Page 22 of Dare To Free Us
My jaw clenched so tight my molars were close to cracking. Every muscle in my body turned rock hard. Fury burned my insides as I pictured the face of the man who once planned to cause Arianna a lifetime of pain and suffering.
The night Luca and I beat Shura to within an inch of his life I’d started a personal fight between us and the Russians. The story was, Victor became so disappointed in his son for letting someone get the drop on him that he sent Shura packing back to Russia in shame. Then it became Victor’s personal mission to destroy us.
Victor came pretty close around the time Luca and Becka were here. He murdered my father and nearly killed our operations. It was a month before we got a break on his hiding place and I got revenge by sticking a blade in his throat.
That was over two years ago. Since then the Russian’s turned into nothing more than rats scraping at the bottom of the barrel. Leaders didn’t last long, and with the alliance we’d solidified with the Irish and MC, they were limited to the small street gangs to do business. The Yakuza never did business with anyone outside their own people and the Mexican Cartel hadn’t had a decent foothold in Boston since my fathers time as Boss. The Russians were fucked.
With Shura returning it could only mean one thing. He planned to bring order and strength back to his father’s territory— which had shrunk to almost nothing. Shura would be out to prove himself. He would come with men and money that he’d probably spent the past few years acquiring.
It meant that things would get bloody again.
“Are you sure, Jasper?”
“Without a doubt. He arrives in a week by private jet. When and how he’s bringing his army over, I have no clue on that.”
I didn’t question him. Jasper knew better than to hold back information from me.
“Funny how our demons allow us to think the past remains there, isn’t it?”
I brushed a hand through my hair. Jasper had every right to be nervous. He was the one who told me Shura would be at the Den Of Sin that night, provided the contact and assured that Shura never took bodyguards with him when he went there. Stupid as hell but it worked to our advantage. If Shura learned that Jasper had helped he would have to grow another set of eyes in the back of his head.
I leaned forward in my chair and scrubbed a hand across my jaw. “A week you say?”
“Next Thursday to be precise.” His sharp, hawk-like features twitched and tensed like he’d delivered a doomsday message.
I thought on it for a moment, then pulled the bottom drawer of my desk open, unlocked the safe and pulled out Jasper’s payment. We both stood as I handed it to him.
“What do you plan to do, Matteo?”
“That’s not how this relationship works, Jasper,” I smiled.
He smiled back, not taking offense. “How could I forget?”
He left and I paced my office pondering my options. It was one of those moments I wished Luca was here. I picked up my phone and called Nico, who’d taken over as Underboss after Luca “died”.
“Yeah, Matteo,” he grunted into the phone. Then I heard the moans of a woman in the background.
I clenched my fist. It was the middle of the day, he was supposed to be making the rounds, not getting his dick wet. Not to mention he had the audacity to answer the phone while still doing his chick. “Nico, tell me you are not still fucking while speaking to me.”
“Sorry, Matteo.” There was a rustling of noises on the other end.
“Hey! Where are you going?” the girl whined. “A least untie me first! Prick!” The sound of a door closing shut her out.
“Ok, go ahead.”
I was so mad I could punch a wall. Work came before pussy. Luca always knew that, but Nico was younger and thought for some reason that being a cousin from my mother’s side would save him a beating.
“If you ever answer my phone call like that again I’ll ring your damn neck. Understand?”
“Ok, I’m sorry. What’s up?”
“Get over to my office, now,” I growled.
“Ok, I’m on my way. I just have to untie an angry blonde first.” He hung up and I cursed at his dumbass. If it wasn’t for the fact he was so damn loyal and obedient I would have strangled him long ago.
A small knock sounded at the door, making me smile. “Come in.” I’d have recognized that soft-handed knock anywhere.
Arianna stepped inside and my day instantly got brighter. I watched her face light up with a breathtaking smile. She was stunningly beautiful on any given day but for some reason she appeared to be glowing. The red dress she wore fit tight to her slight form except for where it flowed out around her hips and upper thighs.