AllFreeNovel
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There’s a dance floor in the center of the room, with a bar to the left, leaving a few tables and booths set up around the space for patrons to relax with their drinks. I ignore all of that, moving for the wrought-iron steps to the right that lead to the VIP area. Reaching the top, I find exactly who we’re looking for sitting in the center of the small space at a large round table in the middle, with another bar to the back as well.
I’m surprised to see the two brothers, alongside their cousin, sipping on vodka like it’s the perfect start to the day. The menace in their eyes is always clear, and the way they slink back in their seats instantly gets my tension high and war burning through my veins. Which is exactly why Matteo steps around me, taking the lead and approaching the situation much calmer than I would.
“Dmitri, Nikolai, Igor,” my brother says in greeting as he approaches the table and takes the center seat on our side, facing directly across from Dmitri. He’s the leader of the Volkovs. Nikolai is their equivalent to Enzo, the charmer and smart one, while Igor, their cousin, is as close to me as they’ll ever get.
“De Lucas,” Dmitri responds, tapping the wooden table before him as he eyes the three of us, while Enzo and I take our seats. With Matteo to my right and Igor facing me, I can’t help but be on high alert. Not that I show it. No. It burns deep within me and never on the surface.
“Where were you last night?” Matteo asks, a quirk to his brow as he stares them down. When a waitress appears, offering each of us a neat glass of clear liquor, I wave my hand dismissively and she takes the hint.
“We were occupied,” Igor grunts with a shrug, like that will suffice, and I scoff.
“That’s not good enough,” I grunt, relaxing back in my seat like this is a casual PTA meeting with a kindergarten teacher instead of the dangerous and bloodied men who sit around the table.
Nikolai scoffs, a grin tilting his lips as he looks at me. “I hear you were busy yourselves, occupied by a pretty blonde.”
My heart stills, confusion warring in my chest as I keep my expression blank. What the fuck does that mean? In a flash, my heart rapidly beats in my chest. She was either sent there by them or we’ve just put her in their line of sight, and either way, I don’t fucking like it.
“She was a bit of fun in your absence,” Enzo says with a chuckle, kissing the tips of his fingers like a chef appreciating a fine meal. I only catch it out of the side of my eye though since my gaze is fixed on Dmitri and whatever words are going to spill from his lips next.
“So, you won’t mind if I pay her a little visit at the New Yorker Hotel then, hmm?” he pushes, tapping his finger to his lips, and my blood turns ice cold.
She wasn’t sent there by them last night, which is a huge relief, but the fact that they know who she is and where she’s staying has my mind going into overdrive.
I shouldn’t care, it shouldn’t be my concern, but I can’t stop the burning need to run to her and protect her from this level of danger that we’re so used to, yet she’s completely unfamiliar with.
Everything I said earlier was a lie. There’s no fucking way I’m going to be able to fuck her and run, not when I’m reacting like this to her being on their radar. It’s never our concern,never, and the bigger picture failed to occur to me. But I refuse to give them even the slightest opportunity to put their hands on what ismine.
Enzo laughs, a full belly chuckle, breaking the silence as he swipes at his eyes. “It’s cute that you think we even know where she is since we parted ways last night.”
That’s a fucking lie right there, but thank God he has the ability to bullshit these people right now. The second she walked away from the table, we had two of our men tail her home, all the way to the New Yorker Hotel. Once we knew where she was staying and that she was there safely, we called them away again, but now I’m thinking that was a mistake. Maybe we need to order them back there. Even better,I’llgo see her with my own two eyes.
Nikolai and Dmitri glance at each other while Igor keeps his gaze fixed on me, and I force a smirk to my lips, silently challenging him to God-knows-what, but to my surprise, he averts his gaze from me.
“Shall we get down to business? I really do have other things to be doing today, especially since we had to make such a last-minute adjustment for this meeting,” Matteo states, lacing his fingers together as he places them on the table, and Dmitri nods.
“Of course. I feel it’s high time we had a truce, put ourselves on the same page and figure out how we get exactly what Totem promised us,” Dmitri grunts in response, lips pursing in disgust. Business we’ve been wanting to delve into for the past six months, yet I'm still fixated on the fact that they know where Ava is.
Fuck.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
“He made a lot of promises when he took the reins of Featherstone, but none of that means shit with a bullet in him and no heart beating in his chest. It doesn’t mean we don’t deserve what he offered,” Matteo replies, making all three of the Russians nod in agreement.
I wet my lips, mentally sinking into my chair, nowhere near as present as I’m supposed to be with my mind elsewhere, onher.
“Agreed. For us, that only means we have to take Featherstone down and take everything for ourselves. Unless, you want your cut as well?” Dmitri states, and I have to fight to keep my face neutral as I stare him down.
I know what he’s hinting at. He wants us to work together, and that doesn’t sit right in my gut. Never work with anyone who isn’t in the De Luca line. The three of us, and the men we expertly choose, against the world.
I will never side with the Russians, not even in moments like this. I’m more than happy for them to have whatever Totem offered them, but they can’t seriously step in here and expect us to fall in line and become their minions.
“That is something I can take into consideration, Dmitri, but not something I can give you an answer to right away. Especially when there are finer details to discuss,” my brother replies with the politically correct response. My answer of a downright ‘fuck no’ would have started a war before we left the building, and that’s exactly why Matteo is the one to take care of the bigger picture. “I’m more than happy to stay and discuss this further with Enzo, but Vito has a package to collect,” he adds, curiosity swirling in my stomach as I turn to face him.
He holds his phone out to me, and my eyes scan across the screen rapidly.
Smettila di far rimbalzare la tua cazzo di gamba. Andare. Colleziona Stellina.
Stop bouncing your fucking leg. Go. Collect Stellina.
