The Ruthless Mafia Boss Bride

Chapter 1

Caspian stared blankly at the women standing before him. He looked at them one by one. They were all beautiful, yet he couldn't understand why none of them appealed to him.

He rubbed his forehead in frustration while John lowered his head, already knowing that his boss hadn't found anyone suitable.

"Not one of them?" John asked cautiously.

"Do you think I'm blind?" Caspian shot back. "I told you to find me a wife, not gather every woman in the city and parade her in front of me."

John cleared his throat. "You did say you wanted someone suitable, sir."

"And I've rejected all of them. What does that tell you?"

"That I should keep looking?"

Caspian gave him a cold stare.

John immediately lowered his head. "Understood, sir."

The women were escorted out, leaving Caspian alone with his frustration. He glanced at the photograph on his desk. It showed him beside his grandfather, the only person in his family whose wishes he had never been able to dismiss.

His grandfather was dying. There wasn't much time left, and the old man had made one request Caspian couldn't bring himself to refuse: he wanted to see his grandson married before he died.

Caspian had given his word.

Unfortunately, he hadn't expected finding a wife to be more difficult than handling a room full of armed men.

He tossed the photograph back onto the desk.

"Find someone else," he ordered. "And this time, make sure she isn't here simply because she wants my money."

John nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

He was about to leave when the office door suddenly flew open.

A woman in a wedding gown stumbled inside.

She was breathing hard, her hair slightly disheveled, and one hand clutched the side of her dress as though she'd been running for miles. She looked over her shoulder before shutting the door, apparently relieved that she'd managed to get away from whoever had been following her.

Then she turned around.

Her eyes met Caspian's.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Davina Flores had never imagined that her wedding day would end with her running through an unfamiliar building in a dress she desperately wanted to tear off.

But she hadn't been given a choice.

Her family had arranged everything. The guests were waiting, the ceremony was ready, and Kenzo was expecting her to walk down the aisle. Everyone had acted as though her opinion didn't matter, as though she were merely another item on a list of family obligations.

Davina couldn't do it.

She had waited until she found an opportunity, gathered the little courage she had left, and run.

She hadn't even checked where she was going. She had simply needed to get away.

Now, standing in an unfamiliar office before a man whose expression could freeze the blood in her veins, she realized she might have made another terrible decision.

"I'm sorry," she said breathlessly. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

Caspian didn't answer immediately. His gaze moved from her face to the wedding gown, then back to her eyes.

Unlike the women John had brought in earlier, she didn't appear to care who he was. She wasn't trying to charm him or impress him. If anything, she looked ready to bolt through the nearest exit.

"Are you getting married today?" he asked.

Davina looked down at her dress.

"Unfortunately."

"Do you want to?"

"No."

Her answer came so quickly that Caspian almost smiled.

"Then we're in the same position."

Davina frowned. "What does that mean?"

"I need a wife. You need to escape a wedding."

She stared at him, wondering whether the stress had finally made her lose her mind.

"I'm sorry, but what?"

"Marry me."

Davina blinked.

Then she laughed once, sharply, because she honestly couldn't think of any other response.

"You can't be serious."

"I rarely joke about important matters."

"You don't even know my name!"

"Then tell me."

"Why would I tell you anything? I just met you!"

Caspian studied her for another moment. He knew how reckless his proposal sounded. He also knew that the woman standing in front of him was the first person that day who hadn't arrived hoping to become Mrs. Sanchez.

She wanted something from him, certainly, but it wasn't his money or his name. She wanted a way out.

That made her more interesting than anyone John had found.

"My grandfather is dying," he explained. "He wants to see me married. I've given him my word, and I intend to keep it."

Davina's expression softened for a brief moment before suspicion returned.

"I'm sorry about your grandfather, but that doesn't mean you can marry a stranger."

"No, it doesn't."

His agreement caught her off guard.

Caspian leaned against the edge of his desk.

"I'm offering you a way out of the wedding you're running from. In return, I get a wife. We can establish our own terms afterward."

"Your own terms?" She shook her head. "You make marriage sound like a business contract."

"Most arrangements between powerful families are."

"Well, I'm not a business arrangement."

"No," he said, looking directly at her. "You're a woman who ran into a stranger's office because she refused to marry someone else."

Davina opened her mouth to argue, then stopped.

She hated that he was right.

Still, she wasn't about to let desperation make another decision for her.

"Suppose I agree. What happens to me afterward?"

"You'll have a place to stay. No one will drag you back to your wedding without dealing with me first."

The confidence in his voice made her pause.

"Why would you help me?"

"Because I need a wife, and I believe you need protection. Don't mistake that for affection."

His bluntness was almost refreshing. At least he wasn't pretending to be in love with her.

Davina glanced toward the door. She didn't know how much time she had before someone found her. If her father discovered where she was, she would be taken back, and she doubted anyone would listen to her objections a second time.

But marrying this stranger could be just as dangerous.

"What if I refuse?" she asked.

"Then John will show you the nearest exit, and you can decide what to do next."

She studied him carefully, trying to determine whether he meant it.

