Page 164 of Forced Vows

An engagement is not a wedding, but that will happen soon enough. No one is taking Róise away from me.

Anyone who tries will learn how hot a god of war's wrath burns.

"I'll increase security on Róise for the time being just in case, though." That does not sound like a man confident of his own assurances.

"Unnecessary. I have it covered." I didn't inform Brogan about the stealth team I assigned to her when I left New York.

If they can't evade detection by his people, they aren't doing their jobs right.

"You're a possessive bastard. She's still my niece."

"That contract we all signed in blood says she is mine and I will take care of her."

Chapter 55: RÓISE

Thursday morning, I'm eating what Fiona considers brain food (homemade, high fiber, high protein granola) and Ollie is on his second cup of coffee when Allessio and Zoey arrive.

"You’re not finished with breakfast?" Allessio asks.

"My first final isn't until ten." I slather a piece of toast with butter while Fiona and Zoey make googly eyes at each other.

"Where are your clothes for the interview? Zoey can put the garment bag in the car while you finish eating." Allessio sits down and pours himself a cup of coffee.

No longer on the list of people I dislike, he and Zoey eat breakfast here as often as they don't. As nosy, mafia bodyguards go, they're not too bad.

Even Ollie has warmed to them. Not that you can tell by his current frown. "What interview? I wasn't apprised of any events today."

"You weren't?" Allessio's brow furrows. "We're handling security, but you still should have been told."

Never mind Ollie not knowing about it. No one told me either. This has miss high-and-mighty, otherwise known as Giovanna Ricci, written all over it.

"We'll have to leave the campus by noon if you want time to stop back by the house to grab clothes on our way into the city," Allessio's warns me.

Like I'm going to leave campus before my last final.

"Yeah, I don't know anything about an interview." And it can be rescheduled as far as I'm concerned. "But that's not happening."

My first final ends at 11:30 AM but my second one starts at 1 PM and has a two-hour window to finish.

The shock in Allessio's eyes is too candid to be feigned. "Giovanna didn't arrange it with you?" He swears in Italian. "I assumed you got your finals moved and took at least one of them yesterday."

"No. And no."

"The interview's in Manhattan at 2:30," Zoey says earnestly. "Miceli is flying back this morning to be there for it."

If Miceli plans to be there, this must be the formal engagement announcement. Only Giovanna told me it would be done with a press conference.

"I told that…" I don't say the word I'm thinking. "I told her I had finals until three o'clock today."

Allessio looks pissed, whether at me for my stubborn refusal to bow out of my last final or the super-b for instigating this situation, I don't know.

Wait. Miceli is out of town? Maybe out of country? That could explain the radio silence.

"Flying back from where?" I ask.

"Boston."

So, no. Boston is only an hour's flight away and in the same time zone. My bad mood escalates and I take a deep breath.

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