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I stand at the door for a moment, looking at the man in question. I walk in, and Aleks shuts the door. I go to the built-in wardrobe and open the door, looking at my selection.
I look at Aleks. “The car battery should do.”
Aleks removes the car battery and sets it next to the man’s feet. Leonid comes in as Aleks stabs two metal rods into each of the man’s legs. He cries out and whimpers, and I know this isn’t going to be too hard. Alex connects the battery to car cables and attaches one to a rod in the man's leg. He holds the other and looks at me until I nod.
“Who are you working for?” I ask.
“The Sorvinos,” he grumbles, and I nod to Aleks.
He taps the jumper cable against the other rod, and electricity shoots through the man’s body, causing him to clench his jaw but still cry out.
“No one would betray their family that quickly. This is a setup. Who do you really work for?” I ask.
He mumbles something in Italian, but I can tell it’s broken Italian. He’s trying to frame the Sorvinos. I nod to Aleks, who taps the other jumper cable to the rod again, causing the man to scream and pant hard.
Leonid steps forward and says, “I told you the Sorvinos were up to something, and you wouldn’t listen. You cannot trust Alessandro Sorvino.”
I shake my head. “No, he has assured me he isn’t involved. I believe that. This man is covering up for someone, someone closer to home.”
We torture him for almost two hours, but he doesn’t give up anything, Eventually, I have enough and take out my gun and shoot him between the eyes, turning to Alex, “Ditch the body in the river, clean this place up.”
Leonid follows behind me, “If not Alessandro Sorvino, then who?”
A thought occurs to me. I don’t want to believe it, but it is within the realm of possibilities. “Leonid, I trust you most of all. I think someone within our family is making a power play against me. I think Evgeni has betrayed me. I trust you because you are my brother, so look into it discreetly.”
Leonid puts a hand on my shoulder. “Of course, I will let you know as soon as I have any information.”
I nod and squeeze his shoulder. “Don’t let Ma know that anything is going on, okay? She worries enough about the two of us without learning someone close to us is sabotaging our family.”
Leonid nods. “Don’t worry. She won’t know a thing. No one will.”
I watch him leave and look around. The maids are all hiding in the kitchen, so I go there and explain that I want them to pack everything of my, Tori’s, and Ana’s and have it sent to the beach house. They can then sort out this apartment for when we want to return.
They all agree and hurry off, and I turn to see Aleks coming in. “Two of my trusted guys will dispose of the body. There’s an evil glint in Aleks’ eyes. He’s always enjoyed killing. “What do you want to do now, boss?”
“Gather my guards. I’m going to the beach house. I want more men sent over there, men we trust, Aleks. You vet them. I want my women guarded at all times. Do you understand me?” I ask.
Aleks nods. “You know I will always have your back, boss, after everything you’ve done for me.”
I nod, loyalty isn’t cheap, but loyalty like Aleks’ is irreplaceable. He leaves and comes back a few moments later with my personal guards. They escort me downstairs to our armored car, and I sit back. I texted Anastasia, and she confirmed they arrived without problems and were relaxing by the pool.
This satisfies me, but I’m on high alert as we drive through traffic. A lot of my enemies won’t hesitate to take me on in broad daylight. Although the beach house is secure, nowhere is truly safe. Not really.
We arrive at the estate, and the guards shut the large gates behind us once we're safely in. We go through two more sets of wrought iron remote-operated gates before we reach the house.
I glance out the back as I walk past the living room and smile. Tori and Anastasia are lying in bikinis, tanning in the sun. Anastasia is on her phone, and Tori is going over what looks like contracts, ever the workaholic.
I decide to join them, changing into swimming trunks and coming out. I kiss Anastasia’s head, then Tori’s lips, and dive into the pool to let the water wash away the tension.
Chapter 18 - Vittoria
I stand in front of the mirror and place my hands on my firm stomach. Falling pregnant wasn’t in my plans to get my revenge against Ivan. It was never the plan. I already know what is valuable to him and what isn’t, and I’ve let Alessandro have all those intimate details through reference books in the library.
I pull my shirt down and check that I have the latest information for Alessandro in my book bag before I leave with Aleks for the library.
I wander the sections for a long time until Aleks finds a place to sit down and says he’ll wait for me here while I browse for books. Taking the opportunity, I slip the note into the correct reference book and put it back on the shelf before browsing more psychology books to read.
I find them interesting. At least there’s that. I wonder about the tiny human growing inside of me. Is it a boy? Is it a girl? I’ve never really thought about whether or not I want children, but now that it’s happening, I’m even more confused.
