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A fter five grueling hours, I finally arrive home alone, having found the perfect dress.

I’d have liked to take my bridesmaids to dinner, but Alessia had to complete an assignment for college, and Emilia had a few things to take care of at her hotel.

I suppose I’m lucky they could find time to come with me at such short notice. They have busy lives.

It’s odd to walk into my mother’s house and not find any of my family here. I’ve never lived on my own and I’ll probably never get the chance to. I don’t think I’d want to be by myself, anyway. Having grown up with five brothers, I’m used to having people around.

It’s been getting steadily quieter in the house over the past few years.

Apart from Gio, my brothers have all had their own homes for a while now.

They still stop by regularly to see our mother and check on me, but it’s not the same as it was when we were younger.

When my brothers visit, they often bring their wives, who I’m gradually growing closer to.

Gio hasn’t found a woman who’ll put up with his assholery yet, but he’s abroad right now, exploring Scotland.

He won’t be coming back for the wedding.

Though we’re not particularly close, I will miss him.

When Gio’s around, he takes some of the heat off me.

Our brothers worry about him as much as they despair over me.

Even the staff are away this evening. They’ve all gone to Connecticut to help set things up.

Our housekeeper, Janetta, who runs the Westport house, is fantastic, but even she can’t handle the mammoth task of preparing for a wedding by herself.

I’m not entirely alone, of course. The omnipresent guards are lurking outside and in the house next door, which Antonio bought to give them a base.

None of them will come in here unless there’s an emergency.

Even Dante, who is Antonio’s most trusted friend, saw me safely to the door and then left.

It’s ridiculous how these brutal men act sometimes.

They’re afraid that being alone with me will lead to scandal.

But in the world we inhabit, reputation is everything.

As it’s rare to have the house to myself, I decide to make the most of it and watch a movie. Our home theater doesn’t get much use. None of my brothers can sit still long enough to enjoy it and my mother prefers to read.

With nobody around to complain about how I’m dressed, I decide to change into something more comfortable.

I head upstairs to my bedroom. Sinking onto the super-soft mattress of my four-poster bed, I pull off my high-heeled ankle boots.

They’ve been squeezing my toes unbearably all day.

I strip off my jeans and silk top, then take some time to remove my makeup.

When I’ve cleaned off the last traces of foundation, I tie my hair in a ponytail at the nape of my neck.

I put on the yoga pants I would spend my life in if I didn’t have to keep up appearances, and a soft pink jersey camisole.

Then I wander down to the kitchen in search of snacks.

It’s strange. This has been my home since I was a toddler, but walking around when there’s nobody else here makes me feel like I’m doing something illicit.

After my bedroom, the kitchen is my favorite room in the house.

Its dominant feature is a massive stove.

There’s usually something simmering away on it, creating mouth-watering smells, but right now there’s nobody here to cook.

I could order takeout, but by the time the guards have pawed through it to make sure it’s safe to give to me, it will be cold.

I rummage through the pantry, grabbing some cookies and a bag of chips.

The refrigerator yields some guacamole that smells fresh and a can of soda.

I take everything to the media room. Though she isn’t here, I can still hear our housekeeper’s voice telling me not to make a mess, so I carefully lay everything out on a table between two large leather armchairs.

I’m about to turn on the projector and find a movie I want to watch when the intercom buzzes on the wall behind me.

We have a communication system set up throughout the house to link us with the guards who provide our security.

Sighing heavily, I go to the phone and pick it up. “What is it?”

“You have a visitor, Miss Volante.” The voice belongs to Donnie Rizzo, a relatively recent recruit who got the job because he’s friendly with my brother, Gio. He’s a capable soldier for my family’s organization, but manages not to be as big a jerk as most of Antonio’s men.

“Who is it?” I’m not expecting anyone. None of my friends would come here uninvited and a family member would just breeze in through the front door.

“Dario Maroni.”

My legs almost give way. Why would Dario come here?

It’s been more than a year since I last saw him.

We haven’t spoken since the night I confronted the prick about selling the photos he took of me to my brothers’ enemies.

I’ve never forgiven myself for allowing him to take those pictures, and he’ll never worm his way back into my favor.

I thought Dario loved me, but by the time he was finished with me, I felt anything but cherished.

When I found out he was working for Joey Gallo all along, I was devastated.

Though he’s the last person I want to speak to right now, I am curious about why he’s here. If there’s a chance he’s going to cause trouble for me, I want to be prepared.

“Let him in, Donnie.”

“He’s not on the approved list.”

