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Let alone the status of our hold on certain territories.
I was a brutal man, but the long stint of peace in New York was making me weak. That would stop right now.
Including with my bride to be. I couldn’t allow her to get under my skin, pulling away the levels of savagery. I gazed down at her again, mildly concerned she’d yet to awaken from the sedative I’d given her. While the drug was completely safe, she’d been out for several hours longer than originally planned.
Dealing with the aftermath of taking her away from her family would prove to be… delicate. The farce of a truce between our two families could explode at any time. While caution was needed, I’d never had any interest in interacting with the Vincheti world.
And I never liked to be forced to do anything.
The driver stopped just in front of the massive double doors, awaiting instructions. Several of my men were already waiting in formation, prepared for my arrival. I expected things to be a certain way, refusing anything else, and I was known for providing harsh punishments.
I gazed down at Giada, taking a few seconds to slide hair away and brushing my knuckles down the side of her face. Perhaps she was innocent in all of this, the anger and hatred I’d placed directly on her shoulders abominable, but my need for revenge on her family was all-consuming, enough so I could taste sweet revenge on my lips.
That would take time. Time to break her down, driving her to the point of such demanding need that she would succumb to me entirely. Only when she was completely and utterly mine could I move past her. Maybe then I’d finally be able to sleep at night.
While her injuries appeared to be superficial, I’d chartered a flight bringing a physician to the island to ensure my princess didn’t have internal bleeding. She would need to be whole in order to face what I had in store for her.
“I’ll return, my sweet. Just sleep peacefully.”
As I climbed out, all six men stood at attention. Things were different on the islands, my command tougher than in the States. They knew me far too well, especially my tendency for flying off the handle after events like the one I’d been forced to endure.
The six men waiting were my most trusted men, most of whom had been with me for years. They were highly trained in all aspects of weaponry, skilled in martial arts and ancient methods of torture. But their greatest expertise was their lack of conscience. They were killing machines.
For that, they were paid very well for their service.
I stepped out into the bright sun, hissing as the warm rays washed down over me. While I didn’t mind the heat, the constant humidity was a bitch, even with the ocean breezes. I yanked out my sunglasses, surveying the area. Only a portion of the estate itself was surrounded by extensive fencing, reinforced with coiled barbed wire. While there were barriers in other locations, the rest of the island could be targeted with unwanted visitors, but the constant sweeps of the acreage had prevented three different invasions from occurring.
However, I’d made several calls during the flight to beef up security. Perhaps the attack had been nothing more than a clear warning, but with my refusal to back down, the next time would mean a direct hit with dozens of casualties. That much I’d learned about warfare early on.
I took a deep breath, allowing the salty air to fill my lungs. It had been at least six months since I’d visited the island, but I had no doubt everything had been maintained exactly as I required.
“Sevastian. It’s good to see you,” Issak held out his hand. He’d been placed in charge of keeping the island running at top efficiency, protecting the ammunition, both as supplies for the island as well as those prepared for sale to select buyers. I was very careful who I allowed into my world, but that didn’t mean the DEA or some international law enforcement team wouldn’t attempt to infiltrate it by using a plant within my organization. There were spies everywhere. I had several of my own in our enemies’ organization, most simply keeping tabs on their business dealings.
Gone were the days of using only brawn and weapons to get our way. Between state-of-the-art computer systems, satellites, aeronautical engineering marvels, and social media, we had more control sitting behind a desk than we did in the field.
However, it was necessary to walk the streets in order to keep a presence. It didn’t matter which country or how differently we were required to operate.
In today’s mafia wars, anything was possible, the stakes higher than ever before.
“Thank you, Issak. Is everything in order?”
“Of course. The house is opened up, the food stocked. We’ve had some issues with the electricity, but everything seems to be in working order at this point.”
“Excellent. Make certain it stays that way. The last thing we need is a breach in security, even for a short duration.”
Issak nodded. “Noted, boss.”
I turned my attention to Sergei. The man was former KGB turned assassin. He had an uncanny ability to sniff out an enemy from miles away. “The men?”
He smiled, his wide grin unable to counter his hard, cold stare, his eyes reminding me of a glimpse into the devil’s soul. “We do daily training exercises. They are ready for anything.”
Anything. I knew the drills he ran, all merciless in nature. Several men had been injured, even more expunged from the program. That allowed me to employ the best. He’d developed a specialized communications system and radar, his equipment military grade. “Make certain there are twenty-four-hour watches. I don’t want anyone to reach this island.”
“No one will be able to breach security. No one.”
I liked his confidence, although I’d been through far too many scenarios where overconfidence meant certain death. “I want to see recent footage just to ensure there’s nothing you missed.”
While he seemed miffed at my command, he knew better than to question my tactics.
