Rule Breaker

by Sienna Snow

  I missed our friendship. Milla was the rebel Italian shipping heiress; Carmen, the poised American socialite; and me, the Indian computer nerd. The three of us balanced each other.

  “How long have they been here?” I asked.

  “About five hours. They caught their flights right before the storm positioned itself over Boston. Why didn’t you come earlier?”

  “I took a last-minute meeting and I had to clear up a few complications we encountered with the merger.” I left it at that. This wasn’t the time to divulge all my issues, and I hoped Milla had kept her mouth shut.

  “Milla mentioned something about transition hitches, and you sorted them all out. You must be exhausted. Take a seat, priya, my love.” She gestured toward one of the bar stools near the giant island in the kitchen. “I’ll get you a strong cocktail and feed you before you pass out.” She made me a plate of Indian food, not caring if I wanted to eat or not. Got to love her—a stiff drink and a large helping of food, and all was well in the world.

  I woke early the next morning and headed toward the beach bungalow below the cliffs of the main house. The crisp air of the ocean and the morning solitude helped untangle my thoughts. I leaned back on my deck chair, enjoying the morning cold, bundled under a thick blanket and wrapped in my favorite sweater. Over the horizon, the seals dived for breakfast near the Point Sur Lightstation.

  The animals had such a carefree life, going where they wanted and eating what they wanted, without a worry in the world. Well, besides the sharks, whales, and poachers.

  On second thought, I don’t have anything to complain about.

  I continued to stare out at the ocean and drifted into a light doze.

  “Wake up, baby, let’s go for a run.”

  I woke from my nap and gazed into eyes the color of dark forest pools. Max slowly came into focus, bare chested, with ropes of contoured muscle trailing down his stomach and leading to a V that hid beneath his gray running shorts. He sat back a little and helped me up.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  He gave me a knowing grin and tucked my hair back behind my ear. “After last night, I didn’t think you’d be up early, but when I woke, you were already down by the beach. So I thought we’d go for a run before we leave for Boston.”

  He took my hands in his and examined my wrists; faint red marks ran across them. “I’m sorry. Why didn’t you tell me they were tight?”

  My cheeks heated and I cupped the side of his face. “They weren’t tight. It was all my doing. I was pulling too hard.”

  His expression remained serious. “I don’t like knowing I was too carried away to recognize you were hurting yourself.”

  “Do you think I wouldn’t say stop if anything we did became too much? I enjoyed it. I love giving you control.”

  “I love you, Arya. I don’t ever want to hurt you again.” Max nuzzled my cupped hand.

  “I love you, too. Come here.” I tugged him toward me and captured his lips, savoring his clean, fresh taste.

  His hand ran up the back of my spine and into my hair as he deepened our embrace. All sense of time evaporated as heat and lust filled my body. My mind slowly transformed to mush. He pulled my bottom lip into his mouth and leaned back. With a wicked grin, he lowered me onto the beach recliner. Oh, I knew where this led…

  Milla jostled my lounger with her foot, startling me awake. “Arya, wake up. I brought you some chai,” she shouted and sat on the deck chair.

  Damn, another dream.

  “What do you dream about that gives you such an I totally got laid face? Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

  “My guess would be the annoying boy I had the pleasure of sharing the womb with.” Carmen’s cheery voice sounded from behind me. She ignored my scowl and stretched out on the deck chair next to me.

  “Ari, I’m so sorry about what happened. I had no idea Max was going to pull this shit. He never hid that he wanted to win you back, but I didn’t think he’d steamroll me to do it.” She rubbed her temples, as if willing a headache away. “I am so pissed right now I could punch him.”

  The hurt in her voice accentuated her words. Carmen rarely showed her emotions, so I knew her anger was genuine.

  “To be honest, I did have a moment where I thought you tricked me, but then I remembered all you did to keep Max away from me after our breakup, and I knew you weren’t involved.”

  She gave me a weary smile. “Now I have to spend the next two months in Germany instead of with you girls.”

