Divine Obsession (GodHood #2)

Chapter 35

Present

The next morning, I found myself at the Su Enterprises headquarters, sitting in a large, glass-walled meeting room that overlooked SoHo and Chinatown.

The table was long enough to seat a dozen people on either side, but today, it was only occupied by four. On one end, my father leaned back in his chair, radiating quiet authority in his perfectly tailored suit. On the opposite end, Salvatore Moretti sat stiffly, his dark eyes narrowed as if the weight of the room rested on his glare alone.

Between them, the air was thick with years of unspoken grievances and mutual suspicion.

And then there was Natalia and me, sitting on the same side of the table, dead center. A silent statement.

The fact that we were sitting together hadn’t gone unnoticed. It was a detail too small for either of our fathers to comment on openly, but the glances they exchanged spoke volumes. This wasn’t about us. Not really. But it was a good sign, an implication that maybe their war wouldn’t tear their families apart entirely.

Zane’s resources were beyond anything I could’ve pulled together on short notice. Black market connections, shipping manifests, and client lists – all meticulously tracked, as if he’d been waiting for us to ask.

At first, the digital trail led us to an offshore account linked to the New York Yakuza, but when we looked closer, it was someone trying to make it look like that. Someone who’d attended the original meeting at Salvatore’s penthouse on Natalia’s birthday earlier this year, and who also had access to the Dynasty’s SoHo offices.

I’d just gotten done filling Salvatore and my father in, and to say the atmosphere was tense, was an understatement.

Natalia shifted beside me, pulling me back to the present. She looked perfect as ever, her caramel hair swept over one shoulder, her expression unreadable.

“And why should I believe this?” Salvatore asked, his voice laced with doubt.

“Because it’s your empire on the line,” Natalia said sharply, her tone as smooth as it was cutting.

She didn’t look at me when she said it, but the implication was clear. We were in this together. Whether we liked it or not.

The room felt like a bomb waiting to go off, each word from either side a lit match daring to ignite it.

My father’s voice, calm but sharp as a scalpel, cut through the air. “If the rat gains control of your shipping ports, Salvatore, our entire supply chain is dead. Guns, smuggled goods, cash – all of it – done .”

Salvatore leaned back in his chair, considering the weight of my father’s words. His dark eyes flickered to Natalia and me briefly, before settling back on Richard.

For the first time, there wasn’t hostility between them – just acknowledgment of the risk hanging over both families.

“This is bigger than either of us,” I said, letting my gaze sweep the table. “They’re not just hitting us out of greed. They want to end the Families .”

The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the faint hum of the building’s air conditioning.

Salvatore gave a sharp nod of agreement, but his lips twisted into a thin, humorless smile. “Collaboration doesn’t mean trust. Let’s get that clear.”

The rules came next. Both families would keep their soldiers separate, with clear lines drawn to prevent any accidental – or intentional – sabotages. Natalia and I would act as mediators, handling communications to prevent unnecessary friction.

“If we have a rat, no one else can know of this,” Salvatore said, his voice hard.

My father nodded.

“Trevor and I will handle it.”

I couldn’t help the small smirk tugging at my lips. Natalia had a way of commanding a room when she wanted to, a skill I wasn’t sure I remembered.

“This alliance ends when this is dealt with,” Salvatore grumbled.

“Agreed.” My father nodded.

The terms were laid out, but the air still buzzed with tension. This wasn’t peace – it was a temporary truce, fragile and filled with mutual distrust.

But it was a start.

As the meeting wrapped up, I caught Natalia’s eye.

There was something there, something unspoken.

The understanding that we were going to solve this together.

My Ferrari was still purring slightly, cooling down from the drive, even after the engine roared to a stop, echoing against the cold concrete walls of the underground parking garage. I got out, Zach following behind from the passenger side as we headed towards the doors leading to the elevator bank.

“You gon’ tell me why I’m here?” His tone carried that edge of impatience that was as familiar as it was amusing. He’d already asked on the drive, but I’d deflected then too. He hated when I did that.

