Chapter 2

The words had barely left her mouth before the guards raised their weapons.

Black gun barrels gleamed beneath the crystal chandeliers. The temperature in the chapel seemed to drop ten degrees in an instant.

Guests scrambled backward. Not one of them said a word.

In the world of the mafia, the strong made the rules. The weak kept quiet.

I didn't move.

"Victoria," Leonardo said suddenly, his voice low and controlled. "This is an engagement party."

"So?" She laughed, cold and sharp. "She crashes my celebration and humiliates me in front of everyone, and I'm just supposed to let her walk out alive?"

She turned to look at me, and there was venom in her eyes — the kind that had been sitting there, waiting.

"You know the rules in this world? Touch another woman's fiancé, and there's a price."

"She has nothing to do with me anymore," Leonardo said flatly.

But I saw his hand at his side. His fingers had gone tight.

Victoria noticed too.

Her voice sharpened another degree.

"Nothing to do with you? Then what was that step back for? Guilty conscience?"

Leonardo's expression went cold.

"Don't."

"Don't?" She laughed outright now. "Fine. Then let's make this interesting."

She raised one hand.

Two guards moved behind me, locking my arms on either side. Their grip was iron.

I just looked at her.

"What do you want?"

"Since you're here, you may as well stay for the ceremony." Victoria leaned close to me and dropped her voice. "When it's over, I'll take you somewhere even more entertaining."

Her perfume was overwhelming.

"Ever heard of an underground dog-fighting ring?" she said, smiling. "I've got a Tosa Inu. Hasn't eaten in three days."

Someone in the chapel drew a sharp breath.

Still, no one stepped forward.

Leonardo's expression finally, fully changed.

"You promised me," he said, barely holding back his fury. "You said if I went through with this, you'd leave her alone."

"I did promise," Victoria said, slowly curling her lips into a smile. "But she walked into my house and made a fool of me in front of everyone. Why should I keep my word?"

She turned to the guards. "Take her to the back. Keep her there."

The guards moved to drag me away.

And then Leonardo stepped forward. He put himself between me and them.

"Victoria."

His voice dropped. Low. Dangerous.

"Don't push me."

The air seemed to freeze.

Victoria narrowed her eyes.

"Is that a threat?"

"A reminder," he said, meeting her gaze. "The Costa family isn't dead yet."

Silence stretched for several seconds.

Then she laughed.

"Fine."

"Then let her sit in the front row and watch us kiss."

She clapped once.

"Front row. Now."

The guards released my arms but stayed close behind me.

I was escorted to the seat closest to the altar.

Gun barrels hovered at the edge of my vision.

Leonardo returned to his place.

The priest resumed — his voice slightly unsteady.

Victoria wound her fingers through Leonardo's, lacing them tight, deliberately.

"Kiss her!"

The chant started again. Louder this time.

Leonardo was silent for two seconds.

Then he lowered his head.

Victoria rose onto her toes and pressed herself against him.

Applause broke out across the chapel.

I sat perfectly still.

The pain in my chest had already passed.

In its place was something cleaner. Colder.

Clarity.

He was being forced into this. And I — I was about to become the queen who rescued her knight.