Chapter 2
Chapter
Two
AURORA
N ico approaches the blonde woman next to me. He’s so close, I can smell his cologne – a mix of sandalwood and peppermint. His dark hair is perfectly styled and doesn’t move an inch as he leans in closer to the woman.
“Your name?” he asks her.
“Sarah,” she whispers, not looking confident any longer like she did back at the hotel. I feel for her. This place is terrifying. Nico is terrifying. His mansion is surrounded by guards. Even within the foyer, two guards are stationed at the doors, keeping an eye on us.
How am I supposed to kill him with this many guards around? Even if I managed to succeed, I’d be dead within seconds. How can I kill him and survive?
Beatrice didn’t prepare me. She just threw me in the deep end and expected me to figure it out. She’s probably lounging around the pool at the hotel, living her best life, while I’m here trying not to sweat through my dress as Nico stands so close to me.
He barely gave me a second glance when he asked for my name. I’m not sure what that means. Does he not like what he sees? All the women here are beautiful, meaning I don’t stand out any more than they do. How can I get his attention so he chooses me to marry?
“Sarah what?” Nico asks the woman.
“Sarah Williams. I come from a long line of Williams who?—”
“I don’t care,” Nico snaps, cutting her off. Finally, he steps away from her, and I can breathe again. “I already said it. Who your family is doesn’t matter. I’m looking for a woman who can impress me. One who’s worthy of being my wife. All of you come from money, that much is obvious. So, you’ve learned to not ask questions. You’ve learned to do as your told. And what I’m telling you is to impress me. Not cower before me.”
Easier said than done , I think. Nico is an intimidating figure in his navy suit and brown hair and piercing eyes. He looks like he walked off the cover of a magazine; he’s that handsome. That also makes him more dangerous.
“Next,” he says, nodding at a brunette beside Sarah.
“Amanda Sharon,” she says, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Unlike Sarah, Amanda doesn’t seem scared at all. The goal is to impress Nico, and I can already tell he likes her confidence.
Nico smirks at her before looking to the next woman. Once we’ve all said our names, Nico invites us into the living room. The guards follow. I can feel their eyes piercing into my back like they know what I’m here to do.
Beatrice was able to get me into this room, but the rest is up to me. However, I don’t feel brave and strong. I feel like a lamb being led to slaughter.
My mind flashes back to the one time my father was served lamb at a party. I was there with him and my mother. It was for some charity he was involved in. The details don’t matter now.
My father pushed the plate of lamb away and said he couldn’t eat that. It was horrible to eat a baby animal. Even as a man in a dark, dangerous world, he still had good morals.
That’s what made him so safe to be around. I knew if he fought hard to protect baby animals, he’d protect me.
Now, he’s dead, and he can’t protect me from anything.
I stumble at the memory, my foot snagging on the carpet and making me trip. I can see the ground coming closer to me when all of a sudden, arms are around me.
It’s Nico. He caught me.
I’m frozen as he holds me, his breath tickling my face, his large hands on my back.
After a moment, he lets me go. “Thank you,” I say.
“I don’t need you girls getting hurt. That’s not my intent here.” He straightens his jacket. “Watch where you’re going next time.”
I flinch slightly. That could have been my moment to impress him, but instead, he scolds me.
Nico takes a seat on a lone chair while the rest of us crowd onto the two couches. The short man stands behind Nico, eyeing us all critically. The two guards stand near the living room doorway, reminding us not to try anything.
Nico is the most guarded man I’ve ever met. What has Beatrice sent me into? I actually hope Nico doesn’t choose me so I can leave. Sure, Beatrice won’t be happy with me, but she can kill Nico herself if she’s desperate enough.
“I’m going to talk to each of you individually,” Nico explains. “See if we’ll be a good match. Amanda, why don’t we start?”
Her smile is coy. “Of course.”
The two get up and leave the room. One of the guards follow while the other remains. Will that be what it’s like when I’m married to Nico? A guard always following?
That is if I can get him to choose me in the first place.
“She has it in the bag,” Elizabeth says.
“What do you mean?” Sarah squeaks.
Elizabeth huffs, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms. “I saw the way he looked at her. She oozes sex appeal. What man wouldn’t want that?”
Compared to Amanda, I feel like a little girl. Nico wants a pretty wife, and I’m objectively pretty, but I’m not a sex kitten. I’m a virgin in over my head.
“What do you think they’re talking about?” Rebecca, a curvy blonde, asks.
“Guess we’ll see when it’s our turn,” Elizabeth says.
“I ask you all,” the short man cuts in, “to be quiet. This is not a chatting hour. Be quiet until it’s your turn.”
Elizabeth makes a face but doesn’t say another word. Staying quiet is easy for me. I’ve always been naturally shy. My mother would comfort me when I came home from school, having been bullied for being so quiet.
My father taught me to believe in myself. To stand up to people who treat me badly.
So, why couldn’t I do that to Beatrice? That woman is a force of nature. She’s impossible to say no to.
I glance over at the short man, only to find him looking right at me. Quickly, I avert my gaze.
After a few seconds, I sneak another look back at him, only to find him still looking at me. Oh no. Does he somehow recognize me? Does he know who my father was?
