A deep scowl cuts across my face the second the words leave his mouth.
“I didn’t tell her because there’s nothing to tell. I might be loyal to ourPakhan, but he can’t force me to do something I don’t want to do.”
“Yes, he can,” Kostya says, and something about the certainty in his voice chills my spine.
“No, Kostya, he can’t. I’ve worked too damn hard to set things in motion so I can keep Stella. I won’t give her up just to marry someone I don’t know, let alone love.”
“Love,” he echoes, smirking. “Who would’ve thought my big brother would fall in love?”
But I’m too wound up from the reminder of my arranged marriage to find humor in anything.
“One problem at a time, brother,” Kostya says, squeezing my shoulder, sensing that his previous question hit a nerve. “Go and woo Romano like you planned. We’ll deal with Misha later.”
I give him a curt nod and step out of the car, walking toward the skyscraper that houses Romano Enterprises.
Inside, I take the elevator to the top floor and approach the receptionist at the counter.
“I’m here to see Vincent Romano. I have a meeting booked with him at eleven.”
“Name, please?” she asks without looking up.
“Kirill Petrov.”
“Ah, yes. Mr. Petrov.” She smiles politely. “Please take a seat. Mr. Romano’s secretary will be with you shortly.”
I sit in the lobby, aware of the curious stares from the other worker bees, but I brush them off and take in the vast, elegant space around me.
I built a strip club to disguise my criminal behavior.
Vincent Romano built an entire legitimate empire to hide his.
The difference is staggering.
Instead of a secretary, it’s Romano’sconsiglierethat comes to greet me. Giovanni DeLuca struts toward me, looking like he just heard something funny.
“I have to say, when you set up this meeting, I wasn’t sure it wasn’t a joke.”
“No joke. Just a business venture yourCapomight be interested in.”
“Let’s see then, shall we? Follow me,” he says, leading me toward one of the corner offices.
When we step inside Vincent’s office, the man is on the phone, talking to someone in his clipped, businesslike tone.
My gaze flicks up to the other man in the room, Romano’s head enforcer, Dominic, standing to his left like a damn guard dog. And when he returns my stare, that’s when I see it, the subtle twitch in his cheek. The same tell Stella makes when she sees someone she doesn’t like. As I study him further, the striking and uncanny resemblances begin to show.
Hmm.
Could it actually be true?
Could the Red Queen share her bed, not only with her husband, but with hisconsigliereand his enforcer too?
Could all those rumors about her actually contain a kernel of truth?
A quick glance over at Giovanni, and suddenly I see a lot of Lucky’s features in him too. Lord knows I’ve spent enough time around him at Kira’s apartment to memorize his mannerisms and ticks by now.
But when my gaze lands on theCapo Dei Capihimself, the resemblance to his successor, Marcello, is immediate. The dead cold glare in their eyes gives them both away.
I try to reel in this unexpected realization the second Vincent hangs up his phone and directs his attention solely on me.
