Page 27 of No Longer Safe

“You look lost,Wilde.”

Alexei. I couldn’t escape the man. I swore under my breath before I turned around. He looked good enough to eat and I hated myself for the thought. I hated myself for this visceral reaction my body had to him.

“Lost in thought. Can I help you?” I hated the way my words trembled. I hated the way my legs shook. He was the last person I wanted to see.

“I’m your ride, babe.”

“In your dreams.”

His grin was wicked and somehow I remained standing even though it made my body feel like jello. He held up my suitcase. “Ace and Carina are already at the Villa. They sent me to come retrieve you. It’s a little warm, but that shouldn’t be a problem. Besides lack of air conditioning.”

Lack of air conditioning? He wasn’t serious.

“They don’t believe in it here.” He was serious. He was actually serious. I fanned myself as the sliding doors revealed the SUV we would be taking to the villa. I was going to die of a heat stroke. Who approved this?

It was bad enough I had to sit next to Alexei in the SUV until we got wherever we were going. I prayed it would be a quick trip.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

Chapter Nineteen

Alexei

It wasa long three hours from the airport to the villa. Thankfully, my flight had gotten in right before Audrey’s or I would have been extremely upset to have to sit in the car for 6 hours so soon after being on the plane for 9 hours. I didn’t care to sightsee, I didn’t want to be stuck in this stupid private car, and honestly, the last thing I wanted to do was small talk.

Fortunately, and unfortunately, something dull caught my eye. I grabbed Audrey’s hand before she could stop me. With a death grip on her fingers, I inspected the pitiful excuse for a diamond ring. “What’s this, Wilde?”

She tried unsuccessfully to yank her hand free from my grip. “It’s none of your business.”

“Have you told Carina?”

She rolled her eyes and tried to yank her hand free, this time I let her fingers slip and her back hit the door with a thud. “I hate you.”

“The feeling's mutual, babe.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Why because you’re engaged?”

She looked so deflated.Defeated. Nothing of what an engaged woman should look like. She didn’t look anything likeCarina. She looked so sad and the ring didn’t even look big enough or good enough to be for a political alliance. As far as I knew, people that didn’t marry for money or alliances, married for what they thought was love. She didn’t have theloveglow. Happiness didn’t radiate from her like Carina and Ace.

It was going to eat me alive.

“Where’s the glow?” It slipped out before I could stop it. But I wasn’t so sure I actually wanted to hold my tongue.

“What glow?” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked out the window.

“The glow that says you’re a taken woman. The glow that says you’re off limits.” I leaned in close to her. “Where is he now? He’s missing your first trip to Italy?”

I almost missed it with her face turned toward the window but thankfully it was a bright day out and I was able to see the blush creeping up her neck. “I don’t know why that matters.”

I was a foolish man, I knew that for sure. I should have looked away. I should have stopped trying to push but instead, I vowed to myself that I would show her everything she was missing. It would be the death of me but I would show her that mediocre men weren’t worth it.

“It matters because you should be wooed,Milaya.”Her head whipped around and she stared at me with wild eyes. It was the first time I’d ever been serious with her. I was in way over my head but I couldn’t have stopped even if I wanted to. Maybe it was her defeated, turned-in posture, or the way she looked embarrassed as I inspected the ring.

I turned toward her on the bench seat, our knees almost touching. I decided it was best to change the subject now. She would see this city in the fullest capacity, even if I had to bribe one of my brothers to do everything. It wouldn’t take much bribing, they wanted a piece of Audrey almost as much as I did.The difference was that they wanted to piss Ace off. It started out that way for me too, but now things seemed different.

“How long have you known Carina?” I hadn’t cared before, but it seemed important now, though I couldn’t tell you why.

---