Page 35 of Shattered Crown
I tried to let go of him, but he squeezed my hand and held me in place. “Don’t make a scene, Orsini,” he said. “You don’t want bullets to start flying around.”
“Let go of me,” I said, trying to shake him off.
“We just started. Enjoying the evening?” Nick’s voice was low, a dangerous undercurrent to his words.
I stiffened, trying to mask the horror twisting inside me. “What do you want?” My voice was barely above a whisper, but it carried the sharp edge of fear.
“Let’s just say I’m keeping an eye on the festivities,” he replied, his grip on my waist tightening ever so slightly.
Every instinct screamed at me to pull away, to run to Tristan and reveal Nick’s audacity to be here, dancing with me as if we shared some dark secret. But I didn’t want to cause a scene—not here, not now.
Not when things could go so wrong.
As if Nick could read my mind, he smirked. “I have snipers on the roof of the hotel next door,” he said. “Pointed at your mom, dad, sister’s heads. And you know what, even if they aren’t…think some Callahan blood would look nice on this tile.”
“Okay, okay,” I replied. “I get it. I won’t scream.”
“You’re such a good girl,” Nick said, his voice low, steady. “I can see why Tristan likes you so much.”
So I danced with my enemy, each step a silent battle between the need to escape and the need to remain composed.
“Tristan won’t like this,“ I hissed, searching the crowd for a glimpse of those piercing blue eyes, willing him to sense my distress.
“Perhaps,” Nick conceded, a smirk audible in his voice. “But sometimes, it’s good to remind everyone that there are no true secrets in our world.”
“Are you just here for a pissing contest?” I asked, trying my best not to shout at him.
“Actually, I’m here because I wanted to talk to you. It’s always nice to talk to someone who might have been family.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I shot back, fighting to keep the tremor from my voice.
“Let’s just say, I was looking forward to being part of the family too,” he whispered so close I could feel his breath against my ear.
A shiver raced down my spine, but not from fear alone. There was something in his words, a hidden meaning that sent my mind racing. What did Nick know that I didn’t? And why was he telling me this?
“What?” I asked, more annoyed than scared now. “You’re not making any sense.”
“There’s a lot more to Silvio Orsini than you know, Adriana,” he said. “And I know he’s your father, but you should really think about that.”
The moment the dance ended, I broke away from Nick Rossi as if his touch burned me. “My father’s business is not my own,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. “And neither is yours.”
“Is that so?” Nick’s eyes glinted behind his mask, a predator playing with his prey. “You’re smart, Adriana. You should pay attention to both your father and Tristan. They play a dangerous game.”
“And you’re harmless,” I said between gritted teeth.
“Maybe not, but have you considered that I’m the only person in your life who’s being totally honest with you?”
I didn’t wait for another word, slipping out of his grasp like a shadow fading into the night. The cool air outside was a welcome relief from the heat of the ballroom and the tension of the dance. I leaned against the hotel’s ornate exterior, taking deep breaths to calm my racing heart.
That’s when I heard them—Kieran and Liam, their voices low as they stood in the shadows sharing a joint. I could smell the scent of weed coming from when they were sitting.
If I hadn’t been pregnant, I would have happily asked them to partake.
“I don’t know, lad. He’s just been so different since Dad passed. Since he got Adriana pregnant,” Liam was saying, a note of worry in his young voice. “He’s...I don’t know, he’s just off.”
“Tristan’s always been a bit of a lone wolf,” Kieran replied, his tone somber. “But yeah, he’s pushing himself too hard. He wants to prove he can lead, but it’s like he’s got something to prove to himself more than anyone else. I don’t expect him to behave like dad.”
“No one should expect him to behave like dad. He was a psychopath,” Liam said.