Chapter 6
Ivan
There is no betrayal like someone breaking into your home. I've been stabbed by someone I considered a friend, backhanded by my father in front of the other mafiosos, and almost killed by an associate. Still, nothing compares to someone invading my domain while I'm not there. It violates the one space that is supposed to be safe from the rest of the world.
Tonight, my wife was almost taken, and someone on my staff helped her.
I stride into the foyer, the air thick with tension, pushing back my sleeves and exposing the intricate tattoos snaking up my forearms. I flex my fingers until my knuckles crack, a sound that reverberates through the silence like a warning shot. My jaw tightens as I move with purpose into the sitting room. Angel sits in his gilded cage, a silent witness to the chaos. My men are gathered, their expressions a mixture of concern and curiosity, and my wife stands in the center of the room.
She is dressed in clothing made for the outdoors, not the delicate nightgown I left her in. Her head is bowed, eyes fixed on the floor like a child awaiting punishment. This sight ignites a cold fury within me.
My father raised me to be a monster. Monsters don’t take pity on children.
"This is a private matter. Between husband and wife." My voice slices through the oppressive tension, sharp and unforgiving. I nod at Nikolai, one of my most trusted men. He meets my gaze with a slight incline of his head and gestures for the others to leave. They file out in silence, the heavy door closing behind them with a finality that echoes in the room.
"The truth," I demand, my voice reverberating in the oppressive silence. Each word drops like a hammer, demanding, unyielding.
Vivi looks up, her eyes wide. "I’m sorry, husband."
"None of that. I can’t stomach groveling. I want the truth." I grit my teeth.
She hesitates, then takes a deep breath. "Enzo, Luca, Cassidy, and Rowan arranged for me to leave tonight." The list of suspects does not surprise me, but it doesn’t stop the hammering of anger from pounding through my body.
I take a step closer to my wife and sneer. "Until you were captured," I state flatly, watching her every move.
"Purposely captured. I changed my mind." She holds my gaze, the truth shining in her eyes.
"Why?" I ask, my patience wearing thin. What kind of trick is this; why would she choose to stay?
"I realized my place is no longer in the Valachi house. I am a Romanov."
"Nice of you to recall that when you did. How was this arranged?" My voice is low, dangerous, yet I can’t shake away a grudging respect that she had chosen to stay.
"It was between Rowan and me," she answers, and I see the lie as clearly as the subtle movement of Angel in his cage. Does he not like watching his sister being questioned?
"No one helped you?" I step closer, my voice rising. Vivi keeps her gaze trained on the floor. "LOOK AT ME!"
She lifts her chin, and all of that child-like innocence is gone. A fire blazes in her eyes that takes me off-guard. Her stance is still gentle, like a ballerina poised for a jump, but that fire catching the light within her is defiant. Dangerous. It’s the look I’ve seen in Angel each time I’ve tortured him.
"I did this on my own," she declares, her voice steady.
Another lie.
I don’t say anything. Instead, I walk over to the door and thump my fist on the wood. The door opens immediately, and someone is pushed into the room. Brodie. I see a glint of tears form in his eyes when they settle on Vivi, but despite this, he keeps his chin up. He is forced onto his knees.
"Do you know who this is?" I ask, turning back to Vivi.
"My servant," she replies, her voice calm but her eyes wary.
"He has been working here for a long time. I trusted him with you because I trusted his loyalty to the Romanov family. I’ve never had a reason to doubt him," I say, my eyes narrowing as I look at Brodie.
"He has fulfilled your wishes. He kept me locked in that room," Vivi says, her voice filled with a mix of anger and sadness.
"Until tonight," I add, my voice cold. The room falls into an uneasy silence, tension thick in the air.
She isn’t looking at Brodie. She keeps her eyes on me, the corners of them softening, almost begging.
"Nikolai ran into Brodie when he was taking a dining cart back to the kitchen. Did you order that cart tonight, Vivi?" I ask, my voice cold and calculating.
"Yes. You woke me when you left, and I was hungry," she answers, her voice steady but her eyes pleading.
“And what did you have to eat?”
She hesitates for the briefest of seconds, but it is enough. “A hamburger.”
I shake my head, a mirthless smile curling my lips. "You are a horrible liar, my pet."
I step toward Brodie, whose eyes widen in fear. Vivi utters a soft, “no, please, no...” Brodie opens his mouth to say something to Vivi, but I cut him off, reaching down and snapping his neck with a swift, practiced motion.
The sound is a gunshot in the quiet room, and Brodie’s body crumples forward. I relish the sight for a moment, and when I look back at Vivi, the fire in her eyes has changed. She is looking at me with horror and pure, unadulterated hatred.
I push aside the niggling sense that I fucked up, that maybe it is too much.
No. Her hate is good. Hate is what I am used to dealing with. Hate will keep me from going soft for her.
Angel stands, his fingers threading through the bars of the cage. "I would have done the same thing, sorellina ."
I move swiftly across the room and kick the cage. “I don’t need your defense.” Angel steps away before my foot makes impact, putting up his hands in surrender, but the smirk on his face says otherwise.
