Page 85 of Lust and Honor

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The thumping music spills through the closed doors, echoing down the hallway. This ancient hallway must have seen countless brides and grooms over the centuries. Bricks that have witnessed promises kept and just as many broken vows, yet have no voice to tell the tales.

Two armed guards stand at the entrance to the room. The moment they see me, they open the door, and the blast of music hits me so hard it makes my head pulse for a beat. I step inside with a smile, scanning the room full of women drinking and dancing, looking for Emily. From across the room, I spot her with a group of women, tossing back a shot before letting out a loud squeal. She’s in a short red dress, her hair loose and spilling around her shoulders.

I make my way toward her, and when she sees me from across the space, that warm, bright smile spreads across her face. She reaches out a hand toward me.

“Ava, what took you so long?” She gives me a playful once-over, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Bet Maxim couldn’t let you go, huh?”

Before I can answer, she gestures to the women beside her. “I think you remember Beatrice from the birthday party.”

I smile at the elegant woman in front of me. “Yes, it’s great to see you again.”

“You too, sweetheart,” Beatrice replies.

Emily points to the young girl next to her. “And this is Ana, Beatrice’s daughter.”

I barely get a chance to shake the hand of the girl, who can’t be older than eighteen, before Emily calls out an order to the bartender for more shots and lets out another squeal. She’s clearly in high spirits tonight. It doesn’t take long for me to catch her mood after a few shots myself.

The guest list isn’t huge, maybe fifty people, half of them older women, but the music, the alcohol, and the dancing create this rush of energy, turning the night electric. Like so many things lately, this is one of my firsts. I’ve never been to anyone’s bachelorette party before.

The door swings open, and two men in police uniforms stride in. Handsome, well-built guys who draw shrieks from the women as soon as they appear. So these must be the strippers Maxim warned me about.

Someone grabs my hand from behind. When I turn, I see a young woman, the assistant nanny for the kids. My heart drops for a second.

“Is Aurora okay?” I ask quickly.

Emily, standing close by, picks up on it and steps to my side. The girl smiles reassuringly. “She’s perfectly fine. Just being fussy, saying she wants to see her mom before bed.”

I let out a relieved breath.

“The boys aren’t giving you trouble, are they?” Emily asks.

“No, their dad checked in on them before bed. They’ve been asleep for a few minutes now,” the girl says, then turns to me. “Ines told me to let you know, but if you want to keep enjoying the party, we’ve got everything under control.”

“No, I want to see her before she sleeps. She’s been a bit cranky since this morning. Let’s go.”

Emily starts moving with me.

“You stay, enjoy the party,” I tell her. “I’ll go check on her and be right back.”

“No problem. I could use some fresh air anyway.”

She sways a little, tipsy from the drinks, but walks beside me until we reach the terrace.

“You go,” she says. “I’m going to stay out here.”

We’re on the second floor, and it’s freezing outside. She’s wearing only a thin dress. So I hesitate.

“Emily, you’ve been drinking, and it’s freezing out there. Want me to stay with you?”

She smiles and jerks her thumb over her shoulder. “Our dear friend back there has already reported to Carlo that I got out. Give it two minutes and he’ll be here. Don’t worry.”

It’s only then that I notice Emily’s bodyguard trailing us. Relieved, I head to the kids’ room. Aurora’s sitting next to the nanny, her tiny eyes battling sleep as she struggles to stay awake. In the next room, the kids are fast asleep in a row of beds while two armed men stand guard outside the door.

I scoop her up in my arms and whisper in her ear, “Does my pretty girl want to sleep?”

“No, Mama. Read me a story.”