Page 75 of Ruthless Touch

He loves me. And I love him.

Whatever the future holds, it’s just the two of us.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Sasha

My new boss stands in what’s about to be the doorway to my former home looking around my apartment like he’s hoping to find a clue about me. Sorry, bossman. You won’t find those answers here. My place is merely somewhere I’ve slept for the past few years. My life—my everything—was the hotel I just said goodbye to.

“I can meet you at the airplane, Alex. You don’t have to wait for me. Feel free to go.”

He levels his gaze on me and stares without saying a word for a few moments. I sense he’s used this trick before with people to make them bend to his will. Well, he has no idea who I am. I’m not a woman who withers under a harsh look.

“That brother of mine let you get away with a lot, I think.”

Whatever that is beneath his words—jealousy, dislike, I’m not sure—it’s not for me. I instinctively open my mouth to defend Gideon, as I have from the day I started working for him, but I stay silent this time.

“So what exactly was your relationship with my baby brother anyway?” Alex asks before taking a step into my apartment as he still looks around like he’s searching for something.

I stop packing my bag and sigh as a million thoughts fill my head. Answering his question won’t be easy. Gideon and I were friends, lovers, co-workers, the fiercest defenders of one another, and so many other things that changed from day to day.

“Your brother’s assistant. That’s what I was,” I say, distilling all the years I worked beside Gideon to their simplest form.

My answer doesn’t seem to make him happy. His expression twists into a deep grimace as he shakes his head.

“No, no. I’m not buying that. You weren’t just his assistant. He acted like you were his wife half the time. Having him choose that pretty thing with the big green eyes must have hurt.”

He finishes speaking, and I see a grin lift the corners of his mouth, like he enjoys the thought of my being upset over Gideon’s newfound happiness with Aria. I’m not sure what the bad blood is between these brothers is, but I’m not going to spend my days listening to him bash the man I devoted the last few years to.

“That’s not the way Gideon and I were with each other.”

Taking a step toward him, I stop and stare into his dark eyes that hold none of the hint of softness his brother’s possess. “If you intend on talking about Gideon like this while we’re working together, you should know something. It makes you look jealous. If that’s the way you’re trying to come off, then fine. If not, you might want to rethink this petty bullshit you’re carrying around for your brother.”

Alex’s face remains placid, but I sense in his eyes a storm behind that façade of calmness. He swallows hard, making his Adam’s apple drop and then rise again before he replies, “You have a problem with a little sibling rivalry?”

“I have a problem with the favorite son punching down for no reason. I’m surprised no one has ever mentioned this to you before.”

He smiles and walks up to me so there’s barely an inch of space between us. Staring into my eyes, he says, “My guess is no one ever had the balls to.”

“Well, I do, and I thought you should know.”

“Did you talk like this with my brother?”

I nod as the memories of all the times I set Gideon straight run through my mind. “Yes, and I don’t plan on changing, so if that’s what you’re thinking is going to happen, we might as well dissolve our agreement right now. My job as an assistant is to assist my boss, and part of that is making sure he knows when he’s not coming across in the best light. Whatever your issue is with your brother, I suggest you get rid of it and fast.”

We fix our gazes on one another, and I wonder if he’s about to tell me he doesn’t need this kind of shit in his new employees. He’d have every right to. Not every male boss wants a strong female at his side. That’s fine. But I won’t be some shrinking violet simply because Alex Rule needs a weak woman around.

Finally, he sighs and says, “Well, since I’m now the head of the Rule family in this country, maybe you’re right.”

Shaking my head in confusion, I ask, “What do you mean the head of your family in Italy?”

“You’re looking at the person in charge of the Rule family business here. My father isn’t interested in the job, and my brother would never be cruel enough to do what’s necessary, so it’s me. The Rossettis and Angelonis aren’t powerful enough to handle things here, so we Rules get control now.”

I step back from him in shock. “So you’re not going to be running the club in Rome anymore? I thought that’s where I’d be working.”

Now his smile spreads, lighting up his face. “Nope. You and I are going to be running the most powerful crime organization this fucking country has ever seen. So you see, I want you strong. I want you as strong as you can be because you’re going to see shit like you’ve never experienced with that brother of mine. Gone are the trappings of life at that hotel you’ve gotten used to. You think you’re tough? You better be.”

Running the Rule family crime organization here in Italy? I didn’t sign up for that.

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