I smirked but didn’t stop walking. “Nah, but you gon’ owe me for this one.”

“For what? You’re being cryptic as hell, man.” He gestured broadly with both hands.

“You’ll see,” I said, not bothering to turn around. Truth was, his reaction was going to be worth the buildup.

Zach groaned dramatically. “You know I hate surprises.”

The soft amber lighting of the lobby caught on the gleaming dark wood paneling that lined the walls. Tall, sleek lamps framed the sitting areas, spilling in soft pools across modern furniture. Everything about this place screamed quiet wealth. Even the scent in the air felt expensive.

The revolving glass doors at the front entrance turned with a muted whoosh as Francesca and my sister entered the luxurious apartment building.

We stopped in front of the elevators, waiting for the girls to reach us. Francesca raised her free hand in a lazy wave, her other clutching a fancy bottle of red wine that nearly matched the deep crimson of her dress. Her heels clicked sharply as she strode over, while Kali followed with her usual quiet confidence, though tension still suffocated between us since I’d found out about her double life as an underground street fighter.

“Tony went to buy a pack of cigarettes,” Francesca said, her tone casual as she reached us. “He’ll meet us upstairs.”

“Gìo couldn’t make it?” I drawled, hitting the elevator button harder than necessary. The faint ding sounded as the doors slid open. “What a shame,” I added, my tone laced with sarcasm.

No one really understood why Gìovanni and I didn’t get along – and I sure as hell wasn’t going to explain it now.

We stepped into the elevator, the four of us fitting easily into the sleek, mirrored space. As soon as the doors slid shut, Kali jabbed her elbow into my ribs. Hard . A sharp hiss escaped my lips before I could stop it.

“Be nice,” She muttered, her voice low but pointed.

I shot her a sidelong glance.

“Don’t bother,” Francesca snapped. “Gìovanni’s been a real goddamn stronzo lately.”

“What’s new?” I asked, leaning back against the elevator wall with a smirk.

Francesca let out a sharp exhale, running her tongue over her teeth. “He wants to remove me from the family business.”

“No,” Kali said, her voice a mix of disbelief and defiance.

“The fuck?” Zach didn’t even try to hide his shock. Francesca was the mastermind behind half the DeMone operations, the one who had kept their ship steady even through the war with the Russians. If Gìo pushed her out, it wouldn’t just hurt their family – it would hurt all of us too.

All our businesses were intertwined.

A decline in her power was a decline in all our bottom line.

That Gìovanni motherfu–

“Why?” I asked, trying to keep the edge out of my voice but failing.

Francesca’s lip curled, her expression bitter. “He thinks I should do other things. Like, get a hobby. Or worse – married .” The last word dripped with disgust, like it physically pained her to say it.

I understood that look. The sour twist of someone who refused to be told what they could or couldn’t do. Francesca didn’t just want money or respect – she wanted power .

We were who we were. And we didn’t back down for anyone – not even family.

The elevator let out a soft chime as it reached the top floor, and we stepped out into the fancy hallway. The door to Penthouse 111 opened before we even had the chance to knock.

Natalia.

She stood framed in the doorway, her figure elegant in a pink dress that hugged her in all the right places. Her hair was pulled back just enough to showcase her sharp cheekbones, and her lips curved into a polite smile.

For a split second, her expression faltered when her gaze landed on me, surprise flashing across her features. But she smoothed it out quickly, masking it with that cool, practiced composure she was so good at.

This was supposed to be a dinner party only between the girls. However, after the things Kali pulled last week, I was keeping an eye on her. So when she found out I was coming uninvited, she told Francesca to bring her brother too. Now, Zach on the other hand…

“Hey, guys,” Natalia welcomed politely, though confused as to why Zach or I were here.

Nodding politely, Zach stepped past her and into the penthouse. Inside, I caught the reflection of Maria as she moved around the kitchen island, helping with preparing dinner. Zach’s whole demeanor shifted as he moved towards her, his casual indifference getting replaced by something more purposeful.

