“What do you need to make up for the engagement?” I cut in, tired of hearing his vitriol.
“Chernov blood,” he said flatly.
“You’ve had it,” I reminded him.
He shook his head slowly and leaned forward. “No, I haven’t.”
A cold pit of steel formed inside me as I realized exactly what he meant.
He smiled humorlessly. “I’d say you should be careful around your father, Kirill. He doesn’t seem to have taken to your new bride as you’d hoped he would. Viktor has different ideas for the bratva’s future than you, and a collision is coming. But then, it seems you already know that.”
Viktor. Fucking Viktor had sent the men to kill Mallory at the dress shop. It was done easily enough. All he had to do was hire some Italian mercenaries to carry out his dirty work, and he’d known we’d suspect De Sanctis, considering our recent past.
“Suka blyat,” I swore viciously, my eyes burning with hatred.
I wanted to drive to Brooklyn and shoot every single fucker protecting Viktor, storm his tasteless townhouse, and kill him painfully. First, I’d shoot out his kneecaps, then string him up and drain him of blood. Death by a thousand cuts. Or maybe I’d hang him by the feet off The Tower and light the rope on fire. Molly and I could watch him burn in front of the kitchen window. So, Viktor had been well aware that Molly was alive after his first attempt when he’d sent Nikolai to kill her.
Nikolai. My half-brother’s name whispered through my mind. Had he known the truth? Was he double crossing me after all? I couldn’t trust the fucker. I never had been able to, and nothing had changed. His mercy only extended to the females in his life. I was fair game, and he wanted to be boss. I shouldn’t forget that.
Just like that, a solution presented itself as clear as day.
Wrestling my anger under control, I turned my attention to Antonio.“You need Chernov blood? How about this?”
Leaning in, I laid out my plan. It would either free me from the noose tightening around my neck or finish me.
* * *
I headed backto The Tower and only relaxed when I was inside and could see Mallory in the library. She was curled up before the fire on her chaise lounge. Her eyes were intent on her book, and her long toffee-colored eyelashes looked like fans on her cheeks as she looked down. I could have stayed there in the doorway and watched her all night, but she must have sensed my presence, as she looked up after a moment.
“You’re back?”
“I’m back.” I wandered in, taking off my jacket and tossing it on the table.
I sat at Mallory’s feet and her dainty little sock-clad feet snuggled into my lap, giving a kick of arousal to my dick, which was already rising at her nearness. Unfortunately, we had to talk, and it couldn’t wait. Instead of picking up her cue, I took one of her feet between my hands and dug my fingers into the sole, massaging it.
“Fuck, that’s amazing,” she groaned, her eyes glazing as she leaned back and enjoyed the foot rub.
“I’ll rub any of your body parts, Princess, whenever and wherever you want.”
“You should know I’m going to take you up on that. You’ll regret it,” she sighed.
“Impossible. You’re doing all the hard work,” I said, my eyes lingering on the soft swell of her belly.
I still couldn’t believe our baby was growing in there, tiny and vulnerable. I felt the most urgent need to protect it and Mallory. When I thought too closely about the threat of Viktor to their safety, it sent me nearly wild with anger and fear. A whole lot of fear.
“I thought you could go on a little trip. Maybe take Federica and Max and go away for a few days.”
“Where to?” Molly asked. She sat up, her eyes alert for some sign of everything I wasn’t telling her.
“Where do you want to go? Europe?”
Molly pulled her feet from my lap, and I knew I couldn’t hide everything from her. She was too sharp, and she knew me too well. I didn’t particularly like hiding things from her, but I didn’t want her worrying about things she couldn’t change.
“Why now? And why aren’t you coming?”
I blew out a breath. “I have to work,” I evaded.
She gave a grim chuckle. “Kirill, don’t bullshit me. You’re not exactly an office drone with twenty days of vacation a month. What’s going on?”