of a chime sounding like an orchestra.

Leo doesn’t try to argue, but he’s certainly given me a lot to think about.

Enemies come in many forms, but whoever is masterminding this systematic destruction of my empire is doing it subtly. It started small, but recently, things have escalated.

A couple of my men disappeared without a trace. It almost feels like somebody is playing a dangerous game of chess. The strategy is simple enough.

Somebody is eliminating key pieces from the board. My board. They don’t do me the courtesy of attacking me face-to-face. The age of technology is making it easier by utilizing the Internet. It’s cowardly but rather effective.

Peter greets me in person instead of allowing one of his staff to do it for him.

“I can admire a man that opens his own front door,” I say.

“The old guard is coming to an end. The next generation thinks they have all the answers, but they don’t even know what the question is. She’s waiting for you in the living room by the fire. She’s not very happy about this,” Peter informs me.

“I’ll treat her with kid gloves. It might be better for me to do this alone. I don’t need your input. What happens from this moment on is between the two of us,” I say.

“I don’t know what you think is going to happen,” he replies

“I suspect that we’ll have a June wedding. That’s only a couple of months away. It doesn’t leave us a lot of time, but money does speak volumes. It will be an intimate affair with only a select few attending the nuptials. Your wife is more than welcome. I’m sure arrangements can be made for her…ahem…condition. I would never want to deprive her of seeing her little girl walk down the aisle,” I add.

“She would enjoy that. I’ll let you two kids get better acquainted. You’ll find me in the library when you finish. Don’t leave without telling me how it went. Don’t make any sudden movements to spook her. The last thing you want to do is offend her,” Peter says.

He shuffles off, his Italian loafers scuffing the dark wooden floor. The heavy black drapes make the place inhospitable. It needs a facelift. The walls are adorned with several characters from their family tree.

I’ve heard about her grandfather. Of course, it was a different time then.

Back in the day, it was all about pomp and circumstance. Nothing was spared. The food was sumptuous, with a feast fit for a king and his queen.

I find myself at the threshold where I can see her standing by the glow of the fireplace.

Valeria is staring into the flames and doesn’t even look up when I enter the room.

“I’m here to discuss the wedding,” I announce.

She turns to me with a look of anger. “Well, if it isn’t Diavolo himself.”

“You can call me, Caspian Knight,” I suggest.

‘So formal…considering you want to marry me. You can call me your worst nightmare,” Valeria says.

“I would rather call you Valeria,” I reply.

“You’re a despicable human being. Losing my brother made my father go into a tailspin. I know what you going to say, and it doesn’t excuse your behavior. You took advantage of an old man when he came with his hand out. How can you possibly look at yourself in the mirror?” Valeria asks.

I thought she would dress to impress, but this is the first salvo of many arguments. Those tight jeans leave little to the imagination. The yellow canary blouse is practically see-through, exposing her unmentionables. The black mesh bra is enticing.

“Let’s get one thing perfectly straight. I gave your family a lifeline. It’s not my fault your father squandered it by making bad decisions. I would think you would be grateful. I was in my right to dismantle the Lewis organization, but I decided against it. The name still holds deep respect. We don’t have to be at odds,” I say.

I didn’t notice before, but she’s holding a glass of cognac. Standing by the fire allows her to let the flames warm the liquid in her hands. Then, she turns to face me, leaning against the fireplace.

“You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.”

“That’s a colorful way of saying it. I’m not sure that I agree with your analogy. Let’s not fight when we have more important things to discuss. The honeymoon comes to mind,” I snicker.

“It’s just like you to talk about sex at a time like this. I never said anything about consummating the relationship. That was never agreed,” Valeria says.

“Your family was a mighty big influence. You’re going to have to obey me. Forget that you’re a Lewis. Once you marry me, you will belong to me,” I state.

 

Valeria

I almost burst out laughing, but I decide a little tact will go a long way. “Don’t forget that I’m doing you a favor by marrying into your family. We both know you don’t have the legitimacy. Fear isn’t the only way to get what you want.”

I gasp when he advances toward me so fast that I don’t even have a chance to breathe. He’s quick and agile, with muscles that are hard to ignore. It makes me feel a little breathless, with my heart pumping faster than normal. My clothes are sticking to me.

The temperature in the room has risen a few degrees. I’m not sure if he wants to hit me or kiss me. It’s hard to tell from the way he’s looking at me. That smug little smirk is getting on my nerves.

“What did you say to me? I dare you to repeat it,” Caspian urges.

I can feel his hot breath, but that isn’t going to temper my anger toward him.

