Chapter 13

Maria

Death.

I hadn't thought about the darkness, the eternal abyss of death until my mother had come close to dying twice. The day I'd stood by my mother for the diagnosis had changed everything, the reminder that life was precious hitting me hard.

The ugliness of knowing that one day everyone I cared about would die either by natural causes, a disease, or a terrible accident hadn't been easy to swallow, but I'd come to terms with the understanding that death was a part of life.

I also wasn't a fool in that there were other more terrible reasons such as being robbed and killed or a drive-by shooting or a serial killer. Violence had certainly gotten worse over the years, but I'd always tried to keep from putting myself in a situation where I'd be in the wrong place at the wrong time or get in with a bad crowd. While bad boys had always seemed hot in the movies, I'd purposely dated the kind of guys you could take for a visit with your mother instead.

Now this.

My… husband had been near death yet he'd acted as if it was nothing more than a matter of doing business, an everyday occurrence. Meanwhile, I'd had difficulty breathing, my mind one huge blur from the understanding that if he'd been murdered, I'd be left in a family situation with people I didn't know and a secret that might no longer be safe.

Not that it ever really was.

I had panicked after seeing so much blood, hearing about his soldier's death, and understanding that because of my relationship to Daniel, I now had a target on my head.

I'd sulked in my room for a little while then decided it was best not to stay in the dark. When there'd been no one guarding the door, I'd decided a breath of fresh air would do. After walking outside, things had become a blur. However, it was obvious I'd found keys in one of the six or seven vehicles parked out in front of the estate.

I was almost ten miles away before the shock had worn off and I realized I was in some unknown car headed down the road at a high rate of speed. At least I'd grabbed my phone. What the hell was I supposed to do from here?

As frantic thoughts continued to race through my mind, I glanced into the rearview mirror a half dozen times, half expecting to see my new husband speeding toward me in one of his half dozen other vehicles. I was pleasantly surprised every time to find he wasn't. Still, I was no fool. With every passing moment, the chances he'd figure out I'd fled became higher.

"What the hell are you doing, girl? This is crazy."

Saying the words out loud didn't make it any less so. I'd managed to grab my purse by habit more than anything, the fake ID I had in my wallet included credit cards. Maybe I could book a flight somewhere. Yeah, right. That would be the first thing the powerful man checked. At least I had some pocket cash, five hundred dollars or so.

Everything else, including the initial deposits after signing the contract, was safely locked away in a bank with no connection to the girl I'd once been. Everything possible to cover Margot's tracks had been done. In fact, she didn't exist any longer.

I smashed my hand on the steering wheel, fighting the fear that threatened to derail me, forcing me to tuck my tail between my legs and crawl back. I couldn't do that. This had gone too far and there had to be a way out.

It suddenly dawned on me the only way I could do that was by talking with the real Maria. She'd given me a number to a burner phone that I had listed as a bogus name with explicit instructions not to use it unless it was an emergency. Well, if this didn't qualify then I wasn't certain what did.

My hand shaking, I managed to pull my phone from my purse, forced to slow down to less than breakneck speed so I could search for her number. Once found, I hesitated for a few seconds, realizing the ramifications of my actions could be harmful for both of us. But I needed to talk to her. Maybe I'd feel better.

Maybe I'd feel worse.

At least it was something I could control.

I dialed the number, half expecting it to go to a voicemail with a strange voice on the other end. When she answered, I was momentarily taken aback.

"What's wrong?" she asked by way of answering.

"Daniel was almost killed today in an assassination attempt. I need to see you. Now."

"Where is he?" she asked, although her tone was more demanding.

"At the ranch. I'm not. I got away."

"Merda," she cursed. "Fine. I'm headed to the airport. It's time we leave. If you hurry, we can talk for a few minutes."

With that, she ended the call.

Somehow, I knew once I'd spoken with her, I'd be on my own. There was no going back from making a deal with the devil.

My name is Maria Rossi. I'm twenty-five years old, my heritage from Sicily, Italy. I was educated in Paris. I have a love for fast cars and fine wines, designer clothes, shoes, and purses from only the finest artists, Neopolitan pizza and anything Italian. I prefer my men rich and older, and diamonds really are a girl's best friends.

Every word of the mostly lies I continued to try to force myself to recite grated on my nerves even more. They were a mantra said by the real Maria, the wild child girl likely laughing somewhere every time the words entered my mind. The only truth to it was that she and I were only a couple of months apart. Other than that…

My name is Margot Rollins. I'm almost twenty-five years old, my heritage is from New York via Philadelphia via Kansas City. I was educated in whatever public school system I was forced to go to, and there were several, and an associate degree from a community college. I have a love for old muscle cars, beer and cheap wine, jeans and baggy sweaters, thrift store tennis shoes and purses, burgers, and hot dogs. I prefer my men with more intelligence than the Neanderthal assholes I was stupid enough to go out with.

The truth was actually more comforting than I would have believed. What was wrong with wearing cheap clothes and enjoying the small things in life like walking through a park or watching a scary movie with a huge bowl of popcorn? Maybe if I truly wanted to be indulgent, I would go to a carnival, playing a few games until I won a stuffed animal. I was a pretty good shot, which usually meant I could win those kinds of games. I had three fluffy white bears to prove it.