  “Is there any way out of it?” Milla asked as she handed me my chai.

  Carmen shook her head. “The board requested I oversee the negotiations.” She turned back to me. “Am I forgiven?”

  “You did nothing wrong. I’m the one who should apologize for doubting you.”

  “Apology accepted. Now let’s leave all that crap in the past and get on with our weekend. We have to make up for lost time.”

  “God, I love California weather. I can’t believe I’m sitting on the beach in the middle of January with only a light sweater on.” Carmen relaxed into her lounger and tilted her face to the sun.

  Milla crawled off her chair and scooted in next to me on mine. “Why’d you bail on us last night? Aunt Elana said you were tired but then in passing, she mentioned she needed to find out why you were crying.” She pulled my blanket over her and then tucked it around both of us.

  “Spill it,” Carmen said from under her own covers.

  “Well…” How do I talk about someone’s brother to her face?

  Carmen read my mind. “I realize it’s weird talking to me about my brother, but I’m okay with it. I understand why you distanced yourself, but I want to reconnect. You have to admit the three of us were thick as thieves before Max fucked up and ruined everything.”

  She had a point. I couldn’t keep Carmen at arm’s length when we both needed someone who understood surviving. Opening up was the first stage to reconciling our friendship, but how would I begin?

  I opened my mouth, but before I could say a word, Milla spoke. “Carmen, there are things about the past you don’t know. What you saw happen was the mere tip of what Arya faced.”

  Carmen sat up. “What do you mean?”

  I took another breath, trying to figure out where to begin. I’d never talked about it. Only Milla, Lex, and Aunt Elana knew the full details.

  Milla put a hand around my shoulder. “I’m going to give you my version. If Arya wants to add more, she will.”

  A sense of relief washed over me. I could listen to the story, but telling it was questionable.

  “Is it that bad?”

  I nodded.

  “The day Max ended their relationship, Arya found out she was pregnant.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  What?” Carmen couldn’t hide her surprise. Her bright green eyes, the exact shade as her brother’s, shone with worry and confusion.

  “From what Arya told me and Lex, Max never knew. He ended their relationship before she could tell him.”

  “Oh my God. That’s why Lex and Max got into that fight. He beat the shit out of my brother. I thought it was because he broke your heart, Arya. I assumed Lex was in love with you, and you loved Max.”

  When had all that gone down? I glared at Milla, who feigned innocence by shrugging her shoulders.

  “Lex is definitely not in love with me,” I blurted out. That role belonged to the stupid girl next to me.

  “I’m guessing something else happened, since I don’t have a niece or nephew running around.”

  I closed my eyes and leaned back against the chair. I hated this part.

  “Arya decided to keep her pregnancy a secret. Since Max didn’t want her, she was determined to raise her girls on her own.”

  “Girls?” Carmen took hold of my hands, but I kept my eyes squeezed tight.

  Please Milla; finish the story so I don’t have to relive it in slow motion.

  “She was pregnant with twins. During her six
th month, she went back to Cape Town to check on the women’s initiative she started. Arya was abducted the moment Lex’s plane landed. We never figured out who orchestrated the kidnapping, but we assume someone found out she was pregnant and thought to use it against her or Max. It wasn’t a big secret back then that Max and Arya had been seeing each other.”

  “But Max never got any word of a kidnapping or ransom request,” Carmen said, her voice quivering.

  “They never got a chance.” Milla’s tone grew somber. “The kidnappers were actually hired to get rid of Arya, but they decided to cut the babies from her instead, thinking to ransom the girls.”

  The thought of how my girls suffered made me want to curl into a tiny little ball and disappear. Even with Milla relaying the story, the pain resurfaced, fresh and unbearable.

  Carmen gasped. “I remember hearing about a pregnant volunteer who was kidnapped for her babies. But the reports said they left the volunteer for dead and killed the children by accident during the forced removal. How did they keep your name out of the stories?”

