Page 2 of Crowned By the Mafia Billionaires

Tony says the words as if they’ve been drilled into him. “To treat Audrey Sterling as a member of the Kingston family, and that means protecting her at all costs and destroying anything that gets in our way.”

My eyes jerk to Tony’s, but he’s looking at Bennett. I see the sincerity on his face, and there’s no denying he takes his orders seriously, but I still have to ask. I look at Bennett. “So you’re not having me followed to find my dad or because you think I’m some kind of double agent?”

He smirks at that. “Double agent?”

I shrug. “You know what I mean.”

He shakes his head. “No, I only want you protected. That’s it.”

“Why?” I ask. When he doesn’t answer, I look between him and Knox. “Why do you care?”

Instead of answering my questions, he tells Tony and John, “You can wait outside.”

They leave without commenting. As soon as they go out the door, Knox comes to stand closer. His eyes never leave me, and I start to feel the weight of his and Bennett’s gazes the longer I stand here.

I toss up a hand. “Are you not going to answer me? Why?”

Bennett lifts his chin. Every move he makes, every sound, every look is controlled, and it is driving me crazy. “I want you to move into a Kingston house.”

Stunned, I blink at him. “No. That’s not going to happen.”

He leans back and sits on the edge of his desk. He looks completely calm except for the tick of his jaw. “Yes.”

My mouth drops open. “I’m not moving in with you.”

He tilts his head and searches my face. “You would be living with both Knox and me. We have a house together.”

Oh my God, I wouldn’t survive it. That’s my first thought. There’s no way I could live in a house with the two of them. Just being in this office is overwhelming, and I know I wouldn’t be able to control myself if I was in a house where they slept… and did other things. Even though I feel strongly about it, I stutter, “I can’t live with you.”

He bites his lip and looks at me.

I look at Knox, who has moved closer, and my breath is stilted when I realize how close they both are. Nope, there is no way I could live in the same house. I would make a fool of myself and throw myself at them. I’m shaking my head. “No, there’s no way I’m living with you two.”

CHAPTER 2

BENNETT

I don’t know why I thought it would be that easy. As if I could just demand something and she would do it. I measure her with a look. I’m not sure if she’s aware, but both Knox and I are holding ourselves back. It’s killing me that she’s just out there when we know her father is planning a retaliation.

“Why?” I ask her.

She lifts her chin. “Because I have my own apartment.”

I shrug as if that’s not a good enough answer. “You can keep your apartment. Hell, I’ll pay the rent for you. And if you decide you want to move back later when it’s safe, you can.”

Lies. It’s all lies. Once I get her under my roof, there is no going back. I won’t be letting her go.

She shakes her head as if she doesn’t understand what I’m saying. She’s trying to figure it out and then squints up at me. “Why?”

I shake my head, confused. “Why what?”

She puts her hands on her hips and acts as if she’s discovered the answer on her own and is going to catch me up to something. “Why do you care where I live? Do you plan on trading me to my father or something? Is that it? Because I’m here to tell you, he won’t try and save me.”

“Fuck,” Knox grunts, and I understand the sentiment. How the fuck does she even think that? This woman that came into my life just months ago has me completely on edge.

I reach for Audrey and put my hands on her shoulders. She tenses under my touch, but I don’t let go. “That won’t happen, Audrey. Nothing and no one is going to hurt you now. You are under Kingston protection. Nothing can get to you.”

She searches my face, and I wait for her to give some kind of sign that she believes me, but she shakes her head. “No. I don’t think you know Victor Sterling if you believe that. He is an evil, evil man, and he doesn’t play fair. He doesn’t care who he hurts or who he kills as long as he gets what he wants.”