Devil You Hate (The Diavolo Crime Family #1)

by J.L. Beck

An agreement hinging on me marrying Marco, the dumbest of the five Gardello brothers.

I’ll be like a dog, collared and cared for but never free.

Never make a deal with the devil. He always wins in the end.

The second daughter of the reigning Ricci family sure grew into a beautiful young woman.

“Then you saved me. So please take me home.” Her eyes plead with me, and I can tell she knows she’s not going home. Not tonight. Not ever.

“Now, when my girl gets here, and make no mistake, she is mine, we can have a real chat.”

“I drugged you at dinner and sold you to Diavolo to pay some of my gambling debts.”

“Once we married, I planned to kill your father and take over as leader of the five families,”

If she believes me the monster she’s built up in her head, she’ll better protect herself mentally for the next monster who is about to enter her life. If she sees all of us that way, then she’ll continue to fortify herself. And then, and only then, will she be able to function in this world where the only winner is the biggest monster.

“Whatever revenge he gets by selling me won’t help him and won’t make him feel better when he’s finished. I’ll just be another mark on his conscience, another scar he’ll never be able to erase.”

“As a princess, you stand for everything I hate, everything I want to destroy. As mia stellina, you shine bright, and I want to do nothing but worship every inch of your body.”

“You’re playing with fire, princess,” he growls. If fire feels this good, then it can burn me to ash.

You’re the devil, a heartless, cruel, asshole, devil. You are no better than my father.”

“Is that any way to talk to your big brother?”