Chapter 3 - Shadows and RivalsWaking up next to Marco Ricci was a dangerous thing.
I woke to find myself plastered against his chest, my leg tangled with his, my face buried in the crook of his neck. He was still asleep, his breathing deep and even, his strong arms wrapped protectively around my waist.
For ten minutes, I let myself live in the fantasy. I traced the faint scar on his collarbone, breathing in the scent of him. Then, he shifted, pulling me even tighter against him.
"If you keep doing that," he murmured, his voice heavy with sleep and thick with gravel, "I'm going to forget this is a business arrangement."
I froze, my cheeks burning, and scrambled backward. "I'm sorry. I was cold."
Marco opened his eyes, staring at me with a heavy, unreadable expression. "Don't apologize."
The tension between us hummed like a live wire for the rest of the day. But the fragile bubble we had built was shattered that afternoon during a garden party Isabella hosted for the local elite.
I was standing by the champagne fountain when a man approached me. He was handsome, but in a slick, predatory way.
"You must be the famous Emily," he said, his voice slick with fake charm. "I'm Lorenzo. An old... business associate of Marco's."
I knew exactly who Lorenzo was. He was the head of a rival syndicate, a man Marco despised. Lorenzo had been trying to encroach on Marco’s shipping ports for months.
"Nice to meet you," I lied smoothly.
Lorenzo stepped far too close, lowering his voice. "I find it fascinating that the ruthless Marco Ricci suddenly has a sweet, innocent girlfriend. It makes a man wonder if she's a weakness. Or if she's just a paid distraction."
"I assure you, our relationship is very real," I said, my voice turning to ice.
"We'll see," Lorenzo sneered. "Because when a man like Marco has a weakness, his enemies tend to exploit it."
Before Lorenzo could say another word, a heavy hand clamped onto his shoulder, spinning him around violently.
Marco stood there, looking like the devil himself. His eyes were murderous, the veins in his neck straining.
"Take exactly one step back from my fiancée, Lorenzo," Marco growled, his voice dropping into a lethal, terrifying register. "Or I will break your neck in front of my mother's rose bushes and pay the police to look the other way."
Lorenzo raised his hands in mock surrender, stepping back. "Just introducing myself, Marco. Beautiful girl. Keep her safe."
As Lorenzo walked away, Marco turned to me, grabbing my arms, his eyes frantically searching my face. "Did he touch you? Did he threaten you?"
"I'm fine," I breathed, stunned by the sheer terror in his eyes.
"You're not fine," Marco snapped, his control snapping. He dragged me away from the party, pulling me into the empty greenhouse, out of sight of the guests. He pushed me gently against the glass wall, his hands trapping me on either side.
"Marco..."
"I shouldn't have brought you here," he breathed, his forehead resting against mine. "I brought you into my world, and now they're looking at you. If anything happens to you..."
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"Nothing will happen," I whispered, looking up at his beautiful, tortured face.
"You don't understand, Emily," he groaned, his eyes dropping to my lips. "This isn't a game to me anymore. It hasn't been since the moment you stepped into my car."
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