“Look…” Nico pinched the bridge of his nose, suddenly all serious. “He asked me to protect you. To be close if things go wrong.”
“Wrong?” I echoed. “The wedding’s in less than twenty-four hours. I highly doubt anything will go….”
“This marriage ties two of the most powerful vampire lines in the D’Immortali Dynasty,” he interrupted. “Half of Venice is looking for an excuse to burn the Dynasty down. Trust me, somethingwillgo wrong tomorrow night. Your future husband trustsmeto anticipate the threat, then head it off before chaos ensues.”
My mouth went dry.Was I the threat he was heading off?
Three days ago, with hate in my heart and vengeance running through my blood, I’d been trapped in this looming marriage.
Nobody gave me a choice.
In return, I hadn’t given a single shit about what happened to the Dynasty or the Dominicos. I’d wanted everything to burn, just like they’d burned me.
But now… after what I’d seen tonight, these people weren’t the craven overlords my uncle had always made them out to be. And after these past few days, I realized a lot of innocent people relied on the Dynasty for stability.
Without the Dynasty, could my uncle promise something better once he became Don?
Much like my brother suggested… I doubted it.
“Then I gratefully accept your protection, Niccolò Draconi,” I told him diplomatically. “Let us hope everyone is too exhausted from the rigors of the Blood Compact banquet to turn our wedding into a bloodbath.”
Nico’s eyes flashed with something I couldn’t name. Humor? Sympathy?
“Get used to me,principessa,” he warned in a low voice. “My babysitting duties extend far beyond today. Think of me as a… more permanent fixture in your life.”
I forced my expression back into polite boredom, instead of panic. “I don’t need a babysitter. Besides, surely Gabriel doesn’t mean for me to… live with him?”
Gods, why was this just occurring to me now? All this time, I’d thought the ceremony would be the worst part of this process; I’d never imagined—never even considered—the marriage would be anything other than a facade.
“Living togetherwouldbe logical. You will be his wife.” He met my eyes again. “Gabriel trusts me with his life. Which means I have to be sure about who I allow to get close.”
“I don’t let anyone get close to my family either, Nico. And I’m not planning on stabbing Gabriel on our wedding night if that’s your worry,” I used my most reassuring tone, tasting the words, trying to see if they sounded true.
Waiting for him to laugh and tell me I was being ridiculous.
Darkness flickered in his gaze, sharper than a blade. “Gabriel trusts me witheverythingin his life that is important,” he proclaimed, drawing out the words. “You are now included in that everything,principessa. He wants you safe, but my guess is, he wants you to be happy as well. Happy wife, much less strife, or something like that.”
“That’s not even close,” I rolled my eyes. “Besides, happiness is impossible, given I’ll be in a cage.” I slanted him a look, trying to ignore how close he was. How completelyoverwhelminghe was. “Though you do make the bars prettier.”
“Saints, you’re wasted here,” he teased.
It was pathetic how quickly that dangerous smile sent my heart thumping.
“Tell that to my uncle,” I said sharply. “Or Don Marcello. Perhaps, if you’re lucky, he’ll arrange a marriage for you, too.”
“I prefer to arrange my own disasters.” His grin finally came back, cocky, infuriating as he prowled toward the entryway. “Speaking of which, my time is up. I should go before your brother returns. But we’re not finished.”
My fingers twitched toward the knife at my wrist as I followed him. “I was under the impression this was a permanent intrusion into my privacy. Could I be so lucky as to have you deliver your warning, terrify the bride, and vanish back into the night?”
“Oh, Emberline.” He uttered my name like he was tasting every letter, rolling it around on his tongue. “I haven’t even started terrifying you yet.”
I asked the question, curious, despite myself. “Should I be afraid?”
“Most definitely,” he said cheerfully. “But not of me.”
“Then of what?”
He reached for me, and I reared back, but he only chuckled and plucked at my hair. “Of how much you’re going to enjoy this.” He chuckled. “You only think you’re about to be trapped, but in reality, you’re about to be released from your gilded cage. You’ll finally get to use all those lovely knives on something other than straw dummies.”
