Page 4 of Vicious Rule

“Do I know that name? Because I’m not understanding why you look so pleased right now.”

Alex leans in and kisses me softly on the lips. “He’s the man who’s going to make my wildest dreams come true and yours too.”

I highly doubt that, but there’s no point in asking him to explain any further. I’ll just have to figure out what makes this Nico person so wonderful that he has Alex Rule smiling like a teenage girl in front of her crush.

CHAPTER TWO

Alex

The fact that Sasha seems more miserable with every day that passes bothers me even as it confuses me. She has everything she wants here. A beautiful place to live and work. A salary unheard of for assistants and more than twice as much as my asshole brother used to pay her.

And she gets to work with me, a man who gives her everything she could possibly want. What more is there?

Yet, she’s unhappy.

It can’t be the other women. My brother and she were never exclusive, and she fucking adored him. Still fucking adores him, although I can’t figure out why. Even before he settled down, he wasn’t anywhere as exciting as someone like Sasha needs.

“I want you to smile for me and my guests tonight. There will be great food, drink, and anything you can possibly want to put you in whatever state you want. If that doesn’t make you smile, I think you might be a lost cause.”

As I speak, she narrows her eyes even as she continues to give me that fake smile. “What if I want something else?”

“Like what? What else is there?”

“So does this mean I can join in the fun at the orgy tonight?”

Her request makes me bristle, but I try to hide how bothered I am by the mere mention of her acting like one of those women who come here each night. Sasha is better than they are. She shouldn’t want to act like them. It’s beneath her.

“No. Your job is to make sure that you’re my eyes when I can’t see what’s going on around me.”

That makes her smile slide from her face, immediately replaced by a deep frown. “Oh, I see. Everyone else, including this new guest, get to enjoy themselves, but I have the privilege to stand around watching people fuck like some kind of bizarre mixture of voyeur and chaperone.”

“I need your attention on what’s going on around me, and that can’t happen if you’re busy having fun.”

She pouts, and I swear she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. “What do you have guards for then? This isn’t fair, Alex. I don’t want to stand around watching you and everyone else have a good time. Just let me stay in my room then. I have a new book I’d like to start.”

I swear to God this woman makes no sense sometimes. “Who would choose to sit alone in her room when the option to enjoy a party is on the table?”

That gets me an eye roll. “It’s not a party. It’s an orgy, and I’m not allowed to participate, so all I get to do is watch. That’s not enjoying anything. Trust me. I have no interest in that. Just let me go to my room, Alex. Your security guards can handle watching out for you.”

For a long moment, I stare into her eyes to figure out if she’s really serious. “They aren’t there for that. Plus, they’re around to protect me, not pay attention to details. I need you to notice the little things like who’s enjoying what and who’s drinking too much and what weaknesses they show when they do. My guards can’t do that. Only you can.”

“So can cameras.”

I see I’m not going to get any peace on this issue, but I won’t change my mind. Wherever I am, Sasha is. That’s how it has to be.

“Enough of this nonsense. You’ll be there because that’s your job. Now give me a smile and promise me you won’t stand around glaring at people all night.”

She forces the corners of her mouth up into an exaggerated smile I know she doesn’t mean. “Happy enough for you?”

“You’re still glaring.”

“Maybe you should put a blindfold on me. That way no one will be bothered by my unhappy eyes.”

Behind me, I hear people begin to file into the villa, so I need to cut short this little discussion with her. “Be good or I might. Now remember to keep an eye out like usual, and I especially want to know everything about our new guest, Mr. Olivetti, so pay attention to him.”

When I take a step to leave, Sasha mumbles, “Then why don’t you forgo the fucking tonight and watch him yourself.”

“Because that’s your job. What’s gotten into you lately? Why are you suddenly upset about something that happens all the time?”

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