Chapter 30
Declan
I can’t sleep. The hours drag on, and I’m still on edge. I know Alek will text Viviana soon, probably wanting to see her, maybe even touch her, thinking she belongs to him, even after everything he did to her years ago.
My eyes linger on her naked body curled up against mine, fitting perfectly with me. Possessiveness flares inside me, hot and sharp.
The fuck he will.
The only thing that bastard will feel is the cold steel of my gun against his skull.
Viviana’s phone dings, and she nearly jumps beside me. I press a hand to her, keeping her down. “Easy, firecracker,” I whisper, my voice steady, masking the chaos inside. Her wide eyes search mine, and I force the tough exterior back into place, the lie that I’ve got it all under control, that there’s nothing to worry about.
She reaches for the phone, her expression shifting, face darkening. “Tonight, at nine,” she says softly. My body tightens, muscles coiling.
“Where?” I ask, keeping my voice casual like this is just another day in our fucked-up world.
“It doesn’t say,” she pouts. Despite the tension, I let out a low laugh.
Of course, it doesn’t. He’s smart, paranoid even. He’ll wait until the last minute to give her the location, doing everything he can to stay one step ahead, just in case we’re onto him. Hell, it’s exactly what I’d do.
Viviana steps into the shower as I finish dressing. I know Alek will text her soon, and we need to be ready. There’s a gnawing feeling in my gut that we need to ramp up security at the estate. Heading to the office, I text Kian, making sure we double our men and verify every camera is working.
Flynn, meanwhile, is still lounging in the closed-off room at our clinic. The bastard acts like it’s some kind of holiday inn, kicking back, watching movies, and eating while the rest of us are on edge. The waiting is driving me insane.
My phone buzzes, and I sit up straighter in the chair. Why the hell is Giovanni calling me?
Sliding to answer, my voice sharp, “Giovanni, what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Declan, it’s been a while. How is my beautiful daughter?” His voice is soft, but I hear the fury beneath it.
“She’s fine, being her usual menace,” I reply, keeping up the facade.
“I warned you,” he pauses, a deliberate beat, “but I want to invite you to dinner tonight. Here. It’s time to show a united front now that we’re family, and I haven’t seen you since the wedding.”
His tone wavers. He’s nervous. Alek’s plan must be to get us out of the estate. Fine. I’ll play along.
“True,” I say evenly, “maybe I’ll take you up on that offer of swapping wives and bringing Silvana home instead.” I try to sound serious, thankful this isn’t a video call, or he’d see the smirk tugging at my lips.
I glance up and spot Viviana standing in the doorway, brows pinched together. I wink at her, motioning for her to sit.
“What time, Giovanni?” I ask, cutting through his rambling.
“Eight,” he says too quickly. Another tell—he’s on edge. Good. That makes two of us.
“Alright. Eight.” I hang up before he can add anything else.
“It’s going to happen at my father’s, isn’t it?” Viviana’s voice is shaky, her hands clenched. She closes her eyes, exhaling deeply like she’s bracing herself.
“Yes.” I won’t sugarcoat it. She knows what’s coming. And in a way, this is for the best. Tonight, I’ll take down Alek and her excuse of a father in one swoop.
Hell, I might even make it look like Alek killed him, clearing the Morelli name in the process. For her. And if a stray bullet hits her sisters? I wouldn’t shed a single fucking tear.
“He only invited you?” she asks. I nod. Her face falls. Viviana’s a firecracker, no doubt, but she also has a soft heart, and she’s struggling with her father being a piece of shit, even after everything he put her through. And that’s the problem.
Will she hold a grudge when I kill him? Will she understand? I’ll do it without hesitation, not just because of Elva but because of her. He tried to fucking kill her. Twice.
“We’re ready. Don’t worry; you’ll be safe here,” I reassure her.
Leaning back in my chair, I pat my lap. “Come here, baby.” She stares at me for a moment before standing and sitting on my lap. I shift, adjusting so she can snuggle into my chest. Stroking her beautiful raven hair, which smells faintly of vanilla, I feel her breathing slow.
“Will you be safe?” she asks, her voice trembling. Is she crying? I grab her chin between my thumb and forefinger, tilting her face toward mine. Tears fell from her eyes. Oh, fuck, I suck at this.
I pull her closer, letting her hide her face in my chest. “I will. Don’t worry. Kian’s coming with me,” I say softly.
