Page 19 of Ruthless King

“I’ve never seduced a man before. Besides, Nico is dead set on not finding love. He married me because he’s a practical man, not a sentimental one. How can I get a man who doesn’t want love to fall in love with me?”

“You’ll figure that out, too. But don’t get him to have sex with you too soon. Draw it out. Make him crazy for you. That will help.”

“You speak from experience?”

Beatrice only smiles. “Make me proud, Aurora. Make your father proud.”

But is this what my father would have wanted for me? To pimp myself out to a man only to end up killing him?

It’s clear Beatrice won’t help me with anything else, so I leave.

“That was fast,” Enzo says as we walk down the hall.

“My aunt was in a mood. I didn’t want to stay long. I just wanted to tell her I got married.”

We get into the elevator. Being stuck inside a small space with Enzo scares me. He keeps looking at me like he knows my secret.

“What did you talk with her about?”

“That’s not really your business,” I tell him.

“You’re Nico’s wife now. What you do is my business.”

“I told her I was married, and she wished me congratulations. That was it. Happy?”

“No. Because I think you’re keeping a secret.”

My body immediately breaks out into a sweat. “What could that be?”

“I’m not sure. But I’ll figure it out. Until then, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

“I’m allowed privacy, Enzo. As you said, I’m Nico’s wife now, not his prisoner. Even Nico said that over breakfast. I’m notkeeping any secrets. I’m just a woman who wanted a husband and saw an opportunity with Nico.”

“I don’t buy it.”

“Believe whatever you want. I’m being honest.” A complete and utter lie, but I need to say and do whatever I can to save myself.

Because if there’s one thing I learned from my conversation with Beatrice, it’s that I’m on my own.

Chapter

Four

AURORA

Beatrice told me to seduce Nico but not to let him have sex with me right away. I’m glad to wait to have sex because Nico is still a stranger to me, but I have no idea how to seduce him into trusting me.

Nico isn’t home when I get back, which is a relief. It gives me time to plan for later tonight.

I could kiss him and pull back. Be a tease. That’s what Beatrice wants me to do.

But what do I want to do?

I want justice for my father. I want to find out the truth of whether Nico killed him. I want to be safe because, right now, I’m far from safe.

Enzo follows me around the house. I make a sandwich, and he watches me eat it. I watch TV; he watches me watch it. I go to the bathroom, he stands outside. The bathroom and the bedroom are the only spaces I get a break from him.

If I’m going to find out the truth, it will be hard. I can’t just ask Nico if he killed my father. If he did and he finds out I’m Giovanni Costa’s daughter, I’m dead.

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