Francesca gestured to the wine she’d brought, and Natalia nodded appreciatively, her voice warm as they all fell into small talk in the doorway.

The elevator dinged again, the doors sliding open as Tony stepped out, all swag and nonchalant in Superstars, baggy jeans and a loose white T-shirt. Making a point to ignore me, he threw one arm over his sister’s shoulder and the other over Kali’s, pulling them both into a loose hug. “Well, don’t you two look like trouble.”

“Always,” Kali laughed, while Francesca rolled her eyes but didn’t pull away.

Tony grinned, steering them inside, and saying a polite hello to Natalia on the way in. Maybe he wasn’t a complete idiot .

The only reason I hadn’t clocked him right in the jaw was because Kali had assured me there was nothing going on between them.

He was simply coaching her – had been for years. Teaching her everything he knew and turning her into a beast in the ring – just like him. I hated that it was he who helped her learn to protect herself, but glad nonetheless. It was like a weight had lifted off my shoulders.

Natalia and I were left alone in the hallway. She leaned one shoulder against the doorframe, her head tilted slightly as she studied me. The corners of her mouth twitched upward in what might’ve been a smile – or a smirk.

“I don’t remember inviting you,” She said lightly, her tone teasing but laced with just enough edge to make it clear she hadn’t entirely let her guard down.

I stepped closer, hands in my suit trousers’ pockets. “Must’ve been an oversight.” I shrugged.

Her gaze lingered on me for a moment, searching for something I wasn’t about to give her. Finally, she turned around, stepping into her apartment. “Well, you’re here now. Try not to make me regret it.”

My gaze unwillingly dropped, landing on her perfect, round ass in that tight pink dress as she walked down the hallway. The way her hips swayed, from left to right… Slow and smooth … It hypnotized me.

I hated myself for having to look away because I couldn’t handle not being able to touch her.

Locking the front door behind me, I followed, a smirk tugging at my lips. “ No promises .”

She laughed softly, throwing me an incredulous look over her shoulder, and her caramel hair flowed aside from the movement, exposing her naked back, along with something I hadn’t seen before.

Black cursive tatted along her spine, though I wasn’t close enough to read the quote.

Dragging my tongue up, between the valley of her back, I bit her neck and pushed back inside her, earning a tortured moan.

“I need to get up early,” Natalia groaned, pushing her ass back into my six-pack and rotating her hips, her hands clawing at the sheets above.

“That so?” I murmured, snaking my arm around her neck until I had her in a headlock, and pulled her into me, fucking her slowly.

“Yeah,” She whimpered, one hand coming up to the back of my neck, while the other dug into my bicep.

“Too bad. Haven’t had enough of you yet, amai.”

Clearing my throat, the memory evaporated from my brain, as we entered the open kitchen-living space, conversation and music already flowing.

I took a seat at the island, hiding the hard-on in my pants.

This was going to be a long night.

The dinner party unfolded naturally, but beneath the surface, tension simmered. My eyes kept drifting to Natalia, even when I told myself not to. She moved with that effortless softness of hers, smiling and talking with everyone except me , pretending not to notice the way I kept stealing glances.

That was a lie.

She had talked to me. Quite a lot, actually.

It was still not enough.

What did I have to do for her to want to sit next to me instead of listening to her friends debate?

Across the table, the tension between Maria and Zach was suffocating. Even with the distance of sitting at opposite ends, the pull between them was obvious to everyone.

Tony, ever the comedian, kept the atmosphere light with his quick jokes and funny, exaggerated stories – drawing laughs even from Maria, who wasn’t the easiest to make laugh.

Francesca and Kali, meanwhile, bounced between topics like they’d rehearsed it, keeping everyone engaged.

It was the kind of night where everything seemed perfect on the surface – but for those of us with deeper stakes, reality was impossible to ignore.