Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
Sofia
I t takes me three days to realize that Nero is avoiding me. In his defense, though, he’s doing it so expertly that it won’t be noticeable to anybody else.
I’m not anybody else, though.
I’ve spent far too many years sitting in the corner of a room and ignored like a room decoration. I entertained myself by observing the other occupants of the room and taking note of everything.
The first time I walk into the dining room just as he’s leaving, I don’t think too much about it. The realization finally clicks when I’m taking a walk around the compound and run into him smoking at the back.
“Nero—”
He cuts me off with a brisk nod. “Mrs. Lucchese.” And then he turns around and disappears around the corner.
I make to go after him, but the sound of someone calling for me from behind me stops me in my tracks, and I turn around to see one of Sebastian’s guards.
“Mrs. Lucchese.” He motions at the house. “You have guests, and Mr. Lucchese requests your presence inside.”
I gulp, dreading being anywhere close to my husband. Time hasn’t improved his feelings toward me at all. On the contrary, his words have become sharper, crueler. I don’t know what he wants from me, and I feel inadequate in every aspect.
As a wife, as a lover, and as the mistress of this house.
I follow the suited guard into the house and to one of the smaller living rooms. Even from some distance, I can hear a mixture of voices coming from the room. I hear my husband’s laughter, and the cowardly thought of turning around and go back to my room because I’ll only ruin his happiness crosses my mind.
Steeling my spine, I walk into the room, and five pairs of eyes land on mine.
“Hello.” I force my mouth to curl up into a welcoming smile.
“Come on in!” A blonde woman who looks about my age jumps up to her feet and approaches me, a welcoming smile on her face.
The others remain stony-faced, including my husband, and I decide to keep my focus on the blonde. If memory serves me correctly, I think she’s Sebastian’s cousin.
“We didn’t get to introduce ourselves properly at the wedding, and what a shame, right? I’m Marisa, and you must remember Viviana,” she turns to the older woman by her side, “my sister. And then that’s Uncle Pietro and Cousin Rosa.”
“I remember everybody,” I lie and from the way Viviana’s mouth presses into a thin line, I can tell she doesn’t believe me. “Welcome to our home.”
“Our?” Pietro turns narrowed eyes on my husband. “I see she’s already made herself quite at home.”
“Don’t worry, Uncle.” When Sebastian’s eyes meet mine, I shiver at the look in his eyes. He is still pissed at me. “She knows her place.”
“As she should,” Viviana adds with a touch of sharpness. “It’s all too common for some women to forget where they belong and start overstepping?—”
Marisa interrupts with a light laugh. “Oh, stop it. She’s hardly a threat, so sweet and innocent.” I stare at her gratefully, and something in my chest starts to warm at her defense of me. Maybe Marisa and I can become friends, because right now, I feel so alone and isolated. It’s probably why I still continue to wait up for Nero in the greenhouse.
“Your taste in character has always been... interesting,” Rosa remarks with a knowing smirk. I turn my head to see her rubbing her swollen belly. “After all, didn’t you think Ivano was your prince charming?”
“Oh, shut it,” Marisa spits, and the two women stare each other down, tension crackling between them.
“Let bygones be bygones,” Pietro laughs, waving his hand in the air, but I have the feeling that the issue between the women is far from being just something from the past.
“Sebastian, darling,” Viviana gasps, her voice full of outrage. “Don’t you think your wife’s attire is a bit... underwhelming for meeting guests?”
My husband’s eyes drift over to me, but he merely shrugs.
At that moment, a dark shadow fills the door, and my eyes are immediately drawn to the newcomer. Nero is in a dark navy t-shirt and fitted black jeans—the very picture of a man who doesn’t care for rules.
“Castello,” the older man lets out a booming laugh. “I thought someone was having fun at my expense when they told me you showed up at the wedding.”
“Pietro,” he nods and then walks into the room, settling on a single couch a little bit apart from us. “You haven’t aged a day.”
I use the opportunity to study the expressions of the women. While Marisa looks shocked, Viviana is trying too hard to maintain a blank expression, and Rosa looks calculative.
“You still prefer that rugged look, I see,” Viviana chides with a hint of disapproval. “It’s a wonder anyone takes you seriously.”
