[Book 2: Bound by honor]
"Jennifer Scuderi has always rebelled against the Mafia's strict rules, and nothing enrages her more than the idea of being tied down in an arranged marriage. But when Valentino Vitiello, the dangerous and relentless enforce...
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I was allowed to visit Ruby again in May; pretending that I had finally come to terms with my marriage to Valentino had made my father more lenient with me.
Lying had once been hard for me but I was getting better at it.
I hugged Rose and Mino before I left Chicago, knowing it might very well be the last time I saw them, but I didn't allow myself to linger on that thought. It would make things only more difficult. If I started to cry, someone might get suspicious.
When I arrived in New York, Ruby picked me up from the airport with a new bodyguard. There was something bittersweet about our reunion. The new guy gave me a quick nod after Ruby and I had pulled apart. "Who is he?" I whispered.
"That's Felix. He's one of Valentino's men." So Valentino had already chosen a bodyguard for me, for a future life as his wife, someone who would cage me in whenever Valentino wasn't around to do it.
Once we were in the penthouse, my new bodyguard retreated to the kitchen under the pretense of giving us privacy. As if there was ever such a thing under his constant surveillance. Ruby and I lingered near the sofa, out of earshot. "Does Van still have Jimin guard you all day?"
Ruby shrugged. "I don't mind having Jimin around, especially when Van is busy. Felix has taken Cesare's place mostly, but he's never watched me before. "
"You need to ask Van to let you go to college or do something else before you go crazy over here. I want you to be happy too, Ruby. I want to know that you'll be okay once I'm gone."
"Don't worry. And the last few weeks I've been pretty busy planning your escape," Ruby said with a teasing smile but there was a hint of wistfulness in her voice.
We both glanced at Felix who was making coffee. "Why is that Felix guy really here?"
"Because of you."
"Because I'm the troublemaker?"
"No," Ruby said with a laugh. "Because Valentino wants you to get to know the guy who'll be your bodyguard once you move to New York."
"Oh great, how thoughtful of him." Again a decision about my life that no one had bothered to discuss with me. With a nod toward Felix, I asked, "How are we going to get rid of him?"
"I have a plan." Ruby opened her bag and pointed at a small syringe. At my confused look, she explained, "I remembered how you'd told me that Van found the tranquilizer he used on Rose in a drawer in the basement. Last time I was in the mansion, I sneaked down there and took what we needed."
My eyes widened. "You are a genius, Ruby."
"Not really."
Our eyes darted toward our bodyguard once more. He was busy with his phone. "How are we going to inject him the tranquilizer?" I asked. "He's tall and strong, and probably a skilled fighter."
