Page 16 of Pretty Evil
He kisses my hand and stares into my eyes, and it’s seducing me more than any touch or promise of freedom. “We are the same, my little tiger. We live the same life and understand the beauty and the evil it holds. I understand you because Iamyou to an extent. You disguise your identity to afford yourself freedom. Who you are changes nothing. We will go there anyway.”
He winks, and it causes me to laugh, the chains dropping as if his words were a magic key.
With him, I am Serena Vieri, but I am also free. This is what I wanted,heis what I wanted, and it appears that sometimes dreams can come true.
CHAPTER7
ALEXEI
We finish our meal with an easy familiarity. Despite being strangers a few hours ago, it’s as if I’ve known her forever. As soon as I discovered her real identity, I understood. Mafia is something I have lived with my entire life because we are only one side step away from that. The Romanovs may not bear the title of Bratva, but we operate under the same rules, and some may say we are more deadly because of it.
Outwardly respectable and inwardly rotten to the core. Yes, I know Serena Vieri and have done since I first drew breath.
She appears pre-occupied, and I say softly, “What’s troubling you, little one?”
“Is it that obvious? I need to adjust my mask.” She smiles, and it’s like a well-aimed dart to my heart. As the sun shines through the window, it surrounds her in majesty. Her eyes sparkle and the shine on her hair glows, making her almost ethereal. I am used to beautiful women accompanying me, sleeping with me, and decorating my arm, but I amnotused to a woman like her. There is something so incredibly different about her, and I wonder if it’s because of who she is.
“Tell me what you’re thinking?” For some reason, I need to know the whole of her and if anything is upsetting my guest, it upsets me too.
She sighs and replaces the fork, pushing her plate to one side.
“I think you’re wrong about me, Alexei.”
“In what way?”
“That I was the target.”
“Why?” I raise my eyes and she exhales sharply.
“I was traveling under a pseudonym. We always do. A different one every time. Today I am Mae Grayson, my passport hot off the press. Nobody but my immediate family knew of this until the morning I left. The guards are kept ignorant unless they need to know. Connor was the only guard who was informed, and he only discovered it at the airport.”
“Then it was someone else. That shouldn’t be troubling you. It may be me, anyway.”
“Probably.” She laughs softly, but I can tell she is upset about something due to the dimming light in her eyes.
“There is still a but?”
I state and she nods, lifting those incredible eyes to stare at me with a hard expression.
“If it was me, we have a big problem.”
“Because…” I raise my eyes and she sighs heavily.
“It means that one of my immediate family arranged it.”
“I see.”
I lean back and think about what she said. It’s a possibility because even her own father ordered a hit on her, so I say carefully, “Who are we talking about?”
“I don’t even want to imagine it could be any of them.” She says sorrowfully and I say gently, “Business comes first. Detach your emotions and think clearly.”
She nods, and I’m happy to see a little of the fire return to her expression.
“My grandparents and two brothers. Mom, of course, she knows I am coming, and I expect Stoner.”
My ears prick up.
“Stoner?”