"Earth to Emilia," Letty said as she waved her hand in front of my face.
"Sorry, I was overthinking." I shook my head and turned to follow Trixie. Letty laced her arm through mine.
"It's going to be fine," she whispered. Turning to look at her, the genuine smile she was giving me almost made me believe it.
Quietly, we moved through the hallway, and Trixie opened a small door. I'd seen it while wandering, and thought it was such a funny size, but I hadn't dared to open it. It looked like it might lead to a closet or utility space, something mundane and uninteresting.
A long, dark hallway appeared, and we stepped inside. The air was cooler here, musty and old. With a sizzle and flutter, a dim light came on, making it possible to see a few feet in front of us. The walls were stone, rough and ancient. "This runs the length of the house," Trixie whispered as she started walking again. "You can get to almost every room, but sometimes the passageways just dead-end. I think it was to confuse people if they ever got in here."
She ran her hand along the wall and pushed. What had looked like just a wall opened to a set of stairs. The mechanism was smooth, well-oiled, despite its age. "This goes to the basement, and then you can get to the tunnel that will take you outside the property. That's how Aunt Eleanore escaped her arranged marriage, but then she got in trouble and ended up in a marriage auction." She turned and looked at me. "That's how she ended up in Texas, married to Walker Drake. An arranged marriage to a marriage auction, that's shit luck, but she's happynow, I guess." Trixie shrugged and turned to me, "the door to the outside has an alarm on it now, so he'll be notified if you try to leave." Her eyes were so focused on me that it made me a little scared.
Was she warning me not to run? Or just letting me know the house was safe. Little did she know that my being locked in the house was safer for me than being outside these walls.
"Come on, I'll take you somewhere good." She grinned, and a pit in my stomach knew good meant maybe not so good for me. That mischievous glint in her gold eyes spelled trouble.
We followed her down the narrow hallway, turned left and right until I was so lost I'd never make it back. The passages twisted and turned, some wide enough to walk comfortably, others forcing us to turn sideways. Letty and I were whispering when Trixie turned and held up a finger for us to be quiet. She pointed to a duct, and I could hear someone talking.
It was men’s voices, more than two, maybe three. They were laughing and talking over one another. "I think she will be an asset to you, Nico." A voice I didn't recognize said.
"But can I trust her?" That was Nico, his deep voice distinctive and one I've heard in my dreams since I met him.
I waited to hear a response, but none came. The silence stretched, heavy and uncomfortable. Nobody in that room knew if I could be trusted. The only person who knew that was me, and I wasn't even sure about it.
"She's stunning, and should be a good fuck no matter what." My sharp inhale made my friends look at me after the next man spoke, making the room erupt in laughter. The sound echoed through the duct, cruel and casual.
"I'm going to kill him in his sleep," I whispered, not sure if it was loud enough for anyone to hear, but the stink eye given to me from Trixie let me know she'd heard.
Suddenly, a blinding light shone into the hallway, and I was staring at the crotch of one of the men. As I looked up, I saw it wasn't just one of the men; it was Nico. He crouched down and smirked. "Hi fiancé." I could see he was trying to hide a smile, his eyes moving from me to his sister.
"Trixie, I thought we'd discussed eavesdropping in the tunnel?" He reached in, and I took his hand, tired of crouching by the ductwork. His palm was warm, strong as he pulled me up.
The three of us stepped out into the huge room. There were books lining the walls, floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with leather-bound volumes, and beautiful arched windows shrouded in darkness, and I wondered which part of the yard we were facing. A fire crackled in the hearth, casting dancing shadows across the space.
Only two other men sat in the room, Lorenzo and Antonio, and they were both grinning. "We knew you were there. The three of you weren't exactly quiet. Your giggles floated through the hallways," Nico said, looking down at me, as he slid his hand around my lower back and rested it on my hip.
"I also put an alarm on the door, so I'd know if anyone found the tunnel." He looked over at Trixie this time and arched his brow.
"You're no fun," she said, crossing her arms and flopping onto the sofa beside Lorenzo. The older man put his arms around her and patted her shoulder while he laughed.
I leaned into Nico's side and let my head rest on his shoulder. The wine was making everything soft, making me forget why I shouldn't trust this feeling. "You should sleep," he said quietly. "You've had a long few days." All I could do was nod. He wasn't wrong; the last four days had been a whirlwind of emotions and circumstances, and tomorrow I'd be marrying a man who was a stranger to me.
We moved toward the door, and Trixie stood to follow. "You both can wait. I want a word with Emilia." His voice was almost menacing, and I just wanted to curl up in a ball and die.
Silently, we walked out to the hall and turned toward my room. It was only a few doors down. "All that walking and we only went that far?" I huffed, and Nico let a small chuckle escape, but didn't say anything.
He opened the door to my room and guided me in. His hand never left my back, warm and steady. "Look, Nico, I'm sorry we were in the tunnels. Trixie thought it would be fun." I threw my hands up and let them fall against my legs. The sharp slap against the silk pyjama shorts made me frown.
"I don't care that you were in there. I remember my first time, and I bet you're more confused than mapping the layout of my home. In a matter of a few hours, you'll be free to go anywhere you want on this property, so it's not a concern." He moved closer to me, reaching for my hands. "I want you to know we were just joking, we knew you were in there. What Lorenzo and Antonio said was to get a rise out of you three."
"But you can't trust me, Nico. You might not have intended to say it, but it's the truth." I pulled my hands from his and took a few steps backward.
He put his hands in his pockets and narrowed his focus so it was like there was nothing else more important than me. "I can trust you, because I've studied you over the last few days. When we were attacked downtown, you didn't make a move to help your father's men; in fact, you warned me someone was there. Tonight, you spent minimal time with your family, and staked your claim when you thought someone was overstepping. You made a mistake letting me see all those things." He took a step, and I took one back.
"Only I don't think it was a mistake, I think you've been wanting a safe place for years. You've found that in my home, inmy family, and you're craving it." Again, he stepped closer to me, and I backed up but bumped into the bed. The mattress hit the back of my knees.
Why did this man have to be so observant? And how had I let my mask slip so much that he'd been able to see it?
"I'll see you in a few hours," he said in my ear, his breath warm against my skin. Lowering his head, he brushed his lips across mine, so lightly I wasn't sure they'd even connected. With my eyes still closed, I heard the quiet click of the door.
