The crowd cheered.

Somewhere in this sea of people was the enemy—a man or woman responsible for killing tens of innocent people before clapping politely at the new bride and groom.

Matteo was focused on the threat but cognizant of the need to continue with their charade. Even as her lips parted softly beneath his own, he knew Talia’s men had secured the exits and were preparing to question the guests before letting anyone leave the mansion tonight.

He also knew they weren’t going to find anything, which was why he had a nine millimeter pistol concealed in his jacket, a combat knife in a holster at his ankle, and he wasn’t going to let Grace out of his sight.

He lifted his head and stared longingly into her eyes as he imagined a newlywed might do.

The kiss was a calculated move on his part, a visual for the people watching that would set the tone for the evening. Everyone would want to see how the new couple got on, so he was making a point to show them before they could draw their own conclusions.

He also needed to make Grace more comfortable. The anxiety coming off her was intense, and she didn’t even know about the phone caller.

They walked down the stairs to the continued applause of the crowd, a smile firmly fixed on Matteo’s face.

A voice from the crowd caught his attention. “Such a beautiful couple.”

This was a job. An assignment, nothing more. But it was a mind fuck of an assignment and he’d only just gotten here.

The protection detail he was used to.

The relationship he was not.

Who was this woman he found himself married to? What were the circumstances that had brought her here, that had left her with a child to raise on her own?

Did she still have feelings for Nico’s father?

He wanted to know, more than he should have.

Wait until you’ve been sleeping in her room for a few weeks, listening to her breathe.

He could already picture her cuddled on her side, imagine the warmth of her body beneath the covers and the scent of her on the air. He reminded himself he was a gentleman—a red-blooded gentleman with one hell of an imagination.

Dammit.

Just knowing they were going to be sharing close quarters for such a long period of time made Grace an important figure in his life, maybe more important than any particular woman had been in years.

He dated, but he made a conscious effort to keep it casual, even friendly. And while several of those women had longed for more from him, he had never felt the same and they’d parted ways.

The reception was a whirlwind of introductions and congratulations. From Grace’s firm hold on his arm, he couldn’t help but wonder if any of these people were actually her friends. They all seemed to be business acquaintances of her father’s or politicians of some sort.

When they finally came upon a couple about Grace’s age, Matteo was happy to see the woman throw her arms around Grace with genuine affection. She was tall with platinum-blonde hair wrapped high upon her head, wearing a revealing gold spaghetti-strapped gown.

“I couldn’t believe it when I heard you were back here!” said the woman. “What happened to Switzerland?”

Grace flashed a quick look at Matteo, the brief exchange clearly telling him how hard it was for her to lie to this woman. “I met Matteo.” She introduced them. “We fell in love and got married.”

He took her hand, noting her cold fingers and the awkward way they curled around his. In that moment, it seemed like a miracle no one had jumped up and declared them liars, so obvious did this farce seem to him.

He looked around the room. On the contrary, everyone seemed to believe it.

Or was purely disinterested in Grace on a personal level.

The blonde was gushing her congratulations. This woman might be the one exception in the crowd, a true friend to Grace, and he noted how shocked she seemed at the news.

“I’m going to grab myself a drink,” said Matteo, trying to give them the privacy Grace clearly wanted. “Can I get you ladies something?”

He crossed the room to General Talia. “I need you to watch Grace for a few minutes. Don’t her out of your sight.” He poured himself a glass of water from a pitcher. “Everything going all right?”

“Yes. We have the exits blocked, three men on the hallway outside the nursery, another on the lawn outside of it, and two more on either side of the study.”

“The study?”

Talia’s eyes opened just a hair too wide.

Matteo lowered his brow. “Why do you have men assigned to the study?”

“You should speak to Vasile.”

“Not this bullshit again. You tell me.”

Talia closed his eyes for a beat, then opened them. “They didn’t just hit the nursery. The president found a note on his desk. I don’t know what it said.”

