The diamond necklace at my throat, Tony’s wedding gift, feels like a collar.
Three strands of diamonds that scream “I have money and I want everyone to know it.” We’ve been engaged for four months and I’ve seen him maybe a dozen times.
We’ve kissed exactly three times, each one brief and passionless.
Like checking a box on a to-do list.
Kissing a frog would be much more enjoyable than kissing my fiancé.
I don’t love Tony Lombardo.
I barely know him.
But Emma Brennan does her duty.
Except now Leo Santoro is here, and something is about to go very,verywrong.
I’m ten feet from the altar when the back doors of the cathedral explode open with a sound like thunder.
For one suspended second, everything stops.
The organ music cuts off mid-note.
Every head turns toward the entrance.
Then men flood through the doors.
There are ten, no, maybe fifteen of them, all in black suits with very obvious guns.
My heart sinks as I notice the firearms are pointed at the crowd with clear intent.
Someone screams.
Chaos erupts.
Guests dive from the pews, scrambling for cover.
Women shriek and men shout.
I hear my mother’s voice rising above it all, high and frightened, calling my name.
My father shoves me behind him so hard I stumble, the heavy wedding dress tangling around my legs.
His hand goes to his jacket reaching for his gun.
“Dad,” I start, but he’s not listening.
“Get down!” he roars.
But I don’t. I can’t. I’m frozen, my heart hammering so violently I can feel it in my throat, drowning out everything except the sound of footsteps—steady, unhurried footsteps—walking down the center aisle.
Leo Santoro walks through the chaos like he’s strolling through a garden.
He moves with absolute confidence that borders on arrogance, his men flanking him, and everyone instinctively clears a path.
He’s tall—at least six-three—with dark hair and darker eyes and the kind of face that would be handsome if it wasn’t currently set in an expression of such coldness that it makes my blood run icy.
He’s wearing a black suit, no tie, the top button of his white shirt undone.