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Ivan does not look satisfied. Killian must sense it too. “I owe Keira a blood debt. Three actually. She has been under my protection for years. My loyal men count her as family. They will protect her as family.”
The answer seems to satisfy Ivan. He reclines back into his seat, and kicks a leg up to rest one ankle on the opposing knee.
“Val, Keira, you have three months to make your union official.” I nod, then grab Keira’s hand and place a kiss on the back of it. She has been silent throughout the meeting. I’m not sure if it’s because she is tired, or if this is linked to some lingering doubt about us.
Milan enters the room, followed by Violet. Milan moves gracefully around the room, handing out drinks to those that want one. When her tray is empty, she turns to leave. But Luca calls her back as he rises from his seat.
“Milan,” he says as he places a hand behind her back and escorts her across the room. “I would like for you to meet Ivan Vasiliev. Your future husband.” He stops a few feet before him and takes a step back from Milan.
She looks older than her fifteen years. I’m willing to bet she ran to change when she heard her future husband was here. She must want to make an impression on him. Good for her.
Ivan does not move at first. His eyes never leaving her face. She maintains eye contact with Ivan. She is poised. Refined. A model of elegance. It is exactly as her mother trained her to be.
Only thing she couldn't train her to do was how to think like her. And thank god she couldn’t. Milan may very well be the smartest person in the room. She grew up as the Don's daughter. He shielded her from the gore, but not the challenges and drama. Her mother trained her to be seen when needed, and how to fade into the background the rest of the time. Her mother had meant it as a means to please her future husband. Milan has twisted it. She knows as many secrets as Elena, has the respect of the men who followed her father, understands politics as Luca does, and now with the help of Luna, Elena, and I she is learning computers, in addition to speaking four languages. Russian not yet one of them, but I wouldn't put it past her to master it by year’s end.
Finally Ivan stands. Instead of moving towards Milan, he curls his finger upwards. She scowls at him but moves forward at his silent command. When she is within reach, he takes her left hand, and without a word places a bracelet on it.
Milan looks from it to him, to Luca, and back to it.
He does not speak to Milan, but looks at her as he speaks to Luca. “We will wed one week after her eighteenth birthday.” Milan is polite enough not to scowl at him, but you can see her bite her inner cheek. Then Ivan turns to her and says, “I cannot promise you flowers or romance. I may never grow to love you, or even care for you.” Now she’s scowling. “But I will honor our vows. You will be safe. You will bare our children. And I will try not to make you miserable.” Milan snorts at that. Then he brushes the hair from her face and tucks it behind her ear. A light blush blooms across her cheeks. Then he leans in and whispers something to her.
At first her mouth drops. Then she pulls back and slaps him hard across the cheek. When his hand comes up to rub at the offending skin, she takes the opportunity to bring her knee up to his balls before storming from the room. Ivan's second laughs. “She will fit in just fine boss.” Ivan stares at the door Milan vanished through and gives a nod.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Keira
THE DAYS PASSquickly. I stay busy at the hospital, and Tino remains locked in meetings with the Russian and Irish. In our little downtime together, we fool around, but never going all the way. It is maddening. When Tino is not in meetings, he is working to erase all digital footprints of Killian’s brother. He knows how important Killian is to me, so keeping his brother safe is equally as important to me.
Plans are slow going. Or at least that’s what I am to believe, until I am called into Luca’s office. Tino looks rabid in the corner and is being held back by Massimo, Ricco, and Mario. Killian is standing across the room with Ivan and Grady holding him back. I’m not sure what I’m walking into, but I know instantly I am somehow involved
“You don't know her like I do. She will want to do it.” Yells Killian to Tino.
“Over my dead body!” He screams back.
“I can arrange that.” Shouts back Killian.
“What the hell is going on?” I holler louder than them all.
Killian is the first to speak. “Val is trying to keep you locked away like a prisoner.”
“That is not what I meant and you know it.” Retorts Tino. “I said it’s too dangerous. I won’t risk her.” I can see Tino is ready to lose his shit. He told me about the monster he unleashed during his initiation. The same one that Santo used to his advantage for months, until Tino could lock away his emotions and bury the beast.
He doesn't want to be that again. He thinks it will scare me to see him out of control. His monster doesn’t scare me, because he’s my monster, and no matter what he does, he has a code that we won’t break. No women, no children, and no innocents.
I take a few steps towards him. Making sure he locks eyes with me and keeps them there. “Tino. Sweetheart. What don’t you want me to do?”
He pulls free of those holding him and grabs me. Pulling me in tight. Nearly too tight. It’s a little hard to breathe but I won’t complain. He needs this. Needs me. The room grows quiet.
Ivan is the one to break the silence a few minutes later. “We have all doubled our patrols and street forces, and made kidnapping new victims nearly impossible in the bars and clubs in town. Now we are learning that the Cartel has turned to the underground to hunt. The underground?
Oh…
Realization dawns on me. The fights. I think back to all the beautiful woman adorned in tiny, skin tight dresses and heels looking for a man to take them home, or already on the arm of a man who’s looking to show his prized woman off.
Drugs can sometimes run rampant in the underground, and the security is there more for running interference if the cops or feds try to show up. It’s a self-policed event. Killian hosted the events I went to, so I never had to worry.
But there are others. Ones run by the street gangs. Ones I have been invited to but always turned down. Killian chimes in next. “You received an invitation.”
