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I wonder if she has any expressions other than that one.

“Mr. Davacalli says that you have a gala to attend. We have just under three hours to get you ready.” She claps her hands together. “You can get the shower going, and I will unload your luggage. But Mr. Davacalli did take the liberty to stalk the closet for you.”

I rub my eyes and sit up in my bed. “What?”

Emily chuckles and walks over to where I sleep. “You need to get up and get ready. You can leave the rest to me, okay?”

“Okay.” My mind is still foggy with sleep.

“Let’s make you look fabulous.” She grabs my hands and pulls me to my feet.

A shower, some scrubbing, and a few curling iron mishaps later, I stand in the middle of my walk-in closet with a full dome mirror in front of me.

“Your car is here, Mrs. Davacalli.” I hear Emily’s voice call from the room.

I don’t say anything. I am too lost in my thoughts for me to even articulate what I want to say properly. I pat my handson the skirt of my gown and fidget with the embroidery on the bodice.

Finally, after a long pause, I answer, “I will be right out.”

I give myself the once-over in the mirror. The floor-length gown I wear hugs me at the bodice, the boning sucking me in and giving my chest that added lift. The white cloth dances against the overhead light of the walk-in closet; I’m not too thrilled about the color, but Emily says that I should take advantage of it as a newlywed.

“You look stunning,” Emily comes up from behind me with a brush in her hands. She loosens my curls and smiles at all her handiwork. “I knew this dress would look good on you. The image of a perfect bride.”

“Perfect bride,” I mutter under my breath as I look myself up and down. “I don’t feel like the perfect bride. If I’m being honest, I feel really out of my depth here. I am the wife to the mafia warlord.”

“And he also happens to be the best of them, Maria.” She offers me a thoughtful smile. “As much as he is tainted in many ways, the man cares for his own, and you are a part of his tribe now. He will honor you and protect you.”

Her words do nothing to ease all the anxiety in my body. “I want to believe that, but after all the rumors and things I read about him, I…”

The words trail off into the atmosphere. I cast my gaze down to the floor. I catch the glint of my ring against the light. It’s a large billboard and serves as the symbol of my imprisonment.

“You’ve worked with this family for some time, right?”

Emily nods. “Almost eleven years. Mrs. Davacalli—uh, I mean—Mrs. Beatrice Davacalli, Mr. Davacalli’s first wife, picked me herself.”

The first wife.

“What was she like?”

“She was beautiful, warm, and incredibly kind. Much like you, she didn’t seem to fit the world of the mafia darkness.” She walks off to the center drawers that contain the jewelry. She pulls out the most gorgeous sapphire necklace that sparkles against the light. “This will go well with your dress. May I?”

“Are you sure? My mother gave me some of her jewels to wear and I think that they will?—”

“You are a Davacalli now, and you need to be wearing the jewels. This is the first time you will be presented to this world and I think it’s only appropriate that you are decked out in the finest the name has to carry.”

I hadn’t realized how deeply politics ruled this world. There are so many rules and regulations I am not used to. Since my father took us out of New York, I didn’t need to know all these ‘protocols,’ so to speak. I need to get accustomed to it if I want to acclimate quickly.

“The women in this world don’t get to say much, but they can speak volumes through what they wear. This necklace is a statement piece. It has been in the family for generations and worn by almost all the Davacalli women.”

She walks up behind me and places the necklace around my neck. When the cool jewels hit my skin, I can’t help but feel like I have been adorned like a queen. They are heavy but they make me feel… powerful for some reason.

I hold my head high and watch myself in the mirror. I hardly recognize the woman I am right now. All in the space of a month, I lost my brother, got married to the mafia king, and am now thrust into the thick of the world my parents tried to run from.

“Let’s get this night over with, then.” I turn away from the mirror and leave the closet with Emily in tow. I walk out of my bedroom and find Tony on the other side of the hallway. His eyes look to me and he says… nothing. “Tony, do you ever crack a smile? Or is that against your contract?”

He blinks. “My job is to protect you and not?—”

“—make childish conversation. I know, you told me.” I look back at Emily, who hands me a clutch and my phone. “Oh, thank you. You always seem to know what I want before I do.”