Chapter 4
MASS
Present day
Five hours after the wedding
My wife won’t even look at me.
Allie sits at the far end of the plane closest to the rear with our daughter sleeping against her chest. The little girl cried during takeoff, but Allie quickly calmed her down.
I didn’t like the screaming.
But at least the child is acceptable when she’s unconscious.
I can’t stop looking at my wife. Even as Lucy talks about schedules, shipments, payments, and protection deals, I keep staring over. Allie cleaned as much of the blood off her as she could, but there are still little red scabs at her hairline.
The blood makes her more beautiful.
“You should offer her a towel.” I look back at my right hand and scowl.
“That’s not for you to decide.”
She shrugs casually, glancing down at her phone. “You want to make your life easier, don’t you? Try ingratiating yourself to her.”
“Since when do you offer me marriage advice?”
“Since you got married.”
I stare at her, giving away nothing. Because inside, there’s nothing to give away. I’m an empty shell, only ever filled by power, money, and death.
“Focus on business. I will focus on my private life.”
“Your private life is my business.” When I narrow my eyes, she only sighs like I’m the one being annoying. “Alright, I’ll just pretend like you didn’t abduct your blood-covered wife from her own wedding.”
“Good choice.”
We continue going over business, and I do my best to focus on what she’s saying, but my attention keeps getting pulled away. Allie stares out the window, her body tensed and hunched around our daughter, looking like one wrong word will make her crumble to pieces.
Maybe Lucy has a point.
My wife will need to be strong.
I’m a powerful man. I have money, guns, soldiers, and the loyalty of efficient and skilled killers. I’ve done my fair share of murder over the years.
But I have enemies too.
A man doesn’t ascend to the Dragon throne without causing problems, and I fear our wedding will only fan some of those flames.
Life isn’t going to be easy for her.
Try as I might to give her everything she’ll need, she’s still my Dragon queen, and that comes with a cost.
Only she doesn’t know that yet.
When Lucy’s done speaking, I gesture for the flight attendant. The young woman hurries over, hanging on my every word. She seems a little too eager, and I make a mental note to have her removed from my plane in the future.
“Yes, Mr. Cardone, sir, what can I do for you?”
“Clean towel. Bowl of water. Bottle of soda. And a blanket. Place it there, on that seat.” I indicate a place two over from my wife. “When you’re finished, return to your area and close the curtain.”
“Right away, sir.” She hurries off, practically bouncing with excitement to serve.
It’s disgusting.
I stand languidly and make my way over to my wife. She pretends like she doesn’t notice as I slowly sink down into the seat beside her. We’re separated by about a foot of empty space, but it feels like she’s right up against me again like we were that night.
I keep thinking about her mouth on mine.
About her body writhing and moaning, the sweat speckling her skin, her spine arching as she reached climax, her cries of pleasure, and her begging for more.
I think of that night fondly all the time.
I haven’t been with a woman since her, and I never imagined I’d have her in my life again.
The flight attendant returns with my items, leaves them where I indicated, and quickly hurries away.
“Why are you doing this?” Allie asks very quietly as I take the towel from the pile and hand it over to her.
“You have blood on you.”
Her face pales slightly. She doesn’t take the towel from me. “Where are you taking me?”
“You might be more comfortable if you clean yourself.”
“I don’t care about that,” she says, some of her anger leaking through. “I want to know where you’re taking me.”
“You’re going to my home. I refer to it simply as the Fortress.”
She shakes her head. “But where is that?”
“It wouldn’t help even if I told you.”
“Give it a try anyway.”
I shove down my annoyance. My wife is mouthy and pushing hard already. Any other woman in her position would likely be very scared right now. And Allie is definitely terrified. But she’s not letting her fear rule her.
That’s a good start.
“The Fortress was built on a private island in the Caribbean. If you’d like the longitude and latitude, I can have Lucy provide them.”
Somehow Allie’s already sick-looking expression gets even worse. “You’re taking me to a private island? As in, you own everything?”
“Yes, more or less. Half of the island is the Fortress. The other half is the Resort.”
That confuses her even more. “What are you talking about, the Resort?”
I decide not to explain. She’ll learn all of this soon enough, and I find the whole conversation tedious enough as it is.
I avoid the Resort at all costs and hate talking about it.
Instead, I give her the soda. “Drink this. It’ll help your blood sugar.”
“No, thanks.”
“Drink it. I don’t need my wife passing out and leaving our daughter in my care. I’m not good with children.”
“Rosie is not your daughter,” Allie says fiercely, hugging the little girl tightly. “Don’t you dare act like she is.”
“We both know you haven’t slept with another man since me,” I say very softly, leaning in close so she can hear. Her eyes drift to my lips, and I wonder if she’s remembering that night too.
“You have no idea who I’ve been with. Maybe I’ve been fucking the whole city. I’ve had men running trains on me—”
I reach out like lightning and clamp my palm down against her mouth. She stares in abject terror and shock, but she doesn’t struggle. Instead, she grips Rosie and stays very still. To do otherwise would risk waking our daughter.