He didn't look like a man accustomed to being refused. Yet he wasn't blocking the door or threatening her.

For the first time since she'd run away, Davina felt she had a decision to make instead of an order to obey.

She could leave and risk being found by her family, or she could take a chance on a man whose name she didn't even know.

Neither option was safe.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Caspian Sanchez."

The name meant nothing to her, but John, who had remained quietly by the doorway, straightened almost imperceptibly.

Davina noticed.

"Should I know who you are?"

"Not necessarily."

"That sounds suspicious."

"It wasn't meant to reassure you."

She almost laughed again, though this time she managed to stop herself.

"Fine. If I'm going to consider this ridiculous proposal, I want to know exactly what you're asking me to do."

Caspian gestured toward the adjoining room.

"The judge is waiting. The paperwork is ready. You can read everything before you sign, and if you don't agree with it, you walk away."

Davina hesitated.

"You already have a judge waiting?"

"I was expecting to marry someone today. I had everything prepared."

That explanation made sense, even if the situation itself was absurd.

John stepped forward and opened the adjoining door. Beyond it stood a judge beside a table covered with documents.

Davina's stomach tightened.

This was no longer an outrageous suggestion between strangers. Caspian had already arranged everything, and if she stepped into that room, there would be no pretending she hadn't considered his offer.

She looked at the papers, then back at him.

"I want to be clear about something. I'm not in love with you, and I won't pretend to be."

"I didn't ask you to."

"And I won't let you control every part of my life just because I become your wife."

Something in Caspian's expression shifted. He wasn't accustomed to people setting conditions before agreeing to anything he wanted.

"Then you'll have to learn to negotiate with me," he replied.

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

Davina drew a shaky breath.

She thought of Kenzo, of the wedding guests waiting for her, and of her father's reaction when he discovered she'd disappeared. Returning was not an option she could face.

She stepped into the adjoining room.

"Show me the documents."

Caspian followed her inside.

The judge explained the procedure and placed the marriage documents before them. Davina read through the pages, asking questions whenever something was unclear. Caspian answered what he could, though his patience visibly thinned as the minutes passed.

When she reached the signature line, she stopped.

"Once I sign this, there's no pretending it didn't happen."

"Correct."

"And you won't promise me a future you have no intention of giving me."

"I won't."

Davina looked at him for a long moment. She still didn't trust him, but at least he wasn't offering her a fairy tale.

She signed her name.

Caspian signed his own.

The judge proceeded with the ceremony. Davina barely heard the words. Her attention was fixed on the ring waiting on the table and the unfamiliar man standing beside her.

When the judge finally pronounced them husband and wife, the room fell silent.

Davina stared at him.

It was done.

She was married.

Caspian picked up the rings and slipped one onto his finger. He then held out the other to her.

Davina took it herself and placed it on her finger, her movements stiff and uncertain.

The ring felt heavier than it should have.

She had walked into the building as an unmarried woman fleeing a wedding. Minutes later, she had become the wife of a stranger.

Caspian turned to John.

"Make sure the documents are completed correctly. Her name is Davina Flores."

John nodded. "Yes, sir."

Davina looked sharply at Caspian.

"You remembered my name."

"You told me."

"I was hoping you'd forgotten everything else that happened in the last ten minutes."

"I'm afraid that's unlikely."

She let out an exasperated breath.

"Don't get comfortable, Mr. Sanchez. I may be your wife on paper, but that doesn't mean I suddenly like you."

"I never expected you to."

"Good."

"Excellent."

Their eyes locked, and for a brief moment, neither was willing to look away.

Then Davina remembered the ring on her finger and groaned.

"What have I done?"

"You made a decision."

"I made a desperate decision."

"Those are still decisions."

She glared at him.

"You really know how to make a woman regret speaking to you."

"And yet you married me."

"Don't remind me!"

Caspian's expression hardened at her outburst, but before he could respond, John approached him with a quiet word.

"Sir, your meeting is about to begin."

Caspian glanced at his watch. He had already spent more time dealing with his unexpected bride than he'd intended.

"Take her somewhere comfortable," he instructed John. "Make sure she has what she needs."

Davina folded her arms.

"I can speak for myself, you know."

Caspian turned back to her.

"Then tell John what you need."

"I need a way out of this mess."

"That's not something I can arrange in five minutes."

"Funny. It only took you five minutes to get married."

John looked down, hiding his reaction.

Caspian's jaw tightened.

"You wanted an escape, Davina. You have one. But if you intend to remain my wife, you'll have to stop treating every conversation as a battle."

"And if you intend to remain my husband, you'll have to stop acting like you own the world."

For a moment, Caspian looked as though he might answer her. Instead, he turned and walked out, closing the door firmly behind him.

Davina stared after him.

"Arrogant, impossible man."

She looked down at her ring again.

"My father is going to kill me."

The thought wiped the humor from her face.

Her father wouldn't care that she'd been desperate to escape. He wouldn't care that she'd made her own choice. He would see only the humiliation of a daughter who had run from one arranged marriage and married another man without his permission.

