The Bastard's Betrayal (Scandalous Scions 1)

With another suspicious glance at the door, she dialed Lorelei’s number from memory. Her sister answered on the second ring. “Hello?”

“It’s me.” She spoke in Russian since she was reasonably sure Dante didn’t know the language, so even if he was listening in, it provided some secrecy.

“Rose?” She immediately lowered her voice. “Where are you? We’ve been looking everywhere—”

“Dante Verducci kidnapped me,” she cut in. Rose glanced at the door. She didn’t know how much time she had, and she needed to get the information to her sister. “He took me from the bridal suite minutes after you all left.”

Lorelei sucked in a breath. Rose waited, but her sister didn’t make her wait long. When she spoke again, she’d wrestled her shock and other messy emotions under control. Lorelei always was good in a crisis. “I see.”

Rose wanted to ask how everyone was, but first she needed a better idea of the situation. “How long have I been gone? What’s happening there?”

“A little over six hours. The situation is…tense. Our parents and Romeo organized a search party, but when that didn’t turn up anything, things devolved quickly. Aunt Carrigan had to intervene and suggest everyone take a walk to cool off, but it’s only a bandage. We need you back here, and fast.”

Rose sank to perch on the edge of the bed. It was exactly as she feared. Papa might normally be known for his cool head, but with her missing, both he and Mama would be on edge and not thinking clearly. Romeo was also normally chilled to the bone, but his pride would demand to be compensated for essentially being left at the altar. Shit. “Unfortunately, that’s not going to be an option. I’m on a plane, and I don’t know our destination.”

A beat of silence. Finally, Lorelei said slowly, “I was under the impression that if you were able to call, you’d knifed the bastard and escaped.”

The mention of knife had a phantom blade stroking down her spine the same way Dante had done it earlier. A threat. It was most certainly a threat. He surely hadn’t meant it to be seductive, and she sure as hell hadn’t felt a little tremor of desire in response. Rose sucked in a breath and tried to focus. “He left me a phone.”

“He’s that confident?” Lorelei hesitated. “That’s bad.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Rose…”

“Tell me everything.” There wasn’t much she could do from here, not at this moment, but better to know the full spectrum of the mess so she had some idea of how to fix it when she got back. Because she would be fixing it.

“It’s a mess.” Her sister sighed. “Last I heard, Romeo is threatening war for the insult of being left at the altar. I don’t think finding out that Dante Verducci kidnapped you is going to help. It might even make the situation worse. Every time Romeo makes a comment about you not fulfilling your promises, that vein in Papa’s temple pulses. It’s only a matter of time before he snaps. Weirdly, Mama is being the calmest, but I think it’s because she’s in crisis mode. And Carrigan is helping.”

Rose closed her eyes and tried to think. There was a way out of this puzzle. There had to be. The easy solution was for her to escape and get back there to marry Romeo before things truly went past the point of no return, but they’d reach that point sooner rather than later with so many tempers simmering at surface level. She couldn’t rely on her parents right now, not when so much of their concern would be with her safety and not with the greater Romanov power base.

She closed her eyes. The thing she needed most was the one thing she couldn’t guarantee. Time. “Lorelei, I need you to stall them.”

“What?”

“You have to stall. Keep our parents calm. Do something to keep Romeo occupied. Under no circumstances are we to go to war with the Italians. The cost is too high.” Once again, she couldn’t stop the rising guilt that threatened to choke her. She’d fucked up. This was her fault. If she’d fought Dante, maybe people would have gotten hurt, but at least it wouldn’t be a war. She’d been so sure she was ready to take over the family business and let her parents enjoy an actual retirement. So sure she was ready to be a good leader for their people. Look at her now.

Tricked by Dante Verducci.

Kidnapped by Dante Verducci.

Singlehandedly starting the first war in decades. Not even her father had managed that with all the bullshit he pulled with Mama’s family. Hell, even her mother’s family had avoided it despite high costs during the skirmishes between the O’Malleys, Sheridans, and Hallorans in Boston. Rose truly was a boundary breaker, but not in the way her parents had intended by having a daughter as the heir.