Thirty-Six
Dominic
“I have a job for you.” My father sat forward in his seat, eyeing me as I settled into the leather chair across from him.
“What is it?”
“This one needs some flash to it. I’ve acquired a little something that has some worth.” He slid a manila folder toward me.
Vincent took it and shuffled through it.
“What’s her name?” Vincent asked, sliding the folder to me.
I glanced at the photographs of a pretty brunette. Some of the photos were of her doing everyday things like walking to her car. Others were of her sitting in a bare room like she was being held prisoner somewhere.
“Natalia.” He gave me a wicked smile and leaned back in his seat.
I glanced at him. My father was a bit shorter than me, but he was just as broad.
He didn’t look a day over forty. I assumed that had more to do with the fact he fucked virgins and probably licked the blood from the sheets they left behind like some kind of fucking vampire.
Ruthless and wicked, that was Matteo De Santis.
Of course, the rotten apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
“Why does she matter?” I peered up from the photos at him again.
“Last name Vasiliev.”
I frowned.
“Her father is Antoine Vasiliev. The enforcer for the Bratva. Ivanov.”
“You want us to kill her?” Vincent asked.
“It’s up for consideration. You see, here’s the wonderful thing about our world.
Everything is connected. D’Angelou went off and married.
He got himself a daughter. Word has it, she’s engaged to Mikhail Ivanov.
The fact the little prick is getting his dick wet and pairing off is a cause for concern.
The last thing we need is for him to run around making heirs to the Ivanov throne.
I’d like to stop that before it happens. ”
“And what does Natalia Vasiliev have to do with that?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.
“Nothing, really. And yet, everything.” He lit a cigar and puffed on it for a moment.
The ring of smoke circled his head. Definitely not a fucking halo.
“I want an exchange. I have someone on the inside with Ivanov. He’s taking too long though.
His job is to kill off D’Angelou’s daughter.
She should’ve been dead already, but I haven’t gotten her fucking heart in a box like I asked.
If she’s killed by my man, the Vasiliev girl lives. ”
I ground my teeth at the mention of the hit out on Bianca.
“If the deed isn’t done, I’ll have no choice but to kill off the Vasiliev bitch I have locked in a closet and then kill the fucking D’Angelou cunt myself.
Or I could have you do it.” He gave me a Cheshire smile, his white teeth flashing at me.
“Cut the little whore out and make Ivanov start from scratch. The D’Angelou and Ivanov empires cannot unite.
A union between the children would make them unstoppable.
D’Angelou is already in too deep. The girl is his bargaining chip.
With their camps united, they could take over our part of the city in weeks.
One of my insiders tells me the moment Mikhail Ivanov weds his whore, the powers of the two will combine.
D’Angelou refused to join Ivanov’s force unless he got something in the deal.
I assume he’s plotting just as much as the rest of us.
His piece in the west side of the city would give the Bratva more territory.
It would give them all more territory.” He stopped and blew out another plume of smoke, looking every bit as sinister as he was.
“They plan on taking us out. They’ve been trying to take us down for a long time. This could be a war we might not win.” He slid back in his seat and gave me a stern look. “I need to know I can count on your boys to take out the D’Angelou girl if my guy fails. He’s cutting it close.”
Vincent glanced at me. My father was asking us to kill Bianca. Granted, I’d planned on it if need be, but things had changed. Or were changing. I knew the drill though. There was only one acceptable answer here.
I nodded. “You know I’ll take care of her.”
Vincent shifted beside me.
“Good. That’s my boy.” Father gave me a wide grin.
“Ivanov is a smart man. He knows he won’t get shit if he doesn’t have something to give to D’Angelou.
D’Angelou holds a hell of a lot more power than you guys know about.
He’s using the girl as his bargaining chip.
Ivanov wants a taste of that territory. That power.
We won’t let him have it. Kill the D’Angelou girl on my word.
You’ll take out the Vasiliev girl as well if I give the word. Understood?” He looked between us.
“ Sí , Father,” I said, getting to my feet.
Vincent followed.
“Good men. Wait for my call.”
“Of course.”
I turned and left, Vincent behind me. We didn’t speak until we reached my car.
“He has Natalia Vasiliev as a prisoner. Did you read the file?”
“No,” I grunted, thinking about how Fallon Vasiliev had been watching us closely. Now I knew why. The fucker knew we had his sister.
I sincerely hoped he wasn’t the guy my father had bargained with.
It was his sister, after all. On the other side of that, Bianca had been near him plenty when she was with Ivanov, so he’d had opportunities to kill her.
It couldn’t be him. More thoughts clouded my mind—Bianca liking someone enough to sleep with them, Fallon watching us, watching Bianca.
“I’m wondering if Fallon isn’t the one my father spoke to about Bianca,” I said as we got into my car and drove away from the mansion. I nodded to the guards as we left the property.
“He would’ve done the job already,” Vincent grunted.