The rest of the day is spent making sure everything’s ready, whether we’re attacked here or Giovanni sets a trap at his place. By the time I glance at the clock, it’s almost time to leave. I put on my black tailored suit, tucking a gun at my waist and another at my ankle. This is it. Tonight, it ends.
We go over everything again. Viviana doesn’t know the full plan; she can’t for her safety. She knows to stay indoors no matter what, and if Alek texts or calls, Connor will be here to keep us updated.
I hug her tight, inhaling her scent and grounding myself in her warmth. Her arms wrap around my neck, pulling me into a deep kiss. This time, it’s her tongue that pierces through my lips. Her kiss is demanding, almost feral, and I meet it with equal intensity as if I can kiss away all the fear she’s feeling.
“Wait,” I murmur, pulling back slightly to reach into my pocket. I grab a small box, and her eyes widen.
“If this is a collar, you don’t need to wait for Alek; I’ll kill you myself, Declan,” she snaps, glaring at the box like it’s radioactive. Her frown makes me laugh.
“Open the damn box, Viviana,” I mutter harshly, shoving it into her hands. She grabs it, opening it cautiously. Her chest tightens. Inside is a delicate four-leaf clover pendant crafted from white gold with small obsidian crystals encrusted in the leaves—her favorite stone, of course. Diamonds would never suit my firecracker.
“Oh, Declan,” she purrs, taking the necklace from the box, her eyes shimmering as brightly as the pendant. “It’s so beautiful.” She glances at me, then turns around, lifting her hair.
I grab the necklace from her hand and step closer, brushing her soft skin as I clasp it around her neck. Goosebumps rise under my fingers, and I can’t help but smirk.
“Thank you. I love it,” she says, locking her eyes on mine.
“I’m glad,” I reply, pulling her close. “Promise me you’ll never take it off.” It’s more of an order than a request, and she nods before pulling me into another kiss.
I grip her hair gently, tilting her head so I can deepen the kiss, my tongue claiming hers. A soft moan escapes her chest, one only I get to hear.
“You better come back to me,” she whispers as she pulls away, her breath mingling with mine.
“I will, firecracker,” I murmur back, pressing a kiss to her neck.
“And you too,” she says, glancing at Kian. He flashes her a wink and a cocky smile.
I nod to Connor before stepping onto the black bike. If we need to leave in a hurry, I want the fastest way to get to her. The night outside is pitch black. There is no moon, no stars, just oppressive darkness.
We reach Giovanni’s mansion, and a lone guard at the entrance waves us in with a curt nod. I smirk. This is too easy. I glance at Kian, and he nods.
The Morelli mansion is imposing. It is a classic Italian-style estate with whitewashed walls and grey brick accents. Its entrance boasts massive columns. However, the maintenance has gone downhill.
The gardens have been overgrown, and the wall has more cracks than it should.
This means the Koslovs aren’t paying much for Giovanni’s loyalty. I shake my head—Giovanni is the dumbest shit when it comes to negotiating, even with me. He gave me his daughter and his side of the docks in exchange for security and a name.
“Dec.” Kian grabs my attention. I remove my helmet and shake my head, my hair falling into place. Giovanni and Silvana are waiting. One glance at her is all it takes to know their intentions.
“Declan, Kian, good to see you,” Giovanni says, extending his hand. We shake it, and then his arm snakes around Silvana’s waist, pulling her closer. “You remember my daughter, Silvana.” His mouth curls into a devilish smile. I lean in, giving two kisses on her cheeks. She blushes.
As dinner is served on the massive wooden table draped in white linen, I take in the dining room. The white walls are adorned with large framed paintings of Italian landscapes, a picture of his daughters from when they were younger, and, of course, a huge dark oak frame with a painting of Giovanni standing next to a black stallion.
I smirk. Predictable.
How the fuck Viviana came from this bastard’s balls is beyond me.
There are fewer guards than I remember. Ours aren’t here, which is interesting. It’s part of the contract we made, yet they’re nowhere to be found. Kian and I exchange a knowing look. No words are needed. We know.
We eat as Giovanni yaps about money, business, and even the Russians. Silvana avoids my gaze at all costs. I remember that lunch. I know she’s the one who gave them the green light to go after my wife, and if shit hits the fan tonight, she can be damn sure I’m using her as a fucking shield.
