Matteo Vivaldi takes one look at the scene before him and knows exactly what the situation is, but he opens his mouth and asks anyway.
“What happened?”
Serenity flinches. Fury sharpens my senses.
“Your wife scalded my betrothed,” I snarl.
Matteo stomps across the room and backhands Bianca. Disgust curls through me.
Serenity trembles and leans against me.
I take a deep, calming breath, shifting her tiny frame harder against my front, and count to three before exhaling.
“Is this how you settle domestic disputes, Matteo?” I ask.
I pride myself over the cold menace in my tone when what I long to do is snarl, spit, and decimate the small-minded jerk for hitting his woman in front of me.
If he’d hit his wife, there’s no telling what monstrous things he’d do to his daughter. Is nothing sacred to him? I can’t imagine allowing anyone to lift a hand to my sisters or stepmother. Even without a blood relation, I’d rather cut off my own fingers than hurt them.
When Matteo opens his mouth, I already know he’s going to say something to tip me over the edge.
“You said she—”
“She’s your wife,” I interrupt. “You slapped your wife in front of your daughter and the man she’ll marry. You’ve broadcasted your message loud and clear.” I don the mask I reserve for interrogations, ensuring my message carries clearly to his egotistical mind. “I will not tolerate abuse in my family. If you ever hurt Serenity again, there is nowhere you can go, no amount of money or power you can earn to escape my wrath. I will eliminate the threat to my bride.”
I don’t ask if he understands. He’ll either understand or ruin everything he’s ever worked for. Or die. The hard set of his jaw testifies to his quick wit.
“Now get me some ice for her hand,” I say.
The delicate skin on the back of her hand reddens and I wonder why in the hell Bianca Vivaldi had a cup of joe with the heat of the sun trapped inside on the table next to her.
Matteo turns to command Bianca, but I tsk in admonition.
“Not her, Matteo. You. Get your daughter and your wife ice.”
He clacks his teeth together and strides to the kitchen as though his asshole puckered up. Without an ounce of violence, I emasculate Matteo Vivaldi in front of two of the three women he lorded over for most of his life.
I didn’t hear their conversation, but Serenity’s angry tone called me down the hall toward them, and since she came to see her sister, I know something’s wrong.
I drop my chin to the top of Serenity’s head and stroke her side with my thumb as I breathe in her delicate perfume. The tension in her tiny frame vibrates into my body.
She waits until her father returns to speak. I lift my head to my full height, enjoying the wariness in Matteo’s eyes.
“Camilla is not well. She can’t stay here. She needs help.”
Bianca swaps tactics as easily as if she were putting on a different hat.
“We’re trying to find the best place to send her. We want only the best doc—”
“You mean the most discreet, right?” Serenity interrupts. “No, sorry, you don’t get to choose, not after you neglected and abandoned her when she needed you most.” She pauses and digs her nails into my arm. I give her a gentle squeeze, offering her all my support.
This isn’t my family. I don’t understand the dynamics as well as she does, so I let her take the lead. She knows best. I trust her.
“I’ll find the best psychiatrist and mental health hospital for her, not you, and make the arrangements tonight. Expect a car in the morning. If she doesn’t get in it—in better shape than she is today—it’ll mean war between the Vivaldi and Russo families.” She pauses again, but this silence conveys a seriousness every hardened killer and criminal would appreciate. “War, papà. Nothing less.”
He has the audacity to lift an eyebrow in disbelief.
“Camilla is my daughter, and so are you. Don’t overstep, Serenity.”
Red-hot fury rips through me, but Serenity’s response proves far more satisfying than using the knife at my belt.
“I’m not yours anymore, papà. I’m Nico’s.” She punctuates this by flexing her nails into my flesh and pulling the corners of her lips up in a sweet yet somehow threatening smile before she continues. “If you want me to keep any ties to the Vivaldi name, you should consider your next words very carefully.”
Matteo stares at us as the cogs churn in his mind. He shifts his gaze up to mine.
“Are you really willing to risk everything over this?”
I scoff and barely hold back an animalistic snarl.
“If by this you mean Serenity, then yes. I’ll risk everything for her.”
“But the agreement—”
“Will be off if Camilla doesn’t get in the car in the morning.” I take the ice pack from him. “But don’t worry, Matteo,” I say as I place the ice on the back of Serenity’s hand, shift her to my side, and turn toward the door. “I’ll keep your daughter even without the contract.”
