“She’s gonna love you,” he says, walking around the sofa to face me now, kicking my leg gently to stop its bounce. “And if she doesn’t,” he adds as he adjusts the cuff of his white shirt, “I can always kill her and get you a new one.”
I shoot him an icy glare. “You need therapy.”
He shrugs with a smirk.
The heavy double doors creak open before I can hit him with a pillow, and my breath catches. A guard steps in first, clearing his throat. “Miss Genevieve, Mr. and Miss De Luca.”
She steps in behind him, she’s sunlight being let into a room.
She’s wearing a light blue dress that sways when she walks, cinched at the waist and tied with a bow in the back. Her long, curly brown hair has golden strands dancing through it, catching the chandelier’s light. She looks around wide-eyed, taking in the massive foyer, all white marble floors, gold trimming, and towering glass spiral stairs that wind up three floors.
I leap to my feet, forgetting how to act normal. “Hi, Genevieve. My name is Aure—” I pause, then correct myself quickly. “Ace.”
She grins, bright and open. “Oh my god, hi! I’m so excited to meet you. You can call me Gen!”
She starts walking toward me, arms slightly out, hinting she’s going in for a hug, but Elijah—always a damn shadow—steps in, a brick wall between us.
“I’ll ask you not to touch Miss De Luca,” he says flatly.
Gen freezes mid-step, looking up at him with confusion. I get it—tall, broad, and scowling; I mean, he could have been pulled out of a bad cop interrogation scene. No wonder she’s scared.
“Elijah,” I hiss, pushing at his arm, which, obviously, doesn’t move at all. “Move.”
When that fails, I slip around him and wrap Gen in a hug myself. She feels warm, smelling of vanilla, gardenia, and something vaguely sweet.
“I’m so excited to finally have a girl I can trust,” I say as I pull back, grinning so wide my face hurts.
But Gen isn’t looking at me. She’s still staring at Elijah.
My stomach sinks for a second. Is she still scared? Did he intimidate her too much?
I wave it off. “Don’t mind him. He’s not even my main guard. My brother Enzo is.”
I nudge toward Enzo, who’s now standing a few steps away with his signature smug grin.
Gen’s eyes trail up to him, and she tilts her head playfully. “And he’s cute.”
I groan, “Oh no. No. We’re not doing this.”
She laughs, and I grab her hand and start leading her up the staircase, our heels clicking against the glass. “You cannot crush on my brother. He’s a manwhore and would treat you worse than some disposable diamond bracelet. Pretty, expensive, and replaceable.”
She grins. “Don’t worry. It’s just fun to look.”
She leans in, squeezing my arm like we’ve known each other forever. “They told me you haven’t had many girlfriends. I’m guessing I’ve got a lot to teach you.”
I smile back at her, soft and real. For once, it doesn’t feel like I’m pretending to be confident. It feels like I might actually become the girl I keep trying to be.
And for the first time in years, I think:
Maybe this will be the best training I’ve ever had.
* * *
Gen’s been explaining the men-and-women dynamic for the last forty-five minutes, and honestly, I don’t think my jaw has left thefloor. Safe to say, all the TV I’ve been bingeing hasn’t painted a clear enough picture.
I’ve never been able to leave our corner of the island. Hell, I haven’t even left the perimeter of the De Luca estate. My room’s my entire world.
Living in Anova means my family’s protection is at its highest. Their protection? Sacred. You don’t break a Mafia vow here. You die with it.
