Page 81 of Twisted Games of Revenge

I blink back at him, not sure what the fuck is going on. “Is everything okay, Enzo?” The way he is looking at me, maybe the whispers are right. He is looking more deranged by the day.

He runs a hand through his thinning hair. “You just reminded me of someone.” He’s still staring at me. “The resemblance is uncanny.”

“Oh?” I laugh, trying not to look nervous. I don’t want to remind him of anyone.

Alex pats him on the back. “Stop looking at Viv like that, you’re freaking her out. Papa.” Something in the way Alessandro says Papa seems to make him snap out of his trance.

He looks away from me, shaking his head before proceeding up the stairs to the second floor. “Sorry, Vivian, took me back ten years,” he mutters over his shoulder.

I glance over my shoulder at Alessandro, worry creeping in. What the hell did he just see in me?

He pops open a door. “This was Alessandro’s room when he was growing up. That boy never had to want for anything. Your children will be the same.”

I glance inside. It’s painted a soft blue, and in the middle of the room stands a bed fit for a king, plush bedding draping over the sides. The far wall is a picture window, and at the back of the room a door is ajar with what looks like a tile wall beyond it. So, I can only assume he had his own ensuite as well. The room itself is quite stark and devoid of any real personal possessions except for a small framed image on his bedside table.

On the other side of the hall, Enzo opens another door.

“Maddox and Ricky shared this one. We had plenty of other rooms, but like you say, they are inseparable.”

I move over the hall to take a peek. It’s kind of fun getting a little insight into the boys. This room is in the same blue, but with two beds side by side.

Enzo’s eyes run down my body then he leans in a little closer. “Do they still share a bed? Or just their toys.” He blinks back at me, waiting for my response. What the hell does he want me to say?

I stumble backward, colliding with the commissioner who is uncomfortably close behind me, the sudden impact making my skin crawl.

Their chuckles are low and deep, shaking their shoulders slightly, probably at the sight of my bewildered face. I get the impression this is a fun game to them, toying with me.

“It’s okay, Vivian, no secrets are kept in this family. I taught my boys everything they know.”

I cringe at his words, not needing to hear them.

“I can only imagine what fun you all get up to. Four big strapping lads and little you.” The commissioner runs his finger down my arm way too lightly, and I see the delight in his eyes as he imagines it. Gross.

This time I can’t hide the disgust on my face, and I glance back, looking for the other two, wondering why they aren’t stopping him from being so repulsive. But they’re still in Alessandro’s old room. I push past the two of them and move back to Alessandro’s side. He seems frozen to the spot, staring at his bed.

I touch his back delicately. He looks over at me. “Everything okay?” I ask, not sure what is going on with him.

He takes my hand in his and forces a smile. “Let’s finish the tour,” he mutters, not sounding like himself at all.

I look at Geovani, and he gives a shrug.

The two old creeps continue the tour of Enzo’s stupid big house in front of us. I purposely keep my distance, not wanting to be stuck between them again. Alex is quiet, and I know something’s playing on his mind. I get it, none of us want to utter a word of what we really think in this place; it’s probably heavily bugged, and maybe that’s why we’re all here tonight. The big plan is to make us slip up.

“The master suite.” Enzo looks back to me as he says it, like he wants me to check out his bedroom. Fucking weird. He’s getting stranger by the second tonight. “We have just had the ensuite re-done. The sunken bath is glorious.”

Geovani moves inside the space first, and Alex and I follow. My breath hitches, a sharp intake of air filling my lungs, as the enormity of what Enzo was desperate to show me hits me right in the face. I try to hide my reaction, but my heart is racing, and I want to start throwing punches. There above his bed is another painting of my mother. But this time, Valentina and Enzo are also in the image.

Alessandro’s body stiffens as he guides me toward the new ensuite. He has seen it as well, and he knows I’m about to lose my shit. My hands ball into fists, and he takes my hand in his, trying to calm me.

“Wow, love what you did with the space, Papa,” Alex comments, sounding fake as all hell. But I know he’s trying to cover up for me because I’m raging too hard to pretend right now.

I have no words. Fucking nothing. All I can think is, how well did my mother know Enzo and Valentina if she is featured on their bedroom wall? And was this all some big fucking ploy to get me to come clean as to who I really am? Is he on to me? I turn to face him, doing my best to hide my shock. “This place is stunning. You will have to give me the number of who remodeled it for you, so we can use them when we update our place.”

“That can be arranged.” His smirk deepens.

We walk back into the bedroom, and I openly stare at the painting. If he wants me to see it for some reason, I will make sure he knows I did. “Who is the other woman with you and Valentina? She’s very beautiful,” I ask, my voice filled with curiosity and a light airiness that implies I really have no clue.

He moves toward the wall where the painting is hanging. “My first love, Lucia. She was like a goddess; that’s why Valentina used to paint her. She was her muse, totally obsessed with her auburn hair and her porcelain skin.”

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