Page 3 of Depths of Desire (The Emerald Dagger Mafia #3)

CHAPTER THREE

M y heart slams painfully against my sternum.

I’m sure Nico can feel the wild rhythm in his chest. His eyes bore into mine, and I couldn’t seem to breathe.

Can’t even think. "I saw you fall,” I blurt out.

“There's no way you should be standing here right now.

You fell at least two stories—you landed on metal.

" My breath catches. "No one survives that. "

Nico releases me, and I stumble backward to bang into the wall. He leans against the door with infuriating nonchalance, arms crossed over his broad chest. A smirk tugs at the corner of his lips, as if my panic amuses him. "I have a certain set of skills," he says smoothly.

I snort. "Who are you? Liam Neeson?"

His smirk deepens. "You could say that."

A shiver runs down my spine, a mix of unease and something dangerously close to intrigued. "And your ‘specific set of skills’ lets you survive a fall that should have turned you into a pile of broken bones?"

"Essentially, yes. It does."

I shake my head, my hands curling into fists. "I don’t believe you."

Nico shrugs, utterly indifferent. "Whether you believe me or not, it’s true."

I stare at him, my pulse pounding. If it’s true, then that means… There’s no way. I refuse to believe that because it would have too many implications, and I can’t get my brain around even a fraction of them.

The space suddenly feels too small, too intimate.

The scent of his cologne—dark, masculine, intoxicating—fills my lungs.

My head spins with his nearness. I need distance.

But this room offers limited options. Other than pressing myself against the wall, the only other additional space is the bed.

And I am not sitting down while he’s standing.

That would feel too much like surrender.

"The more important question," Nico drawls, "is what are you doing here? And I think I’ve asked that enough times. I need an answer now."

I glare at him, but my mind is blank. No sharp retorts, no clever comebacks. Just the cold truth slamming into me like a freight train. "Fine," I huff. "I’m trying to escape."

He lifts his brows. "That much is obvious."

"Listen, smartass," I snap. "I just want to get out of Genoa without my family knowing."

Something shifts in his expression, his amusement fading. "Ah," he murmurs, his voice softer, more thoughtful. "You’re running from your father."

A lump forms in my throat. "Yes." The hissed admission burns on my tongue.

"Why?"

How do I even explain? My nails bite into my palms as I force the words out.

"Ever since Mia married Renzo, things have changed. Suddenly, my father is a man possessed. He insists that I stay in the house. I have to beg to be let out. Someone is with me all the time. I’m not even kidding.

Like every waking hour. At night, there is a guard is posted outside my door.

And I’m…I’m sure he’s picked out a husband for me.

” I shake my head, a shudder rolling through me.

"Something snapped. And the pressure on me skyrocketed.

But whoever it is, I think…I think my father is afraid of him. "

Nico watches me, his dark eyes unreadable. “How did you get here if your father won’t let you be alone?”

Fuck. I swallow. “He thinks I am with Mia and Renzo in Venice.”

Nico eyes me. “Just how did you pull that off?”

I bite my lip. I don’t want to tell him the truth, but something in his gaze compels me, and I find myself spilling my guts.

“I hired a car that looks exactly like Renzo’s and had it pick me up.

I had the driver dress like Renzo’s driver, too.

My father glanced out the window but didn’t look too closely. ”

Nico’s face lights up with a wicked grin. “You put some serious time and effort into this escape of yours. I find that…charming.” A muscle in his jaw pulses as the smile slides off his face. "So, you’re running to escape marriage."

"Yes," I snap. "I’m running to escape marriage."

“Luna,” he sighs, “I’m afraid I can’t let you go.”

I cross my arms and lift my chin defiantly. "Can we just pretend you didn’t see me? You go your way, I’ll do my thing, and it’s all good."

He shakes his head. "Sorry, Luna. I can’t do that. Two of your best friends are married to my brothers, so you need to tell me what your plan is. I can’t just leave you here."

My shoulders slump. He’s right. I thought I was prepared for this. I thought I could do this. But already, I’ve almost been caught, almost been attacked. And I witnessed Nico’s body hitting the deck, not to mention another body taking Nico’s place on the hard floor.

I swallow hard. "Look, I don’t have to leave this cabin. Except to eat. And I can do that—" Liar. Liar. Liar. Going to eat is what almost got me killed.

Nico’s eyes darken. "A ship like this isn’t safe for a woman on her own. Especially one who looks like you."

My pulse stutters. "What does that mean?"

His lips twitch, but there’s nothing playful about his gaze. "Luna, you’re beautiful. Young. And you’re trapped on a ship full of men who don’t give a damn about right and wrong. This is not your wisest move."