The airport as usual was busy, parking nutty. Thankfully, I had enough pocket change donated from the real Maria to cover the fee. I rushed into the main terminal, looking over my shoulder constantly. She'd texted me where she remained with her mother and father, the international flight supposedly on time. That meant I had maybe fifteen minutes with her before she'd need to board the plane.

I hadn't seen her since the wedding festivities had gotten into full swing. I'd remained in the hotel suite formerly occupied by the real girl while she'd remained inside the estate where I'd spent so much time with her. My job had been to text her when the deed was done, wiping out the message one hour after doing so.

I'd followed her instructions, Leonardo remaining by my side until he'd taken me to the ceremony. Then his duties had ended as well. As I raced up the elevator, running and pushing past several people eager to go on whatever fabulous trip they were headed to, my heart continued thudding in my chest.

I wasn't certain what the point of seeing her was, but I'd felt compelled to do so. Maybe to speak my mind or to gather more information so I could accept what was happening to me. I really didn't know. What I did know was that the ruse could implode easily, more so than I'd realized. People slipped up when they weren't completely in their role, and the passion I'd shared with Daniel had been so unexpected I'd almost told him private things that Maria would never do.

Or that she'd done and I hadn't.

Like anal sex.

She was supposedly a powerful woman who'd taken many lovers. Meanwhile, I'd had two, both of which hadn't been good in the foreplay department, one only licking me as if he was being forced to drink a vat full of cough syrup. I'd felt like some virgin minus whatever blood I might have spilled. Was there really such a thing? I hadn't experienced it. Or maybe I had and that's when the jerk had pulled out, shoved his dick back into his pants, and left me in the room.

I hadn't even been fully undressed, the spiffy little wraparound number I'd borrowed from my mother's wardrobe allowing for easy access. As soon as I stood on the landing, I checked the overhead flight boards, now only steps away.

After pushing my way past another hundred or so people, most of which cursed at me, I finally noticed her sitting close to her parents near a window. Her perch allowed her to gaze at the planes coming and going. She was wearing a coat, yet there was no disguising her long raven hair styled just like mine. Or vice versa. I was halfway surprised she wasn't wearing a scarf or hat, but I doubted she believed anyone would think the wiser now.

Leonardo acknowledged my presence while her parents ignored that their daughter had even been approached. As soon as I'd walked toward them, her bodyguard moved from the other side of the set of seats, standing in front of us as if he could keep any prying eyes from paying any attention.

I slipped into the seat beside her, my heart still racing.

When she turned her head, I realized she was much sicker than before, her once vibrant skin gray and her lips a dull shade of rose. Sadly, it was her eyes that seemed most haunted, as if the poor girl had accepted she was headed home to die, not to heal.

I couldn't hold back the odd emotion, a tear forming in my eyes. No one deserved to die so young.

Neither one of us blinked for a few seconds. When she finally did, her smile was warming yet strained. "Don't be sad, Margot. There's still hope. I'm going to a special clinic not unlike where your mother is. I understand she's doing very well. I wanted you to know I checked on her condition this morning. I knew you couldn't be in contact with her."

While my mom was a small portion of what I was doing, she had no idea for how long or how important my role of a lifetime could be. I'd purposely kept it from her, fearful her condition would worsen. And it was part of the damning deal I'd made.

"Thank you for that. I hope they can cure you."

"What was so urgent you needed to see me? This is very dangerous."

"I know," I told her. "He was almost killed. He came back with blood covering him, one of his men killed. You didn't tell me how dangerous his life was."

"Now, your life. While it's unusual to be targeted in the way he was, it does happen. It's something you get used to."

I laughed. "How in God's name do you ever get used to looking over your shoulder everywhere you go or being forced to have a bodyguard with you at all times? That's insane. That's not the way to live." As soon as I said the words, I exhaled and looked away. I'd sensed she would give anything to live the life she'd given me.

"There are worse alternatives, Margot. But you need to realize that the rules set in place, the protection and security measures that Daniel must go through enable you both to live a fairly normal life. I don't need to tell you that diseases don't discriminate. Neither do accidents out of the blue, including on fabulous vacations. And other horrible crimes are inflicted on those who'd been decent human beings their entire life. It makes you question all you have and are, and the beliefs you were brought up with. You can either fall into the darkness of not allowing yourself to live or you can enjoy every precious moment. Be the girl you always wanted to be. Maybe that's not me or everything I did in my life, but there are aspects of being with Daniel where you can be you, just a version where you don't need to worry about money or caring for your mother any longer."

"You mean for a year."

She bit her lower lip and another stupid lie I'd told myself had been confirmed. Oh, my God.

"This is for a lifetime. He'll never let me go. Will he?" I asked in a hushed voice.

"You cannot tell him the truth. Ever. He will stop nothing to destroy my family long after I'm gone."

I shook my head several times. "You lied to me. You purposely led me down a path with deceit. Why would you do that?"

