Serenity steps back, takes the drink from my hand, kicks off her stilettos, and walks outside. I’m on her heels.
She stares into the dark, star-filled sky before bringing the glass of whiskey to her lips.
I lower onto one of the six teal lounge chairs.
“I considered making us work. You know, being a real couple. I-I wanted to, Nico. But my past. It reared its ugly head. It wasn’t fair to make you wait for me. I knew I could never get married, start a family, and be normal.”
“Baby, we aren’t normal.”
“Nico, I know. But watching that asshole kick my mother’s stomach again and again until.” She takes a step back.
“Until.” Another step.
Tears now shimmer in her gorgeous gray eyes.
“Until my baby sister was dead,” she howls like a wounded animal.
I hop up and pull her from the edge before she falls into the pool.
The sorrow in her gaze stops my beating heart. “You are the strongest woman I know. I understand what those bastards stole from your family. That’s why I had to step in.”
Her eyes widen and her mouth drops open.
Chapter Fifteen
SERENITY
THE HONEYMOON
The glass trembles in my hand. He gently takes it and lifts it to my lips. I swallow the last of the liquid in one gulp.
What does he mean he got involved?
“Nico, what are you talking about?”
He leads me over to a lounge chair. “Sit down.”
Nico sets the empty glass on a nearby table.
Now it’s his turn to pace back and forth.
The alcohol flows through me, soothing some of the tension.
“It all started back in college, when my family stayed with yours. You had confronted your father about security. I needed to understand why you were freaking out. I’d asked you to let me in and you wouldn’t,” he sighs.
“So, I went to my father for help. He refused to assist. And against his wishes, I sat down with Sergio. I had to find out what was going on with you—my woman. After learning whatyou’d endured, I vowed to make those bastards pay—Ettore and Aleksandr.”
My eyes widen. “Nico-”
He raises a hand, cutting me off. “Let me finish.”
I sit on my knees now. The wedding dress is puffed out around me.
Nico’s gaze lingers hungrily before he forces himself to look away.
“It all makes sense now,” he says, shaking off the desire. “Why your real name wasn’t listed at Creekwood. You were hiding in plain sight.” He wags his finger as he comes to another realization. “That bastard sent someone to your graduation. Had them push a note into my flowers. I know because I had the security cameras hacked at your graduation.”
I squeeze my eyes shut. “There was a card. From Ettore. It said: Congratulations, Serenity,
