1. Aria

Current Day

Itry to act nonchalantly as I descend the stairs and make my way to the front door of my brother's penthouse where I"ve been staying since my return to the United States nearly a year ago.

I wouldn"t call myself a prisoner, but my brother's control is felt in nearly every aspect of my life. I"d much rather live on my own, but Niko won"t allow it, at least not right now.

I swear to God he thinks I"m still sixteen years old. I do have the freedom to leave as long as I stay in Manhattan and I take along the bodyguards he"s assigned to me. His watchful eye has been worse ever since he met with Luca in his office two weeks ago at Kate's baby shower.

I don"t know what happened in that meeting. I only know that at the end of it, Luca returned to Italy.

Ever since then, I"ve been giving my brother the cold shoulder and silent treatment except in the few moments when I tell him what a jerk he is. Why does he get to have love and happily ever after, but not me? Not that I"m sure that"s what Luca and I would have, but it"s definitely possible. If only we could be together to find out.

I reach the elevator and press the button.

"Where are you off to today?"

Inwardly, I swear then turn around, giving my brother a sweet smile that he knows isn't sincere. "I"m going out." I turn to face the elevator again.

"Marco and Danny are with you, right?"

I raise my hand, giving him the bird. Niko accuses me of being immature, and maybe I am. But it"s his fault. I"m certain that if I started acting like a fifty-year-old woman, he"d still keep close ties on me and wouldn"t let me choose my own decisions in life.

The door opens and I step into the elevator. I turn to see Niko still standing at the door, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes narrow, scrutinizing me.

I arch a brow, taunting him with the idea that he doesn"t really know what I"m doing. And he doesn"t. Even if Marco and Danny have told him about my regular trips to the East Village where I visit an excellent coffee café, play with kittens in a pet store, and peruse a bookstore, Niko would have no idea what that all means. I wouldn"t put it past him to have sent men down to check out these establishments. But they won't find anything.

I make it down to the garage, and Marco holds the door open as I climb into the back of an SUV. He and Danny sit up front.

"To the coffee house?" Marco asks as he pulls the car up to the garage door, waiting for it to open to let us out.

"Yes, please."

"They must have the best coffee in town," Danny says. His tone suggests that Niko has asked them to see what they can find out about my outings.

"The almond croissants are to die for. They remind me of the ones I had in Paris." For several years, I lived in Europe, going to school and traveling. It sounds like fun, and it was, but Niko's presence was always felt. I was never without protection.

Traffic is heavy, so I settle back and take in the sights along the ride. New York is a lovely city in May. I wonder what it"s like now where Luca lives, in Italy? Anger burns deep in my belly at the idea that I may never be able to find out. Stupid Niko.

My brother, Niko, took over the Abate crime Family's business, and with the help of Donovan and Lucy, the Fiori Family business in New York and New Jersey. For a long time, that meant everyone close to Niko had to stay home or at the compound, or go out with an army of men until his control was complete.

But now that things are calmed down, I'm allowed to go out with only two bodyguards and have enough freedom to go into a shop without their hovering over me. So, when we get to the coffee shop, Marco parks the SUV, and he and Danny escort me to the door.

This time, Marco stands outside while Danny enters with me, but once he scans the place for signs of danger, he goes to a seat in the corner, and I go to get my almond croissant and cappuccino.

I open my book on the Italian language and pretend to read. What I"m really doing is going over a note that I"m about to leave for Luca in the bookstore.

Two weeks ago, when Luca told me he had to leave but encouraged me to get some Italian language books, I didn"t know what to think. What I hoped was that he was telling me to get better at speaking Italian because he would come back for me.

But when I went to the bookstore that he told me to visit, as I went through each of the Italian language books, a piece of paper fell out between two of them. When I opened it, my heart swelled.

Don't fret, Mio Angelo. We will be together soon again.

Mio Angelo. My angel. He calls me his angel. It makes me sigh each time he says it. He's such a romantic.

I stared at that note for a long time, feeling both happy and yet frustrated that this is what Niko has forced us into. Leaving secret notes. We can't text or call as Niko blocked Luca. And even if we could call, I wouldn't put it past Niko to listen in or record the conversation.

The notes are sweet and romantic, but they make me yearn even more to be with Luca. I have to somehow get to him. Luca is a generous, fascinating man. It"s hard to believe he"s a Mafia Don because he doesn"t ever act like a beast like my brother does.

