Chapter 39
DANTE
Lorenzo and I don’t speak at all in the car as we drive to the Armani mansion.
What can either of us say? We'd never really spoken to each other as we had back at the apartment. Now that we have, it’s uncomfortable.
I don’t expect my brother to change toward me, but now that I’ve laid it out in the open, it feels almost tiring playing the same games as always.
I say that I hate and despise him, yet all this time, I’ve still been childishly bidding for his attention.
Because no matter how many different places I’ve tried to restart my life, none of them ever felt like home.
Lorenzo was the closest thing I had to it, my only tether to this world, but that’s all changed since meeting Romi. I don’t need Lorenzo anymore.
When we pull into the Armani estate, I see two of the hounds walking inside.
I recognize them to be Sky and Izak. Lorenzo and I both get out and adjust our clothing in an attempt to look slightly more presentable.
My brother is in his usual black suit, and I'm in my leather jacket. I didn’t even have time to change after arriving at the apartment.
I wipe my nose again for good measure, hoping I’ve got all the blood off. It fills me with satisfaction that Lorenzo has a black eye; he won’t so easily be able to hide.
When we walk into the mansion, the few staff who are around greet Lorenzo with a sort of reverence.
I haven’t yet completely filled his shoes in this role.
Then again, it’s unfair to compare me to him with his years of loyalty, being by Luca’s side as his security, and then second in command after the previous one was killed. I have a long way to go.
And maybe, just maybe, both he and Luca are right about one thing: I am reckless. Now that I have something, or more specifically, someone to live for, I should think before acting at times. I internally roll my eyes. It just sounds too boring.
We walk into Luca's office, and I spot Dario in the hallway speaking with Sky. It’s unusual to see Dario walking around while business is being conducted.
Luca’s brother was, after all, shamed for his drug addiction, which was influenced by the previous second-in-command, Ivan.
Besides managing a few small businesses, he has very little say in the Armanis' more lucrative business.
He was once a liability, but maybe over time, his trust will be earned back.
I look at my own brother, considering the same, yet it’s difficult to imagine us being anything other than what we’ve grown to be.
“Why do you both look like that?” Luca demands in lieu of a greeting, and I’m surprised to see Ara beside him.
I haven’t seen her over the past month, as Luca has basically hidden her away from everyone.
Though I heard up until this week, she'd continued working and going to her office daily, under Tony’s watchful eye, of course.
She sits on the couch, her hand on her swollen stomach.
She looks like she’s about to go into labor at any point, yet there’s a calm ease in her expression.
“We had differences to discuss,” Lorenzo replies.
Izak looks up from beneath his mask.
“It doesn’t look like there was much talking,” Tony adds sarcastically.
“Can someone explain to me why this dipshit is here?” I ask, hooking a thumb toward Lorenzo, and he glares at me. Because despite us talking about feelings and past trauma bullshit, he’s not meant to be here.
Luca undoes his top two shirt buttons. “Because I requested him to return temporarily.”
Lorenzo nods. “I’ve ensured everything will still run smoothly in Italy during my absence. As always, I’m here to serve.”
Eat a dick, I feel like saying out loud.
My brother has always been like this—like he has a pole up his ass, and the perfect soldier.
It’s like he’s molded every part of his personality around his work.
But I wonder how much that has changed since Lily has come into his life.
I imagine that perhaps there’s a part of him that only she sees, and for that, I’m jealous.
“Good. Despite the things we’ve set in motion, the Bratva haven’t retaliated whatsoever,” Luca says.
“Retaliated?” Lorenzo is quick to question, but then looks between Luca and me, and says, “The bloodbath was on your order?”
“Yes. Before leaving Italy to fill this position, I had Dante wipe out a group who were trying to conduct business there before I had you take over.” Ah.
There it is. Lorenzo has always been so focused on my first massacre in my early twenties that every killing spree I went on thereafter was deemed too reckless, too messy, and without reason.
But the truth is, a lot of them were orchestrated on Luca’s behalf.
And since Lorenzo caught wind of my most recent one, he’s been nothing but suspicious, and rightly so.
I can’t help but feel smug that, yet again, there’s something that Luca entrusts only to me.
Luca continues. “I was hoping that if any were to retaliate, they’d follow Dante here so we can flush out the remaining few. However, it would appear they are quite amateurish. I expected more, but, respectfully, the Bratva obviously don’t think it’s worth the loss of men to challenge us.”
Lorenzo says nothing, but I can tell he’s pissed about not being in the know about certain movements.
I wonder how deeply it cuts him that Luca didn’t let him in on this mission.
Much like I wasn’t in the know of Lorenzo returning here without a clear explanation as to why.
But we both have to work with Luca’s whims.
“My darling wife found something interesting.” Luca comes to stand behind Ara and places his hands on her shoulders, and she holds up a picture of the biological sister of Andrei Popov. “She might seem harmless, but there’s a unique connection.”
While holding up the photo, Ara says, “I’ve seen this woman before.
A few months ago, when we stopped by Romi’s apartment for an intervention, the girls and I found her trying to steal a lamp.
