I look down, and that’s when I notice the little black box strapped to my chest. I then look at Lily, and she has a box of her own attached to her. Are thesebombs?
My heart begins pounding as a cold dread runs through me. Fear chokes me with the very real possibility that we may not come out of this alive.
Stop, this won’t help our situation.I refuse to hide from the fight any longer. Even if I am out of my depth on this one. I’m quick to shake off the panic, in hopes it offers Lily the same strength.
“What do you want?” I carefully ask, and he seems surprised at my question.
“Oh, nothing from you, Romi. Now, we just wait. I’ll give it a few days to really let the terror strike their tiny little hearts, then I'll send a ransom demand to your apartment. It’s all pretty straightforward, really. They exchange themselves for you and Ms. Taylor.
"See, I was waiting for my chance to use you, but I waited too long, and that was my mistake. I tried to be methodical instead of taking immediate action. And I couldn’t quite get to you after your involvement with Dante Moretti. He was everywhere, always buzzing around you. But instead, today, you came back to me.” He laughs as if bewildered by his luck.
“I was only ever expecting to use you, but it’s a bonus that Lily made an unexpected return to Manhattan, because I can also wipe out that piece of shit Lorenzo as well. An eye for an eye, you see.”
“And what might that eye be?” Lorenzo’s voice booms from the doorway. Shaun jumps to his feet, the gun swinging in Lorenzo's direction.
My heart picks up when I spot Dante standing beside him, his dark-brown gaze immediately locked on me, and I suddenly understand that everything is going to be okay.
“Hello,Cattivella. Seems you’ve found yourself in trouble once again,” he says with a smirk that doesn’t reach his eyes, especially when he locks them on Shaun.
41
DANTE
When I see Romi tied to a chair, it immediately puts me in a bloody, murderous rage. For once, I’m grateful to my brother's overbearing ways since he was the reason we could track them so quickly. My heart freezes the moment I see the bombs strapped to the women, but when Romi looks at me, her gaze is fierce like a warrior's, and it immediately eases some of my agitation. I’ll get her out of this situation, and I couldn’t be prouder as my woman sits there defiantly. But she shouldn’t be sitting there at all.
The man standing in front of us is insignificant, and he speaks with a clear American accent, which is only more confusing as to who the fuck this Fyodor Novikov is.
“You,” the man says, pointing to Lorenzo with the gun, “killed my best friend.”
“You’re going to have to be a bit more specific. I kill a lot of people,” Lorenzo blandly replies.
I covertly scan the room and notice the woman hiding in the shadows, as if hoping she won’t be seen. She seems unsure as the events play out, which means we did catch them off guard. Otherthan the two of them, I don’t notice anyone else. Is this really the last of them?
“My friend worked for The Lion. He was trying to get out, and you killed him before he had the chance. He didn’t want to be a part of this life anymore,” the man says, waving the gun around, but it’s the device in his other hand I care most about. “He got caught in the crossfire, and you walked away. Your boss walked away. Hell, everyone walked away unscathed but him!”
“And The Lion,” I add on, reminding him that the very monster he was trying to free his friend from had also been killed. He points the gun at me, and I smile, putting my hands up. “Look, I know more than anyone how much of a dick my brother is. His collecting enemies is not a surprise to me, but remind me… who are you again?”
He turns a shade red. “The name's Shaun. Not that you’ll remember it.”
My eyebrows dip. “Shaun? So, who the fuck is Fyodor Novikov?”
“It’s a name I made up, dumbass, so everyone was looking for some Russian Bratva warrior instead of me. No one ever looks at a bartender twice, do they, Romi?” He glances over his shoulder at her, and a guttural noise escapes me as I take a step forward to regain his attention.
“Ah, ah,” he says, holding up the device. “I didn’t expect things to unfold like this, but it’s benefited me. Now, both of you are going to sit your asses down while we tie you up. If you don't, both of the women die. Do we have an understanding?”
Romi’s eyes connect with mine again. There’s no fucking way that is happening. “How about you let them go since we’re the ones you want?” I say as calmly as I can, considering the circumstances. I try my hardest to cling to my control, that murderous rage within me unfurling in poisonous tendrils. But if I make a move against him now, it jeopardizes her safety.
Lorenzo and I both walk toward the chairs.
We’d been idiots. This whole time, an amateur like this was pulling the strings, and that’s what blinded us to it. We were so fixated on whether the Bratva was retaliating, we didn’t even consider this fucking loser entering with his revenge plot.
“It doesn’t work like that. I need to make sure you’re good boys, then I’ll use you both in the meantime to draw out Luca.”
I scoff as I take a seat. “You’re really something if you think our boss actually cares about our safety. Like your friend was to The Lion, we’re expendable.”
He shakes his head agreeably, but an unhinged smile crosses his features. “But that’s the fun part. Because I know you two will do whatever it takes to ensure these two women survive. So, you’re going to bring him to me.”
Lorenzo and I really take him in now. This little lunatic thinks he has it all figured out, but there’s no way I’m letting him hurt Romi, and I’m sure Lorenzo feels the same about Lily. At the very least, I know if something were to happen to me, Lorenzo will protect Romi. I find comfort in that. We might not be on the best of terms, but Lorenzo has always been more of a hero than I am.
