Page 33 of The Empress

“I can’t just idly stand by and watch you marry that criminal.”

“You’ll have to.” My voice fills with urgency. “Please don’t risk your life, Mom. If they kill you, I won’t survive the heartbreak. I need to know you’re okay.”

“Oh, Haven.”

My tone grows more determined. “We’ll get through this.” Now that I’ve had a good cry and I’ve been able to talk to Mom, my mind feels clearer. “Leo’s been trying to get to know me. Maybe if I show him I’m a good person who has people who love me, he’ll soften and let me go?”

“What if that doesn’t happen and the man ends up falling in love with you?” Mom voices her worry.

“If he falls for me, it will mean he cares, and maybe he’ll let me go?” I’m grasping at freaking straws right now.

The memory of Leo trying to comfort me earlier flits through my mind.

Maybe it’s not such a far-fetched idea.

“I don’t know, Haven. I think you’re playing with fire.”

My mind keeps racing. “If I keep fighting Leo, it might make him angry, and I can’t think that will be much better than trying to win him over.”

“Just keep your distance from Leo,” Mom snaps, panic rising in her voice. “If you anger him, he’ll hurt you, and if you make him care about you, he’ll want more.”

Yeah, I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place.

My phone beeps, indicating my battery is low. I dig my charger out of my bag, and sitting down on the side of the bed, I plug it in. One thought after another pops into my mind as I connect the cable to my phone.

“Leo lost a man today, and I think two more were hurt,” I mention. “Maybe he’ll calm down over the next few days and realize how insane it is to marry me. He might change his mind and let me go.”

“Yes.” Mom latches onto my words, and hope returns to her voice. “Just stay away from him.”

“He’s put me in one of the guest rooms. I’ll stay in here.”

“Can you lock the door?” Mom asks.

“He’ll probably just kick it down or shoot his way in,” I mutter.

“True,” Mom sighs. “But stay in the room. Don’t interact with him unless you have no choice.”

“Okay.”

“Maybe things will change tomorrow,” Mom murmurs. “I’ll try talking to Nicolo again as well.”

“Can you stay on the phone with me?” I ask.

“Of course, sweetheart,” Mom’s voice softens with love. “I’m not going anywhere.”

I lie down on the bed and get as comfortable as possible. We’re quiet for a while, then Mom sniffles, “I wanted to give you this amazing trip before you started working. I’m so sorry, Haven.”

“None of this is your fault, Mom.” Thinking about home, there’s a sharp pain in my chest, and I close my eyes. “I just want to go home with you.”

“I want that, too.” Mom’s quiet again for a few seconds, then she says, “If we don’t return and I don’t pay the rent on time, the landlord will throw all our belongings out.”

Shit. I didn’t even think about that.

“If things get worse here in Italy and they don’t let us go, I can ask Kristen to pack up everything for us.” My teeth tug at my bottom lip. “But I don’t want to get her involved in this mess.”

“Wait!” Mom gasps. “You can talk to Kristen. Tell her what’s happening so she can go to the police, and they can come to rescue–”

“Mom,” I say, interrupting her. “Leo and Uncle Nicolo will kill us, and it will put Kristen in harm's way. It’s too big a risk.”