A'S

ge six times bef

m while

g at Noah's face. He was smiling in the picture, completely unaware that someone had been wa

ne vib

rew it acro

iday. Don't make u

ers wen

wo weeks from now, I would belong to a man whose eyes had followed me

e more: marrying Dante Valenti

ounded at

er

tograph beneath

r wants you

urse

er's men stood in the hallway, dressed in the same black suit I'd s

eed to get ready. We'

ng for

lenti e

ach tig

hy

nne

birthday party instead of delivering me to t

e door in

pressed both hands over my mo

-

er had chosen was

and a hem that fell just below my knees. There wa

ng dressed for dinner with my future husband, as though this

my head and stood

red. I pinched my cheeks until they re

d me to arrive shaking,

buzzed on

oing to the ma

the screen b

y. It's a din

tation. That's a kidnap

ing, a small la

age arrived

ord and I'll c

le van

deleted them, and

own the

seconds, Mia

screen

find someone

grab my passport, find Noah, and driv

is nightmare seemed to l

ne and slipped

could run when the people chas

-

ost of the grounds from the road. Two guards checked our vehicle before the gates swung open. Beyon

pensive things often were. Perfect fr

rger through the window, my h

espectful," the m

"Will they shoo

dn't

s answe

. A man in a dark suit opened my door, and

inst the stone as I

chandelier hung overhead, scattering light across the marble floor. Men stood near

my eyes

ess approached and led me th

g room wa

tal glasses, and candles that flickered in the still air. Several men occup

of the table s

s dark hair was neatly styled, and one hand rested around a cryst

ing to the ma

dn't

ther pretending m

stubborn stirred

ed little bride, he had

late,"

inally lif

eady. Un

e the empty cha

d to be on time.

n the table cough

ly became very inte

r of his mouth moved, almost forming a smile, before

it

eas

stopped agai

om wen

e leaned back in his chair, studying me as if I were

down,

he knew

ut the cha

nced at the food but couldn't have identified a single thing on it. My stom

to Dante's righ

o show at his temples. His expensive suit fit pe

rl," he said. "I expecte

ar

n't raise

n't ne

is fingers tightened around his for

he muttered,

ced at

to his food as though the interruption had been n

n I understo

to shout to make

had to

he said

not h

sn't a q

ed up

plate before I gave him the sat

had been delayed. Someone in the south had missed a payment. Another

caught enough to understand that this

ives as casually as other p

t at the cen

e set down

ill take place

ped halfway

up. "Tw

es

d like you've ord

en shifted u

fraction. "Do you have a

oblem with t

es two of

lin

that evening, he so

, and whatever I'd thoug

y fork. "And

ass on the table wi

er loses h

landed b

were explaining a simp

ey, their place in this city. Anyone who has benefited from the Ros

oat ti

d m

settled o

e nothin

h threatened

thi

ou'll stil

eath

icking somewhere behind my chair, the soft scrape of a knife

i

ed. As though my opinion were a minor inconvenience

my eyes to

st the china, producin

that he

t he didn't look part

I should know a

ammed again

ooked paper flower. His arms around me at t

hed me wit

self to mee

N

tasted l

I wondered whether he could hear

oo

ed, but I barely h

from holding myself so rigidly. I rose from my ch

e when someone st

o Vi

unpleasant smile. As I drew level with him, he le

rrible liar,

top

ile wi

knows abou

drained fr

d away. He picked up his glass and took a leis

Dante was speakin

't look

n't ha

d my hands clenched inside my dress pockets. I didn't

oors closed behind me,

glowed on

hovered

ws abo

ything, beg him to stay away, beg him to for

I locked

ew about Noah, then the question wa

s how much time