Page 47 of Nicoli

“Don’t act like you won’t enjoy being held hostage by your husband…again.”

She huffs out a chuckle, then peeks from around the white handcrafted wood, gazing at the hem of my mini dress. “Did Maximo approve the dress his little sister is wearing tonight?”

“Maximo doesn’t have to approve anything when it comes to his little sister, thank you very much.”

“That dress is provocative and sexy. I’d be surprised if the brothers let you out on the front porch.”

I turn from front to back and back to front as I look at my reflection. “I figured since we have five babysitters tonight, I have to wear something noticeable through a wall of muscle.”

“Now I know why Maximo is so serious all the time. He has you to worry about.” She glances around the framework again. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine.” I pretend not to know why she’d ask me that. But I do. I’ve been in my room most of the time because I’m trying to avoid running into Nicoli. I’m still licking my wounds, and the last thing I need is to look into the eyes of the predator who tore my heart out. On the days I do decide to step out of my room, I hardly speak to anyone, mainly because I really don’t want to. It’s like there are clinking ice cubes in my chest, freezing my desire to smile and be friendly to others while I’m dead inside. But since today is my birthday, I’ve decided the best gift I could give myself is to go out into the world and do whatever the fuck I want. Hence the reason I’m wearing the very revealing dress that leaves little to the imagination.

“I’m not going to push you to tell me exactly what happened that had you huddled up in your bedroom, but I’m here…you know. If you need to talk.”

I fluff up my hair, trying to get more volume into my freshly styled curls. “The last thing I want to do tonight is talk. I just want to forget about everything, just for tonight.”

Leandra shoots me a tight smile before disappearing again. “Just for tonight. I’ll bug your ass about talking again tomorrow.”

“Please don’t.”

“I’ve always wanted to ask,” she says from behind the screen. “You really love the color red. Is there a specific reason for that?”

“I dunno. There’s just something about the rich, deep shade of red that makes me feel…empowered, I guess.” I run a hand down the front of my one-shoulder ruched dress with cut-out detail around my middle. It’s skintight, the fabric smooth and cool, feeling like water on my skin. This one has been sitting in my closet for months, waiting for the perfect opportunity to be worn. And tonight is that perfect opportunity—a birthday celebration and a night on the town.

“It’s not a color a lot of people can pull off. But it’s like God invented red with you in mind,” Leandra says as she steps out from behind the dressing screen.

I smile. “Talk about pulling off a color. Those rose-gold sequins look stunning on you, and I’m pretty sure Alexius will burst a vein in his forehead when he sees you.”

“As I said,” she shimmies me out of the way and steps in front of the mirror, “I’ll blame it all on you.”

I reach for the clip in her hair and remove it, letting her dark hair cascade down her shoulders. “If I’m to blame for you looking this hot, my work here is done.”

Turning on my heel, Leandra takes my hand and lets me face her, her eyes gentle and caring. “Happy birthday, Mirabella. I hope this year is all you dream it would be.”

If there’s one word to describe her, it’s ‘genuine.’ There is nothing false or fake about her. What you see is what you get, and what you see is a kind, courageous, loving, and strong woman. There’s no need to guess how she managed to crack through Alexius’ hard exterior, how she has him wrapped around her finger. He knows what he found in her, what a diamond she truly is…which is also why she’s become my best friend.

“Thank you,” I say, squeezing her hand. “But judging by how it started, I’m not holding my breath.” I don’t allow myself to get caught up in the moment that would surely catapult me back into that dark hell of despair. If I do, I’ll lose my resolve to forget about him, and tonight is all about forgetting and focusing on nothing but having fun—something I haven’t allowed myself to do since my impromptu vacation to Tuscany after senior year. I’m determined to take back my life and refuse to be locked up in this cage any longer.

“Is Nicoli joining us?”

My stomach flips. “No. Maximo said Nicoli had somewhere to be. Which is great because all he’d be able to do is suck the oxygen out of that entire damn club.” A piece of me is thankful, while another sulks because I wanted him to see me in this red dress while I shove what exactly he’s missing out on in his face. I’m done sulking. Done being miserable. And that’s why I started this party early with a few glasses of champagne, and rummaging through my bags in search of Felix’s card so I could send him a personalized invitation. It’s petty, I know. Also, I don’t care.

There’s a crackle of excitement as Leandra and I walk through the hall and down the stairs. It’s in the air, it’s on my skin, it’s alive in my veins. Tonight, I want to celebrate my birthday my way. Not the Del Rossa way. I don’t want to smile and greet guests. I don’t want to worry about being on my best behavior while acting like the perfect hostess to a birthday party planned with the Dark Sovereign in mind. I don’t want to be a courteous, prim and proper princess while worrying more about the guests having more fun than me on my own goddamn birthday. I want to be the woman I was back in Tuscany. I want to feel that confidence again, forget about rules and restrictions, and throw caution to the wind. For too long, I've been kept locked up. Suppressed and smothered. I’m not an innocent little schoolgirl with ponytails and cotton underwear. I’m silk and lace, seduction and sensuality, with a hint of rebellion lurking beneath the surface. And tonight, I plan on letting it all out to play. This night will be about me, what I want and how I want it. I will dance until my feet hurt. Laugh until my stomach aches. And I plan on drinking more champagne than what’s considered proper in our world.

Tonight, I’m not in their world. I’m in mine.

As we walk out the front door, I’m reminded that Leandra and I will be hidden behind a giant brick wall of Del Rossa muscle. The brothers are fierce, and they protect what’s theirs with a ferocity that can’t be matched. Ask Oliver Jaycox from my freshman year, a boy who pulled together the courage to ask me on a date only to show up at school the next day with a broken nose and busted lip. Then there’s Sam Rathborne, the senior who asked me to prom then ended up needing emergency eye surgery the night before. The list goes on, boys trying to get close to me only to avoid me like the plague shortly after. Maximo, paired with the most powerful brothers in the city, equaled me not having a social life.

But I’ll always have Tuscany. And I plan on having this night too.

They’re all standing by the black limousine, smoking cigars while looking like they own the goddamn world in their ironclad confidence and expensive suits. Except for Maximo. My brother despises suits and would rather walk around naked than wear anything other than his leather jackets and jeans. But I am surprised to see Isaia in a suit—well, half a suit. He might not be wearing a suit jacket, but pants that aren’t denim, and a dress shirt with sleeves rolled up mid-arm is entirely out of the ordinary for him. The only time he’ll wear Armani is on wedding days or funerals. High days and low days. I guess he sees my birthday as a high day. I’ll take it.

Caelian is the first one to notice us. His eyes widen, and he clenches his fist in front of his mouth to hide his smirk. “Someone is getting killed tonight.”

Maximo and Alexius both look up at us, and their expressions change from bored to pissed in half a heartbeat.

“Shit,” I mutter under my breath as both Maximo and Alexius march toward us like war generals. But Caelian intercepts by sliding in front of them and pushing his fingers into their chests.

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