I threaded my arm through Luca’s.Stop this, brother. You’re only antagonizing him. Let’s see what he wants.
He dropped the wards, Em. He’s here to kill you; can’t you see that?
Trust me, brother, if he wanted me dead, I’d already be dead,I told him, squeezing his arm for emphasis. He’s here to deliver a message. Let’s hear what the Don has to say that’s so important.
“I remember you from the ceremony. Well,afterthe ceremony.” My smile was just this side of vapid, sweet and empty, exactly what he would expect from my pathetically weak bloodline.See? I’m not a threat at all. Just a pretty, spoiled girl.
“Niccolò Draconi,” he tipped his head to the side, eyes narrowed. “Most people call me Nico.”
“Then I suggest you take this message back to your master,Nico,” Luca said, stepping in front of me. “My sister doesn’t take orders from you or the Don. She’s nobody’s pawn.”
For fuck’s sake, Luca, stop acting like this, I scolded, pinning his arm tighter between us.You’re going to get yourself killed.
“Ouch.” Nico pressed a hand over his heart. “Insulting my diplomacy and my chess skills in one breath. Impressive for someone who’sappena un cucciolo.”
“Luca,” I warned. “It’s all right. If Don Marcello sent him, I should hear what he has to say. Just… give us a few minutes alone,please.”
My brother hesitated, jaw working. I could almost see the battle inside him—duty to family, his overprotective instinct to shield me from danger, especially from the Dominicos. Finally, he muttered something foul under his breath.
“Five minutes,” he warned, his pointing finger so close to Nico’s mouth, I almost expected him tobite.“Then I want you gone.”
Nico smiled, showing just enough fang to be considered rude. “Duly noted. I’ll try very hard to keep to your strict schedule, pup.”
Luca’s hand brushed mine once before he stalked away down the corridor, shoulders still rigid. A door slammed shut in the distance.
I turned back to Nico, letting my smile widen a fraction. “Well, now that you’ve thoroughly insulted my brother, what brings you here, Nico? Is this a social call, or would you like a tour?” Something dangerous rose to the surface, and I grit my teeth against everything I wanted to say right now. “As I understood the terms, the Brotherhood was to remain outside our walls, not lounging against them.”
Okay, so I wasn’t completely above letting my temper take control.
As I led him into the sitting room, his pale gaze roamed everywhere, taking in the frescoes, the crystal chandelier, and the DiRavello crest worked into the marble beneath his boots. “This is… nice,” he said solemnly. “A bit like living inside a mausoleum, but I suppose some people enjoy that.”
I put a hand to my chest. “Saints preserve us. A member of the Draconi Brotherhood has opinions on interior design. I thought you only liked sharp, pointy things, preferably stained with the blood of your enemies.”
He tossed his head back and laughed, a real, genuine laugh, something so real about it, I could only stare. It had been a long time since anyone had laughed like that around me, maybe since Luca and I were children, and I realized how much I’d missed the sound.
But now was not the time to get sentimental over the past; I had a part to play.
I dropped onto the silk couch, softened my eyes, andpitched my voice into the airy register that made Enzo’s friends all coo about what asweet girlI was.
“So, Nico Draconi.” I gestured to the chair opposite, heart thundering when the bastard dropped downright beside me, his enormous, muscled thigh pressed against mine. It took me a second to regroup, to straighten my back, cram myself onto the corner of the cushions so he wasn’t sucking up all my personal space.
“Why are you here?” I demanded, that calm, airy register turning to an irritated huff. “Did the Don send you over to escort me to my fate? You’re a bit early. By my reckoning, I still have a few more hours of freedom left before my looming nuptials. But never fear, the DiRavellos value loyalty. I’ll be ready to sign my life away on the dotted line.”
His eyes sharpened. “You talk about your wedding like it’s the end of the world.”
“Isn’t it?” I tilted my head, blinking. “Funny, nobody asked me what I wanted. I figured my only duty is to look pretty and keep my mouth shut while the males broker their power deals.”
The bastard leaned closer. Close enough for me to smell freshly spilled blood, sweat, and a faint, fruity scent. “You don’t strike me as the keeping your mouth shut type.”
I widened my eyes. “No? What type do I strike you as, Signor Draconi?”
He tilted his head, considering me. “At first, I thought you were nothing but a pampered princess. Spoiled and weak, in all the ways aristocrats are. But…”
I held my breath, fingers ready to pull a knife.
“Now I’m wondering if you aren’t the dangerous kind.” He studied my face a shade too closely. “The kind that puts up a very good front, capable of fooling most of the vampires around them. Except peeling off masks is my job,Emberline. And I’m very, very good at finding the truth. Some say… an expert in my field.”
For one long moment, we stared at each other, predator to predator, neither of us blinking.
