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I shrug. I’m not showing it. I know better than to. What I said was true. My dad doesn’t want his own kid showing ID to get home. That’s literally as bad as asking my dad to show ID. This kid might be new, but he received a briefing which included pictures of my car and of me. I know for a fact that all of that information was included. He’s about to get himself fired if he keeps this up.

He sighs and presses a button to call the house. I can’t hear what the person on the other end of the line is saying, but I wave to the cameras that are pointed at my car and grin. One of the security guys will be watching from inside. They’re probably losing their minds right now wondering what the hell I’m going. If I didn’t have such a nice car, I would just drive straight through the barrier, but I do have a nice car, so I don’t. Instead, I decide to wait until Mr. Security lifts the barrier and lets me through.

He doesn’t though. Not at first. I wait as he starts getting his ass chewed out. He starts to pale as the phone call continues. Eventually, he nods and apologizes. Then he hangs up the phone and looks at me.

“I’m really sorry.”

“Just let me in,” I say. I’m exhausted. I just want to go inside, climb into bed, and forget this entire day ever happened. I can’t do that, though. I don’t get to go inside and just forget. Instead, I have to go inside and get ready to be Marco Amato’s daughter. My dad is hosting something at the house tonight. I’m not really sure what it is.

All I know is that I still live at home and I’m still under my dad’s thumb, so I have to make an appearance and I have to make sure all eyes stay on him. That’s what I do.

I’m not an idiot. I know my dad arranges things at these events. He’s probably trying to marry me off right now, actually. There’s a part of me that’s surprised he hasn’t already done it. Knowing him, he’s probably planning on it.

Unfortunately for him, I’m not going down without a fight.

The barrier lifts, and I drive up to the garage. I park my car in my spot and sit there for a minute, just waiting. I’m exhausted, but it’s not just because of today. It’s because of everything. I have to get through tonight’s party and then I have to make it through tomorrow.

That’s what I’m really nervous about.

Tomorrow I’m going to see Ian. I don’t know when and I don’t know why, but I do know that he’s coming to my place of work and he’s going to ask me if I did what he wanted. He’ll want to know if I managed to get Lorenzo’s phone, and the answer will be yes.

I want to please Ian so very much. It’s a terrible feeling, actually. I want to do whatever he tells me to. It’s a sickness, really. An obsession. I know that Ian and I don’t love each other. We don’t even like each other. Here I am, though: drawn to him.

I don’t know what’s going to happen next between the two of us, but I do know that whatever happens is going to crush me.

I just hope it’s worth it.

3

My father knows howto throw a party. Unlike some higher ups in the world of the mafia, he tends to throw soirees on a pretty regular basis. While his last event was at a hotel, this one is a bit more close-knit. The dinner party is happening at our house and although I always think of dinner parties as something with a dozen guests or less – enough to fit around a normal-sized table – this one has about 50 guests on the list.

Including Ian.

Of course, it includes Ian.

At these events, I always have to work the room. It’s part of my role as Marco’s daughter. I’m expected to know who each person is and to schmooze appropriately. It’s all an act, of course. I don’t actually like any of these people. I don’t know anything about them, not really. Still, I have to pretend to care. I have to pretend to be happy to see them.