down the stairs. She needs time with her brother, and I need to ensure that the wedding will go as planned.
My tailor hurries over to me, the tux draped across his thin arms. “Please, sir. Once more.”
“All right.” I wave him to my office right as Dante enters the front door with a buxom blonde on his arm.
“Boss, I’d like you to meet Ava Carnegie.”
“Ms. Carnegie?” I stride to her and shake her warm hand. “Welcome.”
“Ah, thanks?” She looks around. “But I’m not sure why I’m here.”
“You’re a guest.” I smile, and she recoils a little. I know I’m a handsome man, but I also have a little something extra, a coldness that seemed to have settled in when I made my first kill at fourteen. I’m a predator, and whenever there’s prey around, they can sense it. By the way Ms. Carnegie is gawking at me, I can see she’s prey. The easy kind. No wonder Lorenzo Scalingi went after her.
“A guest?” She swallows hard.
“Of course.” I wave her toward the front sitting room. “Please make yourself at home. The ceremony will start in about an hour. Carlotta will see to your needs.”
As if summoned by the mention of her name, Carlotta appears from the back hallway. “Come now, Ms. Carnegie, I’ll sit with you for a spell. I’ve heard your hot cross buns are the talk of the neighborhoods when Easter rolls around.”
Ms. Carnegie is visibly relieved, the crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes smoothing out as she latches onto Carlotta’s warmth. “Well, yes, it’s a family recipe.”
I pull Dante aside. “Anyone see you take her?”
He smirks. “Everyone.”
I pat him on the back. “Good. Tell the men that trouble is on its way. Be ready.” I pause and glance up the stairs to where my sweet bride awaits. “But I don’t care if World War Three breaks out, I will marry Sophia Scalingi tonight.”
9
Sophia
I hold my brother close. He’s here. “Are you really okay?” I reach up, cupping his face and peering at his freshly-split lip.
“Soph, I’m fine,” he says, pulling my hand down.
I bite my lip to keep from smiling, having forgotten we are still in the hallway and guards linger about. He doesn't want me babying him in front of everyone. I can’t help myself. He will always be a baby in my eyes.
“Come.” I motion for him to enter my room.
His eyes roam around, taking everything in. Our own home is nothing to turn your nose up at, but Nick’s is something else altogether. It’s in a league of its own. It reminds me of a giant freaking castle. Everything in it is elegant but not overdone. It’s breathtaking without being boastful. I’ve been too wrapped up in Nick to care about any of my surroundings until now, when I see my brother processing it all.
The doors close behind us, and I turn and point at his mouth. “Who did this to your lip?”
“It was my own doing.”
I raise an eyebrow at him.
He shrugs. “Really it was. I might have tried to scale the wall to this place,” he says sheepishly.
“Marco!” I smack his chest. It’s then I see I still have on my wedding ring from my first husband. I should take it off. I’m surprised Nick hadn’t stripped it from my finger. It feels like an unwanted weight, a reminder that my life could have been on a different course if it weren’t for Nick. Even though I’m not sure what path he plans to lead me down, I know it will be better than the previous one. It has to be. I won’t let myself think otherwise right now.
“I had to try and get to you.” His brows draw together. “To save you from that monster. His reputation is even worse than Antonio’s. He’s done bad things, Soph. He’s a bad man. I couldn’t just let him take you.”
I drop my hand from his chest. I knew he would try to find me. It’s one of the reasons that I’d immediately calmed down once Nick gave me his vow to protect Marco. Without that, I shudder at the thought of what would have happened to Marco if he came onto this property without Nick’s vow of protection.
“Doing stupid things gets you dead,” I remind him. My life’s purpose would be gone. Marco is why I make all the sacrifices. I want him to be able to lead the life that he wants to. It was easier when he was younger