He Sent Me to the Don. I Came Back as His Queen

For seven years, I fought Sicily's bloodiest turf wars to put Blair Lacey at the head of his family's empire. After I secured the three shipping lanes that made the Laceys untouchable, he finally dropped to one knee and proposed. I carried our wedding invitations to his study and stopped outside the door when I heard him plotting with his lieutenant. "Vincenzo Moretti wants Lily for a bride? He can go to hell." "Drug Anna on the wedding day and send her to the Moretti estate instead. Then put Lily on a helicopter and get her out of the country." Mario hesitated. "But Blair, Don Moretti is ruthless. If Anna takes Lily's place, he could torture her to death." Blair's fists tightened. His voice turned hoarse. "You think this doesn't tear me apart? Lily is too fragile. She wouldn't survive a night with him." "Anna is different. She's smart. She's strong. She'll find a way to stay alive." Blair's mouth tightened. "Once Lily is safely gone, I'll use everything I have to get Anna back." "Right now, Lily comes first." So that was why he had scheduled our wedding on the anniversary of my mother's death. He needed me to die in his adopted sister's place. I dropped the invitations in the trash and stopped begging for love from a man who had never once chosen me. Later, once Blair decided the danger had passed, he came to the Moretti estate expecting to take me home like property. Instead, he learned that I had already sworn myself to Vincenzo's family in blood. My eyes burned as I listened outside the study, but I did not storm in and demand an explanation. In Sicily, tears were cheap. I had already paid enough. Inside, Mario sounded furious. "Vincenzo has lost his mind. He specifically demanded Lily as his bride. It's an insult." Blair's answer was ice cold. "He can dream." Mario sighed. "The wedding date is already set. He chose the same day as your wedding to Anna because he wants to force your hand." Silence hung over the room before Blair gave his orders. "On the wedding day, drug Anna and take her to Vincenzo's estate." "At the same time, get Lily onto a helicopter and out of the country. Have the safe house in Switzerland ready. The moment she lands, wipe every trail that could lead to her." Mario sucked in a breath. "Anna just won three critical routes for the family. And you only proposed to her last night." Blair tapped the desk, irritated. "I'll bring her back myself. Anna loves me. She'll understand." "But Vincenzo is brutal. If he realizes Anna was sent as a substitute..." "He won't kill her," Blair snapped. "Vincenzo is ruthless, but he isn't a rabid dog." "If I get there in time, offer him enough money, and give up twenty percent of the route profits, he won't start a war with the Lacey family over one woman." "Anna is a survivor. What hasn't she endured in the last seven years? Lily is different. A gunshot makes her shake. Vincenzo would break her." "Lily may not be my sister by blood, but I raised her. I won't stand by while she walks into hell." Seven years under fire meant less to him than Lily whispering, I'm scared. At the end of the hall, Lily stood in a white silk dress, pristine and graceful as a swan. I was still wearing black tactical gear that smelled of gunpowder. I had just spent three sleepless nights at the docks putting down a rebellion for Blair. Lily approached and glanced at the invitations in my hand. "Do you really think a wedding dress will wash away the smell of blood on you?" She lifted a hand, a pink diamond flashing on her finger, and traced the jagged scar across the back of mine. I had gotten it two years earlier when I intercepted an assassin's knife meant for Blair. "Those hands were made for guns and killing," she said. "Something as delicate and romantic as a wedding invitation doesn't belong in them." My voice stayed calm. "Maybe not. But they can still snap your neck." Lily went pale and stumbled back. She knew I never made an empty threat. Then calculation flickered across her face. She dug her fingers into her own wrist until an angry red mark appeared, reddened her eyes, and pushed open the study door. "Blair..." He rushed to her. "What happened? Who hurt you?" She bit her lip and hid her wrist behind her back. "No one. I was just careless." "Anna looked at me so frighteningly out in the hall. For a moment, I thought she might..." The instant Blair saw the mark, his face darkened. He pulled Lily into his arms and stroked her back. "You're safe. I've protected you your whole life. No one gets to hurt you." He looked at me. "Isn't that right, Anna?" I touched the diamond ring in my pocket and nodded. The night before, he had knelt before me and called me the most beautiful rose in Sicily. He had forgotten that roses had thorns. After settling Lily in the study, Blair turned back to me. "Is everything handled at the docks?" He reached for my waist as naturally as he always did. I stepped aside. His hand froze in midair. Annoyance flashed in his eyes before he covered it with a smile. "What's wrong? Still angry about last night's fight?" He handed me a small box. "Here. I had this brought in from Paris for you." Inside lay a dull silver chain. The necklace at Lily's throat bore the Lacey crest, an heirloom traditionally reserved for the woman Blair intended to marry. A chill passed through me. "Thank you, Blair. I love it." He looked surprised by my formal tone. Since his proposal, I had not sounded so distant. But he did not question it. He merely nodded, pleased. "Good. Go get some rest. I'll have the staff handle the wedding. You don't need to worry about anything." Lily called his name from the study, and he turned away without a second thought.

