Mihai
MIHAI
I step into my father’s study, and the tension in the room is a living, breathing thing. Declan is pacing back and forth, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles are white. He looks like he’s barely keeping himself together.
Connor sits off to the side, his chair tipped back precariously as he flicks his knife open and closed, the metallic sound sharp and rhythmic. It’s his tell—when Connor’s about to lose it, the knife comes out.
Dmitri leans against the desk, his expression cold and controlled as usual, but there’s a fire in his eyes that tells me he’s one wrong word away from breaking his calm. Nikolai stands in the corner, arms crossed over his chest, his jaw tight, radiating the same kind of anger that feels like it’s pulsing in the room.
But it’s Konstantin Drakos in the center of the room who catches my attention. He’s slouched in a chair, his shirt open and soaked with blood, a medic working to extract a bullet from his chest.
There’s a graze along his neck, fresh blood dripping down to stain his already ruined shirt. And yet, his face remains unreadable, his dark eyes fixed on the floor as though this isn’t his first—or even his worst—brush with death.
“What the fuck happened?” The words are out of my mouth before I can process them, my voice slicing through the tension like a whip.
My father is the first to speak, his tone grave. “Marina and Cat have been taken.”
The air is sucked from my lungs. My brain stalls, trying to process his words. Taken? How? My voice comes out low and dangerous.
“What?”
“They were on their way to Marina’s penthouse,” he continues, his face hard with anger. “The SUV was ambushed.”
I can’t fucking believe this. “And where the hell was security?”
“I was driving,” Konstantin says, his tone calm, almost detached, despite the obvious pain. His wince barely registers as the medic digs deeper into his chest.
My eyes snap to Drakos, who barely flinches under my glare. “It was an ambush. Professional. They knew the route and knew the timing. They wanted the girls, not me.”
I take a step forward, my fists clenching at my sides. “And where were your men, Drakos?”
“Five dead,” he says, his tone devoid of emotion. “Two SUV’s taken out.”
Declan stops pacing and spins toward Konstantin, his Irish accent sharper than usual. “And what were you doing while my daughter was bein’ taken? Bleedin’ all over the damn seat?”
“I was shot in the fucking chest, Cunningham,” Konstantin snaps back, his voice cool but firm. “I wasn’t exactly in a position to play hero, though I tried.”
“That’s enough,” Dmitri says, his voice cutting through their spat like ice. He steps forward, his gaze locked on Konstantin. “Explain exactly what happened.”
Konstantin inhales sharply as the medic pulls out the bullet, but his tone remains steady. “We were on the main stretch leading to Marina’s penthouse. She needed to pick something up to give to ’s woman when four black SUVs boxed us in. They opened fire immediately. My men returned fire, but they were outnumbered and outgunned. I got hit, but I managed to take out one of their drivers before I lost control of the vehicle.”
“And the girls?” I demand, my chest tight with the need to act, to fix this.
“They dragged them out,” Konstantin says, his voice grim. “Alive. That much I know.”
I glance at Konstantin again, and despite his injuries, there’s no weakness in his posture. If anything, he looks even more dangerous, like he’s already planning the retaliation in his head.
My father clears his throat, his voice commanding the room. “Marina and Cat are alive. They were taken, not killed. That tells us they’re valuable.”
“For now,” Declan snaps, his voice tight with rage. “But we don’t know for how long. And if my daughter…” His voice cracks, just slightly, and he stops, running a hand over his face before continuing. “If anything happens to Catriona, there won’t be a corner of this earth safe for the bastard responsible.”
“We won’t let it come to that,” Connor snaps, his knife clicking shut as he leans forward, his green eyes blazing. “We’ll find them. We’ll bring them back.”
I nod, my own anger simmering just beneath the surface. “Where’s Vito?”
“Unavailable,” Dmitri growls, his tone dripping with disdain. “His last known position was Brooklyn. Giannini territory.”
Of course. “Convenient,” I mutter, pacing the room. “The girls get taken, and Vito disappears.”
Nikolai slams a fist into the fireplace mantel, his voice low and dangerous. “He knows something. He has to. If Vito’s involved… If he’s taken my?—”
“Your what, Niko?” Connor growls. “Go on, say it. Say what you were about to claim.”
Nikolai’s knuckles are white where he grips the mantle. “I wasn’t going to claim anything,” he bites out, though there’s an edge of hesitation in his tone.
“The hell you weren’t,” Connor snaps, stepping into Nikolai’s space now, his voice low but vibrating with barely-contained rage. “You don’t get to fuckin’—”
“Enough!” my father says sharply, cutting them both off. His tone leaves no room for argument. “This isn’t the time. We’ll deal with Vito, but first, we get the girls back.”
A heavy silence falls over the room until Giovanni speaks, his voice calm. “I have an idea.”
All eyes turn to him, the tension thick as we wait for him to explain.
“What is it?” Dmitri asks, his tone sharp.
Giovanni straightens, his dark eyes scanning the room. “We lure my father out. There’s one thing that will make him show his face.”
“And what’s that?” Declan asks, his skepticism evident.
“A wedding,” Giovanni says simply. “Mine and Chiara’s.”
The room falls dead silent. I blink, trying to process what he just said. A wedding? Now?
“You’re serious?” I ask, my voice laced with disbelief.
Giovanni nods. “It’s an opportunity. In front of everyone—every player who shows up—I’ll rip the crown from his head by force and claim my place as Capo dei Capi.”
Dmitri steps forward, his expression hard. “You’re talking about orchestrating a coup at your own wedding.”
“It’s not ideal,” Giovanni admits, his voice steady. “But it’s the best chance we have. He won’t be able to resist showing up.”
“And Chiara’s on board with this?” I ask, trying to hide my skepticism.
“She’s the one who suggested it,” Giovanni says with a proud grin, his voice softening just slightly. “It’s risky, but she knows what’s at stake.”
Declan lets out a low whistle, shaking his head. “Bloody hell, that’s a woman to keep. You’re either brave or mad, lad.”
“Maybe a bit of both,” Giovanni says with a faint smirk.
Dmitri places a heavy hand on Giovanni’s shoulder, his voice lowering. “You understand what this means, don’t you? You’ll be taking over sooner than you expected. The weight of that crown isn’t just heavy—it’s crushing.”
Giovanni meets his gaze without flinching. “I know. But it’s time, wouldn’t you say?”
The room falls silent again, the gravity of the situation sinking in. Finally, my father speaks, his voice steady and commanding.
“Then we plan. But first, Konstantin, we get your grandfather here, then we bring Marina and Cat home.”
Everyone nods, the fire in their eyes matching the burning rage in my chest. We’re not just planning a rescue. We’re starting a fucking war.
“Let’s get to work.”