Ruthless Heart

Right. Nero is supposed to be my fiancé.

“What are your plans for the afternoon?” she adds, digging into her food.

“Nothing much,” I try to sound breezy. “A little shopping, you know.”

“Me too!” she exclaims. “I have to find Ryan some hunting gear, but it’s not exactly in my wheelhouse.” She wrinkles her lip.

“Hunting?” I ask politely.

She nods. “We’ve been invited to this exclusive retreat at a lodge upstate. Of course, he’s never laid a finger on a rifle in his life, so I’m under orders to make him look the part, at the very least, so he doesn’t embarrass himself in front of all the VIPs.” She gives an affectionate laugh. “It’s some male bonding routine, you know how they are. Meanwhile, I’ll be enjoying the spa facilities with Fiona and the other wives.”

I sit up straighter. “Fiona?” I try to keep my voice casual.

“McKenna,” Marissa replies, “You met her the other night.”

“That’s right. She seems nice. So… She and her husband will be at this retreat, too?” I ask, my heart beating faster.

“Yup. Plus a handful of other business types. You know how it is.”

“Sure,” I nod along, secretly filing away the info.

Marissa pauses. “But what am I saying? I’ve been talking about myself this whole time. Tell about you. You mentioned travelling and charity work at the gala, but I want to know more about that hunk I spotted you with.”

“Nero?” I gulp, plastering on a smile. “What is there to say? He’s… A force of nature.”

“I’ll say.” Marissa gives me a knowing smile. “My god, no wonder you’re walking around with a smile on your face, going home every night to a man like that!”

I pretend to laugh along. She has no idea who Nero is. What he’s capable of. But there’s something about this charade that makes me feel raw inside. An emotion rises up inside of me that I wasn’t expecting when I suggested pretending to be engaged. Regret. And longing, too. Despite everything.

“But you’re not wearing a ring,” Marissa adds, nodding to my bare hand.

“Oh, right,” I wave it dismissively. “My fiancé is a sweetheart, but he doesn’t always think about the details. The ring was a touch too big, so I’m having it resized.”

“But is it gorgeous?”

“Of course.” I lie. “He wouldn’t settle for anything but the best.”

“I love it!” Marissa claps her hands together. “Look at us now, it’s just like we always pictured when we were younger. Two men madly in love with us.”

She toasts my glass, and I follow suit. The irony is, she’s right. I always did dream about getting married to Nero one day. But then again, I had no idea what the real world was like. Looking back now, I was so naïve, even though I didn’t realize it at the time. I was in love with him, and it was all that mattered in the world to me. Even when my parents dragged me off one night into witness protection, he was all I cared about. Sure, losing the house and money was hard, but being unable to contact the boy I loved… It felt like just about the worst thing to ever happen to me.

It didn’t take me long to find out just how wrong I was about that. There was far worse to come, courtesy of the Barrettis.

We finish lunch,and part with hugs and promises to get together for drinks next week. I’m eager to get back and share my intel with Nero. I tell myself that I just want to move this whole plan along and win my freedom, but deep inside, I know that I have a pointless desire to try to earn his approval.

Talk about a lost cause.

Back at the apartment, the place looks empty, but there’s music playing in his office, and when I go looking, I hear the sound of a shower running down the hall.

His bedroom door is open. I can’t help peeking in.

The room is large and sparsely decorated, but with a familiar painting hanging above the massive bed.

It can’t be…

I step forwards, captivated. A Rothko? I inhale, stunned to see one in real life like this. He’s my favorite artist, but I’ve only ever seen him hanging in galleries and museums. It’s huge, one of his red series, the color so vivid it’s punching off the canvas. A painting like this must have cost millions…

And Nero has it hanging above his bed?