Bound By Debt

Chapter One

The scenery passes in a blur as we drive through the city.

Man . . . I wish I was anywhere but here, right now.

"Don't look so glum, Gabby." My uncle lets out a soft laugh from the drivers seat. "You're going to enjoy this dinner party. It should be a nice change of pace. You've been working a little too much lately."

"I guess you're right," I sigh.

Working in an office everyday isn't exactly thrilling. I'd be lying if I said I never imagined a more glamorous life.

"This is a night of opportunities. You never know what might happen at a dinner party like this," he went on. "Treat it as a little networking event. It never hurts to make more connections."

Hmm . . . That's actually not a bad idea.

"I'll even introduce you to Alessio  Sorrento. He's going to announce his fiancee at tonight's dinner, you know," he explains. "That man is the heir to the Sorrento Group, which makes him one of the most powerful businessmen in the country!"

Ah yes, a 'businessman'. You mean mafia boss.

My shoulders sag as I look out the window again. My uncle has helped me a lot. When I needed a place to stay, he opened his home to me without a second thought. So, no matter how I feel about his . . . shadier connections, I don't want to cause any trouble for him.

Maybe tonight will go fine after all. I'm sure even the mafia has normal dinner parties.

+ + +

When we arrive, we go inside and step into a crowded room.

This is fancier than anywhere I've ever been before, even on special occasions.

I look around, dazed by the number of well dressed and obviously wealthy people chatting with one another.

"Hey, um—" I turn to my uncle and freeze.

Where'd he go?

I look around, but there's no sign of him in the crowd.

Great, I got separated from him at a mafia dinner party. Tonight is off to a great start . . .

I make my way through the crowd in the direction I last saw him.

"Excuse me, pardon me—" I mumble, squeezing through the crowd. I'm unused to walking around in heels, though. As I hurry, my foot catches on something, and I tumble forward.

"Woah!" I throw out my arms and brace for impact, but it never comes. Slowly, I realize a pair of warm, strong arms are holding me by the waist. I turn my head up to see one of the most handsome men I've ever laid eyes on. His grip around me is firm, and the way he tugs me up to steady me makes heat rush to my face.

"Th–Thank you," I voice with a slight stammer. He makes a dismissive sound, his light brown eyes cold and his lips curled in an expression of distaste.

"What a klutz. There's nothing I hate more than women who are all beauty and no brains," he laments.

What the hell?

When he caught me and held me so carefully, I thought he was a gentleman– but this guy's just a huge jerk!

I pull myself free of his steadying arms and glare at him. "And I hate men who are all looks and no manners."

He draws himself up, and the man standing next to him guffaws. "She's got you there, Alessio!"

"You stay out of this," Alessio hisses at the man still laughing.