Chapter 1
Allegra
M y heels click on the marble floor as I make my way through the entryway of the Marchetti family mansion in The Hamptons. Nico follows me, a heavy, angry presence at my back. The tension surrounding him is so thick it's suffocating, but I try my best to ignore it. It won’t change anything if we address what happened today, so what is the point?
After our meeting in the city with Riccardo Romano and his papà, I am exhausted. It went about as well as can be expected, but the deal is finalized. In just four months’ time, I shall become Mrs. Allegra Romano. I tense, a shudder rippling through my body at the thought of taking his name.
Today marks the first time I have had any sort of interaction with my future husband and to say it was excruciating would be an understatement. Riccardo is a sexist pig, who views women as beneath him and only good for three things: to fuck, to breed and to be a trophy on his arm when the occasion calls for it. You are to be seen and not heard. Pretty wallpaper and nothing more.
The nausea that had churned in my gut just from listening to him talk had nearly spilled out of my mouth. I had to excuse myself, just so I could take a moment alone in the bathroom. It was at that moment, I questioned myself and what I was doing. Why I couldn’t just allow Nico to get me out of this contract.
But the truth remained. It would mean going to war, and that I couldn’t allow. I would not put my family through that, not after everything we have already been through. So I straightened my shoulders and marched back into that boardroom, like the queen I was raised to be.
Riccardo’s devilish smirk as his gaze raked over my body nearly sent me back to the restroom but I held strong. I would start as I mean to go on. I wouldn’t let him intimidate me or allow myself to cower to a monster like him. It’s what he wanted, and the stubbornness in me would not give it to him.
“Leg, wait.” Nico calls behind me, stopping my ascent up the stairs where I was heading to the solitude of my bedroom. My hiding place.
Inhaling a breath, I turn to face him, forcing a smile I certainly don’t feel. His eyes narrow and I know he sees straight through me. “It's done, Nic. Just let it be. I can do this.” I grate out forcefully.
He shakes his head, blowing out a tired breath. “It took all my self-control not to put a bullet in that fucking asshole’s head today. The guy is worse than I remember, a total piece of shit. If he gets his hands on you, he will destroy you, Allegra. I can’t allow that. Will not allow that,” he enunciates with determination.
Huffing out a laugh, I fold my arms across my chest as I eyeball him. “You don’t have a choice in the matter. Papà sealed my fate,” I remind him.
His icy blue eyes soften slightly, a hint of pity on his face. I hate it. “It doesn’t have to be like this. I can kill the bastard.”
Sighing, I shake my head. “I will not be the reason for war. You have a family to take care of, Nico. Ocean is eight weeks pregnant; she does not need the stress of you going up against the Romanos and potentially losing. I would never forgive myself, so if I can prevent it, I will. I’m not going to argue with you about this subject again Nic. It is done. In four months, I will marry Riccardo.”
Nico grits his teeth, glaring at me. He scrubs a palm across his mouth, wiping it away, before inhaling a breath. Stepping forward, he lets the cool indifference he usually keeps in place, fall, showing me a hint of vulnerability.
“You’re my family too.”
Tears prick my eyes, and I swallow as emotion tightens my throat. This time when I smile, it's real. “I know. But I will play my part, brother, and find you the evidence you need to take the monster down once and for all.”
He opens his mouth to speak, only for it to clamp shut when his wife, son and our mamma appear in the entryway. I don’t miss the relief written on both of their faces when they see us.
“Oh, you’re back. How did it go, sweetheart?” Mamma directs the question to me.
The fake smile returns as I focus on my mother. “Fine. I will be a married woman in four months, so I am going to need you to refresh my memory on some of your recipes. I will not have anyone saying that I am not a good Italian wife.” I joke, trying to lighten the mood. We all know, I don’t give a single shit if Riccardo likes my cooking or not.
“Allegra,” Mamma calls my name softly.
Waving her off, before she can say more and make me cry, I murmur, “Don’t, Mamma. I am fulfilling Papà’s wishes. It is what he wanted for me.”
Anger flashes across her face almost startling me. I have never, not once in my life, ever seen my mamma display any kind of hostility or annoyance, especially toward her husband. Her pleading eyes turn on Nico. “Do something. I beg you mia figlio .”
Nico sighs. “I tried, Mamma. Your daughter is insistent on doing this. The arrangements were already made with Papà, but I set some of my own conditions. Allegra will have Alessio and Gio with her when she moves into the Romano estate. They will ensure her safety,” he drawls. I know it’s only to placate her. Because they can’t be with me at all times.