Dammit. No wonder he’d been feeling like he was in the dark. Vasile was deliberately withholding information from him. Abandoning the bar, he went in search of his new father-in-law, easily spotting him in the crowd.

“I need to speak to you,” said Matteo.

“After the party.”

“Now.” Matteo led the way out of the ballroom and outside into the cool night air. He turned and faced the other man. “What did the note say? And don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. The note on your goddamn desk.”

Vasile pursed his lips. “None of your business.”

“You will tell me if you want me to help you. If you want me to help your daughter and keep your grandchild safe.”

The men shared a look, a duel of wills taking place between them.

Vasile dropped his head. “It said, ‘Drop out or we’ll take the bastard.’”

Matteo kicked the stone knee wall that surrounded the patio. “And you didn’t fucking tell me.”

“It was irrelevant. I will not give in to their demands.”

“And you didn’t think you should mention this to the people who are concerned for your grandson’s safety?”

Vasile’s face was pale, a translucent kind of gray that made him look ill. “What good would that do? Would you guard him better if you knew? Would my daughter sleep better at night if she had this weight on her shoulders as I do?”

“I don’t know if you were right to keep this from Grace, but you sure as hell had no right to keep it from me.”

“You told me yourself, you are her husband and your loyalty lies with her.”

“And you couldn’t stand the idea that I might choose to tell her.”

Vasile hunched forward several inches and Matteo put his hand on the other man’s arm. “Are you okay?” Matteo asked.

“I’m perfectly fine.” He shook off Matteo’s arm. “These are terrorists. If I give in to their demands, the threats and the destruction will not stop; they will only continue. And instead of terrorizing me and my family, they will terrorize an entire nation.”

“Is there anything else you’re not telling me?”

Beads of sweat had broken out on Vasile’s forehead. One dripped down his face like a tear. “That’s it. I swear.”

For the first time since he got here, Matteo believed Vasile was telling the truth. And now that he knew the intruder’s motivation, they had something more to go on. “If you’d told me earlier, it would have helped HERO Force narrow down the possibilities. Hell, they might even have found out who’s doing this by now.”

Vasile put a hand to his chest and closed his eyes. “My opponent is clearly behind this. Victor Trane.”

“All different groups are interested in the outcome of elections. They affect a lot more than the person running against you.”

Vasile’s eyes closed, his features pinched.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” asked Matteo.

“I need to go back inside.” He swayed dramatically.

Matteo caught Vasile in his arms and lowered him to sit on the rock wall. “You need help. I’ll be right back.”

Vasile clutched Matteo’s jacket in his fist. “Pills. In my jacket.”

Matteo search frantically. What would happen to Lutsia if Vasile died? Trane would take power and join forces with Russia, controlling Parliament like a dictator. This one man had the power to stop it, if he didn’t die on a rock wall outside his daughter’s wedding reception.

His hands closed on a small pill vial. He fished one out and put it in Vasile’s mouth. He was acutely aware of the passage of time, and his eyes scanned the guests around them, but no one had noticed the president was in danger.

Vasile’s face began to pink up.

“Nitroglycerin,” said Matteo.

“Yes.”

“How long have you been like this?”

“Not long.”

“The truth.”

He took a deep breath. “A year and a half.”

“What do the doctors think?”

“That I am a walking dead man.”

“But you’re running for office.”

“You know that I must.”

“Does Grace know you’re sick?”

He blew out air. “I couldn’t stand to have her treat me like I could die at any moment. Better she eyes me with disdain than comforts me with false emotions.”

Matteo knew the strain between father and daughter, and also knew what it would do to Grace if this man died before the two of them had found some peace. “You’ve got it all figured out,” said Matteo. “Keep everybody in the dark, win a presidency you know you won’t be alive for, and set your daughter up to live with regret for the rest of her life.”

“I’m doing the best I can for everyone involved.”

“The presidency I can understand. But Grace would be heartbroken if you two didn’t make up. Just think about it.” Matteo stood and held out his hand. “Think you can stand?”

“I don’t need help.”

“Suit yourself, but it’s been my experience we all need help sometimes.”