Page 107 of Dangerous King
"Seriously," I say softly, "I don't know what I ever did to deserve this kind of kindness from you."
He looks at me, deadly serious now. "You survived, Cat. You endured hell and came out on the other side with your soul intact. That alone earns you everything I have to give."
Tears sting my eyes. I press into his chest again, letting his warmth and strength settle the last of my unease. Behind us, Shadow lets out a long yawn and rolls over in the grass like he has zero patience for emotional humans.
"Drama queen," I murmur against Enrico's chest.
He chuckles, chin resting lightly atop my head. "He's just jealous he's not the one getting kisses."
"You think he wants a ring, too?"
"Maybe a collar. Platinum. With diamonds." He pauses. "Actually, maybe I'll get matching ones. For you both."
I swat him again, but I'm still smiling. We sit there for a while longer, beneath the moonlight and the stars, wrapped in each other and this fragile, beautiful moment that—for once—feels like it might actually last.
All the way back to the house, Enrico keeps his arm wrapped snug around my waist, his thumb lazily tracing circles on my hip through the fabric of my dress. The laughter from inside spills out faintly through the open French doors, warm and full of life.
Just before we step inside, he leans down, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. "Go to your room," he murmurs, voice thick with promise. "Lock the door… but leave the balcony open."
A shiver dances down my spine. My breath catches. I glance up, flushed and grinning. "That sounds like a terrible idea."
"Exactly." His smirk is pure sin. "Eleven o'clock."
I laugh softly, heart pounding as he presses another, this time briefer kiss to my mouth. It's quick, but hungry enough to make my knees weak.
Then Rizio's voice cuts through from the hallway. "Enrico—two minutes?"
He groans under his breath and brushes his knuckles along my jaw. "Go. I'll come find you."
I nod, already heading for the stairs. But just as I round the base of the grand staircase, I spot a figure in the shadowed archway near the hall. Sabine. She's leaning against the wall with one shoulder, arms crossed, hair perfectly tousled, her mouth set in something that's not quite a smile.
I pause. Everything inside me demands to go upstairs, take a shower, shave, make myself ready for… I feel a flush creep up my face, my fiancée. But this looks like an opportunity to talk to my baby sister. God knows we haven't spent enough time together yet. So I walk over.
"Hey," I say gently.
Sabine doesn't respond at first. Her gaze stays fixed on the hallway Enrico just disappeared down, wearing an unreadable expression. I follow her line of sight and suddenly wonder what she thinks about all this—abouthim. About the armed guards, and conversations in dark corners, filled with names she doesn't yet understand. Does she realize how deep in the pocket of the mafia our father was back in Sicily? Or does she still believe we were just… collateral damage? Civilians caught in the wrong current? A part of me hopes she never finds out just how gray everything is in this world. But another part—the smarter one—knows that innocence doesn't survive here. Not for long.
"We're going shopping tomorrow," I add lightly. "Izzy, her mamma, Mamma, me, and you, if you want."
Her brows lift a little, skepticism in every line of her face. "Shopping?"
"Maison Étoile," I say with a little grin. "It's not really a mall. It's like… if Versailles and a fashion week runway had a baby."
She scoffs softly, but her arms uncross, just barely. "Sounds expensive."
"It is," I admit. "And completely out of my league. But… it's kind of amazing. You'd love it."
Sabine's gaze slides over to me, sharp. "You think you know what I'd love?"
There's no mistaking the edge in her voice. But her expression shifts too fast for me to pin it down. Hurt, maybe? Or something else? I hesitate, not sure how to answer. "I'm just saying… we haven't really gotten a chance to hang out. I thought it might be fun."
Sabine's mouth twitches, this time into a smile that's a little too fast, a little too bright. "Sure. Sounds fun." She pushes off the wall with casual grace, and her arms fall to her sides as if to signal she's completely on board.
Relief moves through me. I smile, hoping this is a good sign. She laughs, short and light. "Maison Étoile, right? I saw it on TikTok. It looked… extravagant."
There's something in the way she saysextravagant, like the word's dipped in sugar but edged in something sharper. She leans closer, eyes trailing down my outfit. "And judging by that dress, I guess you fit right in."
I glance down, suddenly self-conscious, but she's already tossing her hair back, still smiling. "I mean, you look amazing. Totally bride-to-be energy."
