Page 75 of The Kiss that Captured a Billionaire
“That’s why I’m calling you!” Vito said, his voice climbing in pitch. “I’m in over my head here. I need help—desperately. They’re both here—Allegra and Rose. I’ll do whatever I can to keep them safe until someone gets here. I swear on my mother’s pasta recipe.”
“You’d better,” Alexandros said darkly.
“I’m not a monster, Alex. I mean, I like dogs. And children. Most children. And?—”
Alexandros hung up before Vito could dig the hole any deeper.
He immediately called Theo. The moment his brother answered, Alexandros didn’t bother with pleasantries.
“You’re not going to like this,” he said. “The Rossi siblings have made an even bigger mess than usual—and this time, it involves Rose.”
Allegra was pacing like a caged cat, her hands fluttering toward her hair, her mouth moving in an endless mutter of complaints.
“We could just wait,” she said finally, throwing her arms wide. “Vito said he would fix it.”
Rose arched a brow. “Yeah, and Vito sounds like a real ‘fix-it’ kind of guy. I’m sure he’s putting up missing posters for me right now.”
Allegra scowled. “Well, what do you suggest, then?”
Rose tapped her chin. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe we can escape?” she suggested sarcastically.
The other woman stared at her as if she’d just suggested they sprout wings. “Escape. From a locked room. On the second floor.”
“Yes,” Rose replied in exasperation. “I’ve slid down from the catwalks on ropes loads of times in the theatre.”
Allegra’s expression twisted. “You… what? Never mind. If you haven’t noticed, we don’t have any rope.”
“Yes, we do. We can use the curtains—and the sheets,” Rose said, gesturing toward the gauzy drapes at the window. “We’ll pretend we are Rapunzel—we’ll tie the sheets and curtains together and climb down.”
Allegra gave her a flat look. “You’re insane.”
Rose tilted her head. “Didn’t you ever climb a tree when you were a kid?”
“Of course not. Ladies don’t climb trees.”
“Uh-huh.” Rose crossed her arms. “Well, unless you want the other side of your face to look like you went twelve rounds with a hand-slapper, you might want to learn.”
That shut Allegra up.
Rose ignored Allegra’s whining as she stripped the curtains from the rod and Allegra yanked the bedding off the mattress until they had a pile of fabric. Rose knotted the sheets, testing each with a sharp tug. Allegra hesitated, then grudgingly joined, her manicured fingers fumbling.
“This never would have happened if either Alexandros or Theo had just married me or Gina,” Allegra muttered.
Rose didn’t look up. “Why is that so important?”
Allegra sniffed. “Because my parents are nearly bankrupt. We need money.”
Rose paused mid-knot and stared at her. “And did you, Gina, or Vito ever think about—oh, I don’t know—getting a job?”
Allegra stared back, horrified. “I don’t want to work.”
Rose rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I guessed that, but selling your body is obviously a job you don’t mind doing.”
Allegra’s mouth dropped open. “I did not?—”
“You and your sister are literally trying to seduce a man for his money. I’m pretty sure that counts as selling yourself,” Rose deadpanned, tossing another knotted section toward the window.
“This is slander,” Allegra huffed.
