Chapter 21 Lark
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
LARK
Stefano Ricci looks exactly as I remember, only with a few subtle age lines around his full mouth. His hair is still black, his eyes the same color. And he’s tan, just like Lazarus, except Stefano has a yellowish tint to his skin.
Though, that might be from the lighting in this particular photo.
Johan flips to another, his laptop on the table in Lazarus’s den.
Or, well, I guess this is considered the Ferraro family business space.
It’s a large conference room that’s clearly meant to host visitors from the outside, and it connects to Lazarus’s main office.
Only, we’re not meeting with anyone in person today. Just discussing the message Lazarus received in the middle of his sparring session with Noah.
All three men are showered now. Johan and Lazarus are in dress shirts and black pants. Noah and I went for a more casual look of jeans and a sweater.
I’m not sure if the plan is to be on a call soon or not. That’s the debate.
“Stefano has set a meeting for three” was what Lazarus informed us of over breakfast. “It wasn’t a request but a demand.”
“In person or over the phone?” Johan asked.
“In person. But that’s not going to happen,” Lazarus replied.
That was his subtle way of dismissing the command of another don while asserting his own form of dominance by changing the location requirements.
It’s always a dance between the families. A constant battle of measuring their knots against each other.
In this case, my money is on Lazarus’s being the biggest, as I’ve not only seen it but also felt it against my clit.
A thought that naturally makes me feel warm all over.
Because the sensual activities with Johan were left unfinished.
Not that I think finishing would help.
These three men have awakened a hunger inside me that refuses to be sated. Just like a heat cycle.
Yet I’m very aware. And very… willing.
Which I never thought would be possible with this pack. But they’ve proved they’re nothing like a typical mafia pack. Or at least the ones I grew up around.
And they’re continuing to prove it now by including me in their strategic discussion on the Ricci family.
I listen as Lazarus discusses how he wants to handle the call, how he doesn’t want to mince words and intends to be direct. “They started this war when they attempted to perform a hit on Johan,” he says. “We were entitled to the kill.”
“We’re entitled to a lot more than that,” Noah mutters, his thick arms folded across his chest. He has his dark red hair tied at the back of his nape in a fashion that would look ridiculous on most men. But Noah isn’t most men. “I’ve only just begun our revenge.”
“You took out over a dozen of his men,” Johan murmurs. “That’s not enough for you?”
Noah’s head turns slowly to stare Johan down from across the table. “They tried to kill you. Fifteen bodies isn’t enough payment. I require at least a hundred more. And I’ll bleed them all into a vial for you to wear around your fucking neck.”
“That sounds heavy,” Johan deadpans.
Noah doesn’t share in his amusement. “I’ll also make a necklace for you with their teeth.”
“And fashionable, too,” Johan adds.
“Want a matching bracelet?” Noah offers. “A ring made of their intestines?”
Johan gapes at him. “How would that even work?”
“I’ll take a knife and—”
“Enough,” Lazarus interjects, sounding exhausted. “We’re not killing anyone else until we talk to Stefano. His response to this will dictate our next move.”
He doesn’t wait for them to agree, just launches into the potential paths this meeting could take and how he intends to counter.
Johan voices a few additional items for consideration based on what he pulls up from his laptop—a different one from what I’ve commandeered for myself—and starts showing some financial numbers. “If they want to pay recompense, this is what we should ask for.”
“Blood is far more fun to play with than money,” Noah mutters.
Both of the other alphas ignore him, their focus on business only.
When they’re done, Lazarus looks at me and asks, “You’ve been quiet, Ms. Bianchi. Do you have any thoughts you would like to share?”
Noah leans forward from his spot next to Lazarus, a hopeful expression on his face. “You’re bored and want me to kill them all, right?” He’s like a puppy dog begging me to let him off his leash so he can run out and play.
Unfortunately, I don’t really want to watch him kill a bunch of Riccis.
Instead, I’m much more focused on everything Johan shared, which I was able to see since I’m seated right beside him on this side of the table.
“I think you need to talk to my brother.”
Lazarus’s eyebrow inches upward. “Is he involved in this somehow?”
“We all are, aren’t we?” I counter. “The city is split three ways. If you’re going to take from the Riccis, that’s going to disturb the balance. Disturbing the balance leads to turf wars. Turf wars lead to bloodshed—”
“Fuck yeah, they do,” Noah inserts eagerly.
Ignoring him, I say, “And bloodshed can be bad for business.”
Noah makes a noise like I’ve shot him.
