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When she finally arrives a minute or two later, she doesn’t even look surprised to see me. Those fierce brown eyes don’t blink as she walks toward me. Her strides are purposeful, the sound of the sharp click of her heels filling the hallway.
I watch her approach, her body moving with an elegance that’s consuming my every thought. She walks with the grace and confidence of someone used to having the world at her feet, someone who considers everyone else to be insignificant. It’s magnetizing. Ten years have done nothing to dull the intense pull of Aurora Maranzano for me.
She stops a few feet from me, disdain in her expression.
“Oh look, the rat’s crawled out of the shadows once again,” she taunts.
I’m not going to give her the satisfaction of rising to the bait. She wants me to get angry, she wants to push me to the brink. Once upon a time, she was the only person who could manage that feat, but not anymore. I won’t allow it.
“We need to talk,” I inform her.
Aurora crosses her arms over her chest, her gaze unwavering. “What do you want from me?”
“What I want is simple, Aurora. I want you to marry me.”
It fills me with immense satisfaction when her brown eyes fill with shock. She stumbles back a step, and horror fills her expression.
“What?”
CHAPTER 7
AURORA
Iknew he wanted something. I thought it had to do with Valerio’s will. Maybe he left Lucia and I something, and Nico required us to renounce our claim to it. I would have done that in a heartbeat. It would have been so easy to sign away anything our father left us. I thought he was here to cut us out completely. After all, with Valerio dead, we’re not meant to have any ties to the outfit.
I thought wrong. I realize now that all of that was merely wishful thinking on my part. Of course, this is what he wanted. The outfit values blood above all else. Valerio was Don, their leader. His blood will always be an important force to them.
My hand trembles as I look into the eyes of the worst of them all. And I think for the first time, that I should have just left with Lucia. Ran away. Sometimes Nico reminds me of a spider. He’s great at spinning webs, making plans, and entrapping people in order to do his bidding.
He gave me a chance when he came that first time. He wanted me to run. And by not leaving, I’ve found myself caught, unable to escape him. I know he had people tailing me. But I could have easily slipped away from them. It’s almost like he wanted me to. But I didn’t. I could have done anything. And now I can’t do a thing.
“Nico,” I start, stretching to my full height, trying to wipe any trace of fear from my expression. Although I’m sure he’s already had a glimpse of what I truly think about his words. “You’ve said a lot of illogical things in the past. But this might just be the dumbest thing you’ve ever said to me. Why would I marry you? I despise you.”
“Your feelings towards me have no influence on my request.”
My eyebrow flicks up, “Request? You can say no to requests, Nico.”
“And you think you can’t say no to this?”
“Can I?” I retort.
He smirks and shakes his head. “Unfortunately, no.”
Bastard.
“Explain it to me. Why is this necessary?” I question, trying to find some semblance of reason behind this.
“With your father dead, the position of Don is now vacant.”
“I thought Valerio was grooming you to take over that position,” I state.
I realize now that it’s one of the reasons I dislike Nico. He got to spend so much time with my father all those years ago. Valerio doted on him, practically adopted him. It hits me suddenly that Nico lost a father figure as well. I hate the stab of sympathy that comes with that realization. He doesn’t deserve it.
Plus, he seems fine. Then again, when is Nicolas Ramirez ever not fine? He’s practically an unfeeling robot.
“He was,” Nico says with a frown. “But there are some complications. Your godfather, for instance, seems to be of the opinion that I’m a vermin who doesn’t deserve that seat of power.”
Despite myself, I smile. “Zio Sebastian’s always been a smart man.”
