Page 38 of The Empress

“Time for what?” she asks, and when her gaze moves over me again, intense fear tightens her features as she realizes why I’m dressed so formally.

She swings around to run away from me, but I lunge forward and wrap an arm around her middle. When I lift her off her feet, she lets out a cry and starts to struggle in vain to get free.

With no time to waste, I haul her over my shoulder and walk toward the stairs.

Haven’s fists connect with my back, and the moment I feel her take hold of my gun, I yank her back down my front. Without any effort on my part, I wrench the gun from her hand and level her with a look of warning.

“Do you want your mother to die today?”

“No!” Tears stream down her face as she stares up at me, desperate breaths bursting over her lips, and her hair a wild mess.

Except for the terror in her eyes, she looks like she’s just been fucked.

My voice is deep and rough as I mutter, “Then you’ll behave and carry out every order I give you.”

Her features tighten with a pleading expression. “Please. Don’t do this.”

Still holding my gun, I use it to gesture toward the stairs. “We’re wasting time,principessa. You don’t want to keep our mothers waiting at the church.”

Her eyes widen again. “My mother will be at the church?”

“Yes.”

Haven swings around and hurries down the stairs.

As I follow her out of the mansion, my conscience starts to niggle at me, but for the second time today, I harden my heart.

Cazzo. I’m really doing this.

I’m going to force Haven, whom I know very little about, to marry me.

Yep. I’ve lost my mind.

Chapter 9

HAVEN

As we pull up to an old church that has a rocky hillside for a backdrop, my heart is pounding in my chest while panic flays me raw.

I notice Uncle Nicolo’s car parked near the entrance, and the second Leo stops the Porsche, I shove the door open and jump out.

I run through the front door and hardly notice the murals on the roof and walls. There are armed men, an older woman I don’t recognize, and then I see Mom, where she’s trying to pull her arm free from Uncle Nicolo’s grip.

“Mom,” I shout before I dart down the aisle to get to her.

“Haven!”

“Let go of the woman,” Massimo orders Uncle Nicolo.

Mom yanks away from him just as I reach her, and we fall into an embrace.

“God, sweetheart,” Mom sobs, her arms wound so tight around me, it hurts.

“Good. Everyone’s here,” Leo says somewhere behind me, his confident footsteps echoing through the church. “Massimo, show the women to a room where Haven can change into the dress.”

“No!” Mom shouts. She pulls me behind her and locks eyes with Leo. “My daughter won’t marry you.”

Not looking bothered at all, Leo adjusts his cuffs while he says, “You can either enjoy a few minutes with your daughter, or I’ll have you locked in a room. The choice is yours.”