I could smell the smoke from the office down the hall before I entered. The men seated at the long mahogany table looked up briefly, acknowledging my presence, and then returned to their discussions.
I swallowed my thoughts of her, of the screams and blood, and took my seat. The larger issues had to be handled first. Aurelia could wait for now.
My father’s men—the older, scarred veterans of the Orlov empire—shifted in their seats, papers and ledgers spread in front of them. The sharp scent of aged wood and ink filled the room.
“Report,” Viktor demands, in a way that made men squirm even before he finished speaking.
I lean back slightly, letting him wait a beat longer than necessary. Timing was control, and control was power. “Sergio isdead,” I say simply, watching eyes flicker around the table. “The prisoner is secure, and Ivan is tending to Adrian’s bullet wound.”
Viktor’s gaze sharpens. “Secure?” he says slowly. “And you were not given permission to shoot Adrian, you know his value.”
“Adrian needed to be reminded of his place,” I reply. “And yes, she issecure, I’m handling the details.”
A low chuckle ripples around the table. One of the older men, scarred across his temple, leans back and spits tobacco into a crystal ashtray. “Hah, your son is just as described, Viktor. But she’s just a girl, Nikolai. There isn’t much to her besides her pussy, so when will we get the taste we were promised?” He winks at another man across the table, sharing laughter as the other adds, “If she’s any good, we’ll make sure she’s useful.”
I should fire a round into each of their skulls for the way they’re speaking, but I hold my composure for her sake. This was what they were, men who saw women as tools, prizes, and bargaining chips. If they see that I want her even more than I’ve already shown, they will only press harder for Viktor to give the order.
But he doesn’t intervene, only nodding slowly, the lines in his face deepening.
Another chimes in, “Why are we letting Nikolai have a turn when we can just go up and fuck the girl ourselves?” And I break just enough to ensure that these limp-dick bastards get the message, pulling my gun and slamming it on the table.
Viktor chuckles from his seat. “You have so much anger, my boy.” He smiles, looking around. “It’s good. Keep it that way. But she’s the leverage. Don’t forget that.”
Another man, older and bald, leans forward, tapping a gold ring against the table.
He looks as though he’s about to speak when Viktor interjects, “Let’s move on from Miss De Luca. What about thegirls for our meetings this week? We can’t have these operations without… incentives.”
The meeting continues in the same repetitive manner, but I tune it out as Viktor takes the lead, discussing shipments, territory negotiations, and security breaches.
Their laughter and crude jokes follow me down the hall, echoing off the stone walls.
It all means nothing.
Not when I’m on the way to see my girl again.
Chapter 49
Elijah
“Itold you he was just wasting our fucking time.”
“What did you want me to do? Start a war while he keeps my sister God knows where?”
“We wasted days we could’ve spent looking for her, at a fucking club,” I argue, hitting Enzo’s chest with the back of my hand.
“He didn’t give us much of a choice. And we got information, Elijah, that’s all that matters. Can’t you see that he cares for her? That’s why he wanted you there.”
“That makes it worse. She might believe him. She might grow to care about him, especially if she remembered him like he so subtly hinted.”
“My sister isn’t stupid. She’ll never see him as anything more than the narcissist he is.”
I stop with my hand on the door of Dante’s office. “She has a big heart. And whether she admits it or not, the girl wants to be loved obsessively.Dangerously.”
Enzo nods toward the door, refusing to meet my eyes.
He knows I’m right.
I knock once, then push it open.
