Page 55 of Vicious Kingdom

Penelope arched a brow. “That’s not all.”

“Nope.” My lip popped the consonant. “Serena confided in me that he was her brother. Since I knew her family was the mob, I realized that Leo was keeping secrets too. But I wouldneverhave used those against him!” I rushed to add.

“Oh, of course you wouldn’t.” Penelope waved her hand dismissively. “But this speed dating business I read about in the paper? What’s up with that?”

I dropped my head on my forearm. “I didn’t ask him to bid on me.”

Hoped. Gave Fate a nudge. But the three million? That outrageous sum! That was all him.

Forty-eight hours later, and I was still reeling in shock. I didn’t know what to make of it. At least it sent a message to anyone else that I was off limits—including the mistake from Germany. I hadn’t heard from David since that night.

“You know what I think,” Penelope started to say, her voice striking a conspiratorial chord.

“That my brother is a fucking idiot.”

I blanched.

Alessandro Mancini, don of the most powerful Italian mob, stood in the doorway, watching us.

Penelope rolled her eyes, completely unfazed. “I was going to say that it was a romantic gesture, lupo.”

“Leo doesn’t do romance.”

The eldest Mancini was right—and wrong. Leo had been sweet, even caring once. He had the potential to sweep a girl off her feet. But not me.

No, he hated me. I tasted it on his lips. I felt it vibrate through his body as he fought the urge to pull me close.

He carried you over the fairway.I tried not to dwell on that happy coincidence.

Alessandro stalked into the room and swiped a cookie. He sucked in a sharp breath, tossing it from hand to hand.

“It’s hot, genius,” his wife muttered.

The glare he shot her would have caused a grown man to faint. She merely smiled sweetly.

“So let me get this straight, Leonardo doesn’t know that you are aware of our family’s situation?” Mancini pinned me with a focused look.

“That’s correct.” I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “Serena said—before she left on her grand adventure—that she never told him that we were besties. Leo’s oblivious to that connection.”

The don drummed his fingers against the countertop. “I see.”

I waited.

Physically, I was safe from any repercussions. He wouldn’t hurt me, especially with his wife wielding a wooden spoon.But to think the Blood King was my friend, that would be the stupidest thing I thought yet.

“Here’s what I’m going to do,” Mancini started to say.

“Alessio,” his wife warned.

I wanted to hug her.

“I’m going to stay out of your little situation with my brother.”

Relief swept through me. At least I didn’t have to count Alessandro as another obstacle to my plans.

An ally would have been nice.

But this still counted as a win.