Page 34 of The Queen's Game (Ruthless Games 1)

TWENTY-EIGHT

REBECCA

I didn’t necessarilycare about all the people watching me take a mouthful of Sebastien’s cock. Francesca Bianco Byrne seeing me act like that was a gut punch.

Francesca eyed me cautiously as I stepped past her son. The warm look she gave him tugged my heart, remembering how Sebastien’s mom adored him. How my mom adored Nate. The only woman I never saw show an ounce of love was Anthony’s mom.

And look how he turned out...

“I should meet Sebastien outside,” I said, holding on to my last shred of dignity.

Leave with the one that brought ya...

“He’s gone,” Francesca informed me coldly.

My breath hitched, and I nearly sobbed. My emotions had worn thin for one evening.

“He just left her here?” Giancarlo’s shocked voice tore through me.

“He was looking for you, Rebecca,” Francesca said, eyeing her son with a faint grin.

Sure, she’d want me with Giancarlo to restore a Bianco on the throne.

“He left you his limousine, and his guard is over there waiting for you too.”

Through hazy eyes, I found Silas staring at me. Snapping my spine into place, I reached for my purse. “I have my own guards. I have my own car and driver.”

“As a princess should.” Francesca feasted her eyes on me like she was proud of me.

“Queen. My father has left the country. I run Domenico Holdings now.”

She eyed Giancarlo again, no doubt giving away what we’d been doing. “Let’s talk, darling.”

She spoke like high-class, old-Hollywood royalty. Without my mother, I could use guidance from someone who understood what was expected of me. Only, Francesca sat firmly in one of my enemy’s camps. Her own son had devised the shaming plot. Perhaps that was the Byrne side of him. Giancarlo sounded like a Bianco heir, but he was ruthless like a Byrne.

“I’d like for us to talk.” I gently swung my neck around to face Gian. “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” he said with a smirk. I knew he meant the sex.

“Excuse me, Francesca.” Getting my shit together, I strutted up to Silas. “Where’s Mr. Daria?”

“Gone, ma’am.” He unhooked the hands behind his back. “His car is waiting for you. I’ll escort you home.”

“Don’t bother. I have my own people. You can go.”

“Your boss is an idiot,” Francesca, who’d stayed on my six, voiced her disapproval with no hesitation, lashing out at Silas. “A powerful man shouldn’t have just left without protection.”

Silas walked off, leaving me to wonder if he’d repeat that.

Not that I cared. “Vale,” I said into my phone when he answered. “Please come to the Warwick with my car and driver. I’m fine. I’m with...” I glanced at Francesca whispering to Giancarlo. “Friends.”

“I have work to do,” Giancarlo said, kissing his mother’s cheek, but eyeing me.

Work. Hmmm. I wondered if that meant checking on the team he sent to the Maldives to either kill or terrorize my parents. Or arrange to bring his mercenaries home.

Outside, the air smelled sweet thanks to all the tulips planted in the center median along Park Avenue.

Francesca followed me and to her credit stayed a few steps behind me. When I got outside, she snapped her fingers and two men in dark suits took up positions behind us. Byrne guards stood close enough to act if something happened, but far enough not to hear us.

“You know you can talk to me,” Francesca said, hovering next to me. “I understand your mother isn’t around. You need an ally.” She stood a little shorter than me, but her stature and grace made her look taller.

I turned to her. “For what? I’m not at war.” Yet...

She brushed a silver wisp of hair into a gorgeous dark up-do. “I admit, I’ve been...preoccupied the last few weeks.”

My throat went tight. Shit. Her son, Salvatore. Gently sweeping her arm, I said, “Mrs. Byrne, I’m so sorry about Salvatore. I want to believe he’s okay. That he’s just figuring out a way to come home.”

Nodding, she said with glassy eyes, “Thank you. And please call me Francesca.”

“It’s a beautiful name.”

“So is Rebecca.” She arched a sculpted eyebrow at me. “How is your brother?”

“Fine. Happy. In L.A. Where he’s staying. I’m running my father’s company. That means I rule the city now too.”

“Being queen is an awesome responsibility. Especially without a king.”

I understood her thinking. She was a generation behind me. Her father refused to hand the Bianco empire over to her alone. “True. But your father felt that way and look what happened to you.”

“I wish I’d been as strong as you. Of course, I was overcome with emotion for Patrick. Love will make you do some wicked things, darling.”

I folded my arms. “Did your father not groom you at all?”

“I was young. Twenty-two. Went to Vassar and studied French literature,” she laughed. “Like that would have prepared me to run his business. After graduation, Father expected me to marry someone else.” She didn’t say who, but something jabbed at me thinking that was important. “And I was expected to make babies. Sons. Which I did. Just not with the man Father wanted. I played a game with him. And he won. Disowned me.” She stroked her throat.

