Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Enzo
The only thing I want to do is stay in Kira’s arms but I have work to attend to. Killing Matteo is going to make things messy.
I get a call from Gregor that he wants to meet to discuss things.
He and Maksim don’t even know that Kira was kidnapped but it’s not going to take a genius to find out that I’m the one who killed Matteo.
I wasn’t exactly careful about cameras when I showed up at his penthouse.
I had one of my most trusted men clean up the bodies but that’s not going to erase evidence forever.
I meet with Gregor, Maksim, and Nikolai at Nikolai’s restaurant. Just a few months ago, I never would have been caught dead in a Bratva restaurant but now I’m married to a Bratva wife and I’ve never been happier.
“Gregor,” I say with a nod, sliding into the booth next to Nikolai. “Maksim. Nik.”
Nikolai tenses. “I never agreed to you using a nickname for me.”
“Why not? We’re business partners now. I think we can use nicknames for each other.”
“Business partners don’t plunge each other into a war,” Gregor growls.
I sit up straighter. “What are you talking about?”
“I received a dead rabbit on my doorstep this morning and a message written in blood on my door. It said that the mafia were coming for me. What is that about, Enzo?”
“Who sent this message?”
“We think it was Marco Amato,” Nikolai explains. “One of his closest friends was caught on camera writing the bloody message on Gregor’s door. Why is Marco Amato coming after us?”
“He was never happy about me working with the Bratva. Nothing has changed.”
Maksim narrows his eyes. “You’re lying. Something has changed and you’re not telling us what. So, what did you do?”
“Who says I did anything?”
He huffs. “Because you’re the fucker who shot me in the back. But you’re married to my sister now which means I have to be on good terms with you. That doesn’t mean I’m a push over. What are you keeping from us?”
I sigh, rubbing my neck. No point in keeping this from them. They’ll find out eventually. “I killed Matteo Rossi.”
“Your friend?” Nikolai asks. “Why would you do that?”
“Because he kidnapped Kira.”
Gregor shoots to his feet. “What? Where is she? Is she all right?”
“I got her back but I killed Matteo in the process. I’m sure Marco has already figured out I’m responsible.
He’s been itching for a fight for a long time now.
He was waiting for an excuse to go after the Bratva and knowing that I killed Matteo to save Kira, a Bratva daughter, gives him all the ammunition he needs to start a war. ”
“Then you shouldn’t have killed Matteo,” Nikolai says.
“A little too late for that, I’m afraid.”
“It sounds like he killed Matteo to save my sister.” Maksim frowns. “You really saved my sister? Why didn’t you tell us she had been kidnapped? We would have helped.”
“Because I knew you’d worry too much or you’d get in my way. I was going to do what I had to do to get Kira back. I’m not going to apologize for that.”
Gregor paces back and forth, rubbing his face.
“I’m glad my daughter is alive. Of course I am.
But this new war is going to put her in danger and it’s because of you.
We made peace with you to avoid getting out of a war and now you’re the reason we’re going to be plunged right back into one. How is that for fucking irony?”
“I couldn’t let Matteo live. He was going to keep going after Kira. I did what I did and I don’t regret it. But I will keep Kira safe. I have so far.”
“It doesn’t sound like it,” Gregor snaps. “She got kidnapped under your watch. You’re not protecting her at all.”
I stand up and glare at Gregor, facing him head on. “I saved her. I got her back. That’s all that matters. And I won’t let Marco hurt her. I won’t let any other fucker hurt her ever again. That’s my promise.”
“I can’t trust you. I never wanted my daughter married to you in the first place. I only agreed for peace and because Nikolai gave me no choice. But if my daughter gets hurt because of you, I will kill you.”
“Hold on there, Gregor,” Nikolai says. “Enzo is our ally now. You can’t make threats to him, especially when he is married to your daughter.”
“Then I’m taking my daughter back.”
“Like hell you are,” I snarl.
Gregor points his fat finger in my face. “You are not fit to protect my daughter. I am taking her back. And the best way to deal with a war is give you to Marco. You’re the reason he’s so angry. If we give you to him, then he’ll back down. And my daughter will be safe.”
“And then we’ll have the entire mafia on our heads,” Nikolai says. “Enzo is the only one keeping the peace. Don’t act irrational, Gregor. It sounds like Kira is safe and that’s all that matters. Don’t fuck this up.”
I don’t say a word as I glare at Gregor.
“No,” Gregor says. “I was never all right with you giving my daughter away to him. I never wanted Kira married to the enemy. I am taking my daughter back where she is safe.”
Gregor takes a step to walk away but I grab his arm. “You are not taking Kira from me.” Not when I’ve finally claimed her. Not when I feel her in my soul.
