Chapter 25
DIANGELO
Present
“Dinner’s not going to work this week, and I have no idea when I’ll be free. I have someone staying with me to keep them safe for a bit.” I could take Terina to my parents’ house, in theory. I just don’t want to. I’m not up for the questions I’d undoubtedly get from both parties.
Lucky for me, I have a long history of disappointing my parents.
My opinion, not theirs.
They’ve always been supportive and eager to be as involved in my life as I’ll allow. I’m the one who holds back, and I know that’s shitty of me, but being around them reminds me of how different life could have been. I’m reminded of my worst failures and what we all lost because of me.
Is that the coward’s cherry on top of the selfish bastard cake? You bet.
A monthly dinner keeps me from hating myself completely where they’re concerned. This week was supposed to be our get-together, so I had to call and let them know it isn’t happening.
“Oh, that sounds serious,” Mom says in a hushed tone over the phone as though someone might try to overhear our conversation. “You should definitely make sure they’re safe. We can have dinner with you once things settle down.”
Of course, she’s genuinely understanding. That’s Mom.
“I appreciate that. You guys doing okay?”
“Your dad’s just fine, but he keeps trying to give me a heat stroke by turning the AC off. If he doesn’t watch it, I’m going to call someone in here to put a lock on the thermostat.”
“Why’s he doing that? You can afford to be comfortable.
” They can afford a hell of a lot more than that, thanks to the money I’ve deposited in their account.
It was the first place my money went after I swore my oath to the Moretti Family.
One of the things I’m most proud of in my life is knowing my parents retired early because of me.
They know the money isn’t exactly clean.
Mom wasn’t thrilled when I got out of prison and went straight to Dad’s good friend Cosimo Costa for work, but she didn’t judge me for it, either.
Mom and Dad have always maintained that good character isn’t always measured in terms of legality.
Too many upstanding citizens hide monstrous secrets to pretend a legitimate job makes a person good.
Mom sighs. “I think he’s getting old. You know how old people are always cold? That’s him. I swear, he has to wear a sweater just to go inside a department store.”
A smile tugs at my lips despite the twinge in my heart. Dad is getting older. There are five years between them. I’m glad they can laugh about that stuff, but it’s a sobering reminder that they won’t be around forever.
“I’ll get him some long underwear. I don’t want to sweat through our next dinner.”
“I’ll make sure to have it nice and cold for you,” she assures me warmly. “You just let us know when you can make it over here, and I’ll put him under a heat lamp like one of those lizards.”
“Alright, Ma.” I chuckle. “I’ll be in touch.”
“Better be. Love you, D.”
“Love you, too.” And I do. I wish I didn’t love them so much. It would make stomaching the past that little bit easier.
Yup, I’m definitely a selfish dick.
To my parents and Terina. Her attempt at getting me in trouble with Renzo was probably deserved, but it still pissed me off. That is, until I saw the way she reacted to me. Like aloe on a sunburn, my anger fizzled to a distant hum.
Damn, I wanted to taste her at that moment. Feel her melt beneath me.
Her body is screaming to submit to me, and I don’t think she has the slightest clue.
Or maybe she knows and simply doesn’t want to feel that way.
Regardless, her true nature shines through, and the dominant in me hungers for more.
That’s why I had to say something even though I know better.
The last thing I need is to be introducing her to the more basal side of her nature.
Fortunately, that shouldn’t be a problem, considering my delivery couldn’t have been worse.
I’m not even sure where I went wrong. Yeah, I said she was pretending to be someone she’s not and ashamed about it, but I didn’t expect that to be quite so triggering.
I was talking about the way she naturally bends to my will, but she reacted as though I had accused her of stealing money from the elderly.
Something was clearly lost in translation. I let it go, though, because the last thing we need is to discuss our sexual compatibility. Let her be pissed. That’s what I’d been after initially, right?
Exactly.
Therefore, I left it alone. A week has now passed since the slap at Renzo’s place, and she’s been distant ever since. I fucking hate it.
I’ve asked myself all week if it was the implication of her submissive nature that upset her or the notion of submitting to me specifically that bothered her most?
I’m dying to know what’s going on in that head of hers. Patience isn’t normally a problem for me, but I seem to be in short supply ever since Terina entered my life. Need claws at me to give her what I know she craves. To force her to surrender.
But once a line like that is crossed, there’s no going back.
I know I should fight the desire with everything inside me, yet every time she innately bends to my will, that creature inside me rears its head and howls. Should he demand more, I can’t be sure logic would win that battle.
And then there’s the bending of her body.
I should tell her no more damn yoga class.
It would be safer on multiple fronts. I tell myself I’m letting her continue classes because it’s important to her, and that’s part of it, but the dirty truth is that I desperately need to watch her.
