Page 2 of Sovereign Oaths

“I’ll check on things. I’m sure it’s nothing, but I want to be sure.” He gave me a reassuring smile that didn’t meet his eyes.

“Alessio.” I clung to his arm. “What’s going on?”

“Probably nothing. I’ll send mi madre to sit with you. No one else will enter. If they try, she knows what to do.”

He kissed me and turned before I could ask anything else, like what the hell he meant by that.

The door closed, and several distinct clicks filled the room, locking me in. I turned to take in the space. It was smaller than Alessio’s room, with a queen bed, couch, two armchairs, and a cabinet about three feet wide, seven feet tall, and a foot deep. No windows. No closets.

I examined the cabinet. It didn’t have a lock, so I tugged it open to reveal four monitors and a row of shotguns hanging above three handguns and four drawers. I peeked into each. Ammo, water, nonperishables, and a satellite phone.

This was the panic room.

I’d just shut the cabinet doors when the clicks sounded again.

Maria rushed in and pulled me into her arms. “Siento, Millie.”

I pulled back. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

She shook her head. “This is my home. You should be safe here.”

“So should you.” I squeezed her hands. “Alessio didn’t seem too worried. He’ll be back in a second and tell us it was nothing.”

She didn’t seem convinced but patted my cheek and went to the cabinet. “Don’t be scared.” With the precision of an expert, she pulled out a handgun and loaded it. “We’ll be fine, but just in case.”

Of course she knew how to use one. As the wife and mother of the leaders of an organized crime family, it made sense.

But Millie wouldn’t be calm about seeing her boyfriend’s petite, gentle mother whip one out.

“You can use that?” Enough adrenaline coursed through the nerves in my body that I didn’t need to fake the quiver in my voice.

She dipped her head. “Yes. It’s wise to be able to defend yourself, especially as a single woman.”

Right. That was a great explanation. As if she didn’t have two dozen armed guards to protect her and her home.

Millie stayed in shock mode, too rattled to question the woman with the gun.

“Come sit.” Maria moved to the couch and patted the spot next to her.

I glanced at the monitors as I passed. “Will those show what’s going on?”

“Yes, but it’s best to leave it to my son and our men for now.”

Did she not want me to see what was happening? Probably. Sweet, innocent Millie from California wasn’t used to seeing guns or killing, so she’d try to shield me from her family’s dark truth.

“I hope Alessio is okay.” I stared down at my hands, rubbing my thumb over the area he kissed on my knuckles.

His mother gave my knee a gentle squeeze. “He will be just fine. He’s just waiting on an update from the guards. I’m sure it’s nothing though. The alarm would have sounded.”

I wasn’t sure if either of them truly believed that or if it was something else to try to make me feel better. Alarm systems were nice, but more often than not, any pro with a brain could navigate easily around them. At least, I had to assume these intruders were professionals and not fools.

“You have a panic room.” I couldn’t pretend this was normal. I sat and angled to face her. “Has this happened before?”

“Unfortunately, yes. A house like this is often a target for thieves.” She patted my knee again as if that would comfort me after her ominous admission.

Did she really think this was a regular home invasion? I couldn’t read her expression. She was a master at controlling her emotions and reactions.

“Often?”

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