“And on the matter of dressing,” Rosa drawls, “Sebastian, you might want to reconsider your wife’s wardrobe. After all, you wouldn’t want people talking about how she’s... lacking in certain areas.”
The light blue dress I have on hits just an inch above my knee, and the collar is a decent boatneck that doesn’t show any hint of cleavage, while the dark-haired Rosa is wearing a dress with a neckline that plunges way down, flaunting her surgically enhanced breasts.
“Rosa!” Marisa barks. “You can’t say things like that. She’s family.”
She raises her hands in mock surrender and replies sarcastically, “My bad. Just looking out for family .”
I look down at the dress in question. It’s Chanel and the cost of it is five figures, more than enough to feed a small family. There’s nothing inappropriate about the dress, but I’m guessing Rosa just wants to feel the illusion of having power over me.
Sebastian’s gentle but firm tone has me looking up. “Sofia, go up to your room and change into something else. And then have the staff start preparations for a late lunch.”
Marisa’s eyes are apologetic, but I ignore her and the other occupants of the room, including the man sitting at the very back, legs spread and looking for all the world like a King seated on his throne of gold.
As soon as I’m out of the room, I let out a sigh of relief and then hurry away to my room to change. I’m not going back there if I can help it. I’m sure I can find a million things to do between now and when I’ll have to join them for lunch.
I slip on a dark gray dress with pleated flare at the bottom, then hurry down to the kitchen.
The rest of the day is a blur of kitchen instructions and hurrying from one end of the house to another to make sure everything is perfect. I may not have directly cooked, but supervising about ten people to meet everyone’s dietary needs can be just as stressful. At the end of it all, I’m only able to push the food I worked so hard for around my plate.
“The steak is a bit overdone, don’t you think?”
“I guess we’re going light on the greens tonight.”
“So, this is what passes for a family meal?”
I endure the subtle jabs and veiled insults with a practiced smile, willing the time to pass quickly. Relief washes over me when I finally see their cars disappear beyond the gate.
But the moment is fleeting. Barely a second later, Sebastian pulls me aside and corners me, his fingers digging into my arm as he forces me closer.
His blue eyes bore into mine, cold and calculating, devoid of any warmth. His lips curl into a mocking grin as he leans in, his voice a low, dangerous murmur. “Next time you decide to play hostess in front of my family, I’d think twice. You’re not here to impress anyone.”
“I didn’t show off at all,” I protest, my voice trembling as I fight back tears. “You saw how they came at me, and you barely said anything.”
He tightens his hold, his fingers digging into my skin, sending a sharp pain shooting through my arm. “Maybe if you knew how to keep your head down, they wouldn’t have a reason to come at you.”
“You’re being unreasonable, Sebastian,” I manage to say, trying to stay calm, even as my heart pounds in my chest.
“This is the last time you’ll embarrass me, Sofia,” he says, his voice low and controlled. “You’ve been nothing but a constant source of trouble—always talking back, always ungrateful. One of these days, you’ll push me too far.”
I wrap my fingers around his wrist, trying to loosen his hold, desperate for some semblance of control. “If this is about that night, then this is low, even for you.”
His expression darkens, and a flicker of something unreadable passes through his eyes before he quickly dismisses it. “ That night ? You think I care about that? I couldn’t give a damn about your misplaced guilt. Just do your duty, Sofia, and maybe—just maybe —we’ll get through this.”
A small, satisfied smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth as he releases me, shoving me away with a force that sends me stumbling backward. I fall to my knees on the rough cobblestones, the sharp edges cutting into my skin, but the pain is nothing compared to the suffocating sense of helplessness that wraps around me.
For a moment, I stay there, trying to catch my breath, my chest heaving with suppressed sobs. Slowly, I stagger to my feet, each step toward the wrought iron gates heavy with the weight of my humiliation.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry, but you’re not allowed to leave the?—”
“Open the damned gates,” I rasp, startled by the venom in my own voice, but too crushed to care. It still feels like I can’t breathe, and it has more to do with this house feeling like a prison than Sebastian’s hand being wrapped around my throat a few minutes ago.
“I’m not running away. I just need a break. Where would I even run to?”