Mamma exhales a weary breath, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. She looks exhausted and I know some of it is because of me. She has been by my side since the day Dante died, doing everything she can to comfort me. I love her for it even more. Appreciate her efforts. But nothing will change the fact that Dante is dead, and I am a ghost of a human being.
“Okay,” she chokes out in acceptance. “Why don’t you both go get cleaned up. Ocean and I made dinner.”
“Well, I chopped some vegetables. That was the extent of my input,” Ocean adds on a chuckle, her way of trying to lighten the current tense atmosphere.
Nico smiles adoringly at her, taking Romeo from her arms and pressing a kiss to her temple. My heart pangs with pain. Not because I’m jealous of my brother – I am ecstatic my Nico has found love. It's just that their easy intimacy reminds me of what I had with Dante. So witnessing it is like a knife to the chest. And I am not sure how many more of those I can take.
“You will get there, Tesoro . I have no doubt we will be eating your dishes soon,” he murmurs, taking her hand. “Now come, let’s get cleaned up for dinner.” Nico drags Ocean up the stairs, carrying his son on his hip. I follow them with my eyes, that empty feeling inside of me expanding as I look at a life I should have had. But it was stolen from me. The usual anger I feel when I think about it ignites in my veins and my chest tightens painfully. A soft hand taking mine startles me out of my reverie, bringing me back from the edge.
Glancing down at Mamma, she watches me knowingly, giving me a gentle squeeze.
“Everything will work out, mia figlia . It has to.”
I don’t know whether Mamma is trying to convince me or herself.
Either way, I have no hope.
I only have memories.
And I am going to my bedroom to bask in them.
“I will see you at dinner,” I say instead of answering.
Turning, I head up the stairs and to my bedroom, where I lock myself inside.
Flopping down on the bed, I squeeze my eyes shut, taking myself back to happier times.
Padding barefoot through the dark kitchen, I pull the fridge open, grabbing a bottle of water. Twisting the cap, I take a long sip, enjoying the cool liquid against my scratchy throat. My coughing woke me up. When I realized I didn’t have any water on my nightstand, I groaned before pulling my comforter back and climbing out of bed. It was past two AM, the house was eerily quiet and dark. I know I had nothing to worry about, not with the estate being guarded twenty-four seven and locked down tighter than Fort Knox. It was the joys of being the daughter of a mafia boss. Nevertheless, it kept me safe.
Sighing, I closed the fridge door, spinning on my feet only to pause. A scream lodged in my throat when I spotted the silhouette of a man standing in the entryway watching me. I sucked in air, relaxing when I saw it was Dante, my brother’s best friend and the man I had loved most of my life. He didn’t look at me that way, though I wished he would. I was seventeen. Too young for him. Still, that didn’t lessen the hurt every time I heard about his and Nico’s escapades with women.
“You scared me,” I breathed, stepping closer to him and breathing him in.
He tilted his head, his gaze narrowing in on me. “What are you doing?” he asked, and the smell of whiskey hit my nostrils along with his scent. I had to clamp my mouth shut to stop the moan trapped in my throat as the masculine smell of him hit me.
“Getting water.” I held up the bottle as if to prove my point and raised a questioning brow. “What are you doing?” I shot back.
He stepped closer, erasing any distance between us. My breath caught in my throat, and I stopped breathing altogether as he reached up and took a lock of my dark hair between his fingers. My eyes widened in shock. Dante was always careful to keep his distance from me, so what in the hell was he doing?
His mouth dropped to my ear, hot breath skimming across my neck. I shivered, every nerve ending sparking to life at his proximity. “You shouldn’t be walking around alone at this time of night. You don’t know which monsters are waiting in a dark corner ready to attack.”
Desire pooled between my thighs. I wanted this man so much, my body ached. Seventeen was legal in the state of New York but when I had told him that fact before, he laughed me off, and said that I was still jailbait, too young for a man like him. I didn’t believe that, but he pushed me away every chance he got. Though the rejection hurt, I understood where he was coming from. Dante was twenty-seven, the same age as my brother. Still, that didn’t stop my attempts of making him mine.
“Good thing you’re here to protect me then,” I shot back.
He chuckled darkly, letting my hair fall between his fingers and stepping back. “Principessa. I am the monster.”
Then as if the last couple minutes hadn’t happened, he turned on his heel and left me alone.