“And killed your friend in the process. If you’re willing to kill one of your friends, then what are you willing to do to my family? And now, Marco Amato, is coming after us, all because of you.”
“So what’s your plan then?” I ask.
“I am keeping my daughter safe.”
“I can’t let you take her from me. Kira is mine.”
In one quick motion, Gregor pulls out his gun and aims it at my head. The restaurant is dead this time of day so there aren’t any witnesses.
Nikolai and Maksim shoot to their feet.
“Gregor,” Nikolai says. “Be smart about this. If you kill Enzo, in my restaurant, then you are declaring war on the mafia and we’ll have even more problems on our hands than Marco Amato. Right now, with Enzo’s help, we can stop Marco. But if you kill Enzo, then we’re fucked.”
Gregor turns his gun onto Nikolai. “I never agreed with you giving my daughter away to him.”
Nikolai raises his hands in surrender. “I get it. You’re angry and you’ve been carrying this anger for a while. But death isn’t the option here. Kira is safe.”
“How do I know that? I haven’t spoken to her in weeks. She could be suffering for all I know.”
“Dad,” Maksim says, placing a hand on Gregor’s arm. “Don’t act rash.”
“You were supposed to be on my side and protect your sister.”
Maksim flinches. “I never wanted Kira married to Enzo either but I knew it was the best way for peace. Dad, you can’t do this. We have to be rational about everything. Killing Enzo is not the answer.”
“I am getting my daughter back,” Gregor announces. “And if you try to stop me, I will shoot you in the head.” Gregor storms out of the restaurant and it takes everything inside of me to not run after him. Killing Gregor would be easy but messy and I already have to deal with the Matteo mess.
“Don’t kill him,” Nikolai warns, giving me a serious look. “If you do, then our deal is off and we’ll be back to war.”
“I will fight Gregor if he takes Kira from me. So you need to decide who’s more important. Gregor or me. I am the reason you have a good relationship with the Mafia now. But Gregor? He isn’t the reason.”
“If he dies, then the whole of the Bratva will be angry.”
“And if I die, then the whole of the Mafia will be angry.”
“So we’re at a standstill,” Maksim says. “Just don’t do anything stupid that will put my sister in danger.”
“I won’t. I already proved that I’m willing to do what I must to protect her. But your father is a problem. One that you guys need to deal with before I do.” I leave the restaurant before either one of them can say more.
Kira is mine, even if I have to keep her from her very own father.
Kira
A loud knock at the front door shakes the idea of Enzo out of my head. After we had sex last night, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. I don’t physically feel any different and yet emotionally, I feel like a grown woman now. No longer under the shadow of my father. I can be my own person.
Whoever is knocking at the door isn’t stopping. With a sigh, I look out the peephole to see that it’s… my father.
“Dad?” I ask after I open the door.
He rushes inside. “Are you ok?”
“Why wouldn’t I be ok?”
“Enzo told me that you had been kidnapped.”
I place my hand on his arm. “I’m ok. I’m unhurt. You don’t have to worry.” I don’t bother telling him that I once scaled out of the second story window and hurt my ankle. The last thing I need is my father hating Enzo even more than he already does. Especially since I care for Enzo now.
I might even be falling in love with him if I’m not already there.
