Chapter 1

The night was crisp, and clear. The cool breeze wafting about downtown was the perfect reprieve from the day’s sweltering heat and humidity under the summer sun, and a compliment to the evening’s wind-down.

I was buzzed, just a little, and swayed happily in my heels as Viktor and I walked down the now-clear streets. He had his arm slung over my shoulders, and the press of his body was warm. He was definitely more buzzed than I was, and it sounded in the way that he slurred just a little as he laughed, the sound echoing against the brick buildings we walked by.

“Cor,” he said, his voice thick with the effects of booze and the Russian accent that tinctured his pronunciations. “Such… a beaut of a night, just like you, love.” He hiccupped.

My laughs joined his as he leaned over nuzzled his face against mine. The wine was sweet on his breath, but it did sway me away from him – I leaned up to kiss him, chastely as I could manage with his enthusiasm.

He certainly wasn’t the man I’d have pictured for myself. I had always thought Father would marry me to one of his own, an Italian born man, someone connected to the family. I had always envisioned, growing up, a handsome Giovanni, a reserved Lorenzo, or a mysterious Niccolo waiting for me at the end of the wedding aisle I would soon walk. Someone with roots deep in the Italian countryside, someone as devoted to their father and Don as I was.

Viktor wasn’t the tall, dark, Italian man of my dreams. He was an average, Russian man, who didn’t stand out much, and who certainly was no fairy tale prince. But sometimes reality is more appealing than fantasy. He was kind, and gentle. And he was certainly devoted. He had held no complaint to being married off so young, both of us being twenty with so many years ahead of us and so little experience with romance. I think that’s part of what drew me more to him; he was as willing to do whatever was asked of him by his father and Don as I was, without complaint. It’s where we got along. Our loyalty to our families. Even our loyalty to each other. Neither of us had been intimate with another, and he always made a point to make it clear that he had no intention of straying.

Of course as a result of that, the closer we got to our wedding date, the more… enthused he got. We hadn’t been intimate with each other, either.

Our kiss became more impassioned as we walked along. Viktor was a good kisser, not overly experienced but he made me feel… good. I didn’t realize we’d changed directions and ended up down an alleyway until I was being pressed against the brick wall of it, with Viktor’s hands making a mess of my otherwise perfectly curled hair. My own hands found a place on his shoulders, and as our lips moved together I smiled a bit. I couldn’t say I loved him – it was far too early for that, and we didn’t know each other nearly enough.

But I did care for him. He was my friend, soon to be my partner.

“We’re not going to get back home in any good time if you keep going at me like this,” I said after a moment, breathless against his lips. His response was to laugh, and he did so heartily.

“Only celebrating. Isn’t that vot we are out here for? To enjoy each other?” His face nestled in my neck, though he made no move to continue further. I nudged him away gently, giving him a sweet peck on the cheek.

“The wedding’s only two weeks away,” I reminded. “I’m sure that you can wait to enjoy me even more.”

His laugh rumbled against my neck, and he pulled away from me then. His eyes were glassy, a deep dark midnight black. He smiled.

“Well then. Come. Let us be off to sleep away the night, and get closer to that day, yes?”

He led the trek from the alley to the opening leading back out to the street. He had a pep in his walk that was contagious. I felt myself elated; soon, we would be more than future husband and wife. Soon we’d take the next step in fulfilling our family’s wishes. Soon –

I stopped as short as my thoughts did as someone stepped into the alleyway with us. I couldn’t see the person past Viktor, aside from noticing him step around the corner and in front of us. I wasn’t the only one confused.

“What are you—”

A muffled shot rang out.

It wasn’t the first time that I had heard gun shots, but it was the first time that those gunshots were so close, coming out quieter than usual. From a silencer? The succinct pop, pop, pop of the shots pierced my ears nonetheless, and my mouth fell open as Viktor staggered in front of me, turning around with wide eyes.

The whole front of him was covered in blood. I could see the punctures in his chest where the bullets pierced his clothes. Liquid red ran down from them, hot and wet. A bloody hand of his reached out, touched my face. He tried to grip me as the weight of his body drug him down to the ground, but he couldn’t hold on, and he was too big for me to hold up in my arms.

“Cor…ella…run…”

I was stunned, and in my shock I found I could not do what he asked of me. Two seconds ago we were kissing, laughing. Less than an hour it had been before we had been sitting across from each other, eating dinner together, discussing our wedding, joking about how invested my father was in it, playing both father and mother of the bride in his preparations of our union.

But now, that man lay at my feet, a pool of blood slowly leaking from under his body, staining my shoes and the dirty alley beneath him.

“V-Viktor?” Calling his name was futile. He didn’t speak, and he didn’t move. No breath came to him to give me a hopeful rise and fall of his back as he lay face-down on the ground.

He’s dead. He’s dead.

I can’t help but stand there, staring down at him. It’s only a movement out of the corner of my eyes that had me looking up, and for the first time my gaze finds my fiancé’s killer.

He was taller than Viktor had stood, leaner, but clearly hardened with muscle. A black beanie covered his hair, but I could still see his face. Narrowed green eyes stared me down, and a frown curved his full lips downward. The gun in his hand was pointed straight at me. I can feel my heart threaten to beat out of my chest as I look down at it. If he killed Viktor, did that mean this is some sort of mob hit? And what’s more…

Was he going to kill me?

My mouth opened, but no sound came out. I don’t know if I’d have been able to scream either way, but as soon as he caught the fact I was going to try, he bounded over Viktor’s body, his hand coming to my mouth, body pushing me against the wall that Viktor and I had kissed against just moments before.

“Shut up.” His voice snapped hard and deep, and I couldn’t help but clench my jaw under his hold. “Don’t say a damn thing, cupcake. It’ll be worse for you.”

The man pulled away just slightly, his hand still over my mouth, and his gun pointed at my head. The metal was warm against my skin, a reminder that it had just been shot. I swallowed hard as he looked behind him, and my mind swam with horrible thoughts. What was he going to do with me? Would he hurt me? Assault me? I could try to fight back, but with his size… it’d be hard to do so with any sort of success.

I swallowed as he turned his eyes back to me with a curse. Perhaps he wasn’t expecting a witness; he didn’t seem as confident as a man would who had just murdered someone, given that was his intent. He looked troubled, his brow furrowed. If I could have begged him to let me go… convince him I’d tell no one of what he had done, I would have. To buy myself some time would be invaluable, but the man wasn’t intent on doing that.

“Shit.” He cursed again as he continued to stare at me, and he moved the gun to my forehead.

This is it. He’s going to kill me. I’m going to die.

My eyes closed. I felt tears running down my cheeks from them, but knew there was no point in trying to struggle. I couldn’t get away from him. I wouldn’t make it out of the alley if I managed to get out of his grip, not with that gun in his hand. Not with the fact that I was the only witness to his crime, the only one to see his face.

I thought of my father, in that moment. He would miss me so much. I was the only one left after mom died. The only one who knew him and loved him as well as I did. His little angel… his girl that did whatever he asked, without question, without fault.

I waited for the moment that my thoughts would suddenly stop. The moment never came. I opened my eyes slowly, my vision blurred with my tears. The man continued to stare at me, those dark brows furrowed. His gaze was unwavering, and I was frighteningly captivated by his eyes, unable to look away from the person who may very well be the last person that I ever saw. He raised his hand, the one with the gun, but my eyes never left him.

The last thing I saw was a flash of remorse in those cold green eyes, and then the world went dark.