Chapter 54: Chapter 54

“Is this real?” I whispered into the silence of the night.

Logically, I knew that when I’d completed the games, I would officially become Stefano’s fiancée, but right then, as he knelt in front of me, with the ring in his hand, my brain wasn’t thinking logically.

He chuckled and slid the ring onto my finger. I bit my lip as I brought my hand up to ogle the glimmering jewel.

“I didn’t even say yes,” I said, my voice breaking as I was overcome with emotion.

“Should I take it off?”

I quickly clutched my hand to my chest and glared at him. “Touch it, and I’ll kill you.”

He laughed and stood, pulling me in for a heated kiss, which I eagerly returned.

I melted in his arms, not wanting to leave the sanctuary of the garden.

Tonight was perfect.

Perfect meal.

Perfect stroll in the garden.

And the perfect man, now my fiancé.

There was nothing that could ruin it.

His lips danced over mine, devouring me one moment, and taking gentle sips the next.

I couldn’t get enough of him, but eventually, I pulled away, eager to return home, and even more eager to throw him on our bed and have my way with him.

“So, the games are really over?” I asked. “They’re done?”

He nodded as he guided me back the way we had come. “Now you just have to enjoy the fruits of your labor and claim your prize. Me.” He pecked my nose.

I wrinkled my nose and was surprised when a violin began to play. I took a few hurried steps forward and peered around the bend in the path.

A man stood in the middle of the walkway, violin resting on his collarbone as he moved the bow over the strings, playing a beautiful melody.

“Who—oh!” I squealed as Stefano gripped my waist and tugged me into him, swinging me around.

“Let’s dance the night away.” His face lit up with his smile.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and swung my head back, laughing.

It’d been so long since I’d been this happy.

We swayed to the soothing sounds of the violin for what felt like forever, surrounded by the glowing lights that lit the garden around us.

In the warmth of Stefano’s arms, I found the shelter I didn’t know I’d been searching for.

***

We finally made our way home at ten o’clock that night.

I spent most of the car ride staring at my engagement ring, and I didn’t stop even as we walked through the mansion and into the bedroom.

If Selena were here, she’d probably take a photo of me and post it on her Instagram with the caption, “My sister’s got a husband. When’s it my turn?”

I threw my purse on the nightstand and sighed. It’d been a long day, and I couldn’t wait to unwind.

“Help me with the zipper?” I asked Stefano as I tugged my gloves off, turning my back so he could help me remove my dress.

He came up behind me and placed a kiss on my neck. “Should we shower now or after?” he murmured against my skin. His hand rested on my stomach, drawing small circles that inflamed the simmer beneath my skin that’d started earlier that night.

I rolled my eyes and smiled as I turned my head to give him a kiss. “Shower first. Who knows when you’ll be done.”

He slapped my ass. “You know me well.”

He unzipped my dress and helped me step out of it.

His phone suddenly started ringing again before it abruptly stopped. I frowned and looked over at it.

It had been ringing for the past hour, but he’d ignored it. Tonight was supposed to be our night. He’d promised to spend it only with me.

“Who keeps calling you?”

He went to check and frowned. “It’s my mother.”

“Call her back. She must want to know how the date went.” I chuckled. The woman was a ball of curiosity and spunk.

He dialed her back but didn’t get a reply. After trying a few more times, he frowned and looked at me.

“My father isn’t answering either. Stay here, I’ll be back.”

“Oh…okay.” I watched as he hurriedly left the room.

Was everything okay? He looked troubled.

It wasn’t normal for his parents to ignore his call, especially after they’d been trying to reach him.

I quickly slipped out of my dress and threw on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, intending to follow him.

Bang!

My heart jumped at the sound, and I quickly looked toward the bedroom door. ~What the fuck was that? A gunshot?~

My heart leapt into my throat, and my body lurched into action immediately.

“Stefano!” His name was on the tip of my tongue as I swung the door open.