The meal ends, and the server brings glasses and a bottle of whiskey. Kian picks it up and pours.
“So, Viviana giving you a hard time?” Giovanni asks as Silvana excuses herself.
I stand as she leaves. “She is,” I grunt through gritted teeth.
“Silvana told me about the incident at the restaurant, how you saved her and Viviana,” he says. He’s not asking; he’s probing, trying to catch me off guard.
“I did. Imagine having her killed that soon after the wedding,” I reply, swirling the amber liquid before taking a sip. “I do have a reputation to keep, even if Viviana is a menace.”
He chuckles, nodding in agreement.
“Maybe you should get to know Silvana better. Who knows what might happen?” he says, looking at me over his glass. There’s a fire in his eyes—not like the fire in my wife’s eyes, but one full of deflection.
“Maybe I should. She is definitely gorgeous.” I’m not lying—she is. She looks a lot like Elva, and Giovanni knows that. But what attracted me to Elva wasn’t her looks. It was her fire, her strength.
Ding.
I pull my phone from my suit jacket pocket.
Connor:
Cameras out. Three guards are missing.
A chill runs down my spine. I knew it, but I remain calm, exchanging a glance with Kian, who keeps swirling his drink.
Giovanni can’t contain his grin. “Problem?” he asks.
I let out a chuckle before standing up. My hand travels to my back, pulling out my gun and pointing it directly at his head. He calls for his men, but no one shows up.
“No one is coming, Giovanni. Not even the Russian guards you had back there,” I say, tilting my head toward the kitchen. My men start appearing from the hallway and the kitchen door, each dragging one of Giovanni’s men and making them kneel in front of us.
I nod, and they fire, killing the men instantly. Another guard appears, dragging Silvana, who is screaming at the top of her lungs.
“Where is Bruna?” I ask. Giovanni doesn’t answer, so I shoot him in the shoulder. He drops to his knees, groaning in pain as blood drips down his arm. Silvana screams.
“She went to Rome yesterday!” she cries, her voice cracking under the panic.
Smart move. One less killing, for now.
“Where is Alek?” I grit out, moving closer to Giovanni. Silvana is still screaming her lungs out as the guard holds her.
“Fucking hell, shut up, or I’ll break each of his fingers. Do you understand me?” I raise my voice, sharp and deep.
She shuts up, covering her mouth with her hands as tears fall in streams down her face. Her pleading eyes lock onto mine.
“I know it was you who almost got Viviana killed that day,” I taunt her. “I have a special plan for you.” My smirk widens as her face pales. She opens her mouth to say something but knows better.
“You’re too late,” Giovanni sneers. “By now, Alek already has her. You’ll never see Viviana again.” The fucker laughs, and my restraint hangs by a thread.
Kian hits him in the back of the head, and Giovanni curses. “That bitch almost cost me everything,” he snarls. “I told her to run when you chose her, but she was too afraid of what you’d do.” He tilts his chin up, defiant fucker.
“So I had the idea to make it look like she was the informant. It was easy. Nolan was too eager to believe it. The asshole had a crush on her since they were kids. Once an informant showed up, he jumped at the chance to blame her.” He spits blood onto the floor, grinning.
“She’s your fucking daughter,” Kian snarls, his control on the verge of snapping.
Giovanni lets out a guttural laugh, his entire body shaking and I start to see red.
“She isn’t,” Giovanni blurts out. “My wife had adventure, that fucking bitch.” He shakes his head.
Kian snaps his eyes to mine. The fuck? This explains a lot, and I bet I know who her father is.
Thank fuck. This will make things easier.
“Who is her father?” I ask, my tone icy.
His eyes lock into mine and I snap for a second, hitting him the gun, his front teeths falling the ground as blood flies.
“You fucking asshole! It’s that fucking Carlos!” He snarls, “I kept him around; he knew too much. But every time I look at her, I see that bastard’s face fucking my wife,” he grunts, wiping the blood.
“You still raised her. She still treated you like her father,” I say, my rage simmering.
He lets out a chuckle. “She never liked me. She ran from me as soon as she could. Little bitch.”
Yeah, he shouldn’t have said that. I clench my fist and punch him in the gut. He doubles over, clutching his stomach and cursing loudly. I kneel in front of him, grabbing his chin roughly and pressing my fingers into his flesh until it reddens.
“Call her a bitch again. I fucking dare you,” I warn, hoping he does. I want to turn him into minced meat.
