She smiles through her tears. “Your mother? Oh, Harper…”
“I love you, Andrea,” I say before she can splutter any more reasons I shouldn’t.
But instead, she pulls me in for another embrace. “And I love you too, Harper. And I’m proud to call you my daughter.”
Marcello
When the car stops, my heartbeat rises. It’s not often I visit this part of the city, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
“Are you sure about this?” Claudio asks.
I sigh and adjust my tie. “Stop second-guessing my decisions.” I push open the door and slam it shut before he can say anything else to try to change my mind about this.
I march toward the grimy-looking building that’s probably seen more dead bodies than I have in years, but I don’t let it sway me. I’m here for a purpose, and I’m not leaving until I get what I want.
“We’ve talked with the Polish before,” Claudio mutters as he flanks me from behind. “They can’t be trusted. You know that.”
I stop dead in my tracks and give him a scornful look. “We have no choice. Trust me. If we did, I would’ve picked something else. But we’re thin on men and thin on weapons, and the Irish are out there preparing their next strike.” I take a deep breath. “Now calm your nerves, and let’s go.”
He nods. “As you wish, sir.”
We go inside through an old, crusty-looking door that slams shut behind us, leaving us with no exit. But there will always be a way out. After all, the Polish come in every day. They just want me to feel trapped. Tiny. Like an ant ready to be squashed.
But I won’t let them intimidate me.
With my head held high, I walk through corridor upon corridor, ignoring every room we pass by, even when the doors are open. Behind them, people are counting copious amounts of money, drugs, having sex like wild people without paying any attention to the two men walking by.
It’s nothing I haven’t seen before and nothing that will distract me from my goal.
Despite the fact that I trust the Polish as much as Claudio does, securing their support might be the one thing that’s going to guarantee my victory. Even if they are anything but allies.
We walk to the room in the back guarded by two buff-looking men holding rifles. It’s also the only door that doesn’t look crusty as fuck.
I eye the two down, and without even blinking once, they step aside.
Of course, Stefan is expecting me.
I didn’t announce my visit, but a don never says no to another don, especially when they come baring their soul.
However, the second the door opens, two men step in front again and bark, “Weapons?”
Claudio and I shake our heads, but they still pat us down.
When they’ve deemed us clear, they let us pass.
Stefan is sitting behind his desk, smoking a cigar as he stares at a tablet in front of him. He smirks when our eyes lock, mine full of mistrust, his full of delight.
“Marcello! So nice of you to visit,” he exclaims with an obvious Polish accent, his voice a little too cheery for my taste. “Come, sit, sit.” He points at the chair, which one of his guards pushes aside with his foot.
I sigh and nod at Claudio, who follows me as we sit down at the same time in front of Stefan. Still, I eye the room to check for any escape routes because you can never be sure. Two windows, one to the left, one to the right, without bars. Another door is right behind Stefan’s desk with one guard in front of it while the other guards the door we came through.
The sound of women moaning distracts me and makes my brows furrow as the sound comes from the tablet on the desk.
Stefan grabs a cigar and lights it. “So, to what do I owe this pleasure?”
“You know why we’re here,” I say. “The—”
Another moan makes my ears bleed.
I glance at Claudio, but it definitely wasn’t him even though his cheeks are redder than usual. What the fuck?
“Oh, of course, where are my manners?” Stefan mutters with the cigar in his mouth as he turns around the tablet to reveal a porno of three women having sex playing in the background. It’s the same three women I recognize from one of the rooms down the hall. “Can’t keep these three bitches all to myself. Feel free to watch and enjoy.”
I hold up my hand. “No, thanks.”
Stefan laughs, louder than I’m used to. “Your partner there seems to like it a little too much.” He points at Claudio, who looks away, visibly in discomfort. Probably because it’s been a while since he’s last seen a pussy, let alone had time to enjoy it.
I try to ignore the screaming women. “I’m here for business.”