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“I don’t believe in breaking promises.” I sit on the edge of the desk, between the chairs in which she and Prince sit. “You’ll find that, should we decide to continue working together, I’m not the guy who doubles back and conveniently forgets what he offered in exchange for a favor.”
She nods slowly, lips pursed. “What about contracts?”
“Pardon?”
“How do you feel about them?” Her head tips to the side. “I was unaware your family drew up a contract with Alvarez but heard about it through various channels. He was due to take a slice of your transporting revenue, and now he’s dead. What happens if you decide you don’t like the terms of our contract?”
Prince shifts in his chair, wearing a scowl when he turns her way. I clear my throat before he can say anything stupid. “That was an entirely different situation.” Dammit. I should’ve prepared for what would happen if the time came when the marriage contract was discovered. It was never going to stay a secret forever.
“A private situation,” Prince adds.
“Alvarez signed that contract in bad faith. He knew very well he was lying on his side of the terms and made no attempt at even pretending to have misunderstood.” I lift my shoulders. “It was null and void before the ink dried.”
She nods slowly, her gaze locked on mine. “I see. I’m willing to let it go at that.”
Prince snorts, but I ignore him. “Thank you.” I make a mental note to come up with an official explanation should the subject come up again, but considering the suddenness of the question, I think I did all right. Every word was the truth, and it was enough to remind me how badly the man needed to die. He might not have killed my grandfather, but he committed other crimes against my family. We don’t let that sort of thing go.
There’s a knock on the study door, and in a heartbeat, Rosa’s guards block the way with their bodies. “Wait, please,” I call out, standing. “That’s my—”
“Who are you?” Alicia demands from the hallway after finding two strange men in front of her.
“Who is this?” one of the men grunts, looking over his shoulder at me.
Instantly, my blood begins to boil. “I respect your devotion to your boss, but this is still my house. And that is my wife.” The word feels foreign on my tongue.
The men step aside when Rosa waves a hand, but instead of entering the study, Alicia remains frozen in place. She’s staring at Rosa, who offers a brief smile at me. “I apologize, I forgot about the arranged marriage. Congratulations again. You De Luca men know how to keep things under wraps.” I can’t tell if she’s annoyed by that. She strikes me as someone who appreciates the value of information and doesn’t like missing out.
“We kept it private,” Alicia adds. Of all times for her to come downstairs and look for me. I thought she was taking a nap after disappearing upstairs for an hour. I go to the doorway when she doesn’t move after another few moments.
“Can this wait?” I murmur, aware of the people behind me.
“I should’ve known.” At least she keeps her voice low. “No wonder you had to answer the phone. She was calling.”
“What?” Jesus, this is going sideways fast. “No, it’s not what you think, but I don’t have time to explain. We’ll discuss it later.”
Her dark gaze darts to Rosa and back to me. “Right. You have a lot going on right now. I wouldn’t want to interrupt your time with her.”
She’s lost her fucking mind. Is this what I have to look forward to over the next several months? “Do us both a favor and find somewhere else to be.” She’s damn lucky I’m feeling patient. Still, her face crumples before she turns away, and I have to ignore the impulse to run after her.
By the time I return my attention to Rosa, she’s standing. “I don’t want to take up any more of your time. You were gracious enough to accept this meeting at the last minute, after all, and I’m happy with the information you’ve provided. I’ll verify it and get back to you within a few days.”
“You don’t have to go,” I assure her as calmly as I can. Damn Alicia for this.
“There’s nothing else for us to discuss until I confirm this information.” She places a hand on my arm, smiling. “Congratulations on your marriage.” I don’t know whether that’s a sincere sentiment or if she’s being sarcastic after witnessing our whispered spat. All I can do is maintain a neutral expression, confirming Rosa’s promise to reach out within a few days before escorting her and her men through the front door.
Then I whirl around and immediately start for the stairs, and Prince is smart enough to stand aside. “I’m going to kill her,” I growl, knowing the words are empty but needing to vocalize them just the same. I’ve taken as much of her bullshit as I’m willing to take.
The door is already open, and Alicia stands in the center of the room, arms folded. Before I can draw a breath, she roars at me. “What was she doing here? How can you bring her here while I’m in the fucking house?”
I’m too surprised to do anything but gape at her. “What are you talking about?”
“That woman! She’s the one who was here before, isn’t she? I smelled her fucking perfume before I saw her.” She snorts, tossing her head. “Somebody should tell the bitch you’re not supposed to take a bath in it.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Did you let her kiss you this time?” Her eyes are blazing, and bright red spots color both cheeks. “Did you? Sorry I interrupted before you could do any more than that.”
I’m starting to get it—and while I’m still displeased, I’m not as furious. “Are you serious? This is about you being jealous?”
