"There's some good news," he says. "It's about your sister Chloe."
My eyes widen. "Did you find her?"
"I contacted her husband,” he says. "She's safe."
My eldest sister, Chloe, is married to Max Montgomery. He's an American billionaire with family ties to one of Italy's three major mafia families.
“You’re sure?” I ask.
"Your mother lured your sisters to the auction, but she wasn't able to hurt them in any way," he says. "I spoke with them earlier this morning. Both of your sisters are safe.”
"Did you tell them about me?" I ask.
"Yes, I even invited them to the wedding," he says. "I gave them the wrong date, but it's the gesture that counts, right?"
"They know about the contract?" I ask.
"Nobody knows about the contract except for Enzo,” Dante says. “And that’s only because I trust him like a brother."
"Aww," Enzo calls out from the couch.
"Stop eavesdropping on our conversation," Dante snaps. And then he turns to me, his face serious. "Nobody can ever find out that it’s a temporary arrangement. You understand that, right?”
I nod. “Yeah. Of course.”
The easygoing banter from before is replaced by reality. This is what we are. It's just terms and conditions. Nothing more, nothing less.
"Fuck. Me," Enzo says from the couch.
Both of us turn to look at him. He's frozen as he stares at the news playing on the screen.
Dante stands abruptly and walks toward the TV, tension pulling across his shoulders. I walk in after him and look at the screen. Everything is in Italian, so I study the flashing images.
Helicopters. Flashing lights. And a large building that's been burned to the ground.
“He actually did it," Dante whispers.
"Who did what?" I glance between the two of them.
"This is going to change everything," Enzo says, exhaling slowly.
A man's face is shown on the screen. The photograph alone turns my blood into ice. I don't know him, but I fear him already.
He looks like something from another realm—icy-blue eyes and a long beard. There's a tint to his hair. It's a strange shade of black that looks almost...blue when the light hits it.
I place my hand on Dante's bicep. He turns to look at me.
"That's Don Savastano,” he tells me. "He escaped from prison."
22
DANTE
I’m running out of time.
I thought I would have longer, but my boss's escape from prison means that I'll have to double down on my efforts. I told myself I was doing everything I could, but clearly, that's not enough.
"Are you okay?" Grace's soft voice pulls me out of my racing thoughts. I want to remain in her sweetness, but everything is about to turn upside down now.
