AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He is arrogant, self-absorbed, and rude. His table manners are disgusting, and he has probably never even set foot in a gym. He is overweight to the point of obese and drinks too much. His hair gave up and left years ago and now he shaves his head, which doesn’t suit him.
I also don’t appreciate the way he speaks to my mom. He cuts her short in conversations and dismisses anything she says with a roll of his eyes. In his mind, she is only good at hanging off his arm at functions and lying in his bed at night. He gives her limitless credit to amuse herself but doesn’t want her opinion on anything. He is most definitely the king of his castle, and she is his reluctant queen.
The more time I spend with them, the more I notice it. If I believed mom was happy before, I know she isn’t now. There are the unguarded looks that tell me she despises him. The irritated shake of her head when he holds court at the dinner table. She flinches when he touches her and only appears happy when he’s not around. I notice everything and as we take a walk to the stables, I say carefully, “Are things okay with you and Stoner, mom?”
“Why do you ask?” She doesn’t look at me and I pull on her arm and say, “Tell me.”
She stops and sighs, a disappointed glint in her eye.
“I pray you never find yourself in my position, Serena.”
“What position?” I stare at her hard and she sighs.
“One failed marriage was bad enough, but two is careless.”
“So, you’re unhappy.”
“I think I am.” She smiles tearfully.
“Joe isn’t the man I fell in love with. I’m not naive enough to believe it will always be hearts and flowers, but it’s as if he changed when we came here. I put it down to the Australian way. Now he was home, he was the man in charge. He had lots of business to deal with and didn’t have as much time for me.”
She shrugs and turns to carry on walking.
“I’ve tried so hard to bring back what I came here with. A partner who enjoyed my company. Who listened when I spoke and only wanted the best for me.”
She shakes her head sadly. “He is distant, Serena. He always appears to be somewhere else in his mind and when I ask him about it, well, he gets angry.”
“How angry, mom?” My voice is coated in steel, and she turns and says urgently, “I’ve said too much. You are a Vieri, Serena, and I know what that means. Family is everything to you and your loyalty is admirable. However, there are some things you can’t control with violence.”
“So he is violent toward you.”
“I didn’t say that.” She seems afraid and backtracks quickly. “Listen. I have spoken out of turn. Forget I even said anything. Just allow me to clear up my own mistakes and learn from them.”
She stops and grips my shoulders, staring into my eyes with a hard expression. “Don’t be me, Serena. Choose a man who is honorable, kind and would move the sun for you. Don’t settle for anything less because it’s worth waiting rather than making terrible mistakes along the way.”
“You haven’t made mistakes, mom.” I smile. “You married our father and now you have us. We are your family as much as his and there is nothing we wouldn’t do to make you happy. Come back with me to Chicago. Anywhere even. We could buy you a house, somewhere nice and safe, and you could live a normal life away from this shit.”
“It’s a nice thought, Serena, but I am too far down this road to turn back now. I must deal with it in my own way, and I will—deal with it, I mean.”
Mom’s eyes flash and it makes me smile. Yes, I may be a Vieri, but I am also part of Sarah Collins, and she has a fire deep inside her I recognize. I should trust her, of course I should, but what daughter wouldn’t want vengeance if her mom was unhappy?
As she carries on walking, I caress the ball of burning hatred I have for her husband, and if it was up to me, by the time I leave, she will be free of him.
* * *
We spendthe morning riding across their vast acreage, and this is what I love. The freedom, the fresh air and the sunshine beating down on my back. Here I am free of responsibility. I am not accompanied by Connor or one of the other guards. I’m a daughter visiting her mom and this is exactly what I came here for.
We head back to the ranch house for lunch and my heart quickens when I see the car parked outside the entrance. A guard is leaning against the passenger door, smoking a cigarette and talking to the driver of the car behind. Black cars contain black hearts and I hope like hell these belong to the one I can’t stop thinking about.
I turn to mom and whisper, “Is this the Russian Stoner has a meeting with?”
Mom nods, a flash of distaste passing across her face.
“Yes. His name is Alexei Romanov and I understand his family is one of the most powerful in Russia. I overheard Joe talking on the phone a few weeks ago. He was excited to have brokered this deal and hopes to be the middleman in a huge diamond operation. Apparently, they will take what we can produce, and that is a very tasty carrot to dangle before a man like Joe.”
I can’t help feeling elated as I picture Alexei in the same house as me and yet as I glance down at my dusty jodhpurs and bemoan the state of my hair and make-up, I really hope he’s still around when I’ve had the chance to clean up.
“Will they be staying for dinner?” I say casually, disguising my interest in their visitor.
