Page 150 of The Viper's Wife

She’s standing in the center of the fighter’s cage, the track lights shining around her lace robe like she’s the black hole in the center of the universe.

“Nico,don’t!” Dom shouts as I lunge from my hiding place to the cage.

I have my vest. I don’t care what happens,she’sexposed—she’s vulnerable.

Her eyes are wide with horror as I get closer to her.

The cage—it’s locked by a padlock.

“Here is the key.”

I hear theclinkof a small metallic object landing on the ground near my feet.

I swivel my gun up, aiming toward Yevgeniy. He stands tall, his palms lifted in the air.

“Why is she in a cage?” I ask.

“So she would not run before I talk with you.”

Even staring down the barrel of a gun, Yevgeniy is calm with the absolute conviction of a man who is sure of an outcome.

Soyuznik, he said.Allies.

“If you’re lying, the other men here will kill you,” I say.

“I am not lying.”

I can’t wait any longer. I drop my rifle from his face and dive down for the key. In seconds, the padlock is open, and I’m in the cage.

“Val!” I lunge at her and wrap her into my arms. “Did he hurt you? What happened?”

“I’m okay,” she half-laughs against my ear. A tremor passes through her body, and she hugs me back tightly. “It was Stefano. He was dressed like the hotel staff. He had chloroform on a rag. I woke up in the trunk of his car, and he took me here.”

That fucking little bastard.

I stroke her back, shoving aside the images of the long and painful torture I have in store for her brother. “It’s okay. Salvatore caught him. He’ll be taken care of very soon.”

Valeria pulls back, biting into her lower lip. She looks so vulnerable without her lipstick. “He said Giovanni was threatening Mom. Please. I know… I hate him too, Nico. Just, please don’t kill him, okay? Promise me. Just, put him in prison, please. He’s my family.”

Only Valeria could hold so much compassion in her heart for someone who doesn’t deserve it.

At my pause, her gaze grows sharper. “Nico,” she says warningly.

Fuck it.

“Okay. I promise.”

“You see she is safe?” Yevgeniy says from outside the cage. “Now, we talk.”

33

VALERIA

After a few minutesof back-and-forth between Yevgeniy and Nico, I find myself at a card table with the two of them, and we’re joined by Don Salvatore and Dom.

Nico demanded that I sit on his lap, which the rest of the men took in stride, and I made no effort to fight. After the past few hours, sitting in his arms feels like the safest place in the world. I rest one hand over my belly, and Nico lays his hand over mine.

“I think we know, now,” Yevgeniy says, his hands clasped together on top of the table. Dom keeps his gun pointed in Yevgeniy’s direction, which he agreed to so long as we talk. “That I do not wish to be your enemy, Don Salvatore. The girl’s brother brought her to me on Ottavio’s orders. And I accepted, because this—how do you say—escalationhas gone too far. We are too close to war.”