Page 13 of Wicked Bloodlines

Sofia looked up at me with adoration, but beneath it, I caught a flash of what I thought might be relief. She was good at this game, but so was I. I’d been reading people since I was old enough to understand that survival depended on seeing what others wanted to hide.

“Congratulations,” the judge said, his eyes still lingering on Sofia’s curves. “Cesare’s daughter, right? Quite the merger.”

“It’s not a business transaction,” I said sharply, the lie sticking in my throat. “It’s a marriage.”

Sofia’s hand came to rest on my chest, a perfectly timed gesture of affection. “Matteo hates when people reduce our relationship to politics,” she said, her voice honey-sweet. “We’re both very private people and chose not to make our relationship public to avoid rumors and speculation while we got to know each other.” The chastisement was gentle but there all the same.

Judge Winters gave her a slight bow. “I understand, my dear. Forming a relationship with someone in the public eye can take a toll.”

“We’re fortunate to have such a protective family helping us have privacy,” she said smoothly. “The Lucas have shown me nothing but kindness. I felt at home from the moment I met them.”

As we continued our circuit of the room, I found myself growing increasingly aware of the physical connection between us. The heat of her body against mine. The slight sway of her hips as she walked. The scent of her perfume, subtle but intoxicating, winding into my senses until I could think of little else. This wasn’t part of the plan. I wasn’t supposed to be distracted by her, to find myself tracking the curve of her neck or the shape of her lips when she smiled. I was supposed to be watching everyone else. Reading the room.

“You’re playing your part well,” I murmured into her ear during a momentary lull, my voice pitched low enough that only she could hear.

“So are you,” she replied without looking at me. “Almost convincing enough to believe it yourself.”

The barb landed with surprising accuracy. I tightened my grip on her waist slightly, a warning pressure. “Don’t mistake the performance for reality, princess. I could kill you as easily as I could kiss you.”

She turned to face me then, amber eyes holding mine with unexpected directness. “I never take anything at face value, Matteo.” The words carried multiple meanings, and for a moment, we stood there, locked in silent acknowledgment of the game we were playing. With everyone else in the room, and with each other.

I didn’t trust her. Couldn’t afford to. But as she turned back to charm another of our associates with an easy grace, I found myself wrestling with an uncomfortable truth. My line between performance and reality had already blurred beyond recognition.

Knowing I needed to put some distance between myself and Sofia, I took two deliberate steps away from her, engaging an old acquaintance to distract myself from the woman who was rapidly becoming my obsession.

I deliberately let myself drift away from Sofia. It wasn’t like she was in danger here and I needed the separation to pull my head out of my ass. The last thing I needed to do was let my guard down enough for her to skip under my shields. Like she managed to be doing already.

As if the thought compelled me to seek her out, I glanced around the room until I spotted her standing not far away speaking with Dario’s wife, Belle. I frowned. The two seemed to be getting along well, but I didn’t like Sofia being around Belle alone until I felt more sure of Sofia. Right now, though, the two were surrounded, if subtly, by three of Dario’s men.

I’d decided to put Sofia out of my mind when I caught sight of Cesare Marchesi himself, striding through the room like he still commanded the respect he’d enjoyed twenty years ago. His silver-streaked hair caught the light as he scanned the room with predatory focus. The cane that had accompanied him to our meeting at High Tower was absent tonight, likely a calculated choice to appear stronger than he actually was. My body tensed instinctively. Cesare wasn’t on the guest list. His appearance here meant something had changed, and in our world, unexpected changes rarely brought good news.

Sofia had drifted a few feet away to speak with the wife of a judge we needed in our pocket. I watched as her father’s gaze landed on her, his mouth tightening into something between a smile and a grimace. He moved toward her with purpose, his eyes never leaving his target.

“Excuse me,” I said to the man who’d engaged me in conversation I hadn’t wanted to begin with, cutting him off mid-sentence. I didn’t wait for a response, already tracking Cesare’s path through the crowd.

Sofia’s back was to her father when he approached. I saw her stiffen when he placed a hand on her shoulder, the slight flinch telling. Her practiced smile faltered for just a fraction of a second before reasserting itself. Cesare leaned in, whispering something in her ear that made her stiffen even more. Then his fingers wrapped around her upper arm, and he steered her toward a side corridor. Sofia didn’t resist, but her body language looked all wrong for a woman leaving with a man willingly.

I followed, keeping enough distance to mask my presence but close enough to intervene if necessary. Also, I wanted to hear what the old man had to say to his beloved daughter. The hallway led to the private gaming rooms. They passed the first few doors before stopping in a recessed alcove partially hidden from the main corridor. I positioned myself behind a decorative column, close enough to hear but out of their immediate line of sight.

“You’re perfectly placed now,” Cesare was saying, his cultured voice carrying the faintest edge of urgency. “Dario Luca trusts you. I’ve seen how he looks at you, like you’re already family.”

“That was the arrangement, wasn’t it?” Sofia’s voice was cool, controlled. “You sold me to secure their trust.”

Cesare’s laugh held no warmth. “Don’t be dramatic, Sofia. I positioned you where you can be useful. Now it’s time to fulfill your purpose.”

“Which is?”

“To be my eyes and ears inside the Luca family.” He lowered his voice, but I still caught every word. “Vincent Rossi is prepared to pay generously for information about their shipping operations, their security protocols, their financial movements.”

Sofia’s silence stretched longer than it should have for someone on board with the plan Cesare presented to her. “You want me to spy on my future husband. And his family.”

“I want you to remember where your true loyalties lie.” Cesare’s voice hardened. “With your family. Your real family.”

“I agreed to this arrangement as a way to help my family. I did not agree to betray the very dangerous people you placed me with. While I’m living with them.”

“You’ll do what I tell you, girl.” I heard the snarl and had to consciously stop myself from hurrying toward Sofia. To protect her.

“And if I refuse?” The question hung in the air, deceptively soft but loaded with defiance.