Chapter 6 #2
A look of panic crosses Penelope’s face, and she stands, holding her hands up in a placating way.
“Whoa. It’s okay. I’ll deal with the staffing problem tomorrow.
Tonight we can just head out for a meal.
Stefano has a private room at Casa De Russo that is always available.
We can have some delicious Italian food, and you can relax.
They make their pasta and gnocchi fresh.
It’s delicious,” she suggests, looking to Gregor for support, and he’s quick to give it.
“That sounds like a fantastic idea. I haven’t had decent gnocchi since Nonna passed. I can’t wait to try it. Go get changed.” He waves Stacey off, and she huffs but does as he says, red wine dripping on the floor behind her.
Mario is glaring at me, but his breathing seems to have calmed, and his face isn’t quite so red. “You will clean up this mess, since there is no one else to do it. If I come home and it’s still here, your father will pay,” he threatens through gritted teeth.
“I thought it was our wedding dinner. Why can’t we come?” I gesture to the rest of us.
He scoffs. “You think I’d trust you out in public? No, it will be a long time before I let you out again.”
I freeze as I realize what he is saying, and a smile stretches across his lips. “Oh, Tori. I am not a stupid man. I’m not going to let you out to cause havoc. I know you’re behind the lack of staff. Even your two previous bodyguards were missing when I sent men to their house to deal with them.”
I shudder internally. Sam and Dean can look after themselves, but I knew Mario would target them, and I’m glad they knew to scatter to the wind.
I just hope the sworn-in employees do the same.
The rest of them who have nothing to do with the Russo family should be fine.
If Mario is this mad now, then I can’t imagine he’s going to be any happier when he discovers the rest of the family missing—or maybe he will just slot his own people into key roles and keep it business as usual. Less work for him.
I’m pissed that I’m not going to be able to leave the house for the foreseeable future, but I have ways of getting out that nobody knows about. Only Sage, Gio, and I know about the safe rooms. As long as Gio didn’t say anything, and I don’t think he would have, I can still come and go as I please.
Also, the house will go into lockdown, and none of them will be able to get back in. It gives me time to plan. I shrug. “No skin off my nose. I could use some alone time. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to sit on my ass.”
“I’m not leaving you alone. These four will stay as well.
Get used to it, Tori. Your life is no longer your own,” Mario says, tugging his suit jacket straight and stepping away from the table, avoiding the chaos on the floor.
“If you want your dad to stay unharmed, I would work on trying to get into that safe in your father’s office.
There must be a work around to both your handprints.
You will find it, Colton. I need that money. ”
“Surely you have your own,” I casually remark, and I see Vienna stiffen and step closer to Colton.
Mario scowls. “I do, but why would I use mine when I can use yours. It’s all my money now anyway, thanks to that ring on your finger.”
I want to argue that it’s actually Xavier’s, not his, but I’m pretty sure that’s pushing my luck, and the house is going into lockdown any minute. I need them to leave before it does.
“I’ll work on the safe,” Colton replies before I can. “Go have a meal. You’ll feel better after,” he urges, and Mario nods, clapping him on the shoulder as he passes.
“Good boy. We wouldn’t want anything else to happen to that precious bundle of joy, would we?” The grin he gives Vienna and Colton is enough to shrivel my blackened heart. Vienna gasps and shudders, moving even closer to Colton, and Mario chuckles.
I can’t believe he is ballsy enough to talk about Addi like that. I must not hide my disgust well enough, though, because he smirks at me. “See? You aren’t the only one I have incentive over. I believe you met my darling granddaughter not so long ago.”
“Yeah, she’s a peach,” I reply flatly, and his smirk widens.
“Well, she certainly keeps these four in line.” He wrinkles his nose.
“Though I’m not sure who the father is. This slut opened her legs to all of them, but in a way that worked in my favor, don’t you think?
” He chuckles, and all four of them glare at him.
I don’t know how anyone would miss their hatred of him now that I’m paying attention.
My gaze flits to Penelope, and I’m surprised to see the hatred mirrored in her gaze.
Mario doesn’t see it because he and Gregor are moving away now, talking about dinner, but I do, and although we’ve had our differences, I now know she is a possible ally.
I wonder if we could get her to smother him in his sleep, but then that would take away all of my fun. No, I’ll deal with Mario myself.
“Come along, Penny,” Mario calls without looking back, and that look of hatred smooths away as she sighs and follows them, the sound of her heels echoing through the now silent room.
Vienna holds it together until we hear the front door slam, and then she sobs and sinks into Colton’s arms. “I’m not sure how long I can do this.”
“Shh,” Colton hisses. “There are listening devices everywhere, and someone is always on the other end,” he cautions before looking at me.
I give him a nod of acknowledgment. “I guess we should clean this up and find something to eat,” I suggest. All four of them are dying to have a conversation, but we need to put on a good show first.
“There are plenty of leftovers from the wake in the kitchen,” Tristan tells us as the five of us start collecting the remnants of the dining set.
I mourn it for a moment. Mario had gotten out the Russo family china, and now it’s in pieces which are strewn across the floor.
My dad will be so sad his mother’s dining set is gone, but it is only material stuff.