Something in my voice must get to the guard, or maybe I look too pathetic to even attempt something as rebellious as running away, because a moment later, he unlatches the gate, and I take a cautious step out of the house. Like magic, air fills my lungs, and my vision begins to clear.
A real smile splits my face as I walk farther away from the house. Ahead of me, the sun is just beginning to set, and the sky is a brilliant golden pink color. There’s a cool breeze, and the trees wave around lazily.
I’ve always wanted to live in a place like this. For all of its shortcomings, the Lucchese house is in a picturesque location, surrounded by so much vegetation with stunning views from every corner of the house.
It’s paradise from the outside, and the complete opposite—at least for me—on the inside. I’ve been a loner all my life, but the isolation I feel inside that house is crippling. A few more years of living like that, and I’ll surely go crazy.
I’ve just reached the path leading up to the bus stop, just beyond the Lucchese estate, waiting for the next bus to arrive. I’ve never had to take public transportation before—being driven everywhere my entire life has left me oblivious to the most basic routines.
The streets are a bit lifeless today. Not that I’ve ever been outside of the house or in these parts to know any better. I’m still debating whether to stop by my favorite café in the historic center or just find a quiet spot in the park to clear my mind.
I’m so lost in my thoughts that it takes me a moment to notice the man who appears out of nowhere and is suddenly in front of me. I let out a terrified shriek when he whips out something from his pocket, and the glint of the blade catches my eye.
“Now, lady,” he smiles, yellowish teeth flashing at me, “I don’t want to have to hurt you.”
“W-who are you? What do you want?” My heart pounds in my chest, and my knees knock against each other. Even though I was born and raised in the Cosa Nostra, I’ve never actually experienced any of the danger and death of my world. As a woman, I’ve always been shielded from the more unsavory sides of this life.
“As I said, I don’t want to hurt you,” he continues, taking a step closer, his rancid smell filling my nose. “You’re a pretty little thing, and I’d hate to have to wreck that face. All you have to do is hand over your jewelry.” His eyes sweep down my frame and turn leery. “And that dress.”
“O-okay,” my stomach churns, and just as I reach for the clasp of my necklace, the sound of something whizzes past my cheek.
A scream is ripped from the man’s mouth, and I see red start to spread over his shoulder. I stagger backward and almost lose my footing on the uneven floor, but I fall back into a hard wall of muscle, and I know who it is even before he speaks.
“You alright, Princess?”
My lashes flutter at the sound of that deep, raspy voice. “Nero.”
He shifts away from me and heads for the groaning man trying to slip away while clutching his bleeding shoulder. I watch in a mixture of fascination and horror as Nero’s long strides eat up the distance between them, and then he grabs the man by his hurt shoulder and yanks him backward.
Another scream tears through the empty street, and then Nero raises his large fists. I follow the trajectory of that fist till it comes down on the man’s face. I stagger back at the sound of bones crunching.
Oh God .
The man falls to the ground, and Nero stares down at him for one moment, where my breath catches in my throat. When his boot comes down on the screaming man’s kneecap, I cover my mouth with my hands. I want to look away, but at the same time, I can’t. He’s raw power and beauty, but he’s also a monster.
The beautiful monster raises his knee again.
“Please, please! I wasn’t going to harm the lady. I’m not a bad man, I’m just?—”
I never get to hear the rest of what he has to say, because Nero’s boot comes down on his head. And then again and again and again. There’s so much blood and— oh God .
Dark eyes meet mine. “You shouldn’t be walking around unprotected, Sofia.”
I like how he says my name.
I shake my head to clear that inappropriate thought. I shouldn’t be thinking that with a dead body lying between us.
“Wha—what? Should that even be the issue, right now? Did you follow me here?”
He cocks his head and then digs out a cigarette. “Is that the thank you I get for saving your life?”
“You followed me here.” It’s not a question this time. “Why? Why have you been avoiding me?”
“Watch your step, Princess.” I don’t realize I’ve been stepping closer to him and I’m now barely an inch from the smashed-up body till he speaks.
The smell of copper fills my nose, and I turn away, fighting the urge to retch.
“Let’s just go home.” His large hand lands on my shoulder and begins to urge me in the direction of the house. We walk the rest of the way home like that, with me two steps in front of him and him smoking his cigarettes and stalking me back to the house like a menacing shadow.