At the family council that night, Blair made an announcement. "Anna has guarded our docks for seven years. She's taken bullets and blades for me." "Once we're married, I don't want her burdened by ledgers, routes, and danger anymore. She is my fiance. She shouldn't have to live in the trenches." His expression softened. "So for now, I'm transferring control of Anna's three shipping lanes to Lily." "Lily will be the owner of record, but I'll personally oversee everything. After the wedding, I'll restructure Anna's holdings myself. She'll still have a place at the top of this family." The room fell silent. Mario recovered first. "It's a sensible arrangement. Anna will soon be Blair's wife. Putting the routes in Lily's name for now keeps Anna out of sight and off our enemies' radar." Several of the capos exchanged glances, then nodded. "If Blair is supervising, nothing can go wrong." "Anna has earned a rest after all these years." "As long as the routes stay operational, Blair can arrange the rest as he sees fit." Lily jumped to her feet, wearing a look of alarm. "No, Blair. I can't accept this." "Anna nearly died winning those routes. How could I take them from her? Besides, I know nothing about the business. What if I ruin everything? Anna will be furious." Blair pressed her gently back into her chair. "Don't worry. I'll be there." "What belongs to Anna belongs to the family. She's my fiance now. Her role has changed. She doesn't need to get her own hands dirty anymore." "You're only sharing the burden until the wedding. After that, I'll give Anna something even more important." He spoke as if stripping me of everything I had built were an act of devotion. Those routes had cost my people blood and nearly cost me my life. They were the foundation of every ounce of power I held in the family. Blair turned to me. His voice was gentle, but the warning in his eyes was unmistakable. "You don't object, do you, Anna?" "Once we're married, you'll never have to touch this dirty work again. All you need to do is be my wife." He knew exactly what he was taking from me. He simply believed a few sweet promises after the wedding would make me swallow the humiliation. Without expression, I slid a stack of documents toward Lily. "These contain the basic route clearances, port credentials, and account summaries for all three lanes." "Sign them, Lily." Blair stared. He had not expected me to surrender so easily, and every argument he had prepared died in his throat. Greed flashed in Lily's eyes, though she quickly lowered them. "Then I'll hold them for Anna. Just for a little while." Blair patted my shoulder. "Don't worry. After the wedding, I'll make this up to you. I won't let your work for the family go unrewarded." He pulled out the brass pin issued to low-level associates and pressed it into my palm. "Keep this for now. It will make it easier for you to move around the estate. Meet me in the study after the council adjourns." I closed my fist until the pin's sharp edge broke my skin. Seven years of sacrifice, and he thought he could buy me out with a piece of brass. "Thank you, Blair." I lowered my gaze before he could see the ice in it. He noticed nothing. He thought I had submitted. When the meeting ended, I ignored his order and left the house. Beside the fountain, I made a call. The man who answered sounded relieved. "Boss." I looked into the night. "Is it done?" "All of it. The root keys are locked, and the backup servers have been moved. The documents Blair received are worthless. Give the word, and every cargo ship on those routes will go dead." I smiled. "Good. Tell our people to break into small teams and leave Lacey territory." "Yes, Boss. What about you?" "Don't worry about me."