  “Lex, that’s who,” Milla answered. “That man has connections everywhere. Being the genius grandson of a former Irish gangster has its privileges.”

  Carmen released my hand and sat on the end of my lawn chair. “But that doesn’t make sense. Max has the same connections Lex does. When Max learned of the abduction, he tried everything to find the volunteer. He felt responsible for the kidnapping, since he hadn’t provided adequate security for the project.”

  She covered her face with her palms and then glared at Milla. “How the hell did Lex convince the authorities you were a simple aid volunteer? Especially when they wouldn’t budge on information, no matter how much money Max threw at them.”

  I finally felt able to speak. “Let’s just say Lex has a few less than reputable resources at his disposal.” I used the back of my sleeve to wipe away the tears running down my face. I hadn’t cried for my girls in months, and now I’d done it twice within forty-eight hours.

  Damn Max and his fucking with the emotions I’d buried. Oh no, what if Carmen tells him? “Carmen, I need you to promise me you won’t say anything.”

  “He needs—”

  “No,” I interrupted. “If the time comes, I will tell him, no one else. It’s taken five years, and I’ve barely recovered. I’m not prepared to open freshly healed wounds.”

  “I understand. I won’t say anything,” Carmen whispered and wiped away her own tears. “Maybe one day I’ll get there, too.” She moved closer and gathered me into a hug. A sense of relief washed over me as her warmth flowed into me. I never thought talking about the past would help ease the pain. But then again, she understood my loss better than anyone else I knew.

  The sound of Aunt Elana’s shoes interrupted our emotional discussion. Carmen scooted back to her seat and wearily smiled as Aunt Elana approached.

  “What are you three talking about?” Her brow creased. “From the looks of it, I’d say it’s something too serious for a day like this.”

  Aunt Elana came around my chair and sat across from me next to Carmen. She quietly searched all our faces using her I already know what you were talking about scan, then lifted her own cup of chai and sipped. “So what are your plans for the day? I suggest the three of you relax and enjoy the heated pool. Then, when you have transformed into prunes, come join me in the kitchen for some drinks and breakfast.”

  I giggled. The woman never stopped talking about feeding us, someone, anyone.

  “Don’t make fun of me, young lady. The three of you need meat on your bones. Men don’t like stick figures. They need curves to hold on to.”

  “Aunt El, I’m Italian. God blessed me with more curves than should be legal.” Milla pointed to me with a wicked grin. “This one, on the other hand, could use a few more pounds on her ass.”

  I gasped, pretending to be offended and stuck my tongue out at her. “I can’t help that my Indian genes keep me from having an amazing booty like yours.”

  “Speak for yourself, young lady. My Indian ass is perfect the way it is.” Aunt Elana touched her butt and made a sizzling sound.

  I shook my head at her. I loved this woman. No one enjoyed life the way she did.

  “Can I be like you when I grow up? An ageless and sexy goddess with a hot Russian gangster as my boyfriend?” Milla quirked her brows and sipped her chai.

  I peeked over my aunt’s shoulder and saw James’s face redden.

  “You watch, young lady. You have your own Irish gangster to handle. Karma’s a bitch.”

  My eyes widened. She rarely cussed. “You said a bad word.”

  “Maybe you girls are rubbing off on me. Especially you, Arya. I taught you appropriate vocabulary, but you somehow learned words I’ve never ever used. Must be your influence.” She gestured to Milla and Carmen. “Not you, Carmen. You are a very proper young lady. Mil, for an Italian aristocrat, you could put a sailor to shame.

  I burst out laughing and pointed. “She’s got you there, priya.”

  “Whatever. Who taught me to cuss in Hindi? You learned that from somewhere.”

  She had a point. My aunt would have kicked my ass if I said anything inappropriate. New worlds opened when I learned swear words in my native language.

  “Now, now, girls. Behave.”

  “Excuse me, Mrs. Rey.” We all rotated in the direction of my aunt’s butler. “You have a phone call.”