When I finish my coffee, I exit the café with Danny and Marco on my heels.

"I think I want to go see if they have any new kittens at the pet store."

Danny and Marco follow with enough distance to keep me safe without crowding me. I enter the little pet shop and go immediately to the pen where all the kitties are kept. Someday, I"m going to buy one or two and give them to my niece and nephew. With any luck, they will pee and poop all over Niko"s penthouse. Petty and immature, I know, but again, it"s Niko"s fault.

It"s times like this I wish my parents were still alive because I know for sure that they would think Luca is a good match for me. They wouldn"t have hesitated to allow me to be with him to see if a marriage is possible. I wish I knew what is wrong with my brother that he is so against it. I"ve gotten to the point where I"m a little worried he"s negotiating a marriage to somebody else in a business arrangement. The thought of it makes me sick.

I spend twenty minutes with the kittens and then exit the pet shop and continue down the street. "Wonder if there"s any new books out this week." I've made this trip four previous times in the last two weeks, so Danny and Marco know the drill.

I go into the bookshop, and this time, Danny waits outside while Marco enters but stands near the counter flirting with the woman working there.

I make my way toward the back where the language books are. I pull my note from my purse, ready to make the exchange and read what Luca has left for me.

I know he"s in Italy, so I"m not sure how these notes are showing up here. Part of me thinks that maybe he"s enlisted Lucy"s help. After all, she had been married to Luca"s father until he died.

Plus, I know she thinks Niko is being unreasonable about Luca and she has no problems telling him so. But she has no power to help me. And I can't be sure that if it's not her helping Luca, that she wouldn't tell my brother.

I start going through the Italian language books, and there"s the note. I quickly snatch it and look around to make sure Marco isn't watching, and then I open it, holding my breath as I wait to see what Luca has to say to me.

Mio Angelo, I miss you more than I can bear any longer. I am hopeful that your affection for me is still strong and you will come to me in Italy. Tonight.

I gasp at the message. Excitement and terror collide all at once. I love the idea of running away to the man I love. But I also know if I"m caught, Niko will lock me away and quite possibly hunt Luca down and kill him.

But there"s also a little tiny bit of fear in going to Italy. I"m not as skilled in speaking the language as I should be. And what are Luca"s intentions?

Living in a Mafia world, I'll never have the true freedom that other women enjoy. Leaving Niko and going to Luca means going from one controlling man to another. I might run away, but once I"m with Luca, I am his and under his control.

But then I think of his shy smile and his gentle gestures, like his fingers light on my back when we're walking. Stolen glances across the room when we're sure my brother isn't watching. One time, he acted as my bodyguard and whisked me away to a picnic on the river. We also went to Kate"s bookstore that day, the first day I had bought a new language book. I wanted to learn his language because when he spoke Italian to me, my insides melted.

I fold up the note, shove it deep into my purse, and do my best to peruse the books while on the inside, I"m a kaleidoscope of emotions. Am I going to do this? Am I going to run away to Italy to be with Luca?

When I get back to the penthouse, I go immediately to my room and pull out the note again. On it, Luca has given me a date and a time—tonight, six p.m.—and a location, outside White Plains, to make my escape. He hasn"t given me much time to decide, much less prepare, but maybe that"s on purpose. If I have too long to think about it, there's a bigger chance of Niko finding out.

I grab my carry-on bag, too small for a trip to Europe, but I don"t have a lot of time, and I"ll need to sneak out, so I can"t carry too much. I pack the basics and essentials and then hide the bag in my closet.

The next question is do I share my secret with anyone? Or do I leave a note? As much as I despise Niko right now, he has taken care of me since my parents died ten years ago. He is my brother, so it seems like I owe him something. But what would I say? Once he realizes I"m gone, he'll know where I've gone. And besides, leaving a note is risky. If he finds it before I"m away, he'll stop me.

I sit on the edge of the bed as I realize that in doing this, I am choosing Luca over my brother, and I hate that. But in the world that I live in, it isn"t just hatred and resentment that can build between Families. My running away to Luca could cause a war between our Families. Wars that end in death.

I let out an exasperated moan. Niko says I"m immature, but he's the one who decides conflicts can only be resolved with violence. Stupid macho man.

I continue to sit as the clock ticks away and the time frame for making my decision shortens. What do I do?