“Gabriel?” Another form of punishment, allowing his brother to be the first on the list, the man the consortium trusted the most. Whatever assignments he received would be out of the public eye and certainly less dangerous. The kills were also considerably less fulfilling. The reduction in rank was indeed an embarrassment for the entire family.
“He’s the most qualified, although sometimes I wonder if he has far too much of his mother in him, just like Angelo.” Finally, Benedetto’s face softened and he placed a hand on Wrath’s arm. “You are just like me, my son, a man with no conscience and no love for anything but your family and your country. That is an incredible gift to have. Your brothers are much softer, preferring wine and women to hard work. This is merely a blip for you, nothing that I am too concerned about. As long as there is nothing that you need to tell me then within a few months you will be back on track.”
The reasons for marrying were simply to provide heirs, blood for the continuation of the consortium. This was the very reason he’d loathed his father since he was a small child, the utter disregard he had for his mother disgusting. But his father was right.
Wrath had grown into the exact same man as his father, capable of horrific violence without the concept of understanding love. He allowed his father to see the same cold smile he’d offered since he could remember, even though inside he was burning with hatred. Sadly, that was only one of the emotions driving him to near madness.
“I will rest, Father, for a few days. That is all I need.”
“You will soon be asked to perform your other duties. Would you like for me to make arrangements?”
“Other duties?” He knew the answer and bristled at the concept. The old Italian ways would never be able to die until the elders no longer had control of the consortium.
“One of our members had a beautiful daughter that would be suitable for you. She is of child-bearing age and from whatI’ve been told, very fertile. Plus, this will endear you to the consortium once again.”
While he knew his father was entirely serious, he had no answer that would satisfy either one of them. “I will take that under advisement, Father, but for now, I have my goal as presented. There will be no other failures.”
“Son, just keep in mind that women can be our ultimate demise. What you might think is a connection that can never be broken is merely a myth. If you continue, you will lose everything.”
Wrath sucked in his breath, fighting yet another round of anger. He’d been followed. Then again, the consortium had eyes everywhere. The truth is, he’d been careless, something that would never happen again. “Understood, Father, but something for you to relay to the consortium members. I will not be threatened for any reason at any time. You forget,” he allowed the words to linger as he turned to glare into his father’s eyes, “I know every ugly secret and I won’t hesitate to expose them if necessary.”
He didn’t wait for his father to respond, merely walking out of the office with his shoulders held back in an air of defiance. The line in the sand had been drawn, something he’d hesitated from doing for the past two years. Twenty-four months of playing their lapdog in hopes of obtaining a position at their round table. Until one or more died, that was never going to happen. He chuckled as he headed down the ornate set of stairs. Maybe he needed to take matters into his own hands. He’d broken the rules, getting close to the enemy.
Perhaps this was the ultimate coup.
As he moved out into the sunshine, he envisioned Ashley’s stunning smile, his cock twitching. His longing for the dangerous woman had increased given the distance and what no one would ever know were the lengths he would go in order to find her.
One day, she would be the one to bear his children. And one day, he would be the ruler, king of the world.
Miami
One week later
Federal Agent Sophia Waters sat at her desk attempting to concentrate. She tapped her pen on the open file, studying the same notes she’d been staring at for over an hour. The same ‘what if’ scenarios burned in the back of her mind.
What if Pierre Renier was The Player?
What if she’d figured that out earlier?
What if she hadn’t fucked him like some wanton slut?
And what if she hadn’t fallen hard for the man?
At least she hadn’t botched the entire operation. Catching a glimpse of Stephen leaving the club had set the operation in motion. Their return to the states had been without incident. However, she’d fudged the follow-through report, leaving out certain… aspects of the case. The nagging regarding Pierre would remain until she was able to dig more seriously into every detail of the officer’s past.
She’d scoured everything in her search to find The Player, and the men who obviously had the assassin’s back. Rumors abounded, whispers of a group that had set their sights on ruling the world.
But they were just rumors, almost like the identity of The Player.
“You look like you’ve lost your best friend,” David said as he flanked her desk.
While she appreciated everything her partner had done, including securing the exit arrangements in Monte Carlo, she was in no mood for additional harassment.
She’d had enough of that from her superiors after her return. “Just a few nagging details.”
“Hmmm… Are you going to tell me what really happened?”
“I’ve told you everything I know.” Along with everyone else. She chewed on her inner lip as she thought about Pierre. She thought she’d seen him racing after the SUV, dressed in all black and she could swear he had a gun in his hand. Even remaining in the shadows, there’d been no mistaking his handsome, rugged face. Jesus Christ. Why couldn’t she think straight?