Does he know why I’m here?
Eventually, Nico and Amanda reenter the room, with Amanda hurrying to the couch, looking like she’s almost in tears. What happened?
Elizabeth reaches forward to touch Amanda’s knee when the short man snaps at her to stop and to follow Nico. Elizabeth quickly stands and walks in front of Nico as they leave the room.
Amanda begins to cry, and there’s nothing we can do about it because the short man won’t let us comfort her. She was so confident going into her conversation with Nico, and now, she’s sitting here, crying. What in the world did they talk about?
My anxiety spikes even more. What if Nico asks me about my father and I spill the beans? Beatrice told me that if I say anything, she’ll disown me. She’ll kick me out of my father’s house and leave me homeless. I know my aunt is not a good woman, but she’s all I have left, and I can’t lose another family member.
I can feel the short man’s eyes on me until Elizabeth and Nico come back. Just like Amanda, Elizabeth looks rattled.
“What happened?” I whisper to her.
She only shakes her head.
The short man nods at me, and Nico nods in return. “Aurora, this way,” Nico says, motioning me to follow him. This is my chance to impress him. I’ll be alone with him. Can I just do the deed here?
But as I walk with Nico into a smaller room—an office—one of the guards comes with.
“That’s Enzo,” Nico explains. Enzo stands in front of the door, giving me no way to escape if I have to, which means I can’t kill Nico here. I probably wouldn’t even get close enough to do any damage.
Besides, I don’t even have a weapon.
I’m utterly defenseless.
Nico sits in a chair and nods at me to take the chair next to him. We’re so close his knees brush against mine. “So, why are you here?”
I’m here to convince you to marry me so I can kill you .
I lick my lips. “I’m here for a husband.”
Nico smiles faintly. “To the point. I like that. The other women I talked to tried flattery, but are you like them, Aurora?”
There is a part of me that hoped he wouldn’t remember my name. The way he says my name like a caress makes feel … strange.
“I’m too shy for flattery, sir,” I respond.
“Sir?” He raises an eyebrow. “I didn’t realize things were so formal.”
“Oh, uh … did you not want it to be? This entire situation seems very formal.”
“You have me there.”
I blurt out my next question. “Why did those two other women look upset when they finished speaking with you?”
“Because they weren’t prepared for my questions. But are you prepared, Aurora?”
Once again with my name.
“Why do you want a wife?” I ask him before he gets the chance to ask me a question that rattles me, too.
Nico is silent for a long time, keeping his eyes on me. The room is so quiet, I can hear Enzo’s every breath. Every shift of his feet on the hardwood floor.
“I want a wife,” Nico finally says, “because I want one.”
“But if you want one of us to be your wife, then you need to give me a better answer than that.”
“I thought you said you were shy.”
I flush. Beatrice taught me to ask Nico questions first. To disarm him. I would never be speaking to him this way otherwise. “You didn’t answer my question.”
He tilts his head, looking me over. “All right, Aurora. You’re right. I didn’t. The reason I want a wife—the real reason—is because this is a large mansion. It’s easy to get lonely. I have my work, which I love. I have my guards. Hell, I even have my second in command, Andrew.”
The short man, I realize.
When he leans in closer to me, I hold perfectly still. “But what I don’t have is a beautiful woman to share my success with. You see, I don’t have time for romance. I’m a busy man.”
“And yet you still want a wife.”
“Yes.”
“But how can you have a wife without romance?”
“A marriage of convenience. That’s why you’re here, too, isn’t it?” He sits back in his seat, allowing me to breath properly again. “I want a wife to fill my nights with pleasure. I want children. That’s why I’m doing this. Why are you doing this, Aurora?”
“I’m doing this the same as you. I want children.” This is the truth. I know I would make a good mom. But I’m not going to have children with Nico because I’ll kill him before he can even touch me. He’s my father’s murderer. No matter how handsome Nico is, I can’t forget that fact.
“Then we’re aligned on that one fact. Now, tell my about your parents.”
I blink, then brace myself. I expected this. Beatrice taught me what to say.
“My father, John Keller, was a business man. He ran?—”
“I don’t care what he did for money. I have my own money. I don’t need yours. What I want to know, Aurora, is how you felt about your father.”
Beatrice didn’t prepare me for this.
Did Nico asks Amanda and Elizabeth the same question? Is that why they left this room in tears?
“I loved my father,” I answer honestly. That was another thing Beatrice told me on the flight to New York—blend truth with the lies. “He was the kindest man I knew.” My breath hitches, and my throat catches on the words. He’s only been dead a week now, but in my file, it says John Keller has been dead for years.
“How so?”
“It was just little things. Taking me out for ice cream. Asking me how my day was and really showing he cared about me as my dad. He didn’t just ask for the sake of asking. He wanted to hear what I had to say.” The pain of losing him hits me so hard I almost break down in tears.
But I hold it back. I won’t cry in front of Nico. Not when he killed my father.
Nico eyes me with curiosity. “Are you trying not to cry?”
“Yes,” I admit.
“Why?”
“Are you saying I can be vulnerable with you?”
