Page 114 of Between Us

She gave his hand one last squeeze before pulling hers back. She decided to end that conversation there. “Food looks good.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “Let's eat.”

???

It was early the next day when Alessandra received an unexpected call from her father. Abandoning her cereal bowl, she picked up the phone and stared at the lit screen. From across the kitchen island, she noticed Vladik watch her attentively, but she ignored him.

Her thumb hovered over the answer icon, and she hoped that if she delayed the inevitable for long enough, he’d change his mind about wanting to talk to her. She had half a mind to let the call go to voicemail, but then the rational part of her brain won. If Nero Rossetti had something to say to her, he would do it no matter how long she avoided him.

The line barely connected before Nero spoke, his voice a low hiss.“Why didn't you tell me?”

Alessandra stilled, her heartbeats picking up pace at how angry he sounded. “Tell you what?”

“About Vitaly Leskov being shot.”

“I didn't think—”

“That's the problem; you don'tthink,” he spat.

Hearing the venom in his voice, a void formed in her gut, sucking in every ounce of calmness she had left in her body. Anxiety made her stomach churn uncomfortably. The man wasfuming. And worse, she knew that when he got in such a state, there was no reasoning with him. She'd learned early on that it was better to let him vent, regardless of how hurtful thewords leaving his mouth during one of his rants.

But these were different times, and Alessandra was no longer under his care. Forcing composure into her voice, she said, “How is it my fault that you didn't find out? I thought Roman might’ve called you.”

Playing dumb seemed to be the best option. If only he knew he’d been the prime suspect until not long ago. Or maybe he did know, and that was what made him so agitated.

Nero was quiet for a moment. When he spoke again, he sounded like he was struggling with the words. That, or he was struggling not to shout at her. “He did. A week later. Do you know why that is?”

“I don't,” she lied.

“Alessandra… I need you to keep your eyes and ears wide open. Ineedyou to tell me things. I cannot stress enough how important that is.”

“Sure.”

Something in her voice made him pause again. Maybe it was the dismissive way she’d said it.“Do I have to remind you the Russians are not our friends?”

And there it was—her chance to twist the knife in the wound. For once, she wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to give him a taste of his own medicine. “That may be true, but he’s still my husband—the one you chose for me.”

“Your loyalty lies with your family,”he gritted through clenched teeth.

“Roman is my family.”

Alessandra braced for the worst. She expected him to yell at her. Call her names. Threaten to disown her.

However, his only reply was a quiet, “I see.”

It sounded like a threat.

Swallowing thickly, Alessandra looked up and met Vladik’s dark gaze. “Is there anything else?”

“Take care,figlia mia.”

The call disconnected.

Alessandra let out a shaky breath.

She didn’t fear her father. At least, not like before. But those final words before he hung up rubbed her the wrong way. They hadn’t been said with the natural concern of a loving parent but with maliciousness and the promise of punishment for her disobedience.

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