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“The colors are white and soft gold,” I whisper.
Nico turns toward me, his gaze hot where it lingers on the side of my face.
“Look at me when you speak, Emelia,” he demands, and I want to slap him so hard in that moment for basically scolding me in front of my father. Do I not suffer enough humiliation because of that man?
Nico demands respect but lacks it when it comes to giving it to me.
“You demand such respect while also ordering me to hold my head high. Which is it? Where is yours, Nico Valiente?” I ask matter-of-factly, looking him directly in the eye.
“Emelia Rene Notelli!” my mother hollers as my father slams his fist down.
“Damn you, child. Watch your mouth,” he yells.
Nico lifts two fingers to my father and mother, never taking his eyes off me.
“Both. But you have toearnmy respect. It won’t be given freely like everyone else will have to because of your upcoming title. Show me you are worthy of me.”
I scoff.“Worthy of you? You’re a mafia king—a boss and a terrible man who does awful, wicked things. It isyouwho needs to earn mine.” I stand and scoot the chair back, throwing down the cloth napkin as I go.
“Excuse me while I go off and learn to be an obedient wife.” I take off and run out the door, listening to my father call after me and the guards to follow me.
But I didn’t miss the way Nico looked—impressed by my response, yet angry and filled with the compelling need to subdue me.
If I’m going down, I’ll do so swinging. I just wanted love.
I wanted what I had withhim.
God… what I had withhim.
“Damian,” I whisper his name as I fall to the ground and cry, now far enough from the house to feel alone but still surrounded by bars. Trapped.
I was in love once. With a man who promised to save me. The first man to love me, to protect me, to touch me with a gentle hand. Damian. One of my father’s guards. He was assigned to watch me when I turned nineteen, and we fell fast and hard.
It was reckless, dangerous, but beautiful. He promised me an out. A way out of this world, a way to have the world I always wanted, with a man who wanted to protect, love, and cherish me.
Then he left. Like a thief in the night, he was gone, taking my heart, my innocence, and every bit of hope with him.
When I asked why I was assigned new security, my father said Damian was offered a new job. I didn’t believe it for one moment. Though no one knew about us, I think Damian ran off scared. That is the only thing that makes sense, knowing that if we were caught and tried to escape, he and I would be good as dead.
I feel him then, his touch, the whispers in my ear, the touches of passion and love in middle of the night. And itwaslove. At least he made it feel that way. Suddenly, that feeling is replaced with a chill up my spine when I feel someone behind me.
“Emelia. Stand. Now,” Nico says in a deep baritone, a quiet but powerful demand.
I wipe at my tears, refusing to let him see me mourning the most intimate loss I ever experienced. Standing, I right my dress, lift my chin, and square my shoulders. I turn, and he towers over me.
“What?” I sniff, doing a terrible job at hiding my emotions.
“I don’t want this either. Trust me. Marriage was the last thing on my agenda. But you have to learn to control these emotions you’re having.” He gestures at me up and down, and I feel the heat on my neck rising.
“These emotions? The ones where I despise you just as much as my father, you mean?”
He eyes me over. “You’ve known your destiny for long enough. I would have expected you to come to terms with it by now. We will get married in two days, and you will smile at that wedding. You will not show any disrespect toward me. We won’t become targets just because you can’t handle yourself.”
Just like that, I snap. I reach out and slap him so hard my hand burns. His head turns, but he doesn’t move it back. Nico stays looking to the left, his jaw tightening, and I brace myself for the impact from his retaliation. The slap was worth it. I hate this man.
“You ever lay your hands on your future husband like that again, and I will smack your ass so red you won’t sit right for weeks. Get your shit together. Are we clear?” He finally looks at me, and I gulp. The image of me over his knee and receiving painful slaps comes rushing in, and I want to slap him again.
“Whatever you say,husband.” The emphasis makes him smile at me evilly.
