Shadow Warrior (Shadow Riders 4)

“I have it right here for you,” Stefano said and handed over a second copy of the list. “Thank you, Giuseppi. I’m very happy that you cleared this matter up between us.”

Val rose hurriedly and went to the door, his hand on the knob, blocking his father from leaving the room before he cleared the other side.CHAPTER TENYou seem so sad.”

Francesca sounded so compassionate, Grace was afraid she might burst into tears and spill her every fear to a complete stranger. Stefano had brought Francesca to two functions, and he’d hovered so close to her, watched over her like a hawk, so much so that Grace had been mesmerized by the couple. Stefano had rarely left his wife’s side, and when he did, she was surrounded by his brothers and sisters. Mariko and Emmanuelle were close to her at all times. Grace had wondered what it would feel like to be part of that family and so loved by them all.

Francesca half sat in her bed, looking astonishingly beautiful for a woman on bed rest. The room was enormous and included a sitting area. Before he had gone downstairs to the conference room, Stefano had arranged the furniture so that there were very comfortable chairs for Sasha and Grace to sit in while visiting with his wife.

“This is like a fairy tale,” Grace admitted. The two women were looking at her for some explanation and she felt as if she had to give them something. They’d been welcoming to her, clearly happy to see her. She hadn’t expected that kind of unreserved reception. “But it isn’t real.”

Vittorio had escorted Grace up to the penthouse of the Ferraro Hotel where Stefano and Francesca resided. As always, he had his hand on the small of her back, making her acutely aware of him. Sometimes his touch was so hot it felt as if he were burning a brand through her skin right to her bones. She never moved away from him, and she could have. She just didn’t. She’d told him she didn’t need him to sleep in her room, and he didn’t, but that meant she couldn’t go to sleep and she was tired. Her eyes felt sandy and swollen from crying most of the night. All for a dream. A fairy tale.

“What do you mean by ‘it’?” Sasha asked. “What’s not real?”

Grace sent her a smile, fighting the urge to cry. She’d been indulging herself in her room, staying there, hoping Vittorio would leave her alone so she could get used to being without him, but then when he did, she was devastated. It made absolutely no sense.

“I don’t know how this thing happened between Vittorio and me. I really don’t. I woke up in the hospital engaged to a man I don’t really know. And he doesn’t know me. He can’t possibly think he’s in love with me, and I should have known better to believe any of it.”

Grace pressed her fingers over her mouth to stop herself from blurting out another word. What was wrong with her? She was acting completely out of character. She’d stayed in her room, hiding from the one man who had shown her any kindness, because she was afraid. What did she think? That a man like Vittorio Ferraro was playing an elaborate hoax on her? That was absurd. She just knew she couldn’t take rejection from him, so it was easier to leap on the first legitimate excuse to run. Her jumbled fears weren’t making any sense.

“If I talk about this, I’m going to turn into a crying machine and I’m supposed to be cheering you up, Francesca,” she added.

“Vittorio is an honorable man,” Francesca said, ignoring Grace’s effort to change the subject. “In spite of what you read in tabloids, he is a man of his word. You can believe anything he tells you. If he says he wants to marry you—”

“Eloisa said I met the criteria and that’s why he wants to marry me,” Grace blurted out before she could stop herself. “She said he wouldn’t have looked at me otherwise. When I asked him, he admitted to me there is a criterion and that I did meet it.” Grace couldn’t keep the challenge out of her voice.

There was a small silence while Sasha and Francesca exchanged a long look. It was obvious that they knew what she was talking about.

“Vittorio didn’t explain?” Francesca asked cautiously.

Grace shook her head. “No, he refused to.”

There was another long look between Francesca and Sasha. Grace sighed. “It’s clear you know what Eloisa meant.”

“What it means, Grace,” Francesca’s voice was gentle, “is that because you meet those criteria, Vittorio is free to fall in love with you. I know it sounds archaic but think in terms of the royal family. They have certain duties they are born to take on and with that comes tremendous responsibility. They aren’t allowed to marry just anyone.”