“Why didn’t Mario just have us eat that? Why did he want a meal?” I ask, and Vienna chuckles bitterly.
“Leftovers are for peasants or the help.”
I place the rest of the silver back on the table as Xavier returns from the kitchen with the dustpan and brush, and he starts sweeping up all the smaller pieces.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m hungry. I say we dig into those leftovers and call it a night,” I say.
Tristan is frowning and looking between the four of us, waving a finger around.
“What’s going on? Why is she being so calm? I expected laser beams coming from her eyes and injuries to Xav, not whatever the fuck this is.”
Colton moves over and whispers something in his ear, and Tristan’s eyes widen before he turns to me with a pleading expression.
I don’t acknowledge anything out loud. We still have a lot to talk through, but my anger has receded somewhat, and my clear thinking has returned.
I’m not sure if I will ever be able to forgive them, since their actions led to a huge amount of distress, but everything isn’t as black and white as I thought.
It’s not a case of malicious betrayal or deceit.
They were just trying to survive and protect their daughter.
Family first is the Russo’s motto, and I can work with that.
“Come on, let’s get some food. Leave the rest. Mario can organize his new staff to clean it up. It isn’t my problem,” I say bitterly. I’m still annoyed that he’s here. Suddenly, the night shutters activate and slide into place, and Colton’s eyes widen.
“Fuck, they aren’t going to be able to get back in. I had forgotten all about it. Mario is going to lose his shit.” He sounds panicked, and he starts pacing back and forth. “Please, Tori, don’t upset him any more. He isn’t stable, and I don’t want anything to happen to Addi in retaliation.”
A wave of sympathy rolls through me as I watch him tug at his hair before pulling off his glasses and cleaning them frantically on his shirt.
I wave a hand. “Don’t stress. I’ll authorize the program to accept Penelope’s hand again.
I can do that, but I need to do it from the computer in my dad’s office,” I tell him, my mind frantically calculating that if I do that, then I can grab that piece of paper with the address someone left for me on my car weeks ago.
I think it’s time for me to investigate it.
“Did Mario leave any of his men behind?” I ask, wanting to know if I have to watch out for anyone else.
I’m almost certain none of these guys are going to stop me.
Colton stops fussing and pulls his phone out, opening an app. I walk over and see the security camera feeds for the mansion. I grunt with annoyance, but I guess that’s to be expected now. He swipes through them, but there is no sign of anyone else in the house.
“Kind of ballsy not leaving anyone else,” I mutter, and Xavier, who has been quiet up until now, shakes his head.
“No, he knows he has us by the balls, and we won’t defy him,” he murmurs quietly so the listening devices won’t pick up his words. “Food first, then you can use the computer,” Xavier says louder this time, “but Mario will expect you to program him in.”
“I’m sure Colton knows all the ins and outs of the program now, so he can do it. The less I have to do with Mario, the better.”
No one says anything else, but the air is full of tension as the five of us help ourselves to the leftovers from the wake.
“Are there cameras in my bedroom?” I ask, breaking the heavy silence, and everyone stops eating.
“Not that I know of. Xavier insisted that there weren’t any if he was going to move into it with you,” Colton replies, but Tristan gives a small shake of his head, and Colton’s eyes widen.
He pulls out his phone again and scrolls through the feeds before pausing with a sharp inhale. Xavier scowls but stays quiet.
They must have installed them when we were out, and this is the first they are hearing of it.
I play along. “Good, I don’t need any more of my sexual exploits ending up available for public viewing,” I joke while trying to plan how I can figure out where it’s installed.
I need to be able to move around the house at night.
Hell, my room isn’t going to be the only problem, the whole damn house is.
I don’t necessarily need to get to the basement to use the escape tunnels, but I do need to get to the escape room, which is in the library on the same floor as my bedroom.
Both of those rooms are covered by our normal surveillance, which Colton already has access to, and I bet if he does, Mario has others monitoring it as well.
While I’ve been eating, I’ve been coming up with a semblance of a plan.
It all hinges on those four actually being on my side.
I need to take a leap of faith, and tonight, I’m going to figure out once and for all whose side they are on.
If they aren’t really on mine, then why should I care if their daughter is hurt or not?
I’ll get my hands on a weapon and put a bullet in Mario’s brain while he’s sleeping.
Whatever happens to them and their family is none of my business.
Hell, if I was willing to kill my brother and boyfriend, then one little girl won’t matter—or that’s what I tell myself.
“I can assure you, Tori, that will never happen again,” Colton says firmly, and I have the feeling he’s going to make sure that whatever they see on the camera isn’t whatever is actually happening. My shoulders sag with relief, and I give him a small nod of acknowledgement.
“I think I’m done. If you don’t mind, I’ll allow Penny access, and then I’d like to go to bed,” I tell them, standing up and taking my dishes over to the dishwasher. The five of us stayed in the kitchen to eat at the island rather than returning to the dining room.
“I’ll escort you.” Colton stands up and does the same with his own plate.
“We will catch you all in a little while,” he tells the other three, giving Vienna a kiss on the lips before striding out of the kitchen.
I give them an awkward wave and hurry after him.
My goal is to get my hands on that piece of paper with the address.