Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
“Where’d she go?”
“Russians picked her up. Took her to a house out in the hills, a nice fucking place. Rich-ass sort of place, you know? We’ve been on it ever since and nobody’s come in or out.”
I stop to lean against a tree and rub my temples. Fucking Russians, they really have her. I knew Damir was arrogant and overconfident, but to actually keep her locked up? The bastard must think I’m weak.
“Keep your eyes on the place. If anything changes, call me.”
“You keep picking up the tab and we’ll keep watching. But, Luca, the Russians are packing serious heat. We’re not going in without a sizable donation and some backup.”
“I didn’t tell you to go in, Denny. I told you to sit and fucking watch. You can do that, right?”
“You got it.” He hangs up.
I curse and shove my phone back into my pocket. I knew this would happen, but hearing it from that asshole’s mouth only makes it worse.
The Russians have Kacia.
After everything. After two different attempts on her life. After keeping her safe no matter what, after throwing myself on top of her to keep glass and bullets from touching her body, after kissing her, holding her, sleeping with her, fucking her. After tasting her and whispering her name. I’m supposed to accept this, close my eyes and live with myself, turn my back on this woman, this girl, my wife. I saved her from the hit in Greece only to let her walk away, and now I don’t know if I can live with myself.
I couldn’t tell Yiannis that I have guys watching her. I don’t know if I can trust him right now—the Greeks and the Russians have deep history, and if he’s playing both sides, I don’t want to blow my only chance at helping Kacia. I may be stuck here, but I’m not entirely powerless.
I meet Tony at one of the Valverde haunts deep in our territory. The bartender pours me a whiskey and Tony asks for wine. We drink in silence, staring at the bar top, and I can tell something’s on his mind but I don’t want to talk right now.
I want to stew. I want to hate. That’s all I’m good for these days.
“You’re really not going to say a word, are you?” Tony looks at me and the disgust is there, yeah, disgust and anger. It pisses me off that he’d look at me like that.
“Fuck you, Tony.”
“’Course you’re not. Why would you? Luca Valverde, perfect soldier, first in line for the Valverde throne. Tell me something, did your father name you as underboss yet? Did he tell the Famiglia you’re the next Don yet?”
“Tony,” I say, glaring at him. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but you’re a second away from getting killed.”
“Like the Russians killed Giacomo?”
I click my teeth shut and stare at him, gripping my glass so hard it might shatter. He only turns away, hunches over his drink, and stares straight down at the bar like his gaze might burrow a hole down into the mantle.
“You don’t understand,” I say quietly. “My Don ordered me to let it go.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he did, but are you gonna listen? No, don’t give me some bullshit, Luca. I know you too good for that. How many jobs have we gone on, huh? You, me, Fio, Giacomo, Niccolo? It’s just you, me, and Niccolo left now. Fio’s still recovering and I doubt that bastard’s coming back. Giacomo’s dead. We’re everything now. You gonna tell me you don’t have some game going on?”
I swirl my whiskey. Ice cubes clink against glass. “Our Don ordered us not to. If I had a plan, it would mean going against the Famiglia.” I don’t look at him as I say it.
“Since when did you let that stop you?”
“It means we’d both get killed if it went wrong. And we still might get killed if it went right. Even talking about doing something is dangerous, which is why I don’t want to talk about it with you anymore. You understand me, Tony? If I have something cooking, you can’t be a part of it. I’m not losing another man.”
Tony throws his wine back and stares at me. “They killed Giacomo. Those Russian fucks are going to pay for that. What kind of man do you think I am, Luca? Huh, you think I’d let my brother die and do nothing?”
I close my eyes. Fucking Tony. Fucking Famiglia. It’s all tangled together, twisted up and braided tight, all my loyalties, my friendships, my family, my wants and desires. I need to be a good son, a good member of the Famiglia, a good made man, a good captain to my crew. I want to be the next Don, the next leader of the Valverde. All of that means following orders, but it also means doing right by my people even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.