Pap, pap, pap.

I froze. With the door open, the sounds were clearer. And they were indeed multiple gunshots being fired.

I shut the door quietly, not wanting to alert anyone to my whereabouts, and ran into our closet where Stefano kept his weapons.

Pap, pap, pap.

The gunshots were audible, even from the walk-in closet, and it sent me into overdrive.

~What the fuck is going on? Who is it? Are we being attacked by enemies, or is this an internal conflict?~

So many thoughts circled my mind as I quickly slipped into something more appropriate and armed myself.

Stefano had told me to stay, but I was now a part of this family, and I needed to protect it just as much as anyone else.

This was my home too, goddammit, and I wasn’t letting anyone take it away from me.

I had to get to Stefano. He hadn’t had a gun on him when he’d left the bedroom.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves as I opened the bedroom door a crack. I listened carefully, and when I didn’t hear anything, I opened it further and looked out, prepared to slam the door and lock myself in the room if I saw anyone.

Seeing that the hallway was clear, I moved.

Suddenly, a scream pierced the air and reverberated throughout the mansion. My blood ran cold as I recognized the voice.

Charlie.

Why was she here this late? She should have gone home by now.

But for whatever reason, she was still in the mansion, and she was defenseless.

I sprang into action and ran in the direction of the kitchen. A body fell in front of me as I turned the corner, and I quickly jumped back to avoid it.

Looking down, I recognized one of our night guards. He was bleeding out from the bullet wound in his chest.

I looked up and spotted a man standing at the other end of the hall. A black mask covered his face, revealing nothing but his brown eyes.

He was frozen for a moment. I’d obviously surprised him.

Unfortunately, his gun was already aimed in my direction.

My body reacted before my mind realized what was going on. I ducked back around the corner just as the bullet zipped through the air. I stared at the way it embedded itself into the wall with wide eyes.

My hand clutched my chest to try to still the fast beats of my heart. I’d just spent a year participating in the vicious Mafia Games, but this was the closest I’d come to death.

~Who are these guys? How did they get into our heavily guarded mansion? Did someone let them in?~

I took a deep breath and bit my tongue to snap myself out of my stupor. This wasn’t the time for questions. The answers wouldn’t change what was happening.

We were under attack.

I’d trained for this. Now was the time for me to put that training into action.

I mustered up my courage and peered around the corner, firing my pistol at the man who was slowly approaching my location.

He was caught off guard, like he hadn’t noticed that I carried a gun as well. The bullet hit him in the leg, and he grunted, falling on one knee.

I didn’t hesitate after that. It was his life or mine.

I shot him again, this time catching him in the chest. His body stiffened, then fell sideways as he lost consciousness. Dead.

I cautiously walked down the hall with my gun pointed up and my finger on the trigger, ready to fire if any more unexpected visitors arrived. As I made my way toward the kitchen, gunshots continued to echo throughout the house.

I had no idea what was going on.

I ran into a few more masked men on my way to find Charlie.

I hoped that she’d hid herself in the pantry or somewhere safe. I’d hate to see her fall here.

My heart was racing, my palms sweaty as I engaged in the shoot-out.

With a trigger-happy finger, I didn’t hesitate to shoot and kill any masked man I saw. There were so many close calls, but I didn’t allow the fear to cripple me. I gritted my teeth and pushed forward.

I made my way to the dining room and hid behind a table that had been flipped on its side, using it as a shield to take cover from the man in front of me.

There was nowhere good to hide. The entire mansion was in chaos.

~Where is Stefano? Why is this happening tonight of all nights?~

My anxiety tore at my insides as I clutched my gun like it was my lifeline. I took a few deep breaths.

My immediate priority was to get to Charlie. I had to trust that Stefano was protecting himself. Charlie was defenseless. She needed help. She needed to make it home to her sons.

A bullet tore through the table and grazed my shoulder, causing my gun to fall out of my hand.