Ruthless Match

1. Matteo

CHAPTER 1

Matteo

ONE MONTH AGO

The muffled sounds and twinkling lights of New York City’s bustling nightlife filtered through the spacious yet opulent office of hotel magnate Dominic DeSantis. Dressed in a tailored suit meant to show power, DeSantis sat behind his oversized mahogany desk, glaring at me as I stood before him. I wasn’t intimidated. I ate men like DeSantis for breakfast. After all, I am Matteo Santoro, the powerful, controlling, and ruthless billionaire King of the notorious Santoro mob. I own this city.

I shifted my stance to let Dominic know I wasn't fazed if this was meant to be an intimidation move. DeSantis drummed his fingers slowly across his desk as he contemplated his next move. Crossing someone as influential and dangerous as Matteo Santoro was risky, but he had no choice. At least, he didn’t think so. I could tell by his demeanor that he was savoring the moment. His eyes said he thought he was in charge. DeSantis smiled slowly. For once, the odds were in his favor. He had enough evidence to bring the entire Santoro crime syndicate tumbling to the ground.

I was getting impatient. “What’s this all about, Dominic? I’m a busy man and don’t have all night.”

“I’m glad you asked. You see, Matteo,” Dominic began, evidence of his pleasure noticeable in his voice, “It’s been brought to my attention that you haven’t been using my hotel for legitimate purposes.”

My heart sank, but I remained calm. This isn’t my first time in hot water, and I doubt it will be the last. That’s the nature of my business. As the go-to financial man for New York’s elite, I often find myself in sticky situations.

Walking to Dominic’s hidden office bar, I poured a glass of scotch before turning back to look at him. Taking a slow sip of my drink, I paused before responding. “Is that so, Dominic?” The rumble of my voice seemed to fill the room.

DeSantis knew he had the upper hand, but he was aware of the dangerous game he was playing. Blackmailing a well-known crime boss was not without consequences. He nodded. “Indeed, it is. As you know, I take security very seriously, so when this was brought to my attention, I knew we needed to take care of it.”

I raised a curious eyebrow as I looked at DeSantis. I have never liked him, and my distaste has only grown stronger with time.

Sliding a copy of documents and pictures across the desk, he swallowed hard. “I believe these might be of interest to the authorities. That is unless, of course, we can come to some arrangement.”

Raising my eyebrow again, I remained calm as I glanced at the documents. Shit! It’s a transcribed recording of the mayor and I discussing an ‘investment’ he’d like to make in Uptown. How in the hell did he get a taped recording?

Clearing my throat, I slid the documents toward Dominic and looked up.

“What kind of arrangement do you propose?”

Dominic hesitated briefly as if he were trying to find the words. Finally, he dove in. “Bring me in and…”

Did he really suggest that I ‘bring him in?’ Does he even know what that means? He wouldn’t last a month in my world.

With a slight chuckle, I finished my drink and poured another. Amused, I encouraged him to continue. “Please, go on.”

“Well, as you know, I have a daughter, Aurora. She is loyal, fierce, intelligent, and beautiful, but…”

Trying to hide the rising anger at the situation and at my men for being so careless, I play along. “But what?”

Sighing, Dominic runs his hand through his hair. “But she’s stubborn.”

Sitting back, I took another sip of my drink. “That sounds like a personal problem; what does it have to do with me?”

DeSantis swirled the ice in his drink before responding. “Well, she’s unmarried, and due to the dangerous times we live in, I worry about her safety.”

Unsure of what he was getting at, but knowing it was a load of crap, I decided to ask. “So, you want me to protect her?”

“Not exactly. If you and Aurora were to be married, I might be willing to overlook certain, shall we say, indiscretions that have gone in my hotel. Plus, it wouldn’t look suspicious when we were seen together. After all, you’d be my son-in-law.”

Knowing there had to be more to it, I played along for the hell of it. “I see. A marriage of convenience that ensures your daughter’s safety, but” I paused to down the rest of my scotch, “what’s in it for you?”

DeSantis’s smile widened at the question, his eyes twinkling with mischievous desire and relief that I hadn’t immediately turned him down.

“Ah, that’s quite simple, Mr. Santoro. Bring me into the Santoro Crime family.”

The urge to end his life and put all this behind me was overwhelming, but I had to be smart. DeSantis was no fool. It was clear he knew how things worked, so I knew the copies he showed me earlier weren’t the only ones.

There would be backup copies in case something unexpectedly happened to him. If there weren’t, he would have been a bigger idiot than I thought.

“You think it’s that easy?” I asked, looking out the window at the New York skyline.

DeSantis paused for a moment before answering. “Not at all, but I know you’ll find a way to make it happen. After all, I do possess quite a bit of leverage over you at the moment. I’d hate to see that evidence fall into the wrong hands.”

Spinning around, I remained calm, but inside, I was seeing red. “Are you threatening me, DeSantis?”

He was trying to remain calm, but I could tell he was nervous by the way he fidgeted with the pen on his desk before responding. “I see it more as a helpful business suggestion.”

I considered the proposal momentarily, and realizing I didn’t have much option, I agreed. “Okay, Dominic. You’ve won this round. You have a deal, but I want an agreement that all copies of the so-called evidence are released to me after the marriage.”

