Chapter 102
ALEX
I hated stuffy, catered events that required me to mingle with the WASPs of Devil’s Creek. A few of my grandfather’s friends stopped at our table with their wives. We engaged in the obligatory boring conversations.
Everyone in our inner circle was in attendance for the Founders’ Ball.
I wondered if The Carver would make an appearance.
Would he wait until the wedding to steal me from Luca?
And why did he even care about winning me in an auction?
There were dozens of women listed for sale at the Il Circo auction. He could have easily replaced me.
As I swept through the room on Luca’s arm, I offered stories to entertain the women, leaving out the corrupt truths about my life.
The Salvatores and the Wellingtons were among the honorees.
All the founding families sat at the front of the room at a long banquet table.
Aiden was across the room, flirting and drinking with local girls.
My mother drank flutes of champagne as if Prohibition had started in the morning. Occasionally, her eyes darted across the room to Arlo.
I swiped a glass of champagne from a server’s tray and took a sip. Downing the first glass in one gulp, I licked my lips as the sweetness hit my tongue.
Savanna Cormac approached me, dressed in a black, silky gown, her blond hair pinned into a curled updo.
She sipped from a glass of champagne as she stopped beside me.
We spoke about the Devil’s Creek Belles and the future of the women’s group.
I expressed my lack of desire to lead them, but she assured me I would be better than Blair.
Sonny strolled up to us with a sexy smirk. Dressed in a bespoke suit that fit his muscular body like a glove, he slid his arm behind my back, pushing my hip into his side. “Is my mother boring you with stories about the Belles?”
I shook my head. “No, just girl talk.”
“Nothing you want to hear,” Savanna said to her son with a smile. “If you’ll excuse me, I must say hello to Patrice. That old hag will hunt me down if I don’t acknowledge her.”
She disappeared in a flash, moving through the crowd like a wraith.
“You need to turn that frown upside down,” Sonny said with a playful smile. “Everyone is watching.”
“Society parties are not my thing,” I confessed.
Sonny offered me his arm. “Dance with me.”
“Isn’t that Drake’s job?” I joked.
“You’re mine for now, Little Wellington.” His eyes traveled over my dress, scanning every inch of my body. “You look gorgeous. Like a queen. All you need is a crown.”
I smiled up at him. “Do I get one at my ceremony?”
“Luca hasn’t told you.”
I shook my head. “I think he’s waiting until that night to go into detail.”
“It doesn’t have to be so ceremonial.” Sonny waggled his eyebrows. “You remember what we did last time in the temple?” He winked. “For one night, you belong to all of us. I’m looking forward to the ceremony.”
“Why is this such a big deal?”
“Most Knights don’t get the chance to worship the new queen. There are hundreds of Knights spread throughout the country. Only the highest-ranking members take part.”
With my wedding slowly approaching, Luca’s father had already transferred his power as the Grand Master of the Knights. We only had a few more days before completing the ceremony with the Knights. I would officially become their Queen.
“Will it be like last time?” I asked him.
“The ceremony?” Sonny nodded. “Yes, the same Knights as before. I’m hoping you choose me again.”
“Like I would ever let the Knights cast you aside.”
“What about the others?”
“I have no intention of letting any of you go,” I assured him. “Has that happened in the past? Did a Queen even cast out a Knight?”
“Yes. Evangeline refused to choose one of Luca’s uncles. Because of that, he lost his trust fund and was banished from our world.”
My mouth widened in shock. “Why would she do that to him?”
“Because Claudio Salvatore disapproved of Arlo and Evangeline’s marriage. They were engaged before Arlo stole her from his brother.”
“If I had chosen Marcello over Luca, I wouldn’t have done that to Luca.”
He nodded. “That’s why Luca let you choose without forcing your hand. It wasn’t like that with Claudio and Evangeline. He was abusive and possessive. She couldn’t wait to get away from him. Arlo is a bad man, but he was good to his wife. He saved her from a life of misery.”
We finished our champagne, and Sonny took the glass from my hand, setting our empty drinks on the bar. He led me toward the band playing at the front of the room. Sonny said something to the bassist and pulled me onto the dance floor.
“What are you up to?”
“It’s a surprise. You’ll see, Little Wellington.”
