Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 76222 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76222 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
“Let me talk to the Petrovs. I can have them look into this, since it deals with their men—”
“We fucking handle this.” Although his voice was steady and even, I heard the lethal intent laced within his words.
Motherfucker.
“If we don't stop him now, he'll continue to undermine our operations and destabilize our control.”
I ground my molars and asked between clenched teeth, “What exactly do you want me to do, Carmine?”
“Slaughter him,” he said without hesitation. “I want you to send a message. But this needs to be a clean job. No traces and no loose ends. I want it to look like an internal matter within the Bratva.”
I knew I shouldn’t have said what spewed from my mouth, but it was out before I could stop myself. “I can’t be involved. I can’t do the hit. This isn’t just a personal position I’m taking but one that keeps the Cosa Nostra strong in Desolation and our alliance intact.” All I could think about was the blowback from the Petrovs. It would damage and destroy the bonds we’d worked so fucking hard to tie over the years.
Hell, Amara had been used as a pawn and bartered off to a sociopath to ensure this unity.
It didn’t matter if she loved and was loved by that insane motherfucker. She’d still been used to make an alliance, and I wouldn’t risk that, even if that meant going against what Carmine wanted.
Carmine was silent for long seconds, and I wondered if he was going to say goodbye and then order my own hit.
“You’ll figure it out, but I want it done swiftly, and I want it done now. Oh, and Gio?”
I clenched my hand into a tight fist as I waited for whatever order he was about to spew.
“Voglio che sia fatto con un tocco personale. Capito?” I want it done with a personal touch. Understand?
Yeah… I fucking understood. He wanted Maksim to suffer. I was curious as to why though. I got that this was an issue for the Cosa Nostra, but why was Carmine taking such a personal interest in this?
“Just make sure Volkov and the men he works with disappear without it coming back to us.”
I closed my eyes for a moment, weighing my options. I had sworn loyalty to Carmine and the Cosa Nostra, but my family ties with the Petrov Bratva complicated the matter. But Carmine approved the wedding, the familial link between the Bianchis and the Petrovs. He saw how those ties would strengthen us on the East Coast.
“Carmine, if I do this, it could have severe repercussions. Even if it’s not traced back to us, Dmitry and Nikolai won't take kindly to the mess this will cause.”
“You’re smart and discreet,” Carmine replied.
“And the Petrovs are clever. If this isn’t done correctly, they’ll find out what happened.” I seriously weighed just broaching this with Dmitry and Nikolai, but that would mean going behind Carmine's back.
“I’m confident you’ll ensure it can't be traced back to us nor the Cosa Nostra. This is why you’re one of my most trusted men.”
I sighed, knowing there was no easy way out. I’d either betray my brother-in-law or the Head of the Cosa Nostra.
I’d figure it out either way, but fuck was this putting me between a rock and a fucking hard place. “I'll take care of it, Carmine.”“You understand what this means?” I didn't respond. “It comes down to the la famiglia
and your loyalty.”
I ground my teeth again. “I won’t hesitate to do what needs to be done.”
“Bene. Mi metterò in contatto più tardi per assicurarmi che i miei ordini siano stati eseguiti.” Good. I'll be in touch later to make sure my orders were followed through.
The line went dead, and I set my cell back on the table, staring at it and feeling my irritation grow. To make matters worse, as soon as I wasn't preoccupied with other shit, Tatiana rolled right back into my thoughts.
The weight of my next move was heavy on my shoulders. My loyalty was being tested, being pulled from one side to the other.
Fuck, I didn’t want to hurt my sister by fucking things up—especially when I knew how happy she was, when I knew she was in love and finally found what she’d been looking for. I might’ve seen Nikolai as the sociopath he was, but he treated Amara like his fucking queen. He paved the ground in gold wherever my sister walked.
And he’d kill and dismember anyone who fucked with her.
Jesus Christ. I knew I had to navigate this fucked-up situation with precision, or the threat of more dead bodies and shit hitting the fan would land right in my lap.
10
TATIANA
It had been a full week since the assault and waking up in Gio’s apartment. My bruises were fading, and my eyes and face were pretty much healed from the broken blood vessels and swelling.