And if he found out who Caspian was, the consequences could be even worse.

A knock interrupted her thoughts.

John entered carrying a set of clean clothes.

"Mr. Sanchez asked me to bring these for you."

Davina accepted them.

"Does your boss always give orders without asking what people want?"

"Most of the time."

"At least you're honest."

John gave her a cautious smile. "The bathroom is through that door. You can change there."

After changing, Davina returned the wedding gown to its garment bag and placed it over her arm.

She needed to leave. She couldn't spend the rest of the day hiding in a room while her family searched for her.

"Can you show me the exit?" she asked.

John hesitated. "I'm supposed to stay with you."

"I'm not asking you to help me escape your boss. I just want to leave this building."

"I'm afraid I can't let you walk out alone when people may be looking for you."

Davina's irritation returned.

"I'm not a prisoner."

"No, ma'am. But Mr. Sanchez asked me to keep you safe."

"Then you can keep me safe while I walk."

John seemed to consider that before nodding.

They left the room together and headed down the corridor. Davina was beginning to think they might make it outside without another argument when she spotted several men near the hotel entrance.

She recognized them immediately.

They worked for her father.

Her steps faltered.

One of the men was showing her photograph to a hotel employee while another questioned the people passing through the lobby. They weren't searching casually. They had been sent to find her, and they wouldn't leave until they did.

Davina grabbed John's arm and pulled him behind a pillar.

"Those men are looking for me."

John peered around the corner. His expression grew serious when he saw the group.

"Do they work for your family?"

"Yes. If they find me, they'll take me back."

"Stay here while I figure out how to get you out."

"No." Davina shook her head. "If they see you talking to me, they'll know you helped me."

"Then what do you suggest?"

She looked toward a side corridor leading to another exit.

"We go that way. If they stop us, I'll tell them I don't know you."

John looked unconvinced.

"You'd leave me to deal with them?"

"I'd rather not get either of us caught."

Despite himself, John almost smiled.

"Fair enough. Stay close."

They moved quickly through the side corridor, keeping out of sight. Davina's heart hammered as they reached the exit, and she didn't relax until the door opened onto the street.

Then a car pulled up beside them.

The driver's window lowered.

Caspian looked from Davina to John, taking in their anxious expressions.

"What happened?"

Davina stepped toward the car.

"My father's men are inside. They're looking for me."

Caspian's expression changed immediately. He glanced toward the hotel entrance and saw two men emerging onto the pavement.

He didn't waste time asking questions.

"Get in."

Davina opened the passenger door and climbed inside. John got into the back just as Caspian pulled away from the curb.

One of the men shouted after them.

Caspian didn't even look back.

He drove through the traffic, taking a turn onto a busier road before changing lanes and disappearing among the other vehicles. His movements were controlled and deliberate, as though he had already calculated the fastest route out of the area.

Davina twisted in her seat to look through the rear window.

"Are they following us?"

"Not anymore."

"How do you know?"

"Because I checked."

She turned toward him. "You checked while driving?"

"Would you prefer I stop and let them catch up?"

Davina closed her mouth.

For once, she had no immediate response.

She looked out the window, watching the familiar streets disappear behind them. Only when the hotel was far out of sight did she allow herself to breathe normally.

She had escaped her father's men.

Again.

But when she looked down at the ring on her finger, the relief faded.

She was still married to Caspian Sanchez.

"Where's John?" she asked, suddenly remembering him.

"Right here," John answered from the back seat.

Davina twisted around. "Oh, thank goodness. I thought we left you behind."

"I appreciate your concern, ma'am."

"Don't call me ma'am. It makes me feel old."

John chuckled softly.

Caspian glanced at them before returning his attention to the road.

"Now that we're clear, I need to know something," he said.

Davina turned toward him cautiously.

"What?"

"Who exactly is your father, and why would he send men to drag you back to a wedding?"

Her expression tightened.

"That's none of your business."

"You're my wife. If your family is going to send men after you, it becomes my business the moment they interfere with my life."

"Your life?" she repeated. "I'm the one they were chasing!"

"And you were sitting in my car when they did."

Davina stared at him, unable to believe his arrogance.

"Do you hear yourself?"

"Constantly."

She let out a frustrated breath and looked away.

She wasn't ready to tell him everything about her family. She didn't know him well enough to trust him with that information, and she wasn't going to exchange one form of control for another.

But she couldn't deny that he had helped her escape.

For now, that counted for something.

"Thank you for coming back," she said reluctantly.

Caspian glanced at her, apparently surprised by the admission.

"Don't thank me yet."

"Why not?"

"Because we still need to discuss what happens next."

Davina looked down at the ring again.

Of course they did.

She had run away from Kenzo because she wanted to choose her own future. Now she was bound by a marriage neither she nor Caspian fully understood, and her family was already searching for her.

She had no idea whether Caspian would become her protector or another man determined to control her life.

But she knew one thing.

She wasn't going to surrender her freedom without a fight.

And if Caspian Sanchez thought having a wife meant having someone who would obey his every command, he was about to discover that he had chosen the wrong woman.