“Why?”
“Because Marco and that hitman could come for you any second. But if you’re married to me, it will offer you more protection. I can take you to my home where you will be safe. Where they won’t be able to find you. But we can only do that if you’re my wife. So we’ll get married and then we’ll tell Enzo you’re safe.”
I look into Francesca’s eyes and hope – for once – that she’ll be on my side and not on her own. “I want Enzo at my wedding. We should call him.”
“Gianna, he’s hours away. He’s not in New York since he’s been looking everywhere for you. It would take too long. So I think it’s best we do as Nico says. Enzo wanted this marriage to happen anyway. We’ll get you two married and then he’ll return home and he’ll be happy to see that we were productive in keeping you safe.”
“No. I want my brother at my wedding.”
Francesca sighs and reaches out for me but I step back. Her eyes narrow. “Gianna, what has gotten into you?”
“I was just kidnapped. Can’t I have a moment before I’m forced into a marriage?”
“Forced? You agreed to marry Nico.”
“And I shouldn’t have.”
Francesca gasps, literally clutching the pearls around her neck. “You’re being dramatic like you can get sometimes. I know you just went through something horrific but you will marry Nico. It’s for the best. I think so. Nico thinks so. Enzo thinks so.”
“And what about what I think?”
“You agreed to marry him, so you also thought it was a good idea. Now, we don’t have a wedding dress for you but you have a lot of beautiful dresses you can wear instead. Go change and we’ll take you to the church where you and Nico will be married.”
“Don’t I get a say in my life?”
She grabs my arm, digging her nails into my skin. “You will do as I tell you. Marrying Nico is the best thing for you. Now, don’t argue. Go get changed. You look filthy.”
I walk away from my aunt and Nico just to get away for a moment. Just to breathe. I take a shower, hating every second of it, knowing that I’m washing away Will’s touch. Once I’m done, I find a dress laid out on my bed. A simple cream dress that was the closest my aunt could find for a wedding dress in my closet.
Knowing I have no other choice, I put the dress on. It feels like a cage around my body.
Nico and Francesca smile once I go back out to them. They’re the only ones happy. I can’t even tell my brother about what’s happening. He would save me. I know it.
As for Will… I just have to hope that he’s alive at all.
Will
I drive one handed to the nearest hospital so they can fix up my arm. There’s no way I can save Gianna when I’m bleeding out. The only problem is that the doctor who stitches me up has questions. Why was I shot? Who shot me?
I lie and tell him that I was mugged and shot in the arm and didn’t see the face of the man who did it.
“We’ll have to call the police so they can take your statement,” the doctor tells me, finishing fixing my arm.
“Of course.” I give him my most charming smile and he smiles back, seemingly at ease. But the second the doctor leaves, I get up and leave myself. I’m not waiting around for the police to show. I have to get Gianna back. Nico could have killed me and it was by some miracle that I’m not dead.
Now I just have to find Gianna and save her without getting myself killed.
I drive to her aunt’s house. When Marco hired me, he had me do a lot of digging into Gianna’s life, so I know right where she grew up.
I see Gianna in the driveway – in a white dress – with Nico and her aunt on either side of her. Where’s her brother? I don’t see Enzo anywhere. Gianna is forced by her aunt to get into a car. I watch them drive away from the house and I follow them from a distance. I have to be smart about this. I can’t shoot at the car, not with Gianna in it.
So, I have to be patient.
I stop the car only after they stop… right before a large, catholic church. Nico is going to marry Gianna and I have to stop it.
Gianna
Nico grabs my arm and forces me down the aisle. Francesca settles in the front pew, looking happy, despite her pinched lips.The priest is waiting for us… almost like he knew this was going to happen. Like Nico called ahead of time.