Page 109 of Rise To Power

“Marco. I don’t know.” He choked as he tried to take a breath. Tears leaked from his eyes as his face reddened.

“Why did you let her leave? Who is he?” I roared.

His eyes rolled, and his hand fell away from my arm. I released his neck. He slumped against the wall, doubled over, clutching his chest as he sucked in mouthfuls of air.

“Where’s Timoteo?”

Orlando couldn’t speak. He dropped to his knees, dragging in air and protectively clutching his neck. “He’s with Santino,” he rasped. “I brought Ally home. She left a few minutes ago.”

Another wave of rage crashed over me. Adrenaline flooded my system. Hot, volatile need roared through me. The need to fight, to punish, to rip confessions from both my brother and my wife. And I wanted blood.

To harness my anger, I rolled my shoulders. “She’s been gone thirty minutes.”

Orlando ran his fingers through his hair. “I didn’t check the fucking clock. She said she’d be right back. I ordered some food and was waiting for her.”

“She doesn’t go anywhere without an escort.”

“It’s the fucking gift shop.”

My voice lowered. “Excuses. You explain with excuses, never taking responsibility for your failures.”

“What the fuck happened?”

“She lied to you.” I huffed a breath and cocked a brow. “She lied to me.” I walked to the bar and splashed whiskey into a glass. “Get out.”

“Marco, what has she done? Fucking hell.” He paced across the room.

“Orlando, leave while I still remember you’re my brother.”

He grabbed his phone. “I’ll go get her.”

I tipped the whiskey to my lips and drank. “I gave you an order. Go to your suite. Don’t leave your room until you hear from me or Ant.”

“Are you going to tell me what she’s done?”

My jaw tightened as I poured another drink. “No. You won’t speak to her again.”

Orlando snorted a laugh.

Before he could speak, I spun in his direction. “Do not test me, Orlando. Stay away from Allegra. Keep Emilio away from her.” Unless he wanted to meet the same fate as the man in the leather jacket. “I’m in no mood to talk tonight.”

He nodded. “I’ll own whatever my failures, but I don’t know what I did wrong. Where is Ally?”

“Tomorrow, Orlando.”

I kept my back to the elevator as the doors slid closed. I drank another tumbler of whiskey.

The silence of the suite settled over me. After shrugging out of my suit coat, I walked out onto the balcony. I needed the night and the darkness to drown out the chaos reigning over my thoughts.

A light breeze ruffled my dress shirt and dried the trickle of sweat along my spine.

I’d made mistakes. I’d softened my heart to her. I’d give her a chance to explain. A single lie from her lips would be a betrayal.

Hair on the back of my neck prickled as the elevator doors opened. I took another sip of whiskey as footsteps approached.

Avoiding my holstered gun, she slipped her arms around my waist. “I missed you.”

My spine stiffened. I didn’t move, didn’t turn to her, didn’t accept her touch. Not until I heard the reason for meeting the man. Who was he? How long had she been involved with him? What did he want? And why the fuck had she never mentioned him?

---