The smirk from the night of the club pops into my head. My cheeks start to warm as the memory of that night, of the way he looked at me, attacks my senses.
No. That was a fantasy; this is reality. Do not remember that smile.
I shut down all the thoughts running wild in my head and follow Matteo until he comes to a stop in front of an elevator.
He pushes the button, and it opens.
I’m not sure how many floors this building has. By the looks from the outside, I’d say five.
Then we get to the sixth floor, and it’s bigger than I thought.
He leads me down another hallway, opening the door.
The room is large. It is much bigger than my bedroom in my apartment. It’s about the same size as my bedroom in the governor’s mansion. But where that room is ornate and over-the-top, this room is bare bones.
Modern.
Sterile.
Almost like an expensive jail cell for the rich and famous. White lines, white pillows, and very white, barren walls. I have never seen a room this void of color. If I didn’t know better, I would think he designed this place to perform surgery. However, the 800 thread count Egyptian cotton begs to differ.
“You will be instructed tomorrow with the plans.”
He then steps out and closes the door behind him.
I wait for him to lock it. My mind references every fairy tale, but then I realize there is no need when nothing happens.
He doesn’t need to lock the doors. He doesn’t need to forbid me to leave.
I have no place to go, and even if I did, I wouldn’t be safe.
I don’t know if I’ll ever be safe.
With a deep inhale, I lock the door and make my way farther into the room.
I noticed on the right side is another door, so I swing it open to find the bathroom. It’s fully stocked, and I wonder if it’s stocked for me?
I grab a toothbrush and some toothpaste and brush my teeth, and then once I’m done, I wash my face.
When I step back into the room, I finally notice that whoever took my bag earlier must have already swept it for bugs because it now sits on top of the chair in the corner.
The blood in my veins runs cold.
The message is clear . . . a lock won’t keep me safe. Not wanting to think about it, I’m quick to get out of my clothes and put my pajamas on.
I can barely keep my eyes open after the day I’ve had. I’m so tired, I go to sit down in the bed. But as much as I want to fall asleep, I don’t know if I’ll be able to.
An endless loop plays in my brain.
What will tomorrow bring?
The harder and more depressing question being, what will my future bring?
Now lying on my soft bed, nestled in big fluffy pillows, I know I should be sleeping. I’ll need all my strength for tomorrow, but instead, a thought pops into my head . . .
What will my father do when he finds out I betrayed him?
What will marrying Matteo entail?
Did I make the right choice?
Did I really have any choice at all?
I toss and turn, both thoughts at war with each other.
The question is, which enemy is scarier?
Something tells me it’s my husband-to-be.
5
Matteo
* * *
I wake early the next morning. The building is quiet, and the floor on which I reside is completely empty. I doubt Viviana is awake yet.
Once I head downstairs, I will be met with a team of my men who have yet to sleep.
With the war with my cousin escalating, we spend more time than I wish in the warehouse.
A full team is always on guard.
I know he doesn’t know about this location, so it’s not like he will launch an attack, but still, I like to be prepared.
I don’t bother waiting for the elevator today. Without Viviana, there is no point in taking it. Instead, I head for the stairs, figuring it will be faster.
When I make it to the bottom floor, I find five men in the main room. Two of which are sitting in front of multiple computer monitors, manning the security system.
The other two are sitting around one table and Lorenzo sits at the other by himself. It might appear they aren’t working, but they are. Their guns are always drawn, ready for a fight.
Each man reclines in their chair, coffee in front of them, and beside each of their mugs is a walkie-talkie for when they do a perimeter check.
“Hey, Boss,” Lorenzo says, as I take a seat at the table.
It’s early still, and I haven’t had my own coffee, so I reach for the pot and pour myself some. “Where are we at today?” I ask the room. “Anything on the girl? Does her father know she’s gone?”
“No one has come to her apartment,” Luka answers from where he is perched in front of a computer.
“Very good. Let’s hope this is all behind us before they even realize it.”
“Boss?”
I look over at Lorenzo. His brow is furrowed. It’s obvious from the way he looks down rather quickly to his cup and then back at me, he doesn’t want to say what he is about to say. I move my chair until it’s next to his. That way, whatever he needs to say can be said between us.
“Spit it out, Lorenzo.”
“I understand why you took the girl . . . but why marry her?”
“It’s the best move. Politically, Marino can’t run the risk of being on the outs with his daughter. He’ll bow down to my every whim.”
“But marrying her?”
I smirk at him. The answer should be clear on my face of my real motive, but I still spell it out for him. “She was meant to marry my cousin. . . “
“So, this is all a big fuck you to him.”
“Yes,” I answer, and I think that’s the end to this discussion, but he lets out a sigh.
“Matteo.”
I shake my head. He should just stop, but I will indulge him in this. He’s family and my trusted confidant. I just would prefer having this conversation in a more private location, but his voice is low, so I’m sure no one else can hear. “You’re tying yourself to someone.”
“I could do worse.”
He nods, probably realizing he has nothing more that can convince me otherwise. He then grins at me. “Well, she is hot as fuck, so there is that.”
I level him with my stare. “That’s my wife you’re talking about.”
“Future.” The stupid smile on his face spreads wider. Anyone else and my gun would be pulled out, but with Lorenzo, I allow myself to crack a smile. When it’s just us, I can let my guard down, even if it’s only for a moment, which is before I’m back to boss mode.
“Roberto!” I yell across the room. He turns around to look at me. Roberto gets shit done, so he is exactly who I need to take point on this. “Okay, tell me what we need to do to get this ball moving. I can’t wait to see the look on the dick’s face when he realizes I took away his only bargaining chip.”
“One day.”
“Then I need you to send in someone to get her prepared. Tomorrow, I’ll marry her. Make it Giana.”
Giana is my first cousin. She is the daughter of my father’s sister.
With that settled, I stand from the table and head back out of the room. I need to work out before I get started with my day. It keeps my head straight, helps me work out my frustrations. Being me isn’t easy, and this is my only outlet.