Breathe, Valentin. Breathe.
Making rash decisions at this point would only get us killed. What I needed was revenge, blood splattered across a playing field so thick an entire block could bathe in the carnage. “And the cleanup?”
“Handled, but barely. They swept it as clean as possible, but there wasn’t much time.” Niccolo hissed. “We need to get this shit under control. We have business to take care of.”
The fucking operation was meant to be cut and dry, not a feeding frenzy for the police. I’d been played on two sides, intolerable.
I remained quiet, seething to the point I saw nothing but a haze of red in front of my eyes.
“We lost two men, Valentin. Two fucking good men, one of them mine. It’s going to be dicey to get out of this one without scars.” Niccolo’s voice had a sense of urgency, which I understood but was unusual for the structured brutal man.
“Handle whatever of the aftermath you can. Is the extraction in place?”
“Yeah, but I don’t like what’s happening. I think you have a leak a mile wide. I’d watch your back. Some of my men are already hearing shit on the street. You definitely have a target on your back.”
What else was new? “Who’s talking?”
“No one in particular. Just shit spoken. They smell blood in the water, which doesn’t bode well for our operations. Like I said, watch your back. Limit who you trust.”
I knew what he was insinuating. Brando was a pain in my fucking ass, but he was loyal. However, if I found otherwise, I’d carve my entire name into his treacherous skin. “I’ll handle it. Just keep me informed.”
“You know I will. Call me when you’re settled.”
“Will do.” I ended the third call, determined not to handle a fourth. If the lovely woman sitting next to me had played a role in a setup in order to have me arrested, she would pay and pay dearly for her betrayal. I pressed my hand against my neck, hissing. The fucker had almost sliced through my jugular.
“You’re hurt,” she said, almost gleefully.
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
“That’s right. You’re the big, bad wolf. You can handle anything.”
Her smart mouth was forcing me to lose my patience.
She’d yet to learn I was a very bad man, the kind you didn’t ever want to fuck with under any circumstances. As her perfume flowed into my nostrils, I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel. I’d considered her an angel from the first moment I’d laid eyes on her, but even black widows could be considered heavenly to those who enjoyed the sting.
That wasn’t me.
My sweet angel would soon learn she’d crossed paths with the devil. I would enjoy spending time breaking her down, exposing all the joyous wonders of her lush body, providing pleasure as well as pain.
As much as I craved fucking her, shifting into the peace that only she’d been able to offer, what I craved the most was making her mine.
* * *
“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”
— George Lucas
Cassidy
Fear.
Not just regarding the powerful man who’d destroyed my life but because of the unknown.
It was palpable and haunting, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. I had no way of knowing where Valentin was taking me or what terrible punishments I’d be forced to endure. He was entirely different than before, the stark difference sharp and raw, two sides to a tarnished coin. The fact I’d been attracted to him at all astonished me, my mind spinning from the ridiculous, passionate thoughts I’d had regarding him.
Valentin wasn’t a man who deserved my adoration, or anyone’s for that matter. He was a vicious, vile creature with sadistic needs. I could tell by the cold look in his eyes that he considered me his enemy.
He’d found out who I was, which wouldn’t have been difficult for a man in his position. I never should have fallen into bed with him. Being attracted to him and ignoring the red flags that had done everything but smack me in the face could mean a death sentence.