As soon as the Azrael situation is taken care of, I plan on wringing his neck until I can watch the light leave that bastard’s eyes. He has no say here.
"Nikolai, take care of the body and send the hands to Brodie’s mother," I command, my voice sharp as I continue to give Angel a death stare.
"No!" Vivi exclaims, her voice trembling with emotion.
I spin toward my deceiving wife. "Yes, my pet. It’s the Romanov way, and you are a Romanov now. When a son betrays his Don, his mother gets pieces of him on her doorstep," I say, my tone leaving no room for argument.
"He didn’t betray his Don. His Don was Angel," she protests, her voice breaking.
" Sorellina …" Angel starts, but I cut him off with a glare.
The room falls into a heavy silence, the weight of the evening’s events pressing down on all of us.
"No, Angel," Vivi interrupts, her voice firm. "Too many people have paid for the decisions you have made." She turns to me, desperation clear in her eyes. "Husband, please listen to me. I don’t know a lot about your father, but I know his reputation. Maxim Romanov never led a large family, but he was respected by everyone, even my father. Brodie was sent to your house years ago by Angel, before Angel even disappeared. He earned your trust and betrayed you, but he did it all for his Don. Your father would see that this was a man loyal to his family. He tried to outsmart you, but he failed. That is why he is dead, but he was never your man. Your father would have respected Brodie."
She knows only the highlights of my father, the image he projected to the world. She never knew Maxim like I did, never experienced the man who made monsters. Yet, she is right. Every violent act I’ve committed has been against those who betrayed my trust. Maxim always said that death is not the worst thing that can happen to a man; dishonor is. Every enemy Maxim defeated that came from another family was sent back in a casket to that family, his honor intact.
I bare my teeth in frustration. Changing my command in front of a man like Nikolai is not ideal, but there is a thread that connects me to my father in the grave, a string that controls me like a puppeteer with a marionette. I hate it. I want to cut it off, but everything that I am was made by Maxim.
I take a deep breath, forcing the words out. "Do as she says."
Nikolai’s eyes widened slightly, his surprise evident. "As the girl says?" he asks, almost incredulous.
"Yes," I snap, my patience worn thin. "Is there a problem?"
Nikolai shakes his head, his expression guarded. Yet he doesn’t make a move to discard the body.
Vivi’s gaze softens a fraction, and I can see the relief in her eyes. But the fire is still there, smoldering. I have not won her over, merely bought a moment of peace.
I take a step closer to Nikolai, my eyes locking onto his. "Do as my wife says, Nikolai. For the first time tonight, she has told the truth. I would remind you to remember her words. The worst treatment is saved for those within my service who disobey me."
I can see Nikolai’s jaw working as he tightens it. Oh, Nikolai. Don’t you know? That is an invitation for the monster that is Ivan Romanov. You don’t want to experience that bite.
Nikolai backs down, his eyes flickering with a mix of anger and respect. He calls others into the room, and they remove Brodie’s body, leaving the room eerily quiet. I’m not even close to being done or letting out all my anger over tonight’s events. I have only one thing left to do.
I turn on Vivi again, and she swallows audibly as if she understands that it’s her turn now to be punished. I don’t speak as I reach her and grip her arm.
Angel is back to clutching the cage, fear etched into his face. I grin at him as I direct his sister out of the room. I hear a bang against the cage, but I don’t react or slow my pass. I lead Vivi, who doesn’t fight me, out of the sitting room and up the stairs to our bedroom.
I release her and close the door behind us. Her gaze wavers with fear, but she nods as if she is ready for whatever punishment I’m ready to dish out.
She shouldn’t look so enticing. I should hate her right now. But it’s an odd feeling. I want to protect her, and yet she betrayed me.
I take a step toward her and take her face in my hands. Her whole body tightens, and I’m curious if she’s thinking I will snap her neck just like I did to Brodie. Her ending won’t be so quick if she ever truly betrays me, though.
My lips land on hers, and I taste her tears, salty, warm, and sweet. My kiss is slow as I savor the flavor and the softness of her kiss. Her body sags into me with relief, or maybe she is enjoying the kiss. It’s always hard to tell with Vivi.
Kissing her makes me want to continue, but she also needs to know her place. I lead her backward, guiding her without her realizing where we are going. My lips leave hers, and I take one final look into her beautiful eyes before I push her back into the cage; she stumbles and falls down almost gracefully onto her cushions, and I slam the door shut.
The sound reverberates through the room, final and unforgiving.
She is on the floor, looking up at me with those soft, almost defenseless eyes. The fire is gone. "You lied to me, my pet. I cannot trust you with a mere servant anymore."
The door to our bedroom opens again, and Nikolai walks in. Her gasp is sharp, filled with a mix of fear and realization.
"Nikolai was trained by me, molded by me. You will not escape again," I say, my voice cold and unyielding.
Nikolai stands beside me, his presence a silent reminder of the power I wield. Vivi’s eyes dart between us, understanding the gravity of her situation. She is trapped, and there is no way out.