Immediately I’m at unease.

“Alejandro sends his regards.”

Blinking I try to not show my emotions but inside there is a war. Alejandro is the son of the Cartel boss. The man who Sammie was dancing with last night. The boss we were all supposed to be meeting with.

Everyone knows that there is some unrest in the family, mainly because Alejandro is power hungry and his father is a selfish son of a bitch. But to have him here with his men knowing we would show up makes me feel like we are in a trap.

A trap where Ilaria and her friends are currently ensnared.

Francesco’s foot taps, three times, a sign he is as anxious as me and that is the last thing I want. Cool heads always prevail.

The elevator door opens and Sammie sees us first, rolling her eyes like we’re an inconvenience to her.

“This is going to be so dramatic.” She mutters it loud enough that everyone looks up at us.

Ilaria’s face a mix of emotions before she goes blank. Good job, wife. She does play her cards well. I can see how she managed to take so much of their money.

“Since when have you been afraid of a little drama, mi hermasa fantasma?”

A gun goes off, the cowboy hat that Caesar was wearing flies onto Sammie’s lap, the brains and blood of the Cartel boss coating the three girls who were in front of him when he got killed.

Blood splattering all over Ilaria’s face and blending in with the red lace of her lingerie. But from inside her bag she pulls out a gun, standing up as she holds it in the direction of Alejandro, who just committed patricide.

Francesco is right. She is a queen.

My cousin is holding his own gun, not even waiting for me as he moves towards Becca who is stained in blood looking like she has lost her battle with staying present and is fighting whatever demons she has. Her blonde hair holds the blood like highlights, the soft blue lingerie will never be clean of what is left of Caesar.

But it’s Sammie who has the most peculiar reaction.

Her eyes are narrowed as she tosses the hat off her lap, standing up as she glares at Alejandro with a rage that is different from her usual one towards people. She stands up, moving around the dead body and getting close to Alejandro who currently has a half dozen guns aimed at him but his eyes are looked on her.

I’m missing something.

Ilaria’s eyebrow quirks up and she scans the room seeming to notice the heir or now maybe the Cartel boss has brought backup.

“You killed my fiancée, asshole.” Sammie’s words manage to confuse me more but Alejandro smiles at her.

His gun coming down since he’s confident that nothing is going to happen from him shooting his father. Ilaria is looking at Sammie and then at him, trying to put the pieces together too.

At least we’re all lost.

Francesco is going to die because he is bent in front of Becca, his jacket wrapped around her as he holds her cheek in his hand, using a tissue to clean her like that is going to help with the brain matter in her hair. He is most at risk of being shot in the back but doesn’t seem to notice or care. His entire focus is on the girl he is whispering too. I don’t think he’s ever been this soft with someone else and I’m at a loss of what to do.

I was bringing Gio next time.

“I told you before that I’d marry you,” He speaks like this has been discussed and is done business, “And now you will marry the head of the Cartel. Which as of five minutes ago is me.”

It’s fascinating to watch.

The way that Ilaria moves, the gun in her hand strong as she presses it to his temple, this rage taking over the mask of her features as if she understand something that I’m still not privy to.

Inappropriate time to get a boner over how hot she looks when she’s angry with a gun.

I’m moving closer to her, not about to let her get shot but Alejandro is smiling as he looks past her to Sammie.

“You told your friends about me.” Alejandro speaks, his eyes locked on the girl with a light in his eyes that I’d describe as manic.

There is a mixture of several emotions on her face as she takes in what is happening. Understanding that whatever deal she cooked up with her friends is being changed.

“We’ll take war over this marriage.” My bride practically spits out the words to him. The rage coating them as she glares at him.

Ilaria is risking a lot of lives for her friend and I have to go along with this for now, thankful that Francesco seems to realize that this is going South and is standing up, ready to deal with this situation.

Glad to see we’ll all die together.

“If I marry you the same terms apply?” Sammie asks, her eyes not leaving Alejandro’s but Ilaria is tenser, her anger making me want to kill him myself just to know she will calm down.

“Of course, pequena fantasma.”

Sammie exhales, her hand going to Ilaria’s shoulder as my fiancées face falls, the sorrow is so strong there it’s like a knife to my chest seeing her grief for her friend.

She just watches Sammie nod her head, some understanding falls between them. They’re close enough to trust each other with just one look.

“So we will sign the papers.”

It’s too easy.

She gives in too easily and I watch them move over to the contract, Alejandro wiping some of his fathers skull fragments off the paper as he signs his name with a flourish. Sammie takes the pen doing the same thing as Ilaria trembles and Francesco goes back to Becca lifting her into his arms.

We’re all done here.

Or so I think.

“Do you know what you just agreed to?” Sammie asks, her voice is smaller than I had ever heard before and even Alejandro seems to recognize the change as concern sweeps over his face, “The contract is for one year of marriage. If I don’t fall pregnant in the next twelve months then this marriage is null and I’m entitled to a full divorce from you.”

The color drains from his face, his eyes scanning over the contract as Sammie stands, moving away from him. Ilaria is at her side, their arms lacing together as they walk out knowing Francesco is behind them with Becca in his arms.

He won’t even let her walk alone.

“We won’t have trouble, right?” I’m checking in with him, wanting to go to Ilaria and figure out what just happened. Hoping that whatever it was fixed the issues that have been going on but a part of me feeling like things are about to get even crazier.

Alejandro nods his head at me, leaning back as he sighs, feet going to the table as he kicks his fathers head, the body falls to the floor with a wet splat that he doesn’t seem too concerned about.

“Sammie needs to come with me after your wedding. I won’t deny her the friends she has but we will need to go and be married in my home. My mother expects me to have my day in church. Give her this for me. If it leaves her finger after today the deal is off.”

He tosses me a black box that I open. Inside is a a princess cut emerald that is at least six carats, two teardrop cut garnets and one teardrop diamond comes off the side. It’s obviously something custom made, proof he has been planning this for a while.

I’m sure Sammie is going to be furious wearing it.