Claimed by the Sicilian Mafia

Chapter 2

Adalina

My knees began to shake uncontrollably, and I looked Heavenward, pleading to God to give me strength. I did not know what to expect or how to act in his presence. Not that I cared what he thought, but I'd at least like to survive our first meeting, and that was a questionable outcome from the way Vincent's mother was acting.

After standing there for what felt like an eternity, the knob turned, and the door opened, revealing the monster himself.

As he entered, the room seemed to shrink two sizes, as if the small space was not big enough for such manliness and ego. He took a few steps toward me, his mannerism and stance reflecting that of a predator.

His eyes lingered on my face before he stepped closer. I was instantly relieved that he showed me a little more respect than the other two men who scrutinized my body first, but that victory was short-lived as his eyes began to travel down my frame, searing my skin as he ever so slowly dragged them over my anatomy.

My breath caught as he stepped closer, bringing with him a masculine scent of spice and expensive liquor. His eyes met mine again, cold, lifeless indigo eyes that reminded me of a deep lagoon.

Was it legal for a man to be so handsome?

The thought caught me off guard, and I wondered if my mind had finally snapped under all the pressure.

His eyes drew my attention again. They stood out against his sun-kissed skin. I found my eyes wandering over his face, taking in every detail. His granite jaw was peppered with dark stubble. Apparently, he did not have the decency to shave in honor of our wedding. His jet-black hair was styled pretty boy messy, like God had gifted him with hair that looked sexy even after just tumbling from the bed.

He circled me in a similar fashion as his mother had, but he paused behind me. My cheeks inflamed at the thought of him checking out my rear.

He finally circled back around. His height and girth were intimidating, and I had to remind myself that his mother told me not to show any fear. His eyes began to drift down my body again.

"Are you done treating me like livestock?" I could not hide the anger from my voice as his eyes flicked back up to my face.

"Strike one, mi amore."

I bit my lip. Had I lost my mind?

"And I am not your love."

Yep, I definitely had.

"Strike two, mi amore."

My blood curdled in my veins as he purposefully called me that again.

I did not follow baseball, but as a child father had taken me to see the Cubs play and I was pretty positive that after strike three you were out and did not want to find out what "out" meant in Salvatore terms.

"Good girl."

Like a dog, he praised me for obeying him. My hand gripped my thigh as I longed to extract the blade that Antonio had given me and slice into that perfect smug face.

He grabbed my hand, and the swiftness of his movement and warm touch of his skin caught me off guard.

He reached into his pocket and slid a diamond ring onto my left ring finger. As much as I hated to admit it, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and all I could do was gape at it. The thing had to be at least five carats, and the white gold glistening band that supported it only added to its brilliance. I was not a materialistic woman, so the fact that this man swayed me with a giant diamond burned me up inside.