Chapter 28-Ono
I was a Jersey boy at heart, but I had to admit Volkov Towers was impressive.
Not just the building., but the men and the myth behind it. Former leader of a criminal organization made good, becomes a billionaire, finds true love, a family, and happiness everlasting.
Sure, I’d take that. In fact, I was going to.
I had a much smaller base of operations. Bottarelli World Imports had a building over in Jersey.
I could afford Manhattan. But why bother?
I hated sitting in fucking traffic. The conference room where I waited for my wife’s adoptive family was large.
The floor to ceiling windows gave an impressive view of Manhattan and the works of art that graced the walls opposite were undoubtedly originals.
For a moment, I wondered what kind of special glass Volkov employed to stop the sunlight from damaging the paintings. Clearly, this room was designed to impress.
The chairs were uncomfortable enough that I noticed. I mean, they were expensive. Built to keep the person waiting on edge.
I had to sit straight to avoid sliding off.
Impressive and smart.
There was no lounging or relaxation in that room.
It made me want to smile, thinking how much effort they were going through to make their point.
Michelle was definitely a beloved part of their family. Not born into, but claimed. I respected that, even if it made me grit my teeth a little.
Hell, I wasn’t that much of a prick I would begrudge her family. I was happy she’d had them.
Yeah, I’d been looking into her life ever since I’d barged in on her, and before meeting Michaela, she’d truly been alone in this world.
Her miserable aunt did the bare minimum when Michelle was underage. After she’d turned eighteen, it had only gotten worse.
Now, it was my opinion that was for the better.
Who wanted someone like that in their lives, anyway?
But I was also aware that were it not for the rambunctious and tenacious Volkov family, my Michelle would have been alone.
So yeah, I was glad she had them. I was even grateful.
My poor little, Doc.
She would never be alone again.
I knew Adrik, and the others, were pissed. Sammy had more than made that impression.
There was just one problem. One important fact they were all missing.
Michelle wasn’t just theirs anymore.
She was mine.
And it was time I told them.
The doors opened and in walked the imposing figure of Adrik Volkov. The man was a fucking mountain.
Even with salt and pepper gracing his hair, he still had that air of danger.
His hard mouth and black eyes showed nothing of his feelings. The men who followed were the same.
I’d never met them, officially. But when Adrik and Marat Volkov, Josef Aziz, and Andres Ramirez walked into a room, you fucking felt it.
And as if that wasn’t enough, Nico Fury was there, too. Along with his cousin, Angel, and Luc Batiste.
The King of the Vipers was quite well known to me, as were his cohorts.
After all, I paid them handsomely for use of the piers and docks my import business needed to thrive.
“Gentlemen,” I said, dipping my chin.
“Leave Shelly alone,” Adrik said, not bothering to beat around the bush.
I respected that. But I wasn’t going to fucking listen. I looked them each in the eye before answering.
“No.”
“Maybe you didn’t know, Bottarelli. Maybe you forgot to check. So we’re telling you now, Michelle is family. And you don’t want to fuck with our family,” Nico Fury said, stepping forward.
Fuck.
The man still looked every bit as powerful and lethal as he had when I’d first seen him years ago with my dad.
In fact, all of them held that same air of danger. Like they were all cut from the same cloth physically, and morally, too.
But it wasn’t their looks that earned them their reputations individually, and as a conglomerate.
No. Power was the reason for that. Each one of them had authority wrapped around them like an invisible cloak.
They wielded it like weapons or cash.
Ten years ago, I would have been shitting in my pants sitting with those men.
But not now. And not when we were talking about my wife.
“I appreciate you for being there for Michelle when she had no one else. But you see, gentlemen, Michelle is my wife ,” I told the room at large, daring anyone to say differently.
“ I am her family. And if you care about her, then you’re going to listen and you’re going to help me protect her.”
“Is that so?” Adrik grunted.
“That’s so,” I said, meeting his onyx gaze without blinking.
“You know, something, I think he means it,” Nico told Adrik, and both men looked at the others before facing me once more.
“What can we do to help?” the King of the Vipers asked.
Relief filled me, and excitement too. I didn’t have to fight these men that I admired.
Thank fuck.
Even better, somehow, I’d won approval from them. Approval as Michelle’s husband, and I didn’t even know that was something I wanted or needed until just then.
“Someone from my father’s past has some objections to me leaving that lifestyle and branching out into the legitimate world,” I explained. “They’ve targeted me, and through me, Michelle. I hit back. But they hit again. I don’t know who’s behind it. And I need your help.”
“I see. Well, what do you think?” Nico asked, dipping his head towards Adrik.
“I think it’s time we go on a little hunting trip,” Adrik replied with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
Suddenly, I was very glad these men were on mine and Michelle’s side and not against us.
Yes. I was very glad, indeed.