The way she moves, slow and sensuous, like honey begging to be lapped up.
Today’s class isn’t until midafternoon, so I have a little time to get my head on straight and remember my priorities. Which reminds me that I need to check in with Renzo.
He answers my call almost immediately. “I was just about to call you.”
“Hell, that can’t be good,” I mutter.
“It could be, but it’s not,” he confirms. “I finally got a call back from Simeon Mikhailov. He says he has no ill will toward us. If his brother’s plotting anything, he’s not involved.”
“And we’re supposed to believe him?” I snap back.
“I get it. I was skeptical, too, but his father’s death has only benefited him. Why begrudge us what enabled him to seize control? And there’s something else. Turns out Biba’s old garage hangout burned to the ground last night.”
“No shit?”
“Yeah. Word on the street says Reaper’s behind it, which got me thinking. We assumed the P on that notecard with the snake was from Pasha. What if Terina was right, and the letter was an R—”
“Fucking Reaper,” I breathe, finishing his thought. “I hadn’t even considered that.” How could I have been so stupid?
“Me either.” Renzo’s words are heavy with self-disgust. “He’s been so quiet, and a Russian attack seemed so likely, it never occurred to me the threat could be coming from another source entirely.
It could be a direct attack from him, or he could be trying to stir up trouble between the Russians and us. ”
“That would be clever—get us fighting, then swoop in and steal our turf in the process.”
“Exactly.”
“Clever but seriously underhanded considering that asshole owes us—not only did we spare him and his sniper but we also took out Biba for him. Tommy easily could have taken out all of them that day.”
“You and I both know others in our world don’t operate with the same code we observe. He may see our actions as a weakness to manipulate.”
I huff my disgust. “If that’s the case, we won’t make the same mistake twice.”
“Agreed.”
I move on. “Well, I wish I had news to report on the snake. The exotic animal dealers our guys have been to all confirm it was a banded krait, whatever the fuck that is, but none claim to have sourced it. They said it’s found in Thailand and Asia and is exceptionally hard to import.”
“And venomous?”
“One of the deadliest.”
A violent curse crosses the phone line.
“Nothing we didn’t already know, but confirming it still pisses me the fuck off,” he adds.
“I hear you, and I’ll have the guys keep working through the list of dealers. There’s a fuck-ton of them in the city, especially when you include the black market names. Surely, one of them will give us a lead.”
“Let’s hope so.”
“Next question is, what’s our response?”
Renzo lets out a weary sigh. “It’s been a week, and no one has taken accountability. I don’t think it’s right to endanger the entire Moretti organization when there are doubts as to the origin of the threat.”
I hate to admit it, but he’s right. “What then?”
“We need to see if we can finally make contact with this Reaper lunatic. I’m going to put out some aggressive feelers and see what we can accomplish.”
“You need me to put my ear to the ground?” We both know I’m good at protection, but my specialty is intel. I can track down a person better than most bloodhounds.
“Yes, but I want to wait until we see where this inquiry gets us.”
“You’re the boss,” I say grimly, not envying his position.
He gives me a commiserating grunt, then ends the call. I consider stewing in my office, but give in to the grating curiosity and go in search of Terina to see what she’s been up to all morning.
The answer is, corrupting my dog.
She has Bonny on the sofa, again, and as I approach, I realize it’s so much worse than that.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” I gape at the two.
A triumphant grin brightens Terina’s face. “Doesn’t she look pretty!”
Bonny bounds off the couch and prances in circles as if showing off. I know the dog had no say in this, but hell, if she doesn’t look proud of herself.
“You painted her goddamn nails?”
“I sure did, and they look so pretty, don’t they, girl?” She welcomes Bonny back to her, further exciting the dog. “That’s right! The most beautiful girl in the city! Yes, you are.”
Un-fucking-believable.
“Heel.” My clipped command whips through the air.
Bonny races to my side.
“Alert,” I add quietly, pleased when my purebred Rottweiler begins to growl, and Terina’s eyes go wide as saucers. I’m about to give the Steady command to call off the threat when the shock on Terina’s face melts to pure joy.
“Oh, you are a good girl, aren’t you?” She lowers herself to the floor and opens her arms in welcome. My treacherous dog ends her warning without my command and bounds to Rina like a lost puppy. “So scary and strong and the very best protector there is.”
Then she’s giggling and rolling on the floor as Bonny licks her from head to toe.
I’m speechless.
And not because I’m outraged. It’s the damn cutest thing I’ve ever seen—like the two are long-lost soulmates. My preferences in the matter have zero chance of relevance, and I’m not even mad about it.
Fuck, this is bad.