DeSantis’s eyebrows furrowed as if he had been expecting that response. “Ah, but if I do that, what guarantee do I have that you won’t divorce Aurora and force me out of the business?”

My gaze hardened, my expression fading into a steely resolve. “No more than I have that you won’t wait and use the information against me once you’ve attained what you want from our so-called business connection.”

DeSantis swallowed hard, his mind racing for an answer that would be acceptable. “I could sign over controlling interest in one of my hotels to you,” he said hesitantly. “That way, you would always have control of part of my empire. I want all of my hotels to flourish and run smoothly so that I would have no choice but to abide by our agreement.”

Looking back at the skyline, I considered his proposal momentarily. Slowly, I began to nod. “Alright, Dominic. It’s a deal, but there’s one thing you haven’t considered.”

Raising his eyebrow in confusion, he leaned across the table before asking, “And what is that?”

I turned to look at him to gauge his reaction. “Your daughter. How can you be so sure she will go for this? A ‘marriage of convenience’ is a little outdated, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Don’t worry about Aurora; I’ll handle her. She will see that this is for the best.”

Yeah, but for who? It sure as hell isn’t me.

Reluctantly, I extended my hand. “Very well, Dominic. You have a deal. Please send the necessary information to my office.”

Relief flooded through DeSantis as he shook my hand and smiled victoriously. But just as I was about to leave, his tone became serious, almost menacing.

“Let me make one thing clear, Mr. Santoro.” His eyes had narrowed into slits, and I could see how he had managed to take over the hotel world ruthlessly. “I know how things work in your world, and if you so much as lay a hand on my daughter, I will have the feds on you faster than you can blink. In simple terms, hurt her, and I hurt you.”

My blood ran cold at the threat, but it wasn’t the first time I’d been threatened by men claiming to be worried about their daughter. In my 37 years on earth, I’d had my share of threats. Maintaining my composure, I smiled. “I understand, Dominic. You have my word.”

DeSantis nodded with satisfaction and walked to the bar with a glint of victory. A glint I wanted to smack off his face but couldn’t. Too much was at stake.

As he poured a drink, he motioned for me to sit down. “I’m glad we understand each other, Matteo. Now, let’s discuss the details of our impending business arrangement, shall we?”

When Dominic began talking about what he wanted to be involved in, my insides shook. Why? I have no idea, but I couldn’t grasp my emotions. For some reason unknown to me, I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread, like everything I had worked so hard to build and protect would come crashing down. I wasn’t sure if it was personal, business, or both, but I didn’t like it. I am Matteo Santoro, known for always being in control, and for once, I found myself in a situation I couldn’t do anything about.

I just hoped that Dominic DeSantis realized he was playing a dangerous game. He may have life-altering evidence against me, but I am Matteo Santoro and always win.

Days turned into weeks, and I was at my engagement party before I knew it. It was only fitting to be held at the most luxurious hotel in DeSantis’s chain, The Grand Royale. The irony wasn’t lost on me. After all, that was where my business dealings had been less than discreet, landing me in my current predicament.

The ballroom twinkled and glittered with crystal chandeliers and copious fresh flowers. The air was alive with guests' chattering and champagne flute clinks, but it also possessed a thickness that alluded to the life-changing step I was about to take. Except I had no intention of letting it change my life in any way.

I may be marrying Aurora DeSantis, but it is only on paper. As far as I’m concerned, I will continue to live exactly as I wish.

DeSantis stood in the center of the room, his commanding presence gathering the attention of all the guests. As I watched from the sidelines, I couldn’t help but wonder if I had misjudged him before. The man I thought was a respectable businessman was no more than a ruthless snake, willing to trade his daughter’s future for a stake in a bigger game. In a way, he was like me. I didn’t like that.

Soon, Aurora entered with a grace and ease I was unaccustomed to. She was beautiful, radiant even, but that was beside the point. It didn’t matter how effortlessly she moved through the crowd, how her laughter sounded like music floating through the air, or how everyone stopped to look at her as she walked by; I didn’t want to be here.

I never planned on getting married, especially not to the daughter of a man I am slowly beginning to despise. Throughout the night, I managed to smile politely and make small talk, but I was slowly pulling further and further away from the festivities.

I’m good at faking many things, but pretending to be a love-sick groom was not one of them. The weight of the agreement with DeSantis overshadowed any chance I had of pretending to be happy, but this was the price I had to pay to survive.

Suddenly, I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed to escape. Spotting my bodyguards, I signaled it was time to get out. Without a second thought, I slipped out through a dimly lit corridor as my men trailed after me. Just as I exited the magnificent ballroom, I heard DeSantis’s voice on the microphone.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I can’t express enough how much it means to my family that you have come out to congratulate the happy couple…”

The words sent a shiver down my spine, but I continued to walk. Now was as good a time as any to make my stance known. I might be forced into marrying Aurora DeSantis, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to play by Dominic’s rules. I had business to conduct, a business that couldn’t wait. If DeSantis wanted to be part of my world, he needed to understand that.

DeSantis may have struck the deal of a lifetime, but he struck that deal with the devil himself.