GENEVA

Iran my hand across my eyes, but I couldn't stop crying. First Ryder left, and now Nico was gone too.


I never thought I would ever experience what I had with him yesterday on our trip to the mall. I never would have believed I could be this sexual with all of them.

How could I ever choose between them? How could I choose Charles or Levi over Nico or Ryder?

Now I would never have any of them because two of them were gone. Would I ever get over that—ever?


I thought my life was changing for the better when we got home from the mall. I couldn't wait to fool around with Nico again. He opened up a whole new world of possibilities I never knew I had in me.

I even dreaded Charles and Levi finding out about Nico. He was just a lowly foot soldier, not royalty like they were.


It didn't matter now because all of that was gone. I even started to feel something for him in the limo on the way home—something I didn't feel for the other three. How could I give that up to marry someone else?

I wouldn't marry any of them. If I couldn't have all of them, then I wouldn't have any of them. I wouldn't be able to marry one of them without thinking of the other three.

All I had to do was go back to the house and tell Levi. I hated to hurt him, but that was better than hurting the others by marrying someone.

I choked back tears, and the house blurred in front of me. One of the other security guys came out of the grounds and started flanking me. That only made me cry harder. I didn't want some stranger guarding me. I wanted Nico or no one.

I picked up the pace. The sooner I told Levi my decision, the sooner I could put this whole disaster behind me.

I stepped through the front door and marched straight to Levi's office, but I stopped dead on the threshold when I heard voices inside.

My scalp prickled when I heard Nico's deep rumble talking back and forth with Levi and Charles. 'I know, but I'm telling you it all makes sense. They plan to come out of these buildings here while the limo is stopped at the intersection. It would be easy for them to hack the stoplight and make it turn red so you stop there. We need to change your whole security detail for that night. We'll use armored limos with bulletproof windows, and you should be wearing a bulletproof vest."

'You come with us, Nico," Levi replied. 'I'll feel a whole lot better if you ride in the limo with us."

'Sure, whatever it takes. We'll use four different limos so they don't know which one you're in."

'We'll ride in convoy with you," Charles added. 'I'll call my father, and we'll arrange the whole thing. The more limos we use, the more we can confuse them. We can get Terranova security people on the convoy too so we have enough men to repel the attack."

I stepped into the office. 'What's going on?"

All three of them spun around in surprise, and then Charles glanced at Levi. My gaze flicked from one man to the next. Nico looked right at me. He didn't look like the same man who just walked away from me in the grounds.

'We just got word that the Navaros are planning to hit our limo on the way to the Met on Saturday," Levi began. 'They plan to kill me and kidnap you."

I gasped with the tears drying on my cheeks. 'What? Is Ryder involved in this somehow?"

'He was the one who warned us." Nico raised his hand to correct himself. 'He warnedme. He stopped me on the street just now and told me everything, including the place they plan to attack."

'He…" I found myself staring into those eyes—the eyes that meant so much to me yesterday. Then I glanced at Charles. 'You said he did all this to fuck with us."

'He asked us to lie to you about that," Charles replied.

'His proposal was genuine," Levi chimed in. 'His father and brothers planned to hijack your marriage to rob you of your inheritance and ruin you to get revenge on your father."

'Ryder left to protect you," Charles told me. 'He wanted to stop you from choosing him because he knew it would mean the end of you."

'And now this." Levi turned back to his desk. 'He's taking one hell of a risk telling us. If anyone finds out, it's his ass."

'I really don't think he cares anymore," Nico replied. 'He's doing it for you, Geneva. He would give his life for you."

My heart twisted even more. Ryder! I knew he didn't just drop his proposal because he wasn't serious. I knew he had a good heart.

What I wouldn't give to see him again! He turned out to be so much better than I ever dreamed. Now I probably never would see him or get to thank him for what he did for me.

Nico pointed to a map of Manhattan spread out on the desk. 'We can plant our guys here and here. If we do it early enough, they can even get the jump on the Navaros before the attack."

'Okay. Do it. Do whatever you have to do." Levi laid his hand on Nico's shoulder. Nico nodded to him and turned around.

He gave me a significant look and then walked out without even brushing my shoulder. So that was it. He came back on the job, not because of me, but out of sheer loyalty to the family. Of course, he did. What else would he do if someone warned him about an attack like this?

'I'll see you both later," Charles added. 'I have to make a few phone calls."

He walked over to me, kissed me on the cheek, and left. The door shut behind him, and I was alone with Levi.

He started shuffling papers on his desk and checking his laptop. 'Are you okay, Princess? You've been crying. Is anything wrong?"

I inhaled a shaky breath. 'I've made a decision about which of these suitors I'm going to marry."

He looked up in surprise. 'You have? Which one have you chosen?"

'None of them. I'm not going to get married."

He blinked once and opened his mouth.

'I know what you're going to say. You're going to say I need to consolidate Papa's empire with an allied family and have an heir that will eventually take over our combined alliance, but I can't do it. I…" I shut my eyes and dug deep for the will to get through with this. 'I have feelings for all of you—you, Charles, Ryder… and Nico."

'Nico!"

'Yes, Nico," I declared. 'I can't choose between you, and I'm not going to. I'll run the family alone if I have to, but I can't hurt or push any of you away. I couldn't hurt any of you by marrying someone else."

He stared at me in shock for a second, and then his shoulders relaxed. He let out a long sigh. 'I understand, Princess."

Now it was my turn to blink in shock. 'You do?"

'Of course. I knew you loved Charles, and I saw you starting to fall for Ryder. I didn't know about you and Nico, but now that I do know, I can see how you would have feelings for him too."

'But… aren't you going to tell me that I have to get married? Isn't that your job—to make sure I marry the right person?"

'No, Princess. My job is to take care of you and to do whatever is best for you. If the right person is no one, then that's what's best for you, isn't it?"

I opened my mouth to argue, but I couldn't get the words out. Whatever I was expecting from his reaction, it sure as hell wasn't this.

He walked around the desk and placed both hands on my shoulders. He bent down and kissed me on the forehead. 'You know I'll support whatever you decide is right for you. If you decide to run the family on your own, I'll serve you as your consigliere for as long as you want me to."

I could barely get my voice to work. 'Really? You would really do that?"

'Of course. I'll stick by you, even if we can't be together as a couple."

I couldn't stand this. I slipped my arms around his waist and crushed him as tightly as I could. 'Thank you! Thank you so much!"

He kissed me on top of the head. He hadn't done that since before we started doing it with each other. How did that close affection get lost in so much sex? I really needed this.

He hugged me back and then straightened me up. He cupped my chin and kissed me on the lips. 'I love you more than anything. Whatever you need, I'll be there."