Chapter 1
DIAMANTI BILLIONAIRE DYNASTY
brUTAL HEIR
Book One
Sebastian
The surveillance photos hadn’t done her justice.
In the bitter chill of late October, the wind tore through the piazza, whipping her black hair across her face.
I curled my hand. I could already feel those strands wrapped around my fist.
She was ignorant of the blood-soaked empires her father and I ruled from the shadows, and of the silent war between our families.
Well, if her father wanted to play dirty—wanted to steal the House of Diamanti, my family’s dynasty, out from under me—then so be it.
I’d take his daughter.
From the warm comfort of my Mercedes S-Class's heated leather seats, I watched her undetected.
Sabrina Dolce Badalamenti.
A pretty little pawn in my vengeful game.
The photos hadn’t captured the subtle tilt of her chin, the way her lip caught between her teeth when she was nervous.
She turned in a slow circle, scanning the street signs with visible confusion, then swiped her hand over her hip—reaching for a phone that wasn’t there.
So. She was alone.
In an unfamiliar city.
Lost.
No phone.
I shook my head. She was making this too easy.
Her slight frame shivered in the cold.
Where the fuck is her coat?
Rain had drenched Paris for days.
She should’ve bundled up.
Someone should take her in hand.
I rolled down the rain-speckled window. The tinted glass blurred her figure, keeping her just out of reach.
The sharp tang of car exhaust and the muddy stench of the nearby Seine filtered in.
She continued scanning her surroundings, bewildered.
Her innocence struck me. It didn’t matter that she was twenty-four—she looked untouched by the world.
Vulnerable.
The perfect prey.
Her mother had tried to protect her.
Sheltered her, hoarded her away from danger.
But in doing so, she’d only turned Sabrina into the ultimate prize.
Men like me didn’t share our toys.
We liked them shiny and new.
Virginal.
My brother Rafaello broke into my thoughts. “Are you really going through with this?”
I leaned back and pressed a button to raise the privacy screen between us and the driver. “Do you have a better plan to save the House of Diamanti?”
I raked a hand through my hair.
What the fuck did he expect me to do?
I’d wanted to kill the judge and be done with it.
Rafaello was the one who insisted the bastard was too high profile, that his murder would draw too much heat.
He was the one who told me to show restraint.
Well, this was me being restrained.
Forcing the judge’s daughter under my control—and into my bed—was mercy compared to what I wanted to do.
She should be grateful I was giving her the illusion of a choice.
Rafaello rubbed his jaw. “I admit we’re fucked right now,” he muttered, nodding toward Sabrina. “But she’s not involved in this. She’s innocent. You’re going to ruin her life just because—”
“We all bear the burden of our family’s treachery,” I interrupted. “She’s no different.”
“Fine. Forget her. What about you? You really want to burn down your own life over this?”
I flicked a piece of lint off my cashmere overcoat. “Saving the Diamanti legacy isn’t burning it down. It’s preserving it.”
“At what cost?”
I laid a hand on his shoulder. “Your concern is touching, little brother. But my mind’s made up.”
I returned my gaze to her.
For the briefest moment, she seemed to look right at me.
My pulse kicked up.
Could she sense it? The danger circling her?
I smirked. “Seeing her now, you must concede—it’s hardly a great sacrifice.”
Rafaello leaned his elbow along the backrest. “Looks aren’t everything. She might be a handful.”
I brushed my belt buckle with my fingers and raised a brow. “I’d be bored if she wasn’t.”
He chuckled, but there was no humor in it. “Well, good luck. First, you’ll have to lure her to Italy. The reports said her mother raised her to fear setting foot in Rome.”
The rain had darkened Sabrina’s curls to a deep, inky black.
For a moment, I went still.
I was done waiting.
“Lure her?” I laughed. “She’ll either come willingly or tied up over my shoulder. Either way, she’ll be in Italy by the end of the week.”
A minor detail like consent wouldn’t obstruct my goals.
I didn’t need her agreement.
Only her presence.
Sabrina pivoted, turning down a darkened alley—away from the street, away from the tourists.
Perfect.
I stepped out of the car and gave my driver instructions to drop Rafaello off and circle back.
Then I bent and looked through the open door one last time.
I flashed my brother a cold smile. “Time to introduce myself to my future bride.”
Brutal Heir, Diamanti Billionaire Dynasty, Book One