Chapter 12
I pull the car into the mansion's circular driveway, cutting the engine. The silence between us feels heavier now that we're not moving. I stare at the grand entrance of the Feretti home, my mind racing with all the things I shouldn't say.
But I can't let her walk away without asking.
I turn in my seat to face her. "Are you sure about this? Marrying Bruno?"
Her eyes widen slightly, surprise flickering across her face before she schools her expression. "Excuse me?"
"The engagement. To Bruno Sartori." My voice sounds rougher than I intended. "Are you sure that's what you want?"
She unbuckles her seatbelt slowly, her movements deliberate. Instead of getting out of the car, she shifts in her seat to face me directly.
"It's not your place to ask. Either way, why would you care?" she asks, her voice soft but direct.
Fuck.
I remain silent, jaw clenched, eyes locked on hers.
She slides closer, the leather seat creaking beneath her.
"Why, Daniel?" Her voice drops lower, almost a whisper. "Why does it matter to you who I marry?"
She's too close. Close enough that I can see the flecks of gold in her brown eyes, the slight tremble in her lower lip.
Why do I care? Because every time I look at her, something inside me breaks and rebuilds itself. Because the thought of Bruno Sartori putting his hands on her makes me want to put a bullet between his eyes.
Because I've spent two years watching her fight her way back from hell, and the idea of her sacrificing herself to that entitled prick makes me sick.
"Daniel?" Her voice is barely audible now, a whisper that slides under my skin.
I shouldn't care. This isn't my place. I'm her security, not her savior. Not her lover. Not anything that matters beyond keeping her alive.
But I do care. Too much. Enough that it's compromising my judgment.
She deserves better than being traded like a commodity. Better than Bruno's hands on her body, his ring on her finger. Better than being another chess piece in this endless war between families.
Better than me.
That's the truth I can't escape. My hands have too much blood on them. My mind is a battlefield of its own. What could I possibly offer her except more darkness?
"You don't have to do this," I finally say, my voice rough. "There are other ways."
Her eyes search mine, looking for something I'm not sure I can give her. "Are there?"
She moves even closer now. Her hand reaches up, fingers brushing against my lapel before curling into the fabric.
My control slips. I lean forward, drawn to her like gravity.
"Lu," I whisper.
Her eyes flutter closed, her lips parting slightly. I can feel her breath against my mouth, the smallest space separating us.
A sharp knock on the window shatters the moment.
Lu jerks back, her hand releasing my jacket as if burned. I turn to see Hazel Taylor standing outside the car, her expression apologetic as she realizes what she's interrupted.
"I'm sorry," Hazel mouths through the glass, taking a step back.
The spell breaks completely. Lu straightens her dress, composing herself in seconds.
"We should go inside," she says, not looking at me as she reaches for the door handle.
I nod, professional mask sliding back into place despite the storm raging inside me. "Yes, ma'am."
The moment is gone, but the memory of her fingers on my lapel, her breath against my lips, burns into my mind like a brand.
I step out of the car. Daniel's presence lingers like a ghost behind me as I force myself to walk toward the mansion with steady steps. The gravel crunches beneath my heels, each step putting distance between us and whatever almost happened in that car.
"I'm so sorry for interrupting," Hazel says, falling into step beside me.
"You didn't interrupt anything," I lie, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.
Hazel Taylor. Matteo's girlfriend. The woman who somehow managed to crack through his armor when no one else could.
"I was looking for Matteo," she explains, glancing back at Daniel who follows at a respectful distance. "He said he'd be back from the funeral by now."
I push open the heavy front door, stepping into the marble foyer. "They should be here soon. The service ran longer than expected."
The mansion feels emptier than usual, most of the family still at the cemetery or handling the aftermath. Ettore appears from the kitchen, his weathered face brightening slightly at the sight of us.
"Miss Lucrezia, Miss Hazel. Can I bring you anything?"
"Just some tea in my room, please," I say, already heading for the stairs. I need space, need to breathe, need to process whatever just happened with Daniel.
