Chapter 22
Chapter
Twenty-Two
Victor
Ihave a long list of people I have to kill. A long list of people I am going to kill.
Standing against the stone wall of the house, watching my brother by the pool with that fucking blonde bitch, is making me wonder if I have to add him to the list.
My fucking brother. Loyal to a fault. An excellent weapon but proven destructive.
Alexei and Isla are sitting by the side of the pool, chatting idly, their feet dangling in the water as they lean into one another.
My brother and I are as different as any two people can be. That's no secret. But I understand my brother. I understand what drives him. I understand what motivates him. And I use that to our advantage as often as I can.
But this... this is the one part of my brother that I don't understand. The one part that is out of my control.
He loves that girl. I know he does. It's probably one of the only reasons I haven't killed her. I will never understand why he won't just marry her if he feels so strongly about her. Or why when I fucked her on-and-off for four years, he didn't even bat an eye.
That ended badly to say the least.
I could gladly put that girl in an early grave.
She's too close to my brother. I wish I knew how to separate them. Or at least get him to marry her, so we won't look so weak when she keeps infiltrating our inner circle thanks to said brother.
She knows far more than she ever should because my annoying as fuck brother trusts her. We have history with her. As a family, of course. We grew up with her. Her father was an enforcer for mine. Our mothers used to be close.
Which is probably why Alexei is closer to her than I am now. He was always Mother's favorite. While I was Father's.
I'm still watching them when all of a sudden my brother's eyes get hard, his fists clenching as he glares up to the balcony above. I follow his stare and find Sage staring down on him as well. I unfold my arms in surprise. I didn't even see her there.
My gaze ping-pongs back and forth between them.
Until my brother suddenly jumps up and begins scaling the fucking side wall to get to her. He scales the drainpipe and jumps up onto the balcony right next to her. Those are the kind of skills I'm talking about - the ones that make his insolent temper almost worth it.
I sigh as I watch him with her. I can see them talking, faces hard, likely hurling insults back and forth between them. They got off on the wrong foot. They haven't spent one second together without trying to filet each other's skin off.
Once again, my fucking idiot brother is paying attention to the girl instead of the priority.
I tilt my head. They're coming to an agreement of some kind. She holds out her hand for him to shake and he accepts. But they hold that position for what feels like forever. Then my brother pulls her in, and they bare their teeth at one another.
God. Fucking. Dammit.
I run a hand over my face and grunt as I watch them, realizing what is happening.
My own brother.
Fucking Christ.
Marrying her is going to be a lot harder with my reckless, unpredictable brother making his version of googly eyes at her.
That will complicate things. I need him on my side.
This is a moment that I would usually call in for backup. But right now I can't use my phone.
One of these DeMarco fuckers planted a cloning program onto it. I'm not going to take it off, though. Whatever they're looking for they won't find on my phone.
It had been my priority to befriend Anton while I was here. But I fear I've now made a mistake. My priorities have been wrong and they need to shift.
Anton was skeptical about jumping straight into wedding planning.
So we've settled on an engagement party this weekend.
Held here. It's not the endgame but it suits my goals just fine.
The power players in this city will soon be shown exactly what Rushkoffs and DeMarcos can do when there's an alliance.
I hate myself for admitting it, but I need to take a page from my brother's playbook.
I need to focus on the women.
My first priority should always be Sage DeMarco.
She's my future after all.
One thing needs to be made clear, though. She is my future. Not his.
I tighten my tie in the mirror, liking how it sits in a way that pronounces my chest muscles. My blond hair is slicked back and I've neatened my beard for the occasion. I check my watch and decide to head down the hall to make sure my brother is ready and is going to pull his head out of his ass.
None of this is going to go the way I want it to if he puts his head where it doesn't belong.
Sage DeMarco is my fucking business. Not his.
And this will never go my way if my idiot brother decides he wants to save her from her fate.
I push his bedroom door open to confront him. What I don't find is Alexei. What I do find is fucking Isla.
"What the fuck do you want?" She sneers, fiddling with some sort of necklace, looking openly hostile.
I. Fucking. Hate. This. Woman.
"What have you done with my brother?"
She gives me an evil smile. "He's already down at the party."
I clench my jaw and shake my head. Alexei has already forgotten whose side he's on once already. I need to pull him-
"You're not gonna pull him into line, Victor." Isla goes to the dresser and grabs a tiny sparkly purse.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
She stops in front of me and glares at me. "Exactly what I said. Whatever you're planning here, and I know it's something, Alexei isn't going to fall into line and follow you."
"You don't know my brother."
"I know your brother is a smart man in every area except one. Trusting you. For that, he's a fool."
"Then there's nothing keeping you here, if you think that little of him."
"Oh, I'll be here," she says. "Every single day, making sure that whatever it is you want, you don't fucking get it. And that you don't drag Alexei down with you."
We stare off at each other.
I knew this bitch was going to cause trouble. That's what she does best. A fucking thorn in my side.
Maybe I don't give a shit what she means to my brother. Maybe it's time-
"Just fucking try it," Isla says. "I dare you."
She gives me an evil smile, watching me for the whole time that she walks away.
When she's out of sight, I run a hand over my mouth. This is getting far too complicated. I don't like it one bit. Sage DeMarco needs to be mine. Now.
Every extra second we spend here is another second waiting on disaster. Too many moving parts.
No. This needs to be finished.