3. Chapter Three #2
“You know they haven’t. I told you I was a virgin.”
“Doesn’t mean no one’s seen you naked. Bet a lot of man have imagined you naked. Has Dante?”
“Ew. Dante sees me like a daughter. He’s never imagined me naked. He loves Nadia.”
He scowls. “Don’t I fucking know it.” With a sigh, he nods at the machine. “Go ahead.”
I find laundry detergent in the cupboard above the washer and pour some into the machine. I’ve seen my maid do this a few times. I have no idea which setting will be best for my clothes, so I guess and hope for the best. As long as the clothes are clean, that’s all that matters.
The Aria of just a few hours ago would have been horrified at the thought of ruining her expensive clothes. But now, I just want them clean so I can cover myself again.
“Good job. Now, get on your knees.”
I stare at him. “The floors are hardwood.”
“So?”
“So, it will hurt. And I will never kneel before you.”
“If you crawl for me, I won’t tie you back up on the bed. You’ll have free reign to wander around.”
“But then I could just escape.”
“You won’t be able to escape. I have the door set up to lock from the outside and not the inside. You won’t be able to unlock it from in here. As for the windows, I have them reinforced so you won’t be able to break them. So, what will it be, Aria? Crawl for me or make me tie you back up?”
I’m sure a lot of people would choose crawl to not have to be locked back up. There’s a TV in the living room. I could watch it to pass the time at least.
But the thought of crawling for Finn sickens me so much, I know I can’t do it. I cannot lose my pride and sense of self-worth to this man.
“Tie me back up,” I say with my head held high.
I can tell I’ve gained respect from Finn. He didn’t think I’d say that but it pleases him. I don’t want to please him though. I want to murder him.
But, I’ll never make it out of this house as he just said. Not without him.
If he were to die and no one knows I’m here, I could die inside. I have to be smart about this.
“All right, princess. Back to the bed it is.”
He removes the pee-stained sheets and I get back onto the bed where he ties me back up.
“Stay there like a good girl.”
“I hate you,” I spit out.
“See you later, Aria. I have some work to attend to.”
I know that cannot be a good thing.
Finn
If I want to take down Dante and Erik (and my brother by extension), I need to get Viktor back on my side. He tried to kill me but I’ll forgive it. I’ve tried to kill him before many times.
I know Viktor has made an uneasy alliance with Dante and Erik. I know he’s still angry with them for making him look like a fool when not one but two of his fiancées were taken by other men, Dante included.
My brother was the other one when he fell in love with his now wife.
I push Aiden and Elena from my thoughts. They will not bother me. I will not get distracted from my mission.
I know Viktor will easily turn if given the right ammunition. I can’t go to him and ask him to become partners again. He’ll say no right away. Hell, he’ll probably try to kill me.
No, I know he’ll try to kill me.
So, I have another idea to get Viktor back on my side and cause another war between Viktor and Dante and Erik.
I need to make Dante and Elio believe that I kidnapped Aria on the behest of Viktor. Now, I can’t just tell them that myself. They would never believe me.
So, I need to start a rumor.
Matteo, Dante’s second in command and old friend of mine, will listen to me. At least, he won’t immediately try to kill me. I know that for a fact. Matteo was always too soft-hearted for a man in the Mafia in my opinion but he’ll do just nicely now. Dante trusts him. Dante will believe him.
Matteo was in hiding for the past few years after he killed Nadia’s father, Sergei, but now he’s back and I know exactly where he lives.
It’s a nice apartment in the city. He even has a security guard in the front lobby. I bypass him without causing a scene (which is unusual for me) and head up to Matteo’s apartment. I make it a point to dig into the people in Dante’s life. Nothing can escape my notice.
Matteo opens his door. His eyes widening are the only indication that he’s surprised to see me. “Finn?”
“Can I come in?”
“I’m not sure I should invite you in.”
“Come on, Matteo. We used to be friends.”
“We were never really friends, Finn. We just worked together. In fact, I never really trusted you.” His grim face does his features no favor. Matteo is a classic looking Italian man – if that Italian man starred in movies. He’s a handsome fucker, I’ll give him that.
“Just let me come in. I have some information you’ll want to hear.”
With a sigh, he motions me inside. “You know I’ll have to tell Dante about this.”
“Of course. I’m sure you’ve heard that I kidnapped Aria already.”
He nods. “Dante called me just an hour ago with the news.”
“Well, you should know that I kidnapped Aria on the behest of Viktor.”
“Viktor? Viktor Smirnov?”
“Yes.”
“But he just agreed to alliance with Dante and Erik again. Why would he go against that?”
“Wasn’t Dante pressuring Viktor to divorce the woman he loves to marry Aria instead? You really think Viktor wants peace with Dante and Erik? You really think he’s forgiven them? He’s still pissed, Matteo.”
“But to kidnap Aria? And have you do it? I’m not sure I believe Viktor is capable of that.”
