Chapter 7
HAVEN
My heart is thundering in my chest, and I use my fingertips to wipe the tears from my cheeks as I shut my bedroom door behind me.
Honestly, I hate that Leo is so damn attractive. It’s unnerving as hell and makes him seem even more dangerous.
I hate that he picked up on the stupid desire I felt when the hot smirk graced his lips.
And then I had to lean into him. What was I thinking?
Lifting my hand, I place it against my forehead as I shake my head.
When he held me, there was a split second it actually felt comforting, but I can’t let anything like that happen again. He might get the wrong idea.
I have to do my best to keep him at a distance, or I’ll never be able to escape him.
He made it crystal clear he’ll never let me go.
God. Leo is really going to force me to marry him.
Panic pours through my body, but before it can spiral out of control, my phone rings, and I rush to dig the device out of my handbag.
Seeing Mom’s name on the screen, sobs instantly burst from me as I quickly answer, “Mommy?”
“Haven! Are you okay? Where are you? Has that man hurt you?”
Intense relief fills me because I get to hear her voice, and it takes a few seconds before I’m able to say, “I’m at his mansion. He hasn’t hurt me.”
Her voice is filled with fear, worry, and an urgent need to get to me. “Where is the mansion?”
“I don’t know.” I walk out onto the balcony and glance at the dark beach and ocean. “I remember a long stretch of road. The mansion is on the side of a hill, and it has a private beach.”
“Didn’t you see the name of the street?”
“No. I was too scared to think of looking at directions. I’m sorry.”
“Shit!” she exclaims. “Can you get out of there?”
Even though she can’t see me, I shake my head. “There are armed guards everywhere, and I don’t want to risk Leo killing you.”
“Don’t worry about me, Haven. If you get the chance to escape, then do it. Go straight to the embassy so they can send you home.”
I’ll never risk Mom’s life for my freedom.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“Nicolo won’t tell me anything. He said we just have to go along with everything, but he can go to hell. I’ll find a way to get you away from that man.”
“Don’t, Mom.” I glance over my shoulder to make sure I’m still alone.
“I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to you.
With Daddy gone, you’re all I have.” I take a seat on one of the chairs out on the balcony and pull my legs up.
Wrapping my arm around my shins, I say, “Leo promised he won’t hurt me.
So far, he’s fed me and only asked me questions. ”
I don’t tell her about the two times he yanked me to him or about the hug he gave me a few minutes ago.
“God. Did he say why he took you?”
“Apparently, there’s something about me that caught his attention. I have no idea what, though.”
“Do you know who he is, Haven?”
“He told me he’s the head of the Italian mafia.”
“Yeah, that’s what your uncle said.” Mom’s voice brims with fear. “Shit. What are we going to do? Nicolo won’t let me leave the mansion. He has guards watching me, but the moment I get a chance, I’ll try to escape.”
Worry tenses my tone. “Don’t risk your life, Mom. If something were to happen to you and I’m stuck alone here in Italy, I don’t…I can’t…” Sobs burst from me, and I start to cry.
“Oh, sweetheart. I’m so sorry I brought us here.” She sniffles. “We’ll get through this somehow.”
I force the tears back, but my voice is hoarse as I say, “What if we can’t escape? Leo’s made it clear the wedding’s happening.”
Mom sobs, “No. I won’t let you marry him. I don’t care what I have to do.”
“There’s nothing we can do,” I whisper, my tone forlorn. “If I don’t go through with the wedding, he’ll kill me. He said he’ll wipe out the Romano name.”
My head snaps up when his words from earlier pop into my mind.
“Wait. Leo said he’ll never hurt me, and it looked like he meant it.”
“You can’t trust that man! He’s a criminal, Haven.”
Still, Leo seemed sincere when he said it, which makes me believe he won’t kill me.
But Mom…
I shake my head again. “We just have to play along for the time being.”
“I can’t believe this is happening.” Mom cries harder, and it breaks my heart. “Now I understand why your father never brought us to Italy. I thought it would be good for you to meet the rest of the family, but God was I wrong.”
My teeth tug at my bottom lip, then movement below catches my eye. With the light from the moon, I see Leo taking the steps down from the veranda and walking onto the beach. He tucks one of his hands into the pocket of his pants and takes a sip of whatever he’s drinking.
Standing in the dark, looking out at the ocean, he seems even more menacing.
Mysterious, dark, and too handsome for me to handle.
“What am I going to do if we have no choice but for me to go through with the wedding?” I ask Mom, my gaze glued to Leo.
He glances up as he takes a sip of his drink, and I feel the intensity of his gaze through the dark and distance.
My voice is almost completely gone from fear as I say, “What do I do if he tries to force himself on me?”
Mom cries even harder, and it has tears sneaking from my eyes while Leo keeps staring at me.
My heartbeat speeds up, and I feel the air tense.
“Haven,” Mom whimpers, “I’ll find a way to get you away from him, even if I have to kill Nicolo and that man.”
I’ve had a taste of Leo’s strength. Mom doesn’t stand a chance against him.
