Chapter 25
On the surface, Tenley’s choice of venue for the rehearsal dinner was based solely on aesthetics. Only someone who didn’t know her calculating nature would see the place for what it really was.
Easily defensible in wartime.
The banquet center was located in the neutral zone between Russian and Italian territory. It was known for hosting a huge variety of VIP clientele, so their security measures were beyond reproach. Ren had checked everything himself, and if Ren was satisfied, Nico was satisfied.
An outsider wouldn’t ever realize the combined power of the people in the room. Even without weapons (those had been stripped off every guest at the door by Tenley and Ren), there wasn’t anyone in the room who could ever be considered harmless.
Not even River.
His fiorellino had proven herself ruthless, cunning, and formidable in their sparring sessions. She never ceased to amaze and delight him—especially when she managed to knock him to the ground and put a blade to his throat before he had a chance to catch his breath.
Even now, as he watched her greet guests and entertain them all with her warm, open smile and genuine curiosity about everything, he was awed.
She was flawless.
“You, mafia man, are a smitten kitten, and I think it’s adorable.”
Nico crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at the tiny terrorist who’d sidled up to him while he wasn’t looking. “I have no idea what a smitten kitten is, Tenley, and I have no desire to.”
But he did. He knew exactly what a smitten kitten was. And she was not wrong. He’d rather stick a salad fork in his eyeball than admit that to her, though. So, he kept his mouth shut.
Tenley snorted. “Fine. Lie to yourself some more. I hope you won’t lie to her when it matters, though. She deserves to know this is more than an arranged marriage to you.”
“Marriage of convenience,” he corrected absentmindedly.
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Just sack-up and tell her how you feel.”
He frowned. “How the hell would I know what I’m feeling? I’ve never felt any of this before.”
The look she shot him bordered on pity, and he did not care for that. Not one bit.
“There’s two people here tonight that probably understand what you’re feeling better than you do—and that’s me and Ren.”
Nico scoffed. He’d seen Tenley with her husband and Ren with his wife. They were what could only be described as deliriously in love. “It’s not like that for me.”
“Ugh. Men are so exhausting. You think that because you had a rough upbringing and chose a less than legal path to make your living that you’re exempt from getting walloped over the head by love?”
Which was probably the least romantic description of love he’d ever heard. But still… “Yes. Something like that.”
Another eye roll. “Please. Ren and I bounced around the foster care system for years. Lived on the streets. I picked pockets to survive, and he had it way harder than I did. Trust me when I say neither of us was a big believer in happily ever after endings. And yet, here we are.”
He sighed. “I’m happy for you both. Truly. But I know you’re not na?ve enough to think that kind of happiness can exist for everyone. You’re a lot of things, Tenley. Na?ve isn’t one of them.”
“OK, kitten. I’ll drop the subject…but only if you answer a few questions for me.”
“I’d give you a kidney if it would get me out of this conversation,” he intoned dryly.
She ignored him. “Who is the first person you think of when you wake up in the morning?”
“River.”
“And the last one you think of when you go to sleep at night?”
“River.”
“When something funny or interesting happens during the day, who is the first person you want to talk to about it?”
He was starting to see where she was going with this. “River. But—”
“What would you do if one of these Russian assholes tried to hurt her tonight?”
His blood pressure spiked at the mere suggestion. “I’d rip out his spleen with my bare hands. Then I’d cram it down his boss’s throat.”
She nodded. “What’s your favorite thing about her?”
“She’s a light in the darkness. Everyone who meets her is a better person simply for knowing her.”
“Interesting. And what if she told you she didn’t want to marry you? Now that you know her a little better, would you still tell her she didn’t have a choice?”
“I’d let her go,” he admitted quietly. “I’d find a way to make sure she was safe, and I’d let her go.”
“What would it feel like to lose her?”
“Cold. I’d be…empty.”
She gave him a sad smile. “Sounds like love to me. Seems like you’re not as exempt from that particular emotion as you’d hoped.”
Holy shit.
She was right. The fascination, the attraction, the obsession he’d felt for River in the beginning had morphed into something much deeper. It had happened right under his nose, and he hadn’t had a clue. He’d been too busy enjoying her presence—her light—in his life to analyze his feelings.
He was falling in love with his fiancée.
And he had not one fucking clue how she felt about him.
She seemed to enjoy his body well enough. But had her feelings for him grown, as well? Or was she just trying to make the best of what she viewed as a forced marriage?
As if she hadn’t just dropped a bomb on his heart, Tenley slapped his shoulder congenially. “You’re welcome. Don’t fuck it up, yeah?”
Well, that was the real trick, wasn’t it?
He was still processing his feelings when Ren approached him. “Had a wedding present delivered to your house.”
Nico raised a brow. That seemed…out of character for his security expert. “Really?”
“Yep. Two of them, actually. Something you’ve been wanting for, oh, I don’t know, since the night you got engaged.”
Ah. Now it made sense. “And in what…condition would you say the packages are in?”
If Nico was a man who felt fear, he would’ve been terrified by Ren’s answering grin. “They were a little damaged in shipping, but you’ll still find them useful.”
“Excellent. Thank you, my friend.”
When Ren didn’t disappear into the ether like he usually did after he’d said more than a couple of words, Nico asked, “Was there something else?”
Ren scrubbed a dinner-plate-sized hand over his jaw. “You’re getting married tomorrow. You’re sure you don’t want to know what I found out when I background-checked your fiancée?”
Nico frowned at him. “No. I trust her.”
He grinned again, this time looking slightly less feral.
But only slightly. “Good. ‘Cause I didn’t find shit. She’s a good girl.
Which is why your real wedding present is that I wiped out all her debt and fixed her credit score.
Hers is better than yours now. You’re welcome.
” He slapped him on the shoulder. “Marry her quick before she changes her mind. God knows she’s too good for the likes of you. ”
Ren was joking, of course. Nico heard it in his voice.
The words still struck him like a punch to the gut.
Because River was way too good for him. She deserved…
everything. The world, the sun, anything her heart desired.
Which is why he couldn’t force her to marry him.
He needed to give her the choice, and accept her decision, whatever it might be.
And the keys to her freedom were now in his basement.
Fucking perfect.
Everything was so much easier when he could just be an unrepentant villain. This good guy bullshit was exhausting.