Chapter 14
Zoe
He was going to hate me. Prime was not a forgiving man when he was betrayed, or his orders were so blatantly ignored. I had done far worse than that. I had played a game with him, distracted him with passion and run away to do the exact opposite of what he wanted.
He was not Father. He did not love me. He had sex with me. He claimed me as his, owned me according to the Sinner’s rules. But he had never mentioned love. I could not soothe his anger the way I had once been able to with Father. I had broken his trust and most likely lost him.
Tears spilled from my eyes as I lifted the stolen phone to my ear and dialed the number from memory.
I still saw Prime sleeping in the bed, his powerful muscles limp from fatigue yet so enticingly beautiful.
He did not look as fierce in his slumber as he did when he was awake.
Every part of me longed to simply climb back in bed and curl up to his warmth.
I wanted to forget this mission and rely on the Sinners for everything.
That was impossible. I was not going to become a weak, useless female the way Father wished.
There was no honor in that. Even Prime would not want me to become helpless despite the way he wished to protect me.
He admired the warrior version of me. A compliant female would bore him.
I wanted his love not his contempt. I had stepped out and shut the door before I could change my mind.
***
“What is the trouble?” Damien demanded when he answered the red emergency phone only a few chosen people had the number to.
I suddenly felt frightened. What if I was wrong and Prime was right? Would Damien dare use me to stop my father from fighting him for Dominik’s territory?
No, not if he knew my father had disowned me. Not if he knew I was no longer untouched.
“Speak!” he shouted, causing me to jump nearly out of my skin and bringing the attention of the strangers at the airport to me.
“Uncle Damien,” I choked out. “It is Zoe.”
Damn! I did not wish to sound like a Russian so much anymore. I needed to channel Vikki at least. Flame was beyond my abilities, mixing English and Spanish in nonsensical ways.
“It’s really me,” I tried again, though the contraction felt odd to my tongue and rang false to my ears.
“Your father is not here, nor do I imagine he wishes to speak with you. Did he not give you an ultimatum as he promised the leaders?”
“He did. I was hoping you weren’t on his side. Do you hate me, too?” I asked
“Child, if you expect me to go against the other leaders’ orders at such a crucial time you are not as intelligent as your father claims. I cannot and will not ask them to change their directives.
You must think of what a life outside the mafia’s protection would mean for you.
Come home and marry Nikolaev. All will be well,” Damien stated.
“Do you not understand? Nikolaev wants Father dead. He seeks to take his place. He dreams of power. Doesn’t that frighten you? If he succeeds he’ll come for you, too.”
I knew instantly that I’d made a mistake.
Damien waited too long to reply. He was considering allowing Nikolaev to do the dirty deed of killing his brother, leaving him with complete control of all three territories and becoming the true Don, one with more power and territory than any other.
He assumed he could easily get rid of Nikolaev, which made him na?ve.
The man was an assassin who had killed many less vulnerable than Damien.
I sucked in a breath and opened my mouth to argue, but Damien took that moment to speak. “What is it you want? There is very little I can do at this point. I want Dominik’s place at the top, so I cannot show an allegiance to an outcast.”
“Money is all I want from you. To stop Aguilar, we need money to buy in to the auction he’s holding. Father withdrew his support. Just give me enough money for the buy-in. No one else needs to know it came from you,” I begged, the odd contractions coming out easier each time I used one.
Perhaps he preferred making Father suffer rather than die a quick, unexpected death because it appeared he was considering my request. I was ashamed that I couldn’t read his tone anymore.
It was most likely fear for Father, Prime, and the Sinners that kept me too upset to clue into his thinking process.
“I may consider aiding you if I truly believe you are sincere in only asking for this one small thing. If you are trying to trick me in any way then my punishment will be swift and lethal regardless of the fact you are family. I will not be used by anyone.
“Regretfully, I must make a visit to my compound in Miami to deal with a delicate situation there. I ask that you join me there so I may look you in the face to gage your sincerity. You betrayed your own father, so I feel it is a necessary precaution. I am not as soft or indulgent as Drago.”