No one stops me as I usher mia principessa through the halls. The summer sun beats down on us between the front door and the car, but I tuck her in the passenger seat and rush to the driver’s seat before ensuring the air conditioning blasts as cold as possible.
I throw the car in drive and leave the Vivaldi family home without a backward glance. Serenity pulls her phone out of her pocket, but her hands shake so badly she mistypes the passcode on her first try. I reach across the center console and cover her hand with mine.
“That was fucking beautiful, principessa,” I say.
She blinks in an obvious effort to avoid tears and turns her face to look out the passenger window.
“I totally overstepped, didn’t I? Why did you go along with it? Why did you risk everything like that?”
I long to gather her in my arms, but refuse to put her in jeopardy, so I put both hands on the wheel.
“I’m not risking anything; I’m protecting everything.”
“That makes no sense.”
I pull over onto the sidewalk in front of one of the ritzy mansions, pinch her chin, and guide her face toward me.
“It doesn’t need to make sense. It just is.”
She sighs and rolls her eyes.
“You’re my everything, Serenity.” She squints in disbelief. “You and my family are the only ones who matter to me.” I can’t resist the allure of her soft mouth, so I run my thumb back and forth over her lower lip. “Which means anyone you care about becomes important to me by proxy. You’re the only one who saw Camilla’s state, and you know your family better than I do, so I trust your judgement.” She reaches into my chest with her expressive brown eyes and clamps a fist around my heart. I need her to believe me, but she remains skeptical.
“Your father already proved himself incapable of protecting Camilla. She shouldn’t stay in that house anymore. Find her someplace safe,” I snarl.
She accepts my response with a nod and pulls her face away from my grip. I hold in my sigh and decide to drop the conversation. Her haunted eyes torture me. I’d do anything to take away her anguish.
Guilt twists my insides as I realize I’m part of her troubles. The way she looked at her mother is too similar to how she looked at me in the car when I grabbed her during our argument.
I would never hurt her, not like that, but if she grew up under Bianca Vivaldi’s abuse, then any touch of anger might trigger her.
I focus on driving. After a few minutes of tense silence, Serenity sighs and reaches for the radio. I lift my hand to stop her but decide against it and move my hand back to the wheel. She flips through the stations until she finds a song she likes and then returns her attention to her phone.
“Natalie wants to go for coffee before we head to the shops,” she says.
I grunt in acknowledgement and change lanes.
We have an appointment to try on wedding dresses this evening. I didn’t invite Natalie, but it seems mia piccola principessa needs a buffer between us. I’ll allow it for today, since denying her a friend who’ll give her honest feedback on something as important as her wedding dress would be cruel, but we’ll finish this discussion before the end of the day because she will be in my bed tonight.
When she directs me to her favorite coffee shop, I warn her not to get out until I open her door and, to my surprise, she listens when I pull into a parallel parking spot.
I give the area a second scan before getting out and helping her out of the vehicle. She tucks her phone back into her pocket and crosses her arms over her chest, but doesn’t push my arm off her shoulders when I pull her to my side. The busy street poses too many dangers, but I’d be an idiot to deny my sister the coffee she craves, so I continue through the crowd. Most people give me a wide berth, reacting to my size and menacing aura even if they never look up from their phones, and the ones not tuned in scurry away when they get too close.
I open the door to the corner coffee shop. The bell rings and the barista calls out a greeting. Serenity returns her hello and basically skips the line for being a regular. No one complains as she turns on her sweet charm and thanks them.
The barista checks me out about a million times as she takes my order. I pay and usher Serenity along the counter without a word. She waves to Natalie—who sits in the corner booth with her bodyguards strategically positioned around her. I nod in approval when none of their countenances change when I arrive. They weren’t aware I’d be here, but they keep a solid work ethic even when I’m not watching.
But I’m always watching, and they know it.
We grab our coffees and weave through the tables to join my sister. Slivers of jealousy worm their way into my chest as mia principessa brightens and relaxes in Natalie’s presence. I guide her into the booth and sit beside her, blocking her into the corner. Natalie scoots in to be across from her. Their animated chatter eases the angst in my soul.
