57. Dimitri
57
DIMITRI
2 WEEKS LATER
W e're at a little French café.
Briar sits beside me. Chloe and Max are seated across from us. The table between us is laden with chocolate croissants and flaky buttery pastries. Needless to say, Briar is having the time of her life in Paris.
Max catches my eye and raises his eyebrows. I subtly shake my head.
He widens his eyes and cocks his head toward the women.
"Okay, what's going on?" Chloe asks. "You two are acting weird."
"I think Dimitri has something he wants to say to us," Max says.
I narrow my eyes at him. The motherfucker smirks at me.
"It's nothing," I say, taking a sip of hot coffee.
"If it's nothing, then tell us," Briar says, placing her hand on mine.
"Yeah, Dimitri. Tell us," Max says, resting his chin on a closed fist.
I glare at him. I can't believe he's making me do this.
A few days ago, the sisters made us promise them that we’ll fill them in on everything we find about their little sister.
And last night, Max and I learned something about Grace’s whereabouts. However, it's not exactly good news, so Max doesn't want to be the one to deliver it.
"It's about Grace, isn't it?" Chloe asks, looking between the two of us.
Briar puts her fork down next to her éclair and gives me her full attention.
"We know who bought Grace," I tell them.
“Who?” Briar asks, her violet eyes wide.
“It's the head of the Italian Camorra family."
"The head of the Camorra?" Chloe says. "But that's impossible."
"Why is that impossible?" Briar asks.
"Their boss is in prison," I tell her. "But they have an interim boss of sorts, and he's the one who was at the auction. He's the one who took Grace home."
In Italy, there were traditionally three big mafia families—the 'Ndrangheta , the Cosa Nostra, and the Camorra. There are other powerful families as well, but these three have been around the longest.
There was once a time when all three used to be equally powerful. But the past few decades haven't been kind to the Camorra.
Their businesses, both legal and otherwise, are now worth only a fraction of what they once were.
It didn't help that they had a lot of internal strife that led to their boss being imprisoned. It wasn't until a certain man started rising up the ranks that their family even had hopes of being restored to their former glory.
"His name is Dante," I tell the sisters. "And he's planning on tying the knot with your sister six weeks from now."
“Tying the knot?” Chloe asks. “As in marriage?”
Max nods.
"I'm going to be sick," Briar says, resting a hand on her stomach.
“Why does he want to marry Grace?” Chloe asks.
"That's exactly what we're asking ourselves," I say. "But if there's one thing we know about the Camorra, it's that they're traditional as fuck."
"I would say that buying a bride at an auction isn't very Catholic of them," Chloe says, frowning.
"Wait, so if he wants to marry her, does that mean that he hasn't tried to...you know, do the deed with her?" Briar asks.
I clear my throat. "Yes, they usually wait until after marriage."
“I guess that’s kind of a relief,” she says, frowning. “So what’s the plan? Are we going to crash this wedding?”
“We could,” I say. “But it’s not that simple. We have no clue where they are.”
Everyone is silent for a moment.
"But you're going to find them, right?" Briar asks, looking up at me with wide, hopeful eyes. "We still have six weeks. That's plenty of time."
"Yes, of course," I say, glancing at Max. "Of course we will."
Max raises his eyebrows once more. I do a subtle shake of my head.
There was something else I had to tell the sisters. Dante Mancini, the man who bought Grace at the auction, is also known in our circles as “The Reaper.” He has a heart that beats for violence even though it's hidden underneath a calm disposition.
But I'm not going to tell them that.
I made them a promise, but there's no point in them knowing about Dante Mancini’s brutal ways.I won't let my pregnant fiancée lose sleep over something that's out of her control.
"You're looking at each other weird again," Chloe says, looking between Max and me.
I shrug like I have no clue what she’s talking about.
There's still a look of suspicion in Chloe's eyes, but she drops it. For now, at least.
Briar picks up her half-eaten pastry and takes another bite. She gets chocolate on her upper lip. I reach toward her and wipe the chocolate with my thumb.
She smiles up at me.
There's nothing I wouldn't do to keep that smile on her face.
I'll fight a thousand wars, go through hell and back, and give her the moon if she asks for it. She's the sun that lit up my dark existence. And it's a miracle she feels the same way about me.
I’ll never take our time together for granted.
I’ll cherish every second.