A slow smile spreads across his face. “You shouldn’t be vulnerable with me, Aurora. That’s the first rule if you’re going to be my wife. Anything can be used against you in this life. You just showed me your first weakness.”
“What?”
“Your father is a point of sadness for you. It’s obvious. Learn to shut it down.”
“I can’t just push my emotions to the side.”
“In my world, you do.” He nods at Enzo, who opens the door. “We’re done here.”
He’s dismissing me. Somehow, I failed.
“Why don’t you tell me about your father?” I ask in a last ditch effort.
Nico stares at me a long moment. “My father isn’t my weakness, so you’re not going to get it out of me.”
I grab his hand before he can stand up. He lifts an eyebrow. “I don’t need to know your weaknesses. I just want to know you.” Please, let this work. He needs to choose me for his wife. Otherwise, I’ll never get the justice I need, and Beatrice will hate me even more than she already does.
He takes my hand in his, tugging me closer to him. “You want to know me, Aurora? Then get down on your knees and suck my cock.”
I gasp and wrench away from him. “No.”
“No? My mistake, then. You seemed like a woman willing to do anything to get what you wanted. I don’t like that. I like honesty.”
“You’re marrying a woman for convenience. How is that not the same as what I’m doing?”
He leans over me, making me lean back over the chair. “Because I’m being honest about what I want, and I don’t think you’re doing the same. Who are you, exactly?”
“You said you didn’t care what my father did.”
“You didn’t answer my question.” Having my own words thrown back at me stings.
Who am I exactly? I’m a scared girl who’s acting desperately. That’s not what Nico wants, but what about what I want? I want to marry him so I can kill him.
“I am a woman who needs this marriage,” I say, speaking truthfully. “That’s who I am.”
“Mmm.” Nico eventually stands back. “For the first time since you entered this room, I can tell you were being honest. Keep it up.” He turns to Enzo. “Take her back to the living room. I’ll be out in a minute.”
Enzo walks quietly beside me as we leave. The sight of the gun sticking out of his pants terrifies me. He could so easily kill me.
I take my seat beside Elizabeth when I return to the living room.
“How was it?” she whispers to me. “You don’t look upset.”
No, I’m not upset. I’m angry. Angry at how that conversation went. Angry that Nico won’t want me now, and I will never get my revenge.
Amanda is still crying into her hands. Whatever she spoke about with Nico really messed with her. She’s not strong enough to be his wife. Nico is a dangerous man who expects certain things. I’m not sure I’m strong enough either to handle him.
Nico comes back into the living room and claps his hands, drawing everyone’s attention to him. “I don’t need to see anyone else. I’ve made my decision.”
My anxiety spikes. No. This can’t be happening. Not so soon.
Then Nico looks right at me. “Aurora will be my wife.”
Andrew’s jaw drops. “You haven’t seven spoken to the rest of the women.”
“I don’t need to. I know what I want, and Aurora is who I want.”
Oh my god. I did it. I don’t know how I did it, but I did. And now, Nico will marry me, and I’ll have to find a way to kill him.
“You can send the rest of the women away,” Nico says.
I remain seated on the couch, staring at my lap, as all the women get up. I can feel Elizabeth looking at me, begging me to say something, but I don’t have an answer. I’m not fully sure why Nico chose me. I thought our conversation went horribly. I fumbled and acted desperate.
And yet he wants me.
“Nico, may I speak with you?” Andrew asks. “Alone?” It’s pointed. He doesn’t approve that Nico chose me. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out Andrew doesn’t like me—not after the way he stared at me for so long.
“Fine,” Nico says. They walk out of the living room, leaving me behind with Enzo, who is now watching me, too. It’s like these men know I have a secret. How long before they figure out what it is?
NICO
“What?” I ask Andrew once we’re alone in my office.
“Why her?”
“Aurora? Why not? She’s just as pretty as the other girls. I like her.”
“So, you’re choosing her for her looks?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
Andrew is practically shaking from anger. “Because there’s something about her I don’t like.”
I frown. “What?”
“I … I’m not sure. Call it a gut feeling.”
Andrew has been my second in commands for years. I trust his gut feelings. They’ve never steered me wrong before.
But that doesn’t change the fact that Aurora impressed me. She didn’t come into this room to flatter me. She came into this room to win the game. To win me.
I respect the play. When I want something, I go for it, and I suspect Aurora is the same. If I’m going to have a pretty wife, might as well have a wife I like, too.
“I like Aurora,” I say.
“Why?”
“I don’t have to explain myself to you, Andrew. Remember—I’m the boss here.”
“I think you’re making a mistake.”
“If you can’t give me a reason, then I don’t care.”
He grabs my arm before I can leave the room. Looking down at it, I raise an eyebrow. Andrew quickly lets me go. “The reason is that I’m your second in command. My word should count for something.”
“Aurora will be the woman I share my bed with, not you, Andrew. Your word doesn’t matter here.”
I leave him behind and head back out to Aurora. She quickly stands when I approach. She’s beautiful, with soft blonde hair and large eyes. Her freckles make her appear cute, but I think there’s more to Aurora than just “cute,” and I want to see what that is.
I hold my hand out to her. “Ready to get married?”