I release a cold, callous laugh that has her flinching. “I didn’t claim to be anything else, but you should step down off your soapbox, Vienna. Those who sit in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. You aren’t exactly the vision of innocence you portray. In fact, you’re a fucking viper in the grass—all of you are. You certainly had me fooled,” I sneer, glaring at her in disgust.
“You have no idea why…” Before she can finish her words, Mario backhands her, and her head smashes against Xavier’schest. Xavier growls and glares at his adoptive father, who just scowls back.
“Shut your fucking mouth, you stupid bitch. Control her, Xavier, or someone is going to suffer,” he threatens, and Vienna loses all her fire and cowers in Xavier’s arms, shaking her head.
“No, I’m sorry. Please don’t,” she begs and starts sobbing. Xavier whispers words that I can’t hear and rubs his hand up and down her back.
I stand up, ignoring them. “If that is all, I would kindly ask you to get the fuck out of my house. There is no need for you to be here any longer.”
Mario starts to laugh and shakes his head. “We won’t be going anywhere, especially since you are going to marry my son. We will all be a happy family soon enough.”
“Like fuck I am marrying your son. You have nothing to make me now,” I argue, picking up my Glock, ready to put a bullet in this asshole and be done with it.
“No!” Vienna screams, and Xavier steps in front of his adoptive father and holds up his hands.
“Wait, just wait,” he practically begs, but I ignore him and flick off the safety. I don’t owe these assholes anything.
Mario tuts. “Tori, do you really think Gio and Casey were the only things I could hold over your head? I assure you that was just a happy coincidence. In fact, I didn’t know about their relationship until recently. You were always the goal. Like you, I decided that Gio was expendable. Him knocking up my niece was the only thing that saved his life. You are the real powerhouse behind the Russos, and you are going to marry my son and produce a blood heir for the Russo-Maricuso empire, and then there will be no denying our claim.”
“I’d rather fuck a cactus,” I spit out, and he gives me a look like that could be arranged. “I will not be managed, and I will not be manipulated. You have nothing left.”
“What about your beloved caretakers or your bodyguards? Accidents do happen. Gio’s and Casey’s deaths today proved that.” He gives me a look that tells me he doesn’t believe any of my denials.
I keep my face blank as my heart starts to beat faster. When will this fucking stop? Am I really supposed to feel nothing for anyone to keep everyone safe? “They can take care of themselves. You can’t kill everyone in my life, Mario. Eventually someone will suspect you.”
He shrugs. “Or they will suspect you. A few whispers about how you’ve become mentally unstable in the wake of all these deaths, and I’m sure all the suspicion will circle to you.”
I put on a fake pout. “Oh, boo-hoo. I’m mentally unstable. It still isn’t going to force me to marry him.” I point at Xavier, who passed Vienna back to the other two and is staring at me with cold, calculating eyes—eyes that used to watch me with a completely different expression. His arms are crossed, and his suit barely contains all those delicious muscles I got my hands on when we were sparring. How was I so fucking blind? The betrayal is almost a tangible hurt, and every time I think about any of them, I feel like crying or shooting something. When is the pain going to stop?
“You will marry me, Tori. In fact, we are going to the courthouse as soon as we are done with this sham of a wake. If you really cared about Sage, then you would have figured out another way, not killed him, and you will be my wife before the night is over.” Xavier is serious. I throw my head back and laugh, which seems to make everyone flinch when they hear it.
“You and whose army?” I ask, waving my hand around. “There’s nothing you could say or do now that would force my hand. I will not marry you, and the moment I can, I am going to come for you.” I move my gaze to the other three. “All of you, andwhen I’m finished, you will wish you were still in that hovel your parents brought you up in.”
Vienna flinches, and Colton and Tristan glare at me with hatred.
Mario starts to clap slowly, and I turn my attention back to him. He’s grinning, and I can’t help but wonder what the fuck is wrong in this man’s brain. He is surely off his fucking rocker. “Oh, bravo, dear. That was impressive, but truly, you are wasting your breath. You will marry Xavier, and you will smile while you do it, and then you are going to come home, and you are going to let him fuck a baby into that belly so my grandchild will be an heir I can mold and shape in my own vision. If you have a fucking female, then you will keep trying until you give him a son. Xavier, Tristan, and Colton will take over the day-to-day operations of the Russo empire, and you, Vienna, and my other niece, Stacey, will be pretty little arm candy when they need you to be.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I ask, unable to help myself. I pick up my gun again, ready to be done with this. None of the people in my house will be sad to see this asshole die.
Again, someone steps between Mario and my bullet, but this time, it’s Colton. He is holding up his phone, and there is a video playing on the screen. “I wouldn’t if I were you, Tori,” he warns, and I frown when I see the pleading look in his eyes. His back is to Mario, so he can’t see him mouth, “Please,” to me.
“See, Tori? I really do have more leverage—leverage that you are never going to get your hands on, and if you don’t do exactly what I say and marry Xavier today, then I will make sure they suffer.”
I start to shake my head. Nothing he can do is going to make me marry Xavier. I’d rather kill myself than marry the man whom I have so many complicated feelings for, the biggest one being hatred.
Colton steps closer, and my attention drops to the video when I hear a voice that makes me freeze and question if I’m already dead and in some kind of hell loop. Mario chuckles and steps up next to Colton, pointing at the video on the screen.
“You see, Tori, I have your father and aunt, and while they have been cared for and looked after until now, I’m not opposed to hurting them to get what I need.”
Chapter Three
Ishake my head, unable to comprehend exactly what he is saying. I lean forward and study the screen. Maybe it’s an old one from before they died, but at the top of the video is a little “live” flashing, and I realize that Colton is streaming this video from somewhere.
Goosebumps start to erupt on my skin, and hope tingles deep inside my belly, but then I watch the man who is supposed to be my dad pull my aunt into his arms and kiss her hard. Yeah, that isn’t them. They must be some actors, and they haven’t realized their actions are being filmed. Leaning back in my chair, I wave my hand at the screen.
“Pfft, nice try. You almost had me questioning my sanity. It’s a new low for you, Mario, pretending my father and aunt are still alive. Who are they? Some body doubles who are a close match? You should have briefed them better, or at least let them know they are being watched. Them kissing is a dead giveaway they aren’t who you say they are,” I remark, drumming my fingers on the table, my attention split between the heinous asshole and the video.
I admit it’s good, they even sound like my family members. The appear to be in a small apartment, with a bed, a smallkitchenette, and lounge area, and I’m assuming there’s a bathroom behind one of the doors. “If I hadn’t seen the limo explode myself and their dead bodies being pulled from the wreckage, you may have fooled me. Oh, and the kissing. My dad would never betray his best friend like that.” I stab my finger at the screen as the couple moves to the sofa and continues to make out like teenagers.
