Novels by Princessa Vic

**DANTE**Lucia's bakery opened at six AM. I made sure Alessandro was awake at five. Dark circles under his eyes, hands shaking as he tied his shoes."Coffee?" he asked quietly."No time. We're late already.""You said six.""I changed my mind. Move faster." I headed for the door. "And Alessandro? Lucia doesn't know about the marriage yet. I'm telling her today. With you there."His face went pale but he followed me out.The drive took twenty minutes. Making him walk yesterday had been excessive, but he'd questioned me in front of Tommy. I couldn't have that."Lucia knew my whole family. Watched my sisters grow up." I pulled up outside the bakery. "And you've been sending her money for years. Did you think I wouldn't find out?"His jaw tightened. "I was trying to help.""You were trying to ease your guilt. There's a difference."The bakery smelled like bread and cinnamon. Lucia looked up when we entered and froze."Dante." Her voice was careful."This is Alessandro Santoro. I think yo

**ALESSANDRO**The first week living with Dante was a lesson in controlled hostility. He made rules for everything. When I could eat, where I could go, who I could speak to. He watched me constantly, looking for weakness.Dinner every night at seven was mandatory. Marco joined us most evenings while Dante sat across from me radiating contempt. Tommy tried to lighten the mood with jokes that fell flat. I mostly pushed food around my plate."You're not eating again," Dante said on the fifth night. "That's going to be a problem.""I'm not hungry.""I don't care. You eat what's put in front of you. I'm not having people say I'm starving my fiancé.""Since when do you care what people say?"His eyes went cold. "Since it reflects on me. Eat."I picked up my fork just to end the conversation."How are you settling in, Alessandro?" Marco asked."Fine, thank you.""He barely leaves his room," Dante said. "Paint all day and night.""I'll open a window.""You'll paint less. You're here to integr

**DANTE**Marco was waiting in my apartment when I got back from Sofia's casino. He sat in my chair, drinking my whiskey, looking like he was deciding whether to kill me or just break a few bones."You put your hands on a Santoro at a peace talk." He said it quietly. That's how I knew he was furious. Marco only got quiet when he was ready to do violence."I saw the ring.""I don't care if you saw God himself. You don't sabotage years of planning because you can't control yourself." He stood up. "I should cut you loose right now.""Then do it.""Don't test me, Dante."We stared at each other. Finally, Marco sat back down. "Sofia called with a proposal. A marriage alliance between you and Alessandro Santoro."I laughed. "That's insane.""It's brilliant. A legal marriage means shared assets, shared interests. Neither family can move against the other without destroying themselves.""I'm not marrying a Santoro.""Yes, you are. Because I'm ordering you to. And because it's the perfect posi

**ALESSANDRO**The bruises on my throat were already forming when I got home. I could see them in the bathroom mirror, dark fingerprints that would be impossible to hide tomorrow. Dante Moretti had strong hands. Strong enough to kill me if he'd wanted to. The strange thing was, I'd almost wanted him to."Let me see." Dr. Elena appeared in the doorway without knocking. She never knocked. After five years of patching up my family's violence, she'd earned that right.I tilted my head back so she could examine the damage. Her fingers were clinical, professional. "You're lucky he didn't crush your windpipe.""I don't feel lucky.""No, I imagine you don't." She pulled out her stethoscope. "Breathe."I obeyed while she listened, then checked my pupils, my ribs, the old scars on my back that never quite faded. She'd seen all of it before. Every time Nico decided I needed a lesson in family loyalty. Every time my father's disappointment turned physical."You didn't fight back," she said finall

**DANTE**"You're sure it's them?"Marco's voice cut through the smoke in his office. I stared at the photographs spread across his desk. Vittorio Santoro. Nico Santoro. And a younger one I didn't recognize."The Santoros requested the meeting themselves. Sofia's casino, two hours." I kept my voice steady even though my hands wanted to shake. Five years I'd waited for this. Five years of learning, planning, becoming someone my family wouldn't recognize."And you're going to sit there and talk peace with the men who killed your family?" Marco lit a cigar, watching me carefully. He'd found me half-dead from grief and stupidity five years ago, turned me into something useful. I owed him everything, but that didn't mean he owned my choices."I'm going to gather information. See what they want.""Information." He said it like he didn't believe me. "Dante, I took you in because you were smart. Don't make me regret that by doing something stupid tonight."I met his eyes. "My father was worki