“Not if he fell in love with her.”
“You don’t think. . .”
“I don’t know what the fuck I think. The only thing I know is we need to get back and talk to her, see what secrets she has to divulge.” I pressed down on the accelerator harder, and the car shot forward into the night.
* * *
When Levin didn’t answer his phone, we stormed over to his room.
If he’d lost Bianca again, I’d kick his fucking ass.
I was getting sick of his constant bitching about taking care of her.
My mood was shitty enough after the evening with my father, so anything Levin did or didn’t do would only make it worse.
“Think they’ve killed each other?” Vincent asked as we stopped outside Levin’s door.
I shook my head. “Who fucking knows.” I knocked and waited, expecting him to haul the door open quickly as a means to be free of her.
When he didn’t answer, I frowned and knocked again.
“Maybe they’re at her dorm,” Vincent said. “He’s probably sulking outside it.”
I got my phone out and hit CALL on Bianca’s number, growling as it went to voicemail.
Not wanting to deal with this shit anymore, I hammered harder on Levin’s door. When there was no answer, I backed up and kicked it, sending it flying open and slamming off the wall.
“What the fuck?” Vincent called out as I stood staring stupidly at Bianca in Levin’s arms. Naked. Both of them were fucking naked.
Levin sat up and rubbed his eyes, looking like he’d drunk and smoked too much. “What the fuck did you do to my door?”
“You didn’t answer,” I seethed, something ugly unfurling in my chest as Bianca burrowed deeper into Levin’s pillows without opening her eyes. The fact she’d slept through my entrance let me know the condition she was in.
Levin frowned at me then turned to Bianca beside him.
“Fuck,” he hissed, rubbing his head. “ Fuck. ”
“Did you…” I demanded, glaring at my friend. “Did you fuck her?”
“What? No—”
“Looks like you did,” Vincent said sourly, his face pinched in anger.
Of course he’d be pissed. He’d been attempting to woo her forever and hadn’t gotten anywhere, and there Levin was, being a constant dick to her and now he had her naked in his bed.
“I fucking didn’t,” Levin snapped back, getting out of bed and grabbing his pants, his dick swinging.
I swallowed down my anger and stalked forward to Bianca. Roughly, I grabbed her arm and pulled her up. She grumbled sleepily at me.
“She’s fucking wasted,” I snarled, taking in her naked body. I turned to Vincent. “Get her fucking clothes.”
By now, Levin was dressed in a pair of track pants, watching as Vincent lifted her shirt from the floor.
“Nice, Seeley. You tore the buttons off,” he grumbled throwing her torn shirt at Levin who had the decency to look ashamed. Or maybe he was pissed we’d broken in and ended his little party.
Levin grabbed a shirt and a pair of sweatpants from his drawer and tossed them to me. I caught them and dressed Bianca, taking in the bruising on her breasts.
“Why is she hurt?” I demanded softly, my body vibrating with barely controlled rage, as I held her up.
She mumbled something incoherent, her blonde hair a tangled mess around her. I could smell the alcohol wafting from her body like cheap perfume.
“She’s not. It’s not what you think. We just messed around a little, I guess.” Levin gazed at Bianca, his brows drawn tight. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was worried. But Levin hated Bianca, so it was an off the charts stupid thing to think. Of course, the entire situation was fucked up.
“When she wakes up and tells me you hurt her— forced her —I will cut your dick off myself,” I growled at him. I’d never known Levin to hurt or force a woman for sex, but he treaded a thin line with Bianca.
We all did.
“I didn’t force her,” he bit out, glaring back at me. He took a step forward, his hands balled into tight fists.
“Rethink what the fuck you’re about to do, Seeley,” I said dangerously as I lifted Bianca into my arms.
Her head lolled against my chest.
“I didn’t do shit to her she didn’t want,” he said in a low voice. “We drank too much. Got high. She would’ve fucked me if I’d let her. Instead, we just messed around. That’s fucking it.”
“Whatever, man. She belongs to all of us,” Vincent called out, looking pissed off still.
“Might want to remind Dom of that then,” Levin snapped back. “He’s playing mama to her.”
“Fuck you, Seeley.” I spun on my heel, Bianca in my arms, and marched out the door to the taunt of Levin calling me a cocksucker.
I didn’t know why I was so angry. The agreement was she belonged to us all.
Maybe my shitty night had just made it worse.
I tried to reason with myself about my feelings, but nothing I came up with made sense.
Even my suspicions about Fallon. The thought of a fucking lord touching her.
Making her feel. . .smile. . . moan. Love.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I was going to break something. Or someone.
Then the thought of having to end her life flooded my brain as I stalked to my room. Everything led back to the dull ache in my chest and the blonde passed out in my arms.
I knew what it was. Fuck me, I knew .
I gave a damn about my wasp. More than anyone else before her.
And that was going to be a bit of a problem.