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The last thing I want is for this woman to get fired for ruining a guest’s expensive gown.
“Okay, but we need to be quick.”
I’d like to be back before Alessandro realizes I’ve gone. He may not be as willing as me to forgive Cheryl for dousing me in merlot. As I follow her to the door, Livvy intercepts us.
“You scared me!” she scolds. “I thought I lost you. Oh, no, look at your dress.”
“It’s just a little wine.” I don’t want her to make Cheryl feel worse than she already does. “We’ll soon get it out.”
“I’ll come with.” Livvy links her arm with mine. “If we can’t fix it, I’ll get a new gown sent over.”
Life is so simple in Livvy’s world. Need a new gown at the drop of a hat? No problem, just call someone up. I wonder if I’ll ever get used to things being so easy. If what Alessandro tells me about my grandfather is true, my life should have been like this all along. I don’t resent him for withholding his true wealth and influence from me, though. It’s made me more resilient.
“Maybe we can get me a dress just like yours. That would set Alessandro’s pulse racing.”
“Pfft! He’d never speak to me again.” Livvy lets out a tinkling laugh. “Actually, that might be a risk I’m willing to take.”
“You love him really,” I tease as Cheryl leads us across the reception area and along a narrow passageway.
A prickling of unease lifts the hairs at the back of my neck. I thought we’d be heading for the restrooms, but this looks more like a service corridor. Perhaps Cheryl is taking us to a more private room to deal with my dress.
As we turn a corner, Livvy and I stop dead. A large man with a crooked nose stands near an open fire escape. Wearing black jeans and boots and a tight gray T-shirt that shows off muscular, tattooed arms, he reeks of danger.
“What is this?” Livvy demands.
I’m about to tell her we need to go back when Cheryl swings the silver tray she’s still carrying. She strikes Livvy hard, catching the side of her head. I cry out in shock as my sister-in-law is knocked to the floor. Cheryl grabs my arm and starts dragging me toward the scary-looking guy.
“Stop struggling!” she yells. “We’re here to help you.”
“Help me?”
“Yes.” Her tone is impatient. “Your uncle’s waiting to take you home.”
“Home?”
“Yes, to Italy.”
I try to get my head around this. Which of my uncles is she talking about and why does he think I need help? Something about this situation feels off. As the man who was waiting by the door comes toward us, panic surges.
“Let me go. I need to help Livvy.”
“Leave the bitch,” Cheryl snarls as she continues to drag me forward.
Twisting my body around sharply, I catch Cheryl off guard and wrench my arm free. I make it halfway back toward Livvy, who’s bleeding from a nasty cut to her forehead before a strong hand grabs me. I barely register the shock of being handled so roughly as I’m swung around and punched in the face. Stunned by the force of the blow, my knees buckle. He drops my arm and I fall to the floor.
“What are you doing, Enzo?” Cheryl yells. “He wants her unharmed.”
“He wants heralive,” he corrects her. Any relief I might have felt at that dissipates the minute he adds, “Until she signs everything over to him.”
Desperately, I try to push to my feet, but I get tangled in my skirts and crash to the floor, landing heavily on my side.
“Do not fucking touch her!” a man shouts as Enzo reaches out to grab me. His accent is Russian, I think. I roll over onto my back in time to see Enzo pulling a gun from behind his back. My heart lurches as he aims it at me. There’s a rapid burst of popping sounds and then silence. Blood blooms across Enzo’s chest and he crashes to the floor, his eyes vacant. Terror grips me.
“Emilia!”
Relief floods me as Livvy calls out to me. She’s okay. A wave of dizziness sweeps over me. It’s all too much. The last thing I see is the concerned face of an angel with cobalt eyes hovering over me. Then I pass out.
CHAPTER 19
