Page 4 of A Bride for the Mafia King

Before I can say anything else, his attention locks onto something behind me. Turning slightly I follow his gaze and se Fabio, the Don’s lead Capo, emerging from the elevator at the end of the hallway. His eyes are dark and angry as he approaches.

“We’ve got a lead,” he tells Nico as he stops beside me. His eyes flicker to me, lingering a second longer than I like.

“Who?” Nico demands.

“The damn Russians. And not just any Russians; Tolya himself was seen leaving our territory in a SUV near the house just after this all went down by one of our scouts.” Fabio spits out. “What’s our counter move? Are we going to pay them a visit?”

My stomach knots. The Russians are no joke, I’ve heard the name before - Tolya. Cold and calculating, he's the Chicago Pakhan, and it's said he has ties directly to the Bratva in the motherland. If he was directly involved then this is much bigger than I realized.

I’ve only seen him in passing once, from a distance, at a neutral gathering of the local heads of the houses. He's handsome in a hard sort of way, with a noticeable scar on the right side of his face. His glacial blue eyes sent a shiver down my spine when they met mine, and I had to look away. His gaze made me feel raw and exposed despite the crowded room.

“Would he do something like that, Nico?” I ask, baffled, “I thought we were in negotiations with Tolya?”

“Of sorts. The Don and the Pakhan… have a difference of opinion shall we say.”

I take a moment to look up at my brother who stands silently beside me. His face is masked, emotionless.

“Boss?” Fabio pushes eagerly. His eyes dance with the need for retribution for the insult done to their family, “With De Mello in his current condition it’s up to you as the acting Don. We are awaiting your orders. What counter action shall we take? When do we strike? My men are ready.”

Nico’s expression doesn’t flicker. His tone is firm when he finally speaks.

“You’re not going to do a damn thing,” he orders. “I’ll handle this myself.”

Fabio’s eyes narrow, Sharp disapproval rolls off of him like a thick smoke. The kind of disapproval that you not only see but feel, dark and dangerous. Tension passes between the two men, thickening the air around the three of us.

“Understood,” Fabio finally says through clenched teeth, his voice clipped.

With a respectful nod in my direction, he turns on his heel and stalks away. I watch him go, his back rigid, his body language still angry.

“That won’t go over well,” I mutter so that only Nico will hear.

“As I said, I’ll handle it.” His voice is matter of fact.

Turning my gaze back to him, my eyes question him in silence. I have so many things I want to ask. He reads the look in my eyes. With a deep sigh he shakes his head and loops his arm around my back, leading the way through the hospital.

“Come on, I’ll drive you home. We've got some things to discuss.”

He doesn’t say anything else as we ride the elevator down to the lower levels where the underground garage sits on the southeastern side of the building. My stomach tightens in apprehension. Somehow his silence makes the entire situation seem worse, much worse.

“I made a deal.” he finally divulges once we we’re alone in his BMW, his voice gravelly.

For the next few minutes, Nico drove away from the hospital in silence, the only sound within the small space coming from his fingers drumming against the steering wheel.

I turn to look at him. Something about his tone makes the color drain from my face, I could feel the rush beneath my cheeks.

“What kind of a deal?” I ask cautiously.

He doesn’t look at me, eyes locked on the road, mouth set in a tight line. He swallows hard before saying, “One that will keep you safe, me alive and benefit the entirety of our family.”

I don’t press him, waiting patiently for him to continue.

“You're going to marry Tolya Ivanovich.” He glances at me then, gauging my reaction.

I stare at him, dumbfounded.

Did I hear that correctly?

“I’m sorry, I must be in a dream of some sort. Did you just say that you're marrying me, your only sister, off to the head of the Russian Mafia?!”