“Great, so now he has his sights set on her, too,” Seven spits.
I have to grit my teeth against the thought, the last thing we need right now is the Bastone brothers taking an interest in Evi.
“Whether Valentine decides to bring her or not, I think it’s worth checking out,” I say.
“You can’t seriously think he’d be dumb enough to bring her out in public, even at the request of Julius, can you?”
“I don’t think it comes down to intelligence, or lack thereof,” I answer after a moment. “It would be a power move, and a major one at that. My father isn’t one to shy away from a challenge. The greater the challenge, the greater the reward. Why wouldn’t he want to flaunt her in front of us?Especiallyif the Bastone brothers are there to magnify the danger of it all. He’s practically daring us to challenge his claim to her … and what better way to do that than bringing her out into the open amidst our kind?”
“If that’s the case, then he better be ready to face what’s coming for him,” Seven growls.
“Ifhe does,” I say, giving him a stern look, “then we gauge the situation accordingly. We don’t want him to hurt her, but remember, we still need evidence to bring him down.”
“Fuck the evidence. Evi needs us, and I—”
“Seven, language!” I roar, closing my eyes as I once again find myself struggling not to launch across the desk. Recomposing myself, I look up at Seven and Luci. “Clearly, this whole situation is already starting to get out of hand. I will go to the club to meet my father.Alone.”
“The f—”
“The bloody hell Iwill,” I hiss, my lip curling up over my teeth as I see red again. “My father is far more likely to let his guard down if I’m the only one who shows up.”
“And what are we supposed to do in the meantime?” Seven snorts. “Sit around hoping Valentine doesn’t claim her at some point over the next two weeks?”
“He’s not going to claim her until he’s able to lord it over me,” I say, pausing for a long moment as I come to terms with what I have to do. “I’m going to disappear for the next two weeks.”
“The hell?”
“I can’t let him find me until we’ve given Evi a chance. I’ll be back for the grand opening, but I need you and Luci to hold down the fort here in the meantime. Don’t go pissing Valentine off before it’s time, is that understood?”
Luci nods once, but Seven doesn’t so much as look my way. I can’t say I didn’t expect as much, and honestly, I’d be more wary if he had.
Whether or not they actually obey my orders will be another story, but one I can’t worry about right now.
Slipping my hand into my pocket, I finger the brass knuckles within, a smirk tugging at the corner of my lip at the thought of using them on my father and his men.
No.
I push these thoughts from my mind, the next two weeks are all about reconnaissance and planning. No matter how strong my urge to destroy Valentine may be, Evi and her safety have to be my sole focus.
Our timing has to be perfect on this.
We need evidence to bring Valentine down and rescue Evi, once and for all.
And we will.
Together, wewillsave her.
3
Evelyn
The last thing I want to know is what Valentine means about me playing the part of his plaything, as he leads me out of his office and down into the main lobby.
There are still a great number of armed guards stationed throughout the huge entryway. I can’t help but notice the way their eyes linger on me, and I quickly hug the robe closed tighter around my body.
Somehow, I feel more like a sheep among wolves here than I ever did with Dante, Luci, and even Seven.
I don’t know if I have brain damage from the crash, delayed onset of Stockholm Syndrome, or if I’m suddenly coming to my senses, but the more I think about my time with The Devils Mafia, the more I wish I was still with them.