“If you continue to speak like that, I will punish your filthy fucking mouth.” I stare into her eyes so she knows that I would relish the opportunity.
Nothing pleases me more than a well-deserved punishment.
“You might enjoy it. You might not. I doubt you want to find out. When I remove my palm, you will say nothing but yes, sir. Do you understand?”
She nods, her eyes wide.
I pull my hand away.
“Fuck you, psycho asshole, you have no clue—”
I reach back and grip her hair. She yelps when I grab it tightly, not hurting her yet, but the implication is clear.
“Go ahead. Finish that thought. I’ll hand Rosie over to that mindless flight attendant, then I’ll fuck your dirty mouth right here.”
Allie blinks rapidly. She’s breathing hard, chest heaving up and down. Rosie stirs gently, and I can tell Allie’s trying to decide if she wants to keep fighting or if she should make sure our daughter doesn’t wake.
She makes the smart decision and lightly rocks Rosie until she settles.
I release Allie’s hair and sit back, studying my new wife.
She’s clearly rattled and upset. I can’t blame her for that.
I murdered her fiancé in front of her, stole her from her own wedding, and now I’m taking her to an unknown location.
Anyone in their right mind would be on the verge of breaking down.
But she’s keeping it together. She’s even trying to be defiant. Even though there’s no help coming, nobody in this world who can possibly save her from me, she’s still doing her best to keep her dignity intact.
It makes me want her even more.
“When we arrive at the Fortress, you will be given all the comforts you deserve as my wife.” I open the soda and place it in front of her.
She hesitates but takes it and drinks it reluctantly.
“My staff will treat you with respect. You will be given nearly anything you want. If you have a need, only ask and it will be provided, within reason.”
“What about a private boat?” she mutters.
“My threat still stands. I’d happily make a mess of that dirty fucking mouth if you keep opening it.”
Her jaw works, but I swear I can see the pulse in her throat hammering.
Like she enjoys the thought of me sliding my thick cock between her lips and making spit roll down her chin right here on the plane where everyone can hear her whimpers and moans.
I need to get myself under control. I’m enjoying this too much.
“What about Rosie?” she asks instead of making some sarcastic and ultimately futile comment.
“Our daughter will be treated like royalty. She has the blood of a Dragon in her now. She’ll be raised well, educated properly, and sent to the best schools. Rosie will have the best life imaginable.”
Color drains from Allie’s cheeks. She keeps staring at me, but I know what she’s hung up on. “Did you say Dragon?” she whispers, her voice shaking slightly.
“I ascended five years ago.”
“You’re the newest… but they say the things you did to take control…” She trails off, her mouth clicking shut as she looks away.
I know the rumors.
The blood I bathed in.
The wanton, vicious, cruel acts of pain, theft, and destruction.
Most of them are true.
Some underestimate how much suffering I’ve caused to get where I am today.
Which is why nobody will take it from me.
I’ve crossed the line and now there’s no turning back.
“You will be as safe as you possibly can be at the Fortress. I don’t plan on making your life hell, Allie, but I will. Please understand that. It’s entirely up to you how happy you are from here on out.”
She takes a deep breath and turns to look at me. She’s still pale, but she’s clearly holding herself together.
Good, that’s good. I need a strong wife, and maybe she’s up to the challenge.
“You kidnapped me. You murdered the man I was going to marry in front of my family and the most powerful men in New York. Do you really think there won’t be any repercussions?”
“New York will be handled.”
“My father won’t let this go.”
“Your father is nothing. Your family has been nothing for a long time. Your mansion is crumbling, and your reputation is pathetic. Your coffers are empty, Allie. I’m your life now.”
She sinks back into her seat and closes her eyes. She knows I’m right. The Russos were once a powerful crime syndicate, but they haven’t been strong in many years. And they were never enough to go up against me.
“When Rosie wakes up, she’s going to be hungry. I need something for her to eat.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Soft foods. Bananas, peas, sweet potatoes, stuff like that. Yogurt might work. I stopped breastfeeding a few months back, but she still takes formula sometimes. I don’t… I don’t have any of her things. I don’t have any of my things.” Her voice breaks. Tears fill her eyes.
I pull back. “We’ll take care of it.”
“Her stuffies. She’s got a blankie…”
“She’s one. She’ll find other toys.”
“You don’t understand.” Tears spill down her face. But they’re not sad. It looks like she’s so angry, she’s crying. “You took me from my life. That’s bad enough. But you also stole Rosie from everything she knows. How am I going to make her understand?”
“Children adapt. You will adapt too.”
I move away, unable to handle this much emotion. It buffets against my defenses, and I feel pieces of my armor cracking.
That simply isn’t acceptable.
Allie says nothing. She only hugs Rosie and takes the towel, trying to wipe her face and forehead. The towel comes back stained reddish brown.
“That went well,” Lucy mutters when I return to my original seat.
“One of these days, I won’t be in such a forgiving mood.”
“I’d hate to be around for that.”
The plane lurches in the air. I feel the change in altitude and can almost feel how close the island’s getting.
Quiet. Solitude. Home.
With my new wife and my baby daughter.