My father isn’t the force of nature that he was when I was younger. That man was my hero until he fell from his lofty perch after my brother died. Seeing him shaken to the core and ground under the foot of life has been a wake-up call.

Caspian was there at the funeral, but he never approached me. His piercing blue eyes were cold and calculating, but there was an untapped passion beyond that. His reputation did precede him. The name Diavolo is well deserved. I’ve heard several tales of the way that he earns his power by intimidation and violence.

He came from nothing with a business acumen nobody could deny. He’s learned to step over the little guy with extreme prejudice. There are bodies in his wake, but nobody knows where they’re buried.

His love life is a revolving door of conquests depicted in several photographs in the media.

“You heard what I said. Where did your father go wrong with you? This is no way to treat a lady. The very idea of marrying you makes me physically sick to my stomach,” I say.

“I don’t care what you think. The arrangement has already been made. You don’t have to like it, but you’re going to live with it. This doesn’t have to be miserable. I can see us having a lot of fun in the future. There’s no time like the present,”  Caspian says with a smile.

“I’m not one of your bimbos you spend time with. They are only interested in your money. So I’m going along with this, but only under protest,” I say.

He’s quick with a retort. “Just as long as you know your place. Don’t think for one second you’re going to be privy to my business. The only time I want to see you is at dinner and in bed. The rest of the time, you can paint your nails and sit by the pool getting a tan for all I care.”

“This idea of you thinking I’m going to be seen and not heard isn’t going to cut it with me. If I have to go along with this, there will have to be certain rules. Having sex is out of the question. I don’t want to hear anything more about it. My family will merge with your family, but that’s the closest you’ll physically get to me. But I will be at the table. You will no longer make unilateral decisions,” I say.

He rolls his eyes. “You have no say in any of this. I’m holding all the cards.”

“I think we can agree the woman always has the power,” I say.

“I’m not going to be told what to do by you or anybody,”  Caspian threatens.

I suddenly feel his fingers pressing into the soft tissue of my neck. He backs me up against the far wall with his knee between my legs. The warm sensation is highly unexpected. That slight friction is enough to create a spark of interest.

I hate myself for letting my body dictate the terms of my surrender. I thought I was stronger than that. His hand slides through my hair until he’s gripping it tightly and making me look him right in the eyes.

“I don’t know the meaning of this, but if you don’t take your hand off of me, I’m going to scream for help,” I threaten.

He places his other hand over my mouth. He’s preventing me from crying out, but his dominance is exhilarating. Taking what he wants translates from the board room to the bedroom.

“I do like a little fire. It makes things more exciting when I have you pinned to the bed. . You can keep up this charade, but we both know the truth. Your mouth says no, but your body is screaming…yes”.

The hand around my throat moves until he plucks two buttons from my blouse. He traces the outline of my cleavage with his finger. His mouth is open with his tongue extended until he is licking the surface of his lips.

He grabs my ass cheeks, and my eyes widen when he squeezes.

I can scream, but something inside me doesn’t want to. It’s hard to justify what my body is craving. The missing component in my life is somebody to take my breath away. Working my fingers to the bone has made it almost impossible to make room for a man in my life.

Loving and leaving them isn’t my style.

A little persistence has me feeling his arousal pounding against the zipper of his pants. My eyes stray until I’m witnessing the monument of his manhood. That cock has grown considerably. The outline is simply awe-inspiring.

His fingers graze my lower spine. It causes my chest to arch and my nipples to become hard enough to cut glass.

I attempt to stop it before it gets out of hand by bringing my knee between his legs. However, he catches it before I can do any real harm and holds it firmly while pulling down my blouse until my shoulder is exposed.

“That’s not going to happen again,”  Caspian says.

He brings his lips to mine but moves on quickly to the nape of my neck. It’s hard not to feel wanted and desired.

The feel of his lips are soft and demanding. My skin is on fire.

I’m not sure what’s happening to me, but I’m close to succumbing to the heat between us.

Then suddenly, he walks away, and my legs almost give way.

As I steady myself, I hear something vibrating.

He fishes into his pocket and brings a phone to his ear, passion turning to anger. “How the hell did this happen? Somebody should have contacted me. Find out where he is. Don’t call me back until you find out. I want answers.”

He doesn’t even look back as he exits the room.

Something has ruffled his feathers. It has to be important enough for him to run out without finishing our little business.

I lower my body until I’m sitting on the floor with my hands wrapped around my knees. It makes me feel weak without a leg to stand on. His hands and body have given me this overwhelming hunger to see what’s hiding underneath his pressed suit of metaphorical armor

What the hell did I get myself into?

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