The last couple of months had slipped through my fingers, each day vanishing faster than the last, no matter how much I wished time would slow. Only two days remained until my engagement party.
Mother was in a frenzy, ordering the servants around, ensuring every corner of the house gleamed, every detail perfected. It wasn't even a grand celebration—just our family, Liam's family, and the heads of the New York and Chicago syndicates. Salvatore insisted it was for safety reasons. The truce was still too fresh to risk a gathering of hundreds.
I wished they would cancel it altogether. I had no desire to meet Liam before our wedding. Hiding from the whirlwind of preparations, I sat curled up in my room while my little brother bounced on my bed, a deep pout marring his face. He had entirely too much energy for a five-year-old.
"I wanna play!" Leo whined, his small fists clenching at his sides.
"Mother doesn't want you running around the house," I reminded him, forcing a small smile. "Everything has to be perfect for the guests."
"But they aren't even here yet!" he protested, arms flailing dramatically.
Thank God. Liam and his people wouldn't arrive until tomorrow. Just one more night until I met my future husband—a man who had killed with his bare hands. My stomach twisted, bile rising in my throat. I shut my eyes tightly, trying to will away the thought.
"Are you crying again?"
Leo's tiny voice pulled me back. He had stopped bouncing and now stood before me, slipping his small hand into mine. His messy blond hair stuck up in odd angles, wild and unkempt. I reached out to smooth it down, but he jerked away with a scowl.
"What do you mean?" My voice wavered slightly. I had been so careful to hide my tears from him, breaking down only in the solitude of night.
"Lily says you cry all the time because Liam bought you."
I froze.
Damn it, Lily. I'd have to tell her to keep her mouth shut before it got back to Father. Forcing my expression into something neutral, I swallowed hard. "He didn't buy me." Liar. Liar.
"Same difference," Savannah's voice cut through the room, sharp and unimpressed.
I whipped my head toward her, glaring. "Shhh. What if Father hears you?"
Savannah only shrugged, crossing her arms. "He already knows I hate how he sold you off like some prize."
"Savannah," I warned, glancing at Leo. His wide, innocent eyes flitted between us.
"I don't want you to go," he whispered, his grip on my fingers tightening.
My chest ached. I forced another smile. "I'm not leaving for a long time, Leo."
The worry on his face dissolved into a mischievous grin. "Catch me!" he shrieked before darting off, shoving Savannah aside as he stormed past her.
Savannah tore after him with a battle cry. "I'm gonna kick your ass, you little monster!"
I shot to my feet and ran after them. Lily peeked out of her room, saw the chase, and immediately joined in. My heart pounded as I hurried down the stairs, my heels clicking against the marble. Mother would have my head if they broke another heirloom.
Leo was still in the lead, his laughter bouncing off the walls. Lily was close behind him, while Savannah and I struggled in our ridiculous high heels—another pointless thing Mother forced us to wear for practice.
Leo veered into the west wing, and my stomach plummeted.
"Leo, no!" I hissed, pushing myself faster. Father's office was down that corridor. If we got caught playing there, we'd be in serious trouble. Leo was supposed to act like a man. What five-year-old acted like a man?
We sped past Father's office, and I exhaled in relief—until three men rounded the corner at the end of the hall.
I opened my mouth to yell, but it was too late.
Leo skidded to a stop just in time, but Lily wasn't as lucky. She slammed into the man in the center with full force. Most people would have stumbled back. Most people weren't six foot five and built like a damn fortress.
I halted so suddenly my breath hitched in my throat. Savannah gasped beside me, but I barely heard her. My gaze was locked onto my future husband.
Liam Romano.
He barely moved, steadying Lily with strong hands. Hands that had taken lives. Hands that had crushed a man's throat.
"Lillian," I called sharply, my fear lacing through my voice. I never called my sister by her full name unless she was in trouble—or when something was seriously wrong.
Lily hesitated for a moment before darting toward me, burying her face in my shoulder. My fingers trembled as I wrapped my arms around her, shielding her from the man before us.
Liam's cold gray eyes flicked over me, slow and deliberate. He scanned me from head to toe, his gaze lingering on my golden hair. Something dark flickered in his expression, but I couldn't read it. Amusement? Disinterest? Calculation?
"That's Liam Romano," Savannah said dryly, venom dripping from her voice.
Leo growled like a feral kitten, storming toward Liam with all the fury a five-year-old could muster. He pummeled Liam's legs with tiny fists. "Leave Emily alone! You don't get her!"
My heart stopped.
One of the men beside Liam took a step forward, his stance shifting. A bodyguard, most likely. The outline of a gun bulged under his vest, though why Liam needed one, I had no idea.
Liam's eyes flickered toward me again, his expression unreadable. Slowly, deliberately—he lifted his hand.