Page 36 of Love & Power

“Oh, I’ll be living off my pension for the remainder of my life that was put into a separate account with only my name on it,” Frediano answered. “Don’t you worry about me, my dear girl, I have plenty to live off of. Your grandmother came from a wealthy family, and she got a sizable inheritance that I placed in the same account after her passing. With your father’s wealth and mine now yours, there isn’t anything you can’t do or buy. Just be wise in how you show that off. Wealth brings out the worst in people around you.”

I wasn’t sure I agreed with that sentiment, but I guessed he was probably thinking about Renato. “I’ll keep that in mind,” I assured him and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for these.”

“Enjoy your afternoon with your friend, and I’ll see you back here tonight for the family meeting,” Frediano said, squeezing my arm affectionately.

Turning to the door, I was unsure what to do with these items, realizing I didn’t have my purse. I hesitated deciding if I needed to go back to my room when I spotted Gemma holding out the purse in question.

“Thank you, Gemma. I’m a bit all over the place today,” I admitted, tucking the items in my purse.

Gemma gave me a ghost of a smile. “I know you told us not to act like your maids, but I figured as an effort to be friends, this was a good step.”

“Friends?” I parroted back.

“Yes, seeing how close you and Master Boykov are has given me a new perspective on how to be an effective bodyguard. Your friendship with him has earned him enough respect from you that he can push back on matters when it comes to your safety, and you listen,” Gemma reasoned.

When she explained it like that, I realized she was right, but I also knew Gemma didn’t have the discernment Boykov did. “Just keep in mind, Gemma, the only time he pushes back is when it’s deserved. Otherwise, he follows orders.”

“I merely wish to work on building trust between us, Lady Astin. When we first met, I didn’t conduct myself well,” Gemma explained.

That was an understatement, but I let the matter drop. I’d already made it clear something like that wouldn’t happen again. “The first step is to be yourself, Gemma. I don’t trust people who are fake with me,” I warned, slipped the purse over my shoulder, and headed out to the driveway.

The sight of a shiny rose-gold Lamborghini had me grinning at the woman behind the wheel, looking like a silver-screen beauty in her scarf and sunglasses.

“I think I might be slightly underdressed to even sit in that car,” I noted as I approached.

Ivy pulled down her sunglasses so I could see her expression. “Don’t play with me, darling. You know damn well that form-fitting power suit looks sexy as hell on you. Now get your ass in the car… we have things to do before your big meeting.”

“Is there anything you don’t know?” I demanded, yanking open the passenger door. “Seriously, how are we ever going to have things to talk about when you know everything already?”

Ignoring my attitude, she handed me another scarf with a black and gold pattern that matched my outfit. “Trust me, we have plenty to talk about. Also, I only know this much about people I care about, so consider it a form of flattery.”

With a snort, I tucked my hair under the scarf as she started the engine. It wasn’t until I put my seat belt on that she dropped the clutch, and in a flurry of gravel, we roared out of the driveway. Having no idea where we were going, I had no choice but to enjoy the ride as we flew down the road. With the wind whipping around us, there was no possibility of talking, but I enjoyed the chance to take in the scenery. I glanced in the rearview mirror and spotted Thad in a Maserati sedan, managing to keep up with us.

After about an hour, we arrived at the same small airport we landed at two days ago. Without hesitation, she pulled into a hangar and shut off the car.

“Ivy, where exactly are we having lunch?” I questioned.

“Oh, didn’t I mention we need to pick up a friend along the way?” she asked, getting out of the car.

Deciding not to bother with the door, I pulled myself up and vaulted over the side. “Ivy, what the fuck is going on?” I snapped. “My trust with anyone only goes so far when I feel like I’m being manipulated, and we promised not to do that to each other.”

Ivy pulled off her scarf, letting her rose-gold hair fall in lush waves down her back. She was a stunning woman with the perfect figure accentuated with the high-waisted knee-length pencil skirt and loose, white silk button-down shirt.

Removing her glasses, Ivy pinned me with her crystal-blue gaze. “Astin, there are things that I need to explain, information that puts my life in danger just stepping foot back in this country. Please, trust me for just a little longer. Once we’re in the air, I will answer all your questions.”

I hadn’t known this woman long, but one thing I’d figured out quickly was she didn’t scare easily. Right now, Ivy was definitely afraid, and she was pleading for me to trust her. Letting out a breath, I nodded and walked up the steps of my jet, taking a seat at the table that was set for lunch. Thad and Gemma were right behind me taking their seats in the back of the cabin to give us privacy. Ivy settled across from me, shaking out her napkin like she didn’t just beg me to get on the damn jet.

“I hope you enjoy seafood. I had one of the best restaurants in the area provide us with hors d’oeuvres to tide us over until our final guest joins us,” Ivy shared, opening a bottle of chilled white wine and filling our glasses.

We sipped our wine silently until the plane was safely off the ground and the appetizers were placed on the table. Immediately, I went for the crab puffs, and she smiled.

“Ryker mentioned you enjoyed those,” she murmured.

Taking another swig of wine, I set the glass down and leveled her with a look. “Tell me what’s going on, Ivy, and don’t you fucking dare sugarcoat it.”

“You’re right, it’s time I came clean about the real reason I first approached you.” Ivy sighed, setting aside her wine. “Foxxx is clearly not my last name… it was once Barone. My family was deeply connected to illegal mining of gems and minerals. I’m sure it doesn’t sound all that impressive, but there is a huge demand for such things in countries with incredibly strict laws controlling who can or can’t mine. That’s beside the point… all that matters is we had enough standing and power to be a threat to the five families.”

My stomach dropped as I guessed where this story was headed. I recalled the venom in her words during our first meeting when she talked about how any competition would be wiped out before they became an issue.