Vow to Protect (Vow To Protect 1)

“What about her father? Any movement on that front? He hasn’t made any effort to contact his daughter or his niece?”

Kai leans forward to try to catch my eye. No doubt trying to read my mood. It should be fucking obvious. “Not that we can tell. According to the staff we were able to talk to, they have a strained relationship. He barely speaks to her some days, and others, well…let’s just say he needs to be gutted.”

I close my eyes and breathe for a moment, needing to rein in my temper. My friends aren’t at fault here. “What about the rest of society? Any changes since the season started?”

Andrea, with her big sweet eyes that disarm everyone, spoke up first. “Alexei and I have been monitoring any shifts. So far, no one’s made any big moves, but I swear, boss, every time we show our faces at an event, we get mobbed by people asking about you. I swear one of the mothers practically shoved her daughter’s tits in Alexei’s face to try to entice him into putting in a good word.”

Alexei, the darker, harder version of his sister, shrugged. “They were pretty nice. Of course, I was vague and made a quick exit. I should have told them to put the boobs in Andrea’s face. She might have appreciated the peep show as much as me.”

Andrea shrugs and gives us all a wink. “We’ll keep an eye on it. Right now, we are also trying to get more information on what business is keeping Valentina’s father so busy out of town.”

I nod, some of my anger fizzling with it. “What is staying with me is why didn’t Sal go with him? He usually goes on those sorts of trips.”

Ivan, my quiet muscle, fields this question. “Also something we are trying to figure out. It might just be he wanted time to—” He breaks off. He was there the day we brought Valentina home.

I study my hands, thinking. “He’s not smart enough to plan. I wonder if there was something else, and he just saw the opportunity. I feel like we’re missing something, and I hate this feeling.”

Everyone shifts uneasily. I make it my business to know everything. If I don’t, then I can’t make an informed decision, and it’s the only kind of decision I make.

“Back to Sal. Tell me about his situation. Was he staying in the house with the family?”

Kai catches my attention. “Sometimes, not full time, mostly when the father needed him for business, or if there was an event that they needed to attend together.”

The memory of Sal touching Valentina hits me hard, and I curl my fists against my thigh. “What about money? His family needs it. That was why he wanted to marry her, right? If we offer the family enough money, do you think they would turn on him? Offer up his hiding place in exchange?”

I meet Kai’s eyes, waiting for the answer. “I think they might pretend they will. They’d be happy to take your money, and then they’ll give us a false location or a false trail just to fuck with us.”

“Make the offer and see what happens. I want to know if they will bite or ignore it.”

Kai nods, even if he doesn’t look happy about the choice. Hell, I’m not happy about it either, but it’s made, and I don’t go back on my decisions.

I need to calm down and get back to Valentina. The sooner she feels at ease with me, the sooner I can start winning her heart. And she has no idea yet, but sex will be one of the weapons I use.

I shove to stand and survey my team. “I don’t care what it costs. Find him, and bring him here.”

A rush of air behind me alerts me to the door opening. At first, I expect the cook, who brings coffee for the carafe we keep here. But it’s not her, it’s Valentina. She’s wrapped in one of my dress shirts, which covers her from neck to knees. “Don’t. Please. You can’t give him money.”

Anger spikes through me. How dare she walk into my command room and start giving orders? I sidestep the chair and grab her upper arm. “What are you doing here?”

She addresses the room and not me, acting like I don’t even exist. “If he has more money, he can buy and sell more women and children. If you knew what he does to them, what they go through…don’t give his family anything. I’ll help if I need to. Use me as bait. He’ll love a chance to get me back.”

I wrap my fingers around her chin and force her to look at me. “Bedroom. Now,” I grit out.

She stares me down for a second, and I think I might have to sling her over my shoulder and drag her out. But then she turns, tugs her arm from my grip, and leaves the room.