Ruthless Monarch

“I’m not so sure.” Lorenzo rubs his chin. “It kind of sounds like she was just trying to appease him.”

“No. She is working with him,” Luka interjects. “It was clear as day.”

“What do you want us to do about that, Boss?” Roberto asks.

“Nothing.” He furrows his brow at my one-word answer.

“What do you mean, nothing?” Lorenzo asks, so I turn to him next.

“Exactly what I said. Nothing.” The men all look confused now.

“Then what is the plan?”

“The plan is to give them a taste of their own medicine. No one comes into my house and thinks they can get one over on me.”

“You will use her?”

My lip twists up into a dark smile. “Oh yes, I will use her. And when I’m done, I’ll tuck her away, somewhere she can do no damage, and I’ll only her pull her out when I need a kid.”

They all nod their head, happy with my plan.

“And how do you want us to act?”

“Give her some rope. That way she will hang herself on it eventually. Give her back her phone but have software installed so we can see and hear everything she does. I want to know everything about her, so I’ll install bugs everywhere. If she thinks it, I want to know.”

“Got it. This will be fun.” Luka laughs.

“I want her to think I’m falling for her ruse, and then . . .” I slam my hand against the table. The sound loud and bouncing off the walls.

I stand from my chair.

“Now that that’s settled, I have to go.”

“Where to . . .?”

“To seduce my wife.” I leave behind a round of laughter as I stalk out of the room. Seducing my wife isn’t something I had planned. But what better way to take her father down than to use his plan and turn it against him?

Her dad wants her to use her proximity to take me down.

I’ll use mine to her.

I will make her fall for me.

Make her believe I care.

And then I’ll feed her the information, not just to kill her dad but to get my cousin as well.

Once that’s over, I’ll decide her fate.

I head down the hall and stop in my office. When I make it inside, I open the top drawer in my desk to grab Viviana’s phone & iPad to give to the team for alteration. After this is done, I’ll be able to hear and see all the communications she makes.

This will be my first step.

A peace offering of sorts. She just won’t know why.

Walking back into the surveillance room, I toss the merchandise to my men. Pacing the room, I wait for it to be done.

Surprisingly, it takes them no time to install the programs.

Now, with Viviana’s gear in hand, I make my way to her room. I knock once, and I’m surprised to hear her tell me to enter.

When I walk in, I find her sitting on the couch in the corner. I expect her to be watching TV, but instead, she is reading.

“What are you reading?” I ask, actually interested to know. She holds up an old copy of a children’s book. It’s weathered around the edges, and I’m surprised we would have the book, but then I remember my mother reading it to me as a child.

“Beauty and the Beast.”

“Interesting choice.”

“I thought so. Seemed fitting. I’m surprised you had it. It was slim pickings in this room.”

I suppress a chuckle. She isn’t wrong about that one. I’m not known for my outstanding literary choices.

“That was my mother’s favorite story to read me as a child. Where did you find it?”

“Why are you here?” she says, changing the topic. But I don’t need an answer. This is my old bedroom from when I was a child. Although most of the furniture has been changed, the chest in the corner was mine from when I was young. I don’t offer that information though. I don’t need her to read into why I have it here.

“I came to bring you these.” I lift my hand up, and her eyes go wide.

“My stuff.” The way her brow arches in speculation has me wanting to laugh. She doesn’t trust me at all. Rightfully so, but still, it is rather funny. She wears her emotions on her sleeve. Something that will come in handy in the future.

“You did well with your father,” I say, shocking her even more.

Her dark eyes are large, but her jaw is still tight. She is waiting for me to say more. To issue some sort of order, declaration, threat.

“And this is my reward?”

I shrug at her suggestion, trying not to give anything away. “If you would like to see it that way.”

“How else can I see it?”

“A peace offering. I’ve been an asshole.”

“Ya think?”

“You proved your loyalty the other day, and I want to make it up to you.” Her eyes narrow. Clearly, she doesn’t believe me.