Chapter 8 A Widow At Twenty Three

• MILENE
• Liam’s expression didn’t change. “Then I’ll use protection. Either way, you’ll be mine on our wedding night.”
• He opened the door and motioned for me to leave. Feeling numb, I stepped into the living area. I hadn’t wanted to upset him, but it was too late now.
• Jackson was next to Rina and Amelia, looking annoyed.
• He scowled at Liam. “What are you doing here?” “You need to stay more alert and limit your breaks,” Liam told him.
• “I was only gone for a few minutes, and there were guards outside the other doors,” Jackson said defensively.
• Rina smirked.
• Adrian’s eyes were focused on her. “What are you staring at?” she snapped. Adrian leaned closer. “At your pretty face.”
• “Well, keep looking,” she shot back. “Because that’s all you’re ever going to get.”
• “Enough,” Jackson growled. I wasn’t paying attention to him but to Adrian, whose expression was calculating.
• “Jake will be taking over until the wedding,” Liam said. Jackson’s mouth opened to protest, but Liam raised a hand. “It’s final.”
• He turned to Jake, who nodded and glanced at Amy before saying something I couldn’t hear. After a moment, they came back to us.
• “Jake will stay with you,” Liam said in a cold voice. He hadn’t softened since I accused him of being a monster. “And what should I do?” Jackson asked. “Guard the door,” Liam answered.
• “Or join our party,” Adrian suggested with a grin. “I’m not interested,” Jackson said flatly. Liam shrugged. “Your choice. Russo’s joining us.”
• My father? I didn’t want to know what that party involved. Liam turned back to me. “Don’t forget what I said.”
• I remained silent, holding the packet tightly. Without another word, Liam and Adrian left. Jake locked the door after dismissing Jackson.
• Rina’s eyes widened. “This can’t be real.” Jake stayed by the door, arms crossed, expression neutral.
• “Come on, Rina,” I said, pulling her to the couch. Amy was already perched on the armchair, staring at Jake as if he was the most fascinating thing she’d ever seen. Rina’s eyes fell on the packet in my hand.
• “What’s that?”
• “Birth control.”
• “Don’t tell me that jerk just gave it to you so he can have his way with you on your wedding night,” Rina said.
• I bit my lip and remained silent.
• “You’re not actually going to take it, right?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.
• “I have no choice,” I admitted quietly. “If I don’t, Liam will just get angry. It’s better not to upset him.”
• Rina sighed and shook her head, but I looked at her with pleading eyes. “Please, let’s not argue about this.
• Can we just watch a movie? I need a distraction.” After hesitating, Rina nodded. We picked a random movie, but it was hard to concentrate with Jake standing by the door, silently watching over us.
• “Are you going to stand there all night?” I asked after a while. “You’re making me nervous. Can’t you sit down?”
• Jake finally walked over to the armchair and sat down. He removed his jacket, revealing his white shirt and the weapons strapped to his chest—a pair of guns and a long knife.
• “Wow,” Amelia whispered, her eyes wide. She stood and walked over to him. Jake kept staring straight ahead, ignoring her, but when she stepped directly in front of him, he had no choice but to look at her.
• She smiled sweetly and, to my horror, sat down in his lap. He immediately tensed, his body stiff. I jumped off the sofa and pulled her away. “Amelia! What’s wrong with you? You can’t act like that. One day, someone might take advantage of you.”
• Jake straightened up in the chair, his expression unreadable.
• “He wouldn’t hurt me. Liam wouldn’t let him, right?” Amelia asked innocently.
• “Someone could still take advantage of you and then make sure you never tell anyone about it,”
• Rina said bluntly. “Rina!” I scolded, glaring at her. Amelia’s eyes widened, but Jake spoke up unexpectedly. “I wouldn’t,” he said firmly. “Now you’ve done it,” Rina muttered.
• “She’s going to have a crush on you.”
• “Amelia, go to bed,” I said sternly. She protested loudly but eventually stomped off to her room.
• “I’m sorry,” I told Jake. “She doesn’t really understand what she’s doing.”
• Jake nodded. “It’s fine. I have a sister her age.”
• “How old are you?” I asked, curious.
• “Twenty,” he replied.
• “And how long have you worked for Liam?” Rina asked, turning off the TV and focusing on him.
• “Four years, but I’ve been a made man for six years,” he said calmly.
• “You must be good at what you do if Liam trusts you to protect Milene,” Rina said, narrowing her eyes.
• Jake shrugged. “It’s not just about fighting. Liam knows I’m loyal.”
• “Loyal as in you won’t lay a hand on Milene,” Rina mumbled.
• I rolled my eyes. Jake probably regretted sitting down instead of staying by the door.
• “Liam knows he can trust me with what belongs to him,” Jake said simply.
• Wrong answer. Rina’s lips pressed into a thin line. “So, if Milene came out of her room naked tonight and you got turned on because, let’s face it, you can’t control that—Liam wouldn’t cut you to pieces?”
• Jake froze, looking at me like he was actually worried. “Ignore her,” I said quickly. “I won’t.”
• “Where is Liam tonight? Where do guys go for their bachelor party?” Rina asked, clearly not done interrogating him.
• Jake didn’t answer.