I roll my eyes. “I’m approving him.”

Donnie makes a clicking sound with his tongue. “I should check with the boss.”

“Don’t bother.” I rub my temples as a headache threatens to build. “Dario isn’t a security risk. He’s an old friend from school, so why don’t you check him for weapons and send him in?”

“Okay, miss, but I’ll need you to stay close to a panic button.”

“Yeah, okay.”

There are buttons all over the house that my mom and I can press if we feel threatened.

Within seconds, dozens of men will swarm in and save the day because, as far as they’re concerned, I can’t defend myself.

The truth is, while I would never instigate an attack on someone, I’m not completely helpless.

For years now, Jimmy has given me lessons on self-defense and escaping from dangerous situations.

His intention is to give me the tools to keep myself alive until help can reach me, but I like to think I could kick ass if it came down to a life-or-death situation.

I slam the receiver back into its cradle and step out into the hallway.

It takes a full two minutes before the front door opens and Dario enters.

Tall and broad-shouldered, he’s wearing his jet-black hair a little longer than he used to.

He’s lost none of his swagger. As he walks along the corridor, he tucks his black t-shirt back into his jeans.

I guess Donnie was thorough when he searched him for weapons.

When he sees me, a smug grin spreads across his face.

“What are you doing here?” I demand.

“Heard you’re getting married. Wanted to offer my congratulations.”

He saunters toward me, arms thrown wide, as if he’s about to hug me. Thankfully, he doesn’t try to, though he gets closer than I’m comfortable with.

“Bullshit!” I fold my arms defensively across my chest. “Tell me what you really want.”

I try not to flinch as he lifts his hand to stroke my cheek. “I want to give you a wedding gift, for old time’s sake.”

“What gift?”

“Those photos we took. I can get them back for you.”

He makes it sound as if I was a willing participant when he took those photos, rather than the na?ve eighteen-year-old he pressured into it.

“How?”

“Joey asked someone to keep them safe for him. They’re willing to give them back to you.”

I narrow my eyes as I’m gripped by suspicion. “Why?”

He grins. “For money, of course.”

I should have known. It always comes down to money. Heaven forbid anyone act out of the goodness of their heart.

“It’s not much of a gift if I’m paying for them.”

“The gift is me introducing you to the person who has them.”

“I see.” I smile tightly. “And how much do they want?”

“You can discuss that when you meet her.” Dario winces. I don’t think he meant to reveal it’s a woman. That’s interesting. I try to think who Joey might have entrusted the photos to. He wasn’t married, but perhaps he had a girlfriend he trusted.

“When does she want to meet?”

“Right now. I came to bring you to her.”

I shake my head. Even if I could get out of here without being trailed by bodyguards who report back to my big brothers, I don’t trust this situation.

“I can’t do that.”

Dario steps closer. When he speaks, his voice is softer, more persuasive. “Come on, Liv, it’s easy. Just tell your guards we’re going to a club. We’ll lose them on the way.”

Shaking off my brothers’ men would be harder than he thinks. They know I’m marrying Piotr Reznov at the end of the week. They’d be suspicious of me going off with some man they know nothing about.

“It’s almost impossible.”

“No, it’s not, Liv.” Dario reaches out and curves his hand around my cheek. “Look, I’m trying to help you here. I know I hurt you before, but I’ve changed. I want to put things right.”

He sounds so sincere it would be easy to believe him, but I’ve trusted Dario before and he betrayed me in the worst possible way.

“Dario, I…”

Whatever I was about to say disappears behind a scream as Dario is suddenly wrenched away from me and thrown against the wall. He’s not a small man, but next to the angry Russian who has him pinned with an arm across his chest, he suddenly seems completely insignificant.

“Piotr, I…”

“Shut your mouth, Olivia.” Despite the violence radiating from him, his voice is cold. “I want this piece of shit to explain why he dares touch my fiancée.”

“We’re just friends,” Dario grits out. He doesn’t try to fight Piotr off, either because he knows exactly who he’s dealing with or because Donnie and Salvatore, another of my brothers’ men, are standing by the door.

“That’s not what I asked.” Piotr pulls Dario forward, only to slam him against the wall again. There’s a sickening thud, and Dario’s head lolls forward like he’s dazed. Piotr shoves him toward my brothers’ men. “Teach him a lesson and send him on his way.”

As Donnie and Salvatore lead a struggling Dario out of the house, my heart thunders in my chest. Piotr turns to me. His expression is blank, but his eyes burn with rage.

“Now, Olivia, I think we need to get a few things straight, don’t you?”