Page 65 of Reckless Desires

I wait for one of them to say something else, to keep putting pressure on the decisions I make, but none of them do. It seems like they might all be prepared to accept it, which is honestly in their best interests.

“I want the Russians tracked down. I want to find out where they’re moving to and what they’re doing, and I need somebody to find me Nico Vidalia.”

Tommy’s gaze whips around, locking on mine. “Why are you looking for Vidalia?”

“Because he’ll be looking for me soon enough. The sooner one of us finds the other, the sooner that guy can be dead.”

“He’s not a man you want to cross. Nobody knows where his loyalties lie beyond himself. He has alliances we don’t know about.” Ronan shakes his head. “Pissing him off more than you already have is going to be a death sentence for all of us. Let Alessio deal with it. After all, he knows Vidalia is the one who took the Andretti girl.”

“And where does that leave us? Alessio doesn’t know Vidalia is on our side.” I take my time looking around the room, making eye contact with all my men. “If we’re the ones to bring him into Costello, it will strengthen us. It’ll take the relationship we have and make it ironclad. And Alessio owes us again. First, we took the docks from them, next we secure running shipments through their territory.”

“And if Alessio figures this out?” Ronan scoffs and shakes his head again. “Darius and Cameron aren’t stupid. They will find out the truth, and it will backfire.”

“So we make sure we get to Vidalia first.”

Ronan says nothing, instead taking another cigarette, lighting it, and putting it between his lips, taking a deep inhale.

I stand up and leave them sitting there, heading for the doors. Donal trails behind me. As though I wasn’t under enough pressure as leader of The Reapers, I have a gut feeling I’m missing something that’s right in front of me. Maybe I need to stop thinking like a leader and start thinking like a man on a mission to destroy everyone.

He says nothing until we’re outside and in the car, and then he turns to me. “What’s the plan?”

Grinning, I say, “I have no idea. But we are going to a party.”

Chapter Forty-Five

Lily

“Imade an appointment to get your extensions put in,” Mom announces as she breezes into my room, her arms full of clean, warm towels. The scent of fresh linen wafts in behind her, mixing with the faint smell of her floral perfume.

I glance up from the mirror, running my fingers over my short hair, admiring how sleek it looks against my neck. “I like the short hair. It’s chic,” I state, already knowing how I will style it.

Mom rolls her eyes slightly, her lips pursing into that familiar disapproving line. “It’s not you,” she replies, placing the towels on the countertop with a decisive thud. Her gaze flicks over my reflection, assessing, measuring. “There’s the charity gala in two days. Lots of potential men,” she adds, her tone almost conspiratorial as she reaches out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear, a gesture that feels more like an attempt to control than comfort.

I feel my stomach twist as I glance down at my reflection, my heart sinking. “I’m having a flare-up,” I lie, my voice barely above a whisper. I can feel the heat creeping into my cheeks, shame flooding through me as I avoid her gaze.

The pain has subsided, but I can’t tell her I’m not ready to go out in public again like nothing happened. She would just tell me to suck it up. When I asked Alessio to cancel my welcome home celebration, she didn’t talk to me for two whole days.

“Well, I’ll be going,” Mom says, her voice firm, as she smooths the towels with a practiced hand, the fabric crinkling under her fingers. “I want to thank that Killian again for bringing my baby girl back home.” Her smile is bright, almost too bright, as if she is envisioning the perfect evening filled with laughter and compliments.

The sound of his name sends a rush of butterflies swirling under my skin, filling me with a mixture of excitement and dread. Through the nightmares, the thought of him is the only sense of peace I seem to have. Suddenly, the charity gala doesn’t sound so bad, but the thought of being just an accessory to her plans twists my stomach even more.

“Mom—” I start, my voice shaky, but she waves her hand dismissively, her attention already drifting back to her own reflection in the mirror.

“Just think about it, sweetheart. You’ll look stunning in that dress, especially now that it should fit you better,” she says while staring at my waist, her eyes sparkling with the thrill of anticipation. She doesn’t seem to notice or care that I feel like a puppet in her grand scheme.

I swallow hard, my heart heavy. “What if I don’t want to go?”

Her smile falters for just a moment, replaced by a look that is almost doubtful. “You have to, darling. It’s important for both of us,” she says, her tone leaving no room for argument. “And besides, I’ve already planned everything. It would look bad if we don’t attend. After all, Stasia and Darius are hosting, and Selene and Cameron will be there. It will be a great mix of top-tier made men and the elites in the area.”

“Stasia and Selene don’t even speak to you.” I have a grudge with them. Since they refuse to come see me under Mom’s roof, I haven’t seen either of them since I’ve been back. I’ve stopped answering their calls and messages altogether.

“I went no contact with my mother for a few years before we spoke again.”

“Nana was on her deathbed at that point.”

“Better late than never.”

I feel a pang of frustration, a familiar ache that comes with knowing I am nothing more than a means to her end. I nod slowly, not trusting myself to speak, as the butterflies in my stomach become a swarm, fluttering wildly at the thought of being paraded like a trophy at her side.