• “Probably a strip club,” Rina muttered, “or one of the whorehouses the Familia runs. Men can sleep with whoever they want, but we have to stay pure for our wedding night.
• Why does Liam get to do whatever he pleases while Milene can’t even kiss someone?”
• “I don’t make the rules,” Jake said with a shrug.
• “No, but you’re the one making sure we follow them. You’re not our protector—you’re our jailer.”
• Jake’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Or maybe I’m protecting other men from getting hurt,” he said.
• I frowned, confused.
• “Liam would kill anyone who touched Milene. Sure, you could go out and flirt with someone, but you wouldn’t face the consequences—he would.”
• “Liam isn’t my fiancé,” Rina shot back.
• “No, but your father would kill anyone who came near you. He’d see it as ruining his most valuable possession.”
• Suddenly, it hit me. Just because I’d been given to Liam didn’t mean Rina wouldn’t end up in the same situation, forced into a marriage she didn’t want. The realization left me feeling exhausted.
• “I’m going to bed,” I said quietly, standing up.
• That night, I lay awake for hours, my thoughts racing. I kept trying to think of ways to escape the wedding, but the only real option was running away.
• And even if Rina came with me, what about Amelia? I couldn’t protect both of them. And then there was Tate, my mother ... I couldn’t leave them behind. This was my life. I didn’t know anything else. Maybe I was a coward, but it felt like marrying someone like Liam would take more courage than running away ever could.
• ****
• The living room in the suite had been decorated for the bridal shower. I had hoped to avoid this tradition, but my mother insisted. She said it would offend the women in Liam’s family if they couldn’t meet me before the wedding.
• I touched my green cocktail dress, a color meant to bring good luck. But I was sure my idea of “good luck” was very different from Liam’s and my father’s.
• Amelia wasn’t allowed to come because she was too young, but Rina had argued until she was allowed to stay.
• I suspected my mother had another reason for agreeing, Rina is also a grown up. That meant she was close to being old enough to marry too. I pushed the thought away.
• From the bedroom, I could hear my mother and Rina arguing about what Rina should wear. A knock at the door startled me. It was early—guests weren’t supposed to arrive for another ten minutes.
• When I opened the door, Valentina was standing there with Jackson behind her. Valentina was my cousin, five years older than me. Her mother and mine were sisters. She gave me a small, apologetic smile. “I’m early, sorry.”
• “It’s okay,” I said, stepping aside so she could come in. Jackson sat in a chair outside the door. I didn’t mind being alone with Valentina; I liked her.
• She was tall and elegant, with dark brown hair and green eyes so dark they almost looked black. She also wore a black dress that went to her knees.
• Her husband had died six months ago, and my wedding would be the first time she wasn’t dressed in mourning. Some widows wore black for a year, but Valentina was only twenty-three—Liam’s age.
• I caught myself wishing her husband had died earlier so she could have married Liam instead of me. The thought made me feel awful. Jake stood near the window, always watching.
• “This is a bridal shower, not a meeting,” I said, looking at him. “Can’t you wait outside?”
• He tilted his head but didn’t argue and just walked out without a word.
• “Your fiancé sent his own bodyguard for you?” Valentina asked.
• “He’s not my husband yet,” I replied.
• “You’re right. Not yet. But you look sad,” she said, sitting down on the sofa. Behind her, the table was set with champagne, soft drinks, and trays of small snacks.
• I hesitated. “So do you,” I finally said, then felt stupid for saying it.
• “My father wants me to marry again,” she said, twisting her wedding ring.
• I stared at her, surprised. “So soon?”
• “Not right away, but he’s already talking to someone.”
• I couldn’t believe it. “Can’t you say no? Afterall you’ve already been married before.”
• “But I didn’t have any children, and I’m too young to stay single. My father made me move back home. He says it’s for my protection.”
• We both understood what that really meant. Women had to be “protected” if they were still at an age where they could marry. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered.
• “It’s just how things are,” she replied.
• “Yes,” I said bitterly. “I know.”
• “I saw your fiancé when I visited the Abelli mansion yesterday with my parents. He’s very intimidating.”
• “Terrifying,” I said under my breath. She had a sympathetic expression on her face, but before we could say more, my mother and Rina came out of the bedroom. Soon after, other guests began arriving.
• The gifts were everything from jewelry to lingerie to certificates for spa days in New York. The lingerie was the worst. I tried to keep a neutral face when I opened the gift from Liam’s stepmother, Nina.
• I pulled out a tiny white nightgown that was almost entirely see-through. It was so short it wouldn’t even cover my thighs. Beneath it were lace panties, held together with a bow in the back, that barely covered anything.
• There were murmurs of approval from the women around me. I stared at the outfit, speechless. Rina discreetly tapped her finger to her temple.
• “This is for your wedding night,” Nina said with a sly smile. “Liam will love unwrapping you. It’s important to please our husbands. Liam will expect something bold like this.”
• I forced myself to nod. “Thank you.” I couldn’t shake the feeling that Liam had planned for her to give me that. After all, he had already insisted on birth control.
• I grew agitated, and it only got worse when the women began talking about their wedding nights.
• “I was so embarrassed during the presentation of the sheets!” Liam’s cousin, Cosima whispered loudly.
• “The presentation of the sheets?” I asked, confused.