Page 80 of Claimed By the Ruthless King

“Uh, my private life isn’t really your business, sir.”

“If you’re gossiping to your friends about the Crows, we will all fall, including Salvatore himself.” David places his hand on my back, guiding me away from the floor where there are less people walking. “Thankfully, I caught you before you made a mess of everything. I’m sure if Salvatore was here, he would be telling you the same. If you love him, you should shut your mouth.”

“Excuse me?” I bat my lashes.

The David Hale I know never loses his temper and would certainly never tell someone to shut their mouth.

“Gossiping about the Crows will get everyone in trouble, including yourself,” says David. “Before you know it, our faces will be plastered across every news cast in the city. And then what? There is no fixing a mistake once it has been made, the same way there is no taking back the word once it has been said. You must tread very carefully, Miss Bennett.”

“Of course,” I scoff. "God forbid you ruin your reputation.” I fold my arms over my chest, taking him in.

David is respected by everyone in this city, but he lost my respect at the fundraiser.

People who commit murder should not be raising money for charity, pretending they are good people, standing in the spotlight and being congratulated. At least Salvatore knows he is bad. David Hale on the other hand? He’s a delusional mess.

I narrow my eyes down on him. The truth is starting to look crystal clear.

“Do you carry around a guilty conscience, or just the Louis Vuitton keep all?” I glance down at the bag, grimacing. A man as rich as him should have better taste in fashion. This is tacky.

“I beg your pardon?” says David, stepping closer.

“Would it be so bad for the world to see your true colors? Fair enough—building a mafia is bad, but pretending to care?” I grimace at his face, which is even more disastrous than the bag. “Stealing people’s good, hard-earned money is a bigger crime than what Salvatore is doing.”

“Regardless of whose crime is bigger,” counters David, “we all go down, including your family.”

“I don’t care about my father. He never cared about me.”

“Oh, not your father, sweetheart,” laughs David, shaking his head. “I’m talking about your aunt.” David turns around on his heel, flashing me one final glare before turning around to the family behind him, asking for his signature.

I rub my temple, returning the fern cable knit sweater to the racks.

“Hey, can you open up a fitting room?” I say to the worker, handing over the Archer pants. “The name is Sapphire—she’ll be here in a minute.”

I blow out a breath, heading back out onto the streets, sending a text to Sapphire.

ME: Hey, sorry, I have to take a rain check. The pants are in the fitting room for you.

I glance across the road, considering taking the subway back to Aunt Viv’s gallery.

If David said Viv goes down, that means she has something to hide.

She knows about my father, but is her secret serious enough to take to court?

I shake off the thought and stroll through the city, heading back to Salvatore’s apartment. Much to my surprise, I find him home.

“Don’t you have a body to kill?” I say, strolling in.

“No,” he says, looking down at my hands. “But I have an assistant to punish. Where are your bags?”

“I didn’t find anything.”

“Bullshit,” he says, stalking closer.

My heart beats out of my chest. His dangerous, zero-tolerance-for-bullshit side will always turn me on.

I bite my lip. I should tell him about Aunt Viv, how she was keeping the truth from me this whole time. But do I really want to drag my mother’s sister into this mess?

Lies aside, she is the only one who has been there for me. We grieved together, cried on each other’s shoulders, and yes, while she may be weird and have a strange approach to life, Aunt Viv is also the only family I have left.