Page 4 of Untouchable Queen
But I trust that Natasha loves Killian, and even if he doesn’t deserve her, I know my sister’s new husband would do anything to make her happy. That will have to be enough. I suppose in our world, if one good marriage comes out of a family, it’s better than most Bratva daughters can hope for.
And even if my marriage is miserable, I won’t lose the empire my father poured all his blood, sweat, and tears into building what it is today.
Cool air washes over me as Lucian guides me into the luxurious mansion occupying the vast majority of the compound’s acreage. I’m stunned by the beautiful, rustic classic Italian decor of his grand home. Exposed wood beams extend across the vaulted ceilings, with cream-colored walls and terra-cotta floors. Rather than doors, massive archways connect each room, creating a smooth, flowing feel to the elegant space. I’ve never been to Italy, but I imagine this is exactly how it would feel to step inside some Roman palace or Florentine estate.
My feet hesitate as I take in the beautiful entry, and I can tell Lucian observes my unquenchable awe by the way he pauses to smirk at me.
“Not what you were expecting?” he teases lightly.
“Honestly, I was picturing dungeons and torture chambers to go along with your black heart,” I state scathingly.
Lucian gives a low chuckle, and the deep sound of his amusement vibrates through my bones, raising the hair on the nape of my neck at the same time as it makes my stomach coil with a strange warmth.
It’s unfathomable that a man as cruel as my soon-to-be husband could be so dangerously enticing. I’ve never stood this close to him before, and I find it deeply unsettling that I like the way he smells. The soft, clean scent of lemon and vetiver surrounds him, and when I breathe deeply, a shiver races up my spine.
He guides me up the sweeping stairwell, my heels rapping sharply with each step. As I march to my doom, I can’t help but notice how peaceful the house is—mere minutes after a firefight. No one’s in a panic. The few guards that pass give me a respectful nod.
Lucian opens the wide double doors to a bedroom, and my heart jolts as soon as my eyes land on the bed. But my momentary flash of fear—that he might have other intentions than a wedding right now—is quickly squashed.
“These should all be in your size,” he says, gesturing to a rack of couture wedding dresses all tucked safely inside designer garment bags. His eyes skim down my body appreciatively. Then they flick back up to my face. “Gabriella will help you try them on. If any need alterations, she’ll do that as well.”
“You’re really going to insist we marry today? Why even bother with the wedding dress then?” I demand. “It’s not like my friends or family will be there, and I doubt you have anyone you could truthfully call a friend.” The snide remark is out of my mouth before I can think better of it—before I can consider how wise it is to be insulting Lucian when I have no real means to protect myself, no one to help me.
But rather than seeming angry, or even insulted by the remark, Lucian actually laughs. “You know, you might be right. But people in our position don’t really have the luxury of friends, do we? I will have an audience for us, though. Anyone who’s anyone will be here for the ceremony I have planned, and if you’d like, I’m happy to call your sister back to attend.”
“No,” I say sharply. I don’t want Natasha anywhere near Lucian ever again. Definitely not so she can attend this farce of a wedding. But then Lucian’s words really start to sink in. “You already sent out invitations? You planned for this wedding today?”
A wicked glint lights Lucian’s captivating hazel-gray eyes. “Took you long enough,” he teases.
“This is how you intended for things to go all along,” I realize, my stomach plummeting. “You knew I would agree to marry you to save my sister’s life.”
“I knew,” he confirms, turning to face me as I take a half step back.
“How long have you been planning this?” I ask, icy understanding trickling through my veins.
“Since the day your father refused to consider my proposal,” he murmurs, stepping close to hook a finger under my chin.
And I can scarcely breathe as he lifts my face so our lips are mere inches apart.
“What proposal?” I breathe, terrified that I already know.
“Poor Tatiana,” Lucian says, his voice laced with dark pleasure. “Don’t you even know? All this bloodshed, all this death could easily have been avoided if your father simply would have agreed to let me marry you from the start.”
2
TATIANA
Nauseating horror twists in my gut as his words land with crushing force upon my shoulders.Lucian killed my parents to be with me?He’s spent months waging war between our families. He laid a trap knowing perfectly well that I would send my family’s assassin in to kill him, and he used that leverage to force my hand.But then, does that mean…?
“Did you know? About Natasha? Did you know she was an assassin before she came to kill you?” I ask, my voice quivering with fear.Who is this man that’s outsmarted me at every turn?I’ve spent my life strategizing, learning from a father who knew all the ins and outs of this very intricate game we mafia leaders play. And Lucian just manipulated me like it was child’s play.
The slow smirk that spreads across his face makes me shudder violently.
“You see,principessa, I know how to keep secrets too. When given the right…incentive,” he purrs. “And I have a feeling you’re going to give me all the reason I could ever need to keep that secret locked away nice and tight.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask flatly, though my stomach quivers with the dark suggestion of his words.
“Only that soon, you’ll be my wife, and I think you’ll come to see just howloyalof a husband I can be.” Lucian eyes me up and down once more, his gaze appreciative. Then his attention turns to the young woman who entered the room from the en suite bath moments ago. “Gabriella, I trust you can have my bride ready in…two hours?”