“She is my daughter.”
“And she is my wife.”
Gregor scoffs. “You don’t love her. You’ve only been married for a little over a month now. You don’t know the love I have for my daughter.”
“If you truly loved her, you would have fought harder to keep her from me.”
“I’m fighting now. You were supposed to protect her but hearing that she got kidnapped by one of your friends tells me everything I need to know. You’re incapable of keeping her safe.”
“I got her back,” I growl.
“And killed your friend in the process. If you’re willing to kill one of your friends, then what are you willing to do to my family? And now, Marco Amato, is coming after us, all because of you.”
“So what’s your plan then?” I ask.
“I am keeping my daughter safe.”
“I can’t let you take her from me. Kira is mine.”
In one quick motion, Gregor pulls out his gun and aims it at my head. The restaurant is dead this time of day so there aren’t any witnesses.
Nikolai and Maksim shoot to their feet.
“Gregor,” Nikolai says. “Be smart about this. If you kill Enzo, in my restaurant, then you are declaring war on the mafia and we’ll have even more problems on our hands than Marco Amato. Right now, with Enzo’s help, we can stop Marco. But if you kill Enzo, then we’re fucked.”
Gregor turns his gun onto Nikolai. “I never agreed with you giving my daughter away to him.”
Nikolai raises his hands in surrender. “I get it. You’re angry and you’ve been carrying this anger for a while. But death isn’t the option here. Kira is safe.”
“How do I know that? I haven’t spoken to her in weeks. She could be suffering for all I know.”
“Dad,” Maksim says, placing a hand on Gregor’s arm. “Don’t act rash.”
“You were supposed to be on my side and protect your sister.”
Maksim flinches. “I never wanted Kira married to Enzo either but I knew it was the best way for peace. Dad, you can’t do this. We have to be rational about everything. Killing Enzo is not the answer.”
“I am getting my daughter back,” Gregor announces. “And if you try to stop me, I will shoot you in the head.” Gregor storms out of the restaurant and it takes everything inside of me to not run after him. Killing Gregor would be easy but messy and I already have to deal with the Matteo mess.
“Don’t kill him,” Nikolai warns, giving me a serious look. “If you do, then our deal is off and we’ll be back to war.”
“I will fight Gregor if he takes Kira from me. So you need to decide who’s more important. Gregor or me. I am the reason you have a good relationship with the Mafia now. But Gregor? He isn’t the reason.”
“If he dies, then the whole of the Bratva will be angry.”
“And if I die, then the whole of the Mafia will be angry.”
“So we’re at a standstill,” Maksim says. “Just don’t do anything stupid that will put my sister in danger.”
“I won’t. I already proved that I’m willing to do what I must to protect her. But your father is a problem. One that you guys need to deal with before I do.” I leave the restaurant before either one of them can say more.
Kira is mine, even if I have to keep her from her very own father.
Kira
A loud knock at the front door shakes the idea of Enzo out of my head.
After we had sex last night, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.
I don’t physically feel any different and yet emotionally, I feel like a grown woman now.
No longer under the shadow of my father. I can be my own person.
Whoever is knocking at the door isn’t stopping. With a sigh, I look out the peephole to see that it’s… my father.
“Dad?” I ask after I open the door.
He rushes inside. “Are you ok?”
“Why wouldn’t I be ok?”
“Enzo told me that you had been kidnapped.”
I place my hand on his arm. “I’m ok. I’m unhurt. You don’t have to worry.” I don’t bother telling him that I once scaled out of the second story window and hurt my ankle. The last thing I need is my father hating Enzo even more than he already does. Especially since I care for Enzo now.
I might even be falling in love with him if I’m not already there.
“You got kidnapped under his watch. This never would have happened if you weren’t married to him. You never got hurt under my watch.”
I hesitate.
“What?” he snaps.
“I mean… I know you hate this but I used to sneak out all the time and go to clubs and drink the night away. I did it all under your roof. So it’s not like you actually protected me from that. I never got hurt, thankfully, but… I was really lucky.”
“Don’t remind me of your indiscretions. Now, you’re coming home with me. I’m willing to look past everything you did in the past and move on. I just want to keep you safe.”
I blink, not sure if I heard him right. “Come home… with you? But I’m already home. With Enzo.”
“I know you never wanted to marry him. Well, I’m here to keep you safe, Kira. Come along now, before Enzo returns.”
“You want me to leave him?”
“Why are you fighting me on this? You were kidnapped because of him! I will keep you safe. Now, come along.” He tugs on my arm but I refuse to move my feet.
That’s when Enzo arrives back home. For a moment, I feel relief… until he raises a gun and aims it at my father’s head.