but he loved her. Aunt Lucia was the center of his universe. He wasn’t the same after she left.”
Enzo was right.
My father wasn’t the same after Mom left. But he’d held it together because he had responsibilities. He had a family who needed him, and an organization that looked to him for leadership.
I let out a heavy sigh, the fight ebbing out of my system. “I know things haven’t been right between us since Arianne,” I said. “But you’re my best friend, E. My brother in all the ways that matter.”
“Don’t go getting all emotional on me. You know I’ll always have your back. But I’m not Matteo, Nic. I never will be. I won’t always tell you what you want to hear. But I will always give it to you straight.”
“And I love you for it.”
“Fuck off with that shit. She’s turning you into a soft touch.”
“Maybe you and Nora should hook up and once this thing with Fascini is over we can all double date.” A small smile tugged my lips. The chance to tease Enzo was too hard to resist.
He made some garbled choking sound, and I gave a haughty laugh. “Something tells me she could handle a guy like you.”
“No one can handle a guy like me.”
He had a point.
“But seriously, Cous, are you okay?”
“I’m not going to do anything stupid, if that’s what you mean.”
“Just sit tight. We’ve got tonight covered, and Vitelli will be with your girl. He won’t let her out of his sight.”
That wasn’t the problem, not tonight.
“It should be me,” I whispered.
I should have been the one at her side, the one claiming her as mine in front of all those people.
A beat passed and then Enzo let out a long sigh. “Who knows, if everything goes to plan, one day it could be.”
Chapter 16
Arianne
“Ready?” Luis asked me.
Glancing at myself in the mirror on the wall, I nodded. My hair was braided in a crown atop of my head, soft tousles falling around my face. My eyes were smoky, and my lips were a deep shade of red. The diamonds Scott had given me hung like a noose around my neck. I’d almost decided against wearing them. But in the end, I’d snatched it from the box and asked Luis to fasten it for me.
Tonight, I would play my part. I would hang on his arm like the dutiful, docile fiancée I would never be, and I would do it all wearing a secretive smile.
“As I’ll ever be.” I grabbed my clutch purse and tucked it under my arm. We were, in fact, all staying at the Gold Star Hotel tonight, but Mike Fascini had insisted Scott and I arrive together in the limousine he had arranged for us.
“You look beautiful, Ari,” he said, yanking open the door.
I felt beautiful. The dress wrapped around my body like a silky second skin, kissing the floor as I walked. But the night was already tainted.
We made our way downstairs together, fifteen minutes earlier than planned. I refused to have Scott arrive at the door again with flowers, not when he was offering me something much more sinister.
When we reached the foyer, Luis clutched his sleeve, whispering something into the hidden mic. I was used to his discreet communications now. What had once felt like an intrusion on my life was now something I took for granted.
Luis was my shadow, my guardian angel, and I felt safer knowing he was there.
“Do you think I made a mistake?” I asked him.
He glanced down at me, his brow raised. “It is not for me to tell you how to live your life, Arianne.”
“I know.” I gave him a polite nod. “But I value your opinion.”
“I think...” He hesitated, disapproval swirling in his eyes, but then the corner of his mouth tipped. “I don’t blame you for wanting to defy him.”
“But you don’t think I should poke the beast?”
“You must choose your battles wisely.”
A sleek, black limousine pulled up outside the building and Luis crooked his arm. “Shall we?”
I laced my arm with his, letting him lead me outside. The driver stepped from the car and came around to open the back door. Scott stepped out, his eyes instantly going to my dress. “I thought I told you wear the silver one.”
“I preferred the emerald.”
His eyes burned with indignation. “My parents will be disappointed you chose to disobey me.”
“I’m sure they’ll get over it,” I said.
“I’ll be up front.” Luis released my arm and waited for me