She took my hand into hers, squeezing but with little strength. "Because like you, I would do anything in the world to protect my family. Anything. I gave you a gift. My life. My heritage. My family. They will be your family now. You will have children in my name and you never know, you might find yourself in love with Daniel. You're the lucky one. Live. Enjoy. Feast. Drink. Dance. Life is far too precious to harbor anger or resentment."

As an announcement came over the airwave regarding her flight, I wanted to jerk my hand away, but she was all but begging me to return as if nothing had happened. I had no idea what to do. I was so confused.

"If it's about money, I will have more wired to your account," she said.

"It's not money. It's about choices. You made them for me." It was another moment of realizing how stupid what I'd just said sounded. "I made the choice. Freely."

She nodded without rubbing it in. "Please live for me if nothing else. You are beautiful and strong and I know you'll find a path to happiness. I know it."

What about my mother? What about my friends? How could I incorporate them into my little world as it was locked behind a thin layer of glass?

Her parents stood, requesting her to come with them in Italian. The charade was still in play, the private plane supposedly returning them to their lives leaving the night before. That had been done on purpose in case Daniel hadn't enjoyed the first night with his new bride. The lengths that had been gone to continued to floor me.

Maria squeezed my hand again. "You will do fine and in time, you won't notice the extra security measures."

"I don't know any longer. He's not who I expected. He's brutal and so powerful, yet passionate in everything he does." I realized I sounded like a lovestruck teenager.

"You're already falling in love with him," she said almost wistfully, as if she now wished she could be in my place.

"That's never going to happen. He's a killer, a monster. He destroys people's lives. Any family like that is repulsive." I'd just shoved my foot into my mouth all over again. "Shit. I'm sorry."

She laughed. "The reason you are perfect for Daniel Thorn is because of your brazen yet nurturing personality."

Yeah, well, she didn't really know me. Not that I knew myself any longer.

The moment she stood I did as well, fighting both anxiety and tears.

It was no surprise that I knew what I needed to do at that moment. The right thing. That's what my mother had always taught me. If in my gut it didn't feel right, then it wasn't. And this had disaster or worse written all over it. "I'm sorry, Maria. I just can't go through with it. I realize that it's breaking the contract, but I feel I have no other choice. Given the horrible circumstances, I'm certain Daniel will completely understand."

She kept the smile on her face but the icy look in her eyes was instantly terrifying. I sensed Leonardo inching closer, the oppressive heat of his body impossible to ignore. When she threw out her hand as if to stop him from breaking my neck, a cold shiver skated down my spine.

It was a few seconds before she said anything, long after she took several deep breaths, coughing to the point of choking afterwards. Whether or not it was a theatrical stint or not I wasn't certain, but it had the effect she was looking for.

Fear ran rampant through me. She had everything to lose if I pulled out, which made her dangerous.

Maria kept her voice low and melodic but there was no denying the threat she was issuing. "I don't think you understand. You entered into a legally binding contract. Let alone the fact you know what could happen to my family if this ruse is discovered. I believe the amount of money we agreed on is more than fair."

"This isn't about money."

"No, you're correct. Perhaps I need to provide you with an additional incentive. It's something I hate doing, but I feel it's absolutely necessary. I'm going to make you a promise, which I always keep. If you don't go through with your end of the bargain, you will never see your mother again."

"You wouldn't do that." I was suddenly terrified that she'd have no issue following through with the ugly promise made.

"I wouldn't enjoy it. Granted I wouldn't be doing it myself but all I need to do is to make a single phone call and every trace of your mother will completely disappear. In addition, I'll be forced to have a long chat with your friend at the diner. What is her name? Oh, yes, Emily Shane. She is really a lovely girl with a bright future. I would hate for her to have a terrible accident."

"You bitch. If you dare touch either one of them, I'll go to the police."

My comment obviously amused her.

"Come now, Margot. You're a smart girl. You know your police can't do a damn thing. Besides, my family won't allow that to happen. Now, you're going to enjoy married life and all the pretty things money can buy. Just be careful of Daniel. He does bite."

"You make him sound like a monster."

"I assure you he is. He's the worst kind of man, one with no heart and zero conscience. He's a true killer. However, he is something to look at. Yes?" Her laugh was stronger than it had been before. Perhaps evil put her illness into temporary remission.

There was no way I was going to answer her.

I was surprised when she reached out, pulling me into a tight hug. I honestly wasn't certain how I was going to be able to go through with the horrible charade. Although I had to. I had no doubt what she or her goon-like family would do. At this moment I needed to be close to my mother more than ever. Even during some of her sickest moments, she'd been there to provide support and advice. I couldn't imagine what she'd have to say to me now. My guess was that she'd be disappointed I'd sold my soul for money.

Even if the cause was worthy. But worthy of dying over, of losing what was left of my humanity or worse?

"Trust in Daniel too. He won't allow anything to happen to his family. Who knows. Maybe one day you'll come to thank me for such an incredible opportunity."

Unless he figured out who I was.

I made a promise to myself that one day I'd find a way to bring down her family.

Even if she was already dead and buried.

The truth didn't always set you free.