Page 81 of Savage Empire

“More than likely, that is on their minds, yes.”

My hands run down my thighs as I sit, the soft denim under my palms. I reach my knees and squeeze hard, wishing I could get rid of this awful feeling. A twisted combination of anger, sadness, and disgust.

No one deserves parents like hers, but Sienna is my best friend, so it feels even more unjust. I know how kind and loyal she is. How smart and creative, how strong and resilient…Why her?

Why can’t her parents see her the way I do?

How could they see her sweetness and beauty and still destroy it?

“So, where is she? If I can’t see her, you need to tell me what you’re doing to take care of her. She was locked up in her parents house, I doubt she’s thrilled to be locked up in your version of it.”

Apollo looks like he’s taking a moment to decide how to report the news, face still in concentration. “Sienna will remainsecluded in a secure safe house that only Elio, Armani, and I have access to.”

“Oh great, a new prison for her,” I snap, practically hissing. “What the fuck Apollo? Why couldn’t you guys just tell Abramo she’s coming here and to deal with it himself?”

He stiffens. “For someone who has been a victim of the complications of complex mafia relationships, you still seem to have a naive outlook on it. This is the way things work, Rayna. It’s a delicate balance. There’s give and take, and strategic ways to make moves without bloodshed.”

“I—”

“Your friend wanted her family alive, this is how she gets her way. Abramo can only do so much while his father is still in charge. And no one would willingly give a mafia princess to another family without a marriage contract in place. Would you rather I saddled her with a husband instead?”

A husband is the last thing she would want.

Someone vying for her hand in marriage now would only prove to her mother that she did the right thing. She’d see the interest of a man as evidence that she was justified in changing Sienna’s face and body.

Sienna would probably internalize that too. Even if she was in on the plan, I can’t imagine the mental damage it would do to her to hear her mother celebrate her twisted success.

My bottom lip wobbles, emotion welling up. “How long is this going to last? Is she going to be all alone?”

“When Elio went to get her, he also took another woman. Sienna’s childhood nanny. I’m told the two are close. She has no living family, and agreed to go into hiding with Sienna.”

“Edith is with her?” A small glimmer of hope fills my chest.

The older woman hasn’t been able to spend much time with Sienna since the surgeries started. Mrs. Bitch Bianchi startedto distance the two of them, not liking the mother-daughter relationship they seem to have fostered over the years.

“She is,” Apollo confirms. “Elio and Armani will also visit her. They know how to travel without being seen, and no one will suspect they’re visiting Sienna. You, on the other hand, are a known associate of hers. If you’re tracked going around mysterious areas by the wrong eyes, you could give her position away.”

“You didn’t answer me before,” I say, suspicion growing. “How long is this going to last? You better not say this is permanent, Apollo Moretti.”

“It will not be permanent.” He huffs. “And you will be able to talk to her, but only on a burner phone. I have one for you.”

I don’t miss him evading the question.

“How long, Apollo?”

He sighs. “Until she turns twenty-one, or Abramo’s father is dead.”

Until she turns twenty-one? That’s almost three fuckingyears.

“What? Why?” I demand, voice hard. “That’s ridiculously long.”

“When Sienna turns twenty-one and remains unmarried, she’s officially free from her parents. That’s how the Casa Nostra works. Once she hits twenty-one, she has the right to stay here. She can come out in public and they can’t force her to return.”

“The amount of ridiculous rules in this world make me wish my head would explode,” I growl. “She’s nearly nineteen, she should be able to make her own decisionsnow.”

“There’s always hope that Abramo will have his father executed before then,” Apollo replies lightly. “I have a feeling his death might come before Sienna’s twenty-first. He has many enemies, and his own heir despises him.”

“Well, who could blame him,” I grumble. “This news feels much more bittersweet than I expected.”