Page 25 of The Price of Power

“No,” Gabriel said, shaking his head. “But then again, no one has ever dared to speak to me the way you do. I thought it might have just been ignorance and gin talking last night, but you don’t seem any more shy with your opinions his morning. Tony even mentioned something about you saying you were ‘the best I was going get.’”

“Yeah, about that…” I let out a long breath. “I didn’t know who you were when I said it.”

“And do you want to take it back now that you do?”

“That depends. Would it make you change your mind about breaking my neck?”

He gave a short laugh—a sharp, hard sound, but a laugh all the same. “No.”

“Well, then, I stand by what I told him,” I said, straightening my back as best I could—maybe for the last time. “I really am your best chance at recouping anything from this bad loan.”

A second of silence ticked by. Then another…and another...until the tension inside me grew so taut that I feared I was going to snap.

But before that could happen, Gabriel surprised me by nodding. “You know, I think you might be right.”

I was?

I mean, I knew I was, but I didn’t believe he could be convinced so easily.

So, I was left eyeing him skeptically as he pushed himself off the table. He pulled up a chair before gesturing for me to sit next to him. When I hesitated, he made his desires clear.

“Liv, sit.”

I didn’t dare refuse. Still, I had to ask. “Why? So I don’t have as far to fall when you kill me?”

“No.” His laugh had a little more humor in it this time. “Because you’ve convinced me that if I want to get anything out of this shit situation with your brother, then we need to cut a deal.”

I had?

I may have been confused as hell, but I wasn’t about to ask how the hell I’d managed that minor miracle. I was too busy offering up my prayers of thanks to the almighty for allowing me the chance to get out of this alive.

“Great,” I said, opening up my file again. “Fortunately, I made extra copies of my proposal, so?—“

“I’m still not interested in your payment plan, Liv.”

I raised my head. “You’re not? Then what are you interested in?”

“You,” he said.

One word, plain and clear. Still, I didn’t understand.

“Me?” Maybe it was the lack of sleep, but I still wasn’t getting it. “You want me to what? Work for you? As an accountant?”

Even if that were true, the math still didn’t work out. Based on my current salary, I figured I would have to work for him for nearly fifteen years free of charge to make up for what my brother owed him.

But Gabriel shook his head. “I don’t need an accountant. That’s my brother Matteo’s area.”

“Then what?”

“I want you, Liv,” he said, his dark eyes drilling into mine. “You. All of you. Just like I had last night. Your body in exchange for my forgiveness.”

Chapter Seven

GABRIEL

Oliva

Liv.