CHAPTER 2•SEDUCE ME!!

~Amara.

I blinked, trying to process his words. My bones chilled.

"W-what?... a-are y-you s-saying?"

I stammered, laughing as I looked at all of their expectant faces.

I must've heard it all wrong.

But Marco's eyes were sincere, hopeful, as if he truly believed this request was a compliment, an honor.

"Your best man?" I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded, oblivious to the chaos brewing inside me. "Yes. It's my wedding, Amara." He gestured to the mantelpiece behind me with his chin.

I turned to see various framed pictures of Marco and the girl I had earlier misjudged as his sister in various loving and romantic postures.

Marco spun my leaden, stiff body that seemed to be transfixed to the spot around. A tear slipped.

"You know me better than anyone, Amara. You've been there through everything. I can't imagine standing up there without you by my side."

I forced a smile, more tears spilling as I fought to catch my breath. "Of course," I managed, my voice steady despite the chaos inside. "I'd be honored."

He grinned, relief washing over his features. "Thank you. It means the world to me."

He pulled me into his arms in a hug and that was when I got it.

He never saw me as a lover but as his very best friend. All along, I had been in an unrequited love relationship with him.

That explained why he never kissed me on the lips.

"Now leave her, Marco. The girl's emotional. Show her to her room."

His mother cautioned with warmth. I had to bite my lips to stem another onslaught of tears as Marco leaned in to kiss Francine—his fiancée—on the lips.

As we returned inside, his family welcomed us with open arms, congratulating me on the role I was to play. Their kindness was genuine, but it only deepened the ache. I was part of Marco's life, but not in the way I'd imagined.

Marco showed me up to my room. It was a spacious room set in warm colours. Marco cleared his throat. His aquamarine blue eyes sparkled.

"So I'll leave you to unpack. Dinner would be ready in thirty."

I nodded mutely. I stifled a whimper when he kissed me on the forehead again. I felt a brief stab of anger.

How dare he use me, cut communications with me for over a year overseas, and then ask me to be his best man.

As soon as the door shut behind me, I knew I wouldn't be able to stay here, watch Marco slide the ring on another woman. I just wouldn't, which meant I had to get out of here. I espied the window, worked its latch, and it gave way freely.

It had started to snow suddenly, so the inches-deep snow would cushion my fall.

I threw my bag over first, then jumped off the building. The snow cushioned my fall like a makeshift bed.

I immediately got chilled to the bone. I checked the weather forecast for Washington.

There was a snowstorm coming anytime soon but damned if I'd stick around here and play girl's buddy to Francine.

Using my skills, I picked Marco's car until the engine revved to life. I'd take it then leave it on some mall's parking space then report the car stolen through a payphone.

I waited a beat; nobody came out. Satisfied, I drove off.

God, it was snowing cats and dogs. I could barely see a few feet from the car fender.

After some time, it began to feel like I was going round in circles, so I stopped the car and stepped out to get a signal just to access my GPS navigator and know where the hell I was.

The ice beneath my feet suddenly began to crack.

"Oh my God!"

I whispered under my breath and began to run. I leapt out just in time before Marco's car went under the ice and it froze over almost immediately.

My heart thundered in my chest. I had been driving over a frozen lake.

Clutching my jacket and muffler tighter around my body to keep warm, I began to stumble my way in search of some kind of shelter before I got frostbite and ended up dead before Luca.

I came upon an alley where most of the snowfall was shuttered off by the overhanging roof. I went in there.

I rubbed my palms together and blew into them, muttering under my breath.

Then I heard it.

A low voice. A man’s. Another voice—panicked, pleading.

I froze and immediately crouched to my knees. I began creeping towards the sound. The sound came from the far end of the alley which seemed shrouded in darkness.

"Please… I didn’t mean—"

A sudden resounding gunshot split the night.

My heart stopped. The first thought that popped up in my head: Mafia. Gangs, an armed robbery.

Whichever one, I didn't care. I just wanted to be out of here quicker than a blink.

No way was I getting involved in some Mafia bullshit... at least not after all the efforts I'd put in to stay away from them.

I listened for footsteps. There were none.

I made to crawl out on my knees when I suddenly stopped and the hairs at the back of my neck stood. Goosebumps popped all over my body the size of blood oranges.

There was a sudden change in the aura around the alley. It smelt of death and bloodshed.

A man stepped out from the darkness. Tall, lean. Immensely broad-shouldered and muscled. The veins popped out along his arm like sinuous ropes. He was clad in an open-collared black silk shirt and black pants that clasped his long-legged limbs. His face was calm—too calm.

I recognized him instantly. You had to be dead in Italy not to know of him... scratch that... even the dead shook in their graves whenever his name was mentioned.

Mafia Don Nero De Santoro.

The Mafian God. The man who ruled Italy’s entire underworld force without ever lifting his voice.

He was rumoured to have been born twice and had clutched his mother's womb on his way out the second time, just so she wouldn't have any other child after him.

