“Does she now?” I don’t believe it. Ciara does not want to marry me. That much was obvious when we spoke at the party. Was she behind this? The thought that I could marry a woman who’s willing to murder me…
No. She’s just a young woman who’s been sheltered all her life. There’s no way this was her.
Her brother then. Cormac hates me. But would he disobey his father and do this?
I don’t know the Sullivans enough to know what they’re capable of but I do know myself. And I know I am going to gain the power I lost. I am not going to lose another woman. I will marry Ciara and secure my deal with Patrick and that will be that.
Ciara
“Marco survived,” I hiss at Cormac as he bench presses weight I couldn’t even imagine picking up. Our private home gym is the perfect place to have these talks. Dad never works out so he never bothers to come in here.
“I know. I heard.” He grunts as he puts the barbell back in place. “The poison didn’t work. It must not have been enough to kill him right away.”
“So fix this. Kill him for me. I will not marry him.” I storm out of the room, feeling antsy and anxious. I cannot marry a man I don’t know, especially one who works for the Italian mafia. I want to choose my own life for myself. Not have it chosen for me.
One thing becomes obvious: I cannot stay cooped up in this house all day.
Dad never lets me leave anywhere without guards so I have no choice but to alert one of them to take me out to go shopping. The guard, Ian, follows behind as I go from shop to shop, buying as many clothes as I want. My dad’s credit card pays for all of it.
I walk past a bridal shop and stop. The dresses are beautiful – all shimmery and elegant. I always dreamed of my wedding day. From the flowers to the cake to the dress. But it included a man I love, not a stranger. Since Marco survived, I won’t be surprised when my dad forces me into a bridal shop to pick out a dress. I just hope Cormac can get rid of Marco before I have to marry him. Is it wrong to commit murder? Yes. But this is the mafia and I don’t really care.
My mind flashes back to meeting Marco and how handsome I thought he was when I first laid eyes on him. I felt breathless, I’ll admit. But his good looks can’t make up for thefact that he’s clearly an asshole. He wants to marry me for this deal and has no intentions of treating me with respect.
I resume walking.
“Ciara, it’s time we return home,” Ian tells me. Screw that. I can’t go home yet. I need to have some fun. A little act of rebellion since my father insists on controlling my life.
I just have to get past Ian first.
“Just one more shop,” I say, batting my eyelashes.
He falters. “All right.” None of my dad’s guards can say no to me. They’ve all known me since I was a kid and have a soft spot for me, which I use to my advantage. I’m willing to do what it takes to get what I want, even if it means manipulating people.
I go into the nearest clothing store. Ian follows behind, keeping his distance. I pick out a summer dress and go into a changing room. I don’t bother trying on the dress. That’s not what I’m here for.
I peek out the door to see Ian flipping through a rack of clothes. His back is to me. Perfect.
Slipping out of the changing room, I tiptoe past him and walk right out the door. It won’t take Ian long to discover that I’m gone. The moment I’m outside, I take off running to the nearest subway station. I’ve been driven around my entire life but I have money and I’m capable of buying myself a ticket.
My heart is pounding the entire time as I buy a ticket and rush to the nearest train. I get on it right as I see Ian enter the station. The subway takes off before he can get to me. With a sigh, I slump onto a chair and tell myself to breathe. I’m all right. I can do this.
I ride the train for a while before getting off in Manhattan. I know exactly what I need: a night of fun.
The sun has gone down and a new set of people are coming out. There’s a darkness to the air and it has nothing to do with the sun being gone. I notice men glance in my direction and I pick up my pace. My eyes land on a lit up building with a long line out front. A nightclub. Perfect. I’m over eighteen. Surely, they’ll let me inside.
A night of dancing is just what I need to forget all about Marco and how he survived Cormac’s attempt on his life.
The nightclub is packed with people when I enter with a stamp on my hand. At twenty, they won’t let me drink. That’s fine. I don’t need to be drunk. I just want to dance.
I make my way to the dance floor and jump around with all the other people beside me. I let out a shout and a woman beside me laughs, holding up her drink. I smile back. Thisis what freedom is. Getting lost in a crowd of bodies. Dancing the night away. Nothing could be better than this.
…Until I see Marco Amato himself coming my way.
I stumble to a halt. “What are you doing here?” I shout above the music.
He’s upright, looking healthy like he wasn’t just poisoned a day ago. “I came out for a fun night. What a coincidence I would find you here.”
I cross my arms. “Were you stalking me?”
