The Bastard’s Betrayal by Katee Robert
Chapter 20
Rose barely made it out of the restaurant without her sisters rioting, but only because she promised to tell them the truth once they got in the car. Anya drove, and Sasha hovered in the back seat, once again twisting her fingers fiercely enough to make Rose wince.
Anya stopped at a light and looked at her. “Talk fast. If I don’t like what I hear, I’m going straight to Mama.”
She flinched. “Really, Anya. Pulling out our mother as a threat?” It was something she hadn’t done since they were little kids.
“Papa would hunt down that man you were just having bathroom sex with and kill him, so yes, Mama.” The light turned green, and she pressed too hard on the gas, throwing Rose and Sasha back against their seats. “You know what’s at stake. You were just fucking kidnapped, for god’s sake. I realize the security at Red’s is good, but this is reckless, even for you. Especially for you.”
She wasn’t wrong, but Rose couldn’t bring herself to regret it. She didn’t know what it said about her that she’d just had sex with the man who’d kidnapped her literally last week, but there was no denying she’d chosen it.
No denying she would sneak out of her house later tonight and meet him at his hotel room.
She couldn’t tell her sisters the truth. Not yet. They’d tell Mama and Papa, and she’d be under lock and key, heir or no. “It was an ex.”
“Which one.”
“Rick.”
Anya shot her an incredulous look. “You’re shitting me.”
“Not at all,” Rose lied. “You know how I am. I needed to work out some tension, and I saw him, and the opportunity presented itself.” She reached back and covered her sister’s hands with hers “Stop, Sasha. You’re going to hurt yourself.”
“Stop?” Her sister gave a choked laugh that was almost a sob. “Rose, what are you doing? Sneaking off to the bathroom to have sex with your ex? Someone could have snatched you. The Mad Wolf is after you. He wouldn’t even bother to snatch you. He’d just shoot you dead.”
She fought down a shiver at the memory of his hands around her throat, his cold gray eyes staring down at her. “I’m well aware of the risks.”
“Are you? Because you’ve been acting weird ever since you got home.”
Rose twisted in her seat. “Are you serious right now? Two weeks ago, I was supposed to marry Romeo Capparelli, only to be abducted at my own wedding and held hostage for days on end.” Saying it felt weirdly like a betrayal. For all that Dante had kidnapped her, it wasn’t as if he’d hurt her. Or forced her. Or done anything except keep her in the cabin and give her entirely too many orgasms.
He wanted to marry her.
She hadn’t believed him before.
She believed him now.
“We’re worried about you,” Anya said quietly as she turned onto their block, heading for the garage entrance. “And now Lorelei is married to Romeo instead and…”
She still couldn’t believe it. “I need to talk to her.”
“Good luck. He’s whisked her away to the other side of town, and she’s dodging our calls.” Anya glared out the windshield. “Probably because she knows I’m going to kick her ass the first opportunity I get.”
“Probably.” Rose barely waited for Anya to park in the row of SUVs in the garage before she climbed out of the passenger seat and headed for the door. She loved her family, but she needed space from them right now to think. For once, her sisters took a hint and didn’t follow her up to her room. She took a long shower that did nothing to calm her down and started pacing back and forth across her room.
She had lost her mind. It was the only explanation for her actions in the past couple hours. No, she couldn’t even say that. Her actions since learning the man she was dating was Dante Verducci had been off.
Had she pulled her shot?
Up until this moment, she would have sworn under oath that she didn’t. That she’d truly intended to kill him for the position he put her in. That their months of dating, of falling for him, hadn’t softened her heart to the man she’d discovered was the enemy.
Now? Now she wasn’t so sure. She was a fucking crack shot, especially at that range. Even with him moving quickly, she should have anticipated it and auto-corrected. She certainly had in the past.
She couldn’t talk to her mother about this. No matter how Mama and Papa’s relationship started, they wouldn’t be understanding. There was too much on the line for Rose to do something as reckless as fall for Dante Verducci. They would only see the cost. It didn’t matter that Papa terrorized Mama’s family for years before their marriage. It was all ancient history now.