Sonny slipped his fingers between mine and spun me a few times. A sly grin crossed his lips as a Tango beat filled the room. “Are you ready to show these stiffs why it’s called the forbidden dance?”
I chuckled. “You’re so bad.”
Sonny took the lead, his hand on my lower back, right above my ass. He embraced me in his strong arms, clutching my hand as he twirled me. We moved to the beat of the music, consumed by the Argentinian romantic dance.
He was light on his feet, graceful for a man his size.
I had no clue what to do, and he guided me through each step, telling me to follow his lead.
As my heels slid across the floor, I peeked over at Luca.
His eyes burned a hole through me. He looked as if he wanted to yank me from Sonny’s arms and steal a kiss from my lips.
Luca wasn’t the only one staring. Sonny’s dad stared at me with interest, with his other sons at his sides, their eyes on me. They looked like industry titans in their shiny suits, armed with delicious smiles.
When the song ended, Luca shot up from his table, adjusting the gold cufflink at his wrist as he walked over to us.
He looked good enough to eat. Dressed in a black tuxedo, he owned every speck of fabric attached to his body.
A genuine smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. I loved it when he smiled.
He clutched my hip, and Sonny loosened his grip. “Having fun, beautiful?”
My smile widened. “A blast.”
He gave me one of his signature smirks that set my panties on fire.
Arlo stood at the front of the ballroom with a glass of champagne in one hand and a microphone in the other. It was customary for the Founders to pat themselves on the back, congratulating each other for being the masters of the universe. Damian, Bastian, and Marcello stood at his sides.
“It’s showtime,” Luca said. “Are you ready?”
He pulled out my chair and took his place beside his father. My grandfather sat beside me and raised a glass of scotch to his lips. His gaze traveled around the room as he surveyed the guests’ mood.
Arlo tapped the microphone with his finger to test the volume. “Welcome, friends and Founders.”
Everyone watched him intently, hanging onto every word he spoke. Luca’s eyes found mine, his muscles stiff as his dad continued his speech. The Salvatore men were proud of their standing in the community. Kings and princes were among commoners, their imaginary crowns floating above their heads.
“ Cent’anni ,” Arlo finished with his glass raised. “To another hundred years.”
A server passed a champagne flute to my mother and then handed one to me. I downed the liquid in one gulp. The band started playing again, and now people were out of their chairs and walking toward the dance floor.
Pops extended his hand to me. “Can I have this dance?”
I beamed with excitement. “Of course.”
We moved to the dance floor, arm in arm. My dad danced with my mom, sweeping her off her feet. Pops took the lead, and I smiled at him as we danced to the slow song. Most of the room was on the floor with us, laughing and smiling. It was the perfect event, exactly how the Belles had planned.
My father yelled, “Scarlett!”
I turned in time to see my mom’s head fall backward. Her body went limp as her long blonde hair draped over my father’s arm. What the hell? I slid out of Pops’ grasp, approaching my parents with caution.
“Someone call 911,” my dad yelled.
The crowd erupted into chaos as people produced their cell phones. A woman called out that an ambulance was on its way. Pops pushed his way through the crowd to get to my mother.
I rushed to his side. “What’s wrong with her?”
“I don’t know,” he choked out with tears in his eyes. He pressed his fingers to my mom's neck to check her pulse.
My heart hammered against my ribcage, ready to escape from my chest. Dad was in shock, so Pops yanked her from his arms. We moved through the ballroom in a hurry.
Sirens blared from a distance, approaching the marina as we stepped outside. The ambulance pulled up at the curb. Pops rushed forward, cradling my mother against his chest. He exchanged a few words with the paramedics. Then, they took her body from him and laid her on a stretcher.
Pops climbed into the back of the ambulance. The crowd moved outside, surrounding us. A police car pulled up at the curb. Then came the fire truck.
Tears streamed down my face, my mascara staining my cheeks. I didn’t even realize I was crying until Luca moved behind me, the scent of sandalwood and the sea filling my nostrils. He wrapped his strong arms around my middle.
He rested his chin on my shoulder. “I want you to pretend you’re sitting at the cliff’s edge with me,” he whispered in my ear and hugged me so tight I couldn’t move. “You’re safe. I got you. Just close your eyes, Drea. Everything will be okay.”
Aiden appeared at my side and rested his hand on my shoulder. “Mom’s dead.”
Someone murdered her.
I knew who was responsible.