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)
He smiles sadly and bobs his head. “We met when we attended Blackwoods College. You went there too, didn’t you? There’s where you met Adrienne. It’s funny, how the world connects back in on itself.”
“I didn’t know my father went there.”
“Blackwoods is in your blood like it’s in mine. I met your father there and we were close friends, back when we were young and idealistic, before we turned into what we are now. Well, what I am now. Your father’s nothing, isn’t he? I thought we’d rule the world together, but then your father went back to Greece, and I spent time in Russia, and we grew apart until years later when we reconnected. Our business interests were tightly bound, Kacia, much tighter than you realize, but it was never the same and he was making noise.”
Something shivers down my spine. “Making noise?”
“About the war with the Italians. He wanted to end the fighting. He was making inroads with Don Valverde, or so I heard. Do you have any idea what that would’ve done to my business? The war was extremely profitable for me. Greeks and Italians, killing each other in the streets, it left a lot of room for my family to move around and make deals in the shadows.”
I blink rapidly, trying to process. My father was negotiating with Don Valverde to end the fighting? Then why didn’t the Don say something? Why doesn’t Luca know? Suddenly, some things click into place.
Luca says the Valverde Famiglia didn’t kill my father and my brother, and I believe them.
Who had motive to do it then?
There are so few people in the world with access to my father’s yacht, but one of them is sitting in this room with me.
And he had every reason in the world.
If the war was as profitable as he says, and if my father was trying to end the fighting, then it made perfect sense to take him out.
“It was you, wasn’t it? You’re the one that killed my father, aren’t you?”
Damir looks surprised. “You just figured it out right now, didn’t you?”
“You planted the bomb.” I dig my fingers into my knee, staring at him as shock ripples down my spine. “You couldn’t let my father end the war. If that happened, you might lose control of the crime lords and the flow of weed might redirect to the States. So you took a gamble and killed him because you were afraid he was going to create an alliance with the Italians in America, and that’s why you took Adrienne, for that exact same reason.”
“I always knew you were clever,” he says, smiling sharply, showing teeth. “You take after him, you know.”
“You two were friends. How could you?”
“It was easy. Business comes first. Just like business comes first now.” He clears his throat and turns to the door. “Matvey. You can come in.”
A young man enters the room. He’s around my age, early twenties. Tall, broad, handsome, with light eyes and brown hair pushed back. He’s in a button-down shirt and designer jeans, and he smiles at me, a disarming and kind smile, so unlike Damir, though I see a resemblance. Matvey comes over and stands beside the couch, muscular arms crossed over his chest.
“Kacia, this is my nephew, Matvey.”
“Nice to meet you. Uncle, you didn’t tell me she was pretty.”
Damir grins. “What does it matter, boy? You would’ve married her either way.”
“True enough, but at least I’ll enjoy it now.”
“Marry me? No,” I say and stand up like the couch is suddenly on fire. I back away toward the bookshelf and both men watch me, grinning. “No, I’m not marrying him. I’m not marrying anyone.”
I already went through this once. Are they going to drag me into that same hell a second time? Matvey looks at me like I’m a toy, like I’m a piece of meat to be cooked and devoured—did Luca ever look at me like that?
“She doesn’t seem interested in me, uncle. I’m almost insulted.”
“She’ll learn to love you. Or not. Doesn’t matter.” Damir stands, facing me. “This is the business I wanted to discuss. This is the deal you’ll make to save your friend’s life.”
“No,” I whisper, my body vibrating.
I’m already married. I already have a husband.
I can’t do this again.
Luca, god, what did I do?
“Marry my nephew. Mend relations between my family and the crime lords. Make sure the weed continues to flow into my family’s ports. Hell, have his babies, fall in love, enjoy your life. I don’t care. But you make sure I don’t lose my drugs, and your friend will be released.”
“I can’t,” I choke out.
“You can and you will,” Matvey says, walking toward me. “Uncle, should I show her to the basement?”
“She does want to see her friend.”
“Come here, Kacia.” Matvey’s voice is low and he’s still smiling like he’s a charming jock, but there’s an edge to his smirk. “I have something to show you. I can be a good husband if you’re smart. You’re pretty enough that I won’t mind having you on my arm, which should make things easier for you already. Hell, maybe I’ll even enjoy putting my babies in your belly. I don’t have to be a bastard, but I will. If you fight, we will have problems, and I don’t like problems. I’m very easygoing otherwise.”