It really starts to sink in that I’m staring at the head of the mafia, and I’m going to have to marry him. He’ll probably force me to have sex as well.
Getting up from the chair, I rush into the bedroom and shut the doors behind me before I go to turn off the light so he can’t see me.
When I’m standing by the light switch in the darkness, breaths burst over my lips, and my emotions spiral out of control.
For long minutes, I cry while Mom alternates between trying to soothe me and swearing to all that’s holy she’ll get me out of this mess.
When we both begin to calm down, I say, “There’s nothing we can do, Mom. Uncle Nicolo and Leo are killers. If we want to stay alive, we have no choice but to do as we’re told.”
“I can’t just idly stand by and watch you marry that criminal.”
“You’ll have to.” My voice fills with urgency. “Please don’t risk your life, Mom. If they kill you, I won’t survive the heartbreak. I need to know you’re okay.”
“Oh, Haven.”
My tone grows more determined. “We’ll get through this.” Now that I’ve had a good cry and I’ve been able to talk to Mom, my mind feels clearer. “Leo’s been trying to get to know me. Maybe if I show him I’m a good person who has people who love me, he’ll soften and let me go?”
“What if that doesn’t happen and the man ends up falling in love with you?” Mom voices her worry.
“If he falls for me, it will mean he cares, and maybe he’ll let me go?” I’m grasping at freaking straws right now.
The memory of Leo trying to comfort me earlier flits through my mind.
Maybe it’s not such a far-fetched idea.
“I don’t know, Haven. I think you’re playing with fire.”
My mind keeps racing. “If I keep fighting Leo, it might make him angry, and I can’t think that will be much better than trying to win him over.”
“Just keep your distance from Leo,” Mom snaps, panic rising in her voice. “If you anger him, he’ll hurt you, and if you make him care about you, he’ll want more.”
Yeah, I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place.
My phone beeps, indicating my battery is low. I dig my charger out of my bag, and sitting down on the side of the bed, I plug it in. One thought after another pops into my mind as I connect the cable to my phone.
“Leo lost a man today, and I think two more were hurt,” I mention. “Maybe he’ll calm down over the next few days and realize how insane it is to marry me. He might change his mind and let me go.”
“Yes.” Mom latches onto my words, and hope returns to her voice. “Just stay away from him.”
“He’s put me in one of the guest rooms. I’ll stay in here.”
“Can you lock the door?” Mom asks.
“He’ll probably just kick it down or shoot his way in,” I mutter.
“True,” Mom sighs. “But stay in the room. Don’t interact with him unless you have no choice.”
“Okay.”
“Maybe things will change tomorrow,” Mom murmurs. “I’ll try talking to Nicolo again as well.”
“Can you stay on the phone with me?” I ask.
“Of course, sweetheart,” Mom’s voice softens with love. “I’m not going anywhere.”
I lie down on the bed and get as comfortable as possible. We’re quiet for a while, then Mom sniffles, “I wanted to give you this amazing trip before you started working. I’m so sorry, Haven.”
“None of this is your fault, Mom.” Thinking about home, there’s a sharp pain in my chest, and I close my eyes. “I just want to go home with you.”
“I want that, too.” Mom’s quiet again for a few seconds, then she says, “If we don’t return and I don’t pay the rent on time, the landlord will throw all our belongings out.”
Shit. I didn’t even think about that.
“If things get worse here in Italy and they don’t let us go, I can ask Kristen to pack up everything for us.” My teeth tug at my bottom lip. “But I don’t want to get her involved in this mess.”
“Wait!” Mom gasps. “You can talk to Kristen. Tell her what’s happening so she can go to the police, and they can come to rescue–”
“Mom,” I say, interrupting her. “Leo and Uncle Nicolo will kill us, and it will put Kristen in harm's way. It’s too big a risk.”
Mom’s quiet again for a few seconds before she says, “I’ll talk to Giada and Liliana. Maybe they’ll help us.”
“Just don’t do anything dangerous.”
For the next few hours, we keep having the same conversation, over and over, but never manage to come up with a solution.
At some point, I drift off to sleep, and when I jerk awake, the sun is starting to rise.
“Mom?” My voice is hoarse, and I clear my throat. “Are you still there?”
“Yes, sweetheart.”
“Did you sleep at all?” I ask as I sit up.
“No.”
Oh, Mom.
“I wish I could hug you right now,” I whimper as my grim reality grips my heart in a strangling hold.
“I wish that too.”
She sounds exhausted.
“Try to get some sleep. We can’t stay on this call forever.”
“I’ll try to nap for two hours. Keep your phone charged and stay near it. I’ll call the second I wake up.”
“Okay.”
“I love you, Haven.” Her voice grows thick with tears. “You’re all that matters to me.”
“I love you, too, Mommy.”
I end the call quickly, otherwise I’ll beg her to stay on the line with me.
Letting out a sigh, I stand up. Hoping Leo is still asleep, I decide to take a shower.
Not knowing what today will hold for me, I take out a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a sweater from my luggage. I’ll wear my sneakers again, that way I’ll be dressed as comfortable as possible.
God, I hope Leo comes to his senses and lets me go.