She stopped short. No, Mama wouldn’t understand… But maybe Aunt Carrigan would. Rose grabbed her phone and dialed before she could second-guess herself. Of all her many aunts and uncles, she was closest to Carrigan. From a young age, she’d admired her gorgeous aunt and how effortlessly she shared power with her husband…and how unwilling she was to bend to others’ will.
Carrigan answered on the second ring. “I hear you’re right at the center of a brewing war. How very Helen of Troy of you.”
Rose perched on the edge of her bed and gave a wan smile. “I don’t know about that comparison. Seems like Helen got a raw deal with that war.”
“And you’re certainly not one to let others do your fighting.” She paused. “How are you, Rose? I hope that father of yours isn’t pulling some bullshit again. The shock at the wedding was enough for a few decades.”
The wedding where Lorelei walked down the aisle instead of Rose. Guilt swamped her again, threatening to choke her. “I need some advice.”
“Then you’ve called the right aunt. I have it in spades.” Cloth rustled through the line, and Rose could perfectly picture her aunt settling back in one of the grand chairs in her office and giving the phone her full attention. “Tell me.”
Rose took a long breath. Once she admitted this aloud, there was no going back. The thought almost made her laugh. There’d been no going back from the moment she slept with Dante after knowing his true identity. “When Uncle James kidnapped you… How did you get past that? How did the family get past that?” Because obviously they did. It was one of the O’Malley family legends at this point, how he’d hauled her out of the club and taken her home to be a sacrificial lamb for his vengeful father. How he let her escape, and months later they fell in love and fucked up my father’s plans to marry her.
Carrigan was quiet for so long, Rose found herself holding her breath. Finally, she said, “It’s a hard road, Rose. I wouldn’t choose it for you.”
Rose stared at her wall, her chest aching. She should hang up now before she said something she couldn’t take back, but the knowledge bubbled up inside her, needing an outlet. “It’s too late.”
“Ah.” Carrigan sighed, a wealth of experience in that single sound. “Sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants, no matter the consequences. I had a little more freedom than you do because I wasn’t heir.” She gave a bitter laugh. “Back then, women couldn’t be heirs. Even if I were born first, I would have been passed over for Aiden. It made me so angry, but it was a blessing in its way because a pawn is a pawn, regardless of what board you’re playing on. Even though it pissed off…well, your father…I secured an alliance with the Hallorans and stopped that brewing war.” Another bitter laugh. “There were always wars brewing in those days.”
“There’s one brewing right now.”
“That’s what I hear.” She sounded tired. “I can’t tell you what to do, love. I made my choice and decided the risk was worth the reward. No one can make that call except you.”
Rose swallowed hard. “If my family can’t get past this, they might remove me as heir.”
“Yes.” Carrigan didn’t soften the word at all. “That is one of the risks. You have to be the one to decide if you can bear the cost.”
If Rose were passed over, that would put Sasha squarely in the crosshairs. Her sweet, nervous sister would falter, which would mean the entire family would falter. But cutting Dante loose meant another political marriage in Rose’s future, this time likely to someone even more questionable than Romeo Capparelli. She’d long ago resigned herself to a marriage for power instead of for love, but…
Surely she didn’t love Dante Verducci.
The very idea was ludicrous. They’d had several months of lying to each other while they dated, a shooting, a kidnapping, and a week’s worth of fucking. That equation didn’t add up to a happily ever after. It only resulted in a mess.
Even if not everything about their time dating had been a lie….and part of her recognized him on a soul-deep level.
“I don’t know what to do,” she whispered.
“Look, Rose, I’ll be frank.”
That dragged a laugh from her. “Since when are you not frank?”
“Hush.” But she could hear the smile in her aunt’s voice. “You’re a smart girl and you’ve more than earned your place as heir. Right now, you’re reeling from an influx of a lot of shifting components. Take a step back, put that strategic mind of yours to work, and find a way through.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.” Another laugh. “Honey, you didn’t call me for answers. You called me to confirm what you’d already decided. Yes, you can come back from falling in love with the enemy, and yes, eventually you can bring your family around to seeing things your way with the right set of circumstances. It’s not impossible, it’s just not the easiest path.”
She released a slow exhale. Not impossible. Those weren’t good odds, but they were better than expected. “Thanks, Aunt Carrigan.”