  “Thank you, Andrew.” She took the phone and walked toward the balcony overlooking the water.

  “Whoever that was, she didn’t want us eavesdropping. That could only mean it’s Walter.”

  Milla pulled me back against the lounger and glared at me. “Is that asshole still harassing you?”

  I shook my head. “Not since he lost his lawsuit against me.” I listened intently, trying to hear even a small snippet of the conversation taking place on the phone.

  On what planet does a grandfather sue his own granddaughter for her inheritance? On Walter’s planet, that’s whose. I couldn’t believe he thought by threatening to take my inheritance I’d walk away from my aunt, the only woman who loved me, for a cushy job in his company.

  He hadn’t learned from the mistakes he made with my mother. He’d disowned his only child for marrying my father and fired her from the company that he’d groomed her to run. One day soon, I planned to get back what should have been my mother’s.

  Aunt Elana paced back and forth and waved her hands as she spoke into the receiver.

  “I wouldn’t put it past him to harass her as a means of getting what he wants,” voiced Carmen.

  “Let me scoot a little closer and then we can hear better,” Milla suggested.

  In normal circumstances, I’d have objected, but Aunt Elana was upset. “Okay, but don’t let her notice.”

  The three of us moved one lounger within listening distance of my aunt’s side of the conversation.

  “Are you out of your mind? No, you ignorant old man, I will not put her on the phone. Why won’t you leave her alone?” She smacked her hand against the wooden railing. “That girl has more brains in her little finger than you possess in your entire head. She doesn’t need any help from you with her merger. You—”

  Walter must have cut her off with another tirade. Aunt Elana ran her palm across her face in exasperation, pressing her fingers to her forehead.

  This was not good; whenever she reacted that way, it meant she was about to lose her normal calm, level-headed demeanor. “Let me stop you right there, Walter. Never, ever, question my intelligence.” She exhaled a deep breath. “I will tell you this only once. That girl is mine. You may share genetics with her, but you abandoned her. I may not have raised her to your standards, but she turned out amazing.

  “Your anger forced your wife to sacrifice any open relationship she could have had with her granddaughter, and now, even in death, you won’t give the poor woman peace. You can pretend Arya doesn’t have any pedigree, but that girl has more class
than you have ever possessed— No, I will not upset my daughter. Did you hear that? My daughter.”

  She ended the call and slammed the receiver against the nearby table. At that moment, her gaze focused on me and tears rimmed both our eyes.

  “Main aapase pyaar karatee hoon maan.” I love you, Mom.

  Walking to me, she kissed my forehead and whispered, “Mai bhee aap se pyaar karthee hoon.” I love you too.

  Then Aunt Elana turned to the others. “Ladies, I think I will return to the house.” She blew all of us a weary kiss. “Don’t stay out here too long.” Her footsteps echoed as she left us alone.

  “That pompous, ignorant geezer has gone too far. I feel like taking a flight back to the East Coast to kick his ass,” Milla exclaimed.

  Ignoring her, I moved to the spot Aunt El vacated. “I’m never going to fit in, am I? It doesn’t matter how much money I have or how refined I behave, I’m always going to be that half-foreign interloper.”

  “Stop letting Walter’s antics get to you,” Carmen interjected. “Ever since I met you, you have allowed him to make you feel unworthy. Those are his issues, not yours.”

  Carmen spoke the truth, but it was difficult to accept that my only connection to my mother would never love me.

  “Besides,” Carmen continued, “you fit better into the world of the elite than either Milla or I ever could, and we were born into it. I’ve never seen anyone wrap even the dodgiest of society’s elite around their finger as you do. Don’t let that bitter man affect you like this.”

  “She’s right, Ari. People love you, not because of your money, but because of the way you treat them.”

  I kept my head down, watching the surf hit against the pier. Milla’s arm crept down my back and around my waist, followed by Carmen’s from the other side. They both leaned their heads against my shoulders.