LINES WE CROSS
Althea prepared for marriage the way generals prepared for war.
The estate transformed quietly—tailors arriving with garment bags sealed in black like body bags, lawyers gliding through corridors with tablets and hushed voices, and security rotating shifts with military precision. Everything was discreet, controlled, and utterly devoid of heart. Althea herself remained untouched by the frenzy, reviewing venues as if she were scouting a battlefield.
Runa existed on the margins—measured, evaluated, and fitted like a piece of high-end furniture. Her opinions were never requested. She was collateral being polished for a wedding she never asked to attend.
They attended a gala by another mafia family in chicago.
The gala was not a celebration; it was a display of spoils.
The ballroom was a cathedral of gold leaf and black marble, filled with the scent of expensive bourbon and the underlying metallic tang of hidden weapons. This was the "Internal Announcement"—a gathering of the West Coast's most dangerous bloodlines. Men in five-thousand-dollar suits shook hands while their bodyguards scanned the room for snipers.
Runa stood at the top of the grand staircase, her breath hitching in a throat constricted by a diamond choker. She wore a gown of midnight silk that clung to her like a second skin, the deep blue fabric specifically chosen to make her eyes pop.
Althea stood beside her, looking lethal in a tailored black tuxedo. She didn't hold Runa's hand; she gripped her upper arm, a silent command to stay upright. Behind them, Jason adjusted his cuffs with a smirk, while Eli stood like a shadow, her gaze sweeping the room with clinical detachment.
As they descended, the crowd parted like a dark sea.
Steve Vasquez was there, standing near the bar with a younger man who shared his sharp features and arrogant tilt of the head.
"Althea," Steve called out, raising a glass. "The rumors were true, then."
"Steve. Rio," Althea acknowledged. She pulled Runa forward. "Allow me to introduce Rumina Winters. My fiancée."
Steve let out a sharp, barking laugh. "I knew it the moment you introduce her as your assistant,ha, Roman always did have an eye for a matching set. She looks the part, Althea. Very… pristine."
Rio Vasquez, who looked to be about twenty-one, raked his eyes over Runa with a slow, disrespectful grin. "Twenty-one years of debt, settled in a single night. Lucky you, Winters. Most people pay the Vales back in limbs."
Althea said "careful"
"Rio!" Steve reprimand
Rio paused and bowed his head "I was out of line, sorry"
Runa felt the bile rise in her throat. She wasn't a bride; she was a trophy being appraised by the other hunters in the woods.
As the night progressed, the heat and the hum of criminal logistics became suffocating. Althea eventually moved away to discuss a territory dispute with Steve, her attention fully absorbed by the "business" of their union. She didn't look back. She didn't care where her "fiancée" was, so long as she remained within the walls.
Runa scanned the room. Eli had vanished into the shadows of the balcony, and Jason was occupied with a group of women near the terrace.
Now.
The thought hit her like a bolt of lightning. The security was focused on the front entrance and the VIPs. No one was looking at the girl in the blue dress.
Runa slipped through the heavy velvet curtains of a side parlor, her heart hammering against her ribs. She moved through the service corridor, her heels clicking too loudly on the tile. She reached the heavy oak door that led to the gardens—the path to the outer gate.
Her hand touched the brass handle. Cool air hit her face.
Then, a hand clamped around her wrist like a vice.
"Going somewhere, little bride?"
Jason's voice was a low, melodic threat. He jerked her back into the dim light of the hallway, his grip bruising. He didn't look angry; he looked delighted.
"I—I just needed air," Runa gasped, struggling against him.
"You've had enough air," Jason murmured, pinning her against the wall. His blue eyes were dark with a reckless, cruel hunger. "Althea doesn't appreciate what she has. She treats you like a ledger entry. I think you need a reminder of what it actually means to belong to this family."
He leaned in, his face inches from hers. Runa felt the heat of him, the scent of expensive cologne and malice. As he leaned in to force a kiss on her, Runa didn't freeze.
She tried to push him. It didnt move him. So she shifted her weight and brought her heel down with everything she had, stomping directly onto Jason's polished shoe.
"Ugh!" Jason grunted, his grip slackening as he recoiled in pain.
"Don't touch me!" Runa hissed, backing away.
"You little—" Jason started, his face contorting into something truly ugly, his hand rising as if to strike her.
"Is there a problem?"
Eli appeared at the end of the hall as if summoned from the shadows. Her hands were tucked casually into the pockets of her dress slacks, but her posture was a loaded spring.
Jason straightened instantly, his expression smoothing into a mask of feigned innocence, though his eyes still burned. "Why dont you mind your own business, Eli. I was just making sure the guest of honor didn't get lost."
"She's not lost," Eli said, her voice dropping into that dangerous, vibrating low. "I was watching her."
Jason glared at her "Then your a lousy watcher, is she get lost or worst escape then thats on you"
Runa didn't hesitate. She scrambled toward Eli, reaching out and practically attaching herself to the younger girl's arm. She felt Eli's muscles tensed beneath the fabric, steady and solid as a mountain.
Jason glared at them both, then let out a sharp, forced laugh. "Whatever. She's too much trouble for a Tuesday anyway."
He turned and strode back toward the ballroom, limping slightly.
Runa's breath was coming in ragged gasps. She didn't let go of Eli's arm. She couldn't.
"You tried to run," Eli said quietly. It wasn't an accusation; it was a fact.
"I can't do this, Eli," Runa whispered, her forehead leaning against Eli's shoulder. "I can't marry her. I can't stay here."
Eli was silent for a long time. She didn't pull away, and for the first time, she didn't remind Runa about the debt. "You have no choice. In this house, the only thing worse than being a prisoner is being a target. If you aren't Althea's wife, you're just... open season."