It took every drop of strength to hold myself back. I’d prepared for this encounter, lectured myself at length to keep from doing something foolish.
Yet every insult he stacked against Rae was a bitter cut on my heart.
“Why?” I smirked, with a wicked smile dripping with venom. “I’m a free man. A bachelor.”
“You should be dancing with Arabella!” the don roared.
There. I had him. “She’s underage. I won’t touch her.”
It was delightful to see him riled up. To know his heart was beating a million times per minute. This was why I brought Rae. Yes, I’d told her to spy since she was so resourceful. I couldn’t wait to hear what she’d learned. But this, right here, was the true reason. She was my rebellion. The act of defiance that showed the don that his perfect plans were twisted. That they would never happen.
“She turns eighteen soon,” the don countered.
“Mark my words, signore,” I spat. “I have never, nor will I ever, touch a hair on Arabella’s head. There is nothing between us except the affection of friendship.”
Those frail shoulders puffed up. “You are my heir. Arabella is my ward—”
“No.” The word cut deep. I squeezed my hands tightly together to keep from striking my boss. “I choose to write my future differently.”
The don cut his hand through the air. “We’ll speak of this at home.”
I grimaced. But he was already storming away.
Maledizione, his heart didn’t stop.Not yet…but soon.
Chapter 31 – Rae
You can trust him.
The more I told myself that was true, the more I watched it manifest into reality. There was still that little, damaged part that wondered when Nico would stop being obsessed with me and leave. It was the only example I’d ever seen.
But I dared to write a different outcome.
I waited at my window long after Luigi dropped me off. I kept the dress on, and it wasn’t as uncomfortable as I would have thought. The mask, however, was somewhere on the bed. I had a key now, one I didn’t even have to steal. Uncle Theo gave it to me the other day when I asked.
Imagine that. I just had to ask, and he gave it.
I really liked my uncle. It was a pity he hadn’t been part of my life before now. Well, if the good lord was willing and the creek didn’t rise, I would have time to remedy that situation and forge a real relationship with my only living relative.
A yawn ripped straight from my lungs.Come on, Nico.
Where the hell was he?
He’d texted Luigi that we should leave without him. Work called him away. As I watched the house, I let my mind paint a picture. It was an experiment. Me living there. Married to Nico, and him the head of the Grimaldi Mafia.
“Wow,” I whispered.
I could see it, plain as day.
There would be changes, obviously. I wouldn’t sit at home like his grandmother, pretending not to know that his business dealings were shady. No. If I was the boss’s wife, I would be involved. My morals wouldn’t be compromised. Hell, they barely existed as it was. I would lie, steal, and cheat for the mob. Kill? I could do that if push came to shove, but I would be only too happy to clean the bloody messes Nico and his friends made while leaving the actual act of murder to them.
Another yawn bubbled up. Screw it. I was determined to sneak downstairs and mix a glass of instant espresso. The kitchen window would give me a view of the drive, so I wouldn’t miss Nico coming back.
I hurried down the steps, my bare feet making no noise. The third step from the bottom creaked, so I skipped it to avoid noise.
As I moved into the living room, the front door jiggled. My heart skipped a beat, and my pulse thrummed with life. Nico was back! The brat. I wasn’t going to let him ruin the surprise. He didn’t say explicitly that he was coming to me. Just that he wanted to rip the dress off.
There would be no ripping, by the way. This dress was the nicest thing I owned, and I planned to keep it that way.
