Page 272 of Lars

“It wasn’t my choice.”

“Why did he bring me back here?” she asked, her brow creased with worry.

I could have said what Niccolo would have advised:

Because you’re leverage to make your father spill his secrets.

But then I thought of what Dario had said in the corridor the other day:

I shall NOT violate Rome at the moment of possessing her.

Trust me, my friend. This one’s special – I realize that.

I smiled.

Maybe he brought you back here, Alessandra… because he’s falling for you.

I sure as hell didn’t say that, though.

“Dario does what he wants. But I think you know the risk he’s taking by bringing you here. You’ve seen a great deal. You could say the wrong things to the wrong people.”

“And then you would shoot me,” she said.

“Not me.”

“Who, then?”

The truth was, probably nobody.

But I couldn’t let her know that, or she would try to escape again –

And maybe next time she would succeed.

So I gave her a dark look and let her come to her own conclusions.

The blood drained from Alessandra’s face. She looked so terrified that I felt bad about what I’d done.

“Just stick to the house and the nearby grounds, Alessandra,” I said gently. “Do what you’re told, and you’ll get to go home soon enough.”

“When?”

“I don’t know. Just be careful.” She needed to know I was serious – that real dangers were at play here – so I didn’t smile when I said, “There are vipers everywhere.”

I left her on the patio, her eyes wide and full of fear, as I climbed the steps to take up my post again.

I hoped I’d scared her enough that she wouldn’t try to escape again.

Turned out… not so much.

133

Afew days later, Emilio – one of my foot soldiers – called me on the radio.

“Boss, you better come to the observation room QUICK.”

I hustled up to the third floor of the mansion. As soon as I saw the footage on the video monitors, I got Niccolo and Dario up there ASAP.

“What the fuck is that?!” I asked as I pointed at the screen.

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