I need to take care of this problem on my own, or it will take a bite out of the power I hold in the Priesthood. You never let other men fight your battles for you. It’s the greatest show of weakness. I’ll only ask them to back me when there’s no other way.
“I’ll take care of the problem.”
Viktor nods then falls silent again as Luca proceeds with the meeting. We discuss incoming shipments and pending deals for the next two hours, and as the evening draws to a close, Luca grins at me. “Almost time for the wedding.”
Everyone at this table will be at the wedding. It will be a show of strength to our enemies. Hopefully, it will serve as encouragement for the Sicilians to not fuck with me.
“Yes. Less than two weeks.” Tess flashes through my thoughts, and I wonder how she handled the news.
She probably threw a fit.
I almost chuckle at the thought but catch myself in time.
“We’re looking forward to it,” Luca says, drawing my attention back to him. “I haven’t seen Peter in years.”
I had to up the security with the five families attending the wedding. If anything goes wrong, it will be my head on the chopping block.
“Send me a list of your security details so I can have them cleared,” I tell the group. “I want to know exactly who will be at the wedding.”
Each man nods. Viktor rises to his feet, effectively ending the meeting, and Luca follows.
Victor might be the youngest, but he sure as fuck is the most dangerous out of all of us. If the Sicilian problem gets out of hand, I might just have to hire him to take them out.
The thought doesn’t sit well with me as I get up and straighten my jacket.
The past two weeks have been a total whirlwind, arranging security for the wedding and killing the damn Sicilians whenever they dared to walk my streets. I have men stationed on the grounds, in the house, and scattered around the neighborhood.
Andreas is keeping an eye on everything, which gives me a sliver of peace of mind.
Dressed in a black tuxedo and with my Glock tucked safely behind my back, I make my way down the grand stairway to join the guests attending the wedding.
Flowers take up every available space, and soft instrumental music fills the air. Servers rush around like ants, and there’s a constant hum of voices blending with the background music.
When I step out onto the veranda, all eyes turn to me. Some are filled with reverence, others with poorly veiled hate. One thing every gaze holds? Some level of fear.
“Nikolas, so good to see you,” Spiros Doukas says, his voice overly friendly. Our family has done business together, and the man never stops groveling for another opportunity.
We shake hands, and before he can bring up a topic of conversation that will bore me to death, I walk away from him. I head toward the members of the Priesthood, who are gathered and watching the other guests as if they're in a den of vipers and not at a wedding.
Reaching them, I shake their hands and smile. “Thank you for coming.”
Liam lets out a low whistle as his gaze sweeps over the grounds, draped in white and yellow décor, a stupid amount of flowers, and the best linen. “This must’ve cost you a pretty penny.”
“You have no idea,” I sigh. Signaling a server closer, I order drinks for us. “You’d think with it being my father’s second wedding, they would’ve scaled down, but Helena’s a socialite.”
“Do you get along with your soon-to-be stepmother?” Gabriel asks. He’s not a people person at all, and it’s clear as day as he glares at the other guests.
“She’s good for my father.” Just then, my sister catches my eye. Athina steps out onto the veranda with Tess right behind her. When my sister spots me, she heads in my direction.
My gaze gets stuck on Tess, who’s turning heads with every step she takes closer to me. Noticing how much attention she’s getting, a frown forms on my forehead.
“Any of you looking for a bride?”
Luca’s eyebrow lifts. “Who are you trying to marry off?”
I nod in the direction of the women. “My stepsister. Theresa Dracatos.”
“The girl with Athina?” Liam asks.
Suddenly Viktor lets out a low chuckle. “If glares could kill, you’d be six feet under, Nikolas. I take it you don’t get along with her.”
Glancing back at the women, who are almost by us, it’s to find Tess’ eyes on me, the frown on her forehead doing nothing to diminish her beauty.
She’s probably still pissed off because of the changes being made to her life.
“Gentlemen.” Athina stops next to me, a perfect smile on her face.
I lean down and press a kiss to my sister's temple. “You look beautiful.” My eyes sweep over the grounds. “Where’s Basil?”