Page 19 of Playing the Sicilian's Game of Revenge

“Well, I spent much of my week hacking into all your systems, discovering you to be a scheming liar, and then confronting you about it, so it was quite full.”

“Ah, but you did not confront me, Saverina. I caught you.” But it brought up an interesting point. How she’d gotten the information she had. Hacking. He studied her. Was his Parisi princess that skilled? “You’re claiming to have gotten into my personal computer?”

“And phone. And tablet. Basically anything you’ve ever connected to your network—or Parisi’s.”

She said it so conversationally, he frowned. “My security is quite solid.”

“I’m sure you think so. I’m sure the Parisi’s IT department thinks so as well. But it only takes one person with a decent enough set of skills and a target to get through all that solid security.”

Wasn’t she a delightful surprise? If all this was true... He leaned forward, lowered his voice. “Could you hack into Marino’s systems?”

She didn’t say anything at first, didn’t look at him, but he saw the flare of interest in her eyes. The subtle relaxing of her shoulders. When she finally met his gaze, hers was cool. But he saw the eagerness. “It wouldn’t be the first time. Why didn’t you hire someone to do it before?”

“I’d considered it, but in the end I didn’t find anyone with the necessary skills who was also as trustworthy as I preferred. Surely I can trust you, Saverina.”

She smirked. “We’ll see, I suppose.”

She really was a delight. Their meals were set in front of them, and he watched as she picked at hers. Not wearing that frown that did something uncomfortable to his insides. More like wheels were turning in her head. “I never found anything damning on the Marino systems before. What kind of information would you be looking for?”

“Anything that might reflect poorly on him. Questionable finances. Correspondence that points to secrets. Anything and everything.”

“You were quite careful to keep most things out of your emails. I couldn’t put your plan together simply from your digital footprint. Dante has been just as careful.”

“Perhaps. But it doesn’t hurt to look again, does it? Especially if you can go back into the past, when his security might have been more lacking, or he understood less about computers and the like.”

Saverina considered this. “I couldn’t do it on company time. Or at my home. It can’t connect to Parisi.”

“I know it is one of your little rules, but my apartment is the best option. We are portraying an engaged couple. Why shouldn’t you spend time there?”

She frowned and said nothing—clearly understanding it was the best option and clearly not wanting to give in. “It would not be wise. You were right last night. There’s chemistry between us, but I won’t be engaging in it any longer. Best we keep our space.”

He sighed, finally realizing he’d never understand this stand of hers. “I simply don’t understand, Saverina. Why must things change? We can enjoy each other’s company—in and outside of the bedroom. Accomplish all our goals and revenges. We get along, and we are attracted to each other. Perhaps the relationship isn’t ‘real’ in any romantic way, but is working toward a common goal and enjoying each other not better than most romantic relationships that end in heartbreak and anger and theatrics?”

He was sure these words would change her mind. She had always behaved as a rational, sensible woman.

Instead, she took a long sip of water, then leaned forward and fixed him with a hard glare. “Have you ever been in a romantic relationship, Teo?”

He did not have a quick response for that. He’d never had any desire to complicate the enjoyable pursuit of sex with the trap of feelings. So, no, but he also hesitated to give her ammunition for whatever onslaught she was currently planning. “Probably not by your definition.”

She rolled her eyes. “All right then. Did you love your mother?”

He cooled considerably at the mention of his mother. He’d told Saverina a bit about her, but mostly just that she’d suffered a long disease and then passed. “I cannot fathom what my mother has to do with any of this.”

“Clearly she factors into your revenge. You’re doing this because Dante refused to acknowledge you, but that has to connect to your mother. The question is, did you love her?”

He leaned back in his chair, resisting the urge to get up and leave. But retreating just because she poked at a wound wouldn’t get him what he wanted. Which was things back to the way they were on his road to revenge. “Are there people who don’t love their mothers?”

She let out an odd sigh. One that made him want to reach out, skim a hand over her hair. The part of him that wanted to break her rules earlier was quite glad they were in place now.

“Toward the end of my mother’s life, I’m not sure what I felt for her,” Saverina said softly. Then she let out a bitter kind of laugh. “I’ve never told anyone that. Not even my therapist. I guess enemy-friends are good for something after all.”

“We are not enemies, bedda.”

She ignored that. “You asked me about romantic relationships. Before I can answer, I need to understand something. The point of my question is, have you ever loved anyone?”

“That is not my point.”

“Humor me, then, Teo. Tell me about how you grew up. The normal things engaged people might know about each other.”

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