A chill prickles my skin, but I shove it away. "I’m not going back."

Nico’s expression sharpens. "How long do you have before your father comes looking for you?"

“Four days.” I fold my arms tighter, my stomach knotting. "Even then, I’m not a total idiot, you know. I have a plan in place."

Nico smirks, but his eyes remain cool, assessing.

"You covered your tracks. Your father won’t suspect you’re gone until you don’t come back from Venice.

And when he realizes you’ve done a runner, he’ll check airports, trains, buses—all the obvious routes.

This method of travel will throw him off, won’t it? "

I don’t answer. But I don’t have to. My face gives me away.

Nico’s grin is slow, almost admiring. "Clever. Not bad at all. But it doesn’t change the fact that you can’t stay here."

A desperate idea claws its way into my brain. A reckless, ridiculous thought.

"You’re trapped on the ship anyway, so you could stay with me." I blurt the words before I can second-guess them. "It’s twelve days. Just stay and keep me safe until we get to Baltimore. Give me a head start. Then you can tell whoever you want."

Nico cocks his head, amusement flickering in his gaze. "Twelve days in this tiny cabin with you?" He leans in slightly, voice dropping. "In that little bed?"

Heat floods my cheeks. "That’s not what I?—"

He chuckles, the sound low and rich. "I know. But can you blame me for the way my thoughts went?"

I press my lips together, frustration curling through me. "Listen, I just need to get out of Genoa. My father’s losing his mind, and whatever’s happening, I don’t want to be part of it. I won’t be his pawn."

Something shifts in Nico’s expression, something unreadable. Then, finally, he nods. "Fair enough. But we need a better plan. Staying here isn’t an option."

Panic grips my chest. "We’ve already left the dock. It’s too late."

He studies me, silent for a moment. "We’re not really stuck, Luna. I can get us off this ship."

Fear lashes through me. "No. No, no, no. You cannot tell your brothers. If they find out, my dad will know, and then I’ll never escape."

Nico lifts a hand, cutting me off. "Relax, honey." His voice is warm velvet, edged in steel. "You’re adorable when you beg, but I have a better plan."

My chest tightens. "What kind of plan?"

His grin is wicked. "First, let’s get off this tub. Then we’ll figure out the rest."

"And if I don’t like this idea?" I ask.

Nico steps forward, his body cutting off my escape, the warmth of him an oppressive, inescapable force. My spine flattens against the cold metal wall, and suddenly, breathing feels like an impossible task.

"Sunshine," he murmurs, his voice dark silk over steel. "You don’t have a choice."

He leans in, close enough that the scent of him—smoke, salt, something darker, something purely him—wraps around me like a noose. My heart pounds, a wild, erratic rhythm, and my lips part before I can stop them.

Is he going to kiss me?

I don’t know if I want him to.

Everything is too confusing, too sharp, too raw.

And then—Nico freezes. His head tilts slightly, like a wolf catching the scent of prey on the wind.

"What?" I whisper, barely able to push the word out."

He straightens, his entire demeanor shifting into something predatory, alert. "It’s what I don’t hear."

A strange, unsettling silence settles over me like a weighted blanket. The soft, constant buzz beneath my feet—the ever-present vibration of the engines—is gone.

I blink. "You mean… we’ve stopped?"

"Yes," Nico says, his voice tight. "We’ve stopped. Well, technically, we’re still gliding. A ship like this doesn’t just stop on a dime. But the engines are off."

Cold dread slithers down my spine. "Oh, that’s not good."

"No."

A sickening wave of fear crashes into me. Sweat prickles along my back. "Holy shit. Do you think my father’s found me already?" My voice wavers, the thought suffocating. If he’s already tracked me down—if he’s stopped the ship—then it’s over.

Nico chuckles, low and unbothered. "No, I don’t think your father found you. He was a big man once in the family, but not so much anymore. And he sure as hell doesn’t have the power to stop a ship like this. No, I think it’s something official."

"Official," I murmur, my stomach knotting. "Oh God. You mean like the Coast Guard? Or… Customs? Police?"

His expression darkens. "Yes. That kind of official."

I exhale sharply, trying to steady my pulse. "Oh. Well, that’s not so bad. As long as I stay hidden?—"

"It’s bad."

Ice shoots through my veins. "What do you mean?"

His lips curl into something close to a smirk, but there’s no amusement in his eyes. "There’s a dead guy in the cargo hold, in case you’ve forgotten."

The blood drains from my face. How could I forget?

I swallow hard, my brain scrambling. "Okay, so… what do we do?"