Page 53 of Vicious Rule

Angelo shakes his head as his smile broadens. “Not to worry. I’ve got a spy in that household who will let me know everything that’s going on. We’ll know in a short time what Alex Rule knows about who came after him.”

My brother’s claim stuns me. “A spy? Who? Why didn’t you tell me when I was going there night after night that you had someone working for you on the inside?”

He gulps down the rest of his wine and shrugs. “Don’t worry, brother. From what I hear, you acted just as you should. You did your part. Now let the men take over.”

As furious as I am at the news that his spy watched me too, I can’t show that now or my father will know I was up to something. So I smile and nod like all that’s happened is perfectly fine even as I silently make plans to get away from this place as soon as I can.

I can’t trust my family, and knowing Alex Rule, his retaliation won’t be long in coming. I likely only have a day or so to get away before it happens.

His glass filled once more, my father toasts my brother on his accomplishment. “To Angelo! Long rule the Olivetti family!”

As they all revel in this momentary victory, I can’t help but be filled with dread. The Rules are coming, and tonight’s happiness will be a distant memory before my father knows it.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Sasha

Kerry looks over at me and then at the food sitting in the center of the table that’s quickly getting cold. Alex has kept us waiting for nearly fifteen minutes. Where the hell is he?

“Did my son mention anything about how long we should wait for him? I’d hate to see this meal go to waste.”

I force a smile even as my anger at him inches higher and higher by the minute. I know he has that issue to deal with, but I didn’t think that meant he planned to take out the Olivettis tonight. Even worse, he’s stuck me with his mother all alone. I may like Kerry well enough, but sitting with the mother of the man I’m sleeping with isn’t my idea of fun.

“He didn’t. Maybe I should go to his office again to see if he’s returned.”

I move my chair to stand up, but Kerry puts her hand up to stop me. “No, I think he’s got things going on, and we should just enjoy our meal.”

The way she says that tells me she knows more about what her son is up to than she usually lets on. In truth, I’ve always suspected that Kerry prefers to know next to nothing about her husband and sons’ actions concerning business, but now I’m not so sure.

I don’t say anything while we begin to eat the mushroom risotto Carlos made especially for her, but Kerry seems to be in a chatty mood. She mentions a few things about leaving for Gideon and Aria’s, and I’m polite even as I don’t say much.

A few minutes into our meal, she stuns me when she says, “I think it was very gracious of you to leave the hotel like you did. I long suspected you’d never go and my son would never find a woman to marry.”

My mouth falls open in shock that she basically just said I was holding Gideon back from finding happiness. I don’t care whose damn mother she is. She needs to be set straight about a few things.

I reach for my glass of wine and quickly take a sip to wash down my forkful of risotto before turning to face her. “Thank you for the compliment. It wasn’t gracious or anything like that, though. I chose to leave the hotel because it was time to move on. As for Gideon not finding anyone, that had nothing to do with me. Gideon and I cared about one another, but he knew if he found a woman he cared for that I would never stand in his way.”

So much more fills my brain and wants to come out of my mouth, but as I say that to her, all I want to do is leave this place. I’m tired of meddling Rules. If it isn’t the father with his orders and wanting me to help him with something that could hurt Alex, it’s the mother and her snide comments that make it seem like I was the only reason Gideon was alone.

To hell with all these Rules.

Kerry begins to reply to what I said, but I stand up and toss my napkin on my plate. “Excuse me. I’ve suddenly lost my appetite. If I see Alex, I’ll be sure to send him to see you. Have a nice dinner.”

She stares up at me in utter shock as I turn on my heel and march out of the dining room. Let her explain to her son why I left. I’m tired of dealing with all of them.

As I storm down the hall toward my room, Andre comes from the other side of the villa and smiles at me as I pass him. “Hey, Sasha. Everything okay?”

I stop and glare at him for a moment, but he’s not the bad guy here, so I force myself to calm down. “Nothing that either one of us can fix.”

“You look pissed. Anything I can help with?”

For a moment, I think about that question and then it comes to me. I need to get the hell out of this villa for a little while. I’ve been spending too much time within these four walls. A few hours away will do me a world of good.

Looking up at his pleasant face as he waits to hear my answer, I smile and say, “In fact, there is something you can do. Alex never wants any of us to go out alone, so why don’t you escort me into the city?”

He looks skeptical of the idea and hedges a bit. “I should ask Mr. Rule if it’s okay first.”

“Fine. Let’s go tell him ourselves,” I say as I take him by the hand and lead him down the hall toward Alex’s office.

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