“But nothing matters now. Alek has her. You got another one of your women killed,” he laughs, his body shaking.
“Dad, what did you do?” Silvana whispers, her tear-filled eyes fixed on him. “You said Alek wouldn’t hurt her. Even at the restaurant, you said he wanted her.”
Her tears start falling again, but now there’s anger in them.
“It wasn’t Alek’s idea. The restaurant, the informant story—it was all your dear father, trying to save his ass by getting Viviana killed,” I say, studying her face. She looks genuinely surprised.
“I…” she starts, her hands fidgeting with the seam of her dress. “I didn’t know. This wasn’t the plan,” she murmurs.
“Look at me,” I commanded. Her throat bobs as she swallows, but she obeys. “What was the plan, Silvana?”
Her gaze drops to the floor. “My father was losing clients to the Irish Consortium. Your taxes were too high, and the clients preferred to deal with you directly. Things were getting difficult.”, she stops staring at her father, I hint of hatred in her gaze.
“Continue Silvana”, I order stepping closer to her while Kian keeps her father kneeling on the floor.
“Alek Koslov found out and made a deal with my father. They needed someone inside the Irish Consortium, someone they could trust. But we all knew you wouldn’t let any of our men in. So Alek said that maybe, if you were single, you might take one of us…” Her eyes darted to her father.
“He’s the least of your problems now, Silvana. Keep going,” I say, stepping slightly to block her view of him.
“Alek also wanted proof of my father’s loyalty. So he asked for…” Her voice cracks.
“He asked Giovanni to kill Elva,” I finish, my fists clench so tight my knuckles turn white.
She nods, sorrow etched across her face. “We gave you time to grieve. Since only my father was involved, there were no loose ends for you to find.” Her eyes drop again. “Alek gave the order for the deal to move forward. Me and Bruna were brought in to handle things.”
“Which was?” I grab her chin, forcing her to face me.
“Make you fall for one of us, by being everything you wanted and needed. We’d gather information—shipments, locations, and especially where the other Consortium members would be, so Alek could take them out one by one.” She takes a deep breath.
I let go of her chin and turned to Giovanni.
“But, Declan,” she starts, “the idea was never to put Viviana in danger. Bruna and I didn’t know. The only time we saw Alek, we could tell he liked her. I never thought…” She trails off.
I believe her. But still, fuck.
“What time is it?” Giovanni asks Kian, and I raise an eyebrow as my brother answers him.
“He has her now. You’ll never find her.”
Now I’m the one laughing. I stalk toward Giovanni as his eyes widen, staring up at me. I tower over him.
“That is the plan, Giovanni.” I pull my phone from my pocket, showing him a map with a red dot moving across it. “Guess who the red dot is.” I relish the panic spreading across his face. He thought he’d negotiate his life for Viviana’s location, but I’ve already beaten him to it.
“You see,” I begin, my voice calm and mocking, “when you called for dinner and conveniently left Viviana out of the invite, I knew Alek was planning to attack the estate. Our men are ordered to fight back only enough to make it believable.”
I clean my gun on his shirt, my voice growing colder. Once he took her, the GPS was activated. Connor is already on his way. So, Giovanni… I don’t need you for anything.”
“No! Wait, Declan!!!” He screams, frantic.
I don’t hesitate. I pull the trigger. The bullet hits him in the knee. He screams, falling to the side. Another shot rings out from Kian’s gun, striking him in the other shoulder. His screams are pure joy.
“This is for Elva and Viviana, you fucking bastard,” I mutter before pulling the trigger again, sending a bullet through his forehead. His lifeless body crumples to the floor with a heavy thud.
Another thud follows. I glance over to see Silvana passed out on the floor. A smirk tugs at my lips. I look at the guard.
“You could’ve caught her,” I say, frowning slightly.
“My reflexes are off,” he chuckles, winking at me.
I smirk. This guy deserves a promotion.
“Take her to the estate. Viviana will decide what to do with her.” Without a word, the guard picks her up and leaves the room.
I scan the room, my gaze landing on a vanity. I pick up two photos—one of Viviana as a child and the other of her mother. My hand tightens around the frames as I turn to my men.
“Burn this fucking place to the ground,” I order.
Stalking out of the house, Kian falls into step beside me.
“Now we get my firecracker back,” I growl, my voice dropping low, “and kill that motherfucker.”