Marco is quiet for a moment, then shakes his head. “I don’t like it. This is messy, Nico. Really fucking messy.”
“I know. But we’re already in it. Find Sienna. Quietly. Before anyone else does. This stays between us, no one else knows we have the wrong sister.”
He studies me for a beat too long, then a slow, shit-eating grin spreads across his face. “Wait… you sure you didn’t grab the wrong girl on purpose?”
“Fuck off, Marco.”
He chuckles, but it fades quickly. “How is she?”
“Feisty as hell,” I mutter. “Won’t stop running her mouth. I need to put a guard on her. Send for Daniel.”
Daniel is one of my most reliable soldiers, disciplined, quiet, and ruthlessly loyal. He’s not easily distracted. If anyone can handle her without losing control, it’s him.
Marco nods and stands. “I’ll get on finding Sienna.”
I give him a nod, and the moment he leaves, I exhale the tension I’ve been holding, exhaustion and irritation warring in my chest. A minute later, a knock sounds. Daniel’s broad frame steps in. “Boss.”
“The Caruso girl is in the east wing suite. You’re now her personal guard. Twenty-four seven. She doesn’t leave that room without my permission. She doesn’t talk to anyone but me. Make sure she doesn’t try to escape, or harm herself. You keep her alive and contained. If she gets so much as a scratch that isn’t from me, I’ll take it out of your skin. Understood?”
Daniel doesn’t flinch. “Yes, Boss.”
“Good. Go.”
He nods once and turns on his heel, disappearing down the hall.
I lean back in my chair and close my eyes for a second. Fuck! I still can’t believe we have the wrong sister. Something tells me this one is going to be a hell of a lot more trouble than the one I was supposed to take.
CHAPTER FIVE
Eleonora
The zip tie digs deeper into my wrists every time I twist against it. I’ve been working at it for what feels like hours, since Nico stormed out, but the plastic only bites harder, burning into my skin. A wince escapes me as fresh pain flares up my arms.
The room he left me in is beautiful, and under a different circumstance I’d have loved it. Tall ceilings with heavy crown molding, deep navy walls that feel like they’re closing in, and a massive four-poster bed draped in charcoal silk. Crystal lamps cast a soft, golden glow over dark wood furniture that probably costs more than most people’s houses.
There’s even a damn fireplace with a marble mantel, and floor-to-ceiling windows covered by thick velvet drapes that block any view of the outside. It’s luxurious. Cold. And every inch screams that I’m not getting out of here unless he decides I am.
What is he going to do now that he knows I’m not Sienna?
When he pressed that gun to my forehead, there was zero doubt in those whisky-brown eyes. He would have pulled the trigger. I still feel the ghost of cold steel against my skin, the way his gaze darkened, flat, empty, lethal. A violent shiver races down my spine.
I shake my head hard, forcing the tears pooling in my eyes to retreat. Fear won’t help me. It never has. I need to be strong. Smart. I need to find a way out of this.
Sienna… God, I hope they’re far away by now. Far enough that Papa, Gallo, and Nico can’t find them. He knows he took the wrong sister now. He’ll go looking for her.
Knowing she’s out there somewhere, finally free, with the man she loves… that she has a real chance at happiness, that makes every second of this nightmare worth it. I close my eyes for a second and pray none of these monsters ever get their hands on her.
The sound of the lock clicking stops me mid-pace. The door swings open.
Nico walks in, his suit jacket now gone, shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. My eyes catch on his forearms, strong, corded with muscle, wrapped in dark, intricate ink that disappears under the fabric. I find myself staring, tracing the patterns before I can stop myself.
“Done?” His voice is low, amused.
I jerk my gaze away, cheeks burning.Idiot.
“What?” I snap, trying to cover my slip. “Have you told your men about the little fuck-up yet?”
I know I shouldn’t be poking the bear, but the words fly out before I can stop them. He ignores the jab completely.
