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“What happened in New York?” Deidre’s calm voice steadies me, and I recount the last twenty-four hours of hell I’ve lived through.
“And this Daniil that you’re to marry, what’s his last name?”
“Kozlov. He’s part of a Brooklyn-based bratva family. They are a big deal on the East Coast. My uncle saw it as an opportunity, realized he’d get more out of an alliance with the Kozlovs than marrying me off to Jorge.”
Her eyes are wide, as if I’d told her the juiciest secret in the world. “I know who they are. The Kozlovs are big-time.” She grabs my shoulders, looking way too freakin’ happy. “Shit, Bianca, this is gold.”
“How is that?” My brows knit together in confusion. “Without Jorge and his nightly rum shots, I won’t have any intel on the Zegas. I’ll have to live in New York. Everything we’ve worked so hard for will be for nothing.”
I want her to nod in agreement, but she’s already off in her mind, scheming up a plan that will not benefit me. Burning awareness sweeps through me. She’s not going to help. “You’re not seeing the big picture. The Kozlovs are a major criminal enterprise. This could be huge.”
I tip my head back in frustration, sighing loudly. “I don’t care about the Kozlovs, I want my uncle behind bars. I want him to pay for everything he’s done.” I pound my chest, blinking back tears.
“I know,” she says, frustration giving her voice a little edge, “but my point is the Kozlovs could be the key to putting your uncle behind bars. Two criminal organizations coming together to start something new. There is bound to be growing pains. People get greedy. Mistakes are made. This is your chance to get your uncle on something that will actually stick. We’ll be able to build a powerful case against both crime families… and you’ll be the key.”
“You’re saying I should marry Daniil Kozlov.” The words fall from my lips in barely a whisper.
She straightens to her full height and crosses her arms in front of her chest. “Yes. We have an opportunity here to put your uncle behind barsandtake down another brutal crime family.”
Crap, this is not going as planned. “He’s not going to tell me anything. Daniil is hardened bratva, and he’s not sloppy like Jorge. He’s… he’s…” Brutal, demanding, sexy as hell. “He’s a monster who only wants me as arm candy.”
She smirks and lifts a shoulder. “If he finds you attractive, that’s a good start. You need to use everything at your disposal to get him talking.”
My eyes narrow. “Are you saying what I think you are saying?”
“You’re a beautiful woman, Bianca… charming and clever. I think you understand—to get into his head, you need to get into his bed.”
Squeezing my hands into fists, I try to will away the panic rising in my throat. I’m a virgin who's barely rounded third base. Seduction is not a tool in my arsenal, but my options are dwindling fast. “And then what?” I ask with a defeated sigh. “Do I pump him for information? Spy on him? Daniil will smell a rat from a mile away. He’s sharp as a tack,” I warn her, recalling how quickly he caught on to Jorge’s poker fraud.
“And so are you.” She pauses as she lifts the wedding dress from the stand it’s hanging on. “You’ve fought so hard for this. Sacrificed so much. Trust me when I tell you revenge is within reach. We just need you to cooperate on this.”
Yeah, I’ve heard that before.
“And the car accident?” I remind her. “The documents that I gave you… Clearly my uncle was involved.” Anguish climbs up my throat, but I swallow the emotions down. Five years has done nothing to ease my pain. It might as well have happened yesterday.
Her eyes flash with sympathy. “Again, all circumstantial. What we need is hard proof that your uncle was behind it. That’s why you can’t give up now.”
My spine goes rigid as she holds the silky white gown up to my body, both of us staring at my reflection in the full-length three-panel mirror. She smiles at the sight while I choke down a scream.
I already regret the next words out of my mouth. “You need me to seduce him…” The words stick in my throat. “Make him trust me? That’s all?”
“For now,” she confirms. “One step at a time. First, settle into your new life. When the time is right, I’ll reach out about the next step.”
I want to ask her what “the next step” means, but Deidre is busy carefully hanging the dress up. Her lips tip up at the corners. “Let’s hope the dress fits you well because I’m a crappy seamstress.” She winks and just like that, heads towards the back exit. “I’ll be in touch” are her final words to me.
Holy shit. I’m getting married to a cold-blooded criminal I just met thirty-six hours ago, and there is nothing I can do to stop it.
CHAPTEREIGHT
DANIIL
She’s late.
No bride is late for their wedding unless they don’t plan on showing up.
I smooth a hand down the front of my tux and glance at Andrei, standing unflappable beside me on the altar. As if he can read my thoughts he leans in and murmurs, “She’ll show. Probably.”
“Thank you, but I don’t need your reassurance,” I respond through gritted teeth.