“Don’t thank me, love. I’ve been waiting thirty-odd years for Dmitri Romanov to get his karma. It’s going to be fun watching him squirm.”
“Carrigan!”
“All was forgiven long ago.” Her voice went evil. “But karma is karma, Rose. He’s going to get his fair share with you girls. I almost feel bad for him.” She laughed. “Now, be sure to call and update me when you make things official. Bye, now.”
She wasn’t sure what to think of Carrigan assuming this was a guaranteed thing. Rose hadn’t even decided yet. Not really. Ultimately, her feelings had no bearing on the situation. She might have strong emotions brewing for him, but if he remained an active threat to her family, there was no way she could justify sacrificing everything for him. There had to be another way.
She still needed to talk to Dante. Really talk to him. No threats, no seduction and lies clouding the issue. Just the simple truth between them. Until they had that, there was no point in projecting because they had no future.
No one came looking for her as the night grew late and the sounds around the house went quiet. Both her parents were night owls, but even they had limits. When she slipped from her room and padded down the hallway to the stairs, everything was dark and silent.
At least until she made it to the main floor and caught sight of a large form standing against the door the garage. Rose jumped and barely managed to keep a sound of surprise internal. “What are you doing here?”
Vasily raised their eyebrows. “I heard what happened when you went out to drinks.”
Of course they had. Even though Anya had driven, she would have passed on the info to Vasily since they were Rose’s security detail. Damn her sister. Rose straightened and lifted her chin. “It’s none of your business.”
“It is if you’re leaving the house.” They didn’t move. Rose might be more than capable of moving them if push came to shove, but that meant potentially hurting them, and she’d never do that. Vasily crossed their arms over their chest. “I’m not your keeper, Rose. I’m no Romanov.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Vasily might be on the payroll, but they were her friend. She’d just never had to pull rank before…or had them do it for her.
“I’m not going to tell you what to do.” They stared down at her. “But if you’re leaving this house, you’re not doing it alone.”
Something went tight and thick in her chest. “You can’t report this to my parents, Vasily. If you can’t promise me to keep silent until I come clean, then you’re staying behind.”
They shook their head. “The only reason they found out before you did about Dante Verducci was because Alexei saw the file and reported it. I would have come to you first and you know it. We’ve already talked about this.”
It was the truth. She couldn’t hold a grudge. Vasily was hers but most of the muscle answered to her parents first and her second. She couldn’t be angry about that fact because it was fact. When she took over this branch of the Romanov family, she’d need that unquestioning loyalty, not to have her people allying themselves with her sisters or something.
Rose rubbed her temples. “Let’s go.”
Vasily turned and opened the door, holding it open for her. They took the same SUV Anya had driven earlier, and she climbed up into the passenger seat instead of taking the back. Rose rattled off the address for the hotel where Dante was staying, and Vasily didn’t so much as raise their eyebrows as they headed in that direction. Good. Because if they questioned her at this point, she might lose it.
At this point, she was hanging on to reason by her fingernails. It didn’t make sense to do this. She was likely walking right into a trap and being kidnapped a second time. But every time reason and logic tried to take hold, she thought about the look in Dante’s eyes as he’d said, We’ll get through it. There will be peace. It hadn’t been soft—she wasn’t sure if that man was capable of being soft—but it truly had felt like he meant it, like he was comforting her in his own way.
Maybe she was a fool to crave comfort from this man. Anyone else in her life would call her such, and she couldn’t really argue with them. Nothing about this was logical.
She wasn’t familiar with the hotel Vasily parked near, but that didn’t mean anything. There were thousands of hotels in the city, and usually when they had visitors they didn’t want in the house, they picked between two nearby.
Vasily turned to look at her. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell them to stay here, but that was too reckless even for her. “Let’s go.”
The pair crossed the street and walked into the hotel lobby. It was luxurious in that generic way so many hotels had. She watched Vasily clock the area and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they could tell her where all the emergency exits were off that single sweep.
Nerves kicked in as she and Vasily stepped into the elevator and took it up. Was she really doing this? Really considering risking it all for this man? Tonight would be the turning point, one way or another. The only way to find out where she landed was to talk to Dante. Really talk to him.
Rose took a deep breath and opened the door to his room.
