Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 45635 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45635 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
“How?” My uncle pressed. “Because now we’ve got someone tied to Rossi blood making plays that could drag the whole family into it.”
“I’ll deal with it,” I said. “Before it gets that far.”
“And Francesco?” someone else asked. “Do we tell him what’s going on?”
“No. We’ll keep this close,” I replied. “Until we’re given a reason not to.”
“That’s a gamble,” one of the men said.
The room stayed quiet for a second then the tension shifted again, more tense now.
“You brought her into your house,” one of the older men said, his attention locking on me. “And now her blood is tied to this.”
I didn’t answer right away.
“If her father’s bastard is making moves like this,” he continued, “then anything connected to that family becomes leverage whether you like it or not.”
Another man leaned forward slightly. “Which means she’s still a risk.”
I leaned back in my chair, my gaze moving across the table before settling on him. The urge to reach across and slit his throat for even mentioning my wife burned hot in my veins. “She’s not part of this,” I said.
“You don’t know that,” he replied.
“I do,” I said, my voice steady.
“You’re telling us she’s clean while her own blood is out there building something behind everyone’s back?” another man asked.
I curled my hands into fists but stayed quiet. Several men shifted, sensing the volatile energy vibrating from me.
“We’re taking a risk keeping her linked to us,” one of the older men said.
I leaned forward and couldn’t stop the deep, violent sound that left me. “Everyone better choose their words really fucking wisely when it concerns my wife.”
“You know what the expectation is,” he replied. “You eliminate anything that can be used against us.”
I didn’t move. Didn’t shift my tone. “You don’t touch what’s mine,” I said.
The silence that followed was an understanding. They knew exactly what that meant.
“We’ve got Rossi blood making moves against you,” another added. “You see how that looks.”
“I do,” I said. “But Lucia isn’t involved. And she is a Drakovich now.”
“This is fucked. You need to handle this. Get rid of the bitch,” one motherfucker said, and that crossed the line.
I didn’t raise my voice or give a warning. I just moved. My hand fisted the front of his shirt and slammed him back into the chair hard enough it scraped across the floor. Before the fucker could recover, my other hand closed around his throat, squeezing so I cut off whatever he thought he was going to say next.
I leaned in close, letting him feel exactly how thin the line was he’d just stepped over. “You don’t speak about my wife,” I said, my voice low and even, the kind that didn’t need to be raised to be understood. “Ever.”
My grip tightened so his breath hitched, to remind him how easily I could choke him out if I chose. I held him there for a second longer, waiting for him to acknowledge I held his life in my hands right now.
“No offense, Alexei. My apologies,” he croaked, pulling at my hands.
I held him like that and stared into his eyes for a moment longer before letting go, stepping back like nothing had happened as my message settled into every man at that table. I smoothed my hands down my suit jacket and took my seat once more.
My father leaned back slightly, watching me for a long second before speaking again. “Alexei will take care of it,” he said. “And the bastard… he needs to understand who and what he is up against.”
I stared at my father and inclined my head once. “Understood.”
My father nodded, my answer enough for him.
The conversation moved on after that, turning to what to do next, who moved where, and which men I took with me. No one went back over what had already happened. This was about what came next.
By the time the meeting ended, a plan had been set into motion. The men filed out one by one, voices low as they stepped into the hall. I stayed where I was, the file back in front of me.
Francesco’s bastard had gone rogue, and we couldn’t let that slide. I didn’t know much about Francesco’s illegitimate children, but I’d find out everything on Alessio. I had to believe he was just a kid with a blood tie that he was trying to use as leverage to make a name for himself.
I leaned back in my chair, letting that settle, then reached for the file again. I wasn’t reading it this time. I was thinking about Lucia and if she even knew about her half brother. It didn’t matter if she did or if she knew what Alessio was involved with. She was mine, and I wasn’t letting her go, even if she would be considered a traitor by the Bratva for knowing this information.