“To be on the outside.” Eva’s eyes lasered in on me, and I stiffened. “A cousin.”
“You mean safe?” I snapped, taking the bait.
“None of us are safe.” Sofia’s tone matched mine.
“Not true,” Eva growled. “Some are safer than others, like you four. You’re royalty. No one will touch you.”
Sofia scoffed. “You don’t honestly believe that, do you?”
“I’m just sayin’. It’s not as easy for the rest of us.” Eva yanked the door open and stormed out into the night.
“What the hell was that about?” I took a few steps back and fell onto the living room couch. Was there more between Eva and Tony? Or did she just have her sights on him, and hearing about Marissa’s engagement had snatched her scheme out from under her?
Emiliana shook her head. “She doesn’t know what it’s like to be us. Don’t hold it against her. None of us are exempt. In a way, we’re all expendable.”
“True.” I could give my cousin that, but I saw her for the opportunist she was and believed she would find a way to get whatever she wanted, which I guessed was a wealthy husband. “We’re just in the limelight more. Maybe that’s what she craves.” It made sense. She didn’t know that I would have traded my lofty position in the Mafia with her in a heartbeat, including the arranged marriage I expected my dad to drop on me at any moment.
CHAPTER FOUR
EMILIANA
Icurled my gloved fingers into my palms to warm them as Sofia and I trudged along the snowy sidewalks that the campus’s groundskeeper struggled to keep clear, on our way home from class. Thick flakes fell in a continuous swirl, making his job impossible.
My skin crawled—not with goose bumps but as if ants raced over every inch—and I fought from breaking into a sprint. Even with the blanket of snow surrounding us, my gaze darted everywhere, searching for something out of the ordinary—a dark form,anything. My past had taught me a valuable lesson never to let my guard down.
Old memories were never far, and a walk in low-visibility weather triggered them easily. Even the sense of safety was an illusion. On the day I was betrayed, I’d been leaving the house, never suspecting one of our own. Just before reaching the car, a hood had been slipped over my head, and I was surrounded in darkness.
I glanced behind me down the path, making sure I wasn’t being followed. The only guards I tolerated weren’t far behind. I lived in a state of constant vigilance. That terrifying day, I’d fought against my attacker, scratching and kicking, screaming and struggling… until they drugged me. Even then, I still thrashed, each blow getting more ineffective until I completely passed out.
I’m safe, I reminded myself as Sofia and I drew closer to the building where my class was held. I had blades strapped to my forearms, guns tucked into my backpack and jacket pocket, and another secured in a shoulder holster for good measure.
I took precautions—always. I didn’t take my coat off in class, only unzipped it, so the weapons remained unseen. But I didn’t care if everyone, including my professor, saw them. They couldn’t say a thing to my roommates or me. Our families ran the school.
Sofia’s hand curled around my arm, her eyes sparkled, and a tiny bit of worry slipped away. “We should go shopping and invite Eva to join us.”
Yeah, no thanks.“I’ll pass. Just take Eva.” Sofia’s shopping trips were epic, and I’d already exceeded my tolerance for being in public and around strangers. “You both love to shop, and maybe it’ll get her out of whatever she’s going through over Marissa and Tony.”
“It’s weird, right?” Sofia tilted her head, her long ponytail following the motion.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe she feels left out? They go out together to parties and clubs all the time.”
“Maybe.” Sofia pursed her lips. “We’ll have to go to some parties this weekend.”
I frowned, and her hand tightened on my arm.
“You have to, Em. It’s our last weekend before the break. Marissa will need it, and we’ll be all around you. I promise.”
I hated that I needed that. More than anything, I wished I could go into a crowded space without anxiety so bad that I caved into myself or, worse, lashed out with every weapon within reach. But my friends helped keep me grounded, and I would endure it for them. “Fine. I’ll go, but only to one of our clubs.” If we went to Mafia-owned ones, there would be soldiers, and if something happened, we would have an army at our disposal.
“Sure. No problem. Or a party on campus.” She released my arm and gave me a side hug. “You won’t regret it.”
Famous last words. I was already regretting it. The sidewalk curved, and the portion that the groundskeeper had prioritized over all other walkways was free of snow as we rounded it to our building. I punched in the code as Sofia shivered beside me, hunched against the cold. After shoving the steel door open, we spilled inside to the welcome heat. The rich scent of sauce and melting cheese hit us hard, and my stomach growled.
“Hey, Em.”
My head whipped to the left, and a grin stretched my lips wide. “Hi, Enzo.” My brother held my gaze for a moment before it inevitably shifted to Sofia, who stiffened at my side. “Why are you here?” I peeled my coat off and hung it on a hook before kicking off my boots.
“Checking on you.”