Page 111 of Breaking the Rules
Satisfied, a ghost of a smile danced over her lips, and she dug through her go bag until her fingers brushed the object she sought. The anklet was another sentimental charm from Xavier. The tiny diamond heart cleverly hid a GPS tracker. Xavier had it designed for her when he began guarding her years ago. That little heart had saved her life when Ganim abducted her. Xavier had been able to track her location and get to her just in time. She’d never worn it since but always carried it with her like a talisman warding off evil.
It seemed fitting that she wear it today. Waverly fastened it to her ankle and gave her reflection another check. Everything was where it should be, she decided. Now it was time for Hollywood armor.
She hurried into the bathroom and assembled her makeup supplies, pausing often to admire the sparkle on her left hand. It was a breathtaking ring, a breathtaking promise that they’d made to each other. Yet she didn’t feel fear about their decision. It felt… right. There was no one else in this world she would ever feel this for. Love didn’t even seem like a strong enough descriptor for the all-consuming fire he sparked in her. It was so much deeper than anything she’d ever hoped for.
Her parents were going to be thrilled,Waverly thought with a smile. She’d tell them tonight, after everything with Tomasso was settled.
She reached for her lipstick, the ringing of her phone caught her attention.
Brad Tomasso.Waverly’s adrenaline spiked instantly.
“Brad.”
“I decided I didn’t like your terms. So I’m changing them,” Brad announced without preamble. “You’re going to drag that little Russian bitch to me, or you’re going to pay a price.”
“You’re the one paying a price, Brad.” She kept her tone mild, but tuned into the gut feeling that she was walking into trouble.
“I’ve got something you’re going to want even more than the money.”
“What could I possibly want more than money?”
He ignored her question with a humorless laugh. “The exchange was getting a little too crowded for me. So we’re going to do a little business just the two of us.”
“I like the deal we have on the table,” she insisted.
“Let me tell you what you’re going to do today, Waverly. You’re going to bring Petra to the exchange, and then you’re going to wait until you hear from me with the new plan. You’re going to follow my instructions to the letter, and you’re not going to tell a soul. Especially not your friend Saint.”
“Oh, really?” she forced a laugh of her own. “And why am I going to do all that?”
“Check your texts,” he said cryptically and disconnected the call.
She had a bad feeling, one that settled like ice in her belly. Brad was too cocky not to have an ace in the hole. And when she opened the text from him, she saw exactly what that ace was.
Sylvia Sinner, sat unconscious bound to a chair. Her blonde curls fell over her forehead, her neck lolling to the side. A broad swatch of tape covered her mouth.
I invited your mother to breakfast. She must have had too much to drink.
She couldn’t tell if her mother was injured or drugged or where the photo was taken. The background was dark as if her mother sat alone in a spotlight. There were no hints, no way to circumvent Brad to get to her mother.
How had she not seen this move coming?Waverly cursed herself.
She felt herself shift into autopilot, the shock crowding everything else out of her mind. Brad had taken her mother as an insurance policy. And he wouldn’t hesitate to kill her if Waverly disobeyed him. Her mother’s life depended on her following Brad’s instructions to the letter.
“Fuck,” she muttered to herself.
The diamond glinted on her finger, a flash of the promises of future and of trust, of a partnership that could last. Could Xavier ever forgive her for turning her back?
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Five minutes later, a shaky but dressed Waverly made her way downstairs praying that she wasn’t making a huge mistake. She was terrified that Xavier was going to take one look at her and know. So it was an odd mix of relief and annoyance that Waverly felt when Petra nervously beckoned her into the library.
The girl had Pixie cuddled to her chest.
“I wish I was brave like you,” Petra announced, leaning against the massive walnut table and rubbing her cheek against Pixie’s tiny head.
“Petra, you’re very brave,” Waverly said, dropping into a leather chair under a window. “First, for falling in love with Dante, and second, for trusting Xavier and me when we essentially broke into your house.”
Petra shook her lovely dark hair back from her face. “I wish to do more. You have done so much for me. All of you, of course, but you especially.”