“You don’t know him like I do. How ruthless he is. Trust me. Viktor is behind this. He told me to do this. Now, run along to Dante and Elio and share the news. Even if you don’t believe me, you’ll still tell them.”
“Why do you want me to tell them? To create more chaos?”
“No. So you all know what you’re dealing with,” I say. “Who you’re dealing with. You can’t trust Viktor. Trust me.”
With a sigh, Matteo nods. “I’ll relay the information. But you do know that I’m honor bound to stop you from leaving so we can find out where Aria is.”
“I know, Matteo. Which is why I’m going to do this.” I quickly pull out my gun and fire. The bullet lands in his shoulder, knocking him back. “That’s my message for Dante,” I say as he groans on the floor.
I leave with a whistle. Part one of my plan done.
Dante
When Matteo shows up on my doorstep with a bullet hole in his shoulder, telling me that Finn told him that Viktor is behind Aria’s kidnapping, I hate to say that I believe him.
Viktor has not been happy about the new alliance we just formed. I’ve seen the anger simmering underneath him. Of course he’d do something like this.
Elio is with me when Matteo tells us this. He now knows who to turn his anger onto.
“I will kill him for giving the order,” Elio says.
“We should ask Viktor first,” Matteo says. “Before we rush in. Make sure Finn is telling the truth. Remember, this is Finn. He’s not exactly Mr. Trustworthy.”
“I don’t fucking care,” Elio snaps. “If Viktor is behind this, I am going to make him tell me where my daughter is.” Elio storms out of the house before I can stop him.
But I know Elio is going to make a huge mistake so I follow him to one of Viktor’s clubs. Matteo is with me, despite his bloody shoulder. I have to stop another war from forming.
And if Viktor is behind this, then I’m going to make him pay for hurting Aria.
There are two guards stationed out front of Viktor’s back office.
“I need to talk to Viktor,” Elio spits out.
“You know me,” I say, stepping forward. “You can let us in.”
One of the guards speaks into a walkie-talkie, asking if we have permission to enter, and after a moment, the guard lets us on through.
Viktor stands up behind his desk, looking powerful in his grey suit. “What do I owe the pleasure of three Mafia men showing up at my club?”
Elio whips out his gun.
“Elio,” I hiss.
“What the fuck is going on?” Viktor demands.
“You stole my daughter!” Elio’s hand is shaking around his gun.
“I have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about.”
“Finn told me that you told him to kidnap Aria,” Matteo explains, holding his bloody shoulder.
“So give me my daughter back!” Elio pulls the trigger. The bullet lands high on the wall. But it does its damage.
Viktor’s guards come running inside but Viktor holds up a hand, stopping them.
“I did not steal your daughter,” Viktor says in a low voice. “I did not tell Finn to do that.”
“How can we believe you?” Elio asks. “You were supposed to marry my daughter and then you backed out for that bimbo you married.”
I can tell instantly that what Elio just said was the wrong fucking thing to say.
Viktor’s eyes narrow. “Do not call my wife that.”
“Or what?” Elio demands. “Just give me back my daughter. You had every reason to take her. I know you still hate Dante. I’ve never trusted you. Not when you went to war with him a year ago.”
“I did not kidnapped Aria,” Viktor repeats.
“Believe what you will but that is the truth. But the fact that you think I could have done it, shows there’s no trust here.
” He sets his eyes onto me. “Dante, you and Erik wanted to make peace with me again. But your man here just went and fucked it up. I know I went back on my word to Aria but I was already married and in love with my wife. I tried to make peace for her sake but it’s clear to me that I’m still not getting the respect I deserve.
Finn is behind this. That much is obvious.
He’s trying to make it look like I did this. ”
“But you didn’t?” I ask, just to make sure.
The look Viktor gives me is one of pure hatred.
“I did not take Aria. I did not tell Finn to do that. But the fact that you even believed I would shows that there can be no trust here. The alliance is off. I want nothing to do with you fuckers. Now get out of my office before I kill all of you. Show it as an act of mercy.”
Erik is going to be pissed when he finds out. He’s the one who really wanted to make peace with Viktor again. This just might put my alliance with Erik in jeopardy.
All because of Finn.
Fucking Finn.
I grab Elio’s shoulder. “Lower your fucking gun before you get killed.”
“But he was behind this.” Spittle leaves Elio’s mouth.
“You’re just worried for Aria. But Viktor did not do this. Now, let’s go.” I manage to get Elio to leave the office, Matteo right behind me.
Once we’re outside, I shove Elio back. “You fucking idiot.”
“What?”
“You just plunged us back into a war with Viktor! We were trying to make peace. You should have spoken to him. Not shot him!”
“But he’s behind this.”
“He’s not,” Matteo says in a softer voice. “But Finn is. Finn is trying to tear us apart.”
“And it’s working,” I growl. “Viktor is a prideful man and we just hurt his fucking pride all over again. Finn got what he wanted. He’s making us turn on each other. Viktor will come after me again. Just fucking great.”
“So what do we do?” Matteo asks.
“We find Finn and we fucking kill him. And we hope that ends all of this.”