"Make it two," Hazel adds, following me up the grand staircase.
I can feel Daniel's eyes on my back as we ascend, but I don't turn around. Can't turn around. If I look at him now, everyone will see exactly what I'm feeling written across my face.
"I'll be outside your door, Miss Feretti," Daniel calls, his voice back to that professional tone that creates distance between us.
I nod without looking back and lead Hazel down the hallway to my suite.
Once inside, I kick off my heels and sink onto the edge of my bed. The clothes feel suffocating now—black dress, black stockings, black everything. I want to tear them off, to wash away the scent of cemetery soil and grief.
Hazel closes the door behind us and leans against it, arms crossed over her chest. "Okay, what's going on with you and Daniel?"
"Nothing," I say too quickly.
She raises an eyebrow. "I may be new to this family, but I'm not blind, Lucrezia."
I run my hands through my hair, messing up the careful styling. "It's complicated."
"I gathered that much from the way you two were looking at each other in the car." She pushes away from the door and sits beside me on the bed. "Talk to me."
The kindness in her voice nearly breaks me. When was the last time someone asked how I felt without an agenda? When was the last time I could just be honest?
"I don't know what's happening," I finally whisper.
Hazel sits beside me, her presence gentle but persistent. "I think you do."
"I agreed to marry Bruno Sartori." The words hang in the air between us, heavy and final. "At the funeral. I told Damiano I'd do it."
Hazel's eyes widen. "The Bruno Sartori? Matteo mentioned him—he's not exactly a fan."
"Nobody is." I laugh without humor. "But we need the alliance. The casino, the Russians... people are dying, Hazel."
She takes my hand, her touch warm against my cold fingers. "And Daniel?"
Just hearing his name sends a flutter through my chest that I can't ignore anymore. For two years, he's been my shadow, my protector, always there but somehow invisible. Until now.
"He was going to kiss me," I admit, the truth finally breaking free. "And God help me, I wanted him to."
"I could see that," Hazel says softly.
I stand up, suddenly restless, and pace across the room. "It doesn't make sense. He's been my bodyguard for years. Always professional, always distant. And now..." I press my fingers to my lips, remembering how close we came.
"Sometimes we don't see what's right in front of us until something shifts," Hazel offers.
"But why now? I haven't ever felt anything like this. I didn't think I could anymore after what they did to me."
"Maybe that's why. Maybe you're finally healing enough to feel again."
I stop pacing and face her. "It doesn't matter. I'm marrying Bruno."
"Are you sure about that?" Hazel challenges. "Because from what I just saw in that car?—"
"What I want doesn't matter," I cut her off. "It never has. Not in this family, not in this world."
"That's not true," Hazel says firmly. "Matteo told me how your brothers protected you after what happened. They wouldn't force you into this."
"They're not forcing me. I'm choosing it." I sink back down beside her. "Four hundred families depend on that casino. If marrying Bruno saves the business, how can I say no?"
Hazel is quiet for a moment. "Yes, but what about Daniel?"
I close my eyes, feeling tears threatening. "Daniel is... complicated. He's Damiano's most trusted security. He's seen me at my absolute worst. And until today, I never even considered..." I shake my head. "I didn't know it was possible to feel this way. About anyone."
"Life has a way of surprising us," Hazel says gently. "Trust me, I know."
"It doesn't matter," I repeat, more to convince myself than her. "I made a promise. The family comes first. Always."
She squeezes my hand. "I also know that sometimes we find happiness in the most unexpected places. With the most unexpected people. Matteo is a mafia enforcer who came into my life randomly and I would have chosen him again and again. Because it is exactly what I want, Lucrezia."
I think about Daniel standing guard outside my door right now, so close yet impossibly far away. For two years, he's been there, watching, protecting. How did I never notice the way he looks at me? How did I never recognize what I was feeling? And what the hell am I actually feeling?
"It's too late," I whisper. "I've already made my choice."