This is why I do what I do. These two women are the reason I get my hands dirty and commit heinous acts, and to see them so carefree makes the long, lonely, dark years worth it.
After a few minutes, Natalie says she needs the restroom and stands. The bodyguard sitting behind her rises and takes off to clear the stalls before she gets there.
Serenity cups her coffee in both hands and stares into it as though it holds all the secrets of the universe. I grind my teeth but take the hint; she doesn’t want to talk to me right now. I’ll let her rebel for a little while longer.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, so I reach for it, but Natalie returns with a pansy on her arm. Alfonso Bonnetti sees me and looks ready to piss his pants.
“Look who I found! It’s been ages since the three of us have caught up, so—”
“No.”
My cock hardens at the fierceness in Serenity’s tone as she interrupts Natalie.
“If he sits down, I’m leaving,” she says.
Natalie drops Alfonso’s arm and steps away from him.
“What did you do?”
Even though I know how it feels to be on the receiving end of my sister’s wrath, I enjoy watching Alfonso struggle under her scrutiny. The way she immediately takes Serenity’s side screams not only of my sister’s loyalty, but also of Serenity’s kind and caring nature. She’s someone who deserves all the love and devotion in the world.
I smile and adjust myself as I settle an arm over the back of the bench. She may not want it, but mia piccola principessa has all my support.
“We’re not friends anymore,” Serenity says.
Natalie’s eyes go so wide I fear they’ll pop out of their sockets. She props her hands on her hips and scowls at Alfonso.
“You were a real testa di cazzo when she told you about her betrothal to mio fratello, weren’t you?”
When he doesn’t deny it, her expression turns murderous. I lift a brow and enjoy seeing this new side of my sister.
“Che cazzo?! Did you forget all the times she saved you from your brothers? Did you flush her friendship down the drain because you heard my brother’s name? Well, guess what, Alfonso Edamund Bonnetti,” she squares her shoulders with his and points a threatening finger at his chest, “you’re afraid of the wrong Russo.” He steps back, intimidated by the fury wafting off her tiny frame. “You hurt Serenity so much she wants to cut all ties with you, so you deserve the longest, ugliest death. Vaffanculo!” She ends with an angry sweep of her arm toward the door, demanding he fuck himself elsewhere.
Alfonso stares at her in terrified silence. He swallows and turns regretful eyes at Serenity, but I lean forward and block his view of her. He steps back, makes a nonsensical excuse, and hightails it out of the restaurant.
Natalie grumbles under her breath and shakes out her hands before plopping down into her seat.
“God, I wish he’d opened his mouth again so I could bury my fist in his face,” she says through clenched teeth.
Serenity reaches across the table and covers her hands.
“I’m glad you didn’t. It’s better to just be done with him instead of dealing with a long, drawn-out legal case. Fucking pussyfoot lawyers,” Serenity says with more levity than reaches her eyes.
The asshole hurt her. She may never admit it, but his sudden change of heart cut deep. I’ll ruin him.
My phone vibrates in a distinct pattern. I grind my teeth and remove my arm from the back of the bench as I pull it from my pocket. Serenity glances up at my face and stiffens.
After a quick check on the coordinates Ermanno sent me, I answer his call.
“Six minutes,” I say.
“Gotcha, boss,” he answers before hanging up.
I send a text to notify Serenity’s bodyguards and tilt her chin up for a better look at her face.
“I’ve gotta work, but we’ll talk when I get done. Keep my sister in line this evening, yeah?” I say.
Her lips tilt in a smirk, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.
The emotional distance between us kills me, but I won’t lose another lead and put her in more danger, so I drop my hand and scoot away; except the thought of leaving without a kiss infuriates me, so I turn back around, grab her nape, and dive into her mouth.
She hesitates for half a second before softening in submission and returning my kiss. I pull away and run my thumb over her bottom lip.
“Stay safe, principessa,” I murmur.
I leave before I toss her over my shoulder and ruin our chance at finding the mastermind behind the underhanded attacks on the Russo family.
Serenity Vivaldi has become the center of my universe. In less than a day, she stole my heart and filled it with a longing I never allowed myself to feel.
Which makes me more desperate to protect her. I can’t fail her the way I failed my mother and sister.
I shuck every ounce of emotion off me and become the devil every criminal, crooked cop, and politician in New York City fears.
