AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Catch me up,” I tell Maks as we start to roll.
“I’ll start from the beginning. Boris and a handful of the old guard decided to follow Konstantin when he came here to murder Vadim. They joined with Konstantin’s men to infiltrate our Bratva. Igor, Konstantin’s second, was put in command here, but those of us loyal to you took him out. I’ve been leading the Bratva while we’ve been preparing for your return.”
Maks. He’s so damn competent. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before, but he should have always been my number one choice as second. I’ll make it official soon.
Maks continues, “Thanks to your lovely wife, we have the Italians and the Irish on our side too. As soon as Konstantin and his men set foot in this country we’ll know about it. We’ll be ready for them.”
I squeeze Arianna’s hand. She’s told me countless times that she wants out of this dangerous world we live in. But right now she’s thriving in it. She was born to be a mafia queen. With her by my side, I’m beginning to believe that we can overcome anything.
She smiles at me and my heart sings. I love this woman.
Maybe I have let my fears and trauma get the best of me lately. It was hard being held captive by Konstantin. He’s a sick bastard who relishes breaking me down until I’m nothing more than that cowering seven year old boy again. But that’s not who I am anymore. And he’s no longer the undefeatable monster lurking in the darkness. I can, and will, stand up to him.
Arianna’s right. I’m a grown man, and seeing myself through her eyes, I can find my strength. Konstantin is going to pay for not only what he put me through, but also for what he did to my mother and my uncle. I’m going to make him beg for death. I want him on his knees, to see the terror in his eyes, before I give him the mercy of a bullet in his head. Or perhaps I’ll watch as he slowly bleeds out.
Either way will be too merciful for a man like him.
CHAPTER 44
Arianna
We’ve temporarily moved into the safest place in the city. The Manor in Manhattan is the one place where we’re untouchable. The building is teeming with criminals of all types but beneath this roof the members have all agreed to the no violence policy. It’s the most secure, ritzy safe house on the East Coast.
Dimitri kisses my bare shoulder. “I have to go out. But I’ll be back as soon as possible.”
“Why?” I roll over in bed and sit up. “Why do you have to go?”
“It’s okay, kisa. I’m just meeting up with Maks for some important Bratva business that can’t wait. Today he officially becomes my second in command. He’ll have the authority he needs to do what has to be done.”
I know this is important to both of them, but I still don’t like that he’s going outside of The Manor. It’s not safe out there. Not until Konstantin and his men are dealt with, but so far no one has seen them.
“Hurry back,” I tell him.
He kisses me, then disappears out the door that auto locks.
Stretching, I reach for my phone. It’s past nine in the morning, so I decide to get up and shower, then put some proper clothing on.
The shower sprays water on me from multiple directions. The entire apartment is like living in a five star hotel, no expense was spared in constructing this place. There’s even a small walk-in closet off the bedroom. I had some of my things brought over. Today I choose a knee length wool dress with long sleeves. It’s comfortable enough to lounge in, but put together enough to make me feel somewhat in control of my life. A touch of makeup and blow drying my hair completes the look.
I grab my phone and open the messages app. Tarina texted me days ago with a quick note to call her when my family emergency was solved. The situation hasn’t resolved yet, but I can’t put off speaking to my boss much longer.
Hell, I don’t even know if I have a job anymore or not. There’s one way to find out. I press the call button and listen to the ringtone.
“Hello, Arianna,” she answers.
“Hi, Tarina.”
Silence follows our greetings.
“I understand you had a family emergency,” she says. “However, it’s too bad it interfered with the most important night of your job. Mr. Hyde wants me to point out that you were supposed to be on call until after midnight.”
“Yes, I know, and I’m sorry. But I couldn’t stay.”
“I realize that, and Mr. Hyde has agreed to hiring you on in a full-time position at Leonidas.”
“Really?” I squeeze my phone tighter.
Tarina softly chuckles. “Really. You’re excellent at your job, so you’ll be my personal assistant. Can you come by the club today for the paperwork?”
