Page 51 of Stolen Vows
“You could stand to be nicer,” Genevieve says, though her voice is little more than white noise as I scan the crowd, searching every face for Stella. “Especially since I’m trying to help you.”
“Where’s Frankie?”
“Off to serve as proxy for the flower you bought. It’s kind of disgusting how much money you spent on that thing, by the way.”
I grunt. “What do you want, Deveraux?”
“I found your girl. She’s with Damiano Candreva from the Gambini extension in the city.”
Shit.Damiano is notorious for fucking fast and hard, leaving a trail of trouble and heartbreak in his wake. In the last year, he’s stolen the virginities and identities of at least thirteen women, then framed them for various racketeering crimes.
I can only imagine what he wants with a Ricci, considering Rafael’s notoriety still remains despite his death.
Irritation knots my muscles. None of this would've happened if she’djust let me explain.
Then again, if I’d explained everything to her seven years ago, maybe we wouldn’t have spent such a long time apart. Maybe we wouldn’t be here at all.
I can’t blame her for doing what she thought was best for herself, especially when I placed the opportunity right in her hands.
“Where?” I snap to Genevieve, rage pounding in my chest.
“Southern courtyard. Hedge maze? I’m not exactly sure, but Reaper said you’d?—”
I don’t bother asking what she did to the auctioneer to get him to talk, hanging up before she can finish her sentence.
Outside, partygoers mill about, sipping from their champagne flutes and engaging in idle chatter. Occasionally, I pass a couple or more tangled up, half hidden in the shadows, their bare skin exposed in the fading sunlight. This place, packed with the country’s elite, is a safe space for their explorations.
What happens at the Black Rose Auction stays at the Black Rose Auction. Usually.
I don’t intend to let that sentiment extend to Stella unless I’m attached to it. Our time together won’t stay at the auction—I intend for it to continue past the event itself. It’s only a matter of convincing her that a life with me wouldn’t be as miserable as she thinks.
I’d be good to her.
I’m not the monster I used to be, and perhaps kidnapping isn’t the way to prove that to her, but my options are limited. I’m running out of time.
A flash of dark hair catches my eye just before disappearing beneath the massive conservatory attached to the mansion. I notice the white lace of her dress, then the hand resting on the elbow of that Candreva prick. He leans down, angling his head, and leads her toward the hedge maze.
If I didn’t know better, I’d think they were a legitimate couple. She evensmilesas he says something, her short laugh carrying across the wind and slicing right through me.
I wonder what I’ve missed—if they’ve already had their fun somehow since they left the ballroom. She didn’t seem to mind Reaper’s hands on her, so maybe my belief that she’s been waiting for me all this time has been wishful thinking. Maybe sheeluded my security detail at some point over the years and let someone else have her.
Sliding my hands into my pockets, I stroll casually after them, whistling in the hopes of not drawing suspicion since I’m the only unpartnered guest outside.
The pair heads for the start of the maze, though Damiano walks in front of her now as if checking to make sure the coast is clear. My chest tightens, smugness rooting in the cavity at the fact he’s so incapable of keeping her safe.
How can you miss the danger lurking right behind you?
I follow them inside, still far enough away that neither seems to have noticed they’re not alone. They speak in hushed tones, too quiet for me to hear, though it’s clear she’s comfortable with him. Her hostility, it seems, is reserved for me.
The maze is stifling, with walls of green shrubbery caging us in an impossible path. It forks off at one point, splitting into four different directions, and I slip down one while they take another. Only a single row separates us, and I walk slowly, tracking the sounds of their footsteps.
“You’re really quite beautiful,” Damiano says, seduction dripping from his voice. “I couldn’t believe my eyes when you stepped onstage tonight. Never mind my luck when my bid won.”
“I suppose greed can be useful,” Stella replies.
A silent snort puffs out of me.God, I lo?—
That thought freezes me in my tracks. Iwhat?
