We walked through Rome and though freedom was always an inch away, it felt like I was trapped in a cage and escape was as far away as that dock across the water.
4
Kaspar
Present Day
Rome, Italy
I put her in a gilded cage and she rebelled against me.
I gave her whatever she wanted. Luxury, comfort, entertainment. She had her own little island paradise, and that wasn’t enough.
Which I could understand.
Put me in a cage, and I’d rip my own head off trying to get out.
I’m the fox that chews off its foot to escape the trap.
Penny was the same. I could understand. She craved freedom more than she craved her continued existence. Eventually, she’d find a way to leave, or she’d die in the process.
Which meant she needed more from our arrangement if she was going to give me what I wanted.
Her absolute submission.
Since the first moment I saw her all those years ago, I knew I’d make her my wife.
Back then, she didn’t want anything to do with me, and an unfortunate turn of events convinced her that I was some sort of monster.
She wasn’t wrong about her conclusion, but she was wrong in her reasoning.
None of that mattered now. I was a patient man, and I always found a way to get what I wanted sooner or later.
That night, after visiting with my Sicilian associates, I parked Penny in her adjoining suite and gave her some privacy. The doors were locked and my men would guard her with their lives—because they wouldn’t breathe for long if she got away or some harm came to her.
I opened my laptop and initiated a call. The screen turned black, then Erin Servant appeared.
She wasn’t a pretty girl. Her face was too severe to be attractive. Sharp nose, intense eyebrows, green eyes that sparkled in the light and seemed to pierce through my skin with their intensity. Her thin lips parted in a sneer.
“How’s my sister doing, Kaspar?”
I leaned back in my chair and put my hands behind my head. Erin wanted me uncomfortable and off balance, and it drove her crazy when I didn’t give that to her. Instead, I cultivated an air of boredom like a suit of armor, and I watched her squirm with annoyance.
“She’s doing fine. Rebelling against the limits of our arrangement, but still fine.”
“I told you she wouldn’t enjoy being your little pet.”
“Does it matter what she likes?”
Erin made a dismissive gesture. I was surprised she asked about her sister at all, quite honestly. The girl was a genius, perhaps the smartest member of all the Oligarch families, but emotional connections weren’t her strongest attribute. She cared only for the advancement of the Servant name and for nothing else.
“How are our plans shaping up?”
I noticed that word. Our, as if she had a hand in anything I was doing.
She hid behind her tall walls and her brother’s strength and tried to direct the world around her like a conductor, but she could only do so much from behind screens.
Meanwhile, I liked to get my hands dirty.
“I made contact in Rome and I’m setting up the hit. I’ll inform you when the next phase begins.”
“That could take weeks, knowing you. I don’t have that much time.”
“Why are you so impatient, Erin, my dear?”
She bristled. She hated pet names. “My brother stagnates. Meanwhile, our enemies grow stronger. I need to force him into action if we’re going to keep the family safe.”
“You still think in weeks and days. I thought you were smart enough to play a long game.”
“Don’t lecture me on looking ahead, Kaspar. I know what I’m doing.”
I suspected that was only partially true. “I told you, I’m putting things into place, and I’ll make the first move soon. I can’t rush this. Killing an Oligarch is not a small matter.”
She leaned back, glaring at the camera. “Murdering him is only the first step. I need you to go on the offensive with Maeve.”
I laughed softly. Of course it came back to Maeve. Erin was convinced that Maeve was the most powerful of all the Oligarchs, even though the woman kept to herself and barely engaged in Oligarch politics. I wasn’t so sure, but tended to pay attention when Erin made suggestions, no matter how improbable.
“If I spread myself too thin, I won’t be able to accomplish anything. One step at a time, my dear.”
“Step faster then. I won’t wait forever.” She twisted her hair around her finger. “Unless you want me to recall my sister?”
My smile faltered. She couldn’t do that—Penny was mine now, and no amount of begging or threatening would change it—but the thought of Erin trying to bring her sister home displeased me. It was bad enough that Darren would make a move sooner or later.
“You wouldn’t be so stupid. Remember, you have nobody else out in the field working for your interests. You go against me, and you have nothing.”