I bit my lip in frustration. I had hoped a phone call was enough to get what we needed, but Damien was playing hard ball as usual.
I didn’t wish to be gone from Prime’s side for more than a few hours, nor did I want to put myself in more danger than necessary.
However, I had known he might force me to his side.
I tried one more thing before agreeing. “I cannot come to Miami. I have no funds to buy a plane ticket. Father has taken everything from me, and I don’t want Prime involved. He didn’t want me to ask you for the money in the first place.”
There was utter disgust in Damien’s voice when he answered.
“You are allowing those lowly servants to influence you too heavily.
Already you are bastardizing your speech to use their shortcuts.
You are also trying to protect them while begging me for help in their endeavors.
It is shameful. It is no wonder Drago has cut off the money supply.
“But I do not mind flaunting your request in his unhappy face, so I will have a ticket waiting at your airport for you as well as a man to pick you up in Miami. Get to the airport quickly. I will book the first flight out, so do not be late or this discussion is ended without me seeing you.”
I had enough cash to get a cab to the airport, though I was going to be completely without funds once I paid the driver.
If I was able to convince Damien to give me the money I needed maybe he would also cover the cost of my return flight.
If not, then I would be forced to ask Prime, or maybe Flame was the one I should call when I finished my mission.
The plane ride gave me time to worry about any mistakes in judgement I might have made in calling Damien.
I knew he wasn’t trustworthy and often twisted situations to meet his own needs and desires.
If he was sitting on his private plane heading for Miami he was certainly going over every detail of how to turn my request to his advantage.
Everything may have changed by the time my flight landed.
Damien hadn’t splurged on my flight, or maybe this was the only open seat.
I was smashed between too large businessmen who were sweating heavily.
I hoped my nausea was due to their stench and not fear.
My uncle liked nothing better than destroying anyone he sensed was fearful of him.
Besides, I wasn’t likely to think strategically if I was frightened.
I needed my senses to be clear the way they were when I was a confident part of a mafia family.
By now Prime knew I was gone. More shame and fear came quickly with the knowledge that he would come for me.
I hadn’t thought things through far enough to understand the danger I was putting him in.
It was new and very odd to think that I meant something to someone other than a relative.
He hadn’t mentioned caring, but he had done so many things against his own policies that I was sure he felt something for me. If not love then ownership.
I walked behind my large seatmates as we left the plane.
I hoped to hide long enough to see what was awaiting me at this end of the trip.
Had Damien waited for me or had he sent a man for me the way he’d promised?
What if he had decided to have me disposed of because I was a liability toward him becoming the Don?
Unfortunately, he’d outsmarted me. I hadn’t seen this twist of fate coming. As we neared the exit the two “businessmen” turned on me. One jabbed a needle into my neck while the other kept me from falling to the ground. I was instantly disoriented, unsteady on my feet, almost like I was drunk.
They held me between them, smiling and telling everyone we passed that I was their niece and had taken too many anti-anxiety pills to get me through the flight.
“We gave in to her pleas and allowed her a couple of drinks on top of it. She’ll be fine once we get her to her parents,” one claimed.
“Keep walking and don’t say a word,” the other whispered in my ear. “It would be your fault if we had to hurt someone because you were stupid.”
They manhandled me into a car, a limo I thought although the shape was wavering in and out along with my vision. My head limply fell back onto the seat and the last thing I thought was… “You’re a fool. Prime was right.”
Eventually, I heard my name being called from far away. I tossed my head from side to side trying to get the annoying voice to go away. My head hurt and my eyes did not wish to open to the light that filtered through my eyelids.
“Tsk, tsk,” the voice said. “You are being stubborn and childish, Zoe. You have lost your edge since you have been playing around with those simpletons. My niece was not born to be a whiner nor to take the people around her at face value. She was taught to withstand pain and do any job that was necessary. She was taught to see the enemy no matter what they appeared to be. I am ashamed of you.”
“Damn you, Damien,” I mumbled while trying to sit up. The world was spinning, and I threw up on my feet.
“Nasty little girl. You will be cleaning that up all by yourself. Where is the Petrov strength? Did screwing a lowlife take it from you, sap you of the toughness you were given in your bloodline? What else did you give away along with your purity?” he taunted.
“You lied to me,” I managed to say. “I guess I should have listened to Prime. He said everything you ever said was a lie. I suppose the man you refer to as a lowlife is more intelligent than a blueblood like me, or maybe I thought family still meant something to the Petrov’s.”
“It takes a liar to recognize another one. If you believed any of his love words then you are a bigger fool than I imagined. He is using you, my dear niece. But, if you like to be used then so be it. I have a better use for you than either Drago or Prime.
“I do not give a fuck whether you are a virgin or not. It does not matter any longer. You are a bargaining tool of a different kind for me. You will get me the position as Don and save my ridiculously foolish son at the same time.”
“I have no influence over Father or the other leaders. You’re delusional. And what does Andrei have to do with anything? He gambles. That is his only interest,” I pushed back.
I finally looked up and saw there were cell bars between us. The cell was plush. It held a real bed with the best of linens, a true bathroom and a small refrigerator, but it was still a prison.
“You seem surprised by your predicament.
You should not be. I am not the trusting fool that your father was.
I know you are good at escaping, and I cannot allow it.
So many things have changed since you went off with those thugs.
I hate having to explain myself, but I suppose you should know why you may meet your death soon.
“Yes, Andrei gambles. He stole from the mafia coffers, and I covered for him many times. He is my flesh and blood, possibly my heir so I had to try. I finally cut him off when he proved he was unable to end his habit. To my horror and disdain, he found other ways to continue with his addiction. It turns out he lost millions at one of Aguilar’s illegal horse races.
He would be dead now if I had not made a deal with Aguilar,” he explained.
“What damn deal?” I asked, gagging from the stench of my own vomit.
“It appears our children are to be the downfall of us if Drago and I cannot get them under control. Such disappointments you both are. It is no wonder Drago is planning to train Mathias to take his place. I too must find another worthy of being my successor.
“Anyway, I convinced Aguilar to use Andrei as an informant. It was a simple thing for me to pass him information on Drago. After all, the information lead to Aguilar doing terrible things in your father’s name which benefits me.
The leaders saw only what we wanted them to see, Drago’s need for young slaves.
But Aguilar wanted more to pay the debt.
So, I made another bargain. My son’s life for handing over you, Prime and the entire MC to Aguilar,” he told me.
“He won’t keep the bargain. He will take what he wants and kill Andrei anyway. And the Sinners are not so easy to take down. They have come close to destroying Aguilar’s enterprise more than once,” I replied with venom.
“I have a contingency plan. I am not a fool. Your father will be given a chance to save his sullied, beloved daughter and get revenge on Prime. I will order him to stand down and allow me to become Don if he wants you alive and out of Aguilar’s hands.
He must also give me the manpower and weapons necessary to destroy Aguilar and bring my son home safely.
“If he uses Prime and the Sinners, then he can easily have them killed during the battle. It is a win for all of us,” Damien concluded.
Don’t come for me, Prime, I prayed. He would be taken and used as leverage just as I was going to be used. The Sinners would come and die to save him. The ball was rolling, and I couldn’t stop it. Worse, I was to blame.
“So, blood and family now mean nothing to you? Power is all you wish for? It’s so sad to realize you prefer to be alone when you have family. Someday, loneliness will catch up to you. Maybe it will happen when you’re on your death bed and there is no one who gives a damn,” I screamed at him.
He sneered at me through the bars and replied, “Clean up that foul stench and yourself. Perhaps Aguilar will find a use for you more painful and lasting than death. I might be able to convince him to sell you as a sex slave along with the other women. Even that is less pain than you deserve. It is too bad we cannot choose our children before their birth, but that can be remedied now. Money can buy anything or anyone.”