” My hands curl into fists at the assumption that this was another one of Romi’s lovers, and I don’t take kindly to the thought of my woman with anyone else, even if in the past.
“I thought it was strange at the time. But maybe it wasn’t the lamp she was after.
We let ourselves into the apartment, after all, so it all seemed rather sudden, but maybe she was after something else?
It can’t be a coincidence that she was in Romi’s apartment, and she’s somehow connected to this group.
Romi probably has no idea about her involvement, but maybe she knows where to find her? ”
Izak speaks next. “We already tried her home address, but it doesn’t look like anyone’s lived there for months, and she suddenly handed in her notice at her job a month ago. She’s tried to go off-grid.”
Well, isn’t that interesting.
“I have a rough idea,” I say, trying to keep the acid from my tone. “There’s a bar Romi used to frequent to pick up her lovers in. Could be a strong chance that’s where she found this woman.”
Ara’s eyes light up. “Of course, the bar. I didn’t even think about that.”
It grates on my nerves that her friends are accustomed to her regular pickup game, which they’ll quickly learn is no longer a thing. Over my dead body.
I lick my split lip in an attempt to hide my lost calm. “I’ll ask Romi if she recalls this woman, though I doubt it.” I sound spiteful, so I tack on, “But hopefully, she recalls some detail that will lead us to the source.” I take out my phone and call her.
Ara and Luca share a silent exchange, and I notice the way Ara tries not to smile as he reluctantly looks away. It’s not only them who watch me when discussing Romi; my brother regards me intently as well. He probably thinks this is all still a joke, that I have some ulterior motive.
We wait patiently as the phone continues to ring, and I lick my lips again. “I swear she usually answers,” I lie, caring more about my wounded ego now. Okay, maybe she really is pissed with me over the whole Instagram post thing. The call goes to voicemail.
“Maybe you two aren’t as close as you think.” Sky laughs from behind me, where he's leaning against the doorframe.
“I’ll call Lily since they’re together,” Lorenzo says, bringing the phone to his ear. She doesn’t answer straight away. And the longer it rings, a weight settles in my stomach. Something feels off.
Lorenzo’s eyebrows furrow as he looks at the screen when it goes to voicemail. The room falls silent, and Lorenzo and I look at one another. “Where did you say that bar was?”
“It’s close to the apartment. Let me check the tracker on her phone.” I bring up my phone. “They’re at the bar now.”
“But Lily’s hair clip tracker is moving,” Lorenzo says as he brings up his phone and shows me. That weight in my stomach gets heavier.
“Shit, I should’ve placed a tracker in Romi's jewelry as well. That’s smart.” The thought never once crossed my mind.
Lorenzo half shrugs, seeming somewhat embarrassed by the compliment.
We both look to Luca as Ara stands up, using his hand for support. “I have my money on them being together. They have a lot to catch up on. Is it possible they’re traveling somewhere else after having a drink at the bar, and Romi left her phone there?” she says.
“Wait, the chef said he was certain Fyodor Novikov used the bar as a front.” It dawns on me then. “Fuck! They’ve been monitoring Romi this whole time.”
But why? Why Romi of all people? She didn’t even know about the Armani family or the business they conducted until recently. I look at Ara, and it’s as if we piece it together at the same time. It's because Romi is friends with Ara. Which means the others might be at risk as well.
“Izak, I want you to locate Sienna and watch her. We need to make sure she’s not under surveillance as well,” I command.
“Sky, call Dmitri Volkov and make him aware of the situation so he can ensure Elanee isn’t being watched either.
I also want you to go to this bar and assess the situation.
If Romi’s there, call me.” I turn to my brother then, and we both look down at his phone that updates Lily's tracking device.
“Tyson and Kage will come with us as backup.”
“They’ve been targeting my friends this whole time?” Ara asks in disbelief.
Luca frowns, and despite the situation, his only concern seems to be for his wife.
“It would make sense,” Lorenzo says. “Find the weakness and exploit it through you.”
“It’s very probable they’ll ask for a ransom if they do have them,” Tony says diplomatically. “I wonder if it's money or Luca’s head they’re after.”
“I’d be offended if it wasn’t my head,” Luca quickly says, then shuts his mouth when Ara gives him an unimpressed look.
“Can we not think about your ego for two seconds? My friends are in danger.”
“They won’t get to them,” Lorenzo and I say at the same time, surprising both of us.
“I want this dealt with today,” Luca grits out. “I’ll—”
A splashing sound catches our attention, and in unison, we look down at the floor beneath Ara as she stares at it, shocked. “I think my water just broke.”
Sky begins to dry heave, and Lorenzo glares at him to the point that Sky excuses himself from the room.
Everything stops, like the quiet before a storm.
“Stay here with your wife, boss. We’ll take care of this,” I promise Luca, because the mistake these motherfuckers made was involving my woman in any of this.
I'm just angry at myself for being so blind to all of it. But there were no signs, which makes me even more furious, because whoever this Fyodor Novikov is, he patiently waited to strike, and as we chipped away at his men, he put us in a chokehold where it would hurt most.