could back out and find where the rest of the family had gathered she heard the clink of crystal, and saw a tall figure pouring a pre-dinner aperitif from a cabinet fitted into an antique wall unit. At first she thought it was Vittorio standing there, until the figure turned around and faced her.
She knew it was Rocco Montano, for even though his likeness to Vittorio was uncanny, considering they were not blood relatives, Rocco’s lips were thinner, and right now were lifted in a snarl as he came towards her. The fumes of brandy on his breath wafted unpleasantly over her face the closer he got.
‘What the hell do you think you are playing at?’ he gritted out harshly. ‘I told you never to contact me or my family again.’
Ally knew she would have to tread very carefully to get the information she needed. He was a man who had been intimately involved with her twin sister, and it would take all of what little acting ability she possessed to pull this off without him seeing through the part she was playing.
‘How much more do you want from me?’ he asked, with aggression carving every word to dagger points. ‘I gave you what I could. What else do you want, you greedy little bitch?’
‘What do you think I want from you?’ she asked, watching every nuance of his expression as closely as she dared.
‘For God’s sake, Alex, you were supposed to go away,’ he said, raking a hand through his thick black hair, his eyes shooting all over the place apart from anywhere near hers. ‘That is what all the others have done in the past. Why not you?’
Ally planted a hand on her hip and gave him a gimlet stare. ‘You should have told me the truth at the start. You owed me that at the very least.’
He let out an exasperated sigh and began to pace the room. ‘I should have told you I was married when we met that night in London,’ he said. ‘I should also have told you I will never leave my wife. She is the reason Vittorio gave me a position in the company. Do you think I would walk away from that for a common tramp like you?’
Ally could barely stomach what she was hearing. People’s lives—two young women’s lives and happiness—had been bandied about like dollar chips on a poker table. It sickened her. It made her so angry she had trouble maintaining her disguise. ‘So I was just a temporary fill-in? Someone to warm your bed while your devoted and trusting wife was back at home, loving and missing you?’ she asked with caustic bite.
He sent his hand through his hair again. ‘Did you do as I told you to do?’ he asked.
Ally tried to read his expression, but it remained cold and distant. ‘You should know me well enough by now to know I don’t like being told what to do, Rocco,’ she said, testing the water.
His eyes flared with anger, and something else Ally thought looked a little like panic. ‘I told you to disappear,’ he bit out. ‘I gave you enough money to do so, for God’s sake. What the hell are you doing here, in Vittorio’s house?’
The door of the room opened behind them, and Vittorio’s deep commanding voice cut the through the air like a knife. ‘She is here because I want her to be here,’ he said. ‘And she will stay for as long as I want her to stay.’
Rocco swung around to face him. ‘You cannot be serious!’ he said. ‘What has come over you? I told you she is mad. She keyed your brand-new car, for God’s sake.’
‘I am not mad,’ Ally said, with steely emphasis.
Rocco turned back to Vittorio. ‘ Dio mio! You were supposed to pay her off!’ he ranted. ‘Not sleep with her yourself!’
‘I am at liberty to choose my own lovers,’ Vittorio said. ‘Unlike you, I am not yet married.’
Rocco threw his hands in the air in a frustrated gesture. ‘What was I supposed to do?’ he asked. ‘Chiara was warned to take things easy during her pregnancy. Alex was more than available. She practically threw herself at me, like the slut she is.’
Ally snorted in
She knew it was Rocco Montano, for even though his likeness to Vittorio was uncanny, considering they were not blood relatives, Rocco’s lips were thinner, and right now were lifted in a snarl as he came towards her. The fumes of brandy on his breath wafted unpleasantly over her face the closer he got.
‘What the hell do you think you are playing at?’ he gritted out harshly. ‘I told you never to contact me or my family again.’
Ally knew she would have to tread very carefully to get the information she needed. He was a man who had been intimately involved with her twin sister, and it would take all of what little acting ability she possessed to pull this off without him seeing through the part she was playing.
‘How much more do you want from me?’ he asked, with aggression carving every word to dagger points. ‘I gave you what I could. What else do you want, you greedy little bitch?’
‘What do you think I want from you?’ she asked, watching every nuance of his expression as closely as she dared.
‘For God’s sake, Alex, you were supposed to go away,’ he said, raking a hand through his thick black hair, his eyes shooting all over the place apart from anywhere near hers. ‘That is what all the others have done in the past. Why not you?’
Ally planted a hand on her hip and gave him a gimlet stare. ‘You should have told me the truth at the start. You owed me that at the very least.’
He let out an exasperated sigh and began to pace the room. ‘I should have told you I was married when we met that night in London,’ he said. ‘I should also have told you I will never leave my wife. She is the reason Vittorio gave me a position in the company. Do you think I would walk away from that for a common tramp like you?’
Ally could barely stomach what she was hearing. People’s lives—two young women’s lives and happiness—had been bandied about like dollar chips on a poker table. It sickened her. It made her so angry she had trouble maintaining her disguise. ‘So I was just a temporary fill-in? Someone to warm your bed while your devoted and trusting wife was back at home, loving and missing you?’ she asked with caustic bite.
He sent his hand through his hair again. ‘Did you do as I told you to do?’ he asked.
Ally tried to read his expression, but it remained cold and distant. ‘You should know me well enough by now to know I don’t like being told what to do, Rocco,’ she said, testing the water.
His eyes flared with anger, and something else Ally thought looked a little like panic. ‘I told you to disappear,’ he bit out. ‘I gave you enough money to do so, for God’s sake. What the hell are you doing here, in Vittorio’s house?’
The door of the room opened behind them, and Vittorio’s deep commanding voice cut the through the air like a knife. ‘She is here because I want her to be here,’ he said. ‘And she will stay for as long as I want her to stay.’
Rocco swung around to face him. ‘You cannot be serious!’ he said. ‘What has come over you? I told you she is mad. She keyed your brand-new car, for God’s sake.’
‘I am not mad,’ Ally said, with steely emphasis.
Rocco turned back to Vittorio. ‘ Dio mio! You were supposed to pay her off!’ he ranted. ‘Not sleep with her yourself!’
‘I am at liberty to choose my own lovers,’ Vittorio said. ‘Unlike you, I am not yet married.’
Rocco threw his hands in the air in a frustrated gesture. ‘What was I supposed to do?’ he asked. ‘Chiara was warned to take things easy during her pregnancy. Alex was more than available. She practically threw herself at me, like the slut she is.’
Ally snorted in
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