Francesca acted like she couldn’t have imagined a life not spent on the Bianco throne. Only, she’d defied her father and married a man for love. And paid a price of exile for it. With no heir, sharks ate away at Bianco’s kingdom like it was chum. Her husband Patrick had clawed his way back, but still never recovered all the businesses her father had lost. Some said Angelo Bianco had thrown everything away out of spite and pride before he and his poor wife were killed.

Myfather was a great white who devoured much of what the Biancos had lost. And he’d been too powerful to topple by the time Patrick started his fight.

“I expected Nate would come home at first and work with my father,” I said to fill the silence. “Sebastien went to Harvard, and I went to Yale to be my own woman. I still want to be my own woman.”

“Good for you. Are you sleeping with my son?”

Her blunt change of subject socked me in the gut. “Honestly, I was enjoying talking about you.”

“We can talk about me all you want. The rest of my life, if you know what I mean.”

I swallowed and knew lying would come back to haunt me. “Yes. I’m sleeping with Giancarlo. But it’s not what you think.”

Her jaw tipped open. “Do you meet him at that club of his?”

My skin heated. “You know about the club?”

“After losing Salvatore, my instincts to cling to Giancarlo were off the charts. I followed him around for a while. I was so lost.”

“I get that.” I took a breath. “I’m still in love with Sebastien. No matter what I do, I can’t shake him.”

Francesca’s eyes sharpened. “I’m going to tell you something that might come as a shock to you.”

Her words sent ripples through me. “Go on.”

“Your father promised you to Anthony Messina Jr.”

I roared with laughter, bending over, tears spilling out of my eyes at the absurd idea I’d not only marry someone I didn’t love, but Anthony Jr.?

“Not the reaction I was expecting,” Francesca said, smiling. “You really didn’t know?”

“I really didn’t know. Because that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. There’s no way I would marry Anthony Jr. My father had to know that.”

“With your father gone and Nate in L.A., everyone is waiting for Anthony to ask you so the Messinas can take over.”

“That’s not happening.” I shook my head. “My father unfailingly wanted Nate to rule in his place.”

Only, after that meeting a few weeks ago, the dream finally died. If my father had wanted me to marry Anthony Jr., it would have only been to create a power alliance with the Messinas. Create leverage to break the tribunal agreement.

Not hand our kingdom over to them. Dad didn’t get a chance to see his plan to fruition because the FBI got wind of Sunrise.

Francesca narrowed her eyes. “Are you suggesting your father was playing Anthony Sr.?”

“Perhaps.” I shrugged.

“To keep the barbarians at the gate like panting dogs instead of leaping over it to attack. Good one, Giovanni,” she said under her breath nodding.

Another plausible idea. With my father gone and no way to contact him except through Giancarlo’s hitmen, I couldn’t ask him. “Anthony Jr. really thinks I’m going to marry him?”

“As far as we all know.” Her words suggesting all of New York City knew I was promised to someone, and I didn’t know was chilling.

It makes sense for us to be together. You and me. Now, Anthony’s out-of-nowhere comment made sense.

“He knows I love Sebastien.” I took a breath. “Then again, he probably doesn’t want a wife in the traditional sense.”

“Do you want a husband in the traditional sense?”

“For love? Sure.” I smiled. “My sisters love the men my father allowed them to marry. My brother...” My thoughts raced back to the kind of love Nate had found with Lacey. And two other men.

Was that a thing now?

A much different thought crashed through me. “Sebastien knew this too?”

“Everyone did, darling.”

“That’s why he broke up with me.” I felt winded. “And never told me. Never warned me.” I felt sick.

“Our world is complicated. His father understood the Messinas were more powerful. I’m sure Sebastien wanted to fight for you. If I know Richard Daria, he strongly opposed that. Didn’t want to start a war. For years your father, Richard, Anthony Sr., and my Patrick had peace.” Her eyes peeled like she saw me as a prize as much as the Messinas did.

My Town Car arrived, and I breathed in relief.

Vale jumped out and looked up and down the block. “Are you okay?” he asked, gently gripping my arms.

“Quite. But Sebastien has left. Left me with his car and his guard.”

Vale tilted his head to me. “Yet, you still called me?”

“You’re my guard. I don’t trust anyone else.”

He smiled and looked over my shoulder at Francesca. He nodded to show respect, but knew not to address her.

I turned around. “Thank you, Francesca. For waiting with me out here.”

She eyed Vale, who took a step back. “I’m not your enemy, Rebecca,” she said softly. “I won’t hide anything from you, and I’d love to be your ally. Please consider trusting me.”

I wanted to believe if she knew about Sunrise, she’d waltz into her husband’s office and smack the crap out of him, but she might look the other way.

And make me her enemy when she finds out I wanted to destroy her husband.

---