“I thought I had more time then. It wasn’t until a few days ago that I realized I had to get away quickly.”
I shouldn’t have believed a word out of her mouth—she was the enemy, after all—but for some reason, I did. That didn’t make me lower my guard. She could have been lying, working with her family to weaken or sabotage mine. “How did you find me? This house isn’t listed in our name.” It was a haven away from the Mafia world, something my dad wanted for my mom. We visited at least once a year, and it provided a glimpse into another world. I wouldn’t trade mine, but it was different, and Mom seemed to recharge there.
“I told you. I hacked into one of your accounts. It took a while, but”—she shrugged and flashed a slight smirk—“I found you.”
So she had. “Who else knows about this house or my being here?”
Her eyes widened, and her hands flattened on her thighs. “No one.”
That better have been the case. I narrowed my gaze on her, assessing. It would have been foolish to trust her. “You haven’t given me anything concrete about the inner workings of your family’s business to stage an effective attack… or to convince me that marriage would be worthwhile.”
“That room Ricco had locked me in was one of the holding cells for the women who are brought in before they’re trafficked. So you see, I’m your best-case scenario for taking down my family because I’ve been there.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
MIA
Ihad to reel in my emotions. Nico sat across from me on one of the cushioned patio chairs, a small mosaic table between us and the gorgeous Caribbean Sea as a backdrop. He didn’t believe me. I couldn’t blame him, but it infuriated me just the same. I hated Ricco, and my dad didn’t love me. He used me. I was a pawn to them, nothing more.
There was no one in whom I could confide, not even Dante or his brothers, Cal and Adriano. There hadn’t been time to go to them, nor was I sure they would offer me sanctuary. Before the conversation I’d overheard in Dad’s office, I would have thought so, but that was before Dante rejected my father’s proposition to unite our families through marriage.
I clasped my hands tightly in my lap, willing myself to stay calm. No matter how much I wanted to, I couldn’t lash out against Nico’s veiled distrust. When his gaze traveled over me from head to foot, I had to work hard to suppress a shiver. He was too intense, a silent predator waiting to strike, and for me, the best line of defense. “Do we have a deal?”
Rather than say anything, he withdrew a pocketknife from his pocket. Flipping it open, he grabbed my hand then turned it palm up. He paused with the blade lightly resting against my skin. “This goes both ways.”
I nodded to the dual accountability. The moment felt heavy. I would abide by my word, even if he questioned my intentions. “Yes.”
The incision was swift and shallow with a sharp sting of pain. Blood welled along my palm as he made the same cut across his then pressed our hands together. Our blood mixed, our eyes locked, and the weight of the moment hung in the air.
I knew he would want my promise first, so I began. “I swear fealty to you. My loyalty equals yours. And in exchange for your protection, for your legal name, I will take all of your and your family’s secrets to my grave. Together, we’ll dismantle the Tucci sex ring.” I said what he wanted to hear, what I was willing to offer, making a binding promise in exchange for safety.
“From this moment, in tandem with your steadfast loyalty, you’re mine to protect in body, mind, and soul.”
I read between the lines—should I betray him, he would end my life, severing the bonds of marriage and his ties to me. Despite the ominous threat hanging over my head, the oppressive weight I’d been carrying dissipated. For the first time in years, I enjoyed a modicum of safety. The tension between my shoulders eased, and I flashed Nico a smile as he released my hand.
He went into the kitchen only to return with a cloth that he pressed to the small wound on my palm. “We leave for Chicago late this afternoon. The wedding will be tomorrow morning.”
I sat up straighter. “Good. Thank you, Nico.” I rubbed my fingers over my right temple, feigning discomfort. “Hey, I’m going to lie down for a while. I’ve got a headache.”
He didn’t respond, but I felt his eyes on me the entire way until I disappeared into the guest room. Once inside, I shut the door and leaned my back against it, releasing a shaky breath. I wanted to take a moment to let what just happened sink in, but I had to slip out of the house and return unnoticed. And thanks to the conversation I’d overheard between him and one of his guards, I knew the security system was still down. Nerves fluttered in my stomach like a swarm of locusts. The blood oath we’d taken was something I took seriously, and what I needed to do wasn’t information that would go against that—it wasn’t about his family or anything pertinent to mine.
I should have asked Nico to take me to get my stuff, but I had severe trust issues from Dad and Not-Brother. And I couldn’t leave another part of Mom behind if he refused to stop and get the bag.
I drew the blinds then went to the dresser and pulled out enough clothes to make a makeshift body. After shoving them under the duvet, I arranged them to resemble myself asleep. The only problem was fooling him that my head was on the pillows. I placed them so it appeared as if I was huddled beneath the blankets with the pillows concealing the top of my head. Thankfully, the end of the bed was facing the door.
I stood back and observed my handiwork. It might pass inspection if he just glanced at the bed. How dim the room was would help. Not wanting to risk him spotting me, I waited another ten minutes then cracked the door open. His voice was faint as he talked on the phone.
Tiptoeing down the hall, I peered around the corner. Nico’s back was to me as he stood just beyond the sliding glass doors on the patio. I could hear snippets of his conversation, enough to know he was discussing the wedding. My heart thudded against my rib cage, the adrenaline of sneaking out and the worry over who was on the other end of that call hitting me at once. I pressed my thumb into the small cut on my palm, and the sting of pain served as a welcome reminder of the blood oath we’d taken and the reassurance that he wouldn’t give my father a heads-up and put me in harm’s way.
Shoes in hand, I moved as quickly and quietly as possible to the front door, unlocked it, then cracked it wide enough to slip outside, thankful the security system was still broken. A soft click behind me from the door closing was the only sound I’d made. Heat surrounded me, and I wished I’d thought ahead to bring a hairband or at least put on a pair of shorts.
I huffed out another breath to ease the hammering of my pulse. It echoed in my ears so loudly that I feared Nico could hear it. I set my shoes down, slipped them on, then took off at a run. The one-bedroom beach bungalow I’d rented for a week was a good two miles away, and by the time I got back, I knew I would be drenched in sweat. As my feet pounded the pavement, my clothes clung to me from the humidity. Traffic was sparse, and I was immensely grateful.
Of course, running was the one thing my father had allowed, assuming I was surrounded by a contingent of guards. But it had helped to keep my body primed and ready for the day I would escape, something I’d known was inevitable unless I wanted to succumb to whatever fate he bestowed on me.
Sweat beaded and rolled down my face, pooling in my bra and slicking my hair to the back of my neck, my cheeks, and my forehead. The moisture in the air elevated my heartbeat—the run was twice as hard as it would have been in cooler weather.
The entire run felt as if someone chased me, but I read the expressions of those I passed to keep my panic at bay. I got weird looks, but no one’s eyes strayed behind me. It gave me hope. And when the small house came into view, I increased my pace, desperate to get there, retrieve my stuff, then head back before Nico realized I was gone. I slowed to a jog as I approached, sweeping my gaze over any potential place someone could hide to ambush me.