Page 51 of Vicious Rule

For a moment, I let myself consider that idea. He is an Olivetti. I probably should have thought twice before partnering with him. He’s part of a family that’s working against us Rules. But I don’t see him being a part of trying to hurt me. Our business is going to make money, and like me, he wants to set himself with more than his father wants to give him.

“I don’t know, but I’m guessing he didn’t know. It doesn’t matter now. My father gave me orders to get rid of all the Olivettis, and that’s what I’m going to do. I’ll just save the most painful way of all for that fuck Angelo.”

Sasha crouches in front of me and looks up with curiosity in her eyes. “What I don’t understand is why he didn’t kill you. Why only injure you?”

Stroking her face, I explain. “This shot was meant as a warning. His way of letting me and the rest of my family know that we need to watch our step here. The Olivettis consider this area theirs, so they wanted me to understand that.”

She smiles in that knowing way I never fail to love. “Well, that didn’t work out the way they planned, now did it? So now you’re going to do as Helix wants.”

Those words—do as Helix wants—make my gut twist into a knot. I don’t want to be that for my father. I’m tired to being his junkyard dog.

I want to be in charge.

“Yeah, I guess I am.”

Sasha stands and kisses me softly on the lips. “I need to go make sure your mother is okay. What did you tell Carlos to make for dinner?”

I wince as I remember I didn’t talk to him yet about that. “Nothing. Can you? I need to handle a few things.”

“Of course. Any requests, or should I just go with what I think she’ll like?”

What we’re going to eat for dinner is the last thing on my mind right now, so I simply shake my head and smile. “Whatever you like is fine with me.”

Instead of walking out to go talk to the cook, Sasha turns around and walks over to sit on my lap. Wrapping her arm around me, she sweetly says, “Alex, I know you’re furious about this.”

The feel of her against me makes my anger slowly ebb away, and I kiss her, searching for that feeling I always get when she’s with me. “Let me guess. You want me to try to forget it, right?”

Women always want men to take it easy and forget the wrongs people do to them. It’s in their nature to be kind.

She levels her gaze on my face and gives me a wicked smile. “Forget it? No. I just want you to be safe when you gut all of those Olivettis like fish. Whether Nico knew what his brother was up to or not, he’s part of that family. I knew there was a reason I didn’t like him.”

I stare at her in shock. “Not exactly what I expected to hear.”

“Well, I’m not exactly like other women. Just be sure to come back alive.”

“You’d miss me. I’m touched.”

Sasha runs her tongue across her lips and kisses me. “You should be. It’s not every man in this world I’d admit to being crazy about. Now I have to go talk to Carlos so your mother has something incredible to eat at dinner.”

I slap that beautiful ass when she stands up from my lap. “I always knew you were.”

She throws me a sexy look and walks out, leaving me to devise a plan to deal with the Olivettis that will be worse than anything I’ve ever done. My father ordered them dead. He didn’t say how.

And now that they’ve started this war, I plan to show them what happens when you fuck with this Rule.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Nico

The sound of celebration echoes down the hallway as I walk to my father’s office for the meeting he’s called. We don’t usually have this many in a week, so something big must be going on.

Probably one of my brothers showboating again to get into my father’s good graces. Half the people they’ve killed were because they clamor for his approval. Mario and Angelo compete to see who can be the bigger ass kisser. Lately, it’s been Mario, but that’s only because he’s set to marry into a family that has enough money to rival God.

As I walk into the office, my father raises his glass of wine to toast whatever’s going on and stops midsentence. “Nico, my youngest son! Come, join us in celebrating!”

I smile, mostly because I’m happy to see my father in a good mood. Those occur so rarely that when they do come along, you have to enjoy them as much as you can.

“Mario, pour your brother a glass of wine! Tonight, we celebrate a new day in the history of the Olivetti family!”

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