Page 28 of Savage Heart

“Don’t worry. I’m here. I’ll find a way to get you out.”

But as I say that, I have to admit I’m not sure how quite yet. I’ll figure it out, though. The woman I love needs me to save her, and that’s what I intend to do.

“How? My brother has security to watch over me, and even though Lucius called them off, I’m sure he’s got security too. We’re surrounded here.”

I want so much to turn to face her and take her in my arms as I tell her I know the odds are stacked against us, but I won’t let her down. I wish she could see in my eyes how much I love her so she could know I would never let her be married off to some guy in exchange for money her brother needs.

For now, though, we have to pretend like we’re perfect strangers, each standing on the edge of this terrace staring out at the beautiful view in front of us.

“I promise I’ll figure a way out of this,” I whisper into the warm night air.

The sound of footsteps behind us reminds me that we’re not alone. I turn to see Gideon leisurely strolling over toward where we stand. He stops on my right and looks out at the scene on the water with two boats flashing their lights as they pass one another, like an unspoken signal.

“Beautiful night, don’t you think?” my cousin asks as if we’re perfect strangers.

I feel Sienna’s gaze on the side of my face as I nod like I want to be polite. “It is,” I say, adding nothing to our conversation.

Sienna’s confusion about how we’re acting radiates from her, and I worry she might begin to start asking questions, so I glance around to see if there’s anyone nearby and then whisper, “No one can know we’re related. We’re just three people standing here.”

Her voice sad, she adds to the end of my statement, “At the top of a very large hill wondering if this is the only way out.”

Gideon answers her whispered, desperate question. “It’s not. We just have to be careful for the time being.”

That does little to help ease either of our minds, if the way Sienna’s tapping her fingers off the railing is any clue as to how nervous she is. Impatient, even though I know that’s the worst thing I can be at this moment, I take a deep breath in to calm myself.

I’ve gotten out of more heavily guarded places than this before. Hell, I’ve gotten into more secure homes than this in the past.

The only difference this time is I won’t be alone when I walk out of here. I have Sienna to think of, and dressed the way she is tonight, I doubt she’ll be up for scaling any villa walls or jumping from windows.

No matter. I’ll get her out of here.

“So what do we know about the security deeper in the house? I saw six guys around the front of the villa. What did you see as you walked through the rest of the villa, Gideon?”

Pretending to be someone who doesn’t know me, he looks out at the water for a long moment and then runs his hands through his dark hair. “Not as many as you’d think, oddly enough. I suspect the owner thinks keeping people out is his main issue.”

“Interesting. Okay. So the inside won’t be the problem. Good.” Turning my head ever so slightly in Sienna’s direction, I ask, “Am I right in saying that your brother has four guards on you?”

She hums her answer and then adds, “But don’t forget I have three other brothers here tonight too.”

Each word sounds more frantic than the previous one as she reminds me that Matteo Rossetti isn’t the only family member willing to sell her off to Lucius Angeloni. Nice fucking relatives. I’m not even sure the Rules would do that to one of our own women.

“Good point. Gideon, anything we should know about the guests here tonight?”

My cousin shakes his head slowly. “Not that I know of, but I can’t say I know each one of them.”

“Fair enough. Why don’t you wander around and scope out what’s going on in the rest of the house? Look for any place to escape. Since you’re known around here, Angeloni might not care as much as if I was checking things out.”

He turns to leave and stops next to me to say, “Fine, but don’t stay too long here with her. She’s the center of attention and standing here with you is going to be more than obvious in only a few more seconds.”

When he’s gone and it’s just Sienna and me again, I glance over at her and see her staring straight ahead with tears in her eyes and her hands clutching the railing in front of us. She looks so frightened that I can’t decide if it’s anger I’m feeling or sadness.

I can’t afford to harbor any emotions tonight, though. Those I’ll have to save for once she’s safe and we’re alone in my hotel suite. For now, I need to focus on the job at hand.

“What am I going to do if he takes me to his room?” she asks, her voice trembling. “You have to get me away from here before that happens because if you don’t, he’s going to—”

She doesn’t finish her sentence, and I can’t bear to think of what she’s suggesting. “I will. Stay calm. You’re strong. Remember the time you were kidnapped and made the guy fall in love with you?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see her smile for the first time. It’s a tiny grin, but it lights up her face. “Don’t make jokes. I’m a woman in peril here, for God’s sake.”

---