Zain made his way to her room and tossed her onto the bed.

"Geez, what am I, a sack of potatoes?" She held onto her spinning head.

"If you want to be treated like a lady, then act like one."

Grace rolled her eyes. "Like you'd notice the difference."

He smirked. "At least you're aware of your behaviour."

"There's no way I'll be able to sleep with you in here." Or in this room at all, unless I've hit a few walls on staying awake. "So please leave."

"No." He shook his head and sighed, tired of her already.

"See? Asking nicely doesn't get me anywhere," Grace growled and threw a pillow at him. It hit him straight in the face and fell to the floor.

"I'm not your girl friends; I'm not going to have a pillow fight with you." He stepped towards her with a dark glint in his eyes. "If you're trying to play with me, though, I won't turn a beauty like you down."

"I'll pass." I'd like to give you a knuckle sandwich and knock that smile off your face. 

He pressed his hands into the bed as he leaned in closer. "Let me warn you now, missy; if you keep acting out, you'll force my hand."

She leaned in, glaring. "I'm not afraid of you. In case you've forgotten, I'm only here because you brought the entire gang to capture me, and you took a hostage."

"Ha, that's nowhere near all of us. And I don't actually need them to beat you, but I was trying to get you here without hurting you, so I kinda had to go a different route. Now, I know I don't like to hit women, but do I have to prove myself here and now?"

"You still have a hostage; it wouldn't be fair." She shoved him away. It took more force than she was expecting to move him, and she ended up shoving herself back. 

"I suppose you're right, but now you've gotten me riled up for a fight." He licked his lips and set his gun aside on the dresser. 

Maybe I should just knock him out and go for Roger. He seems to be the biggest problem, so if he's out of the picture, I'll be able to get both of us out. 

Grace stood on the bed. "I guess we should just settle this."

He combed his hand through his dark hair and chuckled. "Ready when you are, babe."

"Babe?" Grace's eye twitched. "You're going down." She lunged at him.

He was ready for her. His reach was longer than hers, so he caught her mid-air and threw her back.

"Ah..." She bounced as she hit the bed and rolled off the side, cursing as she knocked a vase over off the nightstand. Staying low as he rounded the bed, she hooked his ankle with her foot and tripped him. 

The bed caught him, and she tried to run for his gun. He grabbed her arm to yank her away from it, and she twisted around, flipping him over her shoulder.

Despite landing hard, he latched onto her arm and pulled her down into a crushing bear hug from behind.

"Frig..."

"I'll admit you're good, but maybe you should fight someone in your own weight class."

"Don't you dare look down on me," Grace growled and lifted her arms away from herself as much as she could. She twisted around, breaking his grip, and immediately went for a knee bar. 

"Ah!" Zain yelped in pain.

The bedroom door slammed open. 

"What is going on in here?!" Ray yelled, having been woken up after people kept hearing noise from her room. He had gotten their head butler to unlock the door for him. His eyes went to Grace and Zain on the floor as she held him in a knee bar. 

Zain tapped on her arm twice, trying to signal to let go, and she tightened her hold. "Arg..."

"Do I have to repeat myself?"

Grace's shoulders jumped, and she accidentally let go. Zain pulled away and got to his feet. "Sorry for the noise, Boss."

"I didn't ask for an apology; I asked what was going on!" A vein popped out of his head.

Zain knew Ray would catch any lie he spewed, so he had only one option. To tell the truth. "I caught her when she tried to escape out the balcony. You had gone to bed, so I brought her back here and stayed to keep guard. She attacked me, and we fought... and ended up like how you saw us."

"Escaped out the balcony? We're on the third floor." Ray's eyes went over to Grace, who was standing off to the side with her arms crossed as she stared at the nightstand to distract herself. "You're just like your father." He sighed. "Troublesome boy who liked to run off and hide from his duties. He also liked to run away to date your mother. She was a beauty like you, and strong. I can see so much of them in you."

"Hey, Ray?" Grace wasn't sure what to call him, but he nodded. "If you wanted your blood to be the next boss, why didn't you end up bringing your son back here?"

"I had two children, once upon a time. My second son was willing to take over after he left, but he wasn't ready and got in over his head. He ended up dead. I thought your father would be safer away from us, but he was killed as well."

"Doesn't that mean I'm not safe either way? I think you should rethink this whole mafia heir thing."

"I have thought about it extensively, and came to the conclusion that I want you here."

There's no talking him down from this.

"You're a cop; aren't you used to danger?" Zain asked. 

Grace glared at him. "I feel safer as a cop than with the mafia."

Ray waved the other people with him away and stepped closer. "I planned to talk to you more later, but I suppose I can't delay it. In my recent years, I've come to realize that I should've kept my blood family closer to protect them. You're the only blood relation I have left and—"

"That still wouldn't mean I'd be a mafia princess or whatever. You two do understand I'm a cop, right? And I'm not a corrupt one. I uphold the law, many of which you've broken, and I can arrest you for."

"My sweet granddaughter, you may be clean, but not all cops are. We have people in higher positions than you, who could also take your job away in an instant."

"Is that a threat?" 

"I've already decided you will choose the next leader and take them as your husband, and I'll do what I have to do to make sure it ends up that way."

Maybe he's just a cranky old man set in his ways.

"I've let you roam around on your own long enough. Your place has always been here with me, with the Bertolottis family."

"Shouldn't I have a choice in this matter?" Don't know about being a cop anymore under these circumstances.  

"No; I've already named you as my heir. There's no going back now."

"Just say you changed—"

"No," he growled and cleared his throat when she flinched back. "I know you don't understand this way of life, but I can't go back on my decision now. Everything is set in place. You will meet your other suitors tomorrow."

Grace froze as she stared at him. She blinked a few times, and her eyebrow cocked up. "What?"

"You have three options to choose from between another boss' son, a current boss – though he's young still – and our underboss here."

"You have to be kidding me." Grace glanced at Zain, and he winked at her. "Seriously, just give him the position and leave me alone."

Ray leaned in close to her. "You seem to be as stubborn as me. While I do admire it, I don't like people talking back to me like that. I suppose someone like you would have to see our good side to be talked into it, but who knows how long that could take? I guess we'll have to use the hostage."

Roger...

"Fine," Grace huffed and sat down on the bed. "I won't run away, but I do have a request, grandpa."

The corner of his mouth quirked up. "What is it?"

"Let me see Roger. I need to know he's alive and well." 

"You'll meet the candidates tomorrow without a fuss if we let you see him?"

Grace gritted her teeth. "Yes."