I gasped and stumbled back under the shock. My heel scraped the ground, the sound no more than half a decibel; the sound scale sounded like that of a bomb that had gone off.

My heartfelt prayer that he hadn't heard it went unheard when his head snapped in my direction.

Shit.

I ran.

I was just growing hopeful when he didn't chase after me when I heard the howling of his dogs.

I looked behind.

Not dogs—wolves.

Huge, powerful ones.

I immediately fell to my face on the floor and cried out, waiting for their bloodthirsty muzzles to tear me apart, when suddenly there was a sharp bark.

A hand clamped around my wrist and slammed me against the brick wall. My breath came in sharp, ragged bursts. His gun was cold where he dug it just under my chin, near my jugular vein.

"Who sent you?" His voice was smooth, lethal, low.

"N-no one. I swear," I stammered, letting him search my arms, neck, and body for some Mafia gang tattoo. "I—I just work at the club. Please, I didn’t see anything."

He tilted his head; I felt his eyes studying me like I was something fragile he could crush with just a thought.

"You saw enough," he murmured.

"I won’t tell anyone." My voice cracked. "I swear on my life and that of my brother too."

He stepped closer until his warm, whisky-tainted breath brushed my cheek. His fingers traced the side of my face, slow and lazy.

"Pretty face, nice hair, good body," he whispered. "Shame if someone decided to ruin it."

My knees nearly gave out.

"You won’t say a word," he said, his tone almost gentle—but it made my blood run cold. "And I know you won’t. Because no one who values their heartbeat crosses me. Understood?"

I nodded, trembling.

"Good." His lips curved in the faintest ghost of a smirk. "Now listen carefully, bella. You will go back to your life. You will dance, smile, breathe—exactly as you always do. If I notice even a heartbeat out of rhythm… you’ll kiss that sweet little life and face of yours goodbye... and oh, that of your brother."

My pulse pounded in my ears as I nodded, licking my dry lips.

He stepped back, and just like that, he vanished into the dark without a trace, along with his wolves. If not for the bruise on my wrist where he had clamped me, I'd have thought I had imagined it.

I stood there shaking for a full minute before I could move. Then I bolted, all the way back.

It was as if my brain had unlocked a navigation neuron due to my intense fright.

I was suddenly at the environs of the club where I worked.

Without wasting time, I went inside, back into the chaos of light and music that suddenly felt so warm and welcome.

Liam spotted me almost immediately, his face a dark cloud.

"Where the hell have you been? Someone's here looking for you!"

I dug in my heels so Liam would stop pulling me with him.

"Who's looking for me?"

I asked breathlessly, my heartbeat spiking.

It could be my foster father or his wife or even his nasty children.

Liam stopped, a grim expression on his face.

"Nero De Santoro."

I paled and he nodded. "Just his presence in this club spells trouble, and I would like to go to sleep with my head intact tonight, ok? Now you must have met his eye somewhere because he asked of you by name. He wants you to do his bidding for a night."

I was so not doing this. Not Nero. How did he end up here so fast and how did he know my name already? He must have pulled my records so fast.

"And by bidding, you mean—?"

Liam nodded.

I shook my head. "Go find someone else, Liam. I'm so out of here."

I declared and turned to go. Liam pulled me back, a pleading expression on his face.

"I'll suggest you cooperate or we'll both die tonight, no questions. Now I know, I promised not to let your services exceed the stage, but this is the Mafia God we're talking about here."

I swallowed. I really pitied him, but I couldn't do this. Nero was Mafian in capital letters.

"Stop, Amara. Think of your brother and how far you've gone to hide your identity—" he held up a hand when I made to speak "—This is my club, Amara, and I'm no fool. I know your name isn't Amara and I know your hair isn't black!!!"

I was appalled. "You did a background check on me?"

He shrugged. "I had to, and besides, that's all I checked."

I snickered. He was lying, which meant he must have hit a dead end in his investigation of my identity. My thoughts went into overdrive.

"You know no one has ever said no to Nero and lived, so if you do, you'll risk your cover being blown, and what's there if you gain a million dollars in return?"

I backtracked.

"Did you just say a million dollars?"

Liam pursed his lips and nodded. I made a quick calculation in my head. A million dollars would be enough to secure Luca's life and start a new life overseas.

I thought again of Nero, but I'd gladly go through hell than let my brother die.

After all, it was just for one night.

"I'll do it!"

"Are you sure?" I gave Liam a nod. "I'll sleep with Nero De Santoro."

I parted the curtains of the VVIP room where Liam had said Nero was waiting. I was completely naked save for some cork covers covering my nipples and a thong. I winced at the sight of myself in the mirror but this had to be done.

"A million dollars, huh?"

I said into the gloom for lack of something better. Nero sat on his bed in his suite, one leg atop the other and a glass of whisky in his hand. At my question, he took a puff of his cigarette.

"What do you want me to do?"

I asked him, fidgeting. I felt his cold gaze rake my body lustfully from head to toe.

"Seduce me!!"