“I’m not saying it’s always bad,” I murmur, trying to placate him. “But in this situation, I agree that fifteen dead bodies is more than enough.”
He narrows his eyes. “They tried to kill Johan.”
“I know. But I think it’s important to find out why they targeted him.
Because from what I’ve gathered, you haven’t learned the purpose behind the hit.
So, what if Bastian was working alone? Or maybe there’s something larger going on here?
Regardless, we can’t learn more about it if everyone is dead. ”
Noah’s expression sours, and his glare turns to Lazarus. “You told her to say that to me.”
“I didn’t,” Lazarus replies, his lips curling just a tiny bit. “But the fact that she did is why she’s our perfect queen.”
Johan leans into my side, his lips near my ear. “Laz told Noah those exact words the other day when trying to quell his blood rage.”
“Oh.” I just said what came naturally to me. Nevertheless… “I still think you should talk to my brother before you upset the balance. Or consider partnering with him against the Riccis.”
“Giovanni isn’t one to favor partnership,” Lazarus says, his fingers lacing together on the mahogany surface as he shifts forward a little to hold my gaze. “But if you think we should reach out to him before we talk to Stefano, then we’ll call him.”
I perk up at that. “You will?”
He stares at me. “Yes. I don’t make false promises, Ms. Bianchi. I also value your input and suggestions, so thank you for providing your insight.”
Noah grunts again, causing Lazarus’s attention to drift toward the clearly disgruntled alpha.
“Anything you want to add?” he prompts his enforcer.
The two men stare each other down for a moment before Noah says, “If Stefano ordered the hit, he’s mine to kill.”
“Shouldn’t he technically be mine to take out?” Johan asks, arching a dark brow.
Noah considers him for a moment. “I’ll hold him down while you carve your name into his chest and slice off his dick.”
“Seems like a good way to leave evidence behind,” Johan says conversationally. “Maybe you can hold him down while I simply stab him?”
Noah gives him an affronted look. “That’s it? That’s all you want to do?” His focus shifts to me. “This is why I’m in charge of the killing around here. These two assholes aren’t creative at all.”
Lazarus merely shakes his head, but I catch the smirk flirting with his lips.
“I can be very creative when I want to be,” Johan argues. “I just choose to employ my creative genius in other ways.”
Noah’s hazel eyes glitter as they look over Johan from across the table. “Mmm, I suppose that’s true.”
“I’m not talking about sex.”
“You should be, though,” Noah argues. “Sex is fantastic.” His gaze finds mine, his body leaning forward with interest. “Have you been knotted before, little bee?”
The abrupt change in topic leaves me a little bewildered.
Which is probably why I stammer out a truthful response of “N-no.”
“Been fucked?” he presses, making me frown.
“Yes.” Kind of, I want to amend. Fucked feels powerful. More intentional. Violent, maybe?
What I’ve experienced is just… well, plain sex. Not fantastic sex. Simply intercourse, I guess?
“Names,” Noah demands, a notepad suddenly in front of him.
I gape at him. “No.”
“Yes.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Absolutely affirmative and now, please,” he counters, tapping the pen against his paper. “Johan will research locations. I’ll handle the rest.”
“You are not hurting my former… whatever you want to call them.”
“Dead men,” he tells me. “That’s what I call them. Now give me the names, pet, or I’ll knot them out of you.”
My thighs clench at the prospect even while my mind screams in protest. “You can’t just kill my former bed partners, Noah. They weren’t cruel to me. Just… introduced me to some things. And I never claimed any of them.”
“You also haven’t claimed me,” he points out with a pout.
“If I did, would that help soothe your murderous needs?” I demand.
He considers me for a moment before giving me a vague “Maybe.”
I sigh. “There’s no one else in my life. Just this pack, okay?”
Noah studies me for another long pause. “What about anal? You been taken there?”
“Are we seriously doing this right now?” Johan interjects.
“You want to know these answers, too,” Noah fires back. “And since no one has had the limits discussion with her yet, I’m taking the initiative.”
“We’re supposed to be talking about the Riccis,” Lazarus growls.
“We have,” Noah stresses. “For the last ninety fucking minutes. Now we are moving on to a new topic. Unless you’ve already discussed limits and haven’t shared with the class?” There’s a note of accusation in his tone, one that Lazarus bristles at.
“I know how to share, Noah.”
“Do you? Because you keep claiming firsts.”
“I’ve literally claimed one first.”
